Li Haochen carried his car and luggage to the old cement road above in several trips. He assembled the small Aima, hung his luggage, honked the horn, "Going home!"
But Li Haochen soon regretted riding an electric scooter. The uneven, pitted cement road made him dizzy and see stars. More importantly, his rear end felt like it was falling apart.
The strong, rhythmic jolts caused Li Haochen unspeakable discomfort, so he could only stick his butt out to reduce the collisions.
"Phew~ Glad I made it back."
As soon as he entered the village, a few old men and women cooling off on the stone steps by the big banyan tree shouted from a distance. The way they looked, Li Haochen was afraid their two remaining teeth would fall out with the wind.
After a brief chat, Li Haochen made his escape. He had to, as their conversation was always about marriage and children, and more people kept joining the circle. They were more concerned about his marriage than his own grandson's.
Back home, the moment he opened the door, a flood of longing washed over him.
He put down his luggage, touched the old furniture, and walked all the way to the bed with its peeling paint.
It was a very ordinary wooden sofa. When the back was folded down, it became a meter-wide wooden bed. It was mostly placed in bright spots, hence the name "bright bed."
Li Haochen sat on it, and it creaked ominously. It sagged slightly but was still sturdy.
This place held most of his memories. From birth to junior high, he ate and napped here every day. But… the two figures who used to sing lullabies and fan him to sleep had gone to a faraway land…
After a long while, Li Haochen shook off his gloom and went to make tea.
It wasn't a special day, nor the first or fifteenth of the month, but Li Haochen did it anyway. He didn't care about feudal etiquette; everything came from the heart. If he thought of it, he did it. This was also what a son should do.
"Haochen, is Haochen inside?"
"Uncle Jun? Yes, I'm coming out."
Li Haochen, lost in his thoughts, was startled by the voice outside. He recognized who it was from the sound.
"Uncle Jun, please come in and sit."
"Why didn't you say you were coming back in advance? If it weren't for the aunts at the village entrance saying you were back, I wouldn't have known."
"Uh… I just got back. I haven't even sat down properly, hehe!"
"I won't come in to sit. I came to tell you that the factory matter is settled. Find some time to come over and sign the documents. The township has also helped contact the machinery. Once the funds are in place, they can be delivered and installed. You should go take a look later to see if anything is missing."
Li Haochen was surprised by how smoothly and quickly the factory issue was resolved. This was even better; getting it done early would allow for a faster opening and production.
"Alright, I'll come to the village committee to find you later."
"Haochen, on behalf of Lijia Village and the surrounding villages, I thank you!" Li Dejun clasped Li Haochen's hands tightly, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Uncle, don't forget my surname is Li. This is my responsibility."
"Good, good, good! Lijia Village has hope for poverty alleviation." Li Dejun smiled, a smile from the bottom of his heart. His furrowed wrinkles looked so endearing at this moment.
Li Haochen knew very well why Li Dejun was so happy. For many years, as the village head, he had been searching for a path for Lijia Village's development and had done many practical things with dedication.
The bumpy cement road outside the village was something he had begged the township and county for. He had pleaded for three full years. Perhaps they were so annoyed that they finally allocated the funds. If it weren't for this road, Lijia Village would probably still be in the mountain ravine as it was before.
Although many years had passed, Li Haochen clearly remembered the day the road was completed. During the village celebration, Li Dejun had cried profusely and drunk himself into a stupor, but no one in the village laughed at him, and it was still the same even now.
When he was young, he didn't understand. As he grew up, Li Haochen realized Li Dejun's greatness. He had dedicated the best years of his life to the village. From his thirties until now, approaching sixty, the position of village head had never wavered.
It is precisely because of such lovely people that the country is so prosperous and strong.
From then on, Li Haochen regarded Li Dejun as his lifelong idol.
"Haochen, I'm leaving now. I still have to go to the township. Come over to my place when you have time. When people get old, they need to learn from young people, otherwise, they'll be left behind by the times, hehe!"
"Uncle Jun, wait." Li Haochen turned and ran back into the house. When he came out, he had two boxes of health gifts in his hands. "Uncle…"
"No, no, no, this is not acceptable. If you do this, I'll be in trouble. Your intentions are good enough." Li Dejun pushed Li Haochen's hands away before he could finish.
"Uncle, if you don't accept it, I'll withdraw the funds. How can giving it to my own nephew be considered a mistake?"
"You, you, fine, I'll accept it. Uncle isn't like those old men in the city who need health supplements. This is the first and last time."
"First and last? Does that mean I won't be your nephew next time? Hehe!"
"You rascal, I'll talk to you later. I have to go."
"You're busy. I'll come over tonight to have dinner with you and chat about some things."
Li Dejun didn't reply to Li Haochen. He gave an OK gesture, hurried onto his old bicycle, honked twice, and disappeared.
Li Haochen took a few boxes of gifts and first went to see his granduncle, Li Shuren.
This old man was quite stubborn. He always told Li Haochen to live with his eldest uncle, but he refused, saying he had hands and feet and didn't need looking after. Even Li Haochen, whom he doted on, couldn't persuade him. In fact, everyone understood his thoughts and could only visit him more often.
Li Shuren, at 89, had passed the age of 88, but age was still taking its toll. Li Haochen was very worried, but fortunately, his health was still very strong. It was just that his hearing was getting worse and worse; even shouting into his ear had no effect.
Besides being deaf, he had also become more of a chatterbox. Li Haochen hadn't stopped talking since he arrived, discussing everything relevant and irrelevant, even things from his childhood.
When he was leaving, Li Haochen took out some money and tried to give it to him. However, he was given a thousand back, with the reason being very domineering and direct: "Granduncle, I have plenty of money. Take this to buy candy."
Li Haochen dared not refuse, or else his walking stick was not for show. He had been beaten by that walking stick many times when he was mischievous in his youth.