Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 286 Visitors
Around 10 a.m., the sky over Daying Village was somewhat gloomy, the gray sky seemed to be holding back a rain, and the air was humid and muggy.

In the Li family's new house in the north of the village, little chubby Li Huijing was squatting in the yard, playing happily with two half-grown spotted dogs.

The chubby boy had always loved dogs, but his family had never owned one. When he first returned from Beijing, he was timid and didn't dare to get close.

After feeding him leftovers for several days, the dogs gradually became close to him. Now, wherever he goes, the two dogs wag their tails and follow him, occasionally rubbing their heads against his trouser legs.

"Beep beep—" A crisp car horn sound came from outside the courtyard.

The chubby boy's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up, calling out to the two dogs, "Come on, let's open the door, it must be Second Brother coming back!"

He jogged to the gate, opened it, and sure enough, saw a white Volga sedan parked outside, its body still covered in mud from the road.

Upon seeing the car, the chubby boy jumped up with joy, and the two spotted dogs ran happily around the car, barking at the car door every now and then.

The Volga slowly drove into the yard and parked in the newly built garage in the southwest corner.

The car door opened, and Li Zhe and Wang Jianjun got out of the car one after the other.

"Second Brother! Hey, Jianjun, you're back too!" The chubby boy came up and greeted him with his round face.

Wang Jianjun smiled and gestured to show his height: "Wow, Huijing, it's only been a short time since we last met, and you've grown so tall."

The chubby boy scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled.

Li Zhe opened the trunk, took out a net bag and handed it to the chubby boy: "Take these vegetables to the kitchen, I'll make you something delicious for lunch."

The chubby boy looked down and saw a plump bird in the net bag, its feathers already cleaned. He asked curiously, "Second Brother, why is this duck so big? It's even bigger than the duck we slaughtered for the New Year."

"This isn't a duck, it's a goose." Li Zhe smiled and rubbed his head. "I'll make you stewed goose with potatoes for lunch today, so you can try it."

"Is goose delicious?" The chubby boy swallowed hard; he had never eaten goose meat before.

Li Zhe said, "You'll find out at noon; I guarantee you'll love it."

Hearing the commotion in the yard, Wang Xiuying came out of the house. Seeing the goose in the little fat boy's hand, she laughed and scolded, "Damn it, second son, you really know how to eat! You dare to buy a goose. This one must have cost a lot of money!"

She then looked at Wang Jianjun and asked warmly, "Jianjun, what brings you back to the village today? Are you less busy in Beijing?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to come back and see my dad and you, Aunt," Wang Jianjun replied with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the two-story building in the courtyard, his heart filled with emotion—the Li family's new house was unique in the entire town.

"That's perfect! Call your dad over at noon, and we'll eat goose together!" Wang Xiuying was delighted and urged the chubby boy to take the goose to the kitchen.

"Mom, shall I help you?" Li Zhe was a little worried, as his family had never stewed goose before and he was afraid his mother had no experience.

"No need, no need!" Wang Xiuying waved her hand. "You're tired from driving, go inside and rest. I can do it myself." She was efficient and never liked having others help her, always feeling that it would only cause trouble.

Before long, it was noon, and a light drizzle began to fall. The fine raindrops landed on the cement ground in the yard, splashing up tiny water droplets. Old Li and Wang Rongsheng, wearing raincoats, hurried back from the greenhouse, their clothes still covered in mud.

At this moment, Wang Xiuying had already prepared lunch. She carried a large iron basin into the living room, which was filled with stewed goose with potatoes. The goose meat was stewed until tender, and the potatoes were soaked in the broth. The aroma instantly filled the entire house.

The chubby boy carried a plate of braised pork knuckle, glistening with oil; Li Na carried a plate of cold green bean salad, bright green and refreshing; while Li Zhe carried a basket of bright orange cornbread, with black crusts still clinging to the edges.

"Wow, what's this stew? It smells so good." Old Li went closer to the iron pot, looked at it for a long time, and still couldn't recognize it.

"Stewed goose, my second son bought it, saying we should try it," Wang Xiuying replied with a smile.

Old Li immediately understood and looked at Li Zhe: "You really know how to eat, kid. You even managed to devour a whole goose. That kind of thing is a rare treat in the village."

"Dad, you'll know once you try it. This goose is even more delicious than stewed chicken," Li Zhe said, placing a piece of goose meat on his father's plate.

Everyone sat around the round table, picked up their chopsticks, and began to eat.

The goose meat is stewed until it melts in your mouth, the broth is rich and flavorful, and the potatoes are soft and fluffy. Every bite is incredibly satisfying.
The braised pork knuckle is rich but not greasy, melting in your mouth; the cold green bean salad is refreshing and cuts through the richness; and the cornbread dipped in goose soup is an absolute perfect match.

The chubby boy ate with his mouth full of oil, repeatedly saying "delicious," while Old Li and Wang Rongsheng nodded frequently, praising it highly.

After finishing their meal, the chubby boy and Li Na, wanting to see the comic books upstairs, ran up in a flash.

Only Lao Li, Wang Xiuying, Li Zhe, and Wang Jianjun remained in the living room.

Wang Xiuying looked at Wang Jianjun and asked with a smile, "Jianjun, how many days do you plan to stay at home this time?"

Wang Jianjun was taken aback. He had mainly come back to tell his father about his aunt, and hadn't had time to decide how many days he would stay. He looked at Li Zhe with a pleading look in his eyes, and then replied, "Aunt, I haven't decided yet, what's wrong?"

“I’ve found you another good match. The girl is from the next village. She’s pretty and hardworking.” Wang Xiuying smiled from ear to ear. “Since you’re back, stay another day. You can meet the girl tomorrow.”

Wang Rongsheng nodded: "You're not young anymore, you should start to get moving."

Wang Jianjun frowned slightly. He hadn't expected his aunt to suddenly bring up the blind date. He took a deep breath, looked at Wang Rongsheng, and said softly, "Dad, there's no rush about the blind date. I also have something I want to tell you."

Wang Rongsheng put down his teacup and asked in confusion, "What is it? Tell me."

"Dad, do we have any relatives in Beijing?" Wang Jianjun asked, his eyes fixed on his father.

Wang Rongsheng was taken aback, then frowned: "What...what are you thinking? Our family has been in the village for generations, how could we possibly have relatives in Beijing?"

"Dad, please think about it again. Do we really have no relatives in the capital?" Wang Jianjun pressed.

"No means no. Why are you suddenly asking about this, kid?" Wang Rongsheng waved his hand, his eyes darting around.

Wang Jianjun took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and suddenly said, "Dad, are you... hiding something from me?"

Li Zhe raised an eyebrow, secretly praising: Wow, cousin's got some skills! What a brilliant move to turn the tables!

Wang Rongsheng stiffened, his eyes filled with panic: "What? Hiding it from you? What could I possibly be hiding from you? Don't make wild guesses, kid."

“Sigh…” Wang Jianjun sighed and slowly said, “Some time ago, I ran into some trouble in Beijing. An old lady mistook me for a vagrant and sent me to the police station.”

At the police station, there was a chief surnamed Wei. When he saw that my ID card said Daying Village, he asked me if I knew someone named Wang Rongsheng…

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Rongsheng suddenly interrupted him, his voice trembling slightly: "Police officer surnamed Wei! What's his name? Never mind, I can't remember his name either. What's his wife's name? Tell me quickly!"

“His wife’s name is Wu Fanghua,” Wang Jianjun answered, word by word.

Upon hearing the name "Wu Fanghua," Wang Rongsheng's body trembled violently, and he almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

Wang Xiuying, who was standing to the side, also widened her eyes, grabbed Wang Jianjun's arm, and asked excitedly, "Jianjun, you saw your aunt? She didn't leave? She's still in Beijing?"

“Yes, my aunt didn’t leave. She’s stayed in Beijing all these years.” Wang Jianjun nodded, feeling a pang of sadness as he looked at his father’s excited expression.

"This... Fanghua didn't leave! She's still in Beijing!" Wang Rongsheng stood there stunned for a long while before his eyes gradually showed excitement. He grabbed Wang Jianjun's hand and asked anxiously:

"What did your aunt say? Does she know anything about your mother and sister? All these years, how are they... doing?"

“Dad, don’t get agitated. Sit down and tell me slowly.” Wang Jianjun helped his father sit down and said softly, “In previous years, Auntie didn’t have an easy time either and suffered a lot… It’s only in the last two years that things have stabilized, and that’s when she tried to contact my mother. Auntie said that my mother and sister are both doing well, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

"That's wonderful, wonderful! Thank God, God has eyes!" Wang Rongsheng's voice choked with emotion, his eyes gradually reddening. He clasped his hands together, repeatedly murmuring:

"Shuhua, Hongxia... I've finally found you, I've finally found you..."

After a while, he asked anxiously again, "Are your mother and sister still on Hong Kong Island? How are they doing there? Have they suffered any mistreatment?"

“They’re still in Hong Kong Island. My aunt said they seem to be doing alright, but she doesn’t know the specifics, since we haven’t been in contact for so many years.” Wang Jianjun tried to keep his tone calm.

Wang Rongsheng stood up and paced back and forth in the living room, so excited that he didn't know what to do, repeatedly muttering the names of his wife and daughter.

After a while, he suddenly stopped and looked at Wang Jianjun: "How did your aunt get in touch with your mother?"

“They communicated by letter. My aunt just sent a letter to Hong Kong Island a couple of days ago, and it will probably be a while before we receive a reply,” Wang Jianjun said.

"Okay, okay!" Wang Rongsheng nodded repeatedly, grasped Wang Jianjun's hand, and said solemnly, "Jun, when you receive your mother's letter, you must tell me as soon as possible. I want to know if they are doing well..."

“I know, Dad. I came back this time specifically to talk to you about this.” Looking at his father’s excited appearance, Wang Jianjun became more and more hesitant, unsure of how to tell him about his mother’s remarriage.

Seeing Wang Rongsheng's excited state, everyone comforted him, telling him not to be too anxious and that he would know the details once he received a reply.

Afterwards, Wang Xiuying asked Wang Jianjun to take Wang Rongsheng home to rest, as Wang Rongsheng was getting on in years and getting too emotional would be bad for his health.

When Wang Jianjun returned after dropping off Wang Rongsheng, only Lao Li, Wang Xiuying, and Li Zhe remained in the living room.

Wang Xiuying looked at Li Zhe, feeling that something was off, and asked suspiciously, "Second brother, you already knew about Jianjun and his aunt's reunion, didn't you?"

“I know, I knew last year.” Li Zhe nodded.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Wang Xiuying frowned, her tone somewhat reproachful. "You know how much your uncle cares about your aunt and Hongxia. He's suffered so much all these years. If you had known earlier, he would have suffered less."

Li Zhe was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Mother, it's not that we don't want to talk about it, it's just that there are some things we don't know how to tell Uncle."

Wang Xiuying's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly realized something. Her expression changed instantly: "What happened to Shuhua and her daughter Hongxia? Are they having a hard time in Hong Kong?"

“Nothing’s wrong. They’re doing fine in Hong Kong.” Li Zhe quickly explained, afraid that his mother would overthink things. Then he added softly, “It’s just that… my cousin’s mother has remarried in Hong Kong and has a new family.”

"This..." Wang Xiuying was stunned, her expression freezing instantly. After a long while, she let out a long sigh: "Sigh, it's not easy for a woman to raise a child alone outside... It's not easy at all."

Old Li knew that his brother-in-law had always regretted what he did back then and felt guilty towards his wife and daughter, so he sighed and said, "It's always a good thing that the person has been found."

Li Zhe has experienced more than his parents and knows that life is full of helplessness and regrets. Looking back, he probably would have regretted it no matter what choice he made back then... It can only be said that fate plays tricks on people.

"Mother, Father, things have already come to this. All we can do is comfort Uncle and help him gradually accept it."

Silence fell over the living room as Wang Xiuying sat to one side, wiping away tears.

Outside, the rain, which had stopped for a while, started to fall again, drizzling softly...

……

The canteen of Sijiqing Company in the north of Daying Village is even more lively than it was ten days ago.

In the 500-square-meter space, newly customized wooden tables and benches are neatly arranged, the tabletops are polished to a shine, and several potted plants are placed in the corner.

Li Zhe had just finished breakfast and was sitting at the table near the door, chatting with Jin Baiwan and Zhu Yimin about building the greenhouse.

"Brother Jin, Brother Zhu, two friends from Beijing are coming to visit the greenhouse today. Which of you is free to accompany me to greet them?" Li Zhe put down his enamel cup and glanced at the two men.

Zhu Yimin immediately waved his hand, his tone decisive: "Brother, I can't do it, let Lao Jin go." For him, he would rather pull weeds and fertilize under the sun than socialize with strangers.

Li Zhe didn't press the matter, and turned to Jin Baiwan: "Brother Jin, then I'll leave this to you."

“Sure, I don’t have anything urgent to do today.” Jin Baiwan readily agreed, his round face beaming with a smile. He then asked, “Brother, what does your friend from Beijing do? Why does he want to visit the greenhouse? I need to find out first, so I don’t say the wrong thing.”

He's quick-witted, has high emotional intelligence, and is an expert at dealing with people. Li Zhe definitely needs someone like him to handle social situations.

“One is my friend Li Guoqing, a top student who graduated from Peking University and now works in the Rural Policy Research Office of the Secretariat,” Li Zhe explained. “The other is his colleague, surnamed Zhang. I have never met him, but Li Guoqing told me that this Comrade Zhang wants to be transferred to a local position. I guess he came here to investigate the situation.”

Jin Baiwan narrowed his eyes and asked curiously, "You want to be transferred to Langfang? You can just transfer him like that?"

Li Zhe picked up his enamel mug and took a sip of tea: "Li Guoqing mentioned that this Comrade Zhang has a solid family background, his elders have some connections within the system, and his family supports him coming to the local area to do practical things."

Jin Baiwan immediately realized what was going on and lowered his voice to ask, "So, what level is this guy surnamed Zhang at now?"

"Deputy Director," Li Zhe uttered.

"Holy crap!" Jin Baiwan was startled and shrank back. "A deputy director being transferred here is at least a deputy district head! This is a really big shot, we have to treat him well."

"Don't be too nervous, just stay calm." Li Zhe smiled. "With their background, it's easy for them to find a place to 'gild' themselves. They might not even care about our little village. We should just do what we need to do and show the greenhouses in their true condition."

"Okay, I understand." Jin Baiwan nodded, but the tension in his heart had not been completely suppressed, and his left hand unconsciously scratched his back.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the cafeteria entrance. Lin Xiaohu rushed in, sweat still on his forehead: "Brother Li, come out and take a look! A military green jeep has arrived outside. It looks really impressive. It doesn't look like one of our cars!"

Li Zhe and Jin Baiwan exchanged a glance, then got up and walked towards the door.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance, I saw a military green jeep parked on the side of the road. The body was clean and neat, and the red star logo on the front of the vehicle was particularly eye-catching.

The passenger door opened, and a young man in a white shirt stepped out—it was Li Guoqing. Immediately after, another man got out of the driver's seat. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, had fair skin, and was dressed in a light blue shirt; he looked refined and composed.

Li Zhe quickly went to greet him, smiling as he shook hands with Li Guoqing: "Brother Qing, you must be tired from your journey. We've been waiting for you."

"Brother Li, you've done a great job." Li Guoqing looked at the newly built canteen, then turned to the person next to him and said, "Come, let me introduce you. This is Director Zhang Weiyi from our research lab. He came with me specifically for this inspection."

Li Zhe immediately turned to Zhang Weiyi and extended his hand: "Director Zhang, welcome to our Sijiqing Inspection. I am Li Zhe."

Zhang Weiyi smiled gently and shook hands with him: "Mr. Li, I've heard so much about you! I've read about you in the newspapers before."

"Director Zhang, you flatter me." Li Zhe said modestly, gesturing for them to proceed. "Brother Qing, Director Zhang, our company's newly built cafeteria is just ahead. You two have come from afar, why don't you go to the cafeteria to rest and have some tea?"

Li Guoqing looked at Zhang Weiyi with a questioning look in his eyes.

Zhang Weiyi waved his hand and said with a smile, "Mr. Li, you don't need to be so polite. We've been sitting in the car for two hours, and our butts are numb. We just wanted to get off and walk around to stretch our muscles."

Li Zhe immediately understood his meaning; this Director Zhang had come for the greenhouses and didn't want to waste time on hospitality. "Alright then, the foundation for the greenhouses is being dug on the eastern plot, and the workers are busy at work. If you don't mind, I can take you over there to have a look?"

"No problem, no problem!" Zhang Weiyi's eyes lit up, and her tone became more expectant. "We came here this time to see how your greenhouse is being built. It would be great to see the construction process with our own eyes."

(End of this chapter)