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The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a sunny and handsome young face.

"Uncle, have you eaten yet? It's cool here!" Chen Zhiyuan said with a hearty smile and a clear voice.

Then he looked to the other side: "Aunt Wu, is Uncle Wu's back feeling better? I heard he hurt it last time."

The familiar greeting and face startled everyone, then someone suddenly realized and slapped their thigh: "Oh my! It's Jianjun's Zhiyuan!"

At this moment, the passenger door opened, and Chen Jianjun stepped out of the car with a deft gait.

Today he specially wore that old Dacron short-sleeved shirt that he had kept at the bottom of his trunk. His hair was neatly combed, and his face was glowing with an undisguised smile.

While warmly greeting the men, young and old, he hurriedly pulled out a whole pack of "Furongwang" cigarettes that he had prepared in advance from his pocket, unsealed them, and offered them to each of them.

"Jianjun! This is... the car your family bought!"

"Wow, that car is impressive! It must have cost a fortune!"

Chen Jianjun took out a lighter, lit a cigarette for an elder first, then straightened his back, and with a hint of deliberate restraint yet overflowing pride, said loudly:

"We just bought it not long ago! My child earned some money from writing and insisted on giving it to us as a gift. The car is alright; it cost a little over 300,000 yuan in total!"

The words "a little over 300,000" are like pebbles thrown into calm water, stirring up ripples.

The old camphor tree fell silent instantly, except for the cicadas chirping tirelessly in the treetops.

All eyes were once again focused on the Grand Cherokee, this time filled with disbelief and shock.

In 1999, what was the concept of 300,000 yuan in such an ordinary rural village?

Many families work hard all year and only save a few thousand yuan. This is an unimaginable astronomical figure!

"Three... more than three hundred thousand?!" Someone repeated the number in a trembling voice, as if needing to confirm it again.

"My God... Jianjun, you've struck it rich!" another person murmured, his eyes full of envy.

Feeling the intense gazes around him and hearing the exclamations of amazement, Chen Jianjun felt a surge of heat rising in his chest, as if the frustration of a lifetime of hard work but mediocrity had been completely washed away in that moment.

His smile deepened, and instead of getting into the car, he turned around and took out two bags of White Rabbit milk candy and fruit hard candy, beckoning to the women and children who had gathered around: "Come on, aunties, share some with the kids, have a sweet treat!"

Chen Zhiyuan sat in the car, looking through the window at his father's slightly reddened ears and straight back, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

He understood that this moment of glory and exhilaration was of extraordinary significance to his father.

It's not just about owning a nice car; it's a symbol of "success"—being recognized and envied—a rare highlight in an ordinary life.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Chen Jianjun got back into the car amidst envious glances and warm farewells, waving out the window: "Everyone, keep chatting, my parents are waiting, let's go home first!"

The car slowly started and drove away from the village entrance.

Only after the car disappeared around the corner of the village road did a burst of discussion, ten times more heated than before, erupt under the old camphor tree.

The central topic was predictable—Chen Jianjun had made a fortune in the city, bought a luxury car worth over 300,000 yuan, his son was successful, and the Chen family's ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke…

Various expressions of amazement, speculation, and envy quickly spread to every corner of the village on the summer breeze.

Chen Zhiyuan parked the car steadily in front of his grandparents' red brick house.

The cement drying ground in front of the house is spacious and flat, and parking is very convenient.

The elderly couple knew their children and grandchildren would be returning today, and they had been looking out the door since early morning. They never expected that they would be returning in such a magnificent "big guy".

These days, motorcycles are a rarity in the village, let alone a shiny car like this.

Old man Chen Yougen, with a pipe in his mouth, squinted and stared for a while; Grandma Zhao Lanxiang, on the other hand, leaned against the door frame, her face full of surprise and uncertainty.

"Grandpa! Grandma! We're back!" Chen Zhiyuan got out of the car first, his voice loud and clear.

The elderly couple then came to their senses.

Zhao Lanxiang's wrinkles instantly smoothed out, like a blooming chrysanthemum. She tremblingly stepped forward, took her grandson's hand, and looked him up and down: "Oh my! My dear grandson is back! Let Grandma take a good look at you... You're so energetic and strong now!"

Chen Yougen tapped his cigarette ash, stepped forward, and patted his grandson's shoulder forcefully, his eyes full of satisfaction: "Good, good! Such a handsome young man! He's brought honor to our Chen family! Getting into such a good university, our ancestors must have been virtuous!"

After speaking, his gaze turned to the car, filled with doubt and uncertainty: "Jianjun, this car... is it yours?"

In those simpler times, people in the countryside rarely thought of renting a car to make a show of things, let alone borrowing such an expensive one.

It is perfectly normal for the elderly to have this question.

Chen Jianjun, brimming with confidence and beaming, declared, "Dad, it's our family's car! A brand new car, just picked up. Zhiyuan bought it with the royalties he earned from writing books!"

As he spoke, he opened the trunk with great enthusiasm and began to unload the large and small bags of gifts with his wife, Zhang Hui: nutritional supplements and new clothes for the elderly, cigarettes and alcohol for his siblings, snacks and toys for the children... a dazzling array of items.

Soon, the once quiet old house became as lively as during the Chinese New Year.

Chen Jianjun and his three siblings, except for him who stayed in the city, all rushed over with their families after receiving the news.

The first topic was naturally this SUV, which was like a prized possession of the family.

After circling the car several times and hearing Chen Jianjun confirm the price of "just over 300,000 yuan" again, the siblings were genuinely happy, but their eyes also couldn't help but reveal a complex mix of envy and emotion.

The second topic, unsurprisingly, focused on Chen Zhiyuan, who was admitted to Jiangnan University, the greatest honor of the Chen family this year.

"Zhiyuan, I heard from your dad that you took the exam for... computer science?" Uncle Chen Jianguo asked with concern.

"Yes, Uncle, it's Computer Science and Technology," Chen Zhiyuan replied politely.

"This is great! This is a great major! It's a high-tech field with a promising future! It's much better than us digging clods of dirt!" Uncle Chen Jianshe's loud voice drew a chorus of agreement from the crowd.

Inside and outside the house, there was a lively atmosphere filled with people talking and laughing.

Neighbors came to offer their congratulations and join in the fun, filling the small courtyard to capacity.

Surrounded by elders, Chen Zhiyuan received all sorts of praise and questions, becoming the absolute focus of attention. Naturally, he also became the role model that parents used to tell their children, "Look at Brother Zhiyuan."

Lunch was naturally an extremely sumptuous family reunion feast.

Three large square tables were set up in the courtyard, filled with chicken, duck, fish and meat, and the homegrown vegetables were lush and green, exuding a strong rural flavor and the warmth of family affection.

Chen Jianjun opened the two bottles of fine wine he had brought, personally filled the glasses for his parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law, and then raised his glass to drink heartily, his face flushed and his laughter more cheerful than ever before.

Sunlight streamed into the lively courtyard, and the air was filled with the aroma of food and wine, as well as joy.