The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 72 Departure

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The door to the bridal chamber was locked from the inside, and Yang Zhengfang and Zhang Shufang began to see off the guests. All the villagers had been seen off, and those who had come from other places either squeezed onto the kang (heated brick bed) or made do at the homes of familiar heads of households, and were settled in until they were seen off the next day.

Zhao Dongge, Zheng Dongfang, Zhu Yun, Zhang Fenghuang, and the couple Sun Fangfang and Zhang Yang gathered in the living room. They laid out a large cardboard sheet, covered it with thick mattresses, and chatted, boasted, and played cards. They had become quite familiar with each other over the past few days and had played together more than once or twice.

"Let me tell you, back then, my sworn brother and I would sling our rifles over our shoulders and head into the old forest to hunt. That forest was dark and damp, full of spider webs and caterpillars! After walking only a few steps, our clothes were completely soaked with dew, clinging to our bodies and incredibly uncomfortable... In the forest, you have to be observant and attentive. I casually glanced around and suddenly spotted a colorful feather on a treetop. That thing, if I didn't have sharp eyes, I would have completely missed it hiding in the leaves." I raised my hand and fired a shot. With a thud, a pheasant fell to the ground. That thing weighed over three pounds! My brother was so happy he was practically snotting through his nose… We continued walking, and suddenly I smelled a sweet fragrance. We looked around, and lo and behold, we saw a huge bear climbing a tree! We looked up, and wow, there was a whole beehive on the tree… My brother was terrified, completely stunned, running around like a headless fly. I had no choice but to follow him, to make sure he didn't get lost… As we ran, we suddenly got lost. I looked around, and all we could see were trees, their branches so dense that sunlight couldn't penetrate them… "I couldn't take a picture. It was so eerie and terrifying, like the sun never came out. Suddenly, a pair of bright green eyes appeared in front of us. My instinct was to load the gun with gunpowder and ammunition. My sworn brother was so scared that his legs went weak. I was actually quite scared too, but I'm a man, I can't back down, right? So, I grabbed my sworn brother by the back of his collar, and I don't know where I got the strength, I threw him into a tree, and then fired a shot at those bright green eyes..." Zhang Yang began to recount his wolf-hunting adventure. The young man was quite eloquent, speaking with great enthusiasm and high spirits, describing himself as a hero, a god descended from heaven.

His audience consisted of Zhang Fenghuang and Zhu Yun, who were completely engrossed in listening. However, neither of them actually believed it at all; their understanding of Yang Ming was second only to that of his parents.

"You're talking nonsense! I think the roles should be reversed. You must have been scared out of your wits. Yang Ming saved you. When it comes to understanding Yang Ming, do you think you know him better than me? We've been classmates for four years..." Zhu Yun couldn't stand listening to this anymore. She knew Yang Ming better than anyone. He was a simpleton. Would he be scared so much that his legs would go weak? If Yang Ming could be scared so much that his legs would go weak, she wouldn't be afraid of him. But this pretty boy didn't seem like a good person.

"Just bragging, only you would like to hear that..." Zheng Dongfang tossed a deck of cards.

Snapped!

Sun Fangfang threw a tantrum, glaring at Zheng Dongfang: "My husband can say whatever he wants, it's none of your business! Are you still playing or not? If not, find someone else. Zhao Dongge has been waiting for ages..."

"Is your husband bragging? Can't you tell?" Zhang Yue also threw down a big card, putting Sun Fangfang in the spotlight.

"Tch, they're just a couple working together!" Liu Lili retorted, putting Zhang Yue in her place.

"Passed..." Zheng Dongfang glanced at the cards in his hand, unable to suppress Liu Lili's.

Sun Fangfang threw down another deck of cards, saying, "Anyway, I love listening to what my husband says, even his bragging."

"Wife, you are truly my good wife..." Zhang Yang said, moved.

"Husband, you are my good husband too..." Sun Fangfang said with a smile.

"Disgusting..." These two words popped into everyone's mind.

The wedding was over. Overall, it was a pretty perfect wedding, but also quite busy. The next day at dawn, the guests who had come from out of town were driven away by Lao Yang in his RV.

Zhao Dongge also left the next day. As the eldest son in his family, he had already started to get involved in the family business, so he was quite busy. He had squeezed out time to attend his friend's wedding.

Zhang Yue also left. After all, this woman works within the system. Although her position isn't particularly prominent, she can't always take leave. Zhu Yun's family runs a clinic that specializes in treating sprains and bruises. Although she was fine, she went with Zhang Yue. The journey was quite long, and she was worried about leaving her younger sister alone.

Zhang Fenghuang is an online writer, and wherever there's a computer, that's her workspace. She stayed there to join in the fun, just like Liu Lili. This girl was unemployed and had nothing to do, so she just followed Zhang Fenghuang around.

Zhang Yingning also stayed behind, waiting for Wei Qingqing to return home with them. Zheng Dongfang, who had always wanted to build a relationship with Zhang Yingning, naturally stayed as well. He wanted to take this opportunity to communicate with Zhang Yingning and establish a good rapport. Such a good opportunity was rare, and if he didn't seize it, he might not have another chance.

Old Huang and Old Liu were also idle people, so the two of them would stroll around the village with Yang Zhengfang, hunt a wild rabbit, get a couple of bottles of fruit wine, and enjoy a delicious meal. It is said that wild rabbits are fattest in autumn, and the smoked rabbit meat is reddish-brown and oily, making people's mouths water. Paired with the mellow and slightly astringent fruit wine, the taste is... indescribably wonderful!

As for Sun Fangfang and Zhang Yang, they plan to spend the National Day holiday in Zhengjia Village. The new bride returns to her parents' home three days later. Yang Zhengfang and Zhang Shufang will also return to S City together. Zhang Shufang and Xue Hua, the in-laws, have already discussed that after their children get married, the two of them will stay in Zhengjia Village for a few days. Sun Fangfang and Zhang Yang can go with them.

The day after Yang Ming and his wife decided to take their little one on a trip, they eagerly called Liu Sao for her opinion. Liu Sao was very supportive of her daughter being able to go out and play for two days and readily agreed.

The wedding day is three days after the bride returns to her parents' home. According to the custom of Yangjia Village, this day is October 3rd. Of course, in some places, the wedding day is not counted as a day, after all, customs vary from place to place!

The weather was fine that day, with a gentle breeze and light clouds. Two large vehicles were parked in front of Yang Zhengfang's house, a transport truck and a large RV. Everyone got into the RV, which was quite spacious. There were about ten people sitting inside, and it wasn't crowded at all.

The delivery truck was used to transport some daily necessities. In addition to some clothes and other items, the twelve wedding photos were also taken down and were prepared to be hung in the new home in the Sunshine Community.

After waving goodbye to the people from the Yang family who were seeing them off, the two large trucks slowly drove out of Yangjia Village.

They sped along the road, and around noon, the two large trucks arrived at the Sunshine Community. Wei Jianguo and his wife had already prepared a banquet and were waiting at the entrance of the community.

Zhang Yingning planned to go to Zhengjia Village to visit her daughter-in-law and grandson. Therefore, after arriving in the city, she did not go home but went to Yangguang Community with the car. In the afternoon, Zhang Shufang and the others were going to leave for Zhengjia Village, so they could go together. As for the hotel at home... it was time to hand it over to her son. After all, she was not young anymore and it was time to train a successor.

She readily agreed to Zheng Dongfang's request for Yang Ming to provide high-quality vegetables for their hotel. This gave her a deeper understanding of Yang Ming. He was a man of his word. Based on their four years of living together in the same dormitory, he had never broken any promises. His integrity was extremely high, and he was a person worth getting to know better.

Old Huang and Old Liu also came to Sunshine Community. They didn't have anything urgent to do, so why would they let them drive you back alone? This afternoon, we went back to Zhengjia Village together in the same car, and everyone was happy.

Zhang Fenghuang and Liu Lili also came to Sunshine Community. During their chat with Zhang Shufang and Sun Fangfang, they learned that Yang Ming's family had a hot spring pool. The thought of the warm and hot spring made them look forward to it... So the two sisters decided to go and see for themselves in that small mountain village.

Of the group, only Zheng Dongfang returned to his hotel. He was the only one making the decisions at his hotel, so he couldn't be left unattended for long. Besides, he needed to talk to his father about unexpectedly obtaining the qualification to supply high-quality vegetables. As for some details, the two of them needed to discuss them in detail. Time was money, and every minute was a lot of cash...

After a lively lunch at Weijian National Park, people who didn't know each other immediately started calling each other brothers and sisters.

After a hearty meal, the large RV carrying Zhang Shufang, Xue Hua, Yang Ming, Wei Qingqing, Zhang Yingning, Sun Fangfang, Zhang Yang, Lao Huang, Lao Liu, Zhang Fenghuang, and Liu Lili—eleven people in total—drove towards Zhengjia Village. Wei Jianguo and Yang Zhengfang watched them leave, feeling quite annoyed. Why were they still being made to watch the house? Aren't there security guards? Unconsciously, both of them thought of their past argument over the dog. They exchanged a glance and both sighed deeply: "Alas! We regret it so much! Who said it again? 'Women and petty men are difficult to deal with.' The ancients were right… You can't offend a woman. It's been so long, yet she still remembers it…"

When the RV arrived at Zhengjia Village, Lao Huang and Lao Liu got out of the car in front of the courtyard where they were renting a place. The car finally stopped under the big willow tree in front of Yang Ming's house. The puppies immediately surrounded Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing, wagging their tails affectionately. Their little tails were wagging like wheels of fire.

"Wow! Spotted puppies? So cute! Yang Ming, give me one..." Liu Lili's eyes lit up when she saw a group of spotted puppies. She bent down to pick one up, but the spotted puppies wouldn't let a stranger hold them. If their owner wasn't there, the puppies would probably bite.

"Okay, if you like, you can pick out two to take with you when you leave."

"Yang Ming, you're such a generous person." Liu Lili gave Yang Ming a thumbs up.

"You can't favor one over the other, can you?" Zhang Fenghuang subtly expressed to Yang Ming that she also wanted two.

"You still have the nerve to open your mouth? After the second brother called me that day, did they beat you to death?" Yang Ming rolled his eyes at her, annoyed.

"You're so petty. People say women hold grudges, how come you, a grown man, are so narrow-minded?" Zhang Fenghuang rolled her eyes at Yang Ming.

"They're just a few spotted dogs, aren't they? They're nowhere near as good as Big Black and the others..." Zhang Yang dismissed the spotted dogs with disdain. He didn't even go into the yard. He and Sun Fangfang circled around a couple of times and then disappeared.

"No one's home? Did they go out?" Zhang Yingning went into the house but didn't find her daughter-in-law or grandson.

Zhang Shufang and Xue Hua also went inside, but they weren't interested in the puppies.

"They must have gone to the hot springs. Let's go to the hot spring pool. Ever since I soaked in the hot springs that day, I've been sleeping comfortably every night," Zhang Shufang said.

"Daddy..." Little Bao'er, carrying a small schoolbag, ran out of her yard shouting and jumped into Yang Ming's arms affectionately. Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing hadn't been home for days, so she had nowhere to watch TV. That brat Xia Xiaoyang was so stingy, he hogged the TV all day and wouldn't let her watch it at all. And his mother was there too... The little guy was full of grievances.

"Hmph, where's your mother?" Yang Ming picked her up.

"My mom is at home," Xiao Bao said.

"You're back?" Aunt Liu appeared at her door, a smile on her lips, looking at Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing.

"Hehe, we're about to set off and will come back to pick up Bao'er," Wei Qingqing said.

"Baby, when you go out to play with your godparents, you can't throw a tantrum. You have to listen to your godparents..." Aunt Liu gave her daughter a few words of advice.

"Mm!" Xiao Bao nodded.

"Alright, Aunt Liu, we're off now..." Yang Ming, holding Xiao Bao'er, smiled and nodded at Aunt Liu, then got into the car with Wei Qingqing. They had already prepared their luggage and were just waiting to come back to pick up Xiao Bao'er.

The large RV turned around and headed towards the city. Aunt Liu watched the departing transport truck with a somewhat dazed look in her eyes.

"You must be Aunt Liu? We've heard Yang Ming mention you; we heard you're quite skilled with your food," Zhang Fenghuang said, approaching him.

"Who are you?" Aunt Liu hesitated. She didn't know these two people. Yang Ming and the others had left in a hurry and hadn't introduced them.

"My name is Zhang Fenghuang, and I'm Yang Ming's college classmate," Zhang Fenghuang said with a smile.

"My name is Liu Lili, and I'm also Yang Ming's college classmate. You made the Hanfu that Yang Ming and his wife wore when they got married, right? Could you make one for me too?" Liu Lili joined in, smiling as she spoke.

"And me..." Zhang Fenghuang added.

"Oh! Of course, that's no problem. I wonder if you'd like a deep robe or a crown robe?" Aunt Liu said.

"Shenyi and Mianfu, aren't they only worn by men?" Zhang Fenghuang writes about the imperial palace and has some knowledge of ancient clothing.

"That's what 'Shenyi' means. It's a garment that combines an upper garment and a lower garment, and both men and women can wear it. 'Mianfu' is an upper garment and a lower garment, and there are also women's versions of 'Mianfu.' And there have been empresses in Chinese history," Aunt Liu explained.

"I see. Then make us some shenyi (a type of traditional Chinese robe). I heard they're easy to wear..." Zhang Fenghuang nodded, seemingly understanding.

"No problem, she's even easier to make." Aunt Liu nodded with a smile.

"When will the clothes be finished?" Liu Lili asked.

"That's uncertain. It depends on when Yang Ming and the others come back. We're planning to open a clothing company together. I'll provide the technology, and he'll provide the materials," said Aunt Liu.

Zhang Fenghuang and Liu Lili exchanged a glance, both seeing suspicion in each other's eyes. Was Liu Sao just trying to brush them off? The two suddenly lost their enthusiasm.

"Come in with me, I'll take your measurements," said Aunt Liu, turning and walking into her house.

"It's just the size, what's the big deal about measuring it..." The two muttered to themselves, exchanged a glance, and followed him inside.

The RV quickly drove into the city and parked outside the train station. It was already 4:30 pm. Yang Ming went to the ticket window and asked. There was an express train to Qinhuangdao at 4:50 pm, which was the originating train from S city. So, he bought two adult tickets and one half-price ticket.

Xiao Bao'er is less than 1.2 meters tall, just two centimeters short. However, for her age, she is not short.

The three of them put their suitcases on the luggage rack and sat on the train.

Yang Ming bought a large seat. Wei Qingqing was inside, and Yang Ming was outside, with the couple sandwiching Xiao Bao'er in the middle. Both of them could clearly feel that Xiao Bao'er was trembling all over. The little one had always lived in a quiet little mountain village and had never ridden a train before. It was her first time on this behemoth, and she was a little scared. Moreover, there were too many people on the train. Looking around from her seat, all she could see were black heads, which made her scalp tingle.

The train swayed slightly a few times, then slowly started moving.

"The National Day holiday is the peak tourist season. If it weren't for the originating train, we wouldn't be able to buy seats at all," Yang Ming said.

"When we come back, I don't know if we'll be able to get tickets with seats. I'm afraid it won't be easy," Wei Qingqing said with some worry.

"If we can't find them in Qinhuangdao, we can go to Beidaihe. If we can't find them there, we can go to Changli, or Tangshan. If all else fails, we can just fly back."

"Are you going to Qinhuangdao?" There were also three people opposite them: two middle-aged men and women, and a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old. They seemed to be a family of three. The one who spoke was the middle-aged man.

"Yes, we're having a destination wedding, and we've chosen Qinhuangdao as our venue," Yang Ming said with a smile.

"Second marriage?" The middle-aged woman glanced at Xiao Bao'er and asked.

"Hehe, no, this is our goddaughter." Wei Qingqing was a little unhappy, put her arm around Bao'er's little shoulder, and forced a smile.

"Excuse me..." the middle-aged woman said with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"Don't mind, my wife doesn't know how to talk..." the middle-aged man said apologetically.

"It's alright..." Yang Ming smiled. "What about you? Are you also going to Qinhuangdao?"

"Yes, our eldest daughter is studying at a university in Qinhuangdao. My husband and I took advantage of the National Day holiday to visit her with our youngest daughter and spend a couple of days sightseeing in Qinhuangdao," the middle-aged man said with a smile.

"Oh? You go to university in Qinhuangdao? Which university?" Yang Ming asked curiously. Since the journey was long, he figured he might as well chat for a while.

"Hehe, Yanshan University..." The middle-aged man said with a hint of pride.

"Oh! That's a top-tier university. Your daughter is truly remarkable," Yang Ming exclaimed in surprise.

"You flatter me, you flatter me." The middle-aged woman beamed with joy as she listened to the young man across from her praising her child.

"My sister was a really good student when she was in school. If she hadn't suddenly gotten diarrhea during the college entrance exam, she would have had no problem getting into Tsinghua or Peking University," the girl said.

Through their conversation, Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing learned that the middle-aged man opposite them was named Wang Zhengzhi, a teacher, and the middle-aged woman was named Lu Huifen, also a teacher. However, Wang Zhengzhi taught high school, while Lu Huifen taught elementary school. Their youngest daughter was named Wang Yufang, a sophomore in high school, and was said to have good grades, ranking among the top 20 in her grade.

This express train doesn't stop at most small stations; it only stops briefly at major stations to allow passengers to board and disembark. Otherwise, it would stop at every station, and its speed wouldn't be able to pick up.

The train sped along, the scenery outside the window rushing past like a streak of light, and night soon fell, the lights in the carriages came on.

"Is Bao'er hungry?" Wei Qingqing asked softly, holding Bao'er in her arms.

Yang Ming, who was talking to Wang Zhengzhi, immediately nodded apologetically to Wang Zhengzhi, stood up, took his suitcase from the luggage rack, and took out two large food boxes. Opening the food boxes, one food box contained several pieces of stewed meat that had been braised until very tender, all of which were cut into thin slices and sprinkled with a layer of sauce. The other food box contained a braised carp that was a foot long. However, the carp was too long, so its tail had to be broken off to fit it into the food box. These pieces of meat and the braised carp were leftovers from the wedding banquet. Since too much food had been prepared, it was not served at the banquet.

"Dinner's ready..." Yang Ming placed the food box on the small table, then took out three pairs of chopsticks and three large white steamed buns with red dots on them, distributing them to Wei Qingqing and Xiao Bao'er. He then pinched Xiao Bao'er's rosy cheeks, "Little glutton, are you hungry?"

"Smell, smells so good..." Little Bao was immediately attracted by the aroma and sniffed hard with his little nose.

Of course it's delicious! The meat and fish are all produced on the farm. The pork is fragrant and tender, while the fish is fresh and succulent. They are all top-notch delicacies.

"Brother Wang, would you like something to eat?" Yang Ming asked politely.

"No need, no need..." Wang Zhengzhi smiled and waved his hand repeatedly. Although he was also tempted by the aroma of pork, he could tell that they were just being polite. However, the little girl, Wang Yufang, glared at her father and swallowed hard. She really wanted to follow Yang Ming's lead and eat with them. The aroma made her realize for the first time that she was actually a glutton.

So, Yang Ming, Wei Qingqing, and Xiao Bao'er started eating heartily. The thin slices of meat were layered with fat and fat, and with a layer of sauce, they were especially fragrant and delicious, but not greasy at all. The fish was tender and smooth, so fresh that it made you want to bite your tongue. Then, take a bite of the fluffy and soft white steamed bun... it was simply the best!

"Where's that fragrance coming from? It smells so good!"

"It smells so good! Is this the aroma of food?"

"It doesn't smell like perfume."

"Mommy, I want to eat..."

As the food box remained open for longer, a fragrant aroma filled the entire carriage, making everyone restless. The sound of swallowing saliva filled the air, and many people craned their necks to find the source of the aroma. Many people's stomachs rumbled from the enticing smell, and when they took out their own food, it tasted like chewing wax. Many children burst into tears.

Wang Zhengzhi suffered the most. Not only could he not eat the delicious food, but he was also secretly subjected to the torment of two hands, one from his daughter and the other from his wife. It seemed that the mother and daughter were really craving it. However, he was even more wronged. They were just being polite. Could he really take advantage of them? If he did, wouldn't he be laughed at to death? Anyone would refuse.

Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing weren't deaf, so of course they heard everyone's voices. They exchanged a glance, stuck out their tongues, and then started eating heartily, much faster than usual, so they could finish quickly, put away the food box, and cut off the source of the aroma.

belch……

Xiao Bao'er let out a small burp, put down her chopsticks, and Wei Qingqing took a tissue to wipe her mouth and little hands. The little one then snuggled comfortably into her arms and dozed off.

Yang Ming put away the food box, washed the chopsticks, and then took out a large peach from his suitcase. When eating, there should be soup or broth, but the conditions on the train are simple, so the three of them will just eat a peach to go with their meal.

"Brother Yang, where did you buy these peaches? They look really good..." Wang Zhengzhi said.

"Oh, you mean these peaches? We grew them ourselves," Yang Ming said, taking three more peaches from his suitcase and giving one to each of the three of them. "You're too embarrassed to eat the food we brought, but you should at least have a peach, right?"

"Hehe, thank you then." Wang Zhengzhi dared not refuse again, otherwise he would be tortured to death by his wife and daughter. Besides, it was a long journey, and the two sides got along quite well. Eating some fruit was really no big deal.

Yang Ming took out four more peaches and handed them to the people sitting opposite him. These four people had been watching them the whole time. They didn't refuse the peaches Yang Ming gave them, and after thanking him, they started eating.

P.S.: Please recommend and add to your favorites...

(End of this chapter)