Reborn in 1977

Chapter 172: Lofty Ideals

Chen Fan returned to the educated youth spot, carrying a lotus root that was over a meter long in one hand and a fishing net in the other, looking gloomy.

He was actually quite satisfied with his current life. He went to work at the brigade headquarters every day, and after returning, he cooperated with Jiang Lili in labor. Jiang Lili took care of all kinds of housework. When he felt like moving, he would do some handiwork, and when he didn't feel like moving, he would stay in his room and read.

No one chased after him to submit tasks, he didn't have to worry about suddenly losing his job one day, and he didn't have the burden of a mortgage or retirement.

Except for the lack of television, mobile phones, and computers, his life was even more comfortable than before he transmigrated.

Especially after he got his household registration and the certificate for his homestead, he had no life pressure at all.

As long as he survived these few years, when the royalty system was restored and the production team was disbanded, he could catch the fast train of the literary take-off in the 1980s and comfortably become a high-income writer in the city.

He was really thinking bigger than his height.

But now, his beautiful life was about to end.

A lone man and a widow? Sending three people over?

Bah, they just saw that he was living too comfortably and wanted to create trouble for him.

Once Yang Ju, Huang Ying, and that Liu Dan came, would Jiang Lili still be able to avoid them and help him with housework and cooking?

Chen Fan couldn't help but sigh. As expected, the moon wanes when it is full, and water overflows when it is full.

Just after a few good days, an unexpected situation occurred.

Jiang Lili heard the noise in the kitchen and came out. Seeing him walking towards her, she smiled and was about to speak, but she saw that Chen Fan didn't seem very happy. Looking at the lotus root and fishing net in his hands, she couldn't help but feel strange. Didn't he borrow the things? Why was he unhappy again?

She immediately asked, "What's wrong? You don't seem very happy?"

Chen Fan raised his head and sighed softly, "It's nothing. I guess I ate two pearl meatballs at the captain's house just now. They were a bit salty and made me feel stuffed."

The corners of Jiang Lili's mouth twitched slightly. She held back for a few moments, but finally couldn't help but laugh.

He could be like this just from eating a meatball. He was too funny.

Chen Fan raised his eyelids, grinned, and said, "Let me tell you something that will make you happy."

Jiang Lili pursed her lips and smiled, "What is it?"

Chen Fan looked back, turned around, and said seriously, "Captain Yang said that other educated youths won't be coming, and this courtyard will only have the two of us. It's easy for a lone man and a widow to cause gossip."

When Jiang Lili heard this, her face turned red first. When she understood what he meant, the smile on her face quickly disappeared, and she couldn't help but lower her head. Her heart was pounding non-stop.

Then she heard Chen Fan continue, "So, he had a meeting with Accountant Liu and Storekeeper Huang and came up with a bad idea to let Yang Ju, Huang Ying, and Liu Dan also live here."

Jiang Lili suddenly raised her head, her face full of astonishment.

Weren't they going to separate them?

Chen Fan shrugged nonchalantly and smiled, "I think Yang Ju and Huang Ying are both very efficient at work. They should be able to share a lot of your burden, so it's good news. I just don't know if that Liu Dan will be a lazybones."

Jiang Lili hadn't reacted yet and muttered, "Liu Dan is also very diligent, not lazy."

These days, there were no lazy girls in the village, otherwise they wouldn't be able to marry. At most, they just didn't like to tidy themselves up.

After saying that, she blinked her big eyes, "She, they are coming here to live?"

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "Later, you can assign them tasks. One sweeps the yard, one manages the vegetable garden, and the other is responsible for feeding the pigs, horses, and sheep. You yourself will feed the chicks and dogs. See, won't it be much easier?"

Jiang Lili lowered her head again, "I don't dare."

"What's there to dare or not dare? It's just labor distribution. Could it be that they only live here and don't work?"

After a pause of two seconds, Chen Fan smiled and said, "However, they won't be able to move in until the second day of the new year, so for the next few days, we still have to continue to be busy."

Jiang Lili raised her head and smiled reluctantly, "It's not busy."

Chen Fan raised the lotus root in his hand, "Who said it's not busy? Here, wash this clean and cut it up, but don't cut too much, mainly because I'm afraid there won't be enough meat filling."

Then he raised the fishing net in his hand, "I'll go cast a net and see if there's any harvest."

Jiang Lili took the lotus root, forced a smile, watched Chen Fan leave the courtyard with a bucket, and was stunned for a long time before turning around and entering the kitchen.

Chen Fan cast a few nets and caught a bucket full of fish of all sizes. He took them back and handed them to Jiang Lili to process, while he went to work at the brigade headquarters.

In the broadcasting station, he practiced calligraphy in a horse stance for an hour, and then he got off work and went home.

Look, a paid hobby class. Where can you find such a job?

… …

Back at the educated youth spot, Jiang Lili was almost done. Seeing Chen Fan return, she immediately sped up, "It'll be ready soon. I'll scoop up the oil and then cook."

At this time, her mood had calmed down a lot, and she had returned to her usual self.

Let them come, let them come. This is not her home, she can't make the decisions, and she can only let it be. Fortunately, there is still a week left, and these few days are still happy.

Chen Fan walked closer and looked, "Wow, that's really a lot."

In addition to those sweets and New Year's goods, she also made some pearl meatballs and vegetable meatballs, plus fried crispy fish, filling a whole table.

He immediately took off his cotton-padded jacket and handed it to Jiang Lili, saying, "Help me get the cotton vest. I'll cook dinner tonight."

Jiang Lili hugged the clothes and looked at him in surprise, "You're going to cook?"

Chen Fan smiled, "Today is the Little New Year, let's eat something good, and then when the Big New Year comes, we'll eat a big meal again. It's only once or twice a year, and after the New Year, we'll have to live a hard life again."

As he said that, he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to start work.

Jiang Lili couldn't help but laugh, "If you're talking about what we usually eat, that's not a hard life. In other people's eyes, even the New Year may not be so lavish."

Chen Fan waved his hand, "What kind of New Year is that? Good days are still ahead. Hurry up, be quick, I'll freeze in a while."

Fortunately, the fire in the kitchen stove was burning brightly, otherwise he wouldn't dare to take off his clothes. The snow outside hadn't melted yet.

When Jiang Lili heard this, she quickly ran out to get him a cotton vest.

She brought the vest for him to put on and busied herself around him.

Chen Fan also transformed into a master chef, only responsible for cooking at the stove, while Jiang Lili did the cutting and washing.

The two cooperated seamlessly and quickly made a table of good dishes.

They scooped the oil used to fry the New Year's goods into a bowl, and using the oil-covered pot, they made a braised carp with soy sauce, adding a little shredded radish, and the aroma filled the air.

Then they used the pot used to make the carp to stir-fry a plate of bacon with cabbage, which was more fragrant with the freshness of the fish.

Finally, they made a clear vegetable and egg soup to cleanse the palate, and then they ate.

Chen Fan held his rice bowl, eating while saying without raising his head, "Xiao Jiang, let me ask you something."

Jiang Lili looked at him, "What is it?"

Chen Fan said, "If one day you don't want to be an educated youth anymore, what do you want to do most?"

When Jiang Lili heard this, she couldn't help but feel a little lost. After a few seconds, she came back to her senses, lowered her head, and smiled, "An old educated youth once told me that people like me can't 'graduate' without seven years. I've only been here for three years, so it's still early. I haven't thought about this question."

Chen Fan raised his head and looked at her, "I don't believe it. You must have thought about it."

Jiang Lili smiled bitterly, looked into his eyes, and said, "I really haven't."

She took a deep breath, her eyes a little scattered, "These past few years, my mind has been filled with thoughts of how my parents and sister are doing, whether they can eat enough and stay warm, and whether they have been wronged. Besides them, I've been thinking about how to protect myself. Where would I have time to think about anything else?"

Chen Fan chewed twice, swallowed the food in his mouth, paused for two seconds, and then looked at her and said, "What about before? I mean, before the accident."

Jiang Lili was silent for a moment, lowered her head, pursed her lips, and smiled reluctantly, "My parents are both graduates of the East China Textile Institute of Technology. When I was still studying, my biggest dream was to be able to pass the entrance exam to the university they attended, but I guess I won't have the chance in this lifetime."

East China Textile Institute of Technology?

Chen Fan was a little confused. What kind of school was that? Where was it?

Jiang Lili raised her head, saw Chen Fan's expression, and smiled, "It's now the Shanghai Textile Institute of Technology."

Chen Fan pursed his lips and smiled, still not knowing.

As soon as Jiang Lili saw that he still didn't know, she felt a little uncomfortable and immediately explained to him, "Don't look down on this school, it has a great history. It can be traced back to the Nantong Textile Dyeing Training Institute founded by Zhang Jian in 1912, … …"

When Chen Fan heard Zhang Jian, he immediately understood. So it was Donghua University.

This school was indeed very impressive. It was said that more than half of the world's fiber processing talents were related to this university.

Looking at Jiang Lili again, her ideals were lofty.

Speaking of her past dreams and the school where her parents lived, Jiang Lili seemed to have forgotten all her unhappiness and occasionally let out a string of silver bell-like laughter.