2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 65 Returning Hometown
Whether you're a boss or an employee, whether you're successful or struggling, when you return to your parents and elders, you are their son and grandson.

The same applies to Tan Jincheng.

Tan Jinyue sleeps soundly during the day but is very energetic at night. If it weren't for her grandmother helping to take care of her, Zhang Suzhi would really have a hard time managing on her own.

The old lady has been living in the city for the past few months, which is quite unusual for a rural old lady, but she is in a good mood.

She has both a son and a daughter, and her grandchildren are all grown up. She never expected that she would have a little granddaughter to take care of in the end. Of course, it's tiring, and the old lady hasn't slept well for the past few months.

Now that her eldest grandson is back, there's one more person to help, making things much easier for everyone, and the old lady is in a very good mood.

Most importantly, I'll be able to go back to my rural hometown soon.

Since finalizing the house purchase on the eve of the Lunar New Year, Tan Jincheng has had nothing to do. He's too lazy to go out in the cold weather, so he stays at home taking care of the children. Zhang Xupeng would come over to visit from time to time, so he wasn't too bored.

Friday, the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month; Tan Lihua got a day off early. In previous years, one of the couple would always have to work a few days during the Spring Festival. This year, due to special circumstances, they can enjoy a complete Spring Festival holiday.

Tan Jinyue's three-day celebration is scheduled for this Sunday, which is the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. I have to rush back today to make preparations.

The village banquet can only hold a few tables. One reason is to celebrate, and the other is to let the grandparents take back some of the gifts they sent earlier. Almost every household in the countryside does this.

Actually, there aren't many gifts to accept. It depends on how close the relationship is. It can range from as little as 10 yuan plus two pastries to more than 100 yuan.

In an era without the pressure of comparing oneself to others, the pressure of giving gifts is also relatively low. Take the good relationship between Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng as an example. If either of them were to have a wedding now, according to local customs, the gift should not exceed 400 yuan.

Don't give too much as a gift, or people will criticize you.

Tan Lihua and his son got up early in the morning and carried the luggage they had packed the night before into the trunk of the car, mainly clothes belonging to their grandmother and Tan Jinyue.

In addition, there are some gifts to take home and distribute.

Most of the cigarettes and alcohol that Tan Jincheng brought home were kept by Tan Lihua. The cigarettes and alcohol used for the banquet had already been prepared by the brothers in the family before Tan Jincheng returned home.

Actually, even if the family went home at this time, they couldn't help much. They had already prepared everything in advance and put it on the tab at the village shop. Tan Lihua could just go back and pay for it.

With everything ready and Grandma and Mom settled in, Tan Jincheng smiled and said to Tan Lihua, "Dad, why don't you drive?"

Tan Lihua rubbed his hands together, somewhat tempted, but held back: "Never mind, you drive, you'll be more careful."

The road back to our hometown isn't in great condition. My son was able to drive it all the way from Ningbo, so his driving skills are definitely much better than mine. With the whole family in the car, this is no joke.

Besides Zhang Suzhi, it was the first time for both Grandma and Tan Lihua to ride in Tan Jincheng's car. Grandma was a little scared before getting in the car, as she gets carsick and each trip is a very painful experience for her.

She brought a plastic bag with her before getting on the bus, which is a common habit of elderly women in rural areas when taking the bus, and many people do the same.

"Don't worry, Grandma, I'll drive slowly, it'll be fine." Tan Jincheng helped his grandmother in the passenger seat fasten her seatbelt and said with a smile.

Actually, Tan Jincheng was just joking. With the whole family in the car, how could he let Old Tan practice driving? Anjiu Road is a frequent accident route; the whole family might just be reborn! Tan Jincheng did drive very slowly, taking nearly two hours to reach his hometown. Along the way, the old lady showed no signs of nausea, prompting her to exclaim that her grandson's car was great and his driving skills were excellent.

At this moment, a number of men and women had gathered in the courtyard and main room of the old Tan family. The men were killing chickens and chopping meat, some of the women were making meatballs, and others were washing vegetables at the well.

In addition, there were some children playing and running around in the yard and the main room, and curses could be heard from time to time.

A brand-new black sedan suddenly drove into the yard, which was quite eye-catching.

When everyone saw who got off the car, they were even more surprised. The first person to get off was an elderly woman in the passenger seat, followed by Tan Lihua and his wife carrying their child.

After turning off the car, Tan Jincheng got out and took out cigarettes from his pocket, preparing to distribute them to the men in the yard.

"Boss, where did this car come from? And it's brand new." Tan Licheng stepped forward and asked Tan Lihua.

"Second Brother, it's been a long time." Tan Jincheng said with a smile as he offered him a cigarette.

The Tan family has four siblings: Tan Lihua is the eldest, Tan Licheng is the second, and there is also an uncle, Tan Liye. The youngest is an aunt who married Tan Liye's good friend, who is also from the same village.

Tan Licheng was not tall, about 1.7 meters, and was thin, which was completely different from Tan Lihua's big belly.

In most families, the second brother or sister is the most honest and also the one who suffers the most. But this is not the case with Tan Licheng. Tan Licheng is shrewd and mischievous since childhood, like a street urchin in the village.

It was indeed tough. As a child, he was mischievous and often stole chickens and dogs. His father, who was also Tan Jincheng's grandfather, would often hang him up and beat him. He was literally hung from the roof beam and beaten.

His son inherited his personality, and by the age of four or five, even the dogs in the village disliked him.

Tan Jincheng always wanted to laugh whenever he thought of the summer when his five or six-year-old cousin, covered in dirt, with his shorts half-up and half his buttocks exposed, would shout at Tan Lihua barefoot, "Uncle, you good-for-nothing, you stole someone's steamed buns!"

This became a lingering childhood trauma for my cousin, and it is always brought up at family gatherings.

"It's been two years since I've seen you, kid. I heard you've gone into business. You didn't buy this car, did you?" Tan Licheng said, taking the cigarette.

"Well, I guess you could say I bought it. Could you help me move the things out of the trunk? I'm going to offer some cigarettes."

"He just got back and he's already bossing me around, showing no respect whatsoever; and besides, what does 'consider' even mean?"

"The car was purchased in the company's name, so it's not wrong to say I bought it," Tan Jincheng said without turning his head.

Although Tan Licheng seems unreliable, it is precisely this personality that makes him very popular with the younger generation. Tan Jincheng loved following this uncle when he was a child, as he could always find something interesting to do.

Therefore, the two have a very good relationship and are very casual with each other in private.

(End of this chapter)