Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

The car exited the highway and drove onto the provincial road leading to the town.

The scenery on both sides of the road gradually became familiar—familiar farmland, familiar villages, and familiar dialect road signs.

Yang Ya leaned against the car window, her eyes sparkling: "Brother, we've arrived in our town!"

"Mm." Yang Fan nodded, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

Lin Xiaoyu sat in the back row and whispered:

"Brother, Xiaoya, we'll be fine once we get to town."

"My home is in Willow Bay. It's a bit east from here, not in the same direction as yours. I'll get off here and take a minibus back."

"How can that be?" Yang Fan said without even thinking.

"Xiaoyu, I've already brought you this far, just a few more miles to go. I'll take you to your doorstep."

"Exactly!" Yang Ya turned her head:

"Xiaoyu, don't be so polite. We're already here, how can we let you carry your suitcase and squeeze onto a minibus?"

Lin Xiaoyu blushed, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes:

"It's too much trouble... I'm already very grateful and embarrassed that you were able to drive me back."

"It would be too much trouble for you to send me back all the way..."

"Why make such a fuss?" Yang Fan's tone was gentle but firm. "It's only right that I take you home. Hold on tight, and I'll give you directions."

Lin Xiaoyu opened her mouth, looked at Yang Fan's serious profile, then at Yang Ya's encouraging eyes, and finally nodded gently:

"Well... thank you, bro. Head east, turn right at the first intersection..."

The car turned onto a slightly narrower country road.

On both sides of the road are vast fields of farmland, with a few houses scattered in the distance.

After driving for about twenty minutes, a village appeared ahead. At the entrance of the village stood an old locust tree, under which sat several elderly people basking in the sun.

"We're here." Lin Xiaoyu pointed ahead, "The third house, the one with the persimmon tree in front."

Yang Fan drove the car into the village. The gravel road was a bit bumpy, so the car slowed down. Several children playing by the roadside looked over curiously, pointing at the car and chattering away.

The car stopped in front of a simple farmhouse. The yard was very clean, with dried radishes drying on the cement floor and strings of red peppers hanging under the eaves.

The car had just come to a stop when the door to the house opened.

A woman in her fifties, wearing an apron, peeked out and paused for a moment when she saw the car.

Immediately afterwards, a middle-aged man with a cane also came out—his left leg was in a cast, and he walked with a slight limp.

"Is that Xiaoyu?" The woman squinted at her.

"Mom! Dad!" Lin Xiaoyu quickly got out of the car.

Yang Fan also got out of the car and went around to the trunk to help her take her suitcase down.

Yang Ya jumped out of the car and sweetly greeted, "Hello, Uncle and Auntie!"

"Oh, it's Xiaoya!" Lin Xiaoyu's mother recognized Yang Ya, and a smile appeared on her face.

"Why did you come back with Xiaoyu? And who is this...?"

"Auntie, this is my brother, Yang Fan." Yang Ya introduced her brother.

"Xiaoyu came back from the city with us; my brother drove her there."

Lin Xiaoyu's father walked over, leaning on his cane, a simple smile on his face:

"Thank you, thank you for bringing Xiaoyu back. You must have had a long journey."

"It's no trouble at all, Uncle." Yang Fan put his suitcase down beside the steps. "It's just on my way."

"Come in and sit down! Come in!" Lin's mother greeted them warmly.

"I'll go cook right away, you guys eat before you go! You must be hungry after your journey!"

"No need, Auntie!" Yang Fan quickly waved his hand.

"We have to rush back; my parents are waiting at home. I'll definitely visit them another time."

As he spoke, he turned around and went back to the car, opened the trunk, and took out the box of cherries that he had separated earlier.

The exquisite packaging box stood out prominently in the simple farmhouse courtyard.

Yang Fan placed the box on the steps:

"Xiaoyu, this box of fruit was an extra one I bought when I was shopping for New Year's goods. Consider it a gift for my uncle. Happy New Year to you all."

Lin Xiaoyu's eyes widened when she saw it: "Brother! How can this be! This is too valuable! You have to take it back; your family needs to celebrate the New Year too..."

"We bought extra," Yang Fan said with a smile.

"Please accept these. Your uncle needs nutrition to recover, and these cherries will help him get some vitamins."

Lin Xiaoyu's father looked at the packaging. Although he didn't know the exact price, it was clearly not a cheap item, and he quickly said:

"No, no, no! Children, we're already so grateful that you brought Xiaoyu back, how could we possibly accept your things again..."

"Uncle, please don't refuse," Yang Ya also advised.

"This is just a small token of my brother's appreciation. Xiaoyu and I are such good friends, please consider it a small act of filial piety from your own child."

Lin Xiaoyu looked at the box of cherries, then at Yang Fan's sincere face, and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

Along the way, Yang Fan and his sister have helped her so much—helping her hand out flyers, treating her to meals, driving her home, and now they want to give her such an expensive gift.

She was tongue-tied and didn't know what to say, so she just murmured:

"Thank you... thank you, brother..."

Looking at her daughter's appearance and then at the box of fruit that was clearly not cheap, Lin's mother felt both touched and guilty.

She turned and walked into the house, saying, "Wait! Wait!"

A moment later, she came out carrying a heavy cloth bag and, without saying a word, shoved it into Yang Fan's hands:

"These are sausages my family made ourselves, smoked with cypress branches. Take them home and try them! Don't be put off!"

The cloth bag was filled to the brim with more than a dozen sausages, wrapped in oil paper, and you could still smell a faint smoky aroma.

"Auntie, this..." Yang Fan tried to decline.

"Take it!" Lin's mother said firmly. "If you don't take it, we don't want this fruit!"

Lin's father nodded, leaning on his cane: "Yes, child, it's just something we made ourselves, it's not worth much."

"You brought Xiaoyu all this way back and even brought such expensive fruit. We feel really bad about it."

Looking at the elderly couple's simple and sincere faces, and then at the heavy sausages in his hand, Yang Fan finally nodded:

"Well... thank you, Uncle and Aunt. I'll come visit you again after the New Year when I have time."

"Okay! Okay!" Mr. Lin nodded repeatedly, "I'll definitely come! I'll have Xiaoyu's mother cook your signature dishes!"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Yang Fan and his sister got into their car and left.

In the rearview mirror, Lin Xiaoyu and her family of three were still standing at the gate waving. Lin's father was leaning on a cane, Lin's mother was holding his arm, and Lin Xiaoyu stood in the middle, her figure appearing particularly warm in the winter sun.