Yi Anguo brought his daughter Yi Xinyi, his eldest niece Fu Huanhuan, Li Shanshan, and Yang Hai. Instead of his own Bentley, he drove an SUV worth over 800,000 yuan.

After all, considering the road conditions on the way back and the travel required after arriving, driving an SUV seemed more convenient. Plus, its spacious interior made it a bit more comfortable for resting.

Li Shanshan and Fu Huanhuan were no strangers; one could say they were quite familiar with each other. Li Sisi had been Yi Anguo's official girlfriend, and his third sister, brother-in-law, and eldest niece all knew her well. Although Li Shanshan had come to Shenzhen later, she quickly became acquainted with Yi Anguo's relatives because of her connection to Li Sisi.

They set out at dawn and arrived home after dark. The journey covered a thousand kilometers and took about eleven to twelve hours.

Since the year 2000, one highway after another had started construction and subsequently opened to traffic, which greatly shortened the trip home. A journey that would have taken over twenty hours before 2000 was reduced to around ten, cutting the travel time by more than half.

After reaching the city proper of his hometown, Yi Anguo decided it would be better to head back to the village the next day. For now, they would find a hotel in the city for the night.

Things were different now. Back when he returned alone, it wouldn't have been an issue to stay at his eldest sister's house for the night.

After having dinner at the hotel, they all went to stroll through the night market.

Yi Anguo's hometown was called Jian'an City, a county-level city only sixty kilometers from the provincial capital. However, it wasn't under the capital's jurisdiction but was administered by Mingyue City. Yet, very few Jian'an residents, especially the younger generation, hadn't been to the provincial capital, while the vast majority had probably never set foot in Mingyue City.

Consequently, Mingyue City had a very low profile in the minds of Jian'an's people. When traveling, they generally just said they were from Jian'an and rarely mentioned being from Mingyue.

Jian'an had a long history, having once been the seat of a prefectural government. It had produced some major historical figures and, in modern times, was the birthplace of renowned individuals like the world-famous physicist Wu Youxun and the Whampoa Military Academy's Xiong Xiong, as well as a number of anti-Japanese war heroes.

Jian'an had a population of nearly a million, but its streets were not yet lined with skyscrapers. The tallest buildings were only about a dozen stories high. Urban development had yet to take off, and housing prices were just over a thousand yuan per square meter. A hundred-square-meter apartment would cost little more than a hundred thousand yuan.

But one shouldn't be fooled by Jian'an's currently low housing prices. In a few years, they would change dramatically. By 2015, housing prices would be comparable to those in Dongguan, with the average price skyrocketing to 17,000 yuan per square meter and many properties selling for over 20,000.

After enjoying some local specialty snacks at the night market, they were about to leave when they ran into Yi Junmin from the same village.

Yi Junmin was one of Yi Anguo's paternal nephews. His parents were both elementary school teachers, and the two had grown up as classmates. His father often told Yi Anguo's father that the brains of three Yi Junmins combined couldn't match the intelligence of one Yi Anguo.

But what did that matter? As the saying goes, being born into the right family is a skill in itself. A lucky draw in the birth lottery meant you could live more comfortably than those who tried their hardest.

Although Yi Junmin was indeed not academically inclined, he managed to get a diploma from a vocational school. He was now married with a child and had never left to find work elsewhere. He had a job with the urban management in Jian'an City, which was very relaxed. While the salary wasn't particularly high, it wasn't low either. The key thing was that his parents wouldn't need his support for the rest of their lives. They had built a three-and-a-half-story house in the village and owned one or two apartments in the city. Their monthly retirement pensions totaled three to four thousand yuan, more than they could ever spend. With their own farmland and vegetable garden, they only needed to buy a little meat and hardly anything else. How much could they possibly spend? Thus, Yi Junmin lived a life that was the envy of many.

"Anguo! When did you get back?" Yi Junmin exclaimed, a joyful laugh spreading across his face upon seeing Yi Anguo for the first time in several years.

They were close in age, with Yi Junmin being a year older than Yi Anguo. When Yi Anguo saw Yi Junmin's parents, he would call them 'Brother' and 'Sister-in-law', but there was no way Yi Junmin would call Yi Anguo 'Uncle'. Yi Anguo was the youngest of his generation, and many of his cousins' children were older than him, so naturally, they wouldn't call him 'Uncle'. Those younger than him, however, would.

"I came back for a visit, mainly to sort out building a house in the village. Without a house, I wouldn't even have a proper place for the New Year's celebration," Yi Anguo said with a smile.

"Building a house in the village is a good idea!" Yi Junmin said. "Our village is currently developing a New Rural Construction project. You just have to sign up and pay 4,000 yuan, and you can start building right away. You don't even have to apply for a homestead or building permits."

"My family built a house in the new rural area, too. It's a model project for our entire town, so the planning is quite nice. I heard they're going to add gardens, a public square, and streetlights."

"Actually, if you're just coming back for the New Year and want convenience, buying an apartment in the city is a good option. But it's still best to have a house in the village; otherwise, you'll have nowhere to stay when you come back."

"The old family house is definitely no good anymore. The last time I was back, I saw the roof tiles had collapsed and a crack had formed in the wall."

The two didn't chat for long, as Yi Junmin was out with his colleagues.

He vaguely recalled that the village was indeed carrying out a 'New Rural Construction' project around this time, with unified planning and building standards. Initially, the plan was for two-and-a-half-story houses, but it was later raised to three and a half stories, with a standard area of 120 square meters per house. The 4,000 yuan registration fee would even be refunded after the house was built, and you didn't have to go through the hassle of applying for land yourself. A few families whose fathers or grandfathers had married into families elsewhere years ago even took this opportunity to move back to the village and reclaim their ancestral roots.

The next morning, Yi Anguo went to the farmers' market to buy beef, pork, chicken, duck, and other main dishes. There was no need to buy vegetables, as his eldest sister's home had plenty.

He arranged for Yang Hai to stay in a hotel in the city. After all, it wasn't very convenient to take him to his eldest sister's house. Bringing a friend was one thing, but showing up with a driver and bodyguard would be a bit too pretentious.

Upon arriving at his eldest sister's house, the siblings were naturally overjoyed to see each other. His brother-in-law was also home; they both knew he was coming back today and had stayed to welcome him.

However, when his sister saw Li Shanshan and learned she was only her brother's sister-in-law, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. What she really wanted to see was what her new sister-in-law looked like, what her personality was, and whether she was a suitable person to build a life with. Still, this younger sister was quite attractive, with a nice figure and a gentle disposition. Her older sister couldn't be too bad, she imagined.

Her husband helped carry in the meat and groceries, muttering, "It's so hot today, why did you buy so much beef and pork? There's no way we can eat all of this."

"And these chickens and ducks... we have our own at home. You went out and bought more? What a waste of money."

"Brother-in-law! If we can't finish it, we'll just put it in the fridge and eat it slowly!" Yi Anguo said with a smile. "It's not like you don't have a refrigerator."

"The fridge can't hold this much! If you've got so much money you don't know what to do with it, you might as well just give us some cash," his brother-in-law grumbled.

"Sure, how much do you want? I can transfer it to you right now," Yi Anguo replied, still grinning. "Just say the word, and I'll give you as much as you ask for!"

His eldest sister quickly cut in, "You keep your money. A little cash goes to your head. We have our own hands and feet; why would we need your money?"

"Xinyi! Come here! Do you remember your great-aunt?" his eldest sister said to Yi Xinyi with a smile.

Yi Xinyi shook her head. Now six years old, she had last seen her great-aunt when she was just over two. How could she possibly remember her now?

"Xinyi! Call her 'Great-Aunt'! When you were little, she adored you," Yi Anguo said to his daughter, chuckling.

"Great-Aunt!" Yi Xinyi called out obediently.

"Such a good girl! You've grown so big all of a sudden, I can hardly recognize you," his sister said, her eyes welling with tears.

The poor child, not even three years old, had been heartlessly abandoned by her mother. Whenever she thought about it, her heart ached for her little niece, and her dislike for the child's mother grew. She couldn't understand how her brother had chosen such a woman in the first place.

"Here! Great-Aunt will give you this, malt sugar sesame crisps," his sister said, taking out a few thin, round sesame wafers.

"Great-Aunt! Is this candy?" Yi Xinyi asked curiously, taking a piece.

"Yes, it's candy! It's very sweet and delicious," her great-aunt said.

"Mommy said that eating candy gives you cavities!" Yi Xinyi said, eager to eat it but hesitating.

"It's okay. A little bit won't hurt, just don't eat too much!" Yi Anguo chimed in from the side.

"Thank you, Great-Aunt!" Yi Xinyi said happily, hearing her father's permission.

No child can resist the temptation of candy; a love for sweets is a universal trait among children.

"Eldest Sister, do you have any edamame or peanuts around? I'm suddenly craving some boiled salted edamame and peanuts," Yi Anguo said.

"We have both. If you want some, I'll have your brother-in-law go pick some in a bit," his sister replied with a nod.

"Shasha! The college entrance exam is next year, right? Aren't you going to prep school for it?" Yi Anguo asked with a smile, spotting his eldest sister's third daughter, Fu Shasha.

"I've already taken the exam. What prep school? I'm just waiting to see if I got into a university," Fu Shasha replied.

"No way! So soon? I thought you were taking it next year. You already took it this year?" Yi Anguo said, surprised.

The thought that Fu Shasha ended up studying agriculture and forestry at university always baffled him.

"Uncle! You don't care about me at all!" Fu Shasha said, looking aggrieved.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! It's my fault, Uncle forgot all about something as important as your exam," Yi Anguo quickly apologized. "But I promise you, you'll definitely get into a university."

"Really? What if I don't?" Fu Shasha shot back with a smile.

"How could you not? If you don't get in, I'll pay for you to repeat the year. How about that?" Yi Anguo said cheerfully.

"Okay! You said it! You can't go back on your word!" Fu Shasha said, elated.

"An uncle's promise is a promise. My word is my bond," Yi Anguo vowed solemnly. "By the way, assuming you got in, what university did you apply to?"

"My first choice is Shenzhen University. My sister said it's very close to where you live, so my parents wouldn't have to worry," Fu Shasha said with a smile.

"The admission score for Shenzhen University is pretty high," Yi Anguo warned. "Even though it's not a 985 or 211 university, its admission scores are just as high as many of them! How confident are you? If you're not too sure, it might be safer to apply to other universities."

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