On January 17th, the entire Ding Family and Xia Xingchen returned to the Dingping Production Team, giving the old house a thorough cleaning. Although their household registration had long been relocated from the team, the house still stood. After all those years in the same village, there was no reason not to invite them to Ding Anmin’s wedding banquet.

The Ding Family and the Huang Family had discussed and settled on the auspicious date of the twenty-fifth of the twelfth lunar month. All the marriage rituals would be completed, and both lunch and dinner celebration banquets would be held at the state-run restaurant.

However, they’ll host a few tables of celebration banquet on the evening of the twenty-fourth at the Dingping Production Team, inviting the team members to attend. The newlyweds, Ding Anmin and Huang Xiaobao, would make an appearance and toast the guests, ensuring all formalities were respected.

Taking advantage of the weekend, the entire Ding Family returned to clean and tidy up the house and went door to door informing friendly families to attend the wedding banquet.

Yi Roujing and Xu Ancheng took advantage of the quiet time to visit the cowshed. Mr. Qi was having lunch under the eaves, washing dishes while the water in the basin softly steamed. Yi Roujing showed a smile.

"Mr. Qi," said Yi Roujing with a smile, rubbing her belly. Xu Ancheng supported her by the side.

Upon seeing the couple, Qi Tiande’s face immediately lit up with joy, "Roujing, Ancheng, you’ve returned to the village."

"Come in and sit," Qi Tiande welcomed them into the house. He had tidied up the cowshed and his own room quite nicely. Although everything was worn out, it was like a sparrow, small but complete with all its organs.

"These stools and cabinets were all brought by your father, salvaged from the scrap station. Several families in the village have benefited, getting some extra furniture, including mine," Qi Tiande said with a grin.

"Mr. Qi, it’s so cold, do you have enough warm bedding?"

"Heh, it was you who personally brought the quilts then," Qi Tiande laughed, "The cover is still the same, as is the liner, but I flattened a layer of the cotton you gave me, it’s plenty warm. Rest assured, I’m well taken care of now."

Each of the three held a bowl of steaming hot water, sitting on a stool with repaired legs, surrounding a carbon stove, basking in warm camaraderie.

"About that notebook, Mr. Qi..." Yi Roujing hadn’t finished her sentence before Qi Tiande raised his hand to interrupt.

"Don’t worry, my old friend is cautious, alert, and not one to covet others’ belongings. He’s solely immersed in his academic work," Qi Tiande said.

"As long as you personally hand the item over to him, that’s enough," Qi Tiande’s smile never faltered, "To be honest, I kind of like my life now. Even if I were to spend my whole life in the Dingping Production Team, I’d be content."

"I’m just a bit afraid my association might implicate my friend." Qi Tiande appeared slightly dazed.

Xu Ancheng intervened, "I’ve personally investigated Professor Zhong, and handed it to him privately. Unless Professor Zhong speaks out, no one will know about the notebook..."

Xu Ancheng’s words abruptly stopped as he listened to the sounds outside. The sudden silence allowed Yi Roujing and Qi Tiande to hear approaching footsteps, indicating quite a number of people.

"Mr. Qi lives here, this place..."

Yi Roujing immediately recognized that it was the voice of Ding Xiaoding.

"Ancheng, Roujing, you should leave quickly. If you encounter anyone, just say it’s me... no, don’t mention me, just find a way to dissociate from me," Qi Tiande stood up suddenly, his nervousness palpable.

Xu Ancheng and Yi Roujing opened the door and walked out, only taking a few steps before bumping into Ding Xiaoding, who was leading three people. Trailing behind him were several villagers.

"Hey, Ancheng, Ancheng’s wife... you’re here to feed the cows, right? Did you bring more bean pulp cakes?" Ding Xiaoding said with a smile, looking at them. "Your wife’s belly is quite big now, she should come alone next time."

"What do you know? Pregnant women need to move around appropriately; it’s good for childbirth," Huang Kaiying chimed in from the crowd. The onlookers didn’t doubt the couple’s behavior in the slightest.

The three strangers visiting the Dingping Production Team deduced that it was just as they thought, among villages, everyone understands what’s generally unspoken.

With Ding Xiaoding covering for him, Old Qi in the cowshed let out a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Qi, Mr. Qi, someone is here for you," Ding Xiaoding called loudly a few times before Old Qi slowly opened the door, feigning weakness. But upon seeing the three standing outside, he was utterly stunned.

Just a moment ago, he was talking about his friend, and now Zhong Ziru stood in front of Qi Tiande. It’s natural—surprise and disbelief.

"Old Qi," Zhong Ziru looked at Qi Tiande, graying hair on his head, eyes filling with tears, "I’ve come to take you back."

Old Qi, living in the cowshed, was indeed Qi Tiande, a professor in the physics department of Jing University. As a highly skilled person, the three people from Jing City, one being Qi Tiande’s friend Zhong Ziru, and the other two rumored to be from the national research institute, came to take Qi Tiande back to Jing City to serve the country.

The trio didn’t just arrive but brought official red-stamped documents. Qi Tiande could return to the city. The subsidies owed over the years would all be compensated, and the previously confiscated property would be returned in full, along with an additional compensation.

On the morning of the eighteenth at 8:00, Qi Tiande knocked on the Ding Family’s door. Over the past half year, the Ding Family had covertly taken care of Qi Tiande, allowing him to live and regain his health, owing all to the Ding Family’s kindness. Now, he could finally visit in an upright manner.

The Ding Family had secretly visited the cowshed countless times, but it was Qi Tiande’s first time coming to the Ding Family.

He dressed in a grey Zhongshan suit with a brand-new military coat on top, all brought by Zhong Ziru when he came. Someone living in a cowshed wearing new clothes was impossible; the Ding Family secretly provided cotton and fabric for over half a year but never given ready-made clothes.

Qi Tiande bore a spirited appearance, not just physically but mentally even more so. Although it was his first visit, it was a farewell.

"I’m going back to Jing City. You must visit me when you come to the city," Qi Tiande pushed a paper with his address in Jing City towards Yi Roujing, "My door will always be open to you."

"With my return, academics will surely flourish again. When the college entrance exams resume... I’ll be waiting for you at my school in Jing City," Qi Tiande said to Yi Roujing, Ding Anguo, Ding Anmin, and Xia Xingchen, as he had tutored them for a while—they were all promising students.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Qi, we won’t neglect our studies," Ding Anmin was the first to affirm.

"Mr. Qi, your belongings..."

Under the gaze of Qi Tiande, Yi Roujing swallowed her words.

"I’ve already said it’s yours," Qi Tiande said to Yi Roujing with a bit of exasperation.

Knowing that Qi Tiande was leaving, the Ding Family felt more joy than anything else. Li Hongying bustled about, preparing items, "It’s too sudden. I didn’t have time to prepare anything for you to eat. What we brought this time isn’t much, but please take these with you, Mr. Qi."