"Old Xu, are you... are you alright?"

As soon as Lu Fangfang said it, she regretted it.

Now is the peak time for exercise, so Old Xu must be having a tough time. Asking that question is pointless.

"It's fine, it's okay, I'm used to it."

Xu Huayun smiled, without any sadness on her face.

Just like he said, he's used to it.

When he first arrived in the Qilian Mountains, he was depressed and frustrated, and even thought about ending it all. But after experiencing so many days of herding horses, his heart, like the vast grassland, calmed down.

No matter how harsh the winter, there will always be life on this vast grassland, and there will always be a day when spring arrives and flowers bloom.

"Old Xu, everything will be alright."

Seeing Lao Xu's appearance, Zhuang Mingcheng felt a little heavy-hearted. He stepped forward and patted Lao Xu's shoulder forcefully.

Speaking of which, he and Lao Xu are from the same hometown, both from Beijing, which can be considered a coincidence.

He knew a bit about Lao Xu and knew he was a simple person. He would definitely help him out when he had the chance in the future.

"Comrade Lu, Comrade Zhuang, you don't need to worry about me, I'm fine."

Xu Huayun shook her head, with a sense of detachment from everything, "Comrade Lu, Comrade Zhuang, are you both doing well?"

"Everything is fine. Fangfang is pregnant with twins. I just took her to the hospital to have a check-up."

Zhuang Mingcheng nodded, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Twins? Comrade Lu, Comrade Zhuang, congratulations!"

Xu Huayun was overjoyed and sincerely wished the two of them well.

Seeing how well the two of them are doing now, he is truly happy for them.

Looking back, I realized I hadn't brought much with me.

Thinking of the eggs at home, he decided to save up some more and send some over. Comrade Lu had helped him a lot, and he couldn't be ungrateful.

“Old Xu, when you go back to school, be the teacher of my and Mingcheng’s children. You’d better teach them well then.”

"School?"

Xu Huayun paused, a look of confusion on his face. He didn't even know if he would ever have any hope of returning to school.

However, seeing Lu Fangfang smiling at him, he became more open-minded and said, "Okay, as long as I have the opportunity to go back, I will definitely teach her well."

There will definitely be an opportunity.

Lu Fangfang sighed inwardly. There was a chance, but it would be several years from now.

Old Xu is a year older than Mingcheng. By the time the movement ends, he'll be over thirty. He'll have spent most of his youth on the Qilian Grassland.

"Comrade Lu, Comrade Zhuang, it's very cold outside. You should get back in the car. I'm going back with Uncle Guo too."

"Alright then, Lao Xu, Mingcheng and I will head back first. Uncle Guo, we're off."

It was very windy outside, so Lu Fangfang tightened her military coat and went back to the car with her husband.

She rolled down the window and waved to Old Xu again.

Xu Huayun watched the jeep drive away before getting into the carriage.

"Uncle Guo, let's go."

Uncle Guo glanced at Old Xu and said with a smile, "Old Xu, look at that young couple, that's what a good life looks like. When I meet someone suitable in the future, I'll introduce you to a wife too."

As he spoke, he brandished his whip and started driving the carriage.

"Uncle Guo, please stop joking. I'm an old rightist, and I can't hold others back."

"Look at you, bringing this up again. What's wrong with being a rightist? Can't a rightist get married?"

Xu Huayun smiled and shook his head. Seeing how well Comrade Zhuang and Comrade Lu were doing, it would be a lie to say he wasn't envious. However, given his current situation, he wouldn't even dream of such a thing.

He will probably spend his next life with this grassland and snow-capped mountains.

Oh, and his horses in the stables, they're not lonely at all.

He shifted back a bit, half-lying on the carriage, in a good mood.

Feeling the howling north wind, he couldn't help but murmur: "The Chule Plain, beneath the Yin Mountains, the sky is like a yurt, covering the vast wilderness. The sky is vast and blue, the wilderness boundless, the wind blows the grass low, revealing cattle and sheep..."

"Old Xu, what are you muttering about?"

"Uncle Guo, I'm reciting a folk song from the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The song is very similar to what's happening in Qilian..."

...

"Sis, who is that?"

Xiuxiu leaned against the carriage window, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance with curiosity.

"Old Xu and Uncle Guo are both my sister's friends, and they have helped her a lot."

Beside her, Zhang Honghua also watched curiously.

This man, called Lao Xu, was at least 1.8 meters tall, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. He also had a scholarly air about him, which she quite liked. However, he didn't seem to be in good shape; his sheepskin coat was tattered and stained black.

"Sister Fangfang, what does Old Xu do? He looks educated, he must be a cadre, right?"

Lu Fangfang glanced back at her and found it somewhat amusing to see her staring intently outside.

"I used to be a teacher at a school, now I herd horses and take care of the herd."

Zhang Honghua was taken aback, then said disdainfully, "You stinking intellectual."

She immediately lost interest in this old Xu; no matter how good-looking he was, it was useless if his family background was bad.

She came here to see the officials, not to suffer.

"He's a teacher, not some stinking intellectual."

"Teachers are just stinking intellectuals, that's what the director of the Revolutionary Committee in the commune said, Xiuxiu, you mustn't make a mistake."

“Zhang Honghua, don’t label me. You’re the one who’s wrong.”

"Alright, you two stop arguing, we're almost there."

Lu Fangfang turned around and called for the two to stop.

She glanced at Zhang Honghua, and she was so angry that her liver hurt.

No, we can't bring this troublemaker home. Who knows what might happen? We can't even keep him for two days.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!