Dabao and his siblings picked up Jiang Lin and then went to the provincial theater to pick up Wen Sheng.

Wen Sheng had a performance that day, and when Jiang Lin arrived, he was rehearsing backstage.

In addition to performing with the theater troupe, Wen Sheng also sang and was a key performer.

He had learned to play the guqin and erhu from the theater’s music teachers, and he had also learned to play the guitar and piano from the singing troupe’s instructors. For him, these skills came quickly and naturally, though he wasn’t a master, his daily performances were more than sufficient.

Passionate about the arts and free from any commercial ambitions, Wen Sheng’s demeanor remained pure and his eyes clear, untouched by any vulgarity.

Jiang Lin listened to a segment of the play and couldn’t help but applaud enthusiastically.

Everyone cheered, and upon seeing Jiang Lin and the others, they greeted her and congratulated her on her graduation.

Due to their admiration for Wen Sheng, they were also very familiar with and had a favorable impression of his family.

In reality, the theater was a place full of competition and intrigue.

Wen Sheng was an exception; everyone was willing to befriend him and no one would make things difficult for him.

Seeing Jiang Lin and his younger siblings arrive, Wen Sheng was delighted and immediately stopped rehearsing, saying, “There’s something at home, we’ll wrap up for now.”

He grabbed a brocade box from a drawer and ran over to Jiang Lin. “Mom, congratulations on your graduation.”

Jiang Lin took the box and asked, “What’s this?”

Wen Sheng smiled, “Open it and see.” He casually took Baosheng from Xiaobao’s arms.

Xiaobao and Wen Sheng were also excited, urging Jiang Lin to open it quickly.

Inside the brocade box was a set of ruby jewelry: a pair of oval-shaped ear clips, a gold necklace set with gems, and a large ruby ring.

In those days, rubies were not expensive. In the 1970s, ordinary people didn’t value them much.

Even though business opportunities had arisen from overseas since the reform and opening up, their prices hadn’t inflated much yet.

The theater troupe sometimes bought props that included such jewelry, and Wen Sheng could easily afford them.

Girls liked shiny, beautiful stones, and Baosheng’s attention was immediately drawn to the jewelry. “Wow! What is this? It’s so beautiful!”

Wen Sheng replied, “It’s stones. For Mom to wear.”

Baosheng said, “I want to wear it!” Baosheng already had a small box of various pieces of jewelry—gold bracelets, silver bangles, pearls, rubies, sapphires, and even diamonds.

Besides these, she also collected glass beads, pretty stones, and rain flower stones.

For her, they were all equally attractive!

Jiang Lin explained, “This is a gift from Wen Sheng to me, so you can’t have it.”

Baosheng said, “Mom, I’ll keep it for you.”

Xiaobao added, “Baosheng, I’ll help you and Dabao get something later.”

Wen Sheng also smiled and said, “I’ll get you something for your birthday.”

Bao Sheng’s bright black eyes sparkled like obsidian as she said, “Big brothers are so nice. Mwah!”

After Wen Sheng and his colleagues from the theater bid farewell, they followed Jiang Lin and got into the car to head home.

On the way, Bao Sheng whispered to Wen Sheng, “Wen Sheng, could you buy me an ice cream? It’s so hot.”

Wen Sheng replied, “Ask your mom if it’s okay.”

Bao Sheng was loved by everyone, but although Wen Sheng indulged her, he still prioritized Jiang Lin.

For treats like ice cream or candy, he would always check with Jiang Lin first to avoid a situation where everyone was buying different things and ending up with a stomach ache.

Bao Sheng then whispered to Xiao Bao.

Without asking Jiang Lin, Xiao Bao advised her, “Last time you had ice cream, you had a stomachache. It’s better not to eat it. Ice cream is just sweet frozen water, not as good as the milk powder you drank when you were younger.”

Since even her most indulgent brother Xiao Bao said this, Bao Sheng decided to endure it.

Jiang Lin looked at Xiao Bao and said, “Xiao Bao is growing up and showing a big brother’s demeanor now.”

Xiao Bao sighed, “Ah, raising children is full of worries. When I was little, I used to sneak candy and wasn’t afraid of cavities or toothache. Now, I worry about my little sister if she sneaks sweets, afraid she’ll get cavities.”

So, he now tells Bao Sheng that he doesn’t like candy and that sweets are bad for the body, don’t help with growth, make you dumb, and cause cavities.

With Bao Sheng around, his habit of sneaking sweets has changed on its own.

Jiang Lin put her arm around Xiao Bao’s shoulder and praised, “Xiao Bao is becoming more thoughtful. That’s great.”

She and Da Bao exchanged a glance in the rearview mirror and smiled, “It’s all thanks to Da Bao setting a good example.”

Da Bao, who was focused on driving, couldn’t help but smile when he heard this.

They drove directly to the provincial government cafeteria, where Yan Runzhi had set up several tables to celebrate her successful graduation, inviting friends and family to join the festivities.

When Jiang Lin graduated with her bachelor’s degree, Yan Runzhi had organized a few tables of drinks to celebrate, only inviting Jiang Lin’s friends and family, excluding Cheng Rushan’s work-related contacts.

This time, for her master’s graduation, they didn’t want to miss the opportunity to gather and celebrate.

However, Fang Chengguang couldn’t attend due to work commitments, and Zeng Hongjie, who hadn’t pursued a master’s degree and was busy with work and travel, also couldn’t make it.

But Lu Hang, Guo Yanqu, and Jiang Lin’s family wouldn’t miss it.

They had already planned with Yan Runzhi to come this afternoon as soon as they were free.

The entire Jiang family came, including Xu Aimei and her husband, Jiang Da Ge’s family, and Jiang Er Ge’s family.

Jiang Er Ge married in 1980 and now has a daughter.

After graduation, Jiang Min stayed in the provincial capital and was assigned to work at the Provincial Textile Group.

Due to the nationwide shortage of specialized talent, as long as they had decent grades, most graduates were assigned good positions.

Jiang Xinglei returned to work as an accountant at the textile factory and remains single.

Despite being a university graduate with a good job and a handsome appearance, he has shown no interest in dating.

Many people have tried to introduce him to potential partners, and even some girls have approached him on their own, but he has no intention of pursuing a relationship.

Initially, Xu Aimei and Jiang Dongjian, his parents, were anxious to have him marry and start a family, but Jiang Xinglei moved into the factory dormitory and remained resolute.

They eventually gave up trying to persuade him, especially since they already had plenty of grandchildren.

Jiang Lin got out of the car and greeted her brother, sister-in-law, and other relatives.

They usually saw each other often, but due to their busy work schedules, they could only gather like this for special occasions.

“Baosheng Sister,” Xiao Guosheng ran over to Baosheng as soon as he saw her, first greeting Jiang Lin and then grabbing Baosheng’s hand.

Baosheng raised her hand high and smiled at him, “Look at how small you are.”

Guosheng immediately felt embarrassed; he was two years younger than Baosheng, so naturally, he wasn’t as tall.

Baosheng patted his head and said, “Little Guosheng, you need to eat more.”

This child seemed well-behaved but was very picky about food.

Guosheng was the son of Lu Hang and Guo Yanqiu, who married around the same time as Jiang Erge (Second Brother).

Guosheng’s name was actually chosen by Xiaobao.

When Jiang Lin took her children to visit Guo Yanqiu in the hospital after the birth, Lu Hang jokingly asked the children to name the baby.

Xiaobao casually suggested the name Guosheng.

The name was very straightforward—named after who gave birth.

Jiang Lin didn’t have much to say and let Guo Yanqiu decide.

Lu Hang, however, was delighted and decided to name his son Lu Guosheng.

Guo Yanqiu indulged him and accepted the name.

Dabao then suggested using the nickname Guosheng and a more formal name like Lu Guosheng.

Lu Hang liked the suggestion and agreed.

This child was quite pampered by his grandparents but was very well-behaved in front of Dabao, Xiaobao, and Baosheng, never daring to throw tantrums.

At family gatherings with many children, they were usually grouped by age—older ones clustered around Dabao and Xiaobao, while the younger ones followed Baosheng around.

Jiang Min told Jiang Lin, “During the summer vacation, Xiaomeng and Xiaojun will return to the farm.”

Last year, the People’s Commune and Production Teams were disbanded, and the township and village system was reinstated.

Additionally, the construction corps in the frontier regions had undergone restructuring a few years earlier, transitioning from military management to government control and even public-private partnership farms.

Liang Tiefeng had contracted a farm that had been losing money for years and turned it around in two years, establishing the Beidahuang Production Group.

They not only grew grains but also developed animal husbandry and dairy production.

With conditions improving, he wanted to bring Xiaomeng and Xiao Jun back for the summer and winter vacations.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “Xiaomeng and Xiao Jun are grown up and sensible. They have the right to make their own decisions.” It wouldn’t affect their schooling, so it was fine for them to go back during vacations.

Yan Runzhi, Xu Aimei, and other elderly folks gathered, helping in the kitchen.

When the time was right, they called everyone to start the meal.

Jiang Lin asked them to sit first and went to check on Cheng Rushan.

As she reached the entrance of the cafeteria, she saw Cheng Rushan coming with Bie Dongshan, He Liang, and Duan Chang’an.

Seeing Jiang Lin, they were all very happy and congratulated her.

“Please take your seats,” Jiang Lin invited them and went to Cheng Rushan.

In the summer, he was still in uniform, freshly pressed with his tie and buttons perfectly done.

It must have been uncomfortable for him. She helped him loosen his tie and asked, “Is it hot?”

In summer, dress codes were relaxed, and many staff members were not adhering to the dress code, enjoying the comfort.

After all, with the sweltering heat, not many could endure having buttons fastened and ties on.

But she noticed Cheng Rushan had a characteristic—he wasn’t bothered by heat in summer or cold in winter.

In such weather, unless engaging in strenuous exercise, he wouldn’t sweat excessively.

According to Fang Chengguang, someone who practices martial arts doesn’t sweat much in heat; excessive sweating indicates weakness.

“It’s been a busy day,” Cheng Rushan said. He had wanted to attend her defense but was caught up in important meetings.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “It was just a defense, nothing remarkable.”

Cheng Rushan embraced her waist and kissed her on the temple before joining the table with her.

As they arrived, everyone applauded and encouraged the graduate to say a few words.

Jiang Xinglei asked, “Sis, tell us why you love studying so much?”

At that time, completing secondary vocational school was impressive, a diploma was significant, and a bachelor’s degree was rare, so a master’s degree was exceptional.

Jiang Lin replied, “As they say, learning doesn’t stop with age. By getting a master’s degree, my salary increases several levels, and the school will invite me back to teach undergraduate students.”

At that time, having a bachelor’s degree was impressive, so a master’s degree was even more prestigious and authoritative.

In her work, outsiders couldn’t easily challenge her due to her high educational qualifications, which represented extensive knowledge and expertise.

Even leaders wouldn’t easily dismiss her or let connections replace her.