Chapter 70 The Power of Home
On the eve of the New Year's Eve of the old calendar, amidst the flying snowflakes, the final exams of Jiangchuan No. 1 Middle School arrived.

During this period, Zhang Yunqi put all his energy into studying. Although the exam was coming up soon, cramming is actually the best time to study because there is a strong sense of urgency that can make people fully committed. Moreover, he has almost finished his review. Intensifying his study efforts before the exam will be very helpful in deepening the impression of certain knowledge points.

Wang Xiaokai has been much more well-behaved recently. Whenever he has the chance, he doesn't ask Tian Zhuangzhuang and Yang Wei to go out to play. Instead, he obediently borrows Zhang Yunqi's notes and copies them down. After all, Zhang Yunqi is the second best in the class, and as his best buddy, Wang Xiaokai feels quite pressured.

The final exam this time followed the same rules as the midterm exam a few months ago. There were nine subjects in three days, and examination seats were allocated according to scores. From Class 168, only Zhang Yunqi and Chu Jian made it to the science and technology class examination room, but they were not in the same examination room.

There were nine subjects to take exams in three days. The time was very tight and passed quickly. After the last final exam, Zhang Yunqi packed his schoolbag and was about to go out. He met Chu Jian who was walking towards him in the examination room opposite. They were both stunned. Chu Jian nodded to him and they walked down the stairs together.

In fact, they did not come out too early, as there was still more than half an hour left before the final submission deadline. However, since this was the last exam, many people were panicked, thinking about what to do during the winter vacation after the exam. This led to many people submitting their papers early, and very few sitting until the last half hour. Most of the examination rooms were empty, and the rest either had the composure to check their papers, or had not finished yet and were worried about their final exam scores.

Zhang Yunqi and Chu Jian walked down the stairs. There were few people and it was quiet. Only their footsteps echoed in the teaching building which was filled with dusk. It was a little after five in the afternoon. The red sunlight shone through the snowflakes and slanted into the corridor from the window, stretching the two connected shadows very long.

After leaving the teaching building, Zhang Yunqi asked Chu Jian where he was going?

When we first met, we said go home.

Zhang Yunqi accompanied her to the school gate. Fortunately, there were not many people in the school at that time, and some of the students they met did not recognize them. However, every boy who passed by them for the first time would turn his head and secretly look at the girl.

Zhang Yunqi just wanted to laugh at this.

Arriving at the school gate, he asked Chu Jian: "By the way, Chu Jian, where are you going to go during the winter vacation? Do you have plans to meet up with your classmates?"

Chu Jian thought for a moment and said, "I'm not going to play anywhere, because I have to work during the winter break and review my lessons, so I might be busy. Your home is not in the city, do you have time to come up and visit your classmates during the winter break?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "I will come up around the sixth day of the Lunar New Year."

When I first saw her, I was stunned and asked, "Have you made an appointment?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "No, my sister lives in the city. I will come to her house to pay New Year's greetings when the time comes."

Chu Jian said "oh" and paused, then she said: "Then we can go play on the sixth day of the New Year."

Zhang Yunqi smiled and said: "Okay, I'll come find you then."

Chu Jian nodded and said, "Then I will go back. Yunqi, you should also go home early. See you in the New Year."

"See you in the New Year."

Chu Jian waved and walked towards the nearby bus stop with her schoolbag on her back. At that time, the sunset in the sky was very warm, and the red light reflected on her thin and straight hair, coating it with a layer of soft and bright color. It gave the illusion of a fantasy oil painting, which made Zhang Yunqi feel a warm current in his heart.

Zhang Yunqi turned around and went back to his dormitory. Wang Xiaokai, Yang Wei and Tian Zhuangzhuang were all packing their luggage, but they would not be returning home until tomorrow morning. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Yunqi asked them to go out for a big meal, as a way of celebrating the New Year in advance with his buddies.

We were about to escape from the hardship and go home to celebrate the New Year. We were in high spirits, drinking and chatting until late at night before we went back to the dormitory to sleep. The next day, it was around ten in the morning.

When Zhang Yunqi got up from the bed, Wang Xiaokai, Tian Zhuangzhuang and Yang Wei had all packed up and left. Zhang Yunqi ran to the gatehouse and called home to tell his mother that he would be returning home today.

After hanging up the phone, he washed and packed up, and had a meal outside before running to the bus station with his luggage to take a bus to Fengyang County. Fengyang County is very close to Jiangchuan City and it only takes more than half an hour to get there, but there is only one bus to Longwan Town. The bus is not big and the environment is very poor. It is very uncomfortable to take such a bus during the peak period of Spring Festival travel. The greedy drivers can fill the entire bus.

Along the way, there were sounds of snoring, farting, smoking, telling dirty jokes, and bargaining with the conductor. These were common things on rural buses at that time. However, what was more eye-catching were the several young people on the bus who had returned from working in the coastal areas.

They were wearing colorful clothes of unknown brands, carrying eye-catching Aiwa brand Walkmans, and had fashionable yellow hair. Although in Zhang Yunqi's eyes, they were just the kind of "Shamatte" people from the urban-rural fringe, but in front of this group of rude farmers, they had a stronger sense of superiority.

It was past six o'clock when the minibus arrived at Longwan Town. As soon as Zhang Yunqi got off the bus, he saw his elder brother Zhang Yunfeng craning his neck to look over here.

Zhang Yunfeng was wearing a hairy and slightly tight black jacket and baggy dark yellow pants. He squatted under the snow-covered eaves with his hands clasped together, smoking a pipe, looking like an ordinary farmer.

After seeing Zhang Yunqi get off the bus, Zhang Yunfeng immediately put out his pipe on the sole of his shoe, ran over to take his brother's luggage, looked him up and down, and said happily: "It seems that the food in your school is good. You have grown a lot after not going home for half a year!"

Zhang Yunqi liked to hear this.

In the past six months, his height has indeed increased a lot. I measured him some time ago and he is 173cm tall. He has initially escaped the tragic group of third-class disabled people. Of course, this is inseparable from his healthy eating habits and daily running. But after not seeing him for half a year, he found that his skin has become darker and he smells more like putty. It seems that transport work is not easy. He will not be able to continue like this. He is already in his twenties and has not yet found a wife.

I really can’t afford to delay my eldest brother’s lifelong event.

That era was different from later generations, especially in rural areas. It was rare for someone to be unmarried at the age of 23 or 24. Most of them were poor or physically disabled. For his eldest brother, these problems did not exist at all.

Zhang Yunqi thought about this and chatted with his elder brother Zhang Yunfeng. Zhang Yunfeng said, "Let's go. Mom and Chunlan Xiaoxiao are still waiting for you to go back for dinner. Let's talk while we walk. The tractor is over there."

Zhang Yunqi got on Zhang Yunfeng's tractor and left Longwan Town, heading straight for Yunxi Village.

It was winter, and the wind was cold, mixed with snow particles, blowing on the face like a knife, but Zhang Yunqi did not feel cold. Following his elder brother over mountains and across rivers, driving through those familiar mountain roads, and passing through those familiar villages, he felt a familiar warm feeling in his heart, which was particularly solid.

This is the power of home.

******
　The third update tonight!
　　I have paid off all my debts, albeit a little slowly.

　　But I kept my promise. I just looked at the time and it's three in the morning. I'm tired and going to sleep. Please vote for me and collect my book.

(End of this chapter)