Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 467 Come to the door
Although the two sisters are three years apart, they not only look like twins, but their birthdays are also very close.

Jiang Tiantian's birthday is the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is tomorrow, while Jiang Lili's birthday is the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month. The dates are not far apart, so Chen Fan decided to send them to her at the same time to save trouble.

The two birthday gifts were exactly the same: a pair of ordinary-looking short leather boots.

However, the pelt was not simple; it was leftover fox pelt from Chen Fan's previous use, and then it was colored using equipment from a machinery factory. It was a plain light brown, different from the mainstream black and dark brown, but not eye-catching.

The soles are made from rubber sourced from a machinery factory; they are lightweight, sturdy, and slip-resistant. With his masterful sewing skills, the shoes are simple in appearance but extremely comfortable to wear.

The inner layer of fine fox fur is especially warm, and the two sisters didn't want to take it off even in the dead of winter.

Jiang Tiantian walked around the living room twice in her new shoes, her eyes full of surprise. She looked up at Chen Fan and asked, "They fit perfectly! How did you know my shoe size?"

You can check your profile for your birthday, but what about your shoe size?
Sending shoes is not the same as sending clothes. Clothes can be worn if they are slightly too big or too small, but shoes that don't fit are a bit of a problem. If they are too big, you can stuff cotton or newspapers into them. If they are too small... you can stomp your feet.
Upon hearing this, Chen Fan avoided her gaze and coughed lightly, "Uh, when I treated you last year, I knew how big your feet were."

The usually poised and confident Jiang Tiantian blushed instantly and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

Jiang Lili, standing beside him, also blushed instantly and lowered her head, remaining silent. So, when he treated his foot, he also took his measurements?
Seeing the slightly awkward atmosphere, Chen Fan couldn't help but cough again, "Well, I didn't expect that besides looking alike, you guys even have the same size feet, huh..."

He had only spoken halfway when he saw the two sisters' reproachful yet shy eyes, so he immediately turned around and walked out, saying, "It's getting late, I'll take you home."

After placing the two baskets in the trunk, Chen Fan drove the car out of the yard, got out, closed the door, got back in, and set off again.

After what just happened, neither of the sisters wanted to sit in the front passenger seat. They sat together in the back, their faces still flushed, and they didn't say a word.

Chen Fan glanced at the rearview mirror, blinked, and said, "I'm going to the machinery factory tomorrow morning. I'll treat Sister Zhou and Sister Zuo to lunch. You guys can come too."

The two sisters replied, "Mmm."

Chen Fan glanced at the rearview mirror. "Is it because I mentioned feet that you're so shy?"
He coughed again. "After dinner, I'm heading to the provincial capital. Do you have any souvenirs you'd like?"

Jiang Lili then seemed to snap out of her daze, quickly leaning forward and grabbing the seat in front of her, asking, "What are you going to the provincial capital for? Is it something important?"

Jiang Tiantian forgot her shyness and stared at him intently.

Chen Fan chuckled. "It was Jiangnan Literature and Art Magazine that sent me the invitation. They said they want to reinstate the Provincial Writers Association and will recommend me to be among the first batch of members after its reinstatement."

Jiang Tiantian's eyes lit up immediately, "Really? You're going to become a member of the provincial writers' association?!"

Jiang Lili grabbed her sister's arm, her eyes full of hope, "Then Xiao Fan will be a true great writer from now on?!"

Jiang Tiantian nodded excitedly, "That's right, that's exactly it!"

Having this membership makes a big difference.

Although everyone calls Chen Fan a great writer now, that's just his reputation among the general public. In the eyes of the cultural system, without membership in the Writers Association, how can he be considered a great writer?

However, in recent years, although the Writers Association has some organizations that are still carrying out their work, it has completely stopped recruiting new members, and even many of the old members have gradually decreased, and the ranks have been dwindling.

In this situation, even if Chen Fan wanted to join the organization, he would have no way to do so.

Now everything has to start all over again. After the organization is restored, a new batch of members will naturally need to be developed. Only when Chen Fan obtains his official identity will he be recognized as a writer.

As for the title of "great writer," one should at least be a member of the national membership!

I just don't know when things will resume over there, and whether anyone in the province here is willing to recommend me.

With a new topic of conversation, the awkward atmosphere from before naturally dissipated.

Well, at least on the surface.

The cotton mill was not far from the machinery factory. Soon, Chen Fan drove into the cotton mill's staff dormitory area and parked in front of a two-story villa.

This was Chen Fan's first time here. He used to drop people off at the factory gate, but today it was too late, so he dropped them off at their doorstep.

The villa is not large, only about 8 meters wide, and the foundation is raised one meter above the ground, which should be a special design made in the early years for waterproofing.

Previously, the entire Yunhu area was a low-lying area, easily flooded during heavy rains. The higher ground in the city had long been occupied by ancient people, and almost all of them are ancient buildings. So when building houses later, either soil was brought in from other places to fill the low-lying area, or soil was taken directly from the local area to raise the foundation of the house.

Of course, there are also those who stubbornly refuse to raise their heads, and they can only wait to be flooded every year!

Later, water conservancy projects were carried out every year, and the city's drainage system was gradually improved. Now it's much better. Unless there are continuous torrential rains, urban flooding generally won't occur.

However, the habit of raising the foundation when building houses has been retained by some people.

When the cotton mill was built in the 50s, this method of raising the foundation was naturally used. There were high steps in front of the door, and you could only enter after climbing the steps.

The lights were on in the house; it was probably because Jiang's parents were waiting for the two sisters to return home.

Chen Fan turned off the car and just as he opened the car door, the villa gate was opened, and Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi appeared at the door.

The two men frowned slightly when they saw the Jeep parked at the door, but when they saw Chen Fan getting out of the driver's seat, they immediately smiled and strode over to greet him, "Xiao Fan is here."

From Jiang Lili's perspective, calling Xiao Fan is perfectly reasonable.

Chen Fan waved and greeted them immediately, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."

The two sisters got out of the car, and Jiang Lili quickly ran to her mother's side, taking her arm. "Mom, Xiao Fan brought all the welfare items that the team gave me."

Shen Xueyi asked curiously, "What?"

Jiang Tiantian had already walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, picked up a basket and put it on the ground. While she was getting the other basket, Chen Fan had already come over and unloaded it.

He picked up the carrying pole again and carried it into the house.

Jiang Lili took her mother's hand and led her into the house, smiling as she said, "It's just some pork, fish, and lotus root."

She glanced back at Chen Fan, then whispered in her mother's ear, "But we've never had this much before. There was only a pound or two of meat and a few fish, but there's so much more in that basket."

Shen Xueyi gave her daughter a subtle glare, but her eyes were full of amusement. "What do you want to say?"

Jiang Lili chuckled dryly and quickened her pace.

Jiang Heng walked at the very back. After Chen Fan carried the load into the house, he looked around at the houses not far away on both sides. There were shadowy figures moving by the windows, clearly indicating that someone was looking in their direction.

There's not much privacy in villa areas.

But he didn't care. Instead, he raised his head, humming a little tune as he went into the house.

After Chen Fan entered the house, before he could speak, Jiang Tiantian led him to the side, saying, "Put it here."

After he put his things away, I poured him some hot water to wash his hands.

After washing up, she led Chen Fan to sit down in the living room.

Jiang Lili had already brewed tea for him, and she sat down with her sister, but she was on the same sofa as Chen Fan, just one person's seat away.

Jiang Heng sat in the main seat, his face full of smiles, and said to Chen Fan, "I had wanted to invite you to my house for dinner for a long time, but Lili told me that you have been very busy and haven't had much time. Your aunt and I have just returned to work and are extremely busy every day, so it has been delayed."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "No need to be so polite."

He glanced at the two sisters, then turned back and said, "However, I have been quite busy lately. I will come to visit formally after I'm done with these matters."

Shen Xueyi pulled up a chair and sat down next to her husband. Upon hearing this, she immediately smiled at Chen Fan and said, "What's with all the formality? You just said that we're all family, so there's no need to be so polite."

Chen Fan's expression stiffened slightly. There was a hidden meaning in those words!

Jiang Heng chuckled, "Yes, yes, there's really no need to be so polite. When you're free sometime, just come over to my place. I know you're a great cook, but..."

He pointed to Jiang Lili as he spoke, "Lili's cooking skills are also quite good, much better than before. We can have Lili cook, and then we can have a meal together and have some fun."

Jiang Lili's blush hadn't faded yet when she heard her father's words, she immediately said, "Xiao Fan taught me how to cook."

Shen Xueyi glared at her again, "You're quite proud of yourself." Jiang Lili quickly lowered her head, stuck out her tongue, and clung to her sister without saying a word.

Jiang Tiantian maintained a smile throughout, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused, clearly lost in thought.

Chen Fan sat in his seat and chuckled dryly, looking at Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi, feeling inexplicably like a prospective son-in-law visiting his daughter's home.

At this moment, Jiang Heng suddenly sighed softly and said to Chen Fan, "When Lili was in the countryside, you had to worry about her a lot. I didn't expect that after you sent her back to the city, you would still be worrying about our family. It must have been hard on you."

Chen Fan looked up, about to speak, when Jiang Heng bent down and took a stack of newspapers from the shelf under the coffee table, placing them in front of him.

Jiang Heng looked at the newspaper and said, "If it weren't for this article you wrote, I would probably still be working as a boiler operator, and your aunt would be sweeping the streets."

He turned to look at Chen Fan and said, "Although we're family, I can see your good intentions clearly. You took a lot of risk writing this article, which shows your character. I trust you completely."

Shen Xueyi sat to the side with a big smile on her face, her eyes looking at her son-in-law with the same expression she had.

The smile on Chen Fan's face gradually became somewhat unreal.

I haven't even said anything, and you've already agreed?
Do you know what I'm going to say?

At this moment, Jiang Lili, who was standing next to her, was already extremely embarrassed. She immediately called out "Dad" and then ran upstairs with a red face.

Jiang Tiantian snapped out of her daze and, seeing this scene, instinctively gave Chen Fan an apologetic smile. But then she thought about it and realized it wasn't necessary.
He shrugged helplessly and laughed, "I'll go up and check on her."

After saying that, he got up and went upstairs.

Chen Fan glanced at her retreating figure, blinked, then looked at Jiang Heng. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze fell on one of the newspapers on the coffee table.

He immediately pulled it out, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Even a second-rate newspaper reprinted it?"

The article published in this second-rate newspaper was the same one he had published in the Yunhu Daily and Jiangnan Daily, entitled "Actively Respond to the Call and Quickly Implement Mr. Li's Cadre Policy".

At that moment, he suddenly understood why the Provincial Writers Association's reconstruction committee had invited him to a meeting and promised to recommend him as one of the first writers to join the association.

While his achievements are certainly important, it is no coincidence that one of his articles was reprinted by a second-rate newspaper at this critical juncture.

So, if the Jiangnan Provincial Writers Association is re-established, would it be reasonable for him, the author of this article, not to be a member?!
Seeing Chen Fan's surprised expression, Jiang Heng, who was standing next to him, also seemed somewhat taken aback. "You didn't know?"

He pointed to the newspaper in Chen Fan's hand, "Yunhu Daily and Jiangnan Daily published it on the same day. The second-rate newspaper reprinted it on January 9th. According to the normal procedure, after an article is published, it is first reviewed, then published as an internal reference, and then the leader makes an instruction. It takes about a week to reprint it, which is considered very fast."

Chen Fan looked up, smiled sheepishly, and said, "I've been extremely busy lately. I've been working at the machinery factory since the end of December. I just finished up with the machinery factory business on the 9th and went back to Lujiawan. I haven't been to the health department for half a month since I came to the prefectural committee today, so I haven't had time to read the newspaper."

Keep in mind that his primary job was as a special commissioner for the health department.

Jiang Heng nodded with a sigh, "The capable are always given more work."

He turned to look at Chen Fan and said with a slightly embarrassed smile, "Actually, the leadership of the cotton mill has mentioned to me several times recently that they want to hire you as a hygiene consultant at our cotton mill, just like the machinery factory, with the same benefits and treatment as the machinery factory."

He chuckled twice, then pointed outside the door and said, "That doesn't include providing you with a car!"

Every unit of the prefectural committee, including the former machinery factory, is in need of vehicles.

It was only because the machinery factory was so wealthy that it dared to provide Chen Fan with a car... and it was an old car that couldn't be driven and had to be repaired before it could be used.

Chen Fan naturally took it as a joke and laughed it off, "I heard Director Yang mention this to me once, but I really didn't have the time, so I couldn't agree."

At this moment, Shen Xueyi, who was sitting next to her, smiled and said, "Actually, it won't take up much of your time. If you can agree, it's just a nominal position as a hygiene consultant. You only need to come once or twice a month to guide the hygiene work of the cotton mill. The salary is 100 yuan per month, and the cotton mill also provides welfare products."

Jiang Heng shouldn't say such things; it would seem too formal and distant. It would be better for Shen Xueyi to say them, so that even if Chen Fan still disagrees, it won't hurt the harmony.

However, deep down, they both hoped that Chen Fan would accept the offer.

It's not really for hygiene guidance.

Or rather, the health guidance was just a side effect. The bigger purpose, just like the machinery factory's original intention, was to take advantage of Chen Fan's status as a writer.

However, the machinery factory has now completely forgotten about Chen Fan's identity as a writer and is focusing all its efforts on studying the car design drawings he provided, leaving no time for anything else.

Chen Fan naturally understood their purpose, or rather, the purpose of the cotton mill leaders. He considered it carefully for two seconds, then looked up and smiled, "Since Uncle and Aunt have put it this way, it would be rude of me not to agree."

Anyway, it's only once or twice a month, even easier than going to the machine factory, so let's just do it out of courtesy.

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, this matter requires the approval of the health department."

After all, they are employees of a work unit, and it is not allowed to go out to earn extra money without organization or discipline. Even the machinery factory had to obtain written consent from the health department!
Only in this way can the subsidies and benefits given by the other party's employer be rightfully pocketed.

Upon hearing that Chen Fan had actually agreed, Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi immediately burst into laughter.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's request, Jiang Heng immediately nodded and said, "Of course, of course. We need to follow the normal procedures and not cause you any trouble. I'll have someone send a letter to the health department tomorrow."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "If everything goes smoothly, when is the earliest you can come to the cotton mill?"

Worried that Chen Fan might think he was pressuring him, he smiled and said, "You don't need to make time for it. You can come whenever you're done with your other things. Just let me know in advance and I'll make the arrangements."

Chen Fan thought for a moment and said, "I'm going to the provincial capital tomorrow. I'm not sure when I'll be back. I'll decide on the specifics when I get back to Yunhu."

"also."

Jiang Heng nodded, then asked with some curiosity, "Are you going to the provincial capital on a business trip again?"

Shen Xueyi also asked, "Are we going to the Health Department?"

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head. "No, it's a letter from Jiangnan Literature and Art Magazine. They said the province is preparing to rebuild the Provincial Writers Association and they want me to come to a meeting."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng was overjoyed. "Re-establishing the Provincial Writers Association? So, you're going to become a member of the Provincial Writers Association?"

Chen Fan smiled modestly, "It's not clear yet. It's too early to talk about memberships or anything like that. We'll have to wait until the meeting to find out."

Hearing him say that, Jiang Heng deliberately put on a stern face, "It's all set in stone, what's the rush? Young people should have confidence. I think your membership is definitely secured, otherwise why would they invite you to a meeting? Wouldn't that be playing a trick on you?! They would never do something like that!"

Everyone else seemed more confident than him, so what could Chen Fan say but could only offer a dry laugh in agreement?

After chatting for a while, Chen Fan noticed it was getting late and excused himself, saying he had something to do the next day.

After dropping Chen Fan off at his doorstep and watching the car drive away, Shen Xueyi patted her husband's arm with a smile and whispered, "Is this matter settled?"

Jiang Heng pursed his lips and frowned, then thought for a moment and said, "Most likely."

Shen Xueyi immediately became unhappy, "How come it's only eight or nine? Xiao Fan didn't say he refused."

Jiang Heng looked at her and said softly, "This is something we can't just refuse to her face, especially in our home."

Shen Xueyi was slightly taken aback. "It seems so."

He then asked, "So what do you suggest we do?"

Jiang Heng looked up at the ceiling. "Have Lili go see him again tomorrow. If Xiao Fan doesn't explain or directly refuses, then it's a sure thing."

Shen Xueyi nodded. "Yes, that makes sense."

He then sighed, “Our two daughters are both very ambitious. It’s rare to find such an outstanding young man as Xiao Fan who has taken a liking to our Lili. Lili also clearly likes him, so we quickly settled down to be together.”

Otherwise, when Lili goes to school and Xiaofan goes to take the postgraduate entrance exam, they'll be separated by distance, and who knows what might happen.

Jiang Heng chuckled, "What could possibly go wrong?"

He closed the door, put his arm around his wife's shoulder and walked inside, saying, "Our children and grandchildren have their own blessings; we'll just watch."

(End of this chapter)