1979: Reopening Wenhao Road from the Village

Chen Weidong ate a quick bite and then returned to school.

"Never mind, I've left the two buckets by your door. Remember to pick them up when you go back."

"OK."

"By the way, could you order that milk once a day or every day or two? Just two or three pounds would be fine. If you buy too much, it will spoil easily."

Chen Weidong asked Gou Buli.

"It should be fine. I'll go back and ask again."

"Thank you for your help."

"Why are you being so polite with me? We're comrades!"

Gou Buli waved his hand dismissively.

……

"Second brother, there's a letter for you."

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard Chen Aihua's voice. She was surrounded by Chen Xiaoteng, Chen Xiaoting, and Chen Xiaosui; she was practically a queen of the kids.

Chen Weidong glanced at the thickness and address, opened it, and sure enough, it was the "October" magazine. The first page was "Hibiscus Town".

There was also a letter in the magazine, written by Zhang Shouren, informing him that "Hibiscus Town" would be officially released the next day. He also brought him good news: the symposium held some time ago had finally helped "The Herdsman" break the million-dollar sales mark, making it the best issue since the founding of "October".

Therefore, October Magazine is currently considering changing from a quarterly to a monthly publication.

"Whose letter?"

Seeing that Chen Weidong remained silent, Chen Aihua walked over with some curiosity.

"October? Second brother, you still read magazines?!"

It's worth noting that Chen Weidong disliked studying since childhood and would get a headache just looking at books. Now that he's actually reading magazines, how could Chen Aihua not be surprised?

"Hibiscus Town, Chen Weidong!? Second brother, this author's name is exactly the same as yours."

As Chen Aihua finished speaking, a crazy thought suddenly flashed through her mind. She turned to look at Chen Weidong and said, "Second Brother, don't tell me you wrote this novel!?"

"Wei Dong, is your new novel out?"

When Chen's mother came out of the main room, she saw Chen Aihua holding a book that was exactly the same as the book she had previously published for Chen Weidong.

"Yes, it's officially released tomorrow. This is the sample copy that Brother Zhang sent me."

"Really? Aihua, let me see it."

Chen's mother opened it and took a look. Although she couldn't read, she felt that the paintings on it were better than the previous ones.

"Mother, what's going on? You mean this novel was written by my second brother?!"

Chen Aihua still found it hard to accept this fact. She always felt that Chen Weidong and writing novels were two completely different things and would never be related.

"It was written by your second brother. He also wrote a piece called 'The Horse Herder' before. Take a good look at it, and if you don't understand anything, learn from your second brother."

Chen's mother instructed Chen Aihua.

"You two sit down first, I'll go buy some groceries."

After finishing her speech, Chen's mother took the newly arrived copy of "Hibiscus Town" and left the courtyard.

"Second brother, are you really a writer?"

"Could it be fake? He's just a writer, nothing special."

Chen Weidong said calmly.

Chen Aihua immediately noticed the smile on Chen Weidong's lips and inwardly scoffed, but she was still genuinely happy for Chen Weidong.

"Second brother, did you also return to the city and go to the Central Academy of Drama because you can write articles?"

She was a little surprised that Chen Weidong's family returned to the city so easily, considering that some of her classmates still hadn't come back.

It's even less likely that someone like Chen Weidong, who is married, will come back.

But Chen Weidong not only returned, but also immediately arranged a job for him at a prestigious institution like the Central Academy of Drama.

Now Chen Aihua understood: Chen Weidong had become a writer, no wonder he was able to return to the city.

So now I'm practically the writer's sister!

"It's partly due to my father and his family finding someone to help me get in."

"That's because you're capable, Second Brother. I remember you didn't like reading before, so why did you suddenly decide to write novels?"

Chen Aihua pressed for an answer out of curiosity.

"People change. Now your second brother has to support his family, so he tried writing one, and unexpectedly it was successful."

Chen Weidong gave a brief answer, then changed the subject, "How about you? How's your studies going? What are you planning to do after graduation?"

"I don't know, my mother and the others want me to go to the grocery store."

Chen Aihua seemed somewhat confused.

"It mainly depends on what you want to do. Actually, I suggest you try to develop within the system, or you could go to Wangfujing Department Store, Xidan Shopping Mall, or Dong'an Market, which are also good options."

The grocery store and supply and marketing cooperative looks good now, but it's too small and doesn't have much room for development.

You can also consult with your school's teachers about this and hear their thoughts.

Chen Weidong offered his advice: sometimes, a person's future success depends not only on their own efforts, but also on the platform they use.

"I understand, Second Brother."

Chen Aihua nodded. After Chen Weidong's guidance, she gained some understanding of her future.

"Second brother, you've changed so much!"

Looking at Chen Weidong, Chen Aihua suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

"Has it gotten better or worse?"

"Of course she's gotten better. She's become more family-oriented and even writes novels."

"Haha, it's good that you've changed for the better. No matter how I change, I'll always be your second brother."

Chen Weidong tried to pat Chen Aihua's head, but she lowered her head and avoided it.

"I just braided my hair, I can't let you mess it up, I have to go out in a bit."

"So late? Who are you meeting? A boyfriend?"

"No, it's just a classmate of ours. We haven't seen each other for a while, so I'm going to visit her."

Chen Aihua blushed and hurriedly explained.

"A girl this age is normal to date, but the prerequisite is that your second brother must approve of her."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm leaving."

"etc."

"What's wrong?"

Chen Weidong took out a ten-yuan note from his pocket and handed it to Chen Aihua.

"Take this. If you see something you want to buy when you go out, don't hesitate to spend it. If you need more money, just let me know."

"Thank you, Second Brother, you're so good to me!"

Chen Aihua immediately put the money in her pocket and said sweetly.

Watching Chen Aihua's happy figure, Chen Weidong felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He worked so hard to earn money, just hoping that this family would get better and better.

"aunt!"

Seeing Chen Aihua leave, Chen Xiaosui also strode over to follow.

Perhaps due to their blood relation, Chen Xiaohui and Chen Aihua became inseparable after just two days, spending all their time together.

Perhaps due to adequate nutrition, Chen Xiaosui has grown quite a bit taller, spoken much more fluently, and become increasingly intelligent.

"Auntie went out to do something, she'll be back soon. Daddy will play with you."

Chen Weidong quickly washed up, picked up Chen Xiaosui, and started lifting her high in the air.

……

"Sister Mei."

Chen's mother pushed open the door and walked into the grocery store.

"Xiulan, what would you like to buy?"

"I'm not buying anything, but someone sent me a book. I can't read, so could you help me figure out what's written on it?"

"October magazine, 'Hibiscus Town,' Chen Weidong! Your Weidong has written another novel?"

"Hey, didn't he just write an article? The magazine editor said it was good, so they asked him to write another one, and I didn't expect it to actually be published."

Seeing Chen's mother's radiant face, Ma Mei knew perfectly well that the other party had come to show off to her on purpose.

The same thing happened last time!

Ma Mei then realized that she needed to learn from this experience and not repeat the same mistake next time.