I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

"Did County Chief Guo write you a letter?" Yang Zheng changed the subject.

"It's written. County Chief Guo has very strong execution capabilities. He learned from Uncle Zhou and first piloted the program. Several villages have distributed land to individual households and even set up an apple orchard. Uncle Zhou's pilot program in Tonggang County was very successful, and the central government is giving it a lot of publicity. You will soon see a report about Tonggang County in the Central Daily News."

Zhao Jintao smiled as he talked about the changes in his hometown.

"This is so exciting! Uncle Zhou can do whatever he wants." Yang Zheng was also very happy.

"There were difficulties. Uncle Zhou had no money, and neither did County Chief Guo. Uncle Zhou had Committee Member Pu to support him, but County Chief Guo had to beg for donations everywhere. He finally managed to get 10,000 new variety apple seedlings. They are both role models for me to learn from, and we must persevere through difficulties."

"Their generation is admirable. Our generation will carry on their spirit and build our country better. Agriculture is in your hands now."

"The industrial sector is now in your hands."

The two young men smiled at each other; they had ideals and ambitions.

They will dedicate their lives to the field they have chosen.

After dinner, the two went to the Huangpu River, enjoying the gentle breeze and watching the navigation lights of the ships on the river, and chatted for a long time.

Zhao Jintao told Yang Zheng that his house was finished, with five main rooms and four side rooms, spacious and bright. Uncle Zhou often went to Dashui Village, and no one looked down on his family anymore.

Yang Zheng felt a lump in his throat. No one would dare to bully his family anymore. In those years, his grandfather and father had been trampled underfoot, and their broken spines had finally straightened up.

Zhao Jintao told Yang Zheng that the irrigation canal they built together back then provided great convenience to Dashui Village, and the tea seedlings on the hillside were irrigated by that canal.

They talked about the joys and sorrows of their childhood, and also about their current joys and sorrows.

In less than three years, Dashui Village has undergone tremendous changes, and so have the villagers.

Three years ago, who would have thought that two young people who grew up naked would be able to sit and chat by the Huangpu River?

Yang Zheng is currently ranked first in his major at school, and the machinery factory is looking forward to his early graduation so that he can take over the heavy responsibility of industry.

Today, Zhao Jintao is Xia Lei's beloved apprentice and a future cadre secretly cultivated by Zhou Zhonghai, who looks forward to him completing his studies soon and making contributions to agriculture in Tonggang County.

Two young people who came from a small mountain village, bathed in the glow of the times and full of confidence, strode forward in the favorable environment of reform and opening up.

The two parted ways in the middle of the night. When he returned to his office, Professor Dong had already gone home.

Yang Zheng hummed "One green mountain after another is connected, one white cloud after another is swirling around the mountains, one terrace after another is green, one song after another is carried on the wind, hey, who doesn't say my hometown is good" as he went to the public toilet to take a shower.

Even though he couldn't hit the high notes, he still stood on tiptoe and howled with all his might.

He sings of his love for this era, and he sings of his expectations for the future.

Back in her office, she found a letter on her desk. Looking at the messy handwriting, Yang Zheng laughed and told her to practice her handwriting, but she wouldn't listen.

I dried my hair, tore open the letter, and the image of the playful little girl came to mind.

"Brother Yang Zheng, Dad has been discharged from the hospital, and the whole family is very happy. Dad is still as irritable as ever, and only the radio you gave him can calm him down for a while..." Yang Zheng smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Brother Yang Zheng, I heard from Brother Lu Han that you made a lot of money making prosthetics in Shanghai, plus the subsidies your company gives you. You should have quite a bit of money left over, right? From now on, you're not allowed to buy anything for Dad. He has money. Send the money back to your hometown. I'm worried that you won't have enough money to marry me in the future..."

Yang Zheng blushed. "Little brat, always thinking about getting married."

"You'll probably laugh at me for only wanting to marry you. Yes, that's exactly what I want to do. Dad said you're the best apprentice in the world, and I can't let you go to someone else. Remember, save up money. I only have three years left until my college entrance exam. After I graduate, you can marry me."

"Brother Yang Zheng, you don't have a girlfriend in college, right? It doesn't matter if you do, I won't let you two get married anyway. Since it's not going to work out, just focus on your studies, work on your prosthetic leg, and wait for me to grow up, to be my dad's son..."

Yang Zheng couldn't help but chuckle. He was already in the first year of high school, and he was still so unreliable.

"Dad told me to tell you that Brother Lu Han's ignition point inhibitor is about to be tested. If it succeeds, there will never be an explosion in the machine factory again, and no one will suffer the pain of burns like Dad."

Over the past year, I've grown up, from an innocent little girl into a mature one. Seeing my once dashing father with his face covered in freckled welts fills my heart with heartache.

But don't worry, Dean Luo said she will do everything in her power to restore Dad's clean face. Brother Yang Zheng, Dean Luo is a great benefactor to my family, I... I'm going to cry, I'll continue writing later.

There were traces of tears here, and Yang Zheng's nose felt sore; he wanted to cry too.

With such a huge change happening to her family, Chen Hong, who was just a young girl, had to endure far too much.

A protective instinct welled up in Yang Zheng's heart. "Honghong, when I get back, I will take good care of Master and won't let you be so helpless."

"You're going to laugh at me for crying again, but I can't help it. The old man next door is screaming all night from the itching, while Dad is happily drinking chicken soup. If it weren't for Dean Luo, how could Dad face the pain of his full-body burns so calmly? Brother Yang Zheng, I've made up my mind. I want to study medicine, and I want to be like Dean Luo, saving lives and healing the wounded..."

Yes, that's fine, I support you.

Yang Zheng responded in his heart, and he also respected Aunt Luo.

"Fortunately, all the difficulties are over. Dad will have his second surgery in the fall and winter. I hope you'll be on winter break then, and you'll be by my side. Brother Yang Zheng, with you here, I'm not afraid. When you're not here, I always have wild thoughts, afraid that I'll wake up one morning and Dad will be gone..."

Tears welled up in Yang Zheng's eyes, and he longed to stay by his master's side and accompany him through life's difficulties.

But he can't do that. He needs to study and become capable in order to protect his master's happiness in his later years.

"Dad always says that you shouldn't talk to Yang Zheng about family matters, and that a man should prioritize his career. Actually, Yang Zheng, Dad misses you a lot, but he just doesn't say it."

He reads your replies over and over again, and he gets angry if I change the channel on the radio you gave him.

Dad has suddenly aged. He enjoys eating with the whole family, chatting with my brother about work, and bickering with Mom.

My master is old. He used to be taciturn, and even when he saw Director Tang, he wouldn't say a kind word.

He's getting old, we've grown up, it's our turn to be there for him.

"Brother Yang Zheng, I'm starting to resemble my mother a bit; I've rambled on for so long. Remember to reply, and write more; Dad likes to read them, and so do I. Missing you, Honghong. July 5, 1978."

Yang Zheng picked up his pen and wrote a letter to Chen Hong. He told Hong Hong that the braised fish in Shanghai was topped with red and green chili peppers, which looked very tempting, but one bite was so sweet that it tasted bitter.

He wanted to tell Honghong that when he worked day and night for more than a month to make a soft prosthetic limb and put it on the leg of the respectable and lovable soldier, he felt extremely proud.

He wanted to tell Honghong that he studied diligently in class every day, and when he discussed the direction of China's industrial development with his teachers and classmates, his heart was burning with passion. He believed that the machinery factory would definitely go global.

He also told Honghong that he really couldn't find the time to date, and that he should spend more time with girls next year when he's less busy.

Finally, Yang Zheng said that he had no money in his pocket, as he had sent it all back home. His clothes were old clothes given to him by Professor Dong, and the female classmates seemed to dislike him because of his shabby appearance.

The last sentence might be a promise.

Many girls at the university were willing to approach Yang Zheng.

He has excellent grades and can make prosthetics. As a new generation of college students, they admire people with ability, and no one cares what you wear or what you eat.

Many college students were sent-down youths from rural areas who didn't have much money and lived very simply.