Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 720 This method is good

At 8:30 a.m., the thick fog had dissipated, and Lujiawan, covered in a layer of white snow, took on a golden hue under the sunlight.

After finishing his breakfast, Chen Fan took the purple clay teapot he had brought back from Ba Lao's house, pulled up a chair, sat down under the eaves, crossed his legs, and leisurely drank tea to aid digestion.

Having just finished eating bamboo, the glutton lay on the fence, watching him longingly.

Chen Fan glanced over and shrugged helplessly. "Let me take you guys out to play, but you're afraid of kids. Are you still going?"

Gun Gun couldn't help but shudder when he thought of the time he was surrounded by children, and quickly shook his head.

Then she continued to gaze at him longingly.

Chen Fan stood up, slowly walked over, and patted the three big heads. "Good boy, go play in the snow by yourself. I'll give you a bath tonight."

Gungun blinked its eyes, then suddenly opened its mouth, took a bite, and got stuck in the gap of the fence.

Changchang and Shuishui turned their heads at the same time, staring blankly at their mother. What game were they playing?

Just then, the sound of hooves rang out beside the house. Yang Ju led two horses over. The mare was already saddled, but the foal was only covered with a small cotton quilt.

Upon approaching, Yang Ju said, "Teacher, there's only one saddle at home, which is already on the mare. I found a thin quilt and draped it over the mare."

Chen Fan looked back, handed her the teapot, patted it, and laughed, "It's alright, I'll make another one later."

There isn't a single real saddle in the entire Lujiawan area. This one was made by him a year and a half ago. Luckily, the material is good and the craftsmanship is superb, so it hasn't broken after all this time.

As for the horses in the brigade, people ride them regularly, but they don't put saddles on them. They just wrap a layer of soft material around the horse's back and hang stirrups on both sides.

When Zhou Zhengdong's family came before, they rode this kind of horse tack.

While the two were talking, Yang Mei, Huang Ying, and others came out of the storeroom, each carrying something.

Before long, several racks were set up on the threshing floor, with a bamboo pole across each rack. In less than ten minutes, the bamboo poles were filled with slices of cured meat, sausages, fish, and other cured goods.

When Chen Fan returned home last night, he saw the New Year's goods in the storage room. These were not bought outside, and he didn't have that many meat coupons.

When he was separated into separate households, Captain Yang assigned him a pig-raising task. Since he only lived alone, he was only assigned one pig over four years. That assigned pig was handed over last year.

So the two pigs that Yang Mei and her team raised last year were preserved intact. Half a month ago, Captain Yang invited Master Zhu from the food station to come over and turn the two big spotted pigs into these cured meats.

Master Zhu didn't even accept any payment for his hard work. He just took a set of pig offal and left, saying that he wanted his family to try Teacher Chen's pig. Otherwise, he wouldn't even want the offal.

Chen Fan walked over the preserved meats, thinking to himself, "When shall I go to town and treat Master Zhu to a big meal?"

As for these preserved meats, he thought it was too much last night, but Huang Li was saying, "I don't know if these things will last until after the New Year. If not, we can go to our house to get more."

With so many things on his mind, how could it not be enough?

Yang Mei, who was standing nearby, said, "During the Spring Festival, many people will definitely come to wish the teacher a Happy New Year. Why don't we come back on the second day of the Lunar New Year?"

So, while Chen Fan remained silent, the girls happily decided on their New Year's itinerary.

Chen Fan checked the quality of the cured meat and felt that Huang Li's cooking was fairly decent. Then he heard footsteps coming from inside the house. He turned around and saw Zhou Yali walking out in a hunting outfit.

She put on her gloves and looked at the mare. "Am I to ride this one?"

Chen Fan gestured, "You can't ride a horse without a saddle."

Zhou Yali pouted, gripped the saddle with both hands, put one foot in the stirrup, and flipped herself onto the horse.

Chen Fan waved to Yang Ju and the others, "You guys go about your business, you don't need to stay here."

They didn't say anything, but simply took a few steps back and watched with smiles as the two men and two horses slowly descended the earthen slope.

Passing by the former educated youth compound and stepping onto the country path, Zhou Yali looked at the fields on both sides and couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration. She opened her arms and shouted, "Ah..."

"Chirp..."

Zhou Yali looked up at the sky and saw three white gyrfalcons circling overhead, accompanied by a gray hawk. She immediately chuckled.

Chen Fan rode on the small horse without a saddle, yet remained as steady as a mountain.

Zhou Yali shook the reins, and as she drew closer to Chen Fan, she said with a smile, "You can't see a view like this in America. Most farms in America are industrialized, and the farmland is very vast, unlike here..."

She suddenly paused, "Brother, what was that saying again? It's about how the farmland is very neat, but there are paths connecting them, and you can hear voices in the distance?"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "The paths crisscross, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard from one another."

Zhou Yali clapped her hands, "Ah, yes, yes, that's it."

As she spoke, she clasped her hands tightly, her face full of longing, "What a beautiful pastoral scene!"

Chen Fan said, "Read more books when you have free time. What you're talking about is generally used in spring and autumn, spring plowing and autumn harvest. Farmers are busy in the fields, and every now and then they straighten up and shout, and there is a response from afar. But look at this place, it's all covered in snow, the field ridges are all buried, there's no more crisscrossing paths or the sound of chickens and dogs."

Zhou Yali's face darkened. "Then what do you say it is?"

Chen Fan chuckled twice, turned his head to look at the snow-covered fields, and said with a smile, "It could be 'When I open the door at dawn, the mountains are covered in snow; the snow clears, the clouds are light, and the sunlight is cold,' or 'Smoke rises from the woods and huts; the city walls are nearing the end of the year. The sun shines on the snow-covered pines, and the evening breeze enters the streams and mountains.'"

Zhou Yali pouted and muttered under her breath, "The hills here are only a few dozen meters high, how could there be any evening breeze coming in from the streams? Besides, it's morning now, any wind is just a morning breeze."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He patted the horse's neck, and the foal immediately neighed and started running forward.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Yali quickly shook the reins, "Giddy up! Wait for me, little brother!"

……

After a short jog, they quickly arrived at Team 5.

As we passed through the poplar grove, now only bare branches remained, several dogs came running over, wagging their tails to greet us.

Chen Fan purred a few times to greet them, then waved and chatted with the villagers who came out of the gate after hearing the noise. After patting the horse's back, the ponies turned right into an alley.

Zhou Yali sat steadily on the horse's back, and after turning the corner, she spurred her horse to ride alongside Chen Fan.

She looked at the lonely little house in front of her and asked curiously, "Brother, who lives here?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "One of my teachers."

Zhou Yali stuck out her tongue. "You must have a lot of teachers."

She knew of three masters from the capital, a professor from Jiangnan University, and this was probably the fifth person living here.

Chen Fan guessed what she was thinking and chuckled softly, "If you really want to know, my first master was Deputy Captain Xiao from the brigade headquarters. He's the one who taught me kung fu. The one living here is my second master. I learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and some other miscellaneous skills from him." Zhou Yali's eyes widened. "Music, chess, calligraphy, painting? He taught you those skills? That gentleman is very skilled!"

Although she didn't know much about her younger brother's skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she knew they were very impressive, even Ba Jin praised them highly.

Then wouldn't the teacher who teaches my younger brother skills be on a pedestal?
In just a few words, we arrived at the door.

Chen Fan dismounted and waited until Zhou Yali was safely down before going up to knock on the door.

The door was quickly opened, and when Master Lu saw Chen Fan, his eyes lit up. He was about to speak when he saw Zhou Yali, and a strange look suddenly appeared in his eyes. Then he glanced at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan knew what he was thinking at a glance, so he coughed, turned around, gestured for Zhou Yali to come forward, and said with a smile, "Fourth Master, this is my cousin."

Then he said to Zhou Yali, "This is Fourth Master Lu. You can call him Fourth Master, just like me."

At this moment, Zhou Yali reverted to her demeanor as a well-bred young lady, stepping forward gracefully and bowing slightly. "Greetings, Fourth Master. I wish you good health and longevity."

Straightening up, she realized what was happening and suddenly looked at Chen Fan.

You brought me to see the teacher, aren't you going to mention giving me a gift?

Chen Fan grinned and chuckled, but didn't say a word.

At this moment, Master Lu smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly to Zhou Yali, "Good, good, thank you for your thoughtfulness."

He then turned to the side and gestured invitingly, "Come in, please."

Once inside, without Lu Siye lifting a finger, Chen Fan took two cups, rinsed them with hot water, rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find a few things, and brewed two cups of flower tea.

Seeing this, Zhou Yali understood.

It turns out that here, just like in the capital, there's no need to give gifts.

Who knows, maybe they'll bring some more later?
Ignoring Chen Fan, Master Lu chatted with Zhou Yali with a smile, "Your home is in America, right? Where is your ancestral home? Shandong? Shandong is a great place, full of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, but I've never been there."

Later, my ancestors went to Northeast China. Oh, you know, the "Crossing the Guandong" migration. It was tough back then. If it weren't for survival, who would bring their whole family to the Northeast?

Chen Fan, holding a teacup, pulled up a chair and sat down, watching with a smile as Zhou Yali, with her gentle and quiet demeanor, conversed fluently with Master Lu.

I knew it! The Zhou family is a wealthy family that has been passed down for more than half a century. How could their only daughter be a crazy girl? Only now is she showing some of the demeanor of a young lady from a wealthy family.

Master Lu asked questions, and Zhou Yali answered. They talked about everything from America to Shandong, and from Shandong to Northeast China. Before long, they were talking about the Zhou family's business back then.

"So you're a descendant of Boss Zhou from Shenglongchang?"

When Master Lu heard Zhou Yali mention the business founded by Old Master Zhou, he was quite surprised. "Back then, Shenglongchang was a well-known merchant in Tianjin and Shanghai. During my years in Shanghai, I even went to Shenglongchang to buy things. Shenglongchang's northern goods were of high quality and low price, and it had a great reputation."

Unfortunately, not long after the Northeast fell to the Japanese, Shenglongchang closed down. Many people speculated that it had encountered some difficulties, but it turned out it had simply moved overseas to America.

He paused for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, "At least my family is still here, so we can be considered a blessed family."

Chen Fan and Zhou Yali exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

I never expected that after all the twists and turns, this would actually match up.
That makes sense. If the Zhou family's business had truly taken root in Tianjin and Shanghai back then, it would have certainly attracted many wealthy customers.

As the son of a landlord and a man making a living in Shanghai, it's quite normal for Master Lu to have some dealings with others.

After exchanging a few words, Master Lu made an excuse and got up to go inside.

Chen Fan glanced at Zhou Yali, then looked back at the half-open door, his eyes darted around, he stood up, made a gesture, and then went inside.

Chen Fan closed the door behind him, glanced at Master Lu rummaging through the cabinet, and walked over to him, chuckling softly, "Master Lu, what good stuff are you looking for?"

Master Lu turned around and glanced at him, hummed twice, and continued rummaging through the cabinet. At the same time, he said in a low voice, "Last time you came, you said you would bring your wife over for the New Year. I prepared everything for you, but you brought a cousin instead."

He held a jade pendant in his hand, closed the cabinet door, turned to look at Chen Fan, and said, "Are you just trying to fool this old man?"

Chen Fan's face fell. "No way, she has to go home for the New Year too. But it's okay, she'll definitely come over on New Year's Eve. I'll bring her to see you then, okay?"

According to the custom in Yunhu, if a man and woman have already made an engagement and confirmed their marriage relationship, even if they are not married yet, the woman must go to the man's house to spend New Year's Eve and have a reunion dinner together, to show that they are like family and that she will never regret her decision.

However, there are some differences compared to a real married couple. She cannot stay overnight and must return to her parents' home that same day.

This is also why Jiang Lili came to keep Chen Fan company on New Year's Eve last year.

So in a few days, Jiang Lili will still come to Lujiawan. As for whether Tiantian will come, that's uncertain.

Hearing Chen Fan say that, Master Lu's expression softened a bit. Once he was in a better mood, he even joked, "Then tell me, how many are there?"

Chen Fan's eye twitched slightly. "I was just joking with you last time, and you actually took it seriously. Do you think this is the old dynasty? If this were the old dynasty, I could bring ten or eight of you and empty your little treasure trove."

Master Lu chuckled and said in a low voice, "If you're so capable, have your wife give birth to ten or eight babies, and you can still empty my savings."

Chen Fan's eyes lit up, and he nodded in deep agreement, "That's not a bad idea!"

Then his face fell again. "Unfortunately, I'm a cadre, and I have to follow the rules. Excessive violations will be punished."

Before 1978, the policy allowed "a maximum of two" children, but starting from January 1, 1979, it changed to "preferably one," and the one-child policy began that year.

Moreover, because it was easy to manage, this policy was first implemented for cadres and employees with established positions, so in those years, almost everyone in enterprises and institutions was an only child.

If you violate the rules, it's not just a matter of a fine; in places where enforcement is strict, you could lose your job.

Master Lu curled his lip and said, "Fine, fine me. How much is the fine? I'll make up the difference."

Chen Fan took a deep breath and gave a thumbs up, "Fourth Master is so generous."

The two whispered as they walked out of the room, and Zhou Yali immediately turned her gaze towards them.

With a smile on his face, Master Lu approached and handed over the jade pendant, saying with a smile, "It's our first meeting, and we're both descendants of an old friend. I'm giving you a small gift to mark our meeting; please don't find it offensive."

Zhou Yali was immediately at a loss and instinctively looked at Chen Fan.

To say that he is a descendant of an old friend is indeed a bit of a stretch.

I went to buy things twice, and neither time was it from my grandfather, who is considered an old friend.
Chen Fan smiled and gestured, "This is Fourth Master's kind gesture, please accept it."

Zhou Yali then accepted the gift with both hands, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you, Fourth Master."

(End of this chapter)