Chapter 134: Xinian Presents the New Year Gift

"Comrade Zhong is remarkably sharp. Any child she and Dashan have will surely be brilliant," Yan Guofeng said, his heart filled with deep satisfaction.

Yan Hejun: "..." The conversation had veered off course.

Forget it, he decided, he wouldn't pour cold water on his father's mood.

Yan Guofeng chuckled to himself, his eyes crinkling. "You should have your wife urge Dashan to marry his granddaughter-in-law sooner. It’s rare to find such a wonderful young woman these days. You don't know, my rheumatism—that old cold in my legs—used to ache constantly. It was so severe sometimes that walking became a struggle. When Comrade Zhong heard about it, she gave me a folk remedy, and it’s been incredibly soothing. Winter has been here for so long, and yet my legs haven't flared up once. The remedy she provided is not only effective but also inexpensive, using ingredients that are easy to come by."

"What kind of remedy?"

"A remedy for rheumatic leg pain. Just look at those old fellows, the Chengs, the Luos, and the Lins; they don't even dare step outside. Even in the dead of winter, I still go to work just like always." Without the pain, he felt refreshed, clear-headed, and nimble.

Yan Hejun frowned slightly, then smoothed his expression. "As long as it works for you, that’s good. Since this remedy is so effective, why haven't you told the other families' patriarchs? It would at least save them some suffering."

They were all veteran revolutionaries, members of the older generation who had emerged from the war years, and few were in good health.

"Nonsense! The remedy isn't mine to give. Besides, I haven't been using it for long. Who knows what the long-term effects might be? Regardless, it’s working well for now." He wasn't a fool; even a small folk remedy was something that belonged to someone else. Could he just go around spreading it without the owner's consent?

How foolish that would be.

Yan Guofeng frowned in disapproval. "Don't you go running your mouth about it either. We'll wait until we ask for Comrade Zhong's opinion before making any plans."

"But it's just a small remedy..."

"A small remedy can cure major ailments. How come none of the doctors ever brought this remedy forward?" It wasn't that he was overthinking it; surely some of those doctors must have known about it, yet not a single one had offered it up. Whatever their motives were, his granddaughter-in-law-to-be had provided it, and selflessly at that.

Why should he just give it away to others for nothing?

"Perhaps they didn't know," Yan Hejun said, though his voice lacked conviction.

Yan Guofeng scoffed. "If they didn't know, it’s because their learning is shallow. I’m telling you, you are not allowed to mention it to anyone. Everything must wait until Comrade Zhong agrees before we can submit it to the authorities. Let the people above handle the dissemination; we are not to take charge of it ourselves."

He was close to retirement and didn't want to stir up trouble, nor did he want to drag his son into it—they worked in entirely different systems.

Don't talk to him about lacking ideological awareness. If the price of high ideological awareness was the exploitation of someone else’s property, then he truly had no interest in it.

"I understand, Dad. I'm not one to go shooting my mouth off." Yan Hejun nodded helplessly. "Do you even know what the ingredients are?"

"Go ask your son," Yan Guofeng said, eyeing him coldly. "And I'm warning you, if you dare go around talking about this, I won't spare your feelings just because you're getting on in years."

Yan Hejun promised repeatedly that he would never breathe a word of it, and only then did Yan Guofeng relent.

As night fell over the Zhong household, the lights were ablaze, and they welcomed an esteemed guest.

Xi Nian arrived with two guards, all three of them carrying bags filled to the brim. The two guards also had various odds and ends hanging from their hands and shoulders.

"Greetings, Comrade Xi Nian! Why did you bring so many things? Your presence alone would have been enough." Zhong Yuxiu gave Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo a subtle signal, and the two stepped forward to help unload the items and set them aside.

"Haha, I only brought two items as New Year's gifts; the rest are benefits provided from above. Since I was coming over anyway, I brought them along to save you a trip; otherwise, I would have had to notify you to come and collect them tomorrow." Xi Nian flexed his wrists and resumed his polite demeanor. "Comrade Zhong, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year to you as well." Zhong Yuxiu gestured toward the dining table. "Please, sit. Try the mutton soup Gou Dan stewed to warm yourself up. It was quite a trek in this heavy snow; I truly appreciate the trouble."

"Please."

The two sat down. Xi Nian chuckled softly, "Making this trip is part of my duty. With a car to drive me, it’s hardly a hardship. Besides, I get to enjoy a meal here, so it’s well worth it. The New Year's gifts from above have been increased. We weren't sure what you liked, so we prepared a variety of seafood and mountain delicacies. Do try them, and if there's anything you particularly enjoy, just let me know, and I’ll apply to have more sent to you."

"Then thank you all. Please help me convey my gratitude to the leaders above. Even during the holidays, they are still thinking of me."

"It’s only right. You have made tremendous contributions. By advancing technological development, we’ve earned a significant profit this year." After saying this, Xi Nian took a narrow document from his person and handed it to her. "This is this year’s dividend; it’s all here. It will be even more next year. The range hoods you manufactured are selling very well abroad. Merchants from several countries are even scrambling to pre-order large batches, and we’ll be able to start exporting them early next year."

Zhong Yuxiu took the deposit slip, placed it on the table, and looked at him levelly. "That just goes to show that those countries haven't cracked the code yet. Our programs are effective."

The scooters had been exported first; if the technology could be reverse-engineered, those businessmen weren't fools. Domestic products were inevitably much cheaper. The fact that they were rushing to place orders only pointed to one thing: they couldn't crack her encryption in the short term.

"That is indeed the case. The programs you provided are exceptionally useful. We are preparing to apply them to other important equipment and have already begun research. I believe we will see the results we want before long." Xi Nian’s demeanor was relaxed and easy, yet he remained perfectly refined.

Zhong Yuxiu nodded. "I look forward to that day."

"As do I."

The two smiled at each other. Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo brought the dishes to the table. "Comrade Zhong, dinner is served."

"Good." Zhong Yuxiu smiled. "Comrade Xi, please wash your hands and let's eat."

"I'll do just that." Xi Nian nodded, stood up, and let Tian Shangguo lead him to the washroom.

Zhong Yuxiu looked at the two guards. "You two should go wash your hands as well. You can follow Comrade Xi. I’m going to check on the kitchen."

"Yes."

Once Zhong Yuxiu left, Hao Nan followed, and the two guards headed to the washroom.

The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of food. Gou Dan was still stir-frying the green vegetables; when hosting guests, it was best to cook the greens last to prevent them from wilting or losing their color.

"How many dishes are left?"

"Just this one; the others are all on the table." Hao Nan replied, "Comrade Zhong, why don't you wash your hands?"

Zhong Yuxiu nodded slightly, walked into the kitchen to the sink, and turned on the tap. The cold water rushed over her skin, chilling her to the bone. She washed quickly, pulled her hands back, and rubbed her fingers.

"It’s truly cold."

"I have hot water." Hao Nan drew some hot water from the pot for her.

Zhong Yuxiu washed her hands again. "The weather in Shangjing is much colder than in C Province. The cold fronts are fierce, and the wind and snow have become a unique landscape of their own."

It rarely snowed in C Province, and she hadn't seen a single snowflake while she was sent to the countryside.

"It’s not that it never snows in C Province; it’s just due to the geography, it happens rarely." As they spoke, the vegetables were finished. Hao Nan took them from the pan. "Comrade Zhong, let's go out and eat."