Su Sangong's face instantly turned red. He considered himself not a clever person.
Compared to his brothers at home, he simply enjoyed reading more and had a slightly better foundation.
"You flatter me. I'm not actually smart, I'm just... just steady!"
Su Sangong's words made Dong Yuanzhong laugh even more heartily.
His smile reached his eyes, showing it was genuine.
"Steady is good, steady is good!"
In just a few words, his admiration was unconcealed.
Chen Zi'an, while taking his son, squeezed Su Manxiu's hand to reassure her.
Dong Yuanzhong held Grandpa Su's hand and sat on the sofa to talk.
"Brother, you really know how to teach your children."
Not only were the children good at their studies, but they also knew humility, which was truly rare.
"You flatter me!" Grandpa Su said politely.
Although they were old acquaintances from years ago, so many years had passed that they were no different from strangers.
On the other side, Fan Shufang held Grandma Su's hand and also spoke warmly.
She took out sunflower seeds and candy for Chen Xiuyuan and Su Xiaotian, praising little Chen Xiuyuan as smart and lively, and little Su Xiaotian as well-behaved and beautiful, keeping herself busy.
Compared to Grandpa Su, Grandma Su was even more reserved.
She had a fiery personality but wasn't exactly an enthusiastic person. Faced with such an enthusiastic person, she found it difficult to cope.
"They're just little rascals, not as good as you say."
Grandma Su even regretted coming on this trip; the enthusiasm was too much to handle.
"Sister-in-law Su, our two families have an old connection. Now that we've met, we should be like family," Fan Shufang realized she had been too forceful and quickly tried to smooth things over.
After a while, the atmosphere finally became warm and harmonious.
Although Chen Zi'an had mentioned his old leader many times, Su Manxiu had never met him before and had been worried all the way.
Seeing that everything was going well now, she felt a little more at ease.
A short while later, the food was ready, and the family's orderly invited everyone to eat.
The Dong family had prepared a sumptuous dinner, with four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, including fish and meat.
In this era, such a dinner was indeed of a very high standard.
Grandpa Su's eyelids twitched.
As expected of a high-ranking provincial leader, the class was different.
"Brother Su, Sister-in-law Su, we originally wanted to invite your family to a restaurant outside, but considering my husband's position, we decided to prepare this meal at home," Fan Shufang said with a smile, very sincerely.
"You're too kind!" Grandma Su replied.
Su Xiaotian had been observing Dong Yuanzhong and Fan Shufang.
The status difference between the two families was too great, and Su Xiaotian felt that discussing their friendship was too ethereal.
However, after observing for such a long time, she felt that these two people seemed to genuinely want to repay the kindness from years ago.
Dong Yuanzhong did not notice the little girl's thoughts.
At the dinner table, he also paid attention to the Su family's children's studies, even asking some questions to test them.
The three Su brothers answered fluently.
Dong Yuanzhong nodded repeatedly, becoming even more polite to Grandpa Su.
"Speaking of which, I'm only a few years younger than you, Brother Su. Your grandsons are about to go to university, and my son is still not grown up!" Dong Yuanzhong said with emotion.
Fan Shufang playfully glared at Dong Yuanzhong and said, "Look at you, aren't you afraid Brother and Sister-in-law Su will laugh at you?"
Dong Yuanzhong laughed heartily, "When I was at my lowest, Brother and Sister-in-law never laughed at me."
Grandpa Su then asked, "May I know about your children..."
"My two sons are currently in the army. It's just the two of us old people at home."
Dong Yuanzhong then sighed, "I missed the good times a couple of years ago, so I could only seek a future in the army. If it were this year, perhaps they could have gotten into university."
His lifelong regret was not being able to study more. Although he had tried hard to catch up in recent years, the effect was not significant.
Unexpectedly, his sons also missed the opportunity to go to university.
Su Xiaotian heard the regret in Dong Yuanzhong's words and said crisply, "Attend military academy and serve the country!"
This sentence drew everyone's attention to her.
The little girl became shy for the first time and quickly lowered her head.
Dong Yuanzhong laughed and said, "Does the little girl know about military academies?"
Su Xiaotian said this because she remembered a military program she had watched in her previous life.
The host interviewed a military officer named Dong Mingda. In front of the camera, this officer had once said that missing the opportunity to go to university was a regret, and missing the opportunity to attend military academy later was an even greater lifelong regret.
Su Xiaotian nodded and continued eating.
Dong Yuanzhong smiled and said, "Little girl, do you know that military academies aren't just about studying well to get in; you need a recommendation."
Su Xiaotian understood. She raised her small face and smiled, "Grandpa Dong, universities also used to require recommendations to get in!"
This sentence was like a bolt of lightning, making Dong Yuanzhong suddenly realize something.
He chuckled and said, "I, who have lived for most of my life, am not as insightful as a little girl!"
"Little girl, tell Grandpa Dong, what's your name."
Su Xiaotian said, "My name is Su Xiaotian, and I'm the youngest in the family."
But after thinking for a moment, she felt it was incorrect and pointed at Chen Xiuyuan, saying, "Now he's the youngest."
Fan Shufang paid more attention to Su Xiaotian, never expecting her to be such a thoughtful girl.
"Sister-in-law Su, your children are truly outstanding. If I could have grandchildren like these, I would wake up smiling in my dreams."
Su Laosan looked at his daughter with immense admiration.
As expected of his daughter, she was indeed outstanding.
After the meal, Grandpa Su and Grandma Su declined, saying they were tired and needed to leave.
In such a high-class residence, the two elders felt very out of place.
However, Dong Yuanzhong insisted that they stay the night.
"When Xiao Chen came before, he also stayed at our house. We still have two or three empty rooms, enough to accommodate you."
"Old Leader, we have many people with us today, and we have already booked rooms at the guesthouse outside," Chen Zi'an said quickly.
Hearing Chen Zi'an say this, Dong Yuanzhong did not insist further.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll go find Brother Su and accompany you and Sister-in-law to the train station to send off our university students."
Grandpa Su and the others were clearly surprised by Dong Yuanzhong's words.
The provincial party secretary personally seeing them off – what an honor.
But...
"Please don't trouble yourself. We can send them off. How can we bother you for such a small matter!" Grandpa Su quickly declined.
"I'm not busy tomorrow morning. After sending the children off, I'll take you around the provincial capital. It's rare that the atmosphere has improved so much."
Although Dong Yuanzhong had been the top leader for several years, many people were watching him, and he never relaxed for a moment.
He also wanted to steal half a day of leisure for himself.
"Dad, it's okay. Just let the old leader go. The train tickets this time were also bought with the old leader's help," Chen Zi'an said.
Grandpa Su thought the tickets were bought by Chen Zi'an, but he never expected it to be the top leader's help.
He was so flustered he didn't know what to say.
"Xiao Chen, why are you saying that?"
"If it weren't for the old leader's help, how could we have bought so many sleeper berths? It's several days to Beijing, we can't go by hard seat!" Chen Zi'an said with a smile.
After thanking him profusely, Grandpa Su and the others left the Dong residence.
Outside the gate of the Dong residence, the Su family finally breathed a sigh of relief.
When the family returned, the Shen Zizhen family had already returned.
Shen Zizhen didn't ask too many questions. After a few words, they each retired to their rooms to rest.
The next morning, Chen Zi'an went out early to buy breakfast.
When the others woke up, hot buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk were already on the table.
"Zi'an, you've been thoughtful," Grandpa Su said, looking at the breakfast on the table, becoming increasingly satisfied with this son-in-law.
Because he was satisfied with Chen Zi'an, Grandpa Su couldn't help but glare at his son.
Why is he so unobservant?
Su Laosan rubbed his nose, wondering why he was wrong without doing anything.
Never mind, it's wrong, so be it!
Shen Zizhen and his wife also came to eat breakfast with them. Su Taohua even said with concern, "Why did you buy breakfast? We brought steamed buns and flatbreads."
How much money and tickets would all this cost?
"Once we're on the train, it'll be hard to get hot meals and dishes, so let's have something hot for breakfast," Su Manxiu said with a smile, handing chopsticks and buns to Su Taohua.
Su Taohua thought about it and agreed. She had heard that train food was expensive and didn't taste good either.
"Uncle, where are these bowls and chopsticks from?" Su Shouwen asked.
"Borrowed. I put down a two-yuan deposit, and I'll return them after we're done eating," Chen Zi'an said, taking a big bite of a meat bun. "Mom, these buns don't taste as good as yours."
Grandma Su's eyes lit up when she heard Chen Zi'an say this, and she smiled, "If you like my buns, I'll make them for you again."
Su Laosan felt a pang of sadness. Why did his parents like his brother-in-law more? He was clearly their biological son.
Su Xiaotian also felt that the buns didn't taste as good as the ones made at home, so she took a fried dough stick.
After everyone had finished breakfast, Chen Zi'an returned the bowls and chopsticks, and the group prepared to go to the train station.
Before they could even leave, Dong Yuanzhong and his wife had already arrived at the entrance of the guesthouse.
Chen Zi'an quickly introduced everyone to Dong Yuanzhong.
Upon learning Shen Zizhen's identity, Dong Yuanzhong expressed his emotions for a while.
Then, he took the initiative to ask about some agricultural knowledge.
"I've heard people say for the past two years that the crops in Hongxin Brigade have a higher yield than elsewhere. So it turns out you're the expert from the agricultural university," Dong Yuanzhong said with a hearty laugh.
Although he hadn't personally visited Hongxin Brigade, he had always been paying attention to it.
Shen Zizhen felt a little embarrassed. The good harvest in Hongxin Brigade was not his credit, or at least not solely his credit.
"Sir, I am unworthy of your praise!"
"You are worthy, you are worthy. You are a contributor!"
"The grain output of Hongxin Brigade had already significantly increased before I arrived."
This statement made Dong Yuanzhong pause. How was that possible?
"This child, Xiaotian, is a genius in agriculture." Shen Zizhen looked at Su Xiaotian with affectionate eyes, then looked up at Dong Yuanzhong.
His problem had been resolved, and he had returned to his former position, but Old Du was still living in Hongxin Brigade and could not return home.
Should he mention that Dong Yuanzhong was a high-ranking provincial leader and might have a solution?
"Also, Du Tonghe, who is still in Hongxin Brigade, is also an agricultural expert. However, the Du family were capitalists in the early years, and the elder can only remain in the brigade now."
With a few simple words, Dong Yuanzhong understood that Shen Zizhen was pleading for Du Tonghe.
Du Tonghe could be considered someone who had contributed to the country.
"I'll think about this matter later, but after all, he's not from our province, so it might not be resolvable."
Dong Yuanzhong did not agree immediately, but Shen Zizhen was already very happy and thanked him repeatedly.
"Sir, you don't know, before me, these two, an elder and a young one, had already started cultivating improved varieties. The grain output of Hongxin Brigade has been increasing year by year, mainly because of the good seeds they cultivated."
This matter, apart from a few individuals in Hongxin Brigade, even many people in the brigade did not know the inside story, only that the grain output was increasing year by year.
Shen Zizhen was not a person who clung to credit and would not do something as tasteless as taking credit for others' achievements.
He simply took this opportunity to explain clearly to Dong Yuanzhong.
But Dong Yuanzhong found it hard to believe. How was that possible?
How old was Su Xiaotian? How could she know how to farm, let alone cultivate seeds?
Perhaps Shen Zizhen was taking care of the Su family and wanted to give this credit to the Su family?
Dong Yuanzhong felt that he had guessed the truth.
In an instant, he had a new understanding of Shen Zizhen's noble character.
Shen Zizhen sighed and guessed that Dong Yuanzhong might have misunderstood, so he explained again.
"Sir, Xiaotian has very high attainments in agricultural knowledge, even higher than mine. In the past two years, I've heard a lot of new knowledge from Xiaotian."
Dong Yuanzhong had heard of Shen Zizhen's reputation; he was a top agricultural scientist in the country.
Now, he was strongly recommending a little girl.
No matter how he thought about it, it seemed unlikely.
Just a child, no matter how smart, couldn't possibly have achieved such a feat.
Dong Yuanzhong himself didn't know much about agriculture, but that didn't stop him from asking a few questions to test Su Xiaotian.
Su Xiaotian knew Dong Yuanzhong was testing her and answered each question calmly.
Her answers were very accurate.
Not to mention Dong Yuanzhong, even Shen Zizhen nodded in approval.
"It seems the new generation is replacing the old!" Dong Yuanzhong said with emotion, "Brother Su, I only thought you had raised several outstanding grandsons, but who knew your granddaughter was even more outstanding."
When it came to his granddaughter's excellence, Grandpa Su's expression was full of pride.
"This child Xiaotian has no other hobbies except reading."
"It's good to like reading. Children who like reading will not fall behind in the future," Dong Yuanzhong said, showing some admiration for Su Xiaotian.
He even had the thought, why isn't this my child?
"To be honest, if it weren't for Xiaotian's supervision, my grandsons might not have achieved such results," Grandpa Su said with emotion.
The boys in the family had terrible grades back then. The fact that they were admitted to university this time was indeed Xiaotian's credit.
As they were talking, time was almost up. Su Shouwen and his brothers reluctantly said goodbye to their family.
Each carrying their luggage, they followed Shen Zizhen and joined the bustling crowd, boarding the train towards a new life.
Grandma Su watched the train start to move away, and when it was finally out of sight, she finally shed tears.
Her grandsons were going to Beijing, which was good, but it would not be easy to see them.
No matter how she thought about it, her eyes felt sore.
Fan Shufang comforted Grandma Su, saying, "Sister-in-law, don't be sad. We should be happy that the children are successful. We can't let the children leave with worries."
Years ago, when she sent her two children to join the army, she felt the same way, but after a few years, she got used to it.
Su Xiaotian also comforted her, "When the holidays come, brothers will be back. Grandma, don't be sad. In a few years, we'll buy a house in Beijing and move closer to brothers."
Grandma Su couldn't help but burst into laughter at her granddaughter's innocent words.
This little girl knew how to cheer people up.
Buying a house in Beijing, was it that easy?
"You child, you just talk nonsense."
"Grandma, I'm not talking nonsense. I'm serious. When I grow up, I'll earn a lot of money and let you and Grandpa live a good life!"
Dong Yuanzhong heard this and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Old Brother, your granddaughter is an ambitious child. Nurture her well, and she'll surely have a bright future."
Grandpa Su shook his head and said, "For a girl, I just hope she can live a smooth life and not suffer."
This was his true feeling and also a polite remark.
When Grandpa Su and the others were about to leave, Dong Yuanzhong and his wife earnestly tried to persuade them to stay.
"Old Brother, you've come, and I haven't even fulfilled my duties as a host. You can't just leave like this!"
"You've finally come all this way. Regardless, you must stay in the city for two days," Fan Shufang also urged Grandma Su.
Grandma Su firmly refused. Last night, when she went to the Dong family's house, she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, very uncomfortable. If she stayed another day, wouldn't she be exhausted?
"We can't accommodate you at home. My eldest and second sons are busy with the chicken and pig farms in the brigade and can't get away. There are also several grandsons in the county town who need supervision. Xiaotian is also about to start school and needs to prepare!"
Grandpa Su also diligently found many excuses.
Su Xiaotian saw many people doing small businesses in the provincial capital and could clearly feel that the atmosphere had changed significantly from before. She began to consider whether their family could also start a business to earn some money.
She studied, and her brothers studied. Although they could all obtain a certain amount of money and tickets, this money and tickets could at most ensure they had enough to eat and could not allow their family to live a good life.
To live a good life, one still needed to do business and get the first pot of gold before others reacted.
Su Xiaotian's little brain was spinning rapidly, thinking about how to make money quickly, but she couldn't come up with a good method.
Upon returning to the county town, Su Xiaotian and the others soon started school.
When they came to study before the Lunar New Year, there were over ten children. In the blink of an eye, five or six had left. Grandma Su lamented that the yard was now empty.
"I wonder if Shouwen and the others have arrived in Beijing. Xiaotian, how many days did you say it would take them to get to Beijing?" Grandma Su counted the days every day.
"Grandma, don't worry. Uncle Shen said he would call Uncle if they arrived, and then we'll know," Su Xiaotian comforted Grandma Su. "Grandma, I want to eat your dumplings. How about we make dumplings tonight?"
Su Xiaotian very cleverly found a reasonable excuse to distract Grandma Su.
[Author's Note]
There is only one chapter today, babies. Good night! I worked overtime for two days over the weekend. Yesterday, I worked overtime until past 4 AM. My eyes can barely stay open now. I'll try to add another chapter tomorrow. Mwah, love you all!