Li Aiguo drove his jeep bumping along the dirt road in the countryside. Not far behind the jeep, a group of eight people advanced on foot. Su Wen, Li Huaide and six soldiers from the security department stayed to protect Li Huaide.
Su Wen and Li Huaide chatted more and more speculatively. Their topics ranged from work in the steel rolling mill to family and life, and the distance between them was invisibly shortened.
After walking half the distance, Li Huaide finally got on the jeep again after everyone's persuasion. Six soldiers from the Security Section also got on the fellow's ox cart. Li Huaide paid him one yuan for the fee.
"Su Wen, do you know? I also played on this land when I was a child. The days were so beautiful at that time."
Su Wen smiled and nodded, "Yes, memories always make people feel warm. Sometimes I think it would be nice if time could stop."
There was a brief silence between the two of them as the jeep bumped along the dirt road. Soon after, they arrived at their destination - Sujiazhuang.
The jeep slowly stopped in the open space in front of the Sujiazhuang brigade headquarters, raising a puff of dust. Li Aiguo quickly got out of the car, then walked around to the other side of the car, opened the door, stretched out his arm, and helped Li Huaide get out of the car steadily.
It was now noon, and the villagers were all enjoying the shade in the shade. They saw a vehicle approaching, and soon the jeep was surrounded by villagers rushing over.
"Village chief, this is Li Huaide, the director of our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. This is Comrade Li Aiguo, the section chief of our purchasing department. They came to the village to visit, and if possible they want to go hunting in the mountains. Director Li is here He is the mayor of our village."
After hearing Li Aiguo's introduction, the village chief immediately came forward warmly and shook hands with Li Huaide and Su Wen.
"Welcome Director Li to our Sujiazhuang! Although our conditions here are limited, we are very honored that you can come here to inspect our work!"
Li Huaide responded with a smile: "Thank you village chief for your warm reception. We have wanted to come here for a long time, and this time we finally have the chance."
The village chief nodded: "Then you take a rest first and eat something. Let Su Wen take you to hunt in the mountains."
With that said, the village chief ordered the villagers to prepare meals and hunting equipment. Soon, a table of sumptuous farm dishes was placed in the yard of the brigade headquarters.
Li Huaide and Su Wen sat around with the village chief and other villagers, tasting authentic farm dishes and chatting about home cooking. The atmosphere was very harmonious, as if they were already a family.
After dinner, the village chief accompanied Li Huaide, Su Wen and his party into the mountains for hunting. The air in the mountains is fresh and pleasant, the trees are lush, and the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant. They walked through the mountains and forests, admiring the beautiful scenery of nature.
Su Wen discovered a hare nest, and Li Huaide raised his shotgun and aimed at a hare that ran out. His marksmanship was very accurate and he hit the hare with one shot.
The village chief smiled and said: "Director Li is really good at shooting! He deserves to be the director of the Red Star Rolling Mill."
Li Huaide said modestly: "Everywhere, it depends on luck."
After the hunting, the group took a rest by the side of a small mountain stream. The clear stream gurgled by, bringing bursts of coolness. Li Huaide took off his shoes and soaked his feet in the stream, feeling instantly refreshed.
"The water in this mountain is so cold!" he sighed.
Su Wen also took off his shoes, sat next to him, soaked his feet in the water, and said with a smile, "Yes, the environment in this mountain is so good, it makes people feel better."
The village chief looked at them with a satisfied smile on his face: "Although our place is remote, the environment is quiet and the air is fresh. It is also good for you city dwellers to come and stay here occasionally and experience rural life."
Li Huaide nodded in agreement: "Yes, sometimes after staying in the city for a long time, I really want to come to a place like this to relax."
They sat by the mountain stream and enjoyed the tranquility and beauty of nature. Li Huaide and Su Wen talked about interesting things about their childhood and recalled those carefree days.
They talked about their childhood friends, the friends they had played with and grown up with. Now they have all gone their separate ways and embarked on different paths, but those beautiful memories will remain in their hearts forever.
The village chief also joined their conversation and shared some interesting anecdotes and legends about the village. His words were filled with love and admiration for this land.
“This land has nurtured us and given us a lot,” the village chief lamented.
"You guys should take the prey back to Sujiacun first. You don't have to follow me. I'll take Su Wen and Aiguo around to have a look." Li Huaide suddenly sent six soldiers from the security department back to Sujiacun first.
Although several soldiers were a little confused, they still carried out Li Huaide's order and returned to Sujiacun with the prey. Now, there are only three people left on the mountain: Li Huaide, Su Wen and Li Aiguo.
"Director Li, why did you let them go back first? Is there something wrong?" Li Aiguo asked puzzledly.
"Su Wen, your village should have privately raised poultry in the mountains, right? Take me to see them."
"Director Li, our village..." Before Su Wen could finish, he was interrupted by Li Huaide, "Awen, don't worry, I'm not here to hold people responsible, I just want to take a look."
Su Wen looked at Li Huaide's firm eyes. Although he still had some concerns, he still chose to trust him. He nodded and took Li Huaide and Li Aiguo toward the col where chickens were raised in the mountains.
The mountain road was rough, but none of the three complained. They passed through dense woods and crossed clear streams, and finally came to the chicken farm hidden in the mountains and forests.
Although the chicken farm is simple, the chickens are raised very well. Li Huaide observed these chickens carefully and found that they had bright feathers and full energy. He knew they were healthy chickens at a glance.
"The chickens here are all native chickens raised by the villagers. They usually feed them some grains and have to rely on them to eat by themselves." Su Wen introduced.
"They are indeed good chickens." Li Huaide nodded appreciatively. He looked around at this simple but vibrant chicken farm. "Su Wen, the Purchasing Department of the steel rolling mill is really inseparable from you. If you leave the Purchasing Department, our steel rolling mill will collect fewer eggs. Have you ever thought about raising some piglets in the mountains?"
"I raised them, but then I didn't have enough food to feed them, so they were all disposed of later."
After hearing Su Wen's answer, Li Huaide fell into deep thought. He understands that food is limited and if it is used to feed livestock, it may affect the villagers' rations. This is also the reason why the piglets were disposed of before.
"It's getting late at the factory. We have to go back. After the sun goes down, it's very dangerous to walk on the mountain road."
Li Huaide raised his head, looked at the sun that was gradually setting in the west, and realized that it was indeed getting late. He nodded and said to Su Wen: "You are right, we have to go back quickly."
