Free Web NovelChapter 392: Chapter 122: Family and Old Friends
Once inside, Chen Chuan took off his coat and began pulling items out of his suitcase one by one. "Uncle, Aunt, I brought you a lot of things."
He picked up an aluminum tobacco box and handed it to Nian Fuli. "Uncle, this is high-quality tobacco imported from Tayana."
The moment Nian Fuli saw it, his craving kicked in. He rubbed his hands together. "Tobacco from Tayana! I’ve been wanting to try it for a while." He started to take out his pipe. "Xiaochuan, I haven’t really used the pipe you gave me last time. This will go perfectly with it..."
Chen Chuan smiled, then took out an exquisite tea set and a set of Cyan Bag Jade Workshop skincare products. "Aunt, I brought these for you."
Molan had once dominated the skincare sector, but after Molan Company’s collapse, its market share and technology were carved up by various companies. Cyan Bag Jade Workshop managed to get a piece of the pie, but for now, they only produce high-end products in limited quantities. As a Drug Tester, he had managed to get his hands on a set.
Yu Wan said, "Chan’Er, you already sent us so many things last time. You have a lot of expenses living alone in Central City. You don’t need to bring things back with you."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Aunt, I have a position at the Processing Bureau now, so I’m drawing a salary. My room and board at the academy are free, so it was the perfect chance to buy you some things."
At this, Nian Fuli asked, "What position?"
Chen Chuan replied, "A member of the Processing Bureau’s Special Execution Team."
Nian Fuli asked a few more questions until he understood, then remarked with a sigh, "If you came back to Yangzhi, the Patrol Bureau would make you a Captain at the very least. By that measure, you’d be at the same rank as me."
Chen Chuan smiled. "It’s not comparable. I’m only responsible for myself at the Processing Bureau. You, on the other hand, are in charge of over a thousand people, Uncle."
Nian Fuli sighed. "Sigh, the pay isn’t much better, but the worries are endless. It’s tough." Yu Wan shot him a look. "If it’s so tiring, why don’t you let someone else do it?"
"I can’t do that. So many of my men are counting on me. How could I just walk away..."
Just then, his younger cousins started jumping up and down beside Chen Chuan, chanting, "Cousin, what about us? What about us?"
Chen Chuan laughed. "I didn’t forget you." He pulled the remaining items from his bag. Besides dolls that boys and girls would like, there were also some educational toys for children.
After giving the presents to the two cheering children, he finally took out a cylindrical object wrapped in cloth and placed it on the table.
Yu Wan asked curiously, "Chan’Er, what’s this?"
Chen Chuan pulled off the cloth, revealing a small, palm-sized cage. Inside was a vibrantly colored bird. "It’s a pocket parrot," he said. "It can welcome guests and announce good fortune, and if you keep it at home, it will eat all sorts of mosquitoes and insects."
He had purchased this pocket parrot from the Secret Snake Sect; it was delivered to his door after just one call. They were very easy to raise, had long lifespans, and would even be taught to say flattering things about their owner.
However, its most useful function was actually distinguishing between people. It would notify its owner in advance whenever any guest, familiar or not, was about to enter.
He then picked up the cage and gave it a gentle shake. The parrot stirred, opening its sleepy eyes. Seeing the person in front of it, it immediately perked up, spread its wings, and squawked loudly, "Happiness and good fortune! Happiness and good fortune..."
Yu Wan found it fascinating. Even the two little ones, Nian Mo and Nian Lu, hugged Chaoming and leaned in for a closer look.
The pocket parrot wasn’t afraid of people at all, but it flinched when Chaoming’s head got close. It quickly puffed out its chest again, though its eyes darted toward Nian Fuli and Yu Wan as if pleading for help. Its expression was so comical that everyone burst out laughing.
Yu Wan said, "It’s so hot, and there are certainly plenty of bugs. Since it can catch flies and insects, let’s keep this little thing. Chan’Er, how long are you staying this time?"
Chen Chuan replied, "About a month." He added, "Aunt, I have a car now, so I’ll be able to come back and see you more often."
Nian Fuli said, "You have your studies and your duties. Those things are more important. Don’t worry about us. A phone call now and then is enough. It’s a long drive, and traveling back and forth is tiring."
Yu Wan added, "Chan’Er, your uncle is right. Studying and working are not easy. You should rest more when you have the time. When you get serious about something, you lose track of all time. You have to take care of yourself."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Uncle, Aunt, I’ll take care of myself."
At noon, the family ate lunch together. During the meal, he spoke a little about the situation in Central City. But with two children present, and to keep Yu Wan from worrying too much, Chen Chuan didn’t touch on too many negative aspects, only giving a general overview of the city.
The wondrous world under the shroud of the Biological Domain left his aunt’s family listening with rapt attention. Although they had occasionally heard rumors from Central City, they had never heard such a detailed account as the one Chen Chuan gave. It was as if they were seeing it with their own eyes.
After lunch, Nian Fuli said, "Come take a walk with me."
Chen Chuan agreed. The two of them left the house, greeting people as they walked out of the alley and headed toward a nearby park.
Nian Fuli took out his pipe, and Chen Chuan produced a lighter he had brought along to light it for him. Nian Fuli waited a moment, took a light puff, and then slowly exhaled. "Now that’s a proper taste," he said in appreciation.
As they walked slowly, he said, "Now that Molan Company is gone and the Blood Mark Gang has been wiped out, there’s a lot less trouble in the city. The Iron Chain Gang knows how to behave, so public order in Yangzhi is much better than before."
"There have been quite a few changes at the Patrol Bureau, though. The Old Company Commander was promoted, and now Director Guan is in charge. Instructor Wen was transferred, and we have a new Chief Instructor. I just can’t seem to figure this new guy out. He’s all smiles with everyone, but his eyes are always watching you from behind."
He scoffed. "With Molan gone, the higher-ups need someone to keep an eye on our Patrol Bureau."
Chen Chuan understood. In the past, a key duty of the Yangzhi City Patrol Bureau was to watch Molan. Now that Molan was gone, the higher-ups would naturally find a new way to maintain checks and balances.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Uncle, has anything been decided about the old Molan Company site?"
"That place? It’s been taken over by the Yuan’an Company. They’re building a railway in the north now, connecting from the military port in Cold Valley City. The plan was set last year, and rumor has it Yuan’an Company is backing it financially."
Chen Chuan nodded. Yuan’an was a weapons manufacturer, but it was also one of the National Enterprises. Handing the site over to Yuan’an was likely an arrangement made by the Dashun Government.
Nian Fuli took a slow drag from his pipe. "I hear those Island Countries in the Outer Ocean are fighting every day. Xiaoxian sent a telegram a few days ago saying his training unit might be stationed over there. I guess this means he won’t be home for the New Year again."
Chen Chuan knew about this. The numerous island nations of the Outer Ocean were rife with endlessly emerging resistance forces, and the nations themselves were not on friendly terms. They exchanged fire almost daily; the fighting was incessant.
He said, "The military technology of the Outer Ocean Islands is several tiers below Dashun’s. Cousin graduated from the academy as an officer, and modern tactics are different from the past. He won’t need to personally fight on the front lines, so you don’t need to worry too much, Uncle."
Nian Fuli shook his head. "Even if he goes to the battlefield, it’s nothing to worry about. If I, your uncle, hadn’t fought on the battlefield in my youth, I wouldn’t be the man I am today."
"You, on the other hand, need to be careful in Central City. Even though you didn’t say it, I know it’s not an easy place to live. Don’t you worry about things at home. I’m still strong and healthy. I’ve got another ten or twenty years in me, no problem. You just focus on what you need to do."
Chen Chuan grunted in acknowledgment.
Nian Fuli suddenly slapped his forehead. "Right, I almost forgot something. Just a couple of days ago, a young fellow named Lu Ke called. He’s that apprentice of Yu Gang’s, right? Said he wanted to give you their contact address." He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "I wrote down his address."
Chen Chuan took it and glanced at it. "Thanks, Uncle."
Nian Fuli waved his hand. "Yu Gang originally had a case against him, but the Iron Chain Gang helped the higher-ups stop the Blood Mark Gang, so his old record was wiped clean. He’s a man who knows his limits and handles things reliably. And he was your teacher. If you think it’s appropriate, you could give him a hand."
Chen Chuan nodded.
After they returned from their walk, Chen Chuan chatted with Yu Wan for a long time before heading back to his room.
He had been gone for over half a year, but the room’s furnishings were just as he had left them. It was clear his aunt cleaned it often.
He took out the things he needed and organized them. In the afternoon, he drove his cousins to a newly opened amusement park and then took a stroll through some of his old haunts.
When he returned that evening, he took a refreshing shower and went straight to bed.
The next morning, he rose early and went outside to practice his forms for a while, stretching his muscles and joints. After having breakfast with his aunt’s family, he made a call to Ding Jiao. "Ding Jiao, it’s Chen Chuan."
"Xiaochuan... You’re back?!" a loud voice boomed from the other end.
Chen Chuan laughed. "Yeah, I’m back in Yangzhi for summer break."
"Whoa, whoa..." Ding Jiao exclaimed. "Xiaochuan, you’re back in Yangzhi? Why didn’t you say so sooner? The guys and I should’ve thrown you a welcome party! And you’ve been in Central City for so long, you have to tell us all about it! That way we’ll have something to brag about, right?"
Chen Chuan laughed. Ding Jiao was still the same as ever, not a bit changed. "I only got back yesterday, and I’m calling you now, aren’t I? Let’s find a time to get together. I’ll be home for the whole month."
"Okay, okay, I’ll let the others know now. I’ll call you back!" The line went dead as he hung up in a hurry.
Chen Chuan chuckled, then dialed another number. This time, it was for Cheng Zitong. When the call connected, he said, "Teacher, it’s Xiaochuan. Yes, I just got home yesterday. Is now a good time? Great, then I’ll head over right now."
He put on his hat, grabbed some things he had bought in Central City, and pushed the door open.
But these items were just incidental. He had prepared a special gift this time: a notebook filled with strange tales from Central City that he had transcribed from various sources. He was sure Cheng Zitong would like it.
He got into his car at the mouth of the alley and drove toward Wuyi Academy.
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