After the initial contact with Factory 703 was completed, Zhang Xingyang originally planned to return to the research institute.
But Liang Yi reminded him one thing. His hometown was nearby. Would you like to go home and have a look?
Zhang Xingyang's mother has lived alone in her hometown to recuperate since his father passed away.
Zhang Xingyang's hometown is in Qingjiang Town, not far from southern Hunan, only a few dozen kilometers away.
"Uncle Liang, do you want to buy something when we go back?"
Zhang Xingyang asked with a little uneasiness in his heart.
It's no wonder Zhang Xingyang is nervous. After all, in the 22nd century, social and family structures have undergone great changes.
The traditional parenting of children has been replaced by comprehensive social parenting.
Zhang Xingyang has never had the concept of parents since he was a child, and he doesn't know how to get along with his mother, who has never been seen before.
Liang Yi was a little surprised. Although he hadn't gone home for nearly a year, Zhang Xingyang shouldn't be so timid about nostalgia.
"It's okay to buy something." Liang Yi thought for a moment and said.
Although food stamps and meat stamps have been abolished these days, even if you can eat enough in the countryside, you often don't have much food in your stomach.
The two came to the butcher shop in Qingjiang Town, only to find that there was a long queue of people.
Although he was helpless, Zhang Xingyang could only start lining up with Liang Yi.
"Two pounds of pork belly!"
After waiting in line for nearly half an hour, it was finally his turn, Zhang Xingyang said happily.
Liang Yi added in the next second: "Another five pounds of fat meat."
Zhang Xingyang is a little confused, but he really doesn't understand this aspect of knowledge, so he should listen to Uncle Liang.
"Twenty-six yuan in total." The butcher shop owner with a sinister face chopped off two pieces of meat and pocketed them in a plastic bag.
Zhang Xingyang didn't bargain, and happily took out thirty yuan from his pocket and handed it to the other party.
Holding the four-dollar steel coins recalled by the butcher shop owner, Zhang Xingyang said:
"Uncle Liang, meat is pretty cheap here!"
Liang Yi didn't think much about it. After all, in his eyes, Zhang Xingyang had just stepped out of the ivory tower of the university, so it was normal not to know this.
So he casually replied: "It's not as cheap as our research institute, because we have national financial subsidies."
Zhang Xingyang's hometown is Zhangzhuang, a small village in Qingjiang Town.
As soon as I walked into the village, the rural appearance of the 1990s came to my face.
Many houses are still low-rise bungalows, with green bricks and green tiles that look pretty good from a distance.
But upon closer inspection, you can see that the brick walls are half-decayed and the roof is broken.
Many roofs are covered with translucent plastic films to keep out rain.
It had just rained two days ago, and the dirt roads in the village were full of mud and puddles.
Zhang Xingyang's shiny leather shoes were now covered in mud.
Although the conditions were relatively difficult, Zhang Xingyang saw that everyone was working hard.
Pushing open his own fence door, Zhang Xingyang shouted nervously:
"Mom! I'm back!"
A middle-aged woman with white hair walked out of the kitchen next to the courtyard:
"Xingyang is back."
After seeing his mother, Zhang Xingyang's tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
He grinned and said, "Mom, I'm on a business trip to southern Hunan and I'll come back to see you on the way."
Chen Lanmei complained a little: "Just work hard when you are on business, don't delay the business!"
Zhang Xingyang could naturally recognize his mother's love and care for him, smiled and said:
"I'm almost busy with work, so I just came back."
After receiving several kilograms of pork from her son, Chen Lanmei looked at Liang Yi, who had been standing behind Zhang Xingyang, and said:
"Lao Liang, Xingyang is still young and has many work matters. I hope you can help him more."
Liang Yi nodded, and then said awkwardly:
"Sister Chen, Xingyang is much more powerful than you said. We came to Southern Hunan this time to discuss cooperation with him for the new material he just developed."
As a mother, Chen Lanmei was naturally very happy when she heard someone praising her son, so she took her son's hand and said:
"Stop standing outside and come in quickly. You must be tired from walking all the way. I'll make braised pork for you!"
Chen Lanmei was washing the pork while watching Zhang Xingyang working in front of the fire pit.
Zhang Xingyang found that even though he was the youngest academician scientist in the 22nd century, he could not handle a small earthen stove!
Why couldn't the fire be lit? Zhang Xingyang kept thinking about the air flow gas model of the stove and firewood.
Chen Lanmei looked at the busy people in front of the stove fire, but the fire never came up. She smiled and said:
"Old Liang, Xingyang is not as powerful as you said. Look, he still can't even light up the stove!"
Liang Yi laughed when he heard this and said:
"Xingyang can calculate the gas flow of a full-flow afterburning cycle engine, but he can't start a fire. Who would believe it."
Zhang Xingyang, as an old man who has lived for two generations and has a mental age of over thirty years old, felt a little embarrassed at this time.
He said with some dissatisfaction: "Mom!"
Chen Lanmei did not continue to embarrass her son, but said to Zhang Xingyang:
"Xingyang, go out and pull some green onions for me!"
"Old Liang, come and light the fire!"
Zhang Xingyang walked out of the kitchen a little embarrassed and came to the vegetable patch in the corner of the small courtyard.
Although the vegetable patch is small, it is full of all kinds of vegetables, even though it is just the beginning of spring.
The green vegetables that have just grown are so green and so pleasing to the eye.
Pulling out three green onions that were growing happily, Zhang Xingyang was about to walk back to the kitchen.
I heard a "stab" sound.
Chen Lanmei stir-fried the meat slices in the pot and said without looking back:
"Wash the onions and cut them into small pieces."
Zhang Xingyang washed and chopped the onions like a good baby.
Zhang Xingyang's stomach growled when he smelled the aroma of meat in the pot.
Chen Lanmei turned to look at her son, whose stomach kept ringing, smiled and said:
"Don't worry, you'll be fine soon!"
Chen Lanmei kept busy in front of the stove and quickly cooked the braised pork. She also asked Zhang Xingyang to pull a few green vegetables from the vegetable garden and simply stir-fry them.
Carrying the food bowls to the table, Chen Lanmei invited the two of them to sit down and eat.
Zhang Xingyang picked up a piece of braised pork with chopsticks and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth. He felt a sweet and spicy taste reaching his taste buds.
Even though he was used to eating many state banquet-level dishes made by intelligent cooking robots in the 22nd century, Zhang Xingyang still found this plate of braised pork very delicious.
Maybe it's the instinct of this body, or maybe it contains the smell of home.
During the dinner, Zhang Xingyang's mother kept picking up dishes for herself, and the bowl for Zhang Xingyang was full.
Finally, he couldn't help but said: "No need to add more, I can't eat anymore."
After eating this meal, Zhang Xingyang felt that he had never been so full before, and his stomach was almost full.
After the meal, Chen Lanmei said to Zhang Xingyang who was burping while touching his stomach:
"Xingyang, your father passed away in an accident. Mom only hopes that you will not follow your father's old path again and never do it again.
Your mother is old and can no longer bear such torture. "
Zhang Xingyang was silent. He had never felt so cared for by someone before, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
After a while, he answered.
"Mom, I will take good care of myself, don't worry about me."
After eating, Zhang Xingyang didn't want to stay at home any longer, feeling like he was being cared about.
Zhang Xingyang felt strange, so he said goodbye to his mother and left home.
On the way back, Liang Yi looked at Zhang Xingyang and said:
"Your mother actually wants you to stay at home tonight."
Zhang Xingyang didn't speak. He didn't quite understand whether his relatives' concerns were a blessing or a chain for him, so he could only remain silent.
