Chapter 390: Chapter 390: Rich people have distant relatives in the mountains
'The light and ethereal old days just slipped away,' Wang Changning and Xiao Zhijie beat time and sang along to the old song on the CD player. The somewhat changed Liangjiahe Middle School swept past the window at this time, which was somewhat appropriate.
They also wanted to listen to new songs, but the Spring Festival Gala in the Year of the Dragon was quite disappointing. The overall standard was quite average, and the songs were all old songs. The main reason Feng Yiping watched it was to wait for the New Year's bell to ring, so that he could seize the moment to send someone a text message.
The good news is that since meeting Huang Jingping, Zhang Yan, who had not answered Feng Yiping's calls or returned his messages, finally sent him a message.
'Master Feng, drive faster, you must arrive before noon,' Wang Changning patted his shoulder and laughed.
'Don't worry! With my more than ten years of driving experience, I will definitely get you there before lunch.'
'Okay, Xiao Shuji, remember to give him more tips later,' Wang Changning was getting carried away playing the boss.
Today was the third day of the Chinese New Year, Feng Yiping had gone to Wang Changning's house to pay New Year's greetings early in the morning, then asked him to go to Xiao Zhijie's house with him, and now he was asking them to go to his house.
According to the old rules, New Year's greetings should be paid in the morning, and Xiao Jianping had insisted on having a meal, which delayed them a bit, and Wang Changning started to rush as soon as they got in the car.
It was just after eleven when they arrived at Fengjiachong. As soon as they got out of the car, they saw the rows of houses on the hill. 'You've really changed a lot in the past six months,'
they said. Along the way, they had seen the two processing plants that had been built, and with the addition of these dozen or so small buildings, it was really quite a change for a small village in a mountain valley that had previously been poor and destitute.
'It's nothing. Your family is planning to build a new house this year, isn't it?'
'I don't think it will work out. The noodle shop needs someone to run it, and there's no one at home to take charge,'
'That's okay, there's always time,'
In 2003, the two adults could always spare one of them, and by then the prices of raw materials such as steel and cement would have fallen, so it would be quite cost-effective.
The village is still very lively today, with many people paying New Year's visits. Halfway there, Feng Yiping and the others met several groups of people walking with guests towards their homes. Seeing the two behind Feng Yiping, they immediately wanted to go home too. While Feng Yiping was declining, Xiao Zhijie patted Wang Changning on the shoulder, took a big step, and ran towards Feng Yiping's house from the hill.
Haha, these two guys are quick to see the situation.
It was a lively scene at home. Feng Zhenchang was sweeping the firecracker debris from the doorway to the side, saying, 'Wash your hands and get ready for dinner, or else someone will come to collect you again in a while.'
'Okay,' Feng Zhenchang said, 'this is how it's been these past few days. When someone asks you to dinner, it's a sign of respect, so it's not good to keep refusing.'
There were also two other people at home that Feng Zhenchang hadn't expected. As soon as he entered the door, Lin Hui and her husband Wang Chenglin stood up, saying, 'Yiping is back!'
'Sit down quickly. When did you arrive? Why didn't you call in advance?'
'My mother said you were coming back today, so we finished breakfast and came right over,' Lin Hui said.
There was another person sitting in the back, probably under 40, smiling at Feng Yiping and saying, "Yiping, you probably don't remember me!'
Feng Yiping looked at him for a while, but really couldn't remember.
'This is your cousin, Lifu," Mei Qiuping said. Oh, so he's my mother's cousin.
'Hello, cousin!' But to be honest, Feng Yiping really didn't have the slightest recollection.
'Don't you remember? When we were little and went to Grandma's house, your cousin took us to town a few times and bought us things to eat and play with,' Feng Yuxuan added.
'Oh, I remember now,' he said, not really remembering, but probably because it was when he wasn't yet able to remember things.
'It's been more than ten years, and you've all grown up,' the cousin said with emotion, not really remembering much.
'It's been more than ten years, and you've still not changed at all,' Feng Yiping added.
'Haha, Brother Zhenchang, you really know how to teach your children. My son, who is only a few years younger than Yiping, barely says hello to people now.' He had a way with words. Instead of praising Yiping, he praised Feng Zhenchang and the others for their parenting skills, praising both sides.
'Children are all the same. Some things they will naturally understand and be able to do when they grow up, so there's no need to rush things,' Feng Zhenchang said. "Yiping," he said, pointing to another middle-aged man, "this is your aunt's husband's brother's side.'
'Hello, uncle!" Where did this come from?
'He was adopted by your second uncle,' Feng Yuxuan whispered behind him.
Oh, Feng Yiping remembered, the second uncle was actually adopted by a distant cousin of his grandfather. That family only had two daughters, but a few years after the second uncle was adopted, that cousin of his grandfather passed away.
One of the sisters married into the county seat, and she must be the one called Yuanchao. Feng Yiping's second uncle was able to pick up some work in the county seat and bring his whole family there, and they actually helped him do it.
In fact, Feng Yiping had met that aunt once before. Later, when he was in middle school, there was a time when he and Wang Changning ran out of money in the middle of the month. Their family had no money, so they asked someone to bring them word that they could go to this relative's house.
In the newly built family building, they didn't see their aunt and uncle. Their aunt and uncle gave them a pot of noodles to eat in the kitchen, and when they were leaving, they gave each of them 20 yuan.
Feng Yiping really didn't want it, but it was also a matter of face. They were just kids and didn't care about face, but what about their parents? It turned out that in the hearts of their aunt and uncle, the parents of both families were only worth 20 yuan.
Many years later, Wang Changning still remembered this period vividly.
After they had both achieved some success, the aunt's family still lived in the county town, but by then the foundry was no longer doing well and the once fashionable Western-style building had become a thing of the past. Wang Changning once drove over there deliberately to show off, but was stopped by the kind-hearted Feng Yiping.
Recognising the man in front of him, Feng Yiping's smile grew forced. Such a person had condescendingly come to visit, and there was no doubt that there was a reason for it.
'Yiping is really amazing. Not to mention anything else, you were the first provincial champion in our county,' Zhang Yuanzhao said with a smile.
'It was a fluke. I heard that my cousin also did very well,' he remembered that night, a boy who had glanced at them from his room and then closed the door. It seemed that he was not much older than them either.
'He is just average. He definitely won't be as good as you in this year's college entrance exam, but he should have no problem getting into a first-tier university!'
'That result is already very good,' he said. Anyone who dares to say such a thing before the college entrance exam must have some confidence.
Feng Zhenchang then introduced the next person, who was related to the grandfather's family. This was the old man Feng Yiping also called grandfather, who lived in Meijiawan. When Feng Yiping was in the first year of junior high school, he got drunk at his birthday party. The person who came today was his eldest son-in-law, who worked in the tax office of another town.
The last one is a nephew from the side of the eldest aunt's family. I heard that he also came with a big gift today.
The meal was lively, but not very flavourful. Feng Yiping and the others did not drink alcohol, and after eating a little hastily, they went to the hill behind to bask in the sun. Even if these people had something to discuss, they would now turn to Feng Zhanchang for advice, so Feng Yiping did not need to worry about that.
They really did not dare to stay at home. After just a short while, the three uncles' families came calling, and Feng Hongbing's family and Feng Jiasheng's family were also waiting, insisting that they go have a few drinks.
Listening to the lively sound of people urging them to drink wine, Xiao Zhijie laughed and whispered, 'This is what it means to have distant relatives in the mountains,'
'Well, that's normal. My family is the same this year. Many people who didn't have much contact in the past have come with gifts this year,' said Wang Changning.
Both families drove home this year, and one family also bought a van. For a long time, whether in the city or in the countryside, a car was a sign of strength.