85: Chapter 85 A Feeling of Hesitation Upon Returning Home

Tie Qichang nodded thoughtfully, a glimmer of approval flashing in his cloudy eyes.

The bus rounded a mountain pass, and the compound of the Guantian Township Government gradually came into view.

Tie Qichang's heart suddenly beat faster. He saw a crowd neatly lined up to welcome them, led by a young man in his twenties with a tall, upright posture and bright, piercing eyes.

"Grandfather, we've arrived," Tie Min reminded him softly.

Tie Qichang took a deep breath and adjusted his collar.

Forty-eight years of waiting had finally become reality at this very moment.

The wheels rolled over the brand-new cement road, carrying this wanderer toward the hometown he had dreamed of for so long.

As soon as the bus came to a stop, the young man hurried forward, taking Tie Qichang's hands firmly in his own. "Old Mr. Tie, welcome home!"

"You are..." Tie Qichang asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I am the Guantian Township Party Secretary, Li Dakang."

The young man smiled sincerely. "The entire township is very happy to hear that you are returning."

Tie Qichang had originally been quite averse to official socializing, but at this moment, facing this local official, he felt an inexplicable sense of warmth—perhaps because of the sincerity in the eyes of Li Dakang, or perhaps because he had heard of this young secretary's achievements.

The wrinkles on his face smoothed out, and he revealed his first genuine smile since returning to his hometown.

"Secretary Li, thank you for your hard work."

Tie Qichang patted the hand of Li Dakang. "I just wanted to come back and take a look..."

Li Dakang keenly noticed that Tie Qichang's voice trembled slightly when he said the word "return."

He knew that this reception was not just about investment promotion, but also about a wanderer's nostalgia spanning nearly half a century.

Just as everyone was exchanging pleasantries, Tie Min suddenly spoke up, her lively almond-shaped eyes flashing with curiosity. "I really didn't expect you to be a Township Party Secretary at such a young age!"

Her voice was crisp, but tinged with skepticism. "Did you get here through family connections?"

Although she was new to the mainland, she had heard friends who often did business there talk about it, so Tie Min had already heard rumors about certain rules in the mainland officialdom.

Having been surrounded by various officials over the past few days, she felt even more convinced that there must be something fishy about this young secretary's promotion.

As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly froze.

Tie Qichang's expression darkened, and he quickly scolded her, "Min'er! Do not be rude!"

He then turned to Li Dakang to apologize. "Secretary Li, please forgive her. This girl has been spoiled by me since she was young, and she speaks without thinking."

Li Dakang, however, smiled calmly and waved his hand to show it was fine. "It is only natural for Miss Tie to have such questions."

His gaze was open and his tone composed. "I am indeed still lacking in seniority. Being able to shoulder this important responsibility is entirely due to the trust of the organization and the support of the masses."

"I believe that in time, Miss Tie will understand."

After saying this, Li Dakang turned to Tie Qichang and said sincerely, "It is rare for you to return to your hometown, Old Mr. Tie. Why not let me, your 'host,' accompany you on a tour?"

Seeing Tie Qichang hesitate, he added, "I will only bring two people, and we will definitely not cause any disturbance."

Tie Qichang pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

Soon, Li Dakang, along with Director Su Zhiguo and Zheng Shijun, boarded the bus heading to Tieshan Village.

Tieshan Village was one of the beneficiary villages when the road from Zhengjia Village to the township was built, so the bus could drive directly to the entrance of the village.

Tie Qichang kept his gaze fixed outside the window, his eyes shining with complex emotions.

"Grandfather, are we almost there?" Tie Min asked softly, noticing that her grandfather's hands were trembling slightly.

"Almost there, almost there..." Tie Qichang's voice was low and hoarse, as if it were coming from a great distance away.

At this moment, several people were already standing at the entrance of Tieshan Village, led by Party Secretary Tie Dahe of Tieshan Village.

He was pondering the instructions given yesterday by Director Su Zhiguo of the Party and Government Office. Director Su Zhiguo had said that an important guest was coming today and asked him to have a few elderly villagers wait, but he hadn't specified exactly what to do.

What baffled Party Secretary Tie Dahe even more was that Director Su Zhiguo had specifically instructed him to prepare lunch, saying that Secretary Li Dakang would be eating in the village at noon. He was told not to prepare fine wine or dishes, but only the simplest home-cooked meals, preferably the coarse grains and wild vegetables used to fill stomachs during the old famines.

This really stumped Party Secretary Tie Dahe. Who would eat those things nowadays?

Let alone use them to entertain the Township Party Secretary.

The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong. Could it be that Director Su Zhiguo didn't like him and was intentionally trying to sabotage him?

If it weren't for Director Su Zhiguo repeatedly emphasizing that it was the intention of Li Dakang, Party Secretary Tie Dahe would never have dared to make such arrangements.

But then he thought, if something went wrong, it wouldn't be his fault; he could just say he did as Director Su Zhiguo instructed.

As soon as the bus came to a stop, Party Secretary Tie Dahe hurried forward with the village cadres and several elderly villagers.

He was about to step forward to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Li Dakang, but he saw the Township Party Secretary turn around and respectfully say to someone inside the bus: "Old Mr. Tie, we have arrived at Tieshan Village. Please."

Tie Qichang's heart was surging with emotion at this moment.

For forty-eight years, he had returned to this native land countless times in his dreams. But now that he was really standing at the village entrance, he hesitated, afraid to take a step forward. This was likely what the ancients meant by "the closer one gets to home, the more nervous one feels."

With the support of his granddaughter Tie Min, Tie Qichang finally stepped off the bus, trembling.

When the soles of his shoes touched the soil of his hometown, he couldn't stop trembling. This was the hometown he had dreamed of for nearly half a century!