Li Xi was carrying his backpack and luggage, queuing in a long line of people.
He wore his backpack in front of him, cautiously protecting a pocket with one hand.
That pocket held all his worldly possessions, totaling less than seventy thousand yuan.
Aside from the year-end bonus issued by Chen Pingjiang, it also included his salary.
In previous years, Li Xi would take a green-skinned train home for Chinese New Year, but this year, with money in his pocket, he decided to try flying.
Having bought his ticket, Li Xi, being a first-time flyer, felt utterly disoriented.
He only learned about baggage check-in and boarding after asking others.
Once on the plane and seated by the window, as the flight time drew nearer, Li Xi's heart couldn't help but become nervous.
His heart thumped.
Following the flight attendant's instructions and mimicking the man next to him, he stowed his tray table and fastened his seatbelt.
The plane began to taxi slowly.
The moment the plane lifted off, the powerful pushback and sensation of weightlessness made Li Xi feel his heart drop.
He instinctively gripped the armrest, his whole body pressed against the seat as the plane climbed.
He licked his lips and whispered with a smile,
"How exciting, hehe."
After the plane reached a stable cruising altitude, the flight attendant came out pushing a cart.
Li Xi, sitting in the middle section, tilted his head and asked the older man next to him,
"Big brother, how much is one of these?"
If it was too expensive, he wasn't planning on eating, preferring to endure the hunger.
The older man next to him could tell Li Xi was likely flying for the first time and said with a smile,
"It's free. Eat whatever you like, and you can ask for more if it's not enough."
"That's quite good then."
During the flight, they encountered turbulence, which scared Li Xi pale.
His muscles tensed up.
After getting off the plane, he cursed under his breath,
"Damn it, I'm never flying again."
Li Xi's home was in a village beneath Changqing City, a neighboring city.
He now took a taxi to the bus station to catch a passenger bus to Changqing City.
Then he would have to take a minibus to the county, and finally, a three-wheeled motorized vehicle from the county back to Shanghe Village.
Backed by the Loess Plateau, everything appeared gray and hazy at first glance, but every time he set foot on this land, Li Xi couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Leaving Dongjiang in the morning, he arrived home almost by evening.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back!"
Li Xi shouted cheerfully while still some distance from his house, until he walked into the dilapidated little house by the roadside.
"Oh, Big Brother is back!"
His younger sister, who was in her third year of junior high, saw Li Xi and excitedly jumped up and down, quickly shouting towards the main hall.
Before long, Li Xi's younger brother and old mother both poked their heads out.
"Brother, did you bring me anything good to eat?"
Li Shi clutched his brother's arm, unwilling to let go.
Li Xi affectionately patted his younger siblings' heads,
"It's in the bag, you two can look for yourselves."
Given the instruction, Li Shi immediately began rummaging through the suitcase.
"All you ever think about is eating. Rummaging through suitcases is the worst,"
Li Meng glared at her brother.
"Mom, where's Dad?"
Li Xi turned around and asked his mother.
"He's in the fields, should be back soon. How did you get so tanned?"
Li Xi smiled and said,
"It's from working."
At the mention of this, his mother, Yang Kaixiu, felt her eyes well up.
Her eldest son was the most sensible among her children; after starting university, he steadfastly refused to ask the family for a single cent, working outside to support himself.
This once made Yang Kaixiu feel very guilty, believing she hadn't fulfilled her parental duties.
"Was it very hard?"
Li Xi shook his head,
"Not hard at all. I joined a good company, and the boss and colleagues are very nice to me."
Just then, Li Zuquan walked into the muddy courtyard, hoe on his shoulder, and immediately saw Li Xi, saying with a smile,
"My eldest son is back?"
At noon, Yang Kaixiu prepared four or five small dishes.
The family was not well-off, barely having meat once a month.
With Li Xi's return, Yang Kaixiu bought three liang of meat.
Eating his mother's home-cooked dishes again, tears welled up in Li Xi's eyes as he ate.
Because he also worked during the summer vacation to save for tuition, Li Xi could only come home once a year.
This time, he noticed more white hairs at his mother's temples, and his father's back was even more hunched.
After thinking for a moment, Li Xi ran back to the inner room, took out his backpack, and under everyone's confused gaze, found a pair of scissors to cut open the sewn-up pocket.
He took out a bank card and handed it to his mother, Yang Kaixiu.
Yang Kaixiu and Li Zuquan exchanged a look before she said,
"Why are you giving this to me? You still need to go to school, and the money you earn from odd jobs in your spare time isn't even enough for you to spend."
Li Xi smiled proudly, pointing to the bank card,
"This isn't just a little money, it's sixty-eight thousand yuan. I earned it this year."
"How much?"
"What?"
The couple gasped in unison; they had never seen so much money in their lives.
"Where did all this money come from? Please don't tell me you've been doing bad things outside."
Yang Kaixiu looked at the bank card in her hand with some worry, suddenly feeling it heavy, wishing she could immediately find a place to hide it.
Li Xi continued to shovel rice into his mouth, eating and saying,
"Didn't I tell you? I met a good boss. This is all salary, and I'll earn even more in the future."
"What kind of job can earn so much?"
For the Li family, who couldn't save two or three thousand yuan a year, sixty-eight thousand yuan was almost an astronomical figure.
Li Xi patiently explained it to his parents and younger siblings for a long time.
Only then did Yang Kaixiu feel relieved, then she admonished him,
"Your boss is so good to you, you must work diligently to repay him."
"Of course,"
Li Xi said with a smile,
"Tomorrow, we'll go to town to buy Li Shi and Li Meng some new clothes and get some New Year's goods."
Upon hearing they would get new clothes, the siblings immediately grinned, their faces showing eager anticipation, wishing they didn't have to wait until tomorrow.
"Don't spend it recklessly. This is money you worked hard to earn. Mom will keep it for you, for when you get married in the future."
Yang Kaixiu was an honest and hardworking rural woman.
She was truly unwilling to use her eldest son's hard-earned money to improve the family's life.
Li Xi comforted his mother,
"Our company is growing bigger and bigger, and I've become a team leader. I'll definitely earn more next year. Isn't money meant to be spent?"
At this, Yang Kaixiu said no more.
Li Zuquan smiled with relief,
"My eldest son has made something of himself."
Girls mature earlier.
Li Meng looked at her big brother with both tenderness and admiration.
The playful Li Shi was still wondering what he would play and eat in town tomorrow.
Watching his family in such harmony, Li Xi genuinely thanked his boss Chen Pingjiang and Renren.com.
If it weren't for Chen Pingjiang, it would have taken Li Xi two or three days to get home.
If it weren't for Chen Pingjiang, he wouldn't have money to give his parents, nor money to improve his family's living conditions.
Looking at his mother's kind smile and his younger siblings burying their heads in their food, Li Xi made up his mind to follow his boss closely.
If his boss needed him, he could work hard for Renren.com his entire life.
Yesterday I was short 2000 words, today I'm short 3000 words.
Once I feel better, I'll catch up immediately.
Hongchen had gastroenteritis yesterday, was in pain for two days, and had diarrhea for two days.
Everyone, please stay warm.
Regarding this chapter, writing from Li Xi's perspective was planned long ago.
I hope to depict Chen Pingjiang's help to those around him through several different perspectives, and Li Xi is one of them.
(End of chapter)
---------------------
Support me on P@treon
[email protected]/charaz
$3 -> 15 chapters in advance
$5 -> 30 chapters in advance
$10 -> 60 chapters in advance
Check my pinned post on P@treon