Chapter 211 Things Are Getting Better

Li Huachen clung to the window, staring at the scenery rushing past outside.

Yu Xincheng is not the one she remembers anymore.

The old bluestone road was uneven and full of potholes, and you'd get muddy after walking on it in the rain.

Now it has all been paved with smooth cement.

The old tung tree by the roadside is still there, but its trunk is so thick that it's almost impossible to hug it.

She stared at the three-story red brick building on the street corner.

She remembered that this place was a barren hillside ten years ago, but now a new supply and marketing cooperative building has been built here.

The lights were still on, and a loudspeaker was hanging.

Inside the counter were face creams and cookie boxes printed with images of curly-haired girls.

Wearing a dress, with a bright smile, she looked so fashionable that she was stunned for three seconds.

"Look at that tricycle!"

Li Rongkai slammed his hand on the window, raising his voice by eight octaves.

The truck bed was filled with bamboo baskets, and a sign was stuck next to each basket.

The sign above reads "South Goods Transferred to North".

A burly man was gritting his teeth as he pedaled his bicycle toward the dock.

Li Huachen recognized her.

It's dried silverfish from Donghu Lake.

The silvery-white, slender fruits were bundled together in bamboo baskets, emitting a faint salty aroma.

In the past, in western Guizhou, you had to collect coupons to buy even one jin (500g).

now?

A whole truckload of them were displayed on the street for sale!

There were other people nearby weighing sacks.

Zhou Yufan carried his luggage and walked steadily ahead.

He suddenly raised his right hand and pointed to the roadside.

"The newly opened Zhouji Rice Cake Shop is said to use glutinous rice from Yuanjiang. The rice grains are plump, and the steamed rice is soft, sticky, and sweet, which is very popular."

Li Huachen quickly stepped forward, squinting her eyes to examine it carefully.

Under the canvas awning, stacks of bamboo steamers were neatly piled together.

Puffs of white steam rose from the steamer.

A faint aroma of osmanthus sugar slowly permeated the air.

A long queue had already formed in front of the tent.

They clutched small change and grain coupons.

Next to the small denomination tickets and grain coupons, there was a new type of small green paper.

Industrial vouchers.

The stall owner squatted in front of the blackboard and neatly wrote a line of words with chalk.

Buy ten rice cakes and get a free industrial voucher!

The old stilted houses by the dock have recently been renovated.

The originally mottled wooden pillars are now covered with a thick layer of tung oil.

The windows on the second floor have also been replaced with new glass, and several floral curtains are hanging on the windowsill.

Everything has changed.

Strangely enough, as Li Huachen looked at all this, she felt a warm glow in her heart.

Life is truly getting better day by day.

Yuxin had just experienced a heavy snowfall.

Thick snow lay on the eaves, falling in a rustling sound when the wind blew.

Xu Yunli had a bright red scarf around her neck.

His eyes were wide open, staring intently at the surging crowd at the exit.

Her husband, Wu Dekang, stood beside her.

Seeing that she was shivering from the cold, he took off his coat and gently draped it over her shoulders.

"Don't rush, the car just arrived, there are a lot of people, take your time looking, you'll find it eventually."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd suddenly stirred.

A familiar blue headscarf flashed by amidst the gray coat.

Xu Yunli suddenly shook off her hand and rushed forward through the thick snow.

The soles of my cotton shoes slipped, and I slid sideways on the icy ground.

She staggered and almost fell.

But she didn't care about any of that.

Her vision was already blurred.

He was calling out the name that had been hidden in his heart for twenty years.

"Hua Chen!"

Li Huachen had just been helped down the steps by Zhou Yufan.

Upon hearing that call, she jolted violently, and the bundle slipped from her grasp.

I looked up and saw a woman standing in front of me.

The woman was wearing a dark blue Lenin suit.

Time has etched fine lines on her face.

But those eyes were bright and clear...

It was exactly the same as when I used to jump rope.

Li Huachen opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

"Yunli..."

She finally managed to squeeze out two words.

The next second, Xu Yunli rushed over and hugged Li Huachen tightly.

The other person had a faint fragrance emanating from them.

As soon as she stepped out, Li Huachen's mind exploded with a "boom".

That happened many years ago.

She and Xu Yunli squeezed together in front of the copper basin, sharing a plum blossom-scented soap to wash their faces.

The foam splashed on my nose, making me sneeze because it was so itchy.

They laughed through their tears.

"You heartless girl!"

Xu Yunli cried as she patted her twice.

"Why didn't you give me a word? You've been gone for so many years, haven't you ever thought about me?"

Li Huachen was swayed by her pat and quickly grabbed her wrist.

She tried to calm her voice.

“When I first arrived in Guixi, I sent you letters…really, I wrote several, but then I heard that you…you were sent to the countryside, and no one could receive your letters or reply. I asked someone to inquire, but they all said they couldn’t get in touch with you…I was afraid that even if the letters arrived, no one would see them.”

Xu Yunli's hand suddenly trembled.

She stared at Li Huachen's lips, which were blue from the cold, her eyes darkened, and she suddenly stopped asking questions.

Without saying a word, he grabbed her hand and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Warm, your hands are frozen. Those old grudges are long gone! Don't mention them, they're just upsetting."

She paused, a slight smile playing on her lips.

“Dekang and I have been growing rice for three years, exposed to wind and sun, but I’ve never complained. He always praises me, saying that I’m better at transplanting rice seedlings than the local girls, and I don’t even bend over. Tell me, isn’t it a success that a city girl like me can become such a skilled farmer?”

Li Huachen's hands slowly warmed up inside her coat.

She looked at Xu Yunli's face.

It bears the marks of wind and frost, as well as the reddish hue of the sun.

But those eyes were still as bright as ever.

She suddenly felt that the hardships she had endured over the years didn't seem so unbearable anymore.

"Rong Kai, come here."

She turned her head and waved behind her.

The little boy hesitated and took two steps.

“Yunli, this is my son, Li Rongkai.”

Li Huachen looked at the child, her eyes filled with light.

"The thing I'm most reluctant to part with is him."

Xu Yunli was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

"They're already this big? Then...this child..."

"It belongs to Yu Fan."

Li Huachen readily admitted it.

"Great! That's really great!"

Xu Yunli's eyes suddenly lit up.

“I was always worried that you wouldn’t be able to handle it, that you’d be all alone, and how you’d manage. Now that you have a child, you feel more secure!”

As she spoke, she looked Li Rongkai up and down.

This child's features do indeed resemble Zhou Yufan's.

Especially his eyes, which were dark, bright, and full of spirit, exuding a sense of composure.

Yet, between her brows, there was a subtle hint of Li Huachen's gentleness.

Xu Yunli squatted down and pinched his little cheek.

"That little face, so rosy. And those eyes, so bright! Just like your dad when he was little. But he's got a bit more of a scholarly air about him, like your mom. He'll definitely grow up to be a handsome young man!"

Li Rongkai felt a little shy under her gaze and immediately shrank behind Li Huachen.

But she couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked timidly.

"Auntie, my mom said you sing really well, is that true?"

"Oh, so you've heard about this?"

Xu Yunli burst out laughing.

"Not only can I sing, I can also teach. Want to learn? I guarantee you'll learn it all, no kidding."

Li Huachen quietly looked at the two old friends in front of her, feeling a warm glow in her heart.