Chapter 4 Going to the Countryside

  Director Wang smiled and pointed at Third Uncle, saying: "You're just a big mouth. Alright, you two go take care of the formalities first, if there's anything else, come find me." After speaking, he walked over to the chair behind his desk. Seeing this, Third Uncle hastily said: "Director Wang, we'll let you get back to work, we'll head out first." Director Wang nodded slightly without turning around, and Third Uncle quickly led Yu Fan out of the office, closing the door behind them as they left.

  The two turned and walked towards the personnel department's office, but it was unknown that Director Wang was sitting in a chair behind his desk at this time, smiling and looking at the door of the office with a thoughtful expression.

  When he arrived at the personnel department, San Gu Fu seemed much more relaxed. As soon as he entered the door, he called out to a woman in her thirties in the office: "Beauty, long time no see!" The woman, however, gave him a sideways glance and ignored him. San Gu Fu saw the situation and could only speak in a low voice: "Wang Jie, Wang Gu Niang, I'm here on business this time."

  That woman couldn't help but burst out laughing and said, "What kind of serious business could you possibly have? Spit it out, what do you want me to do for you again?" Third Uncle let out a bitter laugh and said, "This time I'm really being serious. Here, Director Wang asked me to bring this over for you to report." Wang sister looked at Yu Fan with a hint of surprise and said, "Oh, so you're Yu Fan? You're actually pretty handsome!" Third Uncle chimed in from the side, teasingly saying, "Could it be that Sister Wang has taken a liking to him, wanting an old cow to eat young grass?"

  Wang sister glared at him and said, "A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory, I'm going to eat the tender grass first, and that includes you." Third Uncle looked at Yu Fan with some embarrassment. Wang sister then turned to Yu Fan and said, "Yu Fan, come over here and handle the formalities." Yu Fan hastily smiled and said, "Thank you, Wang sister." Wang sister glanced at Yu Fan and laughed, saying, "Your mouth is quite sweet, I'm sure you've charmed many young girls to death."

  Yu Fan hastily said, "Sister Wang is joking, who would look at people like us?" Sister Wang chuckled and said, "You're a university student, aren't you? The girls in the university can't resist the temptation of men with sweet mouths like yours." Yu Fan could only smile awkwardly and quickly finished the formalities with Sister Wang before going downstairs with Third Uncle.

  After getting off the office building, San Gu Fu suddenly asked: "Xiao Fan, is there a spare bicycle at home?" Yu Fan nodded slightly in confusion. San Gu Fu smiled and said: "That's good, your procedures are also completed, now you can go back. Tomorrow at 9 o'clock come here, ride a bike with us to the countryside." Yu Fan asked strangely: "Don't I need to work today?" San Gu Fu smiled: "Aren't you working now? Don't worry, from now on you are working, don't ask anything, just remember to ride a bike and go to the countryside with us tomorrow." Although Yu Fan felt strange, he still bid farewell to San Gu Fu and walked out of the county government compound.

  Back home, Yu Fan called his roommates to tell them that he wouldn't be going to Beijing with them. This led to a barrage of complaints from his roommates, and Yu Fan patiently explained the situation to them. However, he didn't dare tell them about his temporary job at the rural government office - if he did, they would laugh him to death! A university graduate like himself working as a temp in some rural government office?

  After a long explanation, Yu Fan let out a sigh and hung up the phone. Looking at the old bicycle in his home, Yu Fan thought that he had nothing to do anyway, so he wiped it clean and took a look, feeling that it was not bad. In the evening, his father came back home and asked about Yu Fan's registration today, Yu Fan told him everything truthfully, but his father, Yu Xianyi, didn't say anything.

  The next day, Yu Fan rode his bicycle to the township government compound early in the morning. This time, he didn't rush over like yesterday. He left home at 8:30 and arrived at the compound just before 9 o'clock. Seeing that the iron gate was still closed, Yu Fan went back to the small shop from yesterday to have breakfast. When he returned, the old man who guarded the door was opening the iron gate.

  Yu Fan smiled and greeted the old man at the gate, then sat down with him for a while in the lobby. The others also arrived one after another on their bicycles during this time. Yu Fan looked at his third uncle in the crowd, smiled, and pushed his bicycle over to him. His third uncle smiled as soon as he saw Yu Fan and said: "You're quite early. Come on, let's go to the office first for a meeting. After the morning meeting, we'll head out to the countryside together." He patted Yu Fan's shoulder after finishing speaking.

  Yu Fan was also unfamiliar with the place, and followed Third Uncle Zou Yi into the large office from yesterday. Before long, more people came in one after another. Third Uncle also beckoned a few people over, smiled at Yu Fan and introduced them: "Come on, Little Fan, let me introduce you." Pointing to these people, he said: "This is Wang Fuchun, Li Changgui, Yao Xingming, and Song Jian, all of whom were temporarily recruited this time. Today, you'll go with us to Yujiawan Village." He smiled at Yu Fan again: "You should be very familiar with Yujiawan, that's your hometown, and your grandmother is still there now. After we arrive later, go visit your grandmother first. Come on, get acquainted with everyone first, after all, you'll be working together from now on."

  Yu Fan heard this and hurriedly smiled at the few people, saying: "Brother Wang, Brother Li, Brother Yao, Brother Song, from now on we'll be working together. Please take care of me, brothers." The people who worked in the rural government were all old-timers, so when they heard this, they quickly smiled and said: "No need to be polite, let's just take care of each other from now on."

  Yu Fan smiled, although he had been in school for years, but he still knew some things about society. He quickly took out the "Yun Yan" cigarettes he bought this morning and lit them up in the office. With the cigarette as a conversation starter, Yu Fan's humble attitude made him quickly familiar with the people in the office. Even Dong Biao and his gang were no longer mocking Yu Fan like yesterday, but instead silently accepted the cigarette he offered without acknowledging him. Yu Fan didn't mind, and soon the pack of "Yun Yan" was empty.

  Third Uncle smiled and looked at Yu Fan's shoulder: "Not bad, still quite capable of mixing." After finishing, he glanced at several people around him and said: "I'll go upstairs to ask Comrade Chen if today's morning meeting is still open. You few chat first." After finishing, he turned around and left the office.

  Yu Fan proactively chatted with Wang Fuchun and others, and after a while, San Gu Fu came down from the floor. As soon as he entered the office, he loudly said: "Alright, today there are things in the countryside, so Chen will not come to have an early meeting with everyone. It's still the same as yesterday, each group is responsible for the situation of each village." After finishing speaking, he smiled and walked towards Yu Fan and others. The people in the office also seemed to be accustomed to it, and they slowly came out of the office in groups of three or five.

  Third Uncle also smiled at Yu Fan and the others, saying: "Alright, it's not early anymore, let's go too." After finishing speaking, he led several people to walk towards the big courtyard. Yu Fan also followed several people pushing their bicycles out of the big courtyard, and a group of people rode their bicycles towards the town's embankment.

  Yu's family village is still very familiar to Yu Fan, as he spent most of his childhood there, and his old home is also located there. His grandmother and second aunt's family still live there now. On the embankment of the town, outside the embankment is a small river. The small river is very narrow, said to be connected to Jingnan River in Xinyang City, which is a tributary of Jingnan River. Yu Fan doesn't know if it's true or not, but when he was young, he loved swimming in this river during the summer, and at that time, people in the town liked to call this river Jingdong River.

  It's not even July yet, and the river is not very big. Yu Fan remembers that every year during the flood season, people from the village below would take turns to go up to the dam to prevent flooding. When he was young, he went up to the dam with his grandfather once, crying and making a fuss. At that time, he didn't feel scared looking at the turbulent river water in front of him, but rather very curious, only feeling that his grandfather seemed very tense. Now thinking about it, perhaps only the older generation who have experienced floods know how terrifying it is when the floodwaters overflow.

  There is no bridge on the east side of Jingdong River, but there is a ferry boat that belongs to Wangjiadun Village on the other side of the river. Yu Fan remembers this very clearly because his third uncle is from Wangjiadun Village. The ferry boat belongs to the village committee of Wangjiadun and can be considered a village-run enterprise. All the people in Wangjiadun Village can take the ferry to town without paying any money, which made Yu Fan, who often returned to Yujia Bay Village when he was young, very envious. Since his aunt married into Wangjiadun Village, Yu Fan has also taken advantage of this convenience several times.

  The county government's large courtyard has many people crossing the river, and more than half of the villages below are on the opposite side of the river. Although the river surface is not very wide now, the water flow rate is very rapid, and more than a dozen bicycles dare not board the ship at once, and cross the river in two batches.

  The people under the township government also don't need to pay when crossing the river, as long as they remember the number of people who crossed and settle the account together at the end of the year. After getting off the boat, San Gu Fu took a few people down the embankment and arrived at Wangjiadun Village. San Gu Fu's home was located on the edge of the village, next to the highway, and Yu Fan saw San Gu tidying up the house as soon as he rode his bicycle for a few steps.

  Third Uncle parked his bicycle at the door and beckoned Wang Fuchun and others to stop their cars. He smiled and said to Third Aunt in the house, "Come out and see who has come to your house?" Third Aunt also saw Yu Fan and walked out smiling, saying: "I heard your uncle say yesterday that you went to the township government to report. You little scoundrel, the town is just a short distance from home, but you didn't even come to see your aunt."