Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 82 When I didn’t say anything
Faced with Chen Fan's question, Jiang Lili lowered her head and whispered, "In the past, no one in the team held banquets. It was just that when someone had a baby, they'd buy a few eggs and have someone deliver them. Or when someone passed away, they'd wrap a white envelope and have someone take it over, and..."

Chen Fan sighed, "Don't bother. How can you give a gift and then not attend the banquet? They took the money and then didn't invite you?"

Jiang Lili: "I was invited, but I didn't go."

She looked up and smiled, "But I gave them all a return gift."

Chen Fan said with a long face, "Returning gifts is one thing, attending the banquet is another. You're really stupid."

Then he waved his hand and said, "Come on, come with me."

Jiang Lili couldn't help but take a step back, her eyes still showing some apprehension. "No, let's not."

Chen Fan looked at her and said softly, "How about this, after you go there, if no one pays attention to you, just ask for favors and come back, okay?"

Jiang Lili looked at him, still feeling a little timid.

She has been here for three years, and no one has paid attention to her or asked her anything. She basically doesn't communicate with others. Even when she participates in group activities, she is like a semi-invisible person. No one asks for her opinion, and she never expresses her opinion.

We haven't reached the point of social anxiety yet, but we're not far off.

If Chen Fan weren't so outgoing, or so sincere with her, their relationship would never have reached the level of friendship.

In fact, Jiang Lili was a cheerful and smiling person back then, but after a series of changes, very few people can still maintain their optimism.

On the contrary, there are many people like her. Not every educated youth settlement has them, but there are definitely one or two in every five educated youth settlements. Some people are in much more serious situations than her.

Chen Fan looked at her and suddenly smiled, "How about this, you'll come with me later. I'll be helping out in the kitchen, so you can be my assistant, okay?"

Jiang Lili's eyes flickered slightly before she nodded gently and smiled, "Okay."

Then he looked at himself and said, "I'll change my clothes."

Chen Fan immediately turned around and said, "I'll wait for you at the door."

A short while later, Jiang Lili came out wearing a simple new blouse and clean cloth shoes. The two walked forward one after the other.

On the way, he encountered some people standing at their doorsteps, who all greeted Chen Fan from a distance.

"Master Chen, are you going to the banquet?"

Chen Fan has now gotten used to this way of communicating by shouting, "Yes, Uncle Huang's house is having its roof beam raised, go help cook a couple of dishes."

Immediately someone shouted, "So you want to be a jujube master?"

Chen Fan: "No, no, I was just helping out, I didn't take any money."

Upon hearing that they wouldn't be charged, the commune members stopped talking about it and simply called out, "If we ever need anything at home, please come and help us out."

Chen Fan: "Okay, just let me know in advance."

Jiang Lili followed two steps behind him, a smile appearing in her eyes as she pursed her lips.

She hadn't wasted these three years. When she left home, she kept her parents' advice in mind: observe, listen, and analyze more. Don't judge a person by what they say, but by what they do.

So although she doesn't talk much, she's not a complete idiot.

Some educated youths got along well with the commune members, but they were all from impeccable revolutionary backgrounds. The fact that someone like Chen Fan, whose origins were unclear, could be so popular could only mean that he was very capable and had no ill intentions.

Don't underestimate these commune members just because they lack formal education. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, they are no less knowledgeable than city dwellers. Especially some of the elderly who have lived through the previous dynasty, having experienced countless ups and downs, are shrewd and worldly-wise, making it even more difficult to gain their approval.

Ironically, among the people chatting with Chen Fan were several elderly men in their seventies and eighties sitting by the door, demonstrating his popularity. Chen Fan might not even know their names, yet they loved talking to him. In contrast, some of the educated youth lacked ability but were arrogant and looked down on others, which was utterly absurd.

The members all kept their distance from such people and avoided each other. Even Jiang Lili avoided them, for fear of getting into trouble.

They walked straight ahead and soon arrived at Huang Laosi's house.

At this point, the new house was beginning to take shape, with two towering gable walls on the left and right, just waiting for the beams to be laid on top.

The doors and windows of the house have all been made and are standing upright against the wall, ready to be installed after the roof beam is raised.

A cedar log was placed on three benches by the door, with a red ribbon tied in the middle; this should be the main beam.

The main beams are usually made of camphor wood, sandalwood, or cedar wood. These woods are straight, not easily bent, and rarely infested by insects, making them the best beams.

Once the doors and windows are installed and the thatch is laid on the roof, the new house is complete. The rest is "decoration," but that's for later.

Dozens of people gathered in the courtyard in front of the new house, discussing it animatedly.

Chen Fan glanced at them and saw that more than 20 of them were laborers and construction workers from the village who had been hired earlier, while the other forty-odd people were probably there to eat at the banquet.

When Chen Fan and his companion arrived, many people greeted them. Even Jiang Lili had some women talking to her, which made her feel a little more at ease.

After chatting with the people around them, the two went to the square table in the corner to offer their gifts.

The bookkeeper was Huang, the store keeper, which was a good match for his major.

Chen Fan greeted him with a smile, then took out two cents and handed it over.

Jiang Lili also placed the money in front of the ledger.

The custodian, Huang, chuckled and said to Jiang Lili with a smile, "Little Jiang, you've finally decided to come out."

Upon hearing his words, Jiang Lili blushed deeply.

Chen Fan quickly smiled and said, "I asked her to come and give me a hand."

The custodian, Huang, glanced at him, picked up his notebook, and wrote down the amounts: (Chen Fan, two mao; Jiang Lili, two mao.)
She added, "Xiao Jiang, you should go out more often. Staying cooped up in the house all the time is getting boring. You're about the same age as Huang Ying and Yang Ju, so you can move around more when you have free time."

Then she turned to the side and called out, "Huang Ying, come and keep Xiao Jiang company."

A girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old quickly ran over, smiled at Chen Fan, and then took Jiang Lili's hand and walked away, saying, "Let's go play over there."

Chen Fan watched this scene in surprise, then sat down next to Huang, the custodian, and asked in a low voice, "Custodian Huang, didn't you tell me to keep my distance? Why...?"

The storekeeper glanced at him. "Did you keep it?"

Chen Fan said matter-of-factly, "It's been maintained."

The storekeeper, Huang, looked around, then turned to look at him. "So what if you don't keep it in this state?"

Chen Fan blinked innocently, "Living under the same roof, it's impossible not to talk, right?"

The custodian pointed at him and said in a low voice, "Guests are always welcome. She is, after all, just a young girl. She came to our Huang family to offer her congratulations. If I ignore her, what kind of behavior would that be?"
But you're different. A man and a woman living alone in the same courtyard is bound to attract gossip. If you were even slightly sensible, you'd at least keep your distance in public.

Then she gave him a meaningful look and said, "If you have other plans, just pretend I didn't say anything."

(End of this chapter)