Reborn 92's Business Tycoon

Chapter 5: Visiting Grandpa's

Before six o'clock, the village, which had been quiet all night, woke up and became lively.

The chicken coop was opened, and the roosters and hens scrambled to get out. The hens clucked, the roosters cocked their heads and flapped their wings. The pig couldn't wait either, grunting as it used its long snout to dig in the arch. In the paulownia tree behind the house, the birds are also chirping. On the path outside the house, there are 'rustling' footsteps, and the occasional cough. Those footsteps are light and should be empty-handed, while the heavy and steady ones must be carrying water from the well. You can also hear a loud-voiced old woman shouting from a little further away, 'Go help your brother get dressed!'...

It was also very hot in the morning, and Feng Yiping, who had been thinking of staying in bed for a few more minutes, got up quickly. In fact, he was still a bit unaccustomed to this, as he had not got up this early for many years, and he had to get up early every day.

In the countryside here, breakfast was never a make-do meal of congee and steamed buns. It wouldn't do; those wouldn't fill you up, and most of the work in the countryside requires physical strength.

So in the morning, they always cook a proper meal, although the vegetables may be a bit random.

After eating, and helping to feed the pigs, Feng Yiping hid the thick stack of manuscript paper in his straw hat, nestling it towards the middle and squeezing it in his hand, so that his parents wouldn't see it and have to nag him again.

Mei Qiuping took out a dozen eggs from the jar and put them in a mesh bag. She wrapped a package of dried bamboo shoots, the size of a thumb, picked in the mountains in spring, and placed it on top of the eggs. She repeatedly told Feng Yiping to be careful on the road and not to jump around. Feng Yiping joked, 'Mom, are you worried about me or the eggs?'

Mei Qiuping laughed and scolded him a little, chasing after him and shouting, 'The sun is strong, put on your hat!'

His grandfather's house was a place that Feng Yiping loved to visit when he was a child. He had many uncles, who would take him out to play, and he never had to do any work. He was always able to eat well, and he could see cars on the road. Feng Yiping felt that his grandfather's house was more comfortable and modern than his own. His mother said that when he was a child, there were times when he didn't want to go home from his grandfather's house. Feng Yiping doesn't remember any of this.

However, as he grew up, his uncles got married one after the other, and they had their own families and were busy with their own affairs, so they didn't have time to take him out to play. He also gradually understood that he had to help with some of the things at home that he could do, and it was not good to play at relatives' houses every day, so he went less often.

This is the way it is with farm work in the countryside: if one person has something to do, two people still have something to do. If you add two more people, there is still something to do. For children, there is always something to do for you, and for the elderly, there is also something to do for you. In short, there is no fear of too many people, and there is always something to do.

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It is about 20 li of mountain road to my grandfather's house, and you have to climb over three mountains and pass through four villages before finally arriving at Meijiawan, which is located next to the provincial road.

The scenery along the way is actually quite nice. The sky is blue, and as far as the eye can see, there is nothing but green, interspersed with colourful wild flowers. The mountains are mainly covered in pine trees, which are at their deepest green at this time of year, looking almost blue.

The view from the last mountain is the best. At the foot of the mountain is a river, not very big, but very clear, sparkling in the sunlight as it winds its way between the mountains. The mountain is not high or steep, but there are five sturdy pine trees on the top, which immediately enhance its level, giving it a vigorous, secluded and elegant temperament. The most beautiful and eye-catching are the brilliant rhododendrons blooming in the mountains. Those rhododendrons are in clusters, and in some places they are simply connected into one piece, blooming very magnificently and spreading out on the green background, which is very beautiful.

At this time of year, it would be great to have a single-lens reflex camera.

He walked quickly along the path. It was still early, so he simply carried his mesh basket and climbed towards the top of the mountain. The further he walked towards the top of the mountain, the clearer the sound of car engines became on the road in the distance. The top of the mountain was not large, with a small flat area. He carefully placed the eggs on the ground, climbed onto a large stone, and had a panoramic view of the area for several miles.

He looked back and saw only the winding path he had come on, and could not see Fengjiachong beyond the mountains. Looking forward, the white road was at the foot of the mountain over there, next to another river. At this time, he might be able to see a car. From here, he could also see his grandfather's village. Looking further into the distance, at the end of the road and where the river made a bend, he could vaguely see the outlines of some buildings.

The mountain breeze blew gently across his face. Feng Yiping quietly watched this familiar yet strange scene. From time to time, he looked ahead, then turned his head to look back. More often than not, he just sat there in a daze.

After almost an hour, he stood up, patted his bottom, jumped off the rock, grabbed the net and ran downhill, singing 'Azalea' as he ran.

At the foot of the mountain, an old man was leading a cow up the hill. Seeing him carrying a net full of eggs, it looked as if he was visiting relatives, but he was coming down the mountain, so he was a bit puzzled. Of course, he would never have guessed that Feng Yiping was up there just enjoying the view. What's there to see, after living here all your life?

Feng Yiping smiled and nodded at him, 'Cattle herding!' and took off running towards his grandparents' house.

The village is not large, with a total of just 20 households. A 15-mile drive south along the provincial road takes you to the town centre, while a 10-mile drive north takes you to the middle school where Feng Yiping will study.

The Mei family also make a living from farming, but because the highway was built a long time ago, there are more ways to make money. More importantly, because it is located next to the provincial road, although it is separated from Feng Yiping's home by more than 20 miles of mountain road, the village has a much more open-minded outlook.

Grandma passed away two years ago, and Grandpa Mei Jianzhong just turned 70 this year. They have four sons, plus Feng Yiping's mother, a total of five children. They were previously the production team leaders of the brigade, so they have some knowledge and are quite open-minded.

The old saying goes that having many children brings blessings, but this saying does not apply at all in today's countryside.

Mei Qiuping is the eldest, followed by four brothers. The other three have all married and started their own families, long ago splitting up and living separately. Only the youngest brother has stayed with Grandpa.

The eldest, Guosheng, works on the family farm.

The second, Guoping, is doing the best. He learned the trade from a stonemason when he was young and this year rented a house in the county with his wife and child. In the past two years, there have been many self-built houses, so he can find work all year round. It is hard work, and it is manual labour, but the income is good.

Lao San's wife's family is famous for being domineering, and everyone in the neighbourhood knows it. Before they got married, they made all sorts of demands. In the end, Mei Jianzhong helped him buy the village oil mill, and that's how he helped Lao San get his daughter-in-law to marry into the family. The oil mill is in another village, about seven li from Grandpa's house, and he usually comes over when there's nothing to do.

People don't worry about scarcity, but about uneven distribution. Among brothers, it's even more about uneven distribution! The wives of the eldest and second eldest sons are no pushovers. When the father-in-law and mother-in-law bought the oil mill for the third son, they of course refused, saying that it was only their own family's fault for being honest and marrying without asking for anything.

Now that the third son has two children, whenever they meet the third son's wife, they can't help saying something mean, so although they are in the same village, the third son's family doesn't really interact with them.

Of course, more than 2,000 years ago, Lao Tzu taught us that there are two sides to everything, and this is no exception. Originally, my aunt and uncle were constantly fighting with each other, but when my third aunt came into the family, they both coincidentally abandoned their past grudges and quarrels, and without hesitation joined forces to deal with my third aunt.

So who says men are the most aggressive?

In the future, if the youngest brother marries into the family, it is quite possible that the eldest and second eldest aunts will forget their past differences and join forces with the third eldest aunt to target the youngest brother's wife.

The youngest brother has not yet married and is currently living with his grandfather. He is the most restless of the four brothers. He bought Martial Arts every week and practised the martial arts in it. For a while, he was also very enthusiastic about qigong. Now, he is working in the provincial capital. As an adult, he doesn't stay at home, so grandpa, who is in his seventies, is actually still on his own.

When Feng Yiping arrived, no one was at his eldest uncle's house next door. He was probably still busy in the fields.

Grandpa was sitting in the backyard under the cherry tree, while his two-year-old little cousin Ruirui was chasing after a small dog.

'Grandpa!'

Mei Jianzhong turned around and saw that it was his eldest grandson.

'Isn't school about to start? Why are you here?'

He said as he went into the house to prepare some water for him.

Feng Yiping handed him the things he was carrying, and Mei Jianzhong complained, 'I don't need food, what's the point of bringing these things?'

Feng Yiping said, 'Grandpa, you can keep them if you want, they're just a little something from your parents as their children, it's not the same.'

Grandpa was a little gratified, his grandson had just finished primary school and was already speaking like a proper adult.

It was still early, and not yet lunchtime, so Feng Yiping moved a bench and sat next to his grandfather, chatting idly.

His grandfather asked about his parents' health, especially his mother's, and Feng Yiping said that they were both doing well. When asked about his sister, Feng Yiping said that she was doing well at the city clothing factory and would be able to come home for the New Year.

In fact, a girl from the same village had written back saying that Feng Yiping's sister was no longer working at the city clothing factory, but had instead become godmother to a girl in the city and then quit her job.

Feng Yiping still has some complaints about his sister. Feng Yuxuan, who had just finished primary school and was 15 years old, had no interest in studying and went to the city with the girls from her village who worked in the textile factory.

She also found a job there. However, unlike the girls from her village who worked in the same factory as her, who all sent money back home every month, she never did, and she never received a letter from them.

The one who left two years ago never returned home. As far as I can remember, she didn't come home for the New Year's holiday until the end of next year. She dressed very fashionably, but she only gave her family less than 100 yuan. Thinking about her daughter leaving to work at such a young age, her parents couldn't bear to be harsh with her. Even if they said something, she would retort with, 'I'm willing, so what do you care?' There was also a mantra she often repeated, 'Go your own way and let others talk!'

Feng Yuxuan has been as unreliable as ever since then. It wasn't until 1998 that Feng Yiping started working himself, and she had only supplemented the family with less than 500 yuan in total. 500 yuan over 8 years!

When Feng Yiping was in secondary school, it was the most difficult time for the family. Every month, they worried about how to pay his living expenses of more than 100 yuan. They borrowed money from everyone they knew, but Feng Yuxuan still didn't help with a single penny. Later, when things happened, no one mentioned her, as if the family had forgotten that there was actually someone else who could share the burden and lend a hand.