Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

As soon as the two got out of the car, a familiar figure waved enthusiastically at them; it was Aimin, who had been waiting at the village entrance for a long time.

"Teacher Meng! Yue Chuan! How come you came back in the same car? What a coincidence!" Ai Min exclaimed excitedly, his pale face unable to hide the weariness between his brows.

Professor Meng didn't explain much, but went straight up and shook his beloved student's hand: "Aimin, it's been so many years, I've missed you dearly!"

Words failed them; the master and disciple embraced tightly, and even Yue Chuan, who was watching from the sidelines, could feel the profound affection between them.

"Teacher, didn't we agree that I would pick you up in the county town? This mountain road is so bumpy, I was worried for ages..." Aimin looked at Professor Meng's gray hair and seemed very concerned.

Professor Meng laughed loudly, "With your good nephew as our guide, why would you need to take over?" After saying that, he turned his head and winked at Yue Chuan.

At this moment, Aimin also looked at Yue Chuan with an approving gaze, but before he could speak, Professor Meng interrupted him: "I really have to thank Xiao Chuan. If it weren't for him saving me, my old bones would probably have been shaken to pieces!"

Before they could even ask why, Professor Meng recounted the anecdote of the ticket seller refusing to give change and Yue Chuan paying the fare upfront. His vivid narration of this small incident made the two men chuckle…

Upon learning of the arrival of distinguished guests, Qin Yunhai instructed Qin Shuangling to prepare a banquet in advance—the most lavish hospitality ever shown in Qin Family Village.

As Professor Meng and his entourage approached, the old man, leaning on his cane, came out of the courtyard to greet them: "Professor Meng, you've finally arrived! My son has been talking about you for half a year. Come on, let's go home and rest!"

To express his gratitude, Professor Meng took the old man's hand and said, "Brother, I heard you're a veteran of the Korean War. Meeting you today, I can see you're truly extraordinary!"

Both elderly men had seen a lot in life, and even their polite greetings were enough to invigorate anyone who heard them.

As everyone crowded into the courtyard, the octagonal table was already laden with rustic delicacies. Since Qin Shuangling was in charge of cooking, the fragrant mutton soup in an iron pot was naturally indispensable; there it was, placed in the center of the table.

Professor Meng was seated at the head of the table. After everyone was seated, he served each person a bowl of mutton soup to warm their stomachs, as was customary, and then they drank and chatted happily.

"Thank you for the hospitality! This reminds me of the communal meals we had in the Great Northern Wilderness; thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye..." He stroked the rim of the rough porcelain bowl, then suddenly raised his glass and stood up: "This glass is for everyone!"

Seeing the elderly intellectual drink the wine in one gulp, everyone applauded and cheered.

The old professor tilted his head back and downed the drink, eliciting cheers from the table. Qin Yunhai poured more wine, saying, "Old Meng, in the past, this place was poor, and we always gave the wine to our guests first. Come, three cups of welcoming wine, from now on we're family!"

The drinking culture in the Central Plains region has been passed down for thousands of years. Although Professor Meng was not a heavy drinker, he could not refuse the hospitality and quickly finished three cups of wine.

Seeing that Professor Meng's cheeks were slightly flushed as if he was drunk, Aimin quickly picked up a piece of steamed cake and placed it on his plate, and finally served the old man a bowl of delicious mutton soup.

Professor Meng blew away the steam from the rim of the bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped down the soup, not caring at all as mutton soup dripped down his white beard: "Thank you for your hard work, Chef! This is so much better than the potato soup at the Moscow Red Square Restaurant!"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, and even Qin Shuangling rarely showed a smile.

During the meal, the adults toasted each other, and Yue Chuan also buried his head in his large bowl and ate heartily—since the incident of losing the sheep, he had not tasted his father's mutton soup for more than half a year, and at this moment his cheeks were bulging like a hamster hoarding grain.

"Good wine, good meat, and a joyous occasion! It seems I made the right choice coming here. Not only did I catch up with my beloved student, but I also made friends with my older brother and the younger generation. I am truly fortunate! So fortunate indeed!" Professor Meng held up a chipped earthenware cup, his eyes crinkling with laughter as he drank. On the table, a large rough porcelain bowl held braised mixed fish, and a bamboo basket was piled high with crispy yellow bread. This simple, rustic flavor was more comforting than any delicacy.

"Mr. Meng, with you here, my humble abode is truly honored! Please come often in the future, and let my brother Shuangling prepare a grand feast for you. I guarantee that the dishes will be different every time!" Aimin said as he served wine to his mentor.

Professor Meng first bowed to Qin Shuangling, then turned to Qin Yunhai beside him and said, "Brother, you're so lucky! You have so many nephews and nieces, and you've raised a son who's eloquent and capable. Unlike me? My wife and kids have flown overseas. In people's eyes, I'm just... oh right, a lone commander, a lone commander! Haha!"

Slightly tipsy, the old professor became even more talkative. He recounted everything from secretly hiding books in the cowshed to exchanging vodka for specimens at Leningrad University; from collective farms to the Siberian wilderness. These stories, shrouded in the dust of time, were so captivating.

Like many intellectuals of that era, Professor Meng always linked his personal growth with the fate of the nation. The weight of history and the profound sense of patriotism must have resonated deeply with Aimin and Yuechuan.

"A great professor is indeed a great professor, he spoke so well!" Qin Yunhai couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

At his age, he no longer needs to flatter or fawn over others. He probably only feels such empathy and appreciation when facing people who have also experienced the ups and downs of life.

"Brother, you are the true hero!" Professor Meng praised lavishly. "If it weren't for your sacrifices in winning the war to establish our nation, the people wouldn't be living in peace. From any perspective, your contributions are immense!"

This is the highest praise for Qin Yunhai. At this moment, Qin Yunhai's wrinkled face and eyes were a little red. Whether he was thinking of his comrades who fell on foreign battlefields, whether it was Platoon Leader Xiao who took a bullet for him, or Wang Xiaoer who fell off a cliff and was never seen again, we can only wonder.

"It's time for us old bones to retire. The younger generation will take over!" Qin Yunhai picked up his glass and slammed it against the edge of the table. "Even if we don't make huge contributions to the country, at least we should be able to live with a clear conscience..."

Before he finished speaking, Professor Meng began to encourage the younger generation, saying, "Three parts depend on hard work, three parts on fate, and the rest on the prosperity of the nation. If the country is too weak and the individual is too strong, they will suffer greatly; conversely, when the country is prosperous and strong, the people will all benefit, and this is the true path." How should we understand Professor Meng's words?

To summarize with the phrase "Every citizen has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation" might seem a bit abstract. In peacetime and in today's materially abundant world, many people no longer care about grand, earth-shattering issues. However, there is never a shortage of people who work diligently and practically. From them, we can see the integrity of ancient sages, the inheritance of the red gene, and the embryonic form of the ideal communist society.

Professor Meng's impassioned speech stirred Aimin's heart. He toasted his mentor and solemnly said, "Teacher, I will continue to work on the mountain chrysanthemum project. If the villagers are willing, I am willing to lead everyone to overcome the difficulties. Although there will be difficulties, I will try my best to overcome them."

Seeing his beloved student's determined attitude, Professor Meng smiled and said, "Aimin, you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. Breakthroughs in agricultural technology are not achieved overnight. As long as you take it one step at a time, you will eventually reap the rewards!"

Aimin nodded, but then Professor Meng continued, "Alright, tomorrow you take me up the mountain for a field survey. Afterwards, we'll summarize the difficulties in cultivating mountain chrysanthemums and put them in writing. I'll have my unit set up a research group to help you get this done!"

In the field of agricultural cultivation, Professor Meng is a top expert with a large number of researchers under his command, and he has all the necessary facilities and experimental equipment.

For Aimin, receiving Professor Meng's strong support was undoubtedly a great joy. The worries that had been hanging over him were swept away, and Aimin felt a great sense of relief.

The atmosphere was even better in the second half of the banquet, with several grown men chatting and laughing to their hearts' content!

Seeing everyone's radiant expressions, Yue Chuan also felt his blood boil. Years later, he would surely still remember his father's delicious cooking, Professor Meng's words, and the spirited Uncle Aimin…