Chapter 63

As the leaves rustled, Cheng Jemin stood at the entrance of the residential complex, silently gazing at the distant lights of the city. Gu Xixi had gone inside, but her words still echoed in his ears: "Among these lights, I hope one belongs to us."

In a daze, Cheng Jemin seemed to see a warm and cozy home, where Gu Xixi was busy in the kitchen, a little child was playing in the living room, and the aroma of food filled the air, brimming with happiness...

"Hey, young man, what are you doing here?" a stern voice suddenly broke the silence. Cheng Jemin turned around to see an old lady with a red armband looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze, as if she were examining a class enemy.

Cheng Jemin hurriedly replied, "Auntie, I'm here to see a friend off."

"See a friend off? Which building is your friend in, and what's their name? Why haven't you left yet?" The old lady sized him up, her suspicion growing.

Seeing the old lady's strict principles and her suspicion, Cheng Jemin didn't bother to explain. He turned his head one last time to look at that window, and suddenly, a light turned on.

Xixi had returned home, and everything was fine. That was good!

Relieved, Cheng Jemin cheerfully said to the old lady, "Auntie, I'm leaving now."

The old lady couldn't help but shake her head and mumbled, "Young people these days, they're really hard to understand!"

The cold wind blew, and Cheng Jemin walked down the empty street. His pager beeped again.

"Brother Cheng, it's Xiaozhu. Tomorrow, Er Meng and I are going back to our hometown. If you're free, we'd like to invite you for a drink." Looking at the number, Cheng Jemin felt a warm surge in his heart. Although he hadn't known Sun Xiaozhu and the others for long, their simplicity and kindness had touched him deeply. Cheng Jemin suddenly felt the urge to confide in someone.

Ten minutes later, Cheng Jemin appeared at a small restaurant in Minsheng Alley. Without much formality, they all raised their glasses.

After a few rounds of strong liquor, Sun Xiaozhu spoke up first, "Brother Cheng, your idea was really brilliant! I packed the apples in the boxes you designed and sold them wholesale to a few stores. In just half a day, I sold over a thousand boxes! Just now, a big boss even contacted me, planning to buy all the apples from our village, no matter how many, at ten yuan per box!"

Cheng Jemin nodded. He wasn't surprised by the success. The diary had given him insights into the modern market, where people increasingly valued the presentation of gifts during holidays.

The same apples, the same ten pounds, but when packed in a premium box, they looked like high-end products. Carrying them in a flimsy plastic bag just didn't convey the same respect, even though the value was the same.

Seeing Sun Xiaozhu and the others excitedly gesturing, Cheng Jemin smiled and said, "Great! Let's drink to celebrate selling all the apples!"

Cheng Jemin raised his glass, and Sun Er Meng and the others followed suit. The fiery liquor went down their throats, and Sun Er Meng put down his glass, saying, "Brother Cheng, you're a man of great deeds. Compared to you, we're not even worthy to carry your shoes. You've helped us so much without asking for anything in return. I'll say this: if you ever need us, just speak up!"

"Right, Brother Cheng, just give us a call, and we'll be there," Sun Xiaozhu, who was a bit tipsy, added, patting his chest. "Brother Cheng, if you don't come to us when you need help, it means you don't respect us."

The last bit of depression in Cheng Jemin's heart was washed away by the toasts. He raised his glass and smiled, clinking it with Sun Xiaozhu and the others. They drank until he felt dizzy, and he vaguely remembered Sun Xiaozhu inviting him to drink until they were thoroughly drunk during the New Year in Sun's hometown...

Besides this, Cheng Jemin remembered one more thing: his rural support assignment had been confirmed, and it was in Yinfan City, as Feng Changhai had told him.

Compared to Cheng Jemin, Gu Xixi's life wasn't going so well. When she returned home, although her hair was neatly styled, she still felt different from before. To avoid her mother noticing anything unusual, she quietly entered the living room.

The TV was on, and not only was Zuo Xinlan watching, but her father, Gu Chaohui, was there too. Zuo Xinlan's face was cold, and she didn't say a word when she saw Gu Xixi enter.

Gu Chaohui also remained silent. As the Minister of Propaganda in Tianyuan City, he believed he could handle any difficult public affairs with ease, but when it came to his family, his excellent mediation skills seemed useless. His daughter was the softest spot in his heart, but his wife had high hopes for her. These two were the closest people to him, and he instinctively took a neutral stance.

"Stop right there! Have you grown so capable? Where did you go this afternoon? Why are you back so late? Didn't you think to call your parents?" Seeing Gu Xixi about to go upstairs, Zuo Xinlan restrained her anger and called her daughter with as calm a voice as possible.

Gu Chaohui quickly tugged at his wife's sleeve, as Zuo Xinlan's loud and agitated voice could be heard by the maid. He could tell that his daughter was hiding something, and there was a determination in her eyes that he had never seen before.

Gu Xixi turned to look at Zuo Xinlan and said calmly, "I've already graduated from university. I had some things to do, so I didn't go to work. Is that such a big deal?"

"Did you go to see that poor boy again this afternoon?" Zuo Xinlan's hand slapped the table hard.

"Yes, so what?" Gu Xixi met her mother's gaze without flinching. Zuo Xinlan was thoroughly enraged by her daughter's nonchalant attitude. Her hand instinctively raised, as if to slap her daughter, but she lowered it. Her heart ached, and she looked at her daughter, who had always been a source of pride, now so defiant and fearless in challenging her parents' authority.

Seeing a family conflict about to erupt, Gu Chaohui couldn't sit still any longer. He coughed to get Gu Xixi's attention and said, "Xixi, how can you talk to your mother like that? You've always been a good girl. Why are you becoming so unreasonable as you grow up?"

Gu Xixi looked at her father, who was signaling her to be quiet, and bit her lip without saying a word.

"Apologize to your mother! If you promise not to do it again, that's enough, right?" Gu Chaohui saw that his daughter understood his hint and seized the opportunity to defuse the situation.

Gu Xixi hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "Mom, I'm sorry. I was out of line. I'm a bit tired, so I'll go rest."

Zuo Xinlan's face didn't improve with her daughter's apology. Watching her daughter quickly leave, she was still fuming. She angrily said to Gu Chaohui, "Look at your precious daughter. She's grown so bold that she can't even be scolded. What will become of her in the future?"

Gu Chaohui frowned and waved his hand at Zuo Xinlan, "Xixi isn't one of your subordinates. You can't just scold her whenever you want. You know her personality. She may seem shy, but she's more independent than both of us."

"It's all because you've spoiled her!" Zuo Xinlan said angrily.

Gu Chaohui felt a bit indignant. How could his daughter be spoiled by him? In the end, she took after her mother, a younger version of her.

Although he thought this, he didn't dare say it out loud. He just comforted her, "Xixi may be a bit stubborn, but she's not unreasonable. There's no need to shout. We can reason with her."

"Hmph, if you keep being so slow, it'll be too late! I must remind you that if I hadn't insisted, that country boy would have been sitting in our living room today, calling you father-in-law!" Zuo Xinlan said indignantly.

Stung by her words, Gu Chaohui could only laugh bitterly. He knew Zuo Xinlan's character; when things didn't go her way, she lashed out at anyone.

After a moment's hesitation, he calmly advised, "Director, I understand your feelings. I don't want our daughter to suffer either. I think we should handle this situation calmly. Haven't you heard that distance creates beauty? But that's just a lie. Once the distance increases, the beauty disappears."

"Xixi is just starting her career, and her personality isn't set. How many people has she met? She's in love, and if we interfere, she won't listen. It might even backfire! I think we should let her go and let her experience it herself. Maybe they'll break up on their own after a while."

Zuo Xinlan thought for a moment and said, "That's irresponsible! What if they don't break up?"

"Distance will create more barriers, and they will naturally break up," Gu Chaohui said confidently.

"But the rural support program only lasts three years!"

Gu Chaohui chuckled, "Supporting rural development is important. Some excellent officials might even choose to stay in the countryside. If the local government needs people and the Water Resources Department lets them go, where else can that young man go?"

Zuo Xinlan's face finally showed a smile. She playfully punched her husband and whispered, "You're really smart!"

"Of course, even Sun Wukong can't escape from the palm of the Buddha," Gu Chaohui enjoyed his wife's praise, his face beaming with pride.

PS: A new week, calling for more support from all my brothers and sisters!

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