Reborn in 1977

Chapter 499 Forgetting

Back home, besides Zhang Cuie, Yang Ju and the other six were also there.

Moreover, they had already cleaned the house inside and out, upstairs and downstairs, and the large kang on the first floor was re-laid with bedding, looking like they were officially "back to work".

They had also made a large table of good dishes.

Well, they really only rested for one day on New Year's Eve, and came back to report on the afternoon of the first day of the new year.

Now that they were here, it was a good opportunity to explain some things.

Once he left this time, he might not be able to come back for a while.

He would meet up with Zhang Wenliang at the prefectural committee and then take a boat to Shanghai.

The departure date was the fifth day of the new year, which was February 11th, and he should arrive in Shanghai on the 15th.

After finishing the business... let's estimate three days, and then come back, it would already be the 23rd.

Jiang Lili's school registration time was February 27th, so he might as well stay there for a few more days to help them settle down.

After all, the two sisters had never been far from home, and were ignorant, so it was inevitable that they would encounter some trouble.

It was always better to have someone to look after them.

In this way, February would come to an end.

In March, he would go to the capital with representatives from the Provincial Writers Association for a meeting.

Since this was the case, he planned to simply go directly from Shanghai to the capital.

As for whether to take the train or the ship, he had not yet decided.

If he took the train, according to the current average speed of 45 kilometers per hour, the journey of more than 1,400 kilometers, including stops at stations, yielding the right of way, and replenishing supplies... it would be good to arrive in 40 hours.

If he took the ship, well, he hadn't researched this.

Currently, there were passenger ships from Tianjin Haihe Port to Guangzhou Huangpu, stopping at cities such as Qingdao and Shanghai along the way.

Tianjin even opened a freight route to Hong Kong... If there were acquaintances, he could take a free ride to Hong Kong.

(Banner: Tianjin to Hong Kong route opens in the 1970s)

However, Chen Fan was not going to Hong Kong, he just wanted to see what the sea passenger ships of this era were like.

Of course, if the journey took too long, he would take the train.

When he arrived in the capital for the meeting, Yang Ju and the others should have already registered at school, so he could go and see how things were going, and help solve any problems by the way.

After that, he didn't know how long it would take to come back.

If he was busy until the end of March, he would be gone for a month and a half.

Well, Chen Fan then handed over the key tasks to Yang Mei, Liu Lu, and Huang Li.

"The orchard in Qianpo needs to be ploughed, don't plant vegetables there, plant vegetables in the livestock shed behind, next to the earth kang, there is water to irrigate, and there is no one there, just open a small vegetable garden that is enough to eat, plant more potatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and don't forget tomatoes, you can decide on the others.

In the livestock shed, the horses and sheep do not need to be taken care of, just open and close the gate on time every day, they will go out and come back by themselves, usually prepare enough fodder, if there is no more, go to Liu Shifu in front to ask for it, sign for how much you take, the dog and the panda will be the same as usual, basically no need to worry about them except for feeding."

Yang Mei nodded repeatedly while listening, "We know."

Huang Ying also raised her hand, "They have been learning from us for a long time, they won't make mistakes."

Chen Fan raised his eyebrows, "Then I ask you, how to manage the medicine garden in the west? Do you still want to raise pigs in the pigsty?"

The girls immediately stopped talking and looked at him expectantly.

Hmph, dare to talk back?

Chen Fan said proudly, "My pig ordering task has been completed, just raise one pig this year, and kill the New Year pig at the end of the year.

You need to plough the medicine garden more, I have made distinctions in each area, and there are also sample grasses left inside, you can just plant according to them."

He rattled on for a long time, but there was actually not much to do.

After finishing, he threw down the rice bowl, wiped his mouth, picked up the luggage that Huang Ying had already packed, and prepared to leave.

Yang Ju quickly got up and said, "Teacher Chen, if you are away for too long, how will you arrange for the new educated youth to come in a few days?"

Chen Fan waved his hand, "This matter has already been discussed with your father, even if I am not here, he will know what to do.

Hey, also, this time I am on a business trip on official business, not deserting, you have to make it clear to your father."

The corner of Yang Ju's mouth twitched slightly, wasn't it deserting?

But thinking that Teacher Chen was going to Shanghai to buy breeding rabbits and also going to the capital for a meeting, it seemed that he was indeed very busy, so she didn't say anything.

Originally, she didn't dare to ask too much.

Seeing the girls being so well-behaved, Teacher Chen nodded with satisfaction, "You three practice hard at home, I will check when I come back."

Yang Mei and the other three nodded quickly.

He said to the other four, "I will also go to the capital in March, and I will go to see you then."

Zhang Cuie and the other four nodded repeatedly, and the anxiety of going to a distant place seemed to be reduced a bit.

...

Chen Fan drove the small yacht to the prefectural committee, and then changed cars to the machinery factory home.

Calculating the time, it was actually not many days since he left.

He was just thinking about whether to do some cleaning, but as soon as he opened the courtyard door, he saw Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian welcoming him out.

Chen Fan couldn't help but be a little surprised, "Are you both here today?"

Shouldn't he be staying at home on the first day of the new year?

Jiang Lili trotted forward and smiled, "Didn't you say yesterday that you would come over tonight, so we waited here in advance."

Jiang Tiantian walked over and pulled her sister, "Anyway, we don't have any places to visit today, so we came here to wait for you."

Like Chen Fan's current parents, Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi also came from other places, but they were formally assigned to the cotton mill from school, which was different from Chen Fan's parents' support for construction.

So there were no elders on Yunhu's side.

As for whether there were any in their hometown, well, it was estimated that there were none, because even the two sisters themselves were not clear, so naturally there was nothing to talk about.

After chatting for a few words, Jiang Tiantian pulled her sister aside, waiting for Chen Fan to drive the car into the yard, and they closed the yard door together.

At this time, the sky had already darkened, Chen Fan turned on the lights, took off his coat, turned to look at them, and asked, "Have you eaten?"

The two sisters looked at each other.

Chen Fan raised his eyebrows slightly, well, it was obvious that they hadn't.

He clapped his hands and said, "How about this, let's keep it simple, I'll cook a bowl of noodles, cut some bacon, and crack a few eggs, how about it?"

As he said that, he was about to walk to the backyard.

Jiang Tiantian quickly stopped him, "Wait a minute."

After that, she looked at her sister again.

Chen Fan looked at the two and couldn't help but feel a little strange, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Lili hadn't spoken yet, and her face was already a little red.

After hesitating for several seconds, she said hesitantly, "We waited until after three o'clock in the afternoon and didn't see you come back, so we went to worship Uncle and Auntie first."

Hearing this, Chen Fan slapped his forehead.

How could he have forgotten this?

The custom of ancestor worship in Yunhu, in addition to birthdays, death anniversaries, and Qingming Festival, the most important is around the Spring Festival... Later, everyone became busy, and no one went to worship even on birthdays and anniversaries, but Qingming and Spring Festival will still definitely go.

Before the Spring Festival, it was on New Year's Eve, to worship at the grave, and at the same time, a candle should be lit on top of the tomb, meaning to "light up" the way back for the ancestors, so that the family can reunite.

After the Spring Festival, it is from the first to the fifteenth day of the new year, but the earlier the better, it is also considered to be paying New Year's greetings to the ancestors.

Chen Fan wasn't yet accustomed to his new identity, so he naturally forgot about this custom. It seemed no one in Lujiawan reminded him either.

He didn't expect the two sisters to remember.

At this moment, Jiang Tiantian said, "We already paid respects to Uncle and Auntie before we went to find you yesterday, so we didn't tell you. Then, after hearing you say you were coming today, we thought we'd wait for you to go together. But it got too late, and we were afraid it would get dark later, so we went ahead."

She pursed her lips and asked softly, "There's still half an hour before dark, do you want to…?"

Chen Fan raised his wrist to check the time, then turned to look at her, "Are there still offerings?"

"Yes."

Jiang Lili quickly ran to the backyard and returned soon after, carrying a basket in her hand.

Chen Fan took the basket and smiled at them, "I'll go by myself. You guys make dinner at home and wait for me to come back. I'll take you back later."

The two sisters exchanged a glance. Jiang Lili looked at him and said softly, "How about… we go with you?"

Hearing this, Jiang Tiantian barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Earlier, I was accompanying you. Now he's going to pay respects to his parents. You're his girlfriend, so it's perfectly justifiable for you to accompany him. What am I supposed to be doing there?

Chen Fan didn't notice her expression and nodded without turning his head, "Okay, it's getting late, let's go quickly."

After speaking, he walked out the door and got into the car.

Jiang Lili pulled her sister and quickly ran over, first opening the courtyard door. After Chen Fan drove the car out, the two of them closed the door and got into the back seat together.

Chen Fan shifted gears, stepped on the accelerator, and drove the car at its maximum speed.

Fortunately, there weren't many people on the road today, allowing him to drive freely.

During the Lunar New Year's Eve, ancestral rites can be performed in the evening because it's customary to 'send light.' Going at night allows the candles to burn longer. However, at other times, it's not appropriate to go at night; the rites must be completed before dark at the latest.

Luckily, the cemetery wasn't too far from here, and with the fast speed, they arrived at the gravesite in just over ten minutes.

As if in a battle, they lit candles, burned incense, burned paper money, and finally lit a string of firecrackers.

Chen Fan respectfully kowtowed.

At the same time, he silently muttered in his heart: Forgive me, forgive me. I really wasn't familiar with this and forgot about it. Now that I've taken on this identity, I also bear this karma. I promise I'll never forget again, and I will definitely come to pay respects during Qingming Festival and the Lunar New Year.

Amitabha, may your family of three be reborn into a good life soon.

Before dark, the three of them successfully got back in the car and headed home.

When they arrived home, the lights were just coming on. The two sisters were already busy cooking.

Even though Chen Fan had already eaten dinner, he didn't dare say anything at this time and obediently accompanied them for another meal.

During the Lunar New Year, others had taken care of the ancestral rites for his parents. What could he say?

Jiang Lili, on the other hand, seemed to have done something incredible, smiling even while eating, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth from turning up.

Jiang Tiantian, however, seemed somewhat absent-minded, becoming lost in thought while eating. When called, it took two or three seconds for her to come back to her senses.

Chen Fan thought she was tired, so he quickly finished dinner and took them both back.

…

The next day, the second day of the Lunar New Year.

Chen Fan carried the gifts he had prepared earlier out of the room: two bottles of liquor, two cartons of cigarettes, two bags of fruit… so much stuff that he couldn't carry it all with both hands.

He drove to the entrance of the Jiang family's house, and the two sisters had to come out and help him carry it in.

This row of small buildings was all dormitories for the leaders of the cotton mill. This was Chen Fan's first time coming during the day, and driving a jeep naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers.

A man who appeared to be in his fifties walked over with a smile, swaggering, and laughed loudly, "Old Jiang, is this your new son-in-law coming to the door?"

Jiang Heng immediately took out a cigarette and handed it over, smiling at Chen Fan, "This is Secretary Song from our cotton mill. You haven't met him before, have you? It's a good opportunity to get acquainted."

Chen Fan gave him face and quickly extended his hand, "Secretary Song, hello, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Happy New Year."

Secretary Song shook his hand and smiled, "I've heard of you for a long time, Chen. Today I finally see your true face. As expected, hearing about you is not as good as meeting you in person."

He turned to look at Jiang Heng, "No wonder your daughter has high standards and doesn't like anyone. With someone like Comrade Chen as a benchmark, if it were me, I wouldn't like anyone either."

At the entrance of the small building, Jiang Lili's face was already flushed red, but her eyes were fixed on Chen Fan, not moving away for a moment. Jiang Tiantian stood beside her sister, also with a smile on her face, but her eyes were somewhat erratic, as if she was looking at someone, yet it seemed like she had no focus at all.

Not far away, the other onlookers were also whispering, but Chen Fan's hearing was good, and he could hear every word.

"Is that Chen Fan? He's actually so good-looking?"

"He really is. I heard that he's now a member of the Provincial Writers Association, and his work affiliation is also there. He seems to be a director or something, even a division-level cadre, the same rank as Old Song."

"He's good-looking and capable. How did Little Jiang manage to snag him?"

"Little Jiang isn't bad either. She got into a key university, the East China Textile Institute, which happens to be the counterpart professional school for the cotton mill. There's no school in the country more suitable for the cotton mill than this. Maybe she'll come back and become a leader after graduation."

"The key is that Little Jiang is also good-looking, like she was carved out of the same mold as her sister. I don't know how many people have their eyes on her. It's a pity that they can't compare to Little Chen, who's a division-level cadre at such a young age."

"Not just that, I heard from Director Shen from their family that Writer Chen is also going to take the postgraduate entrance examination. If he graduates, he'll have to move up another level."

"Oh my, is there such a thing?"

"Yes, yes, it's true. If you don't believe me, go ask Director Shen."

The noisy discussions didn't affect this side.

Jiang Heng smiled, pretending to have a headache, and repeatedly waved his hand, "Oh, it's okay if you don't mention this, but when you mention it, my head hurts."

Shen Xueyi secretly poked him from behind, and Jiang Heng immediately changed his tune, "I won't talk to you anymore, I still have to entertain guests."

Secretary Song immediately nodded, "Okay, okay, you go in, you go in."

He turned to look at Chen Fan, "Comrade Chen, you're still a consultant for our cotton mill. When you have time, you must come to our cotton mill."

Chen Fan grinned, smiling a little awkwardly, "Definitely, definitely."

It seems that this 'definitely' will have to wait until a month and a half later, right?

But it's okay, anyway, I'm just a consultant in name, and I'm not really asked to do anything.

When I go to the capital for a meeting later, if I can take another step forward and strive to become a member of the National Writers Association, that would also add glory to the cotton mill. It's a win-win situation, how great!

He followed behind Jiang Heng, waving to the surrounding onlookers while walking inside.

When Jiang Tiantian closed the door, cutting off the discussions outside, the room suddenly became quiet.

Chen Fan then cleared his throat and respectfully wished Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi a Happy New Year, "Uncle and Auntie, Happy New Year."