1968: Started from breeding

Chapter 361 Memorial Service

After leaving the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Su Wenchen glanced at the already late sky.

After thinking about it, I decided to go to the Ministry of Railways' family compound.

After all, he's already in Beijing, so it wouldn't be appropriate not to visit his father-in-law.

Xicheng District.

The Ministry of Railways' family compound.

When Su Wenchen and Zhou Qiang arrived by bus, the sun had already set.

Following the memory of last year, Su Wenchen led Zhou Qiang to a quiet courtyard in a cluster of Suzhou-style courtyards that looked similar.

Zhou Qiang said in a low voice, "Director, is this the place? Shall I knock?"

"Let me do it." Su Wenchen stepped forward and gently knocked on the courtyard gate.

A moment later, Jiang Li's stepmother opened the door and saw that it was Su Wenchen.

He immediately walked out with a smile.

"Oh, Xiao Chen is here!"

"Why didn't they call ahead?!"

"Look, I didn't even go to buy any groceries, Old Jiang!"

"Stop reading your newspaper, Xiao Chen is here, you entertain him, I'll go check if there are any vegetables left at the grocery store!"

Su Wenchen looked at Jiang Li's stepmother Zhou Qin and felt a little uncomfortable with her enthusiasm.

When he came here last year, the other party didn't exactly mock or ridicule him, but they weren't particularly enthusiastic either.

At that time, everyone just kept to themselves.

After all, Su Wenchen now relies very little on his father-in-law.

Of course, it wasn't without its advantages. Because of his father-in-law, he had always maintained a close relationship with the railway system in Xuzhou.

Therefore, Su Wenchen responded to the other party's enthusiasm in a rather polite manner.

"Aunt Zhou, don't bother, there's no food available right now!"

Just then, Jiang's father, who had heard the commotion, also came out of the house.

Upon seeing this, Su Wenchen greeted him gently.

"dad!"

Upon seeing Su Wenchen, Jiang's father lingered on him for a moment, then looked behind him and saw that there was only one person accompanying him.

A hint of disappointment immediately flashed in his eyes, but he still nodded.

"Where are Xiaoli and the child? Did you come alone?"

"Come on in first!"

Then he said to Zhou Qin.

"Qin, with that little money you have, go see what you can buy and buy it!"

"If that doesn't work, go ask Director Feng at our canteen warehouse."

Upon hearing this, Su Wenchen smiled and picked up his things.

"Dad, you really don't need to buy any more. I already brought quite a few with me."

"As for Ali and the child, they are still too young, so I won't take them out to run around. I will definitely bring the child to see you when they are older."

Upon hearing this, Father Jiang nodded, knowing the importance of the matter.

"Fine!"

"But don't worry about the stuff. Do you think what you brought is the same as what I bought?"

"And this comrade, you all come in quickly!"

"Don't leave tonight!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiang looked at Su Wenchen.

"Director, if you don't have any arrangements here, may I go somewhere else to rest?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wenchen realized that Zhou Qiang seemed to have been working in Beijing before.

So they made the arrangements directly.

"Well then, you've been following me around without getting any days off, so you can rest tomorrow! You don't need to come over."

"I'll just hitch a ride in my dad's car tomorrow."

"Dad, you don't mind if I hitch a ride, do you?"

Father Jiang immediately said in an annoyed tone.

"Hmph, shameless!"

However, despite saying that, Su Wenchen's actions actually shortened the distance between the father-in-law and son-in-law at their first meeting.

"Alright, stop standing outside and come in!"

Once inside, Su Wenchen expertly categorized the items.

"Dad, I brought you some local specialties from our special economic zone. These mushrooms are also locally grown. You can ask Aunt Zhou Qin to cook them in a bit."

"Even in winter, these fresh vegetables cannot be kept indefinitely."

"This is wine we brewed ourselves in Xiaoxian County. You can have a glass after dinner tonight."

"It can help you relax a bit and promote sleep, but don't drink too much!"

"Excessive alcohol consumption can actually increase the risk of certain types of liver disease."

"Please drink slowly. Let me know when you're finished, and I'll bring you a few more bottles!"

As he spoke, Su Wenchen began to sort and organize the things he had brought over, just like he would at home.

He knew very well that Jiang Li hadn't come along, and if he acted overly polite, it would seem like they weren't very close.

Jiang's father listened to Su Wenchen's familiar and caring words, as well as the other party's overly familiar behavior.

A warm feeling rose in my heart.

He doesn't lack a few bottles of wine, but that depends on who gives them to him.

Especially when accompanied by such caring words.

He hadn't experienced this for a long time since his daughter was assigned to work down below.

Unless you're made of iron, nobody dislikes being cared for, especially by people close to them.

So he waved directly.

"Alright, stop fussing. Bring it over and open a bottle so I can taste your special product from the special economic zone."

"If it's good, I'll help you promote it on our system."

Upon hearing this, Su Wenchen smiled and placed a bottle on the dining table.

"Okay, but Dad, let's each have just a small cup!"

"Go to sleep after you finish drinking, otherwise drinking until midnight will really interfere with your work."

"I have to go to Babaoshan Cemetery tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang's father nodded.

"Alright, the memorial service will be held tomorrow afternoon. I'll pick you up when it's time to go."

"By the way, you came to Beijing this time just to attend the memorial service?"

Su Wenchen shook his head.

"No, it's because of the project introduction."

Father Jiang looked at Su Wenchen with a puzzled expression.

"The 72 Plan, which is currently the subject of much debate?"

Su Wenchen nodded. "Yes, I've been selected for the preparatory team."

"Why are you arguing so loudly now?"

Mr. Jiang thought about the news he had heard.

"It's really fierce. All departments are eyeing the advanced Western equipment, but there's only so much rice. What can we do if we don't make a fuss?"

"Even our Ministry of Railways has projects we'd like to introduce!"

"However, it was rejected as soon as I submitted it, because they said it wasn't urgent enough."

"The projects that were ultimately selected are said to be from the light industry and steel sectors."

After saying that, Father Jiang looked at Su Wenchen with a hint of jealousy.

He didn't even get a chance to enter the country when the 72 Plan was introduced.

This cheap son-in-law actually got selected directly.

Hmph, in front of this son-in-law, he can't experience the feeling of being relied upon at all.

unhappy.

However, he also knew that if Su Wenchen was truly the kind of person who always relied on him, then he would look down on him instead.

Su Wenchen realized this too, so he directly steered the conversation to family.

Share some funny things that happened to my child yesterday.

Clearly, Mr. Jiang was much happier about this topic.

She also shared with Su Wenchen various interesting stories about her youngest son when he was a child.

That evening, Su Wenchen only had a small drink with Jiang's father.

Since they both have work tomorrow, neither of them will be as carefree as they were during the Spring Festival holiday.

The next day.

In the afternoon in Beijing, the sky was overcast and the wind was biting.

Since the memorial service was to be held in the afternoon, Su Wenchen spent the morning in his room preparing materials for tomorrow's meeting.

Su Wenchen knew that there was still a tough battle ahead for the four projects that their special economic zone wanted to truly implement.

Therefore, he naturally had to prepare in advance.

In the afternoon, Jiang's father also picked him up on his way back from work.

Su Wenchen had already tidied himself up, changing into a neat but slightly worn navy blue Zhongshan suit with a small white flower pinned to his chest and a black veil wrapped around his left sleeve.

He silently got into the car. The driver was one of Jiang's father's old subordinates, and he also had a solemn expression.

The car drove smoothly towards western Beijing.

On the way, neither the father-in-law nor the son-in-law spoke much.

Upon arriving at Babaoshan Cemetery, the atmosphere was completely different.

A large crowd had already gathered outside the gate to pay their respects.

Although there were many people, it was not noisy; everyone was quietly looking into the distance.

The air was filled with solemnity and an indescribable sorrow.

People spoke in hushed tones, everyone wore a somber expression, and walked slowly and heavily.

After entering, the father-in-law and son-in-law got out of the car for inspection under the guidance of the staff. A cold wind hit them in the face, and Su Wenchen couldn't help but straighten his back and take a deep breath.

After the inspection, Su Wenchen was also led to the auditorium.

Outside the auditorium, surrounded by pine and cypress trees, the atmosphere was solemn.

A huge banner hung above the entrance to the auditorium, with the words "Deepest Condolences" written on it in large white letters on a black background, making it particularly eye-catching.

On both sides of the entrance, wreaths from all walks of life were laid out, layer upon layer, stretching all the way to both sides of the road. The elegiac couplets on the wreaths fluttered slightly in the cold wind, expressing endless sorrow for the deceased.

Su Wenchen spotted Lei Boliang standing not far from the front row at a glance.

Lei Bailiang had changed into a clean military uniform and was standing at the entrance of the auditorium with a group of people also dressed in military uniforms to greet guests.

Su Wenchen could tell from their red and swollen eyes and their obvious fatigue.

These people probably haven't slept since last night.

But now, like a sturdy bamboo that has weathered frost and snow, it still sees their old leader off on his final journey.

Su Wenchen followed the crowd of representatives from the Party, government, and military who came to pay their respects, slowly making his way into the auditorium.

When Su Wenchen reached Lei Bailiang, he simply patted the other man's arm.

Lei Bailiang nodded slightly, and neither of them spoke.

But they both understood what the other meant.

Enter the auditorium.

Su Wenchen looked at the stage directly in front of him. The old man in the portrait had bright eyes, with the same perseverance and kindness he had always had.

below.

It was an urn draped with the Party flag, surrounded by clusters of pure white flowers.

The walls of the auditorium were also covered with black mourning banners, inscribed with various words of remembrance.

The mournful music was low and lingering, striking the hearts of everyone present.

The memorial service began promptly at 3 p.m.

"Everyone, please stand and observe three minutes of silence."

The auditorium was silent, with only the low strains of funeral music echoing in the air.

After the moment of silence, a solemn old man walked onto the stage, and Su Wenchen could see the deep sorrow in his eyes.

The old man picked up the eulogy and began to read it in a low but powerful voice.

In the eulogy.

The article reviewed the deceased's glorious life, from his early involvement in the revolution to his later joining forces, and then to his outstanding military achievements in various wars.

And the outstanding contributions made to diplomacy and other undertakings after the founding of the nation.

The old man's voice echoed in the hall, each word deeply touching the hearts of everyone present.

When he got to the emotional part, the old man choked up twice and lost his voice. People in the audience also shed tears, and cries rose and fell.

After the eulogy was read, everyone began to say goodbye to the deceased's urn.

People lined up and slowly walked to the front of the stage to bow three times.

Su Wenchen followed the group forward. Looking at the urn covered with the Party flag, he felt an indescribable grief welling up in his heart.

He was not grieving because he had lost a powerful patron, but because the country had lost an excellent leader.

He bowed deeply three times, then raised his head, glanced at the huge portrait above one last time, and slowly followed the crowd away.

They walked out of the auditorium.

The sky outside remained overcast, and the cold wind continued to howl.

Su Wenchen turned around and took one last look at the auditorium of Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, silently saying to himself.

"Leader, may you rest in peace. Your revolutionary ideals will be carried on by future generations."

This is both Su Wenchen's way of comforting the deceased and his promise for the future.

He knew he had no power to change matters of life and death.

However, he could do his bit to contribute to the country.

Su Wenchen didn't know how much he could do, but putting everything else aside, he had at least changed the plight of the people in the special zone, hadn't he?
Perhaps as his status rises, he will be able to change even more!

Therefore, he must be prepared for tomorrow's preparatory meeting, and make sure the special economic zone becomes a model.

How can others know how capable you are? After all, as you go further in life, it's increasingly about ability that matters.

(End of this chapter)