There were quite a lot of people returning home this time, and they hired ten carriages with sheds. Once you leave Beijing, the roads are not easy to travel on. There have been many wars in recent years, and many roads are not stable. The children were very happy. When going out in Beijing, they mostly take rickshaws or trams, and there are relatively few cars. When going abroad, they mostly take cars. This kind of carriage was the first time for them to ride, and they were very excited. They sat in the car for a while, and then got off the car wearing a big sun hat and walked on the bumpy roads in the countryside. Sister Yun is already a big girl. She doesn't hang out with these younger brothers and sisters. Even if Alice Wei is the leader, she will sing a song from time to time, which is very funny. Seeing the children so happy, the adults couldn't help but smile.
Because we were with the elderly and children, we couldn't travel too fast, so we walked backwards for five or six days.
This time when I went back to my hometown, I only asked distant relatives to help look after the house. Even if I cleaned it in advance, it was still a problem to accommodate these people. After discussion, I decided to live in Li's uncle's house, Uncle Wang's house. Uncle Wang's family couldn't accommodate so many people, but fortunately Li had many uncles, five of them. People in the north all sleep on kangs, so they were divided into four or five families, and finally the accommodation problem was solved.
The Wang family had been looking forward to it for a long time, and when they heard that she had returned, they went out to welcome her. Especially the family of Wang Damei's mother, Wang Ershu's family. Wang Ershu was fine, but the second aunt held her daughter's hand and couldn't let go. She quickly greeted her in-laws and talked to them, and went to Wangjia Village in a lively manner.
Uncle Wang was the eldest brother, so he went to Uncle Wang's house first. Uncle Wang was also in his sixties, with short gray hair, dark complexion, and very clear speech. He was still very straightforward. He was not unhappy to see his niece (Li) and her family. In addition, the eldest niece (Wang Damei) also came back this time. In fact, I can see my niece every year, but I haven't seen her for more than ten years since she went abroad with the second branch of the Wei family.
Now, Wang Damei has really grown up. Although she has not made much progress in culture, she has gained a lot of knowledge by following the Wei family overseas. She has a round face and bright eyes. Unlike the dark skin of the villagers, Wang Damei is not white, but a delicate wheat color. This is mainly due to her foundation. Chen Xuan is not the kind of person who is born white and will turn dark after being exposed to the sun. For example, the Wei family is the kind that will not turn dark even if exposed to the sun. However, the case of the Wei family is a special case and cannot be generalized. In short, Wang Damei has really grown up after not seeing her for these years. She wore a rose-red floral dress with beige leather sandals, a gold necklace around her neck, simple short hair, curved eyebrows, and a mouthful of white teeth when she smiled. Anyway, that kind of spirit is no different from that of the city people.
The second aunt didn't even have to ask if her daughter was okay. As soon as they met, she held her daughter's hand. Her palm was as soft as a little girl's, and it was obvious that she had never suffered hardship. The Wang family had already made preparations for so many people to come at once. The five aunts were busy with the work. The women of the Wei family were also tactful. Except for those who were inseparable from taking care of the children, they all followed suit to share the tea and water, so that they didn't have to take care of everyone.
When they met, they would first exchange pleasantries, such as how was the journey, when did you get back, and sit down to rest. It was so lively that there was not enough space for all the people in one room. So, the men talked in one room and the women talked in another. As for the children, the Wang family also had many children, so they could play together. The younger ones who needed their mothers to hold them would stay with their mothers. The eldest aunt brought a lot of apples and pears for everyone to eat, and said with a smile, "I received a telegram a few days ago, and I have been looking forward to my in-laws coming to taste our fruits. There was not enough rain this year, so the fruits grew small, but they were very sweet." She personally handed them to Mrs. Wei and Chen Xuan to eat. This was a courtesy at that time. Because Li was the niece of the Wang family, she was not considered an outsider, so Chen Xuan, the brother-in-law, had to be given first.
Chen Xuan took the apple and asked, "Aunt, how is the harvest in the field?"
The eldest aunt asked the Wei family to sit on the kang, and she and a few sisters-in-law sat on a long bench. She said, "It's not bad. Although there is little rain, it doesn't mean there is no rain. In our area, you say that there are few good weather and good harvests, but there has never been a severe drought or flood, so there is always food to eat."
Old Madam Wei nodded. "That's right. It's a little poorer than the rich places, but better than those really poor places."
Second Aunt laughed, "That's exactly what the old lady said."
Everyone drank tea and ate fruit, and recognized their relatives on a large scale. The Wang family had five brothers, and the youngest uncle Wang Wu was also a grandfather, so you can imagine how many people there were. The Wei family was not much behind, so both families had a large population. Even so, there were still some who had not come. Except for Uncle Wang, some children from the other four uncles had not come. The eldest aunt had just sent a little grandson to deliver a message, and they would be here soon.
The eldest daughter-in-law of my aunt's family asked Mrs. Wei to take off her shoes and lie down on the kang with her back against the pile of quilts. Mrs. Wei was embarrassed, so Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Sibao wants to play on the kang. Mom, you can stay on the kang and watch over Sibao."
Old Mrs. Wei reluctantly took off her shoes and leaned on the kang. She was old and it was hard to walk. Although there were quilts in the cart, it was summer and it was hot with the quilts, and it was shaky without them. So, she was tired. Now she sat on the kang and drank some cold tea made with honeysuckle water. She felt very comfortable. Old Mrs. Wei said, "This tea is not bad."
My aunt smiled and said, "A few years ago, our head of the family followed Mr. Shao to Guangdong. People there often drink this kind of herbal tea, which contains honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and licorice. It is said to prevent heatstroke and is best drunk in summer."
Wei Nian and his family went abroad to study. Now that they are back, the Wang family can't help but ask about their studies. This really triggered Mrs. Wei's pride. Mrs. Wei is a very honest person. Because her family made their fortune in business, she has always valued business and money. But since she opened her eyes overseas, she also knows that being educated is a very glorious thing. So here it comes. Both her son and daughter-in-law have doctors, and her daughter has a master's degree, all of which are first-class diplomas from famous universities.
The women in the Wang family didn't quite understand these PhD and Master's degrees, so Old Lady Wei explained it again, "They are just people who can be teachers to college students."
What she said was really a big deal.
My aunt exclaimed repeatedly, "That's just like the old Jinshi masters."
My second aunt also said, "Sister-in-law, this is different from being a Jinshi. People now call those who study abroad foreign Jinshi. Oh, this is such an honor."
Old Mrs. Wei waved her hand and said modestly, "It's not bad." She added, "My elder sister and I were not idle abroad. We both passed the driving test and can speak foreign languages."
The women of the Wang family were even more shocked when they heard this, especially when they looked at Wang Damei, who was embarrassed. The third aunt's eyes widened and she said, "I've only seen cars at temple fairs in the county. Damei, you can drive one."
When Wang Damei returned home, she helped the elders with the tea-making business. When she saw Aunt San asking, she smiled and said, "I learned it on the spot. I didn't know it before."
"Oh my, this is incredible." Third Aunt said bluntly, "I heard that car is very expensive, it usually costs several thousand dollars."
The eldest sister said, "It's not that expensive abroad. This is also because I usually go to the market to buy vegetables, so I learned to drive for convenience."
When Wang Damei said this, the whole family was even more surprised. My fourth aunt also said, "Oh my God, you have to drive to buy vegetables!" In the village, people usually grow their own vegetables, and if they go to the market to buy something, they always walk there. Oh my God, you actually have to drive to buy vegetables! Oh my God! It's a strange thing that I have never heard of!
Old Mrs. Wei answered this strange question. She said, "It's different in foreign countries. It's not popular to grow vegetables at home, and the market is far away. There are a lot of families with cars in the country, and basically every family has several cars. Where we live, the bus is not very convenient. After my eldest sister got her driving license, I bought her a car."
Oh my!
This is even more outrageous!
It is already an incredible skill for Wang Damei to just learn how to drive, but now the Wei family has actually bought her a car!
This is simply unthinkable!
Old Mrs. Wei felt that it was not good to show off wealth like this. In fact, it was not really showing off wealth. She was just telling the truth. Old Mrs. Wei then added, "It's not a new car, it's a second-hand car. At that time, our family was not well-off, so we all drove second-hand cars."
Second aunt, Wang Damei's biological mother, said quickly, "A used car is good enough. Hey, this girl went there to help with housework, how could she ask her in-laws to spend money to buy her a car."
"It's not expensive, it's not expensive. What's the point of spending money? My eldest sister is very sensible and hardworking. You see, when we first arrived abroad, we were unfamiliar with the place. Every day, my elder sister, Anian, Xuan and Yin went to school, and the little girl had to go to kindergarten. It was just me and my eldest sister at home. Fortunately, she was with me. We discussed everything together." Old Mrs. Wei smiled. In the years that Wang Damei has been in the Wei family, no one actually treated her as a servant. They are relatives, and the feelings between people are formed through getting along with each other. Old Mrs. Wei saw that Wang Damei was also very happy, and smiled, "Now my eldest sister and our little girl have opened a restaurant abroad. My eldest sister owns 30% of the shares, and the business is very good. This time she is going back to China, and they want to take advantage of the holiday to redecorate the restaurant and reopen it when she returns."
The old lady's words made the Wang family extremely grateful, especially the second aunt. She didn't know what to say for a moment, her eyes were red from holding it back, and she held her daughter's hand and started talking, "My daughter had a hard time a few years ago, but then she came to my in-laws' home in Beijing, and everything went very smoothly. Now she has developed such great abilities after going abroad, how can I explain this? In-laws, you are my benefactor. How could I have imagined this, not even in my dreams."
Old Mrs. Wei smiled and said, "This is all as it should be. Her second aunt, please don't be like this. Didn't you just say that we are relatives, so don't say such unorthodox things. This is the fate of our eldest sister. This is her fate."
The third aunt also asked, "Mother-in-law, does your family still need help now? We have many hardworking and honest girls in our family."
Old Mrs. Wei thought for a moment and said, "Now I have a foreigner employed at home, but I always feel that he is not as clear as our own people in speaking. I have something to say in advance, that is, the housework is not easy."
The third aunt laughed, "Can it be more tiring than farming? Don't worry, we country girls are all strong-willed. If they can go out with you, firstly they can gain some experience, and secondly we, as the elders, also hope that they can have a bright future. It would be great if someone like our eldest sister could have half the success she has. If I didn't have a family to support, I would also like to go and see the world where there are cars everywhere." Everyone laughed.
In fact, the Wang family is definitely a well-off family in the village. The brothers are all hardworking and diligent. The family has a lot of land and now they all live in blue brick and tile houses. However, in this world, parents hope their children will succeed in the same way, just like when the eldest sister went to work for the Wei family. The eldest sister had a hard life. When she was young, she married two men who both died. She went to Beijing and changed her environment. Now she has such good fortune again. The Wang family is very happy. If there is another opportunity to go out, no matter whether it is a girl or a boy, the family is looking forward to it. What's there to be afraid of going out to work? The Wei family is not an outsider. They are sincere relatives. Will they not work at home? They still have to go to the fields to farm!
Being able to have this opportunity to go out is really a blessing from the Wei family.
Mrs. Wei had another plan in mind. She was thinking that if her eldest sister followed the little girl to run the restaurant business, she would not be able to take care of the family. Otherwise, she could not hire a foreigner to work at home. But Mrs. Wei could not get along well with foreigners. Moreover, there were many children in the family, especially those who were still young, so Mrs. Wei wanted to use someone who knew her well.
Chen Xuan listened to what Old Lady Wei said and did not object, but she quietly told Brother Nian about it at night. Wei Nian thought for a while and said softly, "Since Mom agreed, then I will agree. Foreigners are not very reliable. Last time, I couldn't find my watch. This didn't happen when my eldest sister was at home. Although the boat ticket is more expensive, as long as he is a reliable person, it is worth it."
Chen Xuan thought to herself, this makes sense, she just has to tell Brother Anian so that he knows.
The sacrifice to the old man went smoothly. The Wei family came back with their whole family. The Wang family also bought some incense, candles and paper money. The Wei family also bought a lot. In fact, the Wang family wanted to buy it for them, but there were no relatives to buy it for them, so the Wei family had to buy it themselves. Wei Nian also went to the county to invite a few monks to come and chant for the old man. After the sacrifice to the old man Wei, Wei Nian told his family and took his family alone, as well as the monks who chanted, and filled two cars with people to go to Chenjia Village to sacrifice to his father-in-law.
The sensation caused by Chen Xuan's return to Chenjia Village was much greater than when the Wei family went to Uncle Wang's house.
The author has something to say: ps: Axuan is going back to the village, good night~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and wish you a happy holiday~~~~~~~~~~~~