Chapter 2303 - 2263: Returning Home for the New Year

The things were already packed up last night, now just after breakfast, they’re ready to drive back.

There are quite a few people going back: Ye Qiu, Ye Xue, Ye Weidong, Li Qianqian, and Ma Wenwen, all driving.

Now in Ye Qiu’s car, Liu Lingxiu, Lin Xiang, and Xiaomai are inside. As for Xia Tiantian, she plans to go with her mother, though she initially intended to go with Ye Qiu.

They’re now leaving Jinling, heading back to Ye Family Village in Huizhou.

It’s just over two hundred kilometers from Jinling, and traffic is smooth. Normally, it takes less than four hours to get there.

But on the road, Ye Qiu waited for Ye Weidong and the others at the service area mainly because the young misses needed a break at the service area.

After a short rest, they continued their drive back to the town.

By around ten in the morning, they arrived at the town.

At this moment, Ye Qiu felt that the town was already filled with the atmosphere of the New Year, something he couldn’t feel while celebrating in Jinling.

In Jinling, perhaps apart from the temple fair and the bustling flower streets, everything else felt the same as usual.

But the countryside is different; many who work in big cities return to celebrate the New Year.

Just after returning to the town, Ye Qiu noticed that there were indeed more people compared to returning during the National Day; traffic jams had already started to appear on the way.

They could only stop slowly now, waiting for the traffic police ahead to direct the traffic to restore the roads so they could proceed.

Liu Lingxiu, Lin Xiang, and Xiaomai, who were in the car, obviously hadn’t celebrated New Year in a rural area before, and now they saw it was really different.

After waiting for about half an hour, the road finally cleared, and they drove towards the entrance of Ye Family Village.

In less than fifteen minutes, they reached the front of the newly built house.

Just after parking the car, the uncles came out.

They had already heard that Ye Qiu and Ye Weidong were coming back for the New Year, and the house’s cleaning was already done.

When Ye Qiu got out of the car, the uncles naturally had different expressions.

Ye Weidong hadn’t returned for many years.

Plus, he didn’t do well in Jinling.

But now it’s different, it seems the whole village is theirs, the Ye Family’s.

Ye Family Village is very beautiful now.

Besides the new village roads, the entire village is beautifully lit at night.

As the uncles went to greet Ye Weidong and the others, Ye Qiu opened the trunk and went inside with Lin Xiang, Xiaomai, and Liu Lingxiu.

Upon entering, they saw the white walls and black tiles of the Huizhou-style building, indeed very beautiful.

However, just after entering, a strong smell hit them.

This was the smell left after renovations, typically it requires airing out for over six months, but it’s been less than half a month since the renovations.

The smell was indeed pungent, and could even be toxic.

Lin Xiang and the others were not bothered as they toured inside while Ye Qiu considered absorbing the toxic smell first.

He went to a room, closed the door, and sat there.

After about half an hour, he managed to absorb the toxic air.

Outside, Lin Xiang and the others had just felt the unpleasant smell, but now it was gone.

The place cost tens of millions to create the Huizhou-style architecture, and it’s indeed picturesque, feeling comfortable both inside and out.

The young misses were allowed to pick rooms on the second and third floors, while the ground floor still has guest rooms, this house is quite large.

There’s also a basement.

This basement is used for storage, tools, and alcohol.

There are front and rear gardens on the ground.

Now the whole Ye Family Village is in bloom, with rapeseed flowers and other flowers looking very beautiful.

The uncles continued to help move things inside.

All were New Year’s goods.

Some were brought over by Cai Yong by car as instructed by Ye Qiu.

After Ye Qiu gave some high-end cigarettes and liquor to the uncles, Ye Weidong also gave them cigars that Ye Qiu bought from America last time.

"Weidong, what kind of cigarettes are these, so thick and long?"

"These are foreign cigars, which can be smoked for several hours, each costing hundreds."

Hundreds per piece?

This isn’t ordinary stuff.

Every uncle took one to taste.

Ye Weidong told them not to smoke the whole thing at once, but to cut off the end and keep it for later.

After getting everything organized, Ye Weidong and his wife truly felt that returning to their hometown for the New Year was different; in the city, it felt desolate, lacking any festive atmosphere.

"Ye Qiu, where are we eating?"

Ye Weidong asked.

"Of course at home, eating at home feels right. Let the uncles go buy a pig to slaughter, I want to have fresh pork."

During the New Year, almost every household slaughters pigs.

So, slaughtering a pig before the New Year is quite normal.

By lunchtime, the uncles had brought back two fat pigs from the town, costing a total of five thousand.

These fat pigs are raised on sweet potato leaves, unlike those in big cities raised on feed.

With the help of the uncles and relatives, they prepared lunch just in time, to be eaten at the new house.

Normally, it feels like moving in officially happens with the housewarming celebration.

But for now, they’re cooking outside instead of inside the kitchen.

As it hasn’t snowed, and the wind outside is calm, it’s not at all troublesome.

After lunch, the young misses wanted to explore, so Ye Qiu took them to see the old house first, finding it indeed restored.

It can actually be lived in, but given its age, Ye Qiu isn’t interested in residing there, preferring to maintain it as a memory.

Then they went to the new grave of his grandfather, where everywhere is adorned with flowers and has become a scenic spot, often visited by other villagers.

The villagers know the whole mountain was bought by the Ye Family, and without their permission, no burials can occur there.

As for the Zhu Family Grave that was blown up, the Zhu Family ended up leaving it unresolved, as Ye Qiu’s background was too formidable for them.

Also, it was because they initially desecrated Ye Weidong’s father’s grave, making Ye Qiu very angry.

Since then, everyone in the town knew that the Ye family’s Ye Qiu was not someone they could provoke.

After visiting, they returned to the new house to settle down in the rooms; now there’s heating, making the rooms very warm, indistinguishable from the city.

Ye Qiu returned to his room, which now has a computer and internet access, allowing him to go online anytime just like in a big city, truly no difference.