Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 724 Happy cooperation
In the restaurant, several people sat around a table. Zhou Zhengdong and Master Lu sat together, while Zhou Zhengdong gave the seat of honor to his eldest nephew.

Chen Fan wiped his sweat and looked to the other side. Right next to him was Jiang Lili, and then Jiang Tiantian and Zhou Yali.

That's a clear distinction.

Under the recommendation of Master Lu and Zhou Zhengdong, Chen Fan could only speak as the head of the family.

On the right were two elders, and on the left were three girls, all staring intently at him.

Chen Fan picked up his wine glass, made an "uh" sound, blinked, and coughed twice, "This,..."

After a long pause, she looked at Master Lu with a worried expression and said, "If it were a social gathering, I could say a few words, but what am I supposed to talk about at this banquet?"

Zhou Zhengdong and the three female comrades covered their faces together.

After waiting for so long, this is it?
Master Lu suppressed a laugh, glancing upwards, "Back in the day..."

He started to say something, but then stopped himself, raised his hand and waved it, "Forget it, let's not talk about the past anymore, times have changed, just say something auspicious."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue and said with a smile, "Alright. Let's get practical then. Wishing everyone good health, all the best, and prosperity in the new year!"

The beginning was fine, but upon hearing the last sentence, the two sisters and Master Lu widened their eyes. Zhou Zhengdong and Zhou Yali, on the other hand, were quite satisfied and raised their glasses in unison, "Cheers!"

With a series of clanging sounds, the opening wine was drunk, and the reunion dinner officially began.

Looking at so many people at the table, Chen Fan couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Thinking back to last year, he was all alone, spending New Year's Eve by himself. It was only after Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian came over that things became a bit more lively.

Unexpectedly, six people gathered this year.

Wow, this is one of my achievements over the past two years.

It's just a bit of a pity.

Chen Fan picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and glanced to his right. Two old men were chatting happily about all sorts of things. One was an elite American lawyer and a minor capitalist, while the other was the young master of a landlord family from the old days and a playboy from Shanghai. How could they get along so well?!

On the other side, three women were laughing and joking non-stop.

Chen, the head of the family, smacked his lips a few times, feeling a little strange.

Why is it less lively than last year even though there are more people?

The meal lasted until 1 p.m., and Master Lu, having drunk quite a bit of strong liquor, was clearly feeling sleepy.

Chen Fan then led out the two horses and took the old man back.

After they returned, Zhou Zhengdong leaned close to him and whispered, "Xiao Fan, are we going to pay respects to your parents today?"

In the past, many places in Northeast China also had the custom of visiting graves and offering sacrifices on New Year's Eve. Zhou Zhengdong had just asked his daughter to inquire with the two sisters, and Yunhu also had such a tradition. So when Chen Fan returned, he immediately reminded him.

Chen Fan quickly nodded, "Yes. I've already prepared everything. Would you like to rest a bit more?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Zhengdong waved his hand and said, "You've all rested enough. This little bit of alcohol is nothing to worry about."

Chen Fan turned his head and looked at the three girls who were still chatting not far away. He waved to them and said, "Get ready, we're going to Yunhu Lake."

Jiang Tiantian's eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately nodded, "Okay."

After a pause, she added, "Lili prepared the offerings the day before yesterday and left them at home. We can just go and get them later."

She thought that Chen Fan hadn't gone to pay respects at the grave last Lunar New Year's Eve, and assumed he might not be able to go this year either. So she left the prepared items at home, planning to go directly to the grave when she returned from here.

Jiang Lili didn't know what she was thinking, so she quickly said, "My sister prepared it for me. I don't know anything about it."

Chen Fan looked at her earnest expression, then at Jiang Tiantian, blinked gently, and smiled, "Thank you."

Zhou Zhengdong, who was sitting with his legs crossed and drinking tea, narrowed his eyes and a smile appeared on his lips when he saw this scene.

I don't know what they're laughing at.

Soon after, everyone grabbed their bags and put on more clothes, and Chen Fan sealed off all the fireplaces.

He then took the lead and walked outside.

First, we took a small yacht to the local committee, then went to the dock to transfer to another vehicle, and then went to the Jiang family to retrieve the sacrificial offerings.

So, naturally, another car followed behind, which belonged to Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi.

No longer needing Director Yang to guide him, Chen Fan accurately located the Yunhu Qingshan Cemetery.

It had snowed twice before, and it snowed again for half a day this morning. Although someone had cleaned the walkway, the area in front of the grave was still covered with snow.

First, he used tools to clear the snow from in front of the tomb. Then, he took out two baskets of offerings and squatted down in front of the tomb. He folded stacks of yellow paper and neatly piled them in the brazier.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and instead of extinguishing the lighter, he reached into the basin and lit the yellow paper.

With a cigarette between his fingers, Chen Fan exhaled a puff of smoke, looked at the tombstone, and silently said in his heart, "Two seniors, I borrowed your son's identity and also took advantage of you quite a bit. Please don't blame me."

You reap what you sow. The person who harmed you has already been dealt with by your old brother, Factory Director Yang. But I didn't let him work for nothing. I designed two cars to help him set up Yunhu Automobile Factory, and I even became the Party Secretary and Factory Director.

It's said that making cars was also Mr. Chen's wish, so I guess I've repaid that kindness by doing this. And Aunt Zhou, you were amazing! Returning to China to build the country in that era was truly commendable.

Your brother has come to see you. He wants to give me his inheritance, which is supposed to be yours. You see, I can't go abroad, so what do I need that money for? But your brother insists on giving it to me, and I can't refuse him.

He muttered to himself, then turned to look at Zhou Zhengdong, whose face was expressionless, Zhou Yali, who remained silent, and the two sisters who were also putting down paper money.

Turning back, he continued to mutter, "However, I won't take it for nothing. You see, this girl wearing a hat and a bearskin coat is Aunt Zhou's niece. I've started a company with her, and we're sure to earn hundreds of times more wealth than your inheritance. I guarantee you won't lose money."

And your son, he's probably really gone. The water was so high that even small boats didn't dare leave the dock, yet he plunged in headfirst. Even if he could swim or not, even if he was an excellent swimmer, there were many people watching, but no one surfaced. Unless he was a fish, there's no way a miracle could have happened.

Well, I took his identity and helped him and your family gain fame. Now, with so many students across the country, who doesn't know Chen Fan from Yunhu?!

In short, I've taken on the identity of your son, so we're family now. As the saying goes, cooperation benefits both sides; it's a win-win situation for everyone. You shouldn't have any objections to this deal, right?!

Chen Fan tossed his cigarette butt aside, his eyes fixed on the tombstone. "If you have any objections, then speak up... Well, I've waited three minutes, and you still haven't said anything, so that means you agree!" He grabbed a handful of yellow paper and threw it into the fire. After everyone had paid their respects, he lit three incense sticks and placed them in the prepared hole in front of the tombstone. Then he knelt down facing the grave and bowed respectfully three times. "Happy cooperation!"

The smoke from the three incense sticks curled upwards and quickly rose into the blue sky before disappearing from sight.

After the yellow paper in the brazier had burned completely, Chen Fan took out a string of 5000 firecrackers, draped it over the grave, and asked everyone else to leave first. Then he lit a cigarette, used the cigarette butt to ignite the firecrackers, and quickly turned and left.

They walked in silence until they reached the cemetery gates, at which point Jiang Heng asked Chen Fan, "Are you going back to Lujiawan today? Or are you staying in the city overnight?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment, then turned to look at Zhou Zhengdong, "Uncle, when are you leaving?"

Zhou Zhengdong smiled and said, "I came back specifically to spend the New Year with you. After today, I have to rush to Guangzhou tomorrow. The telephone exchange there is also waiting to sign a contract. There are many overseas Chinese in Guangdong, and their desire for program-controlled exchanges is no less than that of Beijing and Shanghai. So it's best not to delay. Sign the contract as soon as possible and start making money sooner."

He paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "The problem is that my luggage is still in Lujiawan; I need to go get it."

Chen Fan immediately replied, "It's alright, I'll make a trip there in a bit."

Jiang Heng, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but twitch his lips as he listened. So capitalists are this busy? They don't even celebrate the New Year in order to make money.

Chen Fan didn't think much of it and said directly, "Let's go back to the old house first, and I'll go get the luggage. There's no need to prepare anything else. The old house is always cleaned. We can just put on our bedding and go to sleep when we get back."

He turned to look at Zhou Yali and then smiled, "There's no fireplace here, and the air conditioner is just a single-cooling window unit. We only have an electric heater for warmth."

Zhou Zhengdong immediately waved his hand and said, "It's only one day, there's no need to be so delicate."

Zhou Yali nodded in agreement, "An electric heater will do."

She had barely finished speaking when she called out again, "Don't forget the two monkeys."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he nodded and smiled, "Alright, then let's do it at Yunhu today."

Hearing this, both sisters were overjoyed. Jiang Tiantian was a little better, just smiling, but Jiang Lili made no attempt to hide her happiness, almost jumping for joy, "That's great! Then when we go to the old house later, we can help with the cleaning."

There's no need for cleaning; the machinery factory previously assigned a logistics staff member to clean three times a week, and they even work overtime during holidays to ensure that we can move in anytime.

However, if she wants to go with him, then let's go together. Chen Fan isn't going to be foolish enough to refuse.

At this moment, Jiang Heng also said with a smile, "Since you're staying in the city overnight, how about this, come to my house for dinner tonight..."

He first looked at Chen Fan, then turned to Chen Fan and said, "Speaking of which, Xiao Fan has no parents to help him with this. It's rare for your uncle to come. As the saying goes, 'A mother's uncle is the greatest,' so now you are Xiao Fan's elder, and I have to call you in-law."

Zhou Zhengdong smiled and nodded repeatedly, "What you said makes sense. There's no problem at all for us to call each other in-laws."

He turned to look at Chen Fan, who smiled and nodded, then smiled at Jiang Heng and said, "Then I'll be troubling you today."

Jiang Heng, holding his arm, threw his head back and laughed heartily, "I couldn't be happier!"

The itinerary was changed at the last minute, and instead of going to the Jiang family's house, everyone went directly to the Chen family's old residence.

Back in the old house, Chen Fan opened the courtyard and immediately saw two raccoon dogs lying at the gate.

That said, these two raccoon dogs haven't been named yet. Ever since he caught them, they've been guarding this yard, diligently protecting their home and catching mice along the way.

However… looking at the raccoon dog blinking and meowing at him, Chen Fan wondered why it seemed to have gotten fatter.

Upon entering the house, it was indeed spotless, without even a trace of stuffiness.

When Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian were studying, they spent almost every day here, so as soon as they entered, they felt right at home and familiarly moved chairs to invite everyone to sit down.

Then Jiang Tiantian turned around and went to the kitchen to boil water and make tea for people.

Jiang Lili went to the room to get the quilt and sheets. She checked them and found that there was no dampness at all, which was probably because they had been taken out to air in the sun a couple of days ago.

Zhou Yali was not familiar with these household chores. She would run to the kitchen to watch Jiang Tiantian boil water and prepare dried fruit, and then run to the room to watch Jiang Lili make the bed and fold the quilt.

First, lay out the mattress, then the sheet, then a layer of cotton cloth, and finally a quilt...

Shen Xueyi helped her daughter from the side, working quickly and efficiently, showing no signs of being a senior executive in a large factory with thousands of employees.

Watching the two women work, Zhou Yali exclaimed in admiration, "Lili, you're so capable! I don't even know how to sew this quilt cover."

Jiang Lili was very curious and turned to look at her, "Are these sewn-up duvet covers also used in America?"

Zhou Yali laughed and said, "In the United States, we usually use sheet and fitted sheet, which are quite different from ours. We are used to this kind of traditional duvet cover at home, so we are very familiar with it. The quilts are also different. Their quilts are made by sewing the fabric and the insulation layer together, so they can be washed directly. There is also a duvet cover that can be put on the whole quilt. It has an opening on the side and a strap to tie it."

Jiang Lili nodded in realization, a hint of curiosity appearing in her eyes. "I know what a bed sheet is, but what's a fitted sheet? In America, a duvet cover is just a sack inside? Doesn't that look like a big bag? Won't the duvet move around inside?"

Seeing that she was very curious, Zhou Yali stood beside her and chatted with her.

Even Shen Xueyi listened with great interest, occasionally asking questions, wondering what kind of textiles were popular in America, and whether Yunhu Cotton Mill might be able to produce such products, perhaps even exporting them to earn foreign exchange!

In the living room, Chen Fan chatted with Jiang Heng and Zhou Zhengdong for a while before getting up to go back to Lujiawan to get Zhou Zhengdong's luggage.

He doesn't need to use it himself; there are his clothes in this old house, so he can come back to stay empty-handed anytime without any problem.

Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Zhengdong suddenly called him back, "Xiao Fan, wait a minute."

Chen Fan turned around, but before he could ask any questions, Zhou Zhengdong called his daughter out again, "Yali, come out for a moment."

Zhou Yali was having a pleasant conversation when she heard the call. She came out and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Zhengdong looked at her and said with a smile, "I just thought about it, why don't you come with me?"

"what?"

Zhou Yali was startled at first, then looked dejected. "Why? I haven't had enough fun yet."

Zhou Zhengdong's face darkened slightly, and he said irritably, "You certainly have a playful spirit. Have you forgotten that you're also a part of this company? I'm just a distributor. Selling products is my responsibility, that's true, but what about installation and maintenance? Are you really planning to ignore that?"

Seeing Zhou Yali looking at him pitifully, Chen Fan could only smile and shrug. "Don't worry, I'll bring all your luggage over; I won't forget a single item!"

(End of this chapter)