Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 693 The house is a bit small

December 22, Friday, Winter Solstice.

Chen Fan carried his backpack, held a leather bag containing a gyrfalcon in his left hand, and pushed Zhou Yali's two large suitcases with his right hand as he walked unhurriedly out of the airport exit.

As for Zhou Yali, besides the small shoulder bag, she only had two monkeys in her arms.

It wasn't that she didn't want to push her suitcase; the main problem was that she only had two hands, and holding the monkey made it impossible to carry the suitcase. As for the fantasy of bullying her younger brother, that was something she had been fantasizing about for a long time, it was completely unfounded.

As soon as the two of them came out, they saw Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian running towards them quickly.

Zhou Yali's eyes lit up, and she quickly ran to greet them. Even with the monkey in her hands, she opened her arms wide and said, "Sweetie, Lili, it's been a long time."

The three girls hugged each other and laughed happily.

Chen Fan sniffed, glanced at the crowd secretly watching them, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Indeed, beautiful women are the most eye-catching."

As he approached, he said, "There are too many people here, hurry up and get in the car and go back."

Although Jiang Lili was hugging Zhou Yali, her gaze was already fixed on his face, her eyes shining and her face beaming with an unstoppable smile.

Jiang Tiantian would occasionally glance over, her smile carrying a hint of gentleness, but also a hint of evasiveness.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Zhou Yali immediately came to her senses, released the two sisters, and even pulled the two little monkeys closer to her.

She glanced back at her cousin, then at Jiang Lili, whose face was flushed with a rosy hue. Her smile held a hint of teasing, and her voice unconsciously rose, "Lili, did your older sister bother you?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lili's face flushed even more, so red it seemed as if blood could seep out.

Chen Fan rolled his eyes and whistled softly.

The little monkey, who had been lying obediently in Zhou Yali's arms, suddenly leaped up with lightning speed and landed on Chen Fan's shoulders, one on each side.

Zhou Yali's eyes widened. "Hey, I was just joking, you don't have to be like this."

Chen Fan laughed and made two squeaking noises at the little monkeys. The two monkeys turned their heads to look at them and then jumped up again.

Instead of falling into Zhou Yali's arms, one of them landed in Jiang Lili's hand, and the other perched on Jiang Tiantian's shoulder.

The next second, Chen Fan jogged quickly, leaving Zhou Yali behind.

The two sisters exchanged a glance, each clutching their little monkeys and running after them. Zhou Yali was instantly enraged, shouting, "Stop! Give me back my little monkeys!"

Upon arriving at the parking lot, Chen Fan took the keys from Jiang Lili, opened the car door, and then put the luggage in the trunk.

Jiang Tiantian handed the monkey to Zhou Yali and said, "I'm going to get the car. Here, take this back."

As a result, Zhou Yali pushed the monkey and her inside, then sat down next to her and closed the car door. "We just traveled all the way here on the plane. You drove such a long way. Let Xiao Fan drive."

Outside the car window, Jiang Lili knocked on the window, "Cousin, I haven't come in yet."

Zhou Yali rolled down the car window and pointed ahead, "You sit in the passenger seat."

Jiang Lili, "..."

After Chen Fan closed the trunk, he walked to the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt. Jiang Lili finally couldn't bring herself to ask him to open the car door. She blushed and opened the passenger door, sitting down next to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan turned to look at her, then at the two people behind him, laughed, and started the car to get on the road.

After driving out of the airport parking lot, Jiang Tiantian petted the little monkey and said to Zhou Yali, "I was so happy to receive Xiao Fan's call last night saying that you were coming. Your room is all ready. It's on the third floor. It's been a bit cold in Shanghai these past few days, and the sky has been gloomy. The weather forecast says it might snow heavily, so we installed a portable fireplace in your room. It will be warmer when it's lit."

Zhou Yali took her arm and said with a smile, "Thank you, you've gone to so much trouble."

Jiang Tiantian smiled and shook her head, "It's just making a bed, it's not troublesome at all."

She paused for a moment, then asked curiously, "You came all the way from the capital this time. Is there something going on there?"

As soon as she said it, she quickly added, "If it's inconvenient to say, that's fine. I was just asking casually."

Before Zhou Yali could speak, Chen Fan glanced at Jiang Tiantian in the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "Not bad, Comrade Jiang Tiantian. Although you used to talk a little more than Lili, you rarely took the initiative to speak. Now you've learned to initiate conversations. That's progress, not bad at all."

Jiang Tiantian blushed slightly, pretending to be nonchalant, "I've been in Shanghai for almost a year now. I've learned so much at university, and I'm also studying at the Writers' Association and dealing with people every day. I should have made some progress by now."

After she finished speaking, Zhou Yali opened her eyes wide and glared at her younger brother, "Why do you talk so much? Just drive your car."

He then tightened his grip on Jiang Tiantian's hand and said with a smile, "There's nothing I can't say. Didn't we release an announcement a few days ago that the two countries have officially established diplomatic relations? My dad is one of the members. I came here as his assistant. Actually, I just wanted to broaden my horizons and gain some experience."

Upon hearing this, both Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili couldn't help but widen their eyes.

My cousin actually got involved in this kind of historical event?
Seeing their expressions, Zhou Yali smiled again, "Actually, it's nothing. The truly decisive things are all discussed directly with Mr. Woodcock and Carter. We just discuss some execution details within the framework they have finalized."

Now that the announcement has been made and the matter has been resolved, everything is fine.

Jiang Tiantian snapped out of her daze, let out a long breath, and exclaimed, "That's still amazing!"

Jiang Lili then asked, "Now that everything is over, where is your uncle? Why didn't he come along?"

"Oh."

Zhou Yali leaned to look at her and smiled, "Now that we've finished discussing business, let's talk about personal matters. He wants to open two offices in Beijing and Shanghai to prepare for future investment or trade activities in China."

There are still some things to take care of. Once they're done, they'll fly over and join us.

Jiang Lili nodded in realization, "So that's how it is."

She couldn't help but glance at the rearview mirror, just as her sister did, looking up at her just as well.

The two sisters exchanged a glance, both seeing the tension and unease in each other's eyes. Chen Fan's achievements had already far surpassed theirs, and even his rank was higher than their father's and mother's. In old parlance, Jiang Lili was marrying above her station.

If one had to point out any shortcomings in Chen Fan, it would be that his family background was slightly inferior. He was all alone, and even if he had relatives, they were overseas and insignificant.

Now that the two countries have established diplomatic relations and plan to start economic and trade cooperation, if his uncle really returns to China to invest and build a family business, it will not only be the icing on the cake for Chen Fan, but also plug the only weakness.

Jiang Lili originally felt unworthy of her parents when she was in Lujiawan, but her parents were finally able to return to work, which gave her some confidence.

As a result, Chen Fan's rapid rise and high achievements made her feel somewhat inferior.

Now that this has happened again, Jiang Lili is naturally feeling uneasy.

She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and comforted herself in her heart, "It's okay. Xiao Fan is definitely not a heartless person. If I follow him, I will definitely not be abandoned."

Thinking of this, Jiang Lili felt a little more relaxed. She looked up and suddenly the scene from earlier flashed through her mind.

It's normal for me to be anxious, so what is my sister so nervous about?
It seems my guess was right.

Chen Fan drove at breakneck speed, and they had already reached the city. He hadn't noticed the changes in their expressions earlier, but now that he hadn't heard any voices, he said, "You all took the day off today, right? Are you going back to school this afternoon?"

Jiang Lili snapped out of her daze and immediately said, "Oh, we won't go back. My sister and I both booked a day off, so we'll go tomorrow."

She paused for a moment, then said apologetically, "Final exams are coming up soon, and I'm quite busy with studying. I only got permission from the teacher to come today, so I don't have much time to spend with you all."

Chen Fan turned to look at her and smiled, "Why are you suddenly being so polite? I know your situation, and I certainly won't blame you."

As he spoke, he reached out and touched her hair.

Feeling the warmth of the large hand, Jiang Lili immediately relaxed. She raised her head, pursed her lips, looked back, and smiled, "But I also want to keep you and my cousin company."

Zhou Yali rested her head on Jiang Tiantian's shoulder and said with a smile, "I really want to play with you guys, but my studies will definitely come first."

She paused for a moment, then added, "If Grandpa were still alive, he would love you all. He always said that having a skill is worse than having a fortune."

No matter how much money you have, it will eventually run out if you don't know how to make money. But skills are priceless. As long as you are willing to work hard, you can make a living. If you are also quick-witted, you can go further and build a successful business.

"You're all so beautiful, and you're certainly capable of working, yet you still insisted on going to university and studying diligently. Grandpa loves that spirit of self-reliance the most."

Hearing this, the two sisters blushed and couldn't help but glance at each other. The next second, they both turned their gazes to Chen Fan.

If they hadn't been in such a difficult situation, and hadn't all wanted to escape their predicament, plus Chen Fan's help, they probably wouldn't have had the will or the ability to take the college entrance exam.

Of the 570 million applicants nationwide, only 27 were admitted, a mere 4.7% acceptance rate. These girls had been out of school for several years, hadn't touched a single study material in that time, and suddenly they were taking the college entrance exam – how were they supposed to prepare?!
The car sped along, and in less than half an hour, we arrived home.

Jiang Lili immediately got out of the car to open the gate, pushed it open, and then closed it again after the car drove into the yard.

Zhou Yali opened the car door, jumped out, and stretched first.

She looked up at the little villa and chuckled, "I feel like this place is more cozy than the big houses in Beijing."

Chen Fan got out of the car, went to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He first released the three gyrfalcons that were bored. Hearing Zhou Yali's words, he casually said, "Since you like small houses so much, then I'll give you this little villa and give me your garden villa."

Zhou Yali took the little monkey from Jiang Tiantian and said nonchalantly, "Sure, you have the key anyway, you can move it anytime you want."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took the little monkey from Jiang Lili, then her eyes flickered as she looked at the two sisters who were helping with the luggage. Her smile became somewhat meaningful. "I think you really need a bigger house. This place is a bit too small."

Chen Fan carried two suitcases inside. "I was just saying. Let's forget about it. It's such a big house, and it's too cold to live in. I don't like it."

Zhou Yali, holding the little monkey she had just found, followed behind him, chuckling, "Don't make promises you can't keep, or you'll break them."

Chen Fan waited for Jiang Lili to open the door, then turned back to look at her while changing his shoes, a strange look in his eyes. "I feel like there's something behind your words."

Zhou Yali's eyes widened in surprise, and she said with an innocent expression, "Really?"

Just then, Jiang Tiantian placed a pair of slippers beside her feet, and she immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, sister."

Then she pulled Jiang Tiantian and ran into the house, saying, "I'm so hungry, when are we going to eat?"

Jiang Lili had just put down her luggage when she heard this, so she rolled up her sleeves and said, "I'll go get it right away. The dishes were all prepared in advance. I just need to cook some rice and reheat the dishes. It'll be ready in no time."

Chen Fan went up to the second floor, washed up quickly, changed his clothes, and then went downstairs to eat.

Although today is the 23rd of the eleventh lunar month, which is the middle of winter, the fireplace in the living room is lit, so the house is not so cold.

The food wasn't served quickly, so he turned on the TV, plopped down on the sofa, picked up the tea Jiang Tiantian had brought, and watched the news on TV.

Zhou Yali walked around the kitchen for a while, and was finally pushed out by Jiang Lili. Feeling that she could no longer get in the way in the kitchen, she also came over and sat down.

The television was broadcasting reports on the meetings of the past few days. Watching the content, she lost interest in chatting, took off her shoes, sat cross-legged on the sofa, and stared intently at the television.

After a segment of the broadcast finished, she stretched her body, turned to Chen Fan, and asked in a low voice, "Brother, has this meeting set the tone?"

She paused for a moment, then continued, "A few days ago, when we were still negotiating, both my father and Mr. Woodcock said that this meeting would be crucial in determining future policies, and the outcome of the meeting would also determine how we should interact with the mainland."

Judging from the current situation, things seem to be going as expected, so Dad's actions in Beijing should have a good outcome, right?

Chen Fan turned to look at her, somewhat surprised.

Surprisingly, this seemingly carefree cousin actually harbors quite a few thoughts and is quite concerned about her uncle's activities in Beijing.

He nodded slightly and said, "You're right, this meeting was very important, and the results were in line with most people's expectations."

Economic development, strengthening democracy, and focusing on people's livelihoods—the winds have indeed shifted.

(End of this chapter)