amaotonovel Chapter 1301 Breaking the Window Paper
Chapter 1301 Breaking the Window Paper
Once the courtyard gate was closed, it kept out the cold wind from outside.
In the courtyard, Song Yunping stood with her back to the door, under the eaves of the kitchen, sulking at the bare old locust tree in the corner. Her fair profile was tense, as if she were holding a grudge. When she saw Qin Hao, she was taken aback at first, then smiled broadly: "When did you get back?"
Before Qin Hao could answer, Song Yunhui blurted out, "Sis, Brother Hao and Yang Xun drove back! That car was really impressive, black with a crown emblem on the hood, I think it was imported from Japan?"
Hearing the commotion, Mr. and Mrs. Song inside quickly put down their work and came out to greet them. Mrs. Song wiped her hands on her apron, her face beaming with a kind smile: "Oh dear, Haozi's back! Come on in, it's cold outside!"
Mr. Song also said repeatedly, "It's good that you're back! It's good that Ping'er and Xiao Hui are both home, let's have a good time!"
As they greeted him, they subtly observed Qin Hao, who appeared travel-worn but composed, their eyes filled with the concern and satisfaction of elders.
The family ushered Qin Hao into the warm main room. Song's mother turned and went into the kitchen, bustling about as she said, "Haven't eaten yet? I'll make something hot! We just happened to have some New Year's goods at home, so I'll cook something nice for you!"
Mr. Song followed him in to help, and soon the aroma of stir-fried scallions and ginger filled the kitchen.
Inside the main room, the stove fire burned brightly, its warm glow dispelling the chill. Song Yunping took out a clean cup and poured Qin Hao a cup of hot water.
At this point, Song Yunhui, who was brimming with new experiences, completely opened up. He talked about everything from the crowded train station to the bustling provincial capital, from the solemn red-brick library of Anyun University to the white-haired old professor in the large lecture hall;
He recounted the university cafeteria's filling steamed buns, though the taste was so-so, and his bunkmate from the Northwest who spoke like thunder; he excitedly described the shock he felt when he first saw precision instruments in the laboratory, and the excitement of learning previously unheard-of theories in class.
Qin Hao listened with a smile, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the kitchen. Song Yunping was tiptoeing to retrieve a bottle of wine from the top shelf of the cupboard, her slender waist faintly visible beneath her blue cotton-padded jacket. She seemed to sense his gaze, her hand trembled, and the bottle nearly slipped from her grasp.
"The most impressive one is Professor Liang from our Chemical Engineering Department. He just returned from studying in Germany last year and brought back a lot of first-hand German research materials!" Song Yunhui said excitedly, his usual dullness completely gone.
Finally, Song Yunhui felt he had said enough. He picked up his cup and gulped down several large mouthfuls of cold water, only then realizing that he had been back for so long and had only talked about himself, without even asking about Hao Ge's experiences! He looked at Qin Hao with a slightly apologetic expression and asked with anticipation, "Hao Ge, I've been rambling on and on. How about you? How's your year or so in Hong Kong been? It must have been much more exciting than mine! Tell me about it!"
Song Yunping, who was standing to the side, also came over with a wine jar and quietly watched Qin Hao.
Qin Hao briefly recounted his experiences over the past year and a half. Although he didn't mention how much money he made in the Hong Kong stock market or the annual export volume of Haoran International, it was enough to excite Song Yunhui and her brother.
"Brother Hao, your experiences over the past year and a half have been far more exciting than my entire life of over twenty years!" Song Yunhui exclaimed.
Qin Hao smiled gently: "It's not exactly spectacular, it's just going with the flow. Your life has only just begun, and you've started from a very high point. By getting into university, your knowledge, vision, and future opportunities already far surpass those of 90% of people nationwide. You have a bright future ahead of you."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunping secretly felt fortunate. If Qin Hao hadn't strongly persuaded her and her parents to let her go to university first, given the suddenly increased admission scores and increasingly fierce competition last year, she might not have been able to get into university at all. At that time, she might only be able to farm in her hometown or find temporary work, and her life trajectory would have been completely different.
"Haozi, Xiaohui, Ping'er, dinner is ready!" Mother Song walked in carrying steaming dishes, breaking the contemplative atmosphere in the main room.
Mr. Song followed with his bowl and chopsticks, a satisfied smile on his face: "Come on, let's eat and chat! Haozi must be hungry after traveling all day!"
A warm and lively dinner unfolded amidst laughter and chatter. Song's mother kept piling food onto Qin Hao's plate, worried he might go hungry. After dinner, it was completely dark. Qin Hao stood up and walked to the suitcase against the wall. He opened it and began taking out gifts.
For Song's father, it was an exquisite leather jacket; for Song's mother, it was a thick, warm cashmere sweater of superior quality. For Song Yunhui, it was a small, exquisite imported tape recorder with multiple tuning scales and English learning tapes. This instantly captured Song Yunhui's heart; he fiddled with the buttons and switches with great interest, his eyes glued to it.
Finally, Qin Hao took out a square gift box tied with a silk ribbon and handed it to Song Yunping. Song Yunping took it with some doubt, unwrapped it, and a small box with silver metal trim appeared before her eyes.
"A camera?" Song Yunping's eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively wanted to push it back. This was too expensive! In those days, an imported camera was an unimaginable luxury expense for an ordinary family.
She quickly shook her head: "No, no, this is too valuable, I can't accept it! You keep it for your business..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Hao had already reached out and shoved the camera case back into her hand, squeezed her hand, and said in a teasing tone that left no room for argument, "I bought this especially for you, keep it. If you don't want to keep it, then I'll give it to that girl Yang Li. She's been eyeing having her picture taken for a long time. Last time, she stood outside the window of the photo studio in the county town for ages."
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Yunping almost instantly hugged the camera tightly to her chest, her cheeks flushing red like a little lion guarding its food. She pouted with a hint of coquettishness, "Who said...who said I don't want it! It's such an expensive thing, and that little girl Yang Li is so clumsy. What if she drops or damages it? It would be such a waste!"
Song Yunping looked down at the camera in her arms, her fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth casing, a warm smile unconsciously appearing on her face.
Mr. and Mrs. Song exchanged a glance, tacitly pretending not to have noticed the interaction between the two. Song Yunhui, on the other hand, was completely absorbed in the novel function of the tape recorder and was trying to record his own voice.
As night deepened, Qin Hao got up to say goodbye. Song Yunping quickly grabbed a flashlight: "Mom and Dad, I'll go see Haozi off. It's cold outside, so you shouldn't go out."
……
The snow had stopped sometime earlier, and the moonlight shone on the snow, making the path bright. Song Yunping, however, insisted on using a flashlight, the beam leaving a trembling trail in the snow.
"Why didn't you come back for the Spring Festival last year?" Song Yunping suddenly asked halfway through the journey, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Qin Hao then remembered their agreement from last year and was about to apologize when she shook her head: "Never mind, I know you're busy."
She stopped and looked up at him, tiny snowflakes clinging to her eyelashes: "Being out there alone must be tiring, right?"
Under the moonlight, her eyes were like two clear springs, brimming with heartache. Qin Hao's heart warmed, and he suddenly grasped her hand. Even through the woolen gloves, Song Yunping stiffened, her cheeks instantly burning.
"No, no, don't do this!" she cried, looking around frantically. "It wouldn't be good if someone saw us."
"Don't worry." Qin Hao tightened his grip on his fingers. "The villagers are all asleep by now."
Song Yunping struggled, but couldn't break free, so she let him lead her. The two walked through the snow, their steps uneven, the beam of their flashlight flickering like her wildly beating heart.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already reached the fork in the road leading to Xiao Lei's house. A hint of disappointment flashed in Song Yunping's eyes: "Why does the road seem shorter today?"
Qin Hao noticed her reluctance and suggested, "Let me take you home; it's dark and the roads are slippery."
Song Yunping pursed her lips and nodded, her voice barely audible: "Mmm."
So the two turned back. This time they walked even slower, and Qin Hao talked about the funny things that happened in Hong Kong. Song Yunping was amused and laughed, gradually relaxing, and her fingers unconsciously intertwined with his.
Upon reaching the Song family's door, the two tacitly turned back. Two intersecting sets of footprints were left on the snow, which were quickly covered by fresh snow.
"Sister? Brother Hao?" The sudden voice startled Song Yunping so much that she almost jumped up.
Song Yunhui stood at the intersection, flashlight in hand, looking puzzled. "Why haven't you left yet? I came out to use the restroom and saw the flashlight beam swinging around."
Song Yunping was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. Qin Hao had no choice but to let go of her hand and said casually, "Nothing, I just remembered something I wanted to tell your sister."
"Alright, I'll go back by myself. It's cold, you guys go inside. I'm leaving."
……
The winter sun shone brightly, casting golden rays that dispelled the morning chill. The festive atmosphere of the New Year was truly intensified, and the entire Shanbei Brigade was immersed in the joyous celebration of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.
The air was filled with the aroma of fried food, the smoke from burning firewood, and the gunpowder smell of firecrackers.
Every household has put up brand-new red Spring Festival couplets on their door. The handwriting is different, but they all convey simple blessings.
The occasional sound of firecrackers popping in some corner could be heard from time to time, and the clear laughter of children could be heard everywhere.
Qin Hao's biological clock was a bit disordered after the long trip and the little incident last night. He was awakened by a loud knocking that was so intense it almost broke the door.
"Who is it? So early in the morning." Qin Hao yawned as he opened the door and saw Lei Dongbao standing there, his military overcoat covered in snowflakes, holding a piece of pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat.
"Our Xiaolei family did a great job this year!" Lei Dongbao's voice boomed. "Not only did we pay our grain tax on time, but every household also received meat. This is a portion I saved for you!"
Qin Hao didn't accept it, shaking his head and saying, "I appreciate the thought, but I can't accept this pork. It might upset some people."
"Who's unhappy? Tell him to come find me!" Lei Dongbao glared. "No matter what, you're a member of the Lei family, and you're entitled to a share of the pork!"
"Dongbao," Qin Hao said seriously, "I haven't been in the village for over a year. This pork was earned through your hard work and that of the villagers; I can't just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor."
Lei Dongbao scratched his head: "But I'm still farming the land your family was entitled to. Logically, that's what you deserve."
"Then this piece of meat is yours." Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder: "Isn't the land being distributed to individual households now? The more you work, the more you get."
"No way!" Lei Dongbao waved his hands repeatedly: "They'll say I'm greedy and take more than my share."
He hesitated for a moment: "Since you don't want it, then give it to a few poor families in the village. I'll just say you asked me to send it."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Qin Hao expectantly, but found that the other party just nodded and did not say anything more.
Lei Dongbao finally couldn't hold back any longer and leaned closer, lowering his voice: "You and the eldest daughter of the Song family..."
"We're dating." Qin Hao was direct. "Is there a problem?"
Lei Dongbao was speechless, his dark face turning bright red, and in the end he could only leave dejectedly.
Back at the team headquarters, Shi Hongwei and the others were roasting sweet potatoes around the stove. Seeing Lei Dongbao return with meat, Lei Sibao said sarcastically, "What did I tell you? He's a big boss now, he looks down on us three little things! If you ask me, we should divide it among ourselves."
"Bullshit!" Lei Dongbao, already venting his anger, pointed at Lei Sibao's nose and yelled, "Stop stirring things up! Whether they want it or not is their business, whether I give it to them or not is my business!"
Just as he was getting into a heated argument, the phone suddenly rang.
Leisgen, being the closest, answered the phone readily: "Hello? Oh, yes! Okay! Don't worry, I'll arrange everything!"
After hanging up the phone, Shi Hongwei teased, "Shigen, what's going on here? Whose phone call was that making you sound like a kowtowing worm?"
Lei Shigen ignored him and strode to Lei Dongbao, his voice trembling, "It's a call from the county. They said the newly arrived County Head Xu is coming to visit our Xiaolei family this afternoon, and we need to be prepared to receive him."
The old Party Secretary, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly stood up, his pipe falling to the ground with a "clatter": "Dongbao, this is fantastic news! It means the county magistrate has heard about the deeds of our Xiaolei family! We must treat them well this time; who knows, they might even get some more support policies for our Xiaolei family."
Lei Dongbao also got excited, slamming his fist on the table: "Did you all hear that? If anyone messes up for me tomorrow, I'll teach them a lesson! Hongwei, go tell the whole village to clear the snow from the roads! Shigen, prepare the report! Sibao, slaughter your old hen."
Lei Sibao was about to retort when he was so frightened by a look from Lei Dongbao that he dared not breathe.
Lei Dongbao scolded him with exasperation, "Look at your pathetic self. Don't worry, I won't let you take it for free. The team headquarters will reimburse you later."
Now the Xiaolei family is even more lively.
Some villagers secretly grumbled: "This new county head is really bored. Why is he coming here to join in the fun instead of staying home during the New Year?"
Some villagers were very cooperative and even reminded Lei Dongbao: "Dongbao, this time we have to let those leaders in the county see the changes in our Xiaolei family, so they won't take our land back again."
Just as Lei Dongbao and his family were busy preparing to receive the county leaders, Qin Hao had already finished washing up, locked the door, and headed to the Song family's house to have their New Year's Eve dinner.
Meanwhile, several cars were swaying and bumping along the dirt road leading to Shanbei Brigade. (End of Chapter)