Chen Xuan had never returned to Chenjia Village since she got married at the age of 18. Now she was 36 years old and had two sons and two daughters. If she came back at this time, it could be said that she had returned home in glory. However, Chen Xuan really had no intention of returning home in glory. She was not the kind of person who would return home to show off after making money. If possible, she would rather not come back.
Wei Nian had made arrangements in advance. The Chen family was a large family in Chenjia Village. Although there were no prominent members, the Chen family accounted for the majority of the village. With Uncle Wang accompanying them, they first went to the home of the village chief of Chenjia Village. This was also a relative of Chen Xuan, so he should be called Uncle Wu.
Ten years ago, the Wei family returned to their hometown, Hejiazhuang, to bury the old man. At that time, a large banquet was held, and villagers from Chenjia Village also went to watch. Later, Wei Nian also paid for the construction of a primary school in the village in the name of Chen Xuan. At that time, everyone knew that A Xuan, who married into the city, was now rich. Following the old Wei family, she enjoyed great fortune.
Now that Chen Xuan is back, everyone who heard the news comes to see her.
Compared to her youth in the village, Chen Xuan has changed drastically. If it weren't for Uncle Wang, no one would have dared to recognize her when she introduced herself. The silent, taciturn, dark, and clumsy country girl has become so... indescribable.
Yes, Chen Xuan has changed not only in temperament, but also in appearance. She has been working since she was young, and she is not like the Wei family who are naturally fair-skinned. She has been tanned since she was young. In addition, she is strong from doing farm work, so she is naturally not good-looking. She worked for eighteen years, and then studied for eighteen years. After drinking and eating, she became the Chen Xuan of today.
Influenced by Wei Nian, Chen Xuan is now quite good at dealing with people. Even though she doesn't have deep feelings for the village, she greets the village head and his wife with a smile. Aunt Wu can't recognize her. She looks at Chen Xuan for a long time before saying, "Oh, Xuan'er, I really can't recognize you."
Chen Xuan smiled, "I was only eighteen when I got married, and now I'm in my thirties, but my aunt is still the same."
The fifth aunt shook her head, "How can it be the same as before? It's true that I've aged." She hurriedly let them sit down and asked her daughter-in-law to pour water. Chen Xuan said, "Aunt, please stop being busy. How can I feel comfortable asking you to be so busy right after we arrived?"
"I am happy." Fifth Aunt smiled. Actually, Chen Xuan used to have a bad temper and didn't have much friendship with the villagers. But since Wei Nian went back to her hometown, everyone knew that Chen Xuan was now living a good life as a young lady. Besides, they were from the same clan after all. If Chen Xuan lived well, except for Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen, everyone else would say that Chen Xuan was blessed and would be willing to interact with her. Fifth Aunt sent her grandson to find the head of the family. Chen Xuan said, "No need to call me Uncle Wu. I'll just chat with you."
"Let him come back. Big brother Wang came over a few days ago and said that you have returned from overseas, and your fifth uncle has been looking forward to your coming." Fifth aunt said, taking out a pack of cigarettes that are only available in the city from the cupboard to treat big uncle Wang to smoke. Wei Xin gave the gifts she brought to fifth aunt and said, "Fifth grandma, this is what my mother brought back for you. This is American candy, this is old Beijing snacks, and this is fabric for making clothes for you." The child is eloquent, a hundred times better than her mother.
The fifth aunt smiled even more brightly, saying, "Why bring all these things? I'm happy that you're back."
Chen Xuan's mood had calmed down by now. She took the gift and put it in Auntie Wu's hand, saying earnestly, "Auntie Wu, please keep it. I was picking grass for pigs late before, and you gave me some cakes when I passed by your door. Every time I think of you, I can't forget you." Auntie Wu felt uncomfortable, thinking that Chen Xuan had a hard time when she was a child, and now that her life is better, she still hasn't forgotten her kindness. Auntie Wu took the gift and asked her daughter-in-law to keep it. She said to Chen Xuan, "We are a family, so it's only natural."
Talking about the past, Chen Xuan explained the generation of Fifth Aunt to the four children and asked them to call Fifth Grandma. Fifth Aunt had many children, most of whom Chen Xuan didn't know. Now that they came over, some called her sister and some called her aunt. Chen Xuan was very happy and patiently asked their names. She also asked Fifth Aunt, "Are there any students who are studying?"
"Yes, the school in the old scholar's home at the east end of our village is still open. It has now been changed into a primary school. The teachers are the old scholar's sons, who teach the children to recognize words. My two grandsons have gone to learn to recognize words, and they are also taught arithmetic. At least they will know arithmetic in the future." Aunt Wu asked with a smile, "Xuan'er, I heard that you and your uncle went overseas. What did you do?"
"She went to school." Chen Xuan patted Wei Xin's hand, "My eldest daughter is also in high school."
Wei Xin immediately boasted, "I'll be taking the college entrance exam in two years."
The fifth aunt was shocked and said, "There is only a junior high school in our county. If you want to go to high school, you have to go to Baoding Prefecture. Oh, our daughter is really promising!"
Wei Xin simply inherited Mrs. Wei's love of showing off. She imitated her grandmother's humbleness when she wanted to show off, "Fifth Grandma, this is nothing. My father and mother are both doctors now. Do you know what a doctor is? It's a foreign scholar. My mother is doing research in university now."
Fifth Auntie really didn't know what a doctorate was, but she knew what a Jinshi was. She couldn't believe it and kept saying, "Xuan'er, you are really going to be great. Your husband is also really capable. When you married to Beijing, I said you were lucky to marry into such a good family and your husband is a good person. There is nothing worse."
Wei Nian smiled, "You're too kind."
At one point, the village chief, Uncle Wu, came home and there was another lively greeting.
Chen Xuan came back this time to visit her father's grave. According to Chen Xuan's idea, since they invited a master, they would have to perform a ritual. This was what Wei Nian discussed with Uncle Chen Wu. Wei Nian said, "Since I got married to Xuan'er, there have been constant problems. It's either a coincidence here or there. I haven't visited my father-in-law's grave in these years. The last time I went back to my hometown, she was supposed to come back with me, but she happened to be pregnant with my second child, so she couldn't come back. I visited my father-in-law's grave last time. We went back to China a few days ago and decided that we must go back to our hometown to burn some paper money for my father-in-law. The monk was invited from the county, and I have to trouble Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu at noon."
Uncle Chen Wu smiled, "That's as it should be. I won't be happy if you don't bother me when you return to your hometown."
Wei Nian said to his fifth aunt, "Aunt, I made an appointment with the county restaurant yesterday. I ordered two fat pigs, a cart of vegetables, and 500 kilograms of steamed buns. When they come, you can choose which courtyard has a more convenient stove and go there. Last time, we only met a few elders. Today, we have to invite all the elders to come. It is also a way for Xuan'er and I to show our filial piety."
Aunt Wu smiled and said, "Hey, there's plenty of space in my yard. If you want to order something from the county, I'll prepare it all."
Wei Nian smiled and said, "Xuan'er and I are filial and want Aunt to enjoy it. How can we ask you to worry about it?"
Wei Nian was handsome, and he had broadened his horizons over the years, and was well-read. He had a great demeanor and style. When he spoke to Auntie Wu with a smile, Auntie Wu felt that she was so happy that she couldn't stop loving him. Moreover, he was so good at talking, and his words made people feel comfortable. No matter what she said, Auntie Wu agreed to it. She also asked the sons to follow the head of the family to go to the grave with Chen Xuan and his wife to chant sutras and burn paper for Chen's father.
There is another lively event at the grave.
Chen Laoer and his wife had come to the grave to cry for their elder brother who died early. Chen Xuan was most surprised by this couple, who had even had evil intentions to collude with bandits to harm her brother Anian. When a good person like Chen Xuan saw the couple, her eyes were full of anger. Fortunately, there were many people in the Chen family, and many of them followed the village chief Chen. Several young men came forward and carried the couple away.
Chen Xuan moved away the things that Chen Laoer and his wife had brought, and took her husband and children to burn paper for her father. Her father had passed away when she was still young. She had no impression of her father, but people always have a history. Besides, a person may have several children in this life, but they only have biological parents. Although Chen Xuan had no impression, she would always piece together the image of a kind and gentle male elder in her mind when she occasionally heard people talk about her father.
When she was a girl, the village did not allow unmarried girls to visit the graves. Sometimes when Chen Xuan was having a hard time, she would secretly visit the graves, weed her father's grave, and talk to him in front of the grave, asking him to bless her.
Thinking of the past years, Chen Xuan couldn't help but burst into tears.
Wei Xin patted her mother's back and advised her, "Mom, don't be sad. Grandpa will definitely be very happy to see us."
"Yes, Mom." Wei Yu also said.
Wei Hong looked at his mother worriedly. Sibaoer was still young and didn't understand much. When he saw his mother crying, he also cried out "wow" and started to cry at the top of his voice.
In fact, many people in Chenjia Village envied Chen's father. They thought that although Chen's father passed away early and had no sons, his daughter was so promising and married into a good family, which was more useful than ten sons. He bought a basket of paper ingots, two money trees, and a boy and girl, a tall house and a large courtyard. Chen Xuan gave her father everything. There was also a group of monks chanting sutras. This area was full of Chen's tombs. No old man had such good fortune after death.
For a time, Chen's father's small grave became the object of envy of many people.
After burning paper money and chanting sutras, it was already noon. Although Chen Xuan wanted to sit on the grave for a while longer, she was worried about the children, so she followed Anian and the tribesmen back to the village chief's house. The village chief's family was already busy at this time. The fat pigs sent by the county restaurant were freshly slaughtered and the pig-killing dishes were made. There were chefs from the county cooking, and many women from the tribe also came to help spontaneously. The bowls, chopsticks, tables and chairs were also prepared. To be honest, the weather was a bit hot, but no one minded it. It was not the autumn harvest yet. Although every family had a lot of vegetables to eat, they were grown in their fields. If it came to meat, not every family would be willing to eat meat. Now Chen Xuan had a big banquet at the village chief's house, and there were so many white steamed buns, and all the villagers came to eat.
This meal was a real delight.
Of course, the Chen family is the most proud.
You know, Chen Xuan’s surname is Chen.
Now that Chen Xuan has become successful, countless relatives and clansmen come to talk to her and greet her. Almost everyone can tell one or two things that happened to Chen Xuan when she was a child, and everyone is as close as a family. In fact, many people talked about things that Chen Xuan herself didn't even remember happening. Chen Xuan brought gifts to two families, one was the village chief's family, and the other was an elder of the Chen family, who should be called Laogu according to seniority. The old lady was old, seventy years old, with a head full of white hair like snow. According to Chen Xuan, this was an elder with a very kind heart. Chen Xuan also brought gifts to the old aunt, and the old lady was also very happy. She took Chen Xuan's hand and said, "Live well, good days are coming. I told you that you are a blessed person."
As for the matter of moving Chen's father's grave, it was done by Wei Nian and Uncle Wang, and Chen Xuan didn't have to worry about it. In fact, the country people value their ancestral land very much. For example, Grandpa Wei, his sons all settled down in Beijing, but he was still buried in his hometown. It took quite a lot of twists and turns to move Chen's father's grave. In the middle, Uncle Chen wanted to adopt a grandson to his eldest brother as a grandson. Chen Xuan couldn't agree to it. She knew that Uncle Chen just wanted money. If it was someone else, Chen Xuan would probably give the money based on her personality. But Chen Xuan didn't give Uncle Chen a penny. She would rather use the money to repair the ancestral hall in the clan!
Of course, some clan members came to mediate between Chen Xuan and Uncle Chen's family, saying that Chen Xuan was raised by her uncle after all, and that he was grateful for her upbringing. Chen Xuan said, "I didn't have much to do with Uncle Chen, but I knew it wasn't easy for him to raise me. When my husband's family offered a 20-dollar betrothal gift, I gave him two sets of cotton-padded clothes, and I didn't say anything. But later, he had evil intentions to harm Brother Anian, and I will never forget it!"
It was mainly Chen Laoer who did this, no matter who said it, it was a bit vicious. Chen Xuan was no longer a softie, so the tribesmen who came to negotiate peace had no choice but to let it go.
After taking care of her father's burial, she had the monks guide the cremation and sealed the ashes in an urn. Then, Chen Xuan left her hometown with her husband's family and children, and never returned.
The author has something to say: ps: Good night~~~~~ In fact, sometimes hometown is not as warm and indifferent as imagined~~~ Happy holidays to everyone~~~~~~