"By the way, Mom, has my second uncle's second son come back from Shenzhen?" Li Chunmei asked Grandma Xia.

"I heard from your second uncle that he'll be home tomorrow. Do you need to see him about something?"

"Mom and Dad, Chunmei and I plan to go to Shenzhen after the New Year." Xia Jianguo sat up straight, and you could tell he was a little nervous. After all, he was taking his family to Shenzhen, and he needed to tell his parents-in-law properly.

Grandpa Xia asked, "If you two go to Shenzhen, what will happen to Xiaomin?"

Li Chunmei replied, "Dad, we plan to take the children with us."

“You’re going to work in a factory with a child in your arms? Is that appropriate? I heard from your uncle’s second son that children often get lost there. What if our Xiaomin gets lost?” Grandma Xia immediately objected.

Li Chunmei retorted, "Mom, we don't plan to go to work. We want to set up a street stall there. We can earn this much money by setting up a street stall at home. Wouldn't we earn more outside? Besides, the quality of education is better in big cities, which will also help Xiaomin."

Grandpa Xia stopped Grandma Xia, "Alright, old woman, stop talking. They're not children anymore; they've seen more of the world than we have. They must have thought it through before making this decision."

Grandma Xia sat there looking unhappy, wiping away tears with a handkerchief.

“Besides, if we didn’t do well in the past, we would definitely go home,” Li Chunmei comforted Xia’s grandmother.

"Pah, pah, pah! If you're already saying discouraging things before you've even left, you might as well not go at all."

"Grandma, don't cry! Xiaomin will come back, and Xiaomin will build you a big house!" Grandma Xia hugged and kissed Xia Minmin again and again, her eyes full of reluctance.

“Jianguo, try to understand your mother. She is worried about you and can’t bear to part with you.”

"Dad, I know."

"You guys go ahead and let me pick some vegetables from the garden. We'll have dinner at home, okay?"

"Dad, we're going to the rental apartment today to pack our things and bring them back. We won't be renting it next year."

"How are you going to bring all that stuff back?"

“Dad, the coal stove and water tank that we can’t take with us, I’ve left them at my eldest brother’s house. You can bring them back by car after the New Year. Jianguo will take the rest by bike, and I’ll take Xiaomin back by car,” Li Chunmei explained.

"By the way, Dad, you can boil these pears and rock sugar in water and drink it. It'll be good for you." Grandpa Xia had a persistent cough when he was alive, but no illness was ever diagnosed.

Grandpa Xia patted Grandma Xia's hand, "Go and bring some cured meat and glutinous rice cakes for the children. I guess they haven't prepared any New Year's goods at home."

"Grandpa, I want cabbage!"

"Alright, alright, give our little one more cabbage."

Before leaving, Grandma Xia kept stuffing vegetables into the bag.

"Mom, we can't pack any more. Jianguo can't carry it all. We still have things to take back from our rented room," Li Chunmei said, trying to stop them.

Grandma Xia had no choice but to put down the vegetables in her hand with regret, "Come over early on the second day of the Lunar New Year!"

"Don't worry, Mom and Dad, we'll be there soon. Please come in and have a seat. We'll be going now." After saying that, Xia Jianguo got on his bicycle and rode away with Li Chunmei and Xia Minmin on the back.

Xia Minmin turned her head and waved goodbye to her maternal grandparents, "Goodbye, Grandma and Grandpa!"

Grandma Xia watched their retreating figures and said, "I might not see them next Chinese New Year."

"As long as we're still here, the children will always come home." Grandpa Xia led Grandma Xia into the house.

Xia Minmin grabbed the dragon head and asked Xia Jianguo, "Dad, are we going to Shenzhen?"

"Hmm, do you want to go?"

"How would I know if I want to go if I haven't been there? But as long as I'm with you and Mom, I'm willing to go anywhere."

"Jianguo, have you noticed that Xia Xiaomin's mouth has become much sharper since we last met? It seems she's been arguing with Li Qing quite a bit lately."

"It seems that we should let her meet more different people in the future."

Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei had packed up most of the things in the rented room, leaving only bedding and a few bags of clothes, which Xia Jianguo then took away on his bicycle.

"Chunmei, wait for me at the store when you get there. I'll pick you up and we can buy some groceries on the way. The house is empty, with no stove or anything. I doubt anyone will be selling vegetables tomorrow."

"Um."

"Xiaomin, be a good girl and listen to your mother. Wait for your father to come and pick you up. Don't be naughty or run around, or you might never see your parents again." Xia Jianguo pulled Xia Minmin aside and said this repeatedly.

A while ago, Xia Jianguo heard from a customer who bought couplets that someone had lost their child and hadn't been found for several days, and the family was going crazy.

"I know, I'm not an ignorant child, I definitely won't run around and will listen to Mommy obediently," Xia Minmin assured, patting her chest.

Li Chunmei helped Xia Jianguo tie up his luggage, told him to ride carefully, and then let him go first, as she still needed to return the keys.

Xia Minmin held Li Chunmei's hand and asked, "Mom, after we deliver the keys, are we going to take a bus back to Dad's hometown?"

“Yes, it’s only been a little over two months since you first came to Ankang, and now you’re already over two years old,” Li Chunmei exclaimed, marveling at how fast time flies.

The landlord lives in the staff dormitory building of the cement factory, which is about a five-minute walk away.

"Xiaomin, are you tired from climbing the stairs? Do you want Mommy to carry you?"

"I'm not tired. At my grandma's house, I climbed and went down the stairs by myself. I'm not a little kid who needs to be carried."

"Did your sister Qing laugh at you again?"

Xia Minmin gritted her teeth, "It's her!!"

"Xiaomin, we've arrived."

Li Chunmei stood at the door and knocked. Soon after, someone came to open the door.

"It's Chunmei. Come in, come in and sit for a while."

"Sister Wang, no, we need to catch our train home, so we won't go in."

"Sister Wang, here's the key to the rental apartment. Please keep it safe. The apartment has been cleaned for you." Li Chunmei handed the key to the landlord.

The landlord accepted the keys and exchanged a few polite words, "You're Hua Ge's sister, so I definitely trust you. What are your plans for the future?"

"I haven't decided yet, but at least I'll have something to eat. Sister Wang, you're busy, we'll be going now."

Li Chunmei watched as Xia Minmin struggled down the stairs and asked, "Xiaomin, do you want Mommy to carry you?"

"I can walk by myself without Mom."

Li Chunmei had no choice but to give up; there should be plenty of time, no need to rush.

After going downstairs, Xia Minmin looked around at everything in the town. It was still so familiar. The general direction hadn't changed in the past twenty years. Only some houses had been rebuilt, while others had remained unchanged for thirty or forty years.

The mother and daughter managed to catch the last bus. There were no window seats available, but fortunately the journey wasn't long, so they just had to bear with it. There were far fewer people than when they went to the county town last time.

"Mom, Grandma washed my clothes the day before yesterday. They're clean and smell of soap, so you won't feel nauseous."

"Xiaomin, you're so thoughtful. Mom knows. If I feel nauseous, I'll lean on you." Li Chunmei patted Xia Minmin's head.

"When we get there, Mom will take you to the store to buy some delicious food."

"Mom, I want to eat stir-fried candy."

"If the person selling the 'stirred candy' isn't home, I'll buy it for you."

"Okay, will Dad come to pick us up then?"

"Yes, Dad told us to wait for him at the store. We still need to buy groceries, otherwise there won't be any food for our guests when the New Year comes."

"oh."