Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 157 Little Red is Here (Please Subscribe!)

The area outside the station exit was noisy, with people shouting to pick up passengers and others to greet them. Every now and then, people would hug each other and leave together. These days, transportation is inconvenient and the economy is tight, so it's rare for relatives who live far apart to visit each other.

People kept coming in and leaving, and the number gradually decreased. There were no cell phones around, so those who wanted to pick someone up could only stand at the exit and wait anxiously.

When almost everyone had left, Xia Maosheng patted Xiao Wei, who was still climbing up there, and pointed in a direction, saying, "Xiao Wei, Xiao Wei, look over there, over there, isn't that Xiao Hong? One, two, three, four, four people, two women, that's Xiao Hong. They didn't push their way out, they just stood there waiting."

Xiao Wei looked in the direction Xia Maosheng pointed and saw four people standing against the wall in the corner of the building inside the exit, waiting for people to leave. It was dark there, but upon closer inspection, it really was Xiao Hong. He had been so focused on watching the crowd leaving that he hadn't looked to the side.

The reason why both of them recognized Xiaohong first was because Xiaohong was wearing light-colored clothes, which made her more noticeable in the dark.

Jumping down from the top, rubbing his hands which were numb from the cold, Xiao Wei said, "Looks like they're afraid of being crowded and getting lost, so they're waiting until the very end to come out. By then there won't be many people outside, and you can see them at a glance. It's not stupid, but it's ruined my hands; they're all frozen and hurting." Holding an iron pipe in the dead of winter really takes courage.

Licking an iron pipe doesn't require courage, it requires utter stupidity.

After most of the people had left, Xiao Hong, arm in arm with Aunt Wang, followed by Xiao Wei's father and Uncle Wang, walked out steadily.

"Dad, Uncle, Aunt. What brings you here?" Xiaowei greeted them one by one.

Xiao Hong smiled and let go of Aunt Wang, then naturally took Xiao Wei's arm and said, "Surprised? I took the day off."

Xiao Wei said to his father and Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang, "Dad, Uncle and Aunt, this is Xia Maosheng, my buddy. We worked here together." Xia Maosheng called out to his uncle and aunt a few times, and the six of them walked out. Chen Hui saw them coming over, got out, opened the door for them, and said, "Uncle and Aunt, get in the car quickly, it's warm inside."

Xiao Wei said, "This is Chen Hui, Fengtian's neighbor and also my buddy. Get in the car, we'll talk when we get back." The group got in the car, which was blasting hot air. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they got in. People who had just arrived in Longcheng felt like they were going to freeze to death as soon as they got off the car; the wind was too strong.

As the car drove towards the power company's guesthouse, Xiaowei asked Xiaohong, "Is it okay for you to take leave now?"

Xiao Hong took off her scarf and stuffed it into Xiao Wei's hand, saying, "There aren't many classes left, just waiting for the final exams. It's okay, how could I not come and check on you?"

Coming from Beixi, you have to change buses in Fengtian. Back then, there were no direct buses from Fengtian to Liaodong and Liaoxi.

Soon the car drove into the guesthouse courtyard, and several people got out and went inside. Chen Hui drove the car into the heated storage room and followed them in.

As soon as they entered the hall, Old Chen stood up from the sofa to greet them. Xiao Wei was taken aback for a moment, then quickly stepped forward to introduce them: "Dad, Uncle, Aunt, this is Chen Hui's father, Uncle Chen, who works at the Provincial Power Bureau. Uncle Chen, this is my dad, this is my girlfriend Wang Xiaohong, and these are her parents. Uncle Wang works at our county's Agricultural Machinery Bureau."

Old Chen smiled and shook hands with Zhang's father, Uncle Wang, and Aunt Wang, saying, "Since we've come all this way, let's meet and get to know each other. The kids get along well and work together, so we adults can't not know each other, haha. I asked the cafeteria to get me some food. Let's eat something hot and go upstairs to rest. We'll chat again tomorrow."

Zhang's father was rather reserved, while Uncle Wang was worldly-wise. He thanked them, and the group headed towards the cafeteria.

I didn't prepare anything fancy, just simple home-style dishes. A hot bite of these was more comforting than anything else for someone who had just sat on a train for several hours in the dead of winter.

Uncle Chen didn't stay long. After saying a few words, he apologized and led Chen Hui and Xia Maosheng upstairs after everyone had started eating. It would have been awkward for him to stay since everyone had just met, and it would have been better for the family to have a chat since they had just met.

As soon as Old Chen and the others left, Zhang's father and Aunt Wang visibly relaxed. Uncle Wang asked Xiao Wei, "Chen Hui's father works at the provincial power bureau? What does he do?"

Xiao Wei served his father some food, saying, "Director, Deputy Director, both at the ministerial level."

Uncle Wang was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I didn't realize such a high-ranking official was waiting for us here. He's so approachable, really impressive. Is he here on a business trip? To inspect the work?"

Xiao Wei said, "No, the restaurant that Lao Xia and I were running opened yesterday. Uncle Chen came here to support us. He even invited the mayor of Longcheng. All the bureau chiefs and directors from the government filled the second floor."

Mr. Zhang asked, "Second floor? How many floors does your restaurant have in total? It's quite big!"

Xiao Wei said, "It's not very big, three stories, but the third floor is small, so we don't use it for eating."

Uncle Wang said, "This is a huge favor, Xiaowei. You'd better get along well with Chen Hui. He really doesn't treat you like outsiders."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "I understand."

Xiao Hong said, "We live in the same building in Fengtian. Chen Hui comes to my house every day. He's quite an interesting guy. He's not like a rich kid at all. He only started dating Xiao Wei because of him."

Uncle Wang asked, "Then why didn't Chen Hui help with your work here?"

Xiao Wei shook his head and said, "No, he has a job and can't come. After the New Year, he can open a big restaurant in Fengtian. I made the connection for him."

Uncle Wang nodded and said, "A good friendship is no worse than that of a blood brother. I'm surprised and happy that you've achieved this result after only half a year here. Do your job well and treat your brothers well. Our two families are counting on you to make something of yourself."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Don't worry, Uncle, I'll definitely do a good job."

Aunt Wang asked, "How much would it cost to eat here and stay for a day? Don't you have a shop there? Let's make do for two days."

Uncle Wang glanced at Aunt Wang and said, "You're so naive. Do you think they'd ask you for money? It's a favor, we have to accept it. Even if we could stay there, we can't go. We can't leave until Uncle Chen leaves, understand?"

Aunt Wang pursed her lips, ate her food, and remained silent.

Xiao Wei said, "We really don't have anywhere to stay for the time being. Lao Xia and I are staying at the Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse. Our courtyard was just cleaned up, and the boiler was only installed yesterday. Once it's running, we can move in. The beds are all set up. You can go and take a look tomorrow."

Uncle Wang asked, "How big is that courtyard? Can it accommodate all these people? Xia will need to stay there too, won't she?"

Xiao Wei said, "The training center is located in a three-story building with several dormitories. The courtyard is about a thousand square meters, with a row of tiled houses. You can live anywhere there. There are also a few garages and a building in the courtyard. That building is also big, with each floor being about four or five hundred square meters."

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(End of this chapter)