After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 260 Rural Daily Life

The next day at noon, Xu Lin received a message from Liu Changhua saying that the enrollment issues for Sui Sui An An and the others had been resolved.

You can register directly in September.

With everything settled, Xu Lin mentioned the matter to Ning Haifeng and his wife at noon.

This was nothing to Xu Lin; it was simply a very simple matter.

But for Ning Haifeng and his wife, it was a big deal.

In the afternoon, Ning Haifeng drove to the city center for work. He had four households to visit today to have some equipment installed.

Ning Haifeng is a skilled worker, and his honesty has made him well-known. Residents recommend him to others, so he's in high demand and can't keep up with all the orders. Last month, Ning Haifeng earned more than 20,000 yuan. Keep in mind that this is just an inconspicuous small county town. Many respectable high school teachers only get two or three thousand yuan a month after deducting various expenses.

However, Ning Haifeng didn't get carried away. Only Wu Xiulin knew about his income, and he didn't tell anyone else.

Besides, the two younger children need to go to school, which also costs money.

Ning Haifeng has a low level of education, but he deeply understands the importance of education.

There will be plenty of places to spend money in the future.

Besides, Ning Yuhan will need a dowry when she gets married, right?

In the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, bride price is either nonexistent or just a token amount, with the groom's family giving the bride's family 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, which the bride's family then has to return to the young couple to help them build their home. This is the general custom. Selling one's daughter is extremely rare here, and if word got out, one would be the subject of gossip and criticism from the surrounding community.

Ning Haifeng's idea was that he couldn't skimp on his dowry later, so that Ning Yuhan's in-laws would value her more after marriage.

Therefore, there will be many places where money will be spent in the future.

Ning Haifeng didn't get home until very late today.

It was past seven o'clock when I finally left the last house.

On a whim, he drove past Decheng Elementary School and stood there for a long time.

I thought that if I could study here peacefully every year, I would have a high starting point and could go very far.

In his excitement, Ning Haifeng even felt a little lightheaded while driving.

"Xiao Lin, you've been so good to our family, I don't even know how to thank you."

Back home, Ning Haifeng couldn't help but say.

"fine."

Xu Lin didn't take it to heart; he was currently playing with the two children.

"Uncle, let's go to the village and stay for a few days tomorrow."

"Okay, okay, it's cooler in the village now. It's August, but if you had come last month, we would have planted quite a few lychee trees."

"Aren't lychees out of season by August?"

"Yes, it's past its season."

"But we still have guavas at home. When we go back tomorrow, Hanhan can take you there. It's the perfect season for them. They're the red-fleshed kind, and they taste delicious."

"Sounds great, I'll check it out later."

The father-in-law and son-in-law chatted for quite a while tonight.

Time comes the next day.

After everyone packed their things, Xu Lin drove Ning Yuhan, Sui Sui, and An An back home. As for Wu Xiulin, she stayed in the county town to help Ning Haifeng. With Ning Yuhan and the others looking after the children, Wu Xiulin felt at ease.

"Go home!"

In the car, Sui Sui and An An were both very happy, and they played in the back seat.

Ning Yuhan was also watching the two of them from the back seat.

"I almost forgot, I still need to buy some things."

Xu Lin parked his car at a small market.

"What should I buy?" Ning Yuhan asked, puzzled.

"When you get to the village, go to the convenience store and give every man you see a cigarette. That's called infiltrating the village."

"Oh."

Ning Yuhan didn't say anything.

Xu Lin got off the bus and bought two packs of cigarettes.

Driving from the county town, it took a little over an hour, passing many winding mountain roads, before Xu Lin finally entered the territory where Ning Yuhan Village is located.

In early August, the paddy fields were full of rice, and the fields were not dry, with plenty of water. Coupled with the lush green mountains, it created a picturesque scene.

Xu Lin opened the car window, letting the wind blow through him. He felt the air was fresher than ever before, far superior to the air quality in the city.

Xu Lin felt much better.

A few minutes later, Xu Lin finally drove the car into the village.

The rice has all been planted, and the busy farming season is over now.

At lunchtime, the convenience store was quite crowded. Fans were blowing inside, some people were playing mahjong, while others were watching or chatting.

Behind the convenience store was a basketball court, but it was used for parking.

In August, most young and middle-aged people are working in other places, so there are not many cars here.

According to Ning Haifeng, the parking lot here is full of cars during the Spring Festival and Qingming Festival. Nowadays, almost every family owns a car.

In one corner of the basketball court, there is a tall bamboo grove, which naturally provides shade.

The villagers have placed many chairs here, and now many villagers sit here to cool off and chat.

Suddenly, people saw a car pull up and park.

People didn't know what kind of car it was, but everyone had to admit that it was very good-looking and looked high-end.

Some of them recognized the car.

Pointing, he said, "Isn't this Haifeng's son-in-law's car?"

"Haifeng's son-in-law, that tall, handsome, and wealthy young man?"

"It's him! Tall, strong, handsome, and very rich. I heard this car costs over two million!"

"Haifeng's family is so lucky to have such a rich and handsome son-in-law!"

Everyone was envious.

Then I thought of Ning Haifeng's family. They were the most beautiful family in the village, and they were even the most beautiful family in a short time.

Ning Yuhan is exceptionally beautiful, and her youngest daughter and son will undoubtedly grow up to be great beauties and handsome men.

How could people in the countryside not be envious?

Even young people from rural areas find it hard to shake off that rustic air. Wearing a dragon robe doesn't make them look like princes. They need to undergo extensive reading and education, as the saying goes, "a belly full of poetry and books naturally exudes elegance," or they need to be exposed to money and power to remove that air.

Ning Yuhan seems to have never been born with a rural air about her.

She was the most unique person in the village, and the villagers had a very deep impression of her.

Xu Lin parked the car quickly.

Ning Yuhan got off the bus with her two children.

People then confirmed that it was indeed Xu Lin and his group.

"Hey young man, you're in our village again!"

A woman called out to Xu Lin.

Xu Lin waved to them and walked over.

"Wow, that's really tall! He must be at least 1.8 meters tall!"

"This guy is already two meters tall, what do you mean 1.8 meters?"

People were surprised by Xu Lin's height. In their area, living conditions have improved and the height of the younger generation has improved, but the older generation, especially men, are mostly around 1.7 meters tall or even shorter, and 1.8 meters is a very small minority.

"Young man, you must be at least two meters tall, right? That tall?"

Another woman asked him.

Xu Lin laughed and said, "That's exactly 1.9 meters tall."

"1.9 meters tall! That's so tall!"

Someone gestured and said she was only a little over 1.5 meters tall, which is the average height of women here. Xu Lin was too tall, and he was also tall and imposing.

Someone of Xu Lin's stature, even if he had no money at all, wouldn't be bullied in the village.

In the past, someone of Xu Lin's height and build would definitely have been a local bully in the village. He would probably have gotten a bigger share of the land when the survival team divided it up. He was also known for being the loudest person when he was out.

"Yes, 1.9 meters tall."

Xu Lin pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Auntie, want one?"

"Go away, why would a woman like me smoke?"

"Ha ha……"

The village is mostly inhabited by women, but there are a few men as well.

Xu Lin offered them a cigarette.

That's how social rules work in rural areas. If you share a cigarette, everything is negotiable. Whether someone smokes it or not, you just share it and talk about it later.

The villagers would think, "This child is so polite and knows how to behave," and they couldn't help but give him a thumbs up in praise.

I stayed in the bamboo grove for a few minutes.

Xu Lin went to the convenience store and did the same thing again.

Only then did they return to Ning Yuhan's home.

Ning Yuhan and the other two have returned home.

Xu Lin greeted his grandparents, who were both at home.

When Xu Lin visited again, the two elders were very welcoming.

"Honey, let's go see the guava on the back hill!"

An hour after arriving here, Ning Yuhan remembered this incident.

"Ok."

"Brother-in-law, I want to eat guava too!"

Sui Sui tugged at Xu Lin's clothes.

"Me too!" An'an chimed in.

"Okay, okay, we'll eat them all."

Xu Lin picked them both up.

Ning Yuhan couldn't help but tease, "You just like to hold the two of them all the time."

"They're already five or six years old. If we don't hug them now, we might not be able to hug them next year."

Xu Lin said, "Kids develop quickly these days. Some boys are over 1.8 meters tall by the time they're 11 or 12. Your family has good genes, so I estimate they'll be very tall too. When they grow up, Sui Sui will be no less than 1.85 meters tall, and An An will be no less than 1.72 meters tall."

"Brother-in-law, I will always give you hugs!" An'an hugged Xu Lin's neck.

“Brother-in-law, me too!” Sui Sui chimed in.

Xu Lin was both amused and exasperated: "That won't do, you'll all have to grow taller from now on."

"Will I be as tall as my brother-in-law?" An'an pressed.

Xu Lin: "An'an will be as tall as her older sister, and Sui Sui will be as tall as her brother-in-law."

An'an: "Will I be as pretty as my sister?"

"of course."

"What about me, brother-in-law?" Sui Sui asked as well.

"You'll be as handsome as your brother-in-law, and grow up to be a real heartthrob!"

What is a "handsome guy"?

“Sometimes he doesn’t understand the words you use,” Ning Yuhan said.

"It means it's very beautiful."

"Oh, Sui Sui understands!"

The group chatted as they made their way to the back of Ning Yuhan's old house.

On the hill behind her, there are ten lychee trees and three guava trees.

These were all planted by Ning Haifeng when he was young, and now they are tall and lush.

Moreover, it's not far from the foot of the mountain, making it easy to get up. You can see it at a glance from the foot of the mountain.

Lychees are out of season, with only a few withered ones still hanging on the branches, but guavas are just right. Those plump, juicy guavas are hanging on the trees, looking very appetizing.

"Wow! Brother-in-law, I saw a guava! It's bigger than my head!"

Sui Sui gestured.

Ning Yuhan was both amused and exasperated. "How could it be as big as your head? It's only about the size of a fist."

An'an exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, I want to eat guava!"

"I'll pick some for you to eat later."

Xu Lin: "There seem to be a lot of mosquitoes up there. You guys can wait for me here."

Children shouldn't go up the mountain; there are too many mosquitoes, and they're too young to handle it.

Ning Yuhan cautioned, "Then be careful." "Okay."

Xu Lin's physical abilities are extraordinary, making it easy for him to climb mountains. Then there's climbing trees. He's brave, strong, and climbs trees incredibly fast, with agility comparable to a monkey.

Ning Yuhan was getting anxious. Xu Lin was too daring. He dared to stand on those small tree branches that looked like they could easily break. Ning Yuhan didn't dare to speak loudly, for fear of disturbing Xu Lin, distracting him, and causing him to fall down accidentally.

Soon, Xu Lin had picked more than thirty guavas.

There are still many more on the three trees.

Xu Lin packed the bag and quickly rushed down the mountain.

It has to be said that there were too many mosquitoes on the mountain, buzzing around, and Xu Lin happened to be the kind of person that mosquitoes love to suck blood, so you can imagine how bad it was.

"Damn, there are so many mosquitoes!"

As Xu Lin came down, he couldn't help but complain, then changed the subject, "Fortunately, all the guavas have been picked, and they are all the best quality ones."

These guavas, freshly picked from the tree, don't even need to be washed; they can be eaten directly.

Xu Lin took a big one and ate it with gusto, while Ning Yuhan, Sui Sui An An, and the others took small ones to eat.

"Is it good?" Xu Lin asked the two snacks.

"good to eat!"

The two spoke in unison, holding guavas, their words muffled.

Ning Yuhan suddenly said, "There are still many on the tree, should we send some to Auntie?"

"Is there a courier station here? I can only send packages if there is."

"The brigade has them."

The brigade is the division of a large village here. Ning Yuhan's village is actually just a small group under a large village. So on her ID card, it says "Village X, Group Y, Brigade," which is the production team unit from decades ago.

"I'll ask her later, but she should like it."

This is a red guava; it tastes great and looks good too.

Ning Yuhan added, "We can also send some to Sister Linyue."

"Ok."

Back home, Xu Lin sent a picture of a guava to his mother and Chi Linyue.

Send a unified message: "Hanhan's guavas, freshly picked, would you like some? I'll send you some."

Chi Linyue replied immediately: "Looks very good, give me two pounds."

Ms. Ren replied a few minutes later: "It looks very appetizing, give me a couple of pounds."

Xu Lin replied in unison, "Then I'll send you ten jin!"

Chi Linyue: "How can I eat so much by myself?"

Ms. Ren: "How could Yan Yan and I eat so much?"

Xu Lintong replied, "Don't be fooled by how heavy ten pounds seems; it's actually not much."

Chi Linyue: "Okay, send it to me, I'll treat it as a diet meal."

Xu Lin replied to Chi Linyue: "Don't lose weight and become skinny."

Chi Linyue: "Go away, go away! I'm a natural twig bearing abundant fruit, enough to suffocate you, you little pervert!"

Ms. Ren: "Then please send it over!"

Ms. Ren: "What about the two babies?"

A few minutes later, Xu Lin sent her a group photo.

Xu Lin had Sui Sui and An An stand between his legs and held them in his arms for a photo, their three pretty faces pressed together.

Ms. Ren was completely charmed: "These two children are just too cute!"

Chi Linyue also received the photos.

"Hanhan's younger brother and sister are so cute!"

Chi Linyue said, "Our children should be just as adorable in the future!"

Chi Linyue: "Is it in Hanhan Village?"

"Correct."

Is the village pretty?

Chi Linyue is a native of the big city and has never been to the countryside, so she has a very idealized view of the countryside, thinking that it is like the countryside in Tao Yuanming's works, such as "picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and leisurely gazing at the southern mountains".

But then again, did Tao Yuanming ever see a mosquito?
In ancient times, there were no mosquito coils at night; I don't know how they got through the night.

"The scenery is beautiful, but the mosquitoes are huge, which is both good and bad. However, the air is really good, and it's not as hot as in the city."

"So that means everything's fine except for the mosquitoes?"

"You can't say that. I think it's alright, but I still need to explore it further."

Actually, rural areas have both advantages and disadvantages, especially in terms of interpersonal relationships. Rural areas are relatively closed small societies with limited population mobility, leading to complex interpersonal relationships. Sometimes, arguments can erupt over a small piece of land, or even something as small as a few dozen yuan.

"Uh-huh."

The two chatted for a few more minutes before ending their conversation.

In the afternoon, Xu Lin went up the mountain again and picked more than 20 kilograms of good-quality guavas.

After finishing picking the fruit, Xu Lin immediately went to the village committee office and sent it by express delivery.

Just then, a SF Express shipment arrived, and Xu Lin immediately arranged for SF Express standard air freight to ship the goods, so that even though it was a place as far away as Jiangdu, it would arrive by tomorrow night.

Of these, Chi Linyue received ten jin, and the remaining ten jin or so were given to Ms. Ren. Ms. Ren also had Rong Xiyan with her.

We had a very good dinner.

Grandpa specially caught a big rooster that weighed several kilograms and also made chicken soup.

This chicken soup is simmered slowly over a wood fire, a rare practice in the city, and the flavor is truly exceptional.

As night falls.

After Xu Lin had eaten and drunk his fill, he came out of the house for a walk.

Just then, Sui Sui pointed to the sky and said, "Brother-in-law, look, there are stars!"

An'an pointed to the sky and said, "So many stars! The moon is so round!"

What a coincidence, today is the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar.

The moon was very round, and there were many, many stars.

This number of stars seems to be only visible in rural areas where there is little smog.

There are quite a lot of stars.

Xu Lin felt at peace. He hadn't seen so many stars in a long time; it truly was a sky full of stars.

On a whim, Xu Lin took a picture and sent it to his older sister who lived far away in Jiangdu.

Once, Chi Linyue told him that she had never seen a sky with so many stars.

The skies over big cities are often shrouded in smog. It's rare to see many stars, let alone a few on nights. Often, when you look up at the sky, you can't even see a single star.

"So many stars?"

Chi Linyue quickly replied, "The moon is also very round and bright."

Chi Linyue: "Is it only in the countryside that one can get close to nature?"

"Probably so. The city is bustling with traffic and people are restless."

That night, Xu Lin and the two children watched the stars for more than two hours.

Grandpa has a recliner here. Xu Lin moved it out and lay down on it, while Sui Sui and An An lay on him. The three of them looked at the sky together. The children are full of curiosity about the world. The two siblings kept counting stars here and had a great time.

Because of the layout of their house in the county town, the view of the sky was not very wide, and there weren't many stars to count in the city. It seemed that only the countryside could inspire their curiosity about the world and nature.

Xu Lin felt that this was much better than playing on his phone.

Fortunately, neither of them uses their phones.

Children from ordinary families, especially those in rural areas, often have limited entertainment options, making mobile phones the cheapest form of entertainment. Their early exposure to mobile phones during their formative years can easily shape their lives. The most obvious example is the prevalence of glasses among primary school students, which isn't necessarily due to academic pressure; a significant portion is caused by electronic devices.

"Brother-in-law, do you know which star is the Big Dipper?"

While counting the stars, Sui Sui suddenly asked him.

An'an corrected him: "Silly Sui Sui, the Big Dipper is clearly seven stars!"

Xu Lin found the Big Dipper in the sky, pointed it out to them, and laughed, "That's the Big Dipper, do you see it?"

"I see it! It really looks like a spoon!"

"Brother-in-law, do you think the gods in heaven use the Big Dipper as a spoon to eat?"

"Of course, even immortals use the Big Dipper as a ladle to drink soup!"

"So what kind of soup do they drink?"

"Let me think... At least we eat dragon soup! Then we drink the soup and eat peaches..."

Xu Lin made things up; he was just trying to amuse the children.

He wouldn't say there are no gods in heaven, or that it's all a lie. Children are naturally curious, and what elders need to do is not stifle their curiosity about nature. It's their nature. If you suppress their nature, they will develop a deeply ingrained belief from a young age that this is wrong, that is wrong, because their parents have said it's wrong.

Therefore, what will emerge in the future are industrial products. They have no creativity whatsoever; they will simply grow up and become lifeless cattle and horses.

So why can't mediocre parents raise outstanding children? There are many reasons, but one of them must be that mediocre parents have constantly suppressed and negated their children. From childhood to adulthood, they have never affirmed their children. They don't know that children need affirmation and encouragement the most. Otherwise, it would be strange if such children could become successful. They would only inherit their parents' poverty, especially their poverty of thought and cognition.

Around 10 o'clock, Xu Lin suddenly received a message from Yu Xinyan.

It turned out that Yu Xinyan had sent him a picture of the sky.

Full moon.

However, she lives in a city, where there aren't as many stars in the sky, and the moon isn't as bright as in the countryside.

Xu Lin took a picture on the spot.

"Xu Lin, are you looking at the stars and the moon too?"

"of course."

"Why are there so many stars and such a bright moon over there? It looks so dreamy!"

"I'm on vacation in the countryside; the view from the sky there is definitely better than in the city!"

Xu Lin asked, "Is this the sky over the capital?"

"No, I'm back, but I'm in the provincial capital. My parents are here."

Xu Lin then remembered that Yu Jianhua had been promoted, and as his spouse, Lin Yajing naturally followed him. The organization would arrange jobs for the spouses. Yu Xinyan went directly to the provincial capital after returning from Beijing.

Xu Lin: "How's it going in the provincial capital? Where are you staying now?"

"We now live in the cadre residential area, a three-bedroom, one-living room apartment, which is quite spacious."

Yu Xinyan: "Xu Lin, are you coming over to take a look?"

Xu Lin: "I'll go there in a few days."

Xu Lin also planned to visit Ms. Ren and the others on the way, since they were all in the provincial capital.

"really?"

"Of course, I'll come over then."

For the next four days, Xu Lin stayed in the countryside.

Xu Lin ate quite a few of the guavas on the tree.

If you want to buy something, you can just drive to town; it's not much trouble.

Rural transportation is quite convenient now.

In the past few days, besides relaxing, Xu Lin has occasionally dealt with work-related matters.

In August, the current season of "Singer" came to an end.

Meanwhile, Tse Ting has successfully reached the top of "Singer", taking the championship as a newcomer.

There's absolutely nothing fishy about it.

Xu Lin had previously thought he would at most be an uncrowned king, but now it's a bit of a surprise.

However, Xie Ting's emergence was simply too strong. With his existing fanbase and the support of Xu Lin's works, he was propelled to the top. Especially now, as the champion of "Singer", Xie Ting is enjoying unparalleled popularity.

In response, Xu Lin could only tell him that he could do whatever he wanted, even if he was arrogant, conceited, or disdainful of others. It was all fine; it was just a persona. As long as he was strong enough, others could only be jealous of him, and those who mocked him could only hide in the corners of the world.

But you absolutely cannot have your reputation ruined. For example, things like fried noodles, paying for prostitution, or being a minor. With the internet so developed now, you can easily be ruined if you run into any of these things. Even someone as strong as Kris Wu back then is now working on a sewing machine.

It is precisely because of Tse Ting's strong rise that people have seen how amazing Mr. Xu behind Tse Ting is. Tse Ting sang more than a dozen new songs on the "Singer" stage, none of which were repeated, and all of them were Mr. Xu's works.

Furthermore, Nicholas Tse specifically emphasized that Mr. Xu would teach him singing techniques and methods, further elevating Mr. Xu's status.

Therefore, based on Tse Ting.

In July, Xu Lin began recruiting for a new batch of disciples. Now, some time has passed, and despite the strict requirements, Xu Lin's reputation is so great that after screening a large number of applicants, he has enough of the twelve people he wants.

Two players with the potential of Nicholas Tse are a tier below ten others.

However, Xu Lin is currently on holiday and has not yet officially started work.

It's mid-August now.

Xu Lin was finally about to embark on his journey home.

(End of this chapter)