1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

The filming of the Tai Chi drama has officially entered the stage of location shooting. Cheng Xuemin and his group left Beijing in three separate groups!
The first group consisted of the Yuan brothers from Hong Kong. They originally planned to travel south along the Beijing-Jiangxi Railway, passing through Jiujiang and Lushan, then continuing south to Ganzhou, Guangzhou, and finally back to Hong Kong.

However, Cheng Xuemin was worried that the Yuan brothers might continue to brainwash and entice Li Lianjie on the train, and then elope with her, which would cause a lot of trouble. So he arranged for them to leave a few days earlier.

The second group was the entire crew, led by director Huang Jianzhong, along with Zhu Lin, Li Lianjie, Liu Xiaoli, Ji Chunhua, and others, who headed south directly to Chenjiagou in Ruichang County, Jiujiang.

Cheng Xuemin was in the third group. After seeing them all off on the train, he took his mother, Qin Guilan, and went back to his hometown.

Before!

Cheng Xuemin and Feng Jiayou did indeed consider having his mother help take care of the child in Yanjing, and then bringing his father over as well.

But Cheng's parents were not yet old enough to enjoy their retirement, and they were reluctant to leave their homeland.

So I called Cheng Xuemin's father several times to come to Yanjing, but his father always made excuses that he was too busy with the team and couldn't come.

No one knows a father better than his son. Cheng Xuemin knew it was his own father, an old farmer who was reluctant to leave his hometown and didn't really want to come to Yanjing.

His mother, on the other hand, was worried about her husband at home. Although she didn't say it outright, her thoughts were clear to both Cheng Xuemin, her son, and Feng Jiayou, her daughter-in-law.

So the couple decided to send his mother back to her hometown.

Anyway, my maternal grandparents are still at home helping to take care of the little squirrel, and my older sister Cheng Wenxiu also takes the initiative to take care of my nephew whenever she has free time, so there is no shortage of people to take care of him.

"Did you know we were going to the county today?"

"Xuemin, do you think the little squirrel will miss me? Without me by his side to take care of him... Do you think I, as his grandmother, am being too heartless?"

As they approached their hometown, Cheng Xuemin's mother, Qin Guilan, said with a worried expression, "After two days of train travel and two long-distance bus transfers, we are finally almost in the county."

But when she thought of her grandson in Yanjing, who was not even six months old, she couldn't bear to part with him and felt extremely guilty.

I really want to bring my grandson back and raise him in our old home in the countryside.

But how could the son and daughter-in-law bear to part with him?

"Mom! The little squirrel is still so small, what could he possibly want or not want!" Cheng Xuemin patted his mother's hand and comforted her. "If you can't bear to part with him, Mom, we can wait until Dad finishes this autumn harvest, and then Dad will take you to Yanjing for the New Year!"

Now that his family has the means, his parents could easily take advantage of the off-season to make several trips to Beijing to see their grandson.

"We still need to go home for the New Year. Didn't you say that you and Jiayou would bring the little squirrel back for the New Year?" Cheng's mother asked again to confirm.

She was never sure about it, worried that her daughter-in-law, Feng Jiayou, would find it troublesome and not go back this year.

Last year, because I was pregnant with my baby, I couldn't travel long distances and didn't go back home. But if I don't go back for the New Year this year, people in the village and team will gossip about me behind my back.

"Yes, yes! Mom, don't worry, Jiayou will definitely come back for the New Year this year! Didn't you confirm with her several times before she boarded the train?"

"Don't worry, she said she'd definitely go back for the New Year, so she definitely will!"

Cheng Xuemin could only reiterate and reassure her that it was already planned to go home together for the New Year, and that it was only because she was worried about her husband at home that she wanted to come back early.

Now that you're back, you're worried that your daughter-in-law in Yanjing might change her mind, right?
Will not!
Unless there are any unforeseen changes, which Cheng Xuemin himself isn't entirely sure about, since he's no longer the country bumpkin he was last year.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, there may be any instructions from above at any time; it's hard to say.

"Hey! Mom, you were just saying whether Dad would come to pick us up. Isn't Dad waiting at the station?"

As the bus pulled into the county's long-distance bus station, Cheng Xuemin saw his father, Cheng Youben, standing at the front, looking in their direction from afar.

Seeing the bus pull into the station, he quickly put away his pipe and greeted the people around him.

"Where? Where?" Qin Guilan heard her son say that, and following the direction he pointed, she saw her husband. Overjoyed, she quickly stuck her head out of the car window and shouted, "Hey, hey, over here!"

Not only did Dad come!

Cheng Xuemin even saw that his uncle had come too!
Besides his uncle, there were actually many other people. At first, Cheng Xuemin thought they were all waiting to pick up people, since the bus came from the region and was packed with passengers.

But when they saw his father and he waved over, they all followed his father and walked over here.

Soon, Cheng Xuemin found out who those people were.

"dad!"

Cheng Xuemin helped his mother squeeze off the car, first calling out to his father, waiting for his father to explain what was going on.

Although Cheng Xuemin recognized those people, he didn't want to rush up and greet them, in case they weren't there to pick him up!

"came back!"

"Hurry up and go say hello to Secretary Cao and the others. The county leaders heard you were coming back today and have been waiting for you at the station for over three hours!"

Cheng Youben didn't have time to say more than a few words to his eldest son, but quickly explained the situation.

So they really came to welcome me?

And you've been waiting at the station for more than three hours? That means you've been waiting here for about an hour before the bus arrives.

Cheng Xuemin was flattered and hurried over to greet them. He had already heard people from the county asking the bus driver what was going on, why it was more than two hours late today.

The bus driver had never seen such a scene before and was so frightened that he could barely speak. It was the female ticket seller next to him who explained in a sharp tone that the bus had broken down on the road and it took more than two hours to repair before it was delayed.

"Comrade Xuemin, welcome home!"

Upon seeing Cheng Xuemin approaching, the county leaders didn't hold back and quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Secretary Cao, hello, hello! I really didn't expect that my return would cause such a great disturbance as to have you, such a high-ranking leader, waiting for me at the station. I'm so sorry for being so impolite!"

Cheng Xuemin stepped forward to greet him, shook hands with him politely, and said...

"No, no, we only heard about it today. Comrade Xuemin, your trip home to visit relatives today was indeed a bit rushed, and the county didn't have time to make any preparations!"

"I'm truly sorry for my negligence, Comrade Xuemin!"

As he spoke, the county secretary gave a signal, and four lion dance teams suddenly appeared from some corner and began to perform a lion dance in the station square.

Immediately afterward, people began making arrangements, and banners were put up that read, "Warmly welcome Comrade Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer of reform and opening up, back to his hometown to visit his family!"

"A warm welcome to Comrade Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer of reform and opening up, for his guidance!"

Moreover, it wasn't just these two banners; Cheng Xuemin glanced at them and found several more, all expressing a warm welcome.

Cheng Xuemin's mother was completely bewildered. Why was they suddenly performing a lion dance? It wasn't a holiday or festival.

Other passengers who had just gotten off the train and hadn't gone far, as well as those who had come to pick up relatives and friends, stopped and paused when they saw the commotion. It quickly attracted a lot of people outside the station, who all gathered around to watch the excitement.

"Secretary Cao, this is too much! Such a grand gesture from you is overwhelming... I'm too apprehensive to accept!"

The county leaders had been waiting at the station for more than three hours, which made Cheng Xuemin feel increasingly impatient.

But now there are banners, lion dances, and firecrackers, making it even more lively than the Lunar New Year. Isn't this a bit too much?

He's not some high-ranking leader; even regional leaders wouldn't make such a big show of things.

"Comrade Xuemin, you are too modest!" "You are an accomplished intellectual who came from our county, and you are also a pioneer of reform and opening up personally selected by the higher authorities. This time, your book, 'Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain,' has received high attention from the higher authorities, who have called on all local units to carefully study and read it to understand its guiding spirit!"

"Now that Comrade Xuemin has returned to his hometown to visit relatives, why don't you come to our county for a visit and give us some guidance in person!"

Secretary Cao, don't get too excited. This is a promising young man who can reach the highest levels of government. His novel, "Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain," was published in the People's Daily and on the evening news, calling on the whole country to read it.

Now that people are returning to their hometowns to visit relatives, they will definitely be invited to their county to provide guidance on their work.

Moreover, Secretary Cao was filled with regret. He hadn't paid enough attention to this promising young man before, wasting the advantage of being a local official with such close proximity.

However, it's not too late to remedy the situation now.

"Yes, yes, Comrade Xuemin, look, every one of us has a copy of your book, 'Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain,' and we've all been reading and studying it diligently!"

"Really, Comrade Xuemin, your novel 'Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain' is so well written, it perfectly captures our journey south to fight against the Vietnamese..."

The sounds of lion dances and firecrackers continued, and county leaders were practically shouting as they spoke to Cheng Xuemin, expressing their excitement and warm welcome.

Cheng Xuemin echoed the call, being polite to the county leaders.

After the firecrackers had been going on for more than twenty minutes, they finally stopped. The entire station was shrouded in the smoke of the firecrackers, but not many people coughed.

It was like Chinese New Year; everyone was caught up in the festive atmosphere and enjoyed the smell of firecrackers.

To be honest, Cheng Xuemin himself does quite like the smell.

After the brief yet solemn welcoming ceremony concluded, Secretary Cao and his colleagues warmly invited Cheng Xuemin to visit the office for guidance.

However, the bus broke down on the road, causing a delay of more than two hours, and it was already getting dark.

Cheng Xuemin politely declined their repeated invitations, promising that he would definitely come to the county for a visit another day when he had time, but that it was far from him to provide guidance on the work.

He was just an unofficial employee earning a level 16 salary. This was only because he was seconded to Yan Film Studio to take charge of the "Tai Chi" project, and Yan Film Studio gave him a high-level position and promoted him.

Originally, Cheng Xuemin was receiving the salary and benefits of a 17th-grade student at Yenching University.

How can someone who is not part of the official staff provide guidance to county leaders?

Ok!

That being said, if we consider rank and benefits regardless of position, Cheng Xuemin's level sixteen might be the same as Secretary Cao's!

It might even be one level higher!
According to the current rank and treatment system, Secretary Cao would be either at level 16 or level 17. However, their county is considered a poverty-stricken county and is not under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, so he would generally receive level 17 rank and treatment.

If you calculate it this way, then among all the comrades standing together, Cheng Xuemin might actually be the highest in terms of rank and treatment.

Perhaps they really felt it was too late. The county officials tried to persuade him to stay several times, but seeing that Cheng Xuemin insisted on not having dinner in the county, they could only agree to reschedule for another day.

They personally sent a car to take Cheng Xuemin and his family home, and arranged for a car to pick them up when they came to the county town.

It's like having a private car service, which is pretty good!

"Dad, Uncle, what's going on? Why did even Secretary Cao and the others get involved?" Sitting in Secretary Cao's car on the way home, Cheng Xuemin asked his father in confusion.

"Xuemin, I mentioned it to Secretary Wang of the commune, but I didn't expect Secretary Wang to call the county right away!" The uncle, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, quickly turned around and explained to his nephew.

"Oh, right, Secretary Wang from the commune also came to pick you up, Xuemin. He greeted you just now!" Uncle added.

Actually, when Secretary Cao sent the car to take them, Secretary Wang of the commune wanted to sit in the uncle's seat, but since Old Qin was their maternal uncle, and the whole family was together, it wasn't appropriate for an outsider like him to squeeze in.

Fortunately, there was still a tractor to ride in.

Today, the commune learned that Cheng Xuemin was coming back, so they mobilized the commune's only tractor to pick him up.

Unfortunately, the county sent a car; the tractor was far too low-class.

"Oh, I see!"

Cheng Xuemin nodded. He should have expected this situation, after all, it was on the evening news and the People's Daily had it featured on its front page, showing how much importance the higher authorities attached to it.

When the instructions were relayed to the local areas, especially Cheng Xuemin's hometown, could the county just sit idly by and not take it seriously?
This is why my uncle only told Secretary Wang of the commune today; otherwise, the county, which received the news a few days in advance, would have made it an even bigger spectacle.

It might even alarm the local authorities, prompting them to send people over.

"And another thing, Xuemin, I heard Xiaolian talking to your mother on the phone that you now have a chauffeur-driven car, just like Secretary Cao?"

Because Secretary Cao from the county sent a special car to take him back, it reminded his uncle that his daughter, who had previously attended Yenching University, had called his younger sister to say that his nephew was now quite something, having become a high-ranking official and being provided with a high-end, impressive car by the government.

When the news first came back, my uncle couldn't believe it no matter what.

That's a private car, a sedan!

They only had one car in the entire county, which was in the government offices, but his eldest nephew in Beijing got one.
My nephew is so young. He has no age or experience. He's just bragging.
Anyway, I can't believe it no matter what I say. When I mentioned it to Lao Yao and the others, they all said that my nephew has indeed made something of himself in Yanjing, but to say that he has made something of himself that the government provides him with a car, isn't that going too far?

Do you really think they're country bumpkins who've never been to Beijing and are easy to fool?
As Secretary Wang of the commune said, the state has a strict system for allocating vehicles. If your rank and benefits don't meet the requirements, you can't possibly be allocated a car, no matter how much you boast.

Anyway, there's only one car in their county. Can your nephew's current rank be higher than Secretary Cao's in the county?

Hearing Director Yao and Secretary Wang's rebuttal, it became clear that Uncle had indeed gone too far with his boasting.

But he also knows who his sister is and whether his son has a car. How could he let such a huge thing spread back home?
And he said it more than once or twice, so my uncle somewhat believed him, but unfortunately no one in the commune believed him.

Now that my nephew has finally returned, I definitely need to confirm it as soon as possible.

Hearing his uncle's sudden mention, Cheng's father, Cheng Youben, perked up and chimed in, "Yes, Xuemin, when your uncle told the people in the commune before, not a single one of them believed him!"

"They say that the government providing cars means you're at a very high level, like a big leader, right, young comrade?" He then asked the young driver in front, who was from the county government and would surely know all about these things.

Mr. Cheng had indeed asked the right person. The young driver nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, uncle. According to the national vehicle allocation standards, people at Secretary Cao's level in most places are entitled to a vehicle!"

"What is Secretary Cao's rank and benefits?" my uncle asked from the side.

"Secretary Cao is level seventeen!" The young driver's answer cleared up Cheng Xuemin's doubts. Sure enough, in the entire county, he was currently the one with the highest rank and benefits.

"Level 17? That's really high. I'm only level 24!" The uncle was surprised when he heard this, and his next sentence seemed to have a hidden meaning.

"Uncle, I haven't congratulated you yet. I should call you Director Qin now, right?"

Cheng Xuemin, of course, understood the implications of his uncle's actions and quickly followed up with a congratulatory message, saying that he had heard from his mother that his uncle had been promoted to deputy director of the commune's agricultural machinery office.

"Deputy, deputy, a mere petty official, you can't compare to Xuemin!" This was exactly the reaction the uncle wanted from his eldest nephew, and his face was beaming with joy.

"Well, I think that's about right. I remember Xuemin, are you level 18 or 17?" The father next to him was still agonizing over whether his son had a car or not. When he heard that Secretary Cao was only level 17, he thought that his son was just right too.

"Level 16, I just leveled up again!"

Cheng Xuemin casually replied to his father again.

……

Please vote with monthly tickets! (End of this chapter)