The next day, after breakfast, Zhang Liunian's family got into the car and headed towards Yu Family Village.
Yu Family Village was nearly an hour's drive from Zhang Family Village, and even further on foot.
As such, over the years, not only had Yu Xiaohua visited her maternal home very rarely, but Zhang Liunian and his siblings had also been there only a few times.
Returning to her maternal home this time, Yu Xiaohua seemed quite excited. She kept telling her great-grandchildren, "This is what kind of village this is, this is what kind of road this is."
Listening to her, Zhang Liunian couldn't help but recall some things he had heard in his previous life.
These matters were all related to his three maternal uncles. In his previous life, when Zhang Liunian became the richest man in Nancheng, he heard that his three maternal uncles had also become wealthy.
Moreover, it was a considerable fortune, and they eventually made a name for themselves in Nancheng, becoming the epitome of those Nancheng people who would openly curse and cast spells on others.
Why did they become objects of hatred for the people of Nancheng? Naturally, it was because their wealth was not earned through legitimate means but through crooked paths.
If it were on the dark side, people would only give them a thumbs-up and admire their brains. But in the open, people would only call them unorthodox, harmful, and utterly shameless.
In fact, the three of them had not only swindled the people of Nancheng but also the entire nation, and on a massive scale.
"Liunian, you've driven past. Your maternal grandmother's house is the one behind."
Just as Zhang Liunian was lost in thought, Yu Xiaohua suddenly reminded him from the side.
Zhang Liunian snapped back to attention, immediately turned the car around, and drove back into the large courtyard of his maternal grandmother's three side-by-side mud houses.
As soon as he parked the car, Zhang Liunian glanced outside. What he saw were rows of low, dilapidated mud houses, and faces that were all sallow and thin.
Yu Family Village was not in a good geographical location. Although they were not near mountains, they did not have much land for cultivation, so their lives were even harder than those in Zhang Family Village.
"Liunian, you hold Huabao, and I'll hold Shaohua." Jiang Qingqing saw this and handed her daughter to her husband.
Zhang Liunian took his daughter. Before he even got out of the car, he heard the voices of the onlookers outside.
"Whose car is this?"
"It's probably Yusheng's girlfriend. Didn't they say he was bringing his rich girlfriend home today to discuss the betrothal gifts? I heard her father is a big boss, very rich. It's not strange for him to have a car."
"That makes sense. Let's watch a bit longer, and we'll know whose it is soon."
"It could also be their nephew, Xiaohua's son."
"Xiaohua's son? Isn't her son a university student? He can't afford a car like this, this car is worth over a hundred thousand. Even with a high salary, he couldn't buy it."
"Who said it was that university student? Didn't Xiaohua also have three sons? I'm talking about her youngest son, the one who married the educated youth."
"Oh, oh, I've actually heard about this. I heard he became a self-employed businessman last year. It seemed quite embarrassing."
"Embarrassing what? I heard that person is very rich now, opening shops and factories. Because of the factory he set up in their village, every household eats meat and wears new clothes. Many people want to marry in and enjoy prosperity!"
"I've heard about this too. It seems that the wages of those working in their village are even higher than those in state-owned units. One person working can support an entire family.
I think Xiaohua's mother must also want to arrange her three sons there."
"Is that true? Is being self-employed that profitable?"
"I heard it's really profitable. I plan to go to the city to try my luck in a few days."
"Hearing you say that, I'm also tempted."
"..."
After listening to these people, Zhang Liunian opened the car door, intending to get out. Just then, his eldest maternal uncle, who had appeared from somewhere, unfurled a red cloth and spread it at Zhang Liunian's feet, leaving him unsure whether to get out or not.
"Liunian, this is your car, right? It's so magnificent! Hurry up and get out, your maternal grandmother is waiting to see you!"
The eldest maternal uncle spoke in a barrage of words and reached out to pull Zhang Liunian into the house.
Zhang Liunian pointed at the red cloth on the ground and said, "Eldest Uncle, must it be like this!"
The eldest maternal uncle rubbed his hands and explained, "You bought a car, and we should have set off firecrackers. But we don't have any now, so we can only use this red cloth to pave the ground as a substitute."
Zhang Liunian didn't know what to say upon hearing this, so he could only carry his daughter and get out of the car.
As soon as he got out, the people who had been discussing animatedly immediately fell silent. After a moment, they started talking again.
"It really is Xiaohua's son. Look how handsome he is. TV stars are probably just like this."
"Xiaohua isn't that good-looking, so how come her sons are all handsome, and each one is capable, a university student, and a rich magnate? I'm so envious."
"This is really a case of 'comparing people to people makes people angry'."
"..."
Yu Xiaohua, who had just gotten out of the car, couldn't help but puff out her chest and smile as she heard the villagers praise her son like this.
She was, of course, the most capable mother in the world, second to none.
Yu Xiaohua felt proud inwardly, and a hint of it showed on her face.
Fang Xiaocao, Zhang Liunian's maternal grandmother, who had just gotten up to go out, heard that her youngest daughter had arrived. She sat back in her prominent seat, waiting for her daughter's family to come in and pay her New Year's respects.
Yu Xiaohua did not keep her waiting for long. Holding her grandson and carrying gifts, she entered the house. Upon seeing Fang Xiaocao, she paid her New Year's respects to her mother and then had her four grandsons pay their respects to Fang Xiaocao.
Fang Xiaocao acknowledged them one by one and then told them to sit down, showing no intention of giving any New Year's money.
Yu Xiaohua also knew her mother's personality, so she was not disappointed as she had no expectations.
"This is some pastry we bought at home. It might not be as good as what you bought, so please make do with it." The three maternal uncles carried stools, brought snacks, and poured tea.
In short, they were very enthusiastic this time.
After everyone was seated, they began to make small talk.
The first to speak was the maternal grandmother, Fang Xiaocao. She sized up Zhang Liunian and his wife a few times before saying, "Liunian, haven't you visited your maternal grandmother in ten years?"
Zhang Liunian's expression stiffened. Did he not want to come? Clearly, his maternal grandmother only wanted to see Zhang Liuxing pay his respects.
"Yes, it's been ten years. That's why I brought the whole family this time, to avoid not recognizing our own relatives in the future." Zhang Liunian replied with a smile, his expression showing no negative emotions.
Fang Xiaocao's old eyes gleamed. She noticed that this grandson was different from before. In the past, he was the type who wouldn't say a word even if beaten with three sticks. So, she hadn't expected him to say much when she asked that question. To her surprise, Zhang Liunian answered politely, as if he wasn't at all upset that she only paid attention to her university student grandson.
This grandson had changed so much that it made her a little uneasy.
"That's well said. Our families indeed need to strengthen our ties. We are all related by blood, but our two families live quite far apart, so we can only try harder in other ways." Fang Xiaocao had called Zhang Liunian over with the intention of having Zhang Liunian take his son and grandsons out to strike it rich. Otherwise, she really wouldn't have remembered that she even had a grandson named Zhang Liunian.
Zhang Liunian understood her implied meaning but did not respond. "What Grandmother says is right. Now that everyone has bicycles, we can visit each other more often than before."