Chapter 898

Hou Guangbi asked Hou my lord to put away the Go set and asked Su Xinghui, "Do you know how to play?"

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "I do."

Hou Guangbi said, "It's a pity I'm old and my energy is failing; I can play at most one game a day. Next time when there's time, I'll play a game with you."

Su Xinghui said, "Alright."

Hou Guangbi smiled and said, "I heard you say last time that you are already a township head?"

Su Xinghui said, "Yes, I am the head of Pengjiawan Township."

Hou Guangbi recalled, "Pengjiawan, I visited it over forty years ago. Is it still called by that name now?"

Su Xinghui said, "For a period of time, it was renamed Patriotic Commune, but later it was changed back to Pengjiawan Township."

Hou Guangbi had clearly heard about that history from the brothers Hou my lord and Hou Dali. He nodded understandingly and asked, "How old are you this year?"

"Twenty-three."

"That is truly young, to be a township head at only twenty-three."

"I heard that you became a provincial councilor before you were thirty."

"Haha, you know about that too? But I can't compare to you. I heard from Dali that you are doing a very good job as a township head. My time as a provincial councilor was a complete failure."

Hou Guangbi shook his head and sighed.

Su Xinghui said, "You shouldn't blame yourself for that. The will of the people is the trend; no one can change the great momentum of history."

Hou Guangbi mocked himself, "I prided myself on being an elite, yet I couldn't see the trend of the times. Isn't that a failure?"

Su Xinghui quickly changed the subject, "Grandpa Hou, now that you have returned to the country, what is your impression of it?"

Hou Guangbi said, "This time I've only seen this small area of Jiangcheng, and it's much better than I imagined. The French media depicted China as a place where people still wore blue and gray clothes, but this time I saw everyone wearing colorful clothes, and high-rise buildings are everywhere. The conditions at this White Rose Hotel are also quite good. I just don't know what Shangjun County looks like now."

Hou Guangbi's eyes were full of expectation. His hometown, unseen for forty-five years—what have you become now?

Su Xinghui said, "You will be able to see it tomorrow."

A sudden look of panic appeared in Hou Guangbi's eyes: "Sigh, the moment I think about returning tomorrow, I feel an inexplicable unease in my heart. We unfilial descendants have been away from our hometown for too long!"

Su Xinghui remained silent. Perhaps this is the feeling that one becomes more timid as they approach their hometown.

Hou Dali said, "Third Uncle, Shangjun County is quite well-developed now. A commercial street has been built in the county seat, and they are also building some tourist scenic spots. Do you remember Nanmen Street? It has been demolished, and a residential area is being built there. The buildings in the residential area are seven or eight stories high."

Hou Guangbi nodded and said, "Hearing you say that, I am even more expectant."

Su Xinghui said, "Grandpa Hou, economic construction is happening everywhere in the country now. When you go to Shangjun County tomorrow and come back in half a year, you definitely won't recognize it."

Hou Dali nodded and said, "That is indeed the case. In the past year or two, the development of Shangjun County has been too fast; there are buildings under construction almost everywhere."

Hearing the words of Su Xinghui and Hou Dali, Hou Guangbi was very excited. Who wouldn't hope for their hometown to become better and better?

After listening to Su Xinghui and Hou Dali talk about Shangjun County for a while, Hou Guangbi's energy was clearly failing. Su Xinghui stood up and said, "Grandpa Hou, please rest. I will go downstairs to open a room, and I will come to pick you up tomorrow morning."

Hou Guangbi sighed, "I originally wanted to have a candlelit talk with you, but I have no energy left, so I will rest first."

Hou Guangbi was, after all, a seventy-year-old man. He had spent over ten hours on a plane last night, was emotionally excited about returning to the country today, and had attended several social engagements, exhausting his mind too much. It was inevitable that he would be sleepy at this time.

Su Xinghui took his leave, and Hou Guangbi had his children and nephews to attend to him as he went to sleep.

Su Xinghui went to the hotel lobby and requested a single room on the seventh floor. After entering the room, he called Zhang Kaishan and told him about his situation in Jiangcheng today.