Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

The educated youth happily carried the pork back to their settlement, while the older educated youth who had gone home tacitly avoided mentioning it.

Luo Lan cooked lunch at Liu Xiangyang's house. Xue Bingbing wanted to help her, but she refused.

Left with no other option, Xue Bingbing could only say, "Then you can make lunch, and we'll make tea together in the evening."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Looking at Roland's clean wrist, Xue Bingbing touched the watch on her own wrist and felt very comforted.

After dinner, Zuo Qingqing, Jiang Xiaowen, and He Xiaoqin came to find Xue Bingbing to play the game of "Upgrading". Since there was an extra person, they discussed taking turns playing.

Liu Xiangyang said, "You guys have fun. I'll go out for a while and come back later." He went to Xue Bingbing's courtyard, took a bottle of wine and a pound and a half of brown sugar, divided them into three portions, and headed to Zhang Tiejun's house with the things.

"Auntie, is Uncle Zhang home?" Upon arriving at Zhang Tiejun's house, she saw his wife busy in the yard.

"Xiangyang's here! Your Uncle Zhang is in the inner room." After greeting him, she got up and invited Liu Xiangyang in. Looking at the things in his hands, her face crinkled into a smile.

Ever since Liu Xiangyang came to the countryside, he has never stopped giving his family things.

"Honey, Xiangyang is here to see you." He shouted into the house, then lifted the curtain and let him in.

Liu Xiangyang saw Zhang Tiejun dozing off against the bedding, only to be woken up by his wife.

"Uncle Zhang, the New Year is almost here. I've prepared some New Year's gifts for you. I'd like to wish you a Happy New Year in advance, as it might not be appropriate to come a few days later."

Zhang Tiejun got up and got off the kang (a heated brick bed). Seeing what Liu Xiangyang was carrying, he said, "Xiangyang, what can I say to you? I've told you so many times, but you never listen."

"Old woman, quickly pour Xiangyang a cup of hot water to warm him up."

He put down the wine and sugar, sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), took a sip of hot water, and said, "Uncle Zhang, I'd like to ask you something. After the New Year, spring planting will begin in early April. I'd like to focus on militia training. When do you think would be a good time to do that?"

"Usually, training is conducted intensively for one or two weeks after spring planting and autumn harvest," Zhang Tiejun explained.

After seeing Zhang Tiejun's wife leave, Liu Xiangyang whispered, "Uncle Zhang, I'd like to ask the village for a few easier jobs. I'll trade with the village, and when I return to the city, I can recommend someone from the village to take over my position. What do you think?"

Upon hearing Liu Xiangyang's words, Zhang Tiejun asked with a serious expression, "Xiangyang, are you serious? You're already on a government paycheck, receiving a salary every month, and you're asking for this little bit of stuff from the village? Are you out of your mind?"

"Uncle Zhang, I'm not confused. I've thought it all through. When I can go back to the city, I won't be able to take this job with me. Who knows who will benefit from it then? I might as well give it to you, Uncle Zhang."

"It's also possible that I won't be able to get back to the city, then I'll be the one who benefits the most."

"Xiangyang, since you've thought it through, I won't try to persuade you anymore. How many positions do you want?" Zhang Tiejun's voice rose with excitement.

"Let's take five for now, and add more if needed. Is that too many, Uncle Zhang?" Liu Xiangyang asked Zhang Tiejun with a smile.

"Not a bit more, not a bit more. I'll give you all the easy jobs," Zhang Tiejun said.

"I'll go and call them over to discuss this. You sit down for a while." Zhang Tiejun put on his clothes, jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed), and ran outside. When he got to the door, his feet got cold, and he realized he wasn't wearing shoes. So he ran back and put his shoes on.

"Where have you two been, boss and brother? Get over here right now!" Zhang Tiejun shouted from the courtyard.

Footsteps approached. "Father, what do you want with us?"

"You're all so irresponsible. Why are your clothes all wet? I'll deal with you later. You guys hurry up and call Captain Wang and Accountant Li to my house. Tell them I have something important to discuss with them. Hurry up."

After instructing his two sons, Zhang Tiejun returned to the house and chatted with Liu Xiangyang for a while before Wang Lixin and Li Jianjun arrived.

"Xiangyang, please sit down for a while. I'll discuss this with the other two outside."

"Uncle, you guys go ahead."

Wang Lixin and Li Jianjun followed Zhang Tiejun into the courtyard with puzzled expressions. Li Jianjun complained, "It's so cold outside. Let's talk about it on the kang (heated brick bed)."

"Really?" "That's wonderful news!"

"Let's not talk about how our three surnames are divided, but we must keep this job in our village."

"Should we draw up a written agreement?"

……

The three of them talked in the yard for only a few minutes before going inside.

Liu Xiangyang had such good hearing that even without consciously listening, he overheard most of their conversation.

"Now, I've discussed it with Captain Wang and Accountant Li, and we agree to your request, but..."

Zhang Tiejun glanced at Li Jianjun and continued, "Jianjun, since you brought it up, then you should say it yourself."

Li Jianjun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Liu Zhi, Inspector Liu, I think we need this written agreement, it'll be safer that way."

"Accountant Li, it's impossible for us to sign a written agreement. I have no reason to lie to you. If I really wanted to sell, where couldn't I sell it? Couldn't I sell it in the county town? Couldn't I sell it in Bingcheng?" He directly rejected Li Jianjun's request.

Li Jianjun was speechless after being rebuked, and Zhang Tiejun remained silent with a livid face. It was only after Wang Lixin stepped in to smooth things over that the matter was resolved.

"Xiangyang, it's settled then. Tell us your name in March so we can assign you a position," Wang Lixin said.

"Okay, Captain Wang, I'll tell Uncle Zhang the name in a while. I'll head back now. Oh, by the way, these are New Year's gifts for you two. I won't go to your house; too many people will cause trouble."

"Then I'll head back first." Liu Xiangyang handed two packets of brown sugar to Wang Lixin and Li Jianjun, and then walked out of the inner room.

Zhang Tiejun's wife had been listening in the kitchen. When she saw Liu Xiangyang come out, she quickly said, "Xiangyang, have dinner at home and have a drink with your Uncle Zhang."

"No, Auntie, Uncle Zhang and the others still need to discuss it, so I won't disturb them any longer." With that, he left.

Inside the house, Zhang Tiejun and Wang Lixin began a denunciation meeting against Li Jianjun, while Liu Xiangyang ignored them and went straight home.

When Liu Xiangyang got home, it was almost dark. As soon as he entered the house, only Xue Bingbing was listening to the radio and humming along with the songs playing.

Seeing Liu Xiangyang enter the house, she got up to take off his coat, shook off the snow at the door, hung up the coat, and asked, "Xiangyang, what do you want to eat tonight?"

"I want to eat the big steamed bun that you put in my mouth yourself the most." Liu Xiangyang hugged her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"You didn't get enough to eat last night? Didn't Roland give you any this morning?" she said coquettishly, pinching him.

"You're wronging me. I just marked her; I didn't eat her bun."