Chapter 244

Yinjiang is a tributary of Qianjiang, the largest river in Qianjiang Province, and the only water system within Yinjiang District, from which the district derives its name.

Traveling north along the northeast-southwest axis of Yinjiang, you gradually move away from Ningshan beside Fuyi High School and fully enter the urban-rural fringe.

In fact, twenty or thirty years ago, most areas north of Ningshan were entirely urban-rural fringe, referred to by people to the south as the countryside.

Back then, the Ningshan Tunnel had not been excavated, the winding mountain roads had not been built, Yinjiang District was still called Ningshan County, and it did not include this northern area.

In this northern region, communities were organized by village units.

During that period, to travel from south to north, you either had to take a boat downstream along Yinjiang, or you could only descend via the expressway leading southeast to Changning City.

Then you had to follow narrow footpaths and rural dirt roads to reach this northern part of Ningshan.

Only after the winding mountain roads opened and the Ningshan Tunnel was completed did the north-south thoroughfare fully open, revitalizing the economic development of this area north of Ningshan.

Leveraging local resources backed by Ningshan and the geographical advantage of proximity to Yinjiang's water source, the northern part of Ningshan quickly rose from vast farmlands into a cluster of modern factories.

Some villagers, including those from Lijia Village, followed this tide of the times, transformed themselves, entered factories, moved into the city, and stepped into a new phase of life.

At the same time, during the early 2000s administrative reorganization of Yuhang City, they became lucky beneficiaries of the era, directly becoming residents of Yuhang City's Yinjiang District.

Lijia Village, about ten kilometers north of Ningshan, is the hometown of Li Guohong and Ying Zhicheng, the place where they grew up.

Following Ying Zhicheng's Audi, Li Guohong gazed at the newly built roads around him and sighed:

"Li Luo, Chanxi, look."

"Last year when we drove this road, this side hadn't been widened yet—it was still a gravel road."

"Look at it now, this road."

"In just one year, it's completely transformed."

Lin Xiuhong looked out the window and also marveled: "They've started building houses here too? Who actually lives here?"

"Who says otherwise? No one knows who's buying." Li Guohong clicked his tongue. "But since the area north of Ningshan developed service industries around Qianjiang University, entire stretches of former industrial factories are being relocated north."

"Didn't Li Dao mention this last time my brother came over for dinner?"

"His factory was assigned a new plot by the government and ordered to relocate entirely—probably somewhere around here."

"With factories come workers, and with workers come foot traffic—housing here becomes easier to sell."

"If the subway eventually extends all the way to Qianjiang University, maybe in another decade or two, it'll stretch all the way here."

Listening to his father's words, Li Luo in the backseat paused, then smiled—he hadn't expected his father's intuition to be so sharp.

But seeing a subway reach this area? That's still over a decade away—far too early.

"Feels like now that this road is smooth, we get back to our hometown much faster," Li Guohong said, glancing at the time. "We left home just after nine, and it's only been ten minutes—we'll probably reach the village in twenty more."

Previously, it took thirty to forty minutes of bumpy travel to get back.

Now, with Yinjiang District's continued northward development along Yinjiang, supported by policies prioritizing transportation, travel has become increasingly convenient.

Not long after, Li Luo and the others caught sight of Lijia Village's silhouette in the distance.

Though called Lijia Village, it now bears little resemblance to a "village."

Driving through the entrance gate with red walls and green tiles onto the main road, you see two rows of grand row villas lining the street, each four stories tall.

Since around 2007, in response to the national "Beautiful City Construction" initiative, a sweeping rural demolition campaign began north of Ningshan.

Lijia Village was prominently included.

After the resettlement was completed around 2011, nearly every household received at least one villa.

Families with many children, like Li Luo's grandfather's, received three villas outright.

One for the grandparents, one for the eldest uncle's family, and one for the eldest aunt's husband, who had married into the Li family.

The only regret was that when Li Luo's grandfather sent his youngest son into the city for schooling, he used every connection to transfer Li Guohong's household registration to Yinjiang District, making it urban.

At the time, urban household registration was far more desirable than rural, and Lin Xiuhong's family had agreed to marry their daughter into the Li family precisely because of Li Guohong's urban status.

But no one anticipated that as rural construction in Qianjiang Province improved, amid continuous demolition waves, rural household registration became increasingly valuable.

This, too, was fate—causing Li Guohong's family to miss out on this villa.

Fortunately, over the past half-year, their son has succeeded, and Li Guohong has let go of his fixation on this villa.

Otherwise, in the past, every time they drove back to the countryside, Li Guohong would inevitably recount this story, filled with regret.

Li Luo's grandfather's house is located at Row 8, House 8 in Lijia Village—a very auspicious number.

Ying Chanxi's grandfather's house sits right next door at Row 8, House 7.

When these villas were built, they were constructed as row units, with every two houses sharing one structure and a common outdoor staircase on the second floor.

From the center, going left leads to Ying Chanxi's second floor, going right leads to Li Luo's.

Further right, Houses 9 and 10 of Row 8 belong to Li Guorong, Li Luo's eldest uncle, and his eldest aunt's husband's family.

Across the narrow street in front of the courtyard are the homes of Li Luo's second and third grandfathers—totaling four or five households.

Together, they form a familial enclave for their small Li family.

Following Ying Zhicheng's car into the courtyard, Li Guohong parked, and Li Luo and Ying Chanxi opened their doors and stepped out.

"Grandpa! Grandma! Grandpa Ying!"

As soon as they stepped out, Li Luo grinned and greeted the elders.

Ying Chanxi followed with a sweet greeting.

Like Ying Chanxi's mother, her grandmother passed away long ago.

Unlike the Li family's thriving lineage, Grandpa Ying had only one son: Ying Zhicheng.

He has relied on the Li family's frequent care to maintain a normal life in the village.

This is also one reason Ying Zhicheng and Li Guohong have always been close.

Ying Zhicheng got out of his car, greeted Li Luo's grandparents, then opened the trunk and began unloading New Year goods.

Li Luo glanced at his parents, saw they had enough hands, and pulled Ying Chanxi to help Ying Zhicheng carry things.

Lin Xiuhong watched and muttered under her breath: "This kid."

"Oh! Guohong's back?" Second-floor Uncle Chen Hailin heard the commotion in the yard, leaned out from the balcony, saw Li Guohong's family, hurried downstairs, and smiled as he helped carry the goods. "Look at all this stuff you bring every time you come back."

"It's the New Year—everyone should have fun together," Lin Xiuhong handed over her items. Chen Hailin eagerly took them and helped Li Guohong carry them upstairs.

"Qiqi, come down! Help your uncle carry the stuff!" Chen Hailin called upstairs while carrying, then turned back to chat with Li Guohong and his wife. "Guoru's family will come back in the afternoon."

"Xuefeng and Lulu say they'll return tomorrow morning."

"Xuemei and Jiajia won't be back until tomorrow evening—they're going first to Jiajia's grandfather's house in Chen Village for New Year's Eve dinner, then heading back after eating."

Li Guohong nodded in understanding and gradually carried the New Year goods into the second-floor living room.

Chen Yongqi, Chen Hailin's son, came downstairs at his father's urging to help out.

After finishing, Chen Yongqi spotted Li Luo and Ying Chanxi next door and immediately went over to help them unload their New Year goods too.

"Here, give them to me," Chen Yongqi took two large bags from Ying Chanxi and swiftly carried them upstairs.

Just moments ago, helping his father, he'd dragged his feet—but now, helping Ying Chanxi, he moved like a sprinter.

Li Luo greeted his cousin, then noticed his gaze and couldn't help smiling.

His cousin was already twenty-six, had graduated from junior college for years, and had been helping Li Dao with business.

But outsiders didn't know Chen Yongqi was secretly an otaku who looked down on real women, and despite constant family pressure to marry, he refused.

Only during holidays, when he saw Ying Chanxi, did he glance at her a little longer.

Still, his cousin was all heart but no courage, and with such a big age gap, he could only fantasize silently.

Later, in his thirties, under unbearable family pressure, he reluctantly accepted a blind date.

But after just two years, he divorced, then never remarried—he had a huge fight with his family, yelled that all his wives were in his computer, and stayed single until Li Luo's rebirth.

Later, Li Luo learned that after marriage, his cousin hadn't touched his wife for two full years.

Besides work, he locked himself in his study to play games.

Recalling this, Li Luo's expression turned wry—somewhat helpless, somewhat amused.

But then he thought of himself—also in his thirties, never married, never even dated—and he couldn't mock his cousin anymore.

"Xixi's back?" Chen Yongqi had carried things for a long while before finally blurting out a greeting to Ying Chanxi.

"Mm, Cousin Yongqi?" Ying Chanxi politely replied.

"I got back yesterday," Chen Yongqi answered, then fell silent. After helping carry everything upstairs, he bowed out amid Ying Zhisheng's thanks and slipped back next door to keep gaming.

Li Luo didn't bother with his cousin—he turned to look at Ying Chanxi and said, "When will you call me 'Li Luo-ge'?"

"You're dreaming," Ying Chanxi rolled her eyes. "I'm older than you—why don't you call me 'Xixi-jie'?"

"Will I get a red envelope if I call you sister?"

"Go ahead and call me—if you do, I'll give you the red envelope."

"Xixi-jie," Li Luo grinned shamelessly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Will you give me the red envelope?"

Ying Chanxi glanced at him in surprise, her ears warming from his breath, cheeks faintly reddening: "Y-you… how have you gotten so shameless?"

"Why bother with shame if I get a red envelope?"

"How can you be so bold?" Ying Chanxi spat. "You earn so much from royalties—still hankering after my little red envelopes?"

"Fine, don't give me one," Li Luo chuckled. "But you owe me 'Li Luo-ge'—otherwise, I'm the one who loses."

"Hmph," Ying Chanxi stomped on his foot. "Who said I won't give it? I'll give it to you on New Year's Eve—wait and see."

"Alright, I'll just look forward to it a little," Li Luo, acting like he belonged, walked straight into the kitchen, took a drink from the fridge—long prepared by Ying's grandfather for his granddaughter—opened it, and gulped it down.

"Get me one too!"

"Coming," Li Luo grabbed another bottle, walked to the living room sofa, and handed it to her.

On the other side, Ying Zhisheng sat with his father, chatting about his and Xixi's recent lives, asking how he liked living in the village, and as usual, inquiring whether he'd consider moving to the city.

Ying's grandfather shook his head and waved his hand—accustomed to village life, surrounded by familiar friends, he had no desire to enjoy city comforts.

Ying Zhisheng couldn't do anything about it—the old man loved living here, and he wouldn't interfere. He could only thank the Li family more often during meals for their care.

At this moment, Li Luo sat beside Ying Chanxi, noticed her tapping her phone screen, and curiously glanced over.

But Ying Chanxi covered the screen, refusing to let him see.

"What are you doing?"

"None of your business," Ying Chanxi turned away and kept typing rapidly.

Still curious, Li Luo caught a glimpse—her phone showed the Qidian app's comment section.

So Li Luo opened his own Qidian app, went to his novel's comment section, and saw Ying Chanxi's post had been pinned to the top.

But after refreshing, he noticed Yan Zhusheng's post supporting Mo Qinghan had jumped back to the top.

He refreshed again—Ying Chanxi's post was back on top.

Li Luo clicked into Ying Chanxi's post and saw she'd been posting repeated comments like "Check-in," "Support," "Go go go."

He glanced at Ying Chanxi, still furiously typing, and stared, speechless.

But what about Yan Zhusheng's post?

Curious, Li Luo opened the post by "Shengsheng Bu Xi"—and saw the user "Shengsheng Bu Xi" was also occasionally pinning and boosting the post, just less frequently than Ying Chanxi.

Seeing this, Li Luo was torn between laughter and exasperation—he looked at Ying Chanxi beside him, then imagined Yan Zhusheng earnestly tapping her phone screen, and didn't know what to say.

He glanced at Xu Youyu, quietly ranked third, and couldn't help mentally grumbling.

Look at that senior—how calm she is.

You two are so childish.