Mother and daughter dialogue

The night was deep, a gentle breeze was blowing, the old earthenware pot in the corner was thriving with the small vegetable seedlings growing inside, the village was quiet, the stars were twinkling in the sky, and Li Guoqiang returned with a smile on his face, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The lights in the east room flickered. Today, Wu Cuihua had left her youngest son with Li Guolan and was combing Li Guorong's hair. She said, "My little sister's hair is so black and long. In the blink of an eye, she's already a young lady." Li Guorong pretended to be lost in thought and didn't dare to reply.

Wu Cuihua added, "I originally wanted to introduce your eldest sister to a good family, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this." Li Guorong replied, "Mom, I'm sleepy, I want to go to sleep."

Wu Cuihua's voice was a little louder, "What are you sleeping for? Tell me clearly about that handsome young man in the city." Li Guorong, his face contorted, suddenly stood up, walked to the window, lay down, covered himself with the blanket, and began to snore.

Wu Cuihua was amused by her anger. Among the grown children, Li Guojian was the most clever and Li Guorong was the most brave. She walked to Li Guorong's bedside and gently pinched her daughter's nose.

Li Guorong's face turned red as he opened his eyes. "Mom, what are you doing?" Wu Cuihua sat on the edge of the bed and said gently, "Tell Mom what you want to do."

Li Guorong had been married in his previous life, so he should have been past the age of being shy and infatuated. Perhaps it was because his body had become younger that his mind had become younger, but whenever he thought of Lin Shaocheng, his heart would pound and his face would feel hot.

Seeing Li Guorong's awkward behavior, Wu Cuihua understood everything and said, "Don't you like the Qian family boy?"

Li Guorong's expression changed, and he said, "I don't like Qian Mancang at all. Besides, Lin Shaocheng is no better than him."

Wu Cuihua teased, "So his name is Lin Shaocheng. He's handsome, much better than the former Qian family boy. He's like a movie star."

Li Guorong raised his voice, "That's his hometown in Beijing. There are only two brothers in his family. His mother is a university teacher, and his father is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, as is his grandfather. If he has a headache or fever, he can treat it at home. He travels all over the country to collect herbs for his grandfather."

Wu Cuihua appeared happy, but inside she was already filled with anxiety. However, if she said anything unpleasant at this moment, her daughter would definitely explode. So she had no choice but to go along with it and say, "How is he treating you? I saw that he was very attentive to things at home today."

Li Guorong was even more pleased, saying, "Of course he would dote on me, take me to the movies and buy me drinks. He was much more generous than Qian Mancang."

Wu Cuihua couldn't help but say, "It's better for people to be down-to-earth. Every pot has its lid, and there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Li Guorong sat up abruptly, his smugness vanished completely, and his eyes widened. "Are you saying I'm not good enough for him?"

"What's wrong with me? I'm considered the village beauty, and I can earn money too."

Wu Cuihua quickly tried to explain, "No, my daughter is perfect in every way, it's just that her family is so outstanding that our family isn't a good match for her."

Now it's not like the future where everything is about money. The Down to the Countryside Movement just ended not long ago. Now, labor is the most glorious thing. What's so unworthy of it? Li Guorong said, "How is it unworthy of it? He doesn't have a formal job either. He trades herbs back and forth. I also dig herbs to make money."

Wu Cuihua quickly replied, "Reselling herbs is too dangerous. I don't agree. Wait for Mom to introduce you to a better one."

Li Guorong refused to listen and cried out, "You just think I'm not as good as my older sister. How come my older sister is entitled to a dual-income family, but I'm not?"

Before Wu Cuihua could persuade him any further, Li Guorong had already run away quickly.

A commotion erupted in the west room. The younger brother was thrown out and started wailing. Li Guolan was also feeling unwell today because of her blind date and didn't have the energy to crawl out and mediate. She only heard the door slam shut, the cabinet being moved and the sound of it sliding against the wooden planks, the younger sister lying on the bed breathing heavily, and a soft knock on the door. Amidst this chaotic noise, Li Guolan felt strangely at peace, the complicated thoughts in her mind disappeared, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Qian Duoduo from the Qian family cursed, "What a waste of my candy! I couldn't bear to eat it. That kid is so ignorant, setting off firecrackers on a holiday."

Qian Mancang also looked gloomy. Today, he had planned to play the hero and save the damsel in distress if the mentally ill man surnamed Wang had an episode, but Lin Shaocheng beat him to it. Looking at Li Guorong's adoring eyes, he figured he had no chance with Li Guorong.

The moonlight shone on Aunt Qian's face, making her look pale. She was even more upset. Now her son's livelihood with bamboo rats had been taken away by the Li family boy, and her family had to rely on the fields for food. They hadn't been able to eat meat for several days.

Qian Duoduo touched his rough hands and felt annoyed. How could his older brother be so useless? He couldn't even control a woman. He was doing the work that Li Guorong should have done. His hands were so rough, how could he do any work?

Aunt Qian said, "I've seen several families in Cai Village make money by collecting herbs with Li Guorong. Son, aren't you on good terms with Li Guojian? Let him mentor you."

Ever since Qian Mancang had a falling out with Li Guorong, Li Guojian no longer took him out to play, let alone dig for medicinal herbs. The Li family had five strong laborers, so they didn't lack manpower for digging for medicinal herbs. He said, "Mom, I want to join the army."

Aunt Qian burst into tears, "You're my only son. If you go to join the army, what will happen to the family?" Another round of wailing and lamentation made Qian Mancang give up his desire to join the army.

Qian Duoduo had a sudden thought and told Qian Mancang to rest quickly so that he could go farming and catching bamboo rats tomorrow.

Only Aunt Qian and Qian Duoduo remained. Aunt Qian knew her daughter was full of clever ideas, so she asked, "Tell me, what kind of crazy idea have you come up with?"

Qian Duoduo chuckled and said, "Mom, you know me best. You said Li Guorong came from the mud just like us, and his ancestors didn't have any doctors. How did he know so many herbs?"

Aunt Qian was also puzzled. Her son and daughter were better than that shrew in every way, so why didn't they have such good luck, finding medicinal herbs so easily? These days, she also went up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs, but all she found were wild grasses.

Qian Duoduo continued, "Why do you think Li Guorong studied so hard recently?" Aunt Qian asked, "Why?"

Qian Duoduo said with certainty, "It means she needs to learn to read. When does she need to learn to read? It's when she needs to read books. If we steal the books, we can pick whatever herbs we want, and we can get all kinds of clothes, meat, and new houses."

Aunt Qian's eyes lit up. That's right, how come she didn't think of that? If she had known, she wouldn't have scolded that little rascal Li Guorong, and she could have gotten the book. She said worriedly, "What should I do? That little shrew is no longer with your brother."

Looking at her daughter, who had grown into a beautiful young woman, Aunt Qian had a mischievous idea. "Daughter..." Qian Duoduo's expression changed. "I don't agree."

Aunt Qian quickly advised, "It's not like we're asking you to actually do it. Don't you want to wear new clothes and flowers? If you earn more, we can buy you a job, and then you'll be a city girl."

Qian Duoduo's expression softened slightly. Thinking of the new clothes, jealousy surfaced on her face. The new dresses on the Li sisters, especially the dress worn by Li Guorong, made her bite her lip indignant. Li Guorong was shrewish and Li Guolan was cowardly. She was stronger than them, so how could she live such a miserable life? She wanted to eat meat every day and wear new clothes every day.

Li Guoqiang lay on the wooden bed, chuckling foolishly. His younger brother, Li Guojian, slept soundly, occasionally calling out, "Money, I need money." Li Guoqiang gently took out a straw bracelet from under his pillow and placed it against his heart.

Li Guoqiang sped back on his bicycle, catching up with his younger sister and the others. He then had his younger sister take his older sister home. His clothes were soaking wet and clung to his body. The faster he pedaled, the stronger the wind became, and the cooler he felt.

Beside the road on the way home, there was a tattered basket with fabric scattered on the ground. A girl who looked to be in her early twenties was sitting next to it crying, her black hair draped over her shoulders. Li Guoqiang rode past like the wind, then rode back. He stopped and asked, "What's wrong?" The girl looked up and cried softly, "I accidentally fell. The fabric spilled, and I sprained my leg. Now I can't move."

Li Guoqiang squatted down. The girl's calves were slightly swollen, making it impossible for her to walk along the mountain path. It was afternoon, and waiting for her family to come out to look for her at night wouldn't be safe. He said, "Where do you live? I'll take you." The girl asked somewhat fearfully, "Won't this delay you? My home is in Dahuaishan, which is quite far." Li Guoqiang's mouth opened slightly as he said, "You're from Dahuaishan? My maternal grandmother's house is there too, at Old Wu's." The girl's eyes lit up. "My home is near Old Wu's. Are you Brother Dajian?" Li Guoqiang shook his head. "I'm Qiangzi. Are you Sister Liu?" Liu Hong nodded. "I'm Hong'er."

Dahuaishan is different from Mengshan. Mengshan has flat terrain at its foot, where villages are clustered together. Dahuaishan has no flat land, and the residents live on the mountain. They live in sections, and it is difficult to find another house within a hundred meters. Farmland is scarce, and most people rely on the mountain for their livelihood, living in a state where they are neither starving nor able to survive.

The mountain road of Dahuaishan has eighteen bends, and bicycles can only be parked at the houses at the foot of the mountain. Liu Hong was carried on Li Guoqiang's back. The man's back was broad and strong, and he steadily supported her as they climbed the mountain. She couldn't help but smile. The trees and bamboo leaves on both sides gently brushed against her hair. She was not tall and had never been able to touch the branches so easily before.

Liu Hong said, "Do you remember when we went fishing in the river together when we were little? I remember, Brother Qiang, you caught a super big fish." Li Guoqiang smiled sheepishly, and the vibration in his chest reached Liu Hong, who couldn't help but laugh out loud as well.

Li Guoqiang said, "You still remember things from so long ago. I remember you and Guolan were the best of friends when you were little, but unfortunately you got busy later and didn't have time to play together anymore."

The two fell silent. They had both grown up and could no longer play carefree like children.

Li Guoqiang has been a good person since childhood. She was always thin and weak, and he would always pay special attention to her when they played, afraid that she would fall behind. Liu Hong couldn't help but say, "Won't your sister-in-law worry if you go back late?" Li Guoqiang was silent for a moment, and then replied, "I'm not married yet."

This time, Liu Hong was speechless. She gently leaned against Li Guoqiang's back and said, "Oh, is that so? I haven't found anyone either." Li Guoqiang's heart pounded like a drum. "I'm willing."

A couple came down from the mountain; they were Liu Hong's parents. "Xiao Hong, Xiao Hong."

Li Guoqiang quickly put Liu Hong down. Liu Hong's parents thanked him profusely and invited him to stay as a guest, but Li Guoqiang quickly declined, as he still had to return the bicycle.

Liu Hong said, "Brother Daqiang, wait a moment." She tied the straw rope in her hand to Li Guoqiang's hand, and the two lowered their heads shyly.

As Li Guoqiang descended the mountain and turned back, he couldn't help but say, "Wait for me."