The Fat Wife of the 1980s Awakens

Xu Xiufang still smiled and nodded in agreement: "I understand, Second Uncle."

Guo Zhenwu was very pleased with Xu Xiufang's modesty. He couldn't help but say a few more words: "It's good to have this mentality. Although you graduated from Peking University and have profound knowledge, in terms of life experience, I am still much richer than you at my age. Don't you think so?"

Xu Xiufang was amused by these half-serious and half-joking words. She nodded repeatedly and laughed crisply: "That's right! What Second Uncle said is right."

Just then, Qin Erniang came out pushing her bicycle. Xu Xiufang took it and said, "I'll leave first. I may not be back until the afternoon."

Qin Erniang waved her hand and said kindly, "It's okay, you can use it. We don't need it today."

So Xu Xiufang got on her bike and gradually disappeared on the road at the entrance of the village.

Qin Erniang turned to Guo Zhenwu and said, "You, it's time to put down your airs as the village chief. People are different now, so you should be careful with your words."

She was still thinking about whether her granddaughter could use Xu Xiufang's relationship to get a job in her factory after graduating from junior college, but she couldn't let Guo Zhenwu's outspokenness ruin things.

Guo Zhenwu muttered a few words, obviously not satisfied with his wife's words: "What are you talking about? Xie Yi's parents and I are of the same generation. Even if her household registration is returned to Beijing, she is still the daughter-in-law of our Xiaoxi Village. No matter how big her business is, my status as the village chief and elder remains unchanged. What's wrong with caring about the younger generation?"

Qin Erniang sighed and stopped arguing. She just said, "Forget it, stop talking nonsense."

Guo Zhenwu snorted, finished the porridge in the bowl, and then lit a cigarette.

As I was smoking, I heard a rapid roar of an engine coming closer and closer.

Guo Zhenwu put down his pipe, stood up, squinted his eyes and looked into the distance, only to see two cars approaching at lightning speed.

"This, can't be the Xie family's car?"

Guo Zhenwu muttered to himself.

Qin Erniang was also attracted by the sudden sound and walked outside to look: "It must be right. Apart from the Xie family, who else in the village can afford such a car?"

In such a remote little village, it was rare to see cars. Unless higher-level officials came to inspect, only the Xie family's vehicles frequently entered and left.

When she thought of this, Qin Erniang could not help but feel angry. "Look at the Xie family's current pomp and circumstance. You should put away your airs in front of them. Haven't you heard that those officials are very careful and can offend people with just one word that doesn't suit their taste? Although Xie Yi and the others may not care so much, we are asking for help from them after all, so we still have to be careful."

Guo Zhenwu was a little annoyed by his wife's scolding, "It's just a few bucks, why is it so serious--"

Before he could finish his words, the two cars drove straight towards their home.

As the vehicles approached, Guo Zhenwu finally recognized that the leading one was the county magistrate's special car. He hurried forward to greet it: "Oh, it's the county magistrate's car!"

The car slowly stopped, the door of the car in front opened, and the mayor of Fu County got out of the car himself, followed closely by the deputy secretary of the county party committee, Guo, and three other leaders.

Guo Zhenwu often went to the county to attend various meetings, so he was naturally familiar with these powerful people.

This situation made Guo Zhenwu's legs tremble involuntarily, and he thought: So many leaders have come together, could something have happened in our family?

"Old Guo, what are you standing there for? Come and help!"

The deputy secretary smiled and waved to him enthusiastically.

Guo Zhenwu's mind was full of thoughts about whether he had done anything wrong recently, and he didn't notice that there was no trace of blame on the deputy secretary's face.

"County, County Mayor, Deputy, Deputy Secretary, did I do something wrong..."

Guo Zhenwu's tongue was tied and his voice was trembling.

"What's wrong?"

The deputy secretary once served as the director of the Red Star Commune to which Xiaoxi Village belonged. He was an old acquaintance of Guo Zhenwu. He was later transferred to the county because the commune was disbanded.

He explained with a smile, "We are here to look for Comrade Xu Xiufang. We heard that she has returned home. We want to visit her. Can you show us the way?"

"Ah? Looking for Comrade Xu Xiufang? Xie Yi's wife?"

Guo Zhenwu looked confused.

"The enemy!"

In the deputy secretary's mind, Xu Xiufang was not only a think tank who had helped him write his thesis, but also the benefactor of his sister-in-law and niece. What's more, she is now Xie Yi's wife. How could such a relationship be easily forgotten?

Guo Zhenwu was full of doubts. He didn't understand why so many important leaders were looking for Xie Yi's wife.

Qin Erniang originally thought that the leaders had come for some official business, and was about to turn around and go into the house to avoid them, but she heard that they were actually asking about Xu Xiufang. Seeing her husband's confused look, she was anxious and angry, so she simply walked forward and took the initiative to talk to him: "Leaders, you are a little late. Xie Yi's wife just left for the county town."

"You went to the county town? You left so early?"

The deputy secretary was a little surprised. They set out at daybreak, but they didn't expect to be a step late.

"Yes, about half an hour ago. I guess we are almost in the county town now."

Qin Erniang replied.

Zhang Zhenxing heard this, his eyes flashed with a complicated look. He looked at the county magistrate beside him, only to see that the county magistrate's face was slightly gloomy, and there was a hint of imperceptible loss between his brows.

He sighed softly, then turned to ask Qin Erniang, with a barely perceptible expectation in his voice: "Aunt He, did she mention a specific time for her return?"

"According to what she said, she should be able to get home this afternoon."

As Qin Erniang answered, she observed the changes in the leaders' expressions, and her heart couldn't help but feel ripples.

Seeing the disappointment on their faces, she hesitated for a moment, then mustered up the courage to suggest, "If there is something urgent that needs to be found, can we ask the villagers to go to the city to pick her up? This might be faster."

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate turned his gaze to Zhang Zhenxing, and there seemed to be a tacit understanding between the two of them that did not require words.

Zhang Zhenxing shook his head slightly, his tone gentle but firm: "I think Comrade Xu should have gone to the textile factory to handle business."

This guess seemed to answer the county magistrate's questions. He nodded, smiled again, and said comfortingly: "In this case, there is no need to trouble you all. We can go to find Comrade Xu in person. Thank you for your hospitality. We will go ahead and take our leave!"

Accompanied by the roar of car engines, the convoy started slowly and drove away from the village. The scene seemed solemn and orderly, leaving behind a magnificent scene of dust flying all the way.

Watching the convoy gradually disappear from sight, Guo Zhenwu and his wife looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion and puzzlement.

They secretly wondered in their hearts: What kind of charm does Xu Xiufang have that could make so many county leaders make a special trip to visit just to see her?