Go back to the past to plant trees

Back in the county town, Feng Cheng put his things back in his dormitory and immediately went to see Yu Zhenglai.

"Director, I'm back. These are the documents you asked me to bring."

"You're back. Did you see the department leaders?"

Feng Cheng shook his head. "No, I just went there to get the documents, and then waited there for a few days. I didn't see anyone, and I was running out of food coupons, so I had to come back."

Yu Zhenglai nodded and said, "It must be that the leaders in the ministry are too busy to see you."

"Now that you're back, get some rest. I've prepared everything you wanted, including the seeds and fertilizer. You can take them back with you when you go back."

"it is good."

After reporting his work to Yu Zheng, Feng Cheng didn't go back to his dormitory immediately. Instead, he went to the motor transport team and asked around. He found out that Xiao Pang wasn't there. He heard that Xiao Pang had gone out to deliver goods and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Feng Cheng told the team leader that he would ask Xiao Pang to arrange for him and the supplies to be taken to the dam the next morning when Xiao Pang returned.

The squad leader of the motor transport team readily agreed, saying that the road to Bashang was difficult to travel, and it would be better to send it up as soon as possible.

After returning home from the motor transport unit, Feng Cheng went to the canteen.

"Uncle Liu, I'm back."

As soon as he entered, Feng Cheng shouted loudly.

"Oh, Feng Cheng is back. Why did you take so long?"

Feng Cheng replied, "The bureau assigned me a task, and I waited in Beijing for a few days. I just got home today."

"Oh, I was wondering why you hadn't come back for so long."

"Don't go out tonight. Go to your Uncle Liu's house for dinner. Your aunt keeps talking about you, wondering if you've gone to the dam again."

"No way, I already promised you, I'll definitely go eat there."

Old Liu said, "You rest for a bit, I'll go back and have your aunt prepare."

As he spoke, Old Liu untied his apron and prepared to walk out.

Feng Cheng quickly stopped him, "Uncle Liu, there's no need to prepare anything, just eat something simple."

“No way, you only come once a year, how can you just come here casually?” Old Liu said, breaking free from Feng Cheng’s hand and walking out.

Seeing this, Feng Cheng could only shake his head and return to his dormitory.

At five o'clock in the evening, Old Liu came looking for Feng Cheng.

"Feng Cheng, come on, let's go home for dinner."

Feng Cheng asked, "Uncle Liu, are you done with the cafeteria work?"

"Hey, there's never a time to finish that work. I've handed it over to my apprentice. If it's not done, come back tomorrow."

"Come on, let's go home with your Uncle Liu for dinner."

"Row."

Feng Cheng followed Old Liu out of the forestry bureau. Old Liu was a local who had bought a house in the county town after the revolution. He was a traditional man and always wanted to buy his own house.

"Feng Cheng is here. It's been a year, and he hasn't even come to see his aunt. Does he not want to see his aunt or what?" As soon as they entered Old Liu's house, Aunt Liu said with some complaint.

Feng Cheng laughed and said, "I've been staying in Bashang all this time, and I'm always in a rush when I come down. I'll definitely come more often in the future, but I'm afraid you won't welcome me, Auntie."

"Welcome, of course you're welcome! I've been hoping you'd come often."

"Please sit down for a moment, the dishes will be ready soon," Aunt Liu said as she went back to the kitchen.

"Uncle Liu, is it just you and Aunt Liu in this house? Where are Jianguo and Jiandang?"

Old Liu has two children, both born during the revolution. The older one is two years older than Feng Cheng, and the younger one is four years younger. Their names are quite unique: Jian Dang (Building the Party) and Jian Guo (Building the Nation). Both of them are married and have children. However, Feng Cheng rarely comes to visit, so he doesn't know what their children's names are. He only knows that they have a total of five children: three boys and two girls.

"They've all taken their wives and children to their in-laws' houses. Jian Dang's mother-in-law is sick, so he needs to go back to see her. Jianguo's in-laws are hosting a banquet, so he's going to attend."

Feng Cheng nodded. "That's really unfortunate. I was just thinking of talking to them."

Feng Cheng and Liu Jianguo and Liu Jiandang were not familiar with each other and rarely met. They would only see each other once or twice a year, and even then, it would be a brief encounter where they would exchange a few words and then part ways.

Old Liu said, "Don't worry about them, it's just the two of us talking."

After a while, Aunt Liu brought out the dishes, wiped her apron and said, "I was in a bit of a rush to prepare today, so there aren't many dishes."

Feng Cheng said, "That's enough, Aunt Liu, this is already very lavish, almost as much as what I ate during Chinese New Year."

"Feng Cheng, come on, let's have a couple of drinks," Old Liu said, taking out a pot of wine and pouring half a bowl for Feng Cheng.

"You should drink less. The doctor has already told you not to drink alcohol because of your health."

Old Liu said, "I'm happy today, so I'll only have two ounces of wine, nothing more."

"Uncle Liu, you should drink less. Your health is important. I'll just have two ounces. Actually, I can't hold my liquor very well."

"Okay, then I'll just have two ounces."

"Feng Cheng, have some meat. There's no meat to eat here in Bashang!"

Aunt Liu added a few pieces of fatty meat to Feng Cheng's bowl.

"Yes, I do. I grow vegetables and raise a few chickens. The bureau also occasionally sends me some meat. It's not much, but I can have meat every now and then."

“It’s good to grow something. As the great man said, ‘Self-reliance leads to abundance.’ There’s so much land in Bashang. Clear out a plot of land and grow whatever you want to eat. Next year you can expand a bit and plant some grass. Auntie will help you get a couple of lambs. You can raise them for a year or two and then you can eat them.”

Feng Cheng was somewhat amused and exasperated. "Auntie, I'm going up there to plant trees, not to farm or herd livestock. It's fine to plant some vegetables for our own consumption, but if we plant too many, the bureau won't approve. Besides, if we plant too many, it will take up a lot of energy to watch over them, and then we won't have time to take care of the saplings."

Old Liu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but say, "Alright, if you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. Raising sheep? Why don't you raise cattle too? Cattle can be used for plowing."

As soon as Old Liu spoke, Aunt Liu's temper flared up as well. "What? You can't? If it's me, I want sheep. Not only will I raise them, I'll raise a whole flock!"

"Alright, alright, raise them if you want, raise them however you want."

Old Liu didn't bother arguing with her. If he said a few more words, the two would definitely start arguing. Normally, they would argue, but with Feng Cheng around, he could only be magnanimous and tolerate it.

"Feng Cheng, there are still a few bottles of wine at home. Take them back with you when you go back. Your Uncle Liu can't drink, so take them to the dam area to drink. It's cold, and drinking some wine can warm you up."

Old Liu forfeited, but Aunt Liu wasn't going to let him off so easily. She took out his last reserves and gave them to Feng Cheng.

When Old Liu heard this, his hand holding the wine glass froze. The doctor had advised him to drink less, but that didn't mean he couldn't drink at all. He was addicted to alcohol, and he couldn't stand not drinking at all.

Feng Cheng looked at the two bickering people and couldn't help but smile. "Auntie, no need for the wine. I still have more than ten catties left in the dam area. My uncle saved it. I went to his house when I went upstairs and brought it all back. It's enough for me to drink for a long time."

“What good wine could your uncle possibly have? Take this back with you, this is the real good wine, it’s the kind that makes you feel good when you drink it.”

Old Liu was a man who cared about his reputation. Although Aunt Liu had put him in a difficult position, he couldn't take back his words in front of outsiders. Besides, this was a gift for Feng Cheng, not for an outsider. If it were for an outsider, that would be a different story.

"Uncle Liu, let's drink. We'll talk about this later," Feng Cheng knew that if he continued talking, Uncle Liu would just take it out and stuff it into his arms. It was better to change the subject and, after drinking, pretend that nothing had happened. He could just walk faster.

However, Feng Cheng's idea was destined to fail. Before he could even get off the table, Aunt Liu brought over the liquor, a total of four bottles of Erguotou.