Traveling back to 1952, starting a comeback from a relief station

Four tables were set up for lunch.

Those who came were all relatives of the village and Qin Huairu's family.

As soon as the banquet began, Wang Anping and Qin Huairu, as the newlyweds, held their wine glasses and went from table to table toasting their relatives.

Everyone had already heard about it.

Qin Huairu's boyfriend from the city is very capable and competent.

Now that I've met him in person and drunk his toast, and heard him speak clearly and eloquently, I admire him even more. He is exactly as I've heard.

After several rounds of drinks...

Some shrewd relatives.

While toasting and exchanging pleasantries, he inquired with Wang Anping about the possibility of entering the city.

These days, who doesn't want to be a city dweller!

"About going into the city."

"It's simple in some ways, but really difficult in others."

Wang Anping put down his wine glass and said slowly.

"There are two key points: first, you need to have a decent job in the city; second, you need to have a place to settle down. Only when you have both of these can you be considered to have truly put down roots in the city."

Everyone's thoughts were written all over their faces; their eyes were shining, yet also showing a hint of nervousness.

Wang Anping knew exactly what was going on.

This is something you can't take on all by yourself.

Making promises too easily can cause trouble later; it's best to stop short of making definitive statements.

After the banquet ended, the relatives got up one after another to say goodbye, each with a thoughtful expression on their face.

After all the outsiders had left, only Uncle Qin Shouli and his family remained in the courtyard.

The women cleared the table.

Wang Anping drank quite a bit of baijiu at noon, and now he was feeling a little dizzy, sitting on the bench in a daze.

Little Jingru is quite clever; she immediately ran behind him, stood on tiptoe, and used her little hands to massage Wang Anping's temples with just the right amount of pressure.

He displayed that sycophantic attitude to the fullest extent.

No more outsiders.

The Qin family members were finally able to speak freely.

Qin Huairu's parents, brother and sister-in-law, as well as her second uncle and aunt, surrounded her, asking her about her life in the city.

Unlike last time, when I only spent a quick day in the city and just glanced around, this time it was different.

Qin Huairu is now a proper resident of Beijing.

After living in the city for a while, they gained real insights and spoke eloquently about the city's new happenings and daily life, leaving the Qin family members wide-eyed and filled with longing.

Wang Anping, regaining his composure, interjected with a smile:

"Mom and Dad, Uncle and Aunt, if you're interested, you can move to the city."

"The management of Beijing is not that strict now. As long as you can find a job in the city, it is not too difficult to settle down. Recently, many people from other places have been flocking to the city to make a living."

"The policy will definitely be tightened when there are more people in the future."

"By then, it will be even more difficult to enter the city."

These words were spoken.

The Qin family members couldn't help but be moved.

If one person in the family escapes rural life first, the others will inevitably be tempted to follow suit. Who wouldn't want to go to the city to live a better life and eat government-subsidized grain?

But while they were tempted, real-world problems also loomed ahead.

Qin Shouyi rubbed his hands together, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and said with a wry smile:

"Going to the city would be great, but it's not that easy."

"We are all native rural people, uneducated and without much ability. Not to mention the work, we don't even have a place to live. When we arrive, we will be completely clueless."

Wang Anping pondered for a moment and said:

"Dad, aren't you a carpenter?"

"This skill is in high demand in the city, and it won't be hard to find a carpentry job; and second uncle, you are both a stonemason and a rice wine brewer, your skills are genuine."

"My master drank the rice wine you brewed last time and kept praising it."

Qin Huairu immediately came over, smugly showing off:

"Dad, Mom, you don't know, Anping has a mentor who owns a huge courtyard in Beijing, with forty or fifty rooms!"

"His master wants to transfer that courtyard to Brother Anping."

"Once the transfer of ownership is complete, if you go to the city, you can rent a house in that courtyard. You won't have to worry about where to stay!"

Upon hearing this, the Qin family was completely stunned and surrounded Qin Huairu, pressing her for details about the courtyard.

Upon learning that the courtyard was worth several thousand yuan, yet the owner willingly gave it to Wang Anping, the Qin family found it unbelievable and secretly admired him.

This son-in-law is really capable!

Otherwise, who would send such a generous gift for no reason?

If we could really find a place to stay in the city, then the other problems wouldn't seem so difficult.

For a moment, the Qin family members all showed excited expressions, looking at each other with anticipation in their eyes.

Wang Anping immediately made the decision:

"Let's leave it at that for now."

"Wait at home for news. Once the property is completely transferred to my name, I will write to inform you."

"You can also take this time to discuss who goes to the city first, what you want to do there, and take it slow. Eventually, the whole family will be able to settle down in Beijing and become city dwellers."

He wasn't just making empty promises; he genuinely meant it.

When the family gets together, they can look after each other.

It's also about making plans for the future.

Having many relatives and siblings at home will be a significant advantage for a long time to come.

After resting for a while, and with the time to return to the city fast approaching, the Qin family busied themselves again, packing things for the two to take back to the city.

The last time Wang Anping came to pick up Qin Huairu, he had practically emptied his house of everything presentable.

However, when they came last time, they brought quite a few rare items from the city.

Thinking about the two of them returning to their parents' home.

The Qin family used those items to exchange for a lot of dried goods at the village market, packed them all up, and wanted them to take them back.

And Qin Huairu didn't need to remind her.

Her mother, Li Xiulian, and her sister-in-law, Cao Yue'e, had worked ahead of time to make two pairs of cloth shoes for Wang Anping. The stitches were fine and the soles were thick, and they were just about to be taken out.

But when Qin Huairu saw this, her face immediately fell, and she muttered dejectedly:

"Mom, sister-in-law, you're both so biased! Why didn't you make me two pairs of shoes too?"

Qin's mother pushed Qin Huairu's forehead:

"With such a tight schedule, your sister-in-law and I stayed up all night to finish two pairs. We'll give them to Anping to wear first."

"I'll make it for you next time you come back."

Wang Anping picked up the cloth shoes, touched the fine stitches, his eyes filled with surprise, looked at Cao Yue'e, and said with a smile:

"Sister-in-law, I didn't expect you to be so skilled. Your work is even more exquisite than the shoes made in the city stores."

"By the way, sister-in-law, do you know how to use a sewing machine?"

"If I know how, I could learn tailoring in the future and find a job in a clothing store to earn some money."

He suddenly remembered the idea he had discussed with Chen Xueru: to open a small workshop in the backyard and hire tailors to make clothes.

He thought to himself that he could ask Chen Xueru about it later.

But then I thought about it again. My sister-in-law has a one-year-old nephew to take care of, so I can't force him too much. I can only keep it in mind for now and see if there's an opportunity later.