Reborn in 1977

In the farthest room on the other side, Chen Fan leaned against the back of his chair, his feet in hot water, comfortably soaking.

The world is full of wonders, not to mention the surreal golden finger. Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to think about it. The boat would naturally straighten at the bridge, and there would always be a way forward. As long as he was diligent, he didn't believe his basic attributes wouldn't improve.

Instead of thinking so much, he might as well quickly change the cotton shoes that even beggars would despise. If he continued to wear them, he was really afraid of getting athlete's foot.

He threw two large pieces of minced ginger into the scalding hot water, ensuring a guaranteed sterilization effect. However, there was a bit of a side effect: the strong, spicy aroma made him tear up. Chen Fan originally wanted to read for a while, but he could only hold a towel and wipe away his tears from time to time.

Before long, his eyes were red.

So, when Jiang Lili came over, she saw Chen Fan wiping away tears. Wasn't he just fine a moment ago? Why did he suddenly start crying?

Thinking about his sudden misfortune, and that even his family didn't know where he was, it seemed normal for him to hide and cry secretly. Instantly, a sense of pity welled up from the bottom of her heart.

Having not comforted anyone for a long time, she was stunned in place for a moment, staring blankly at Chen Fan, somewhat at a loss.

Chen Fan, of course, noticed that the light at the door was blocked. He looked up and smiled, "Little Jiang, what's wrong? Is there something you need?"

Jiang Lili hesitated for a moment and gently shook her head, "I'm fine."

Then, she looked at him cautiously, "Are you... alright?"

At the same time, she silently sighed in her heart. He was already like this, yet he was still forcing a smile. What a strong person!

"Me?"

Chen Fan was a little strange. Why was she asking him if he was okay for no reason? He shook his head and said, "I'm fine. What's wrong?"

Seeing that he was unwilling to say, Jiang Lili didn't know what to do. She just sighed in her heart, 'What a stubborn boy. He was just crying, and now he's acting like nothing happened.'

After a couple of seconds, she sighed softly in her heart. Since he was unwilling to say, then forget it. In her current state, who could she help?

Having made up her mind, she prepared to say hello and go back.

At this moment, Chen Fan smiled and said, "If you have nothing to do, come in and sit for a while. Let's chat."

Jiang Lili hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she mustered her courage and walked in.

Watching her sit down on the other side of the table, Chen Fan smiled and said, "We live in the same courtyard; we can barely be considered a family. Don't be polite. Pour yourself some water if you want to drink."

Then, he pointed to the broken cotton shoes he had thrown at the door, "My feet were a little itchy after wearing those shoes for half a day, so I got some hot water to soak them."

Jiang Lili looked at the shoes thoughtfully, thinking to herself, 'So, he was wearing these cotton shoes, which made him feel sentimental and embarrassed, and then he thought of his family who were nowhere to be found, so he cried alone?'

Seeing that Jiang Lili wasn't speaking, Chen Fan didn't take it to heart. Whether it was in novels or on TV, period dramas always had people with backgrounds similar to hers, and most of them had two kinds of personalities: either like her, silent,寡言, self-deprecating, and sensitive, or they went to the other extreme, sinister, vicious, and stabbing people in the back.

She was obviously the former, and her performance was still good. At least she could say a few words. Perhaps it was because no one here deliberately made things difficult for her. Some people didn't even speak, avoiding everyone they saw, being careful and cautious in everything, for fear of causing trouble.

It doesn't matter. Since she's not talking, then I'll take the initiative.

Chen Fan cleared his throat, attracting Jiang Lili's attention, and then said with a smile, "I heard from Captain Yang that you've been here for three years?"

Jiang Lili was silent for a few seconds, nodded gently, and said, "In half a month, it will be exactly three years."

Half a month?

Chen Fan raised his head and thought, today is the second day of the twelfth lunar month. In half a month... "Isn't that the seventeenth of the twelfth lunar month?"

Jiang Lili lowered her head, "I arrived here on the seventeenth of the twelfth lunar month."

Chen Fan was speechless.

Only half a month away, and they were about to be separated. Moreover, there was nothing to do in the countryside in winter, yet they wouldn't even let their family reunite for the Spring Festival? What kind of hatred or grievance was this?

After being silent for several seconds, Chen Fan let out a long breath and asked, "Have you gone back in between?"

Jiang Lili didn't speak, just shook her head gently.

After a while, she raised her head again and forced a smile, "But my sister came to see me twice."

Chen Fan was a little curious, "You have an older sister?"

Jiang Lili nodded and continued to bury her head like an ostrich, "She works at the prefectural committee and usually doesn't have much free time. It's difficult to get leave, so she's only come twice."

Is it difficult to get leave these days?

Chen Fan frowned and looked at Jiang Lili, suddenly understanding that it was probably not that it was difficult to get leave, but that it was difficult for her sister to get leave.

She was already like this, how much better could her sister be?

He could only sigh softly, not knowing what to say.

Jiang Lili waited for a while, and when she didn't hear his voice, she realized that she had said a little too much, so she quickly said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said these things."

Chen Fan came back to his senses, smiled and waved his hand, "What are you talking about? There's nothing to apologize for. Besides, I asked first. I was just wondering what your sister does for work, and I was lost in thought for a moment."

Hearing him say this, Jiang Lili smiled, and then said, "My sister is amazing. She used to be a saleswoman at the supply and marketing cooperative."

Speaking of this, her face stiffened, and she lowered her head again, "But I don't know what she does now. She won't tell me when I ask her."

Chen Fan thought that this wouldn't work. If they talked about her family affairs, they wouldn't be able to chat for more than a couple of sentences. He should talk about something else.

But before he could speak, Jiang Lili suddenly raised her head and shouted, "Ah, the fire in the back stove!"

Chen Fan slapped his forehead, "I almost forgot. I hope it hasn't gone out."

Jiang Lili quickly got up and ran outside, "I'll go take a look."

Chen Fan also picked up a towel and wiped his feet, putting on his new cloth shoes.

Although it was a little cold to wear single shoes in this weather, they were better than those broken cotton shoes. Chen Fan poured the water from the basin outside the courtyard and put the wooden basin back in the house before walking to the backyard.

When he walked to the stove, Jiang Lili had already rekindled the fire. The pot was bubbling again, and a clear fragrance of turtle meat floated out with the steam, arousing people's appetite.

Looking back at Chen Fan, Jiang Lili said, "It's okay. The fire hadn't gone out when I came, but the water wasn't boiling."

At this time, her heart was also full of curiosity. This pot of turtle meat really didn't smell much fishy, but she didn't know how it would taste.

Chen Fan glanced at it and smiled, "It's okay, it's just a matter of steaming it for a few more minutes."

But now he didn't dare to leave again. He moved two large mud bricks, and the two of them sat by the stove.

Relying on the warm fire, Chen Fan started to chat awkwardly again. Otherwise, it would be too awkward for the two of them to sit there without saying a word.