In the kitchen, Li Jin and her aunt chatted as they cooked. Her aunt told Li Jin about the changes in the village over the years, whose child had been admitted to university, and whose family had built a new house. Li Jin also briefly recounted her life in Guangzhou.

Meanwhile, Lin Qi was curiously looking at the car parked in front of her house—a military jeep, no less. She walked towards the house, examining the vehicle as she went. The gate to the yard was open, and she could hear voices coming from inside, along with the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen. Instead of going into the main room, Lin Qi went straight to the kitchen, exclaiming before even entering, "Mom, what delicious food are you making today? It smells so good, it's making your mouth water!"

Hearing her daughter's voice, Yang Taohua's smile deepened, but she said, "You little glutton is back. You're so big now, and you're still so greedy. Aren't you afraid your sister will laugh at you?"

"Sister, is it Sister Jin who's back?" Lin Qi hurried a few steps and saw Li Jin adding firewood behind the stove. She excitedly ran to Li Jin's side and hugged her, saying, "It really is Sister Jin who's back!" She even rubbed against Li Jin with a slightly aggrieved expression.

Li Jin also reached out and hugged Lin Qi, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Our little Qi is all grown up now, yet she still wants to act like a spoiled child in her older sister's arms."

Lin Qi didn't care. She let go of Li Jin, then hugged Li Jin's arm and complained, "Sister Jin, how long has it been since you came to see me? It's been years since I last saw you!" She then lowered her head, looking somewhat dejected. Li Jin smiled and playfully pinched Lin Qi's nose. "I've been busy, so I rushed back as soon as I had a spare moment. And, I brought you something nice this time." Lin Qi's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? Sister Jin, what is it? Let me see!" Li Jin smiled mysteriously. "I'll give it to you after we eat. First, help us prepare this meal." Lin Qi immediately perked up and rolled up her sleeves to help.

Lin Tao also returned from outside. After greeting Li Jin in the kitchen, he went to the main room to chat with Gong Moze.

Soon, the food was ready. Everyone sat around the table, which was laden with steaming hot home-cooked dishes. My aunt had specially cooked Laba porridge, as today happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

"Come on, try my Laba porridge. I cook it every year on the eighth day of the first lunar month, hoping you can come back and have a bowl," said Auntie. Li Jin took a sip, and the familiar taste spread in her mouth. "Auntie, it still tastes the same as before, so delicious."

At the dinner table, everyone chatted and laughed, creating a particularly harmonious atmosphere. After the meal, Li Jin and Gong Moze helped clear the table. Then, Li Jin suggested that she wanted to visit Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin.

The uncle nodded. "We should go and take a look. We've been tending to their graves all these years." So, the uncle led Li Jin and Gong Moze to the cemetery on the hill behind the village.

Several evergreen trees stood tall in the cold wind around the cemetery. Li Jin looked at the tombstone, tears welling in her eyes. "Grandpa, Grandma, I've come back to see you. I'm getting married. His name is Gong Moze, he's a very good person." Gong Moze stood to the side, silently bowing to the tombstone.

Li Jin stayed at the grave for a long time, sharing many heartfelt words with Grandpa and Grandma Lin. They didn't return to her uncle's house until it was getting dark.

That night, Li Jin and Gong Moze stayed at their uncle's house. Gong Moze slept in one room with Lin Tao, while Lin Jin slept in another room with Lin Qi.