Xu Kun's return prompted the family to pack their things and go home ahead of time.

Xu's mother kept smiling throughout the journey, and she would greet everyone she saw warmly.

"Oh my, Auntie, what brings you here? Your harvest this year is quite good, the rice is golden yellow."

"It's about the same color as my hairpin, so it looks great."

"Oh dear, this hairpin was bought for me by my eldest son."

"What do you mean by whether a child will amount to anything? When it comes to raising a child, as long as he has a conscience, that's enough. Whether he will amount to anything or not is up to God."

"Third Aunt, you've come to work too! Xiao Kun, go say hello to them."

"Yes, my eldest son just got back today, and he's already helping with chores as soon as he got back."

“Yes, the oxcart was also bought by my eldest son. He just knows how to waste money. He even bought me a hairpin.”

"You know, I'm so old, how can I still wear a gold hairpin? Wouldn't that just make me a laughingstock?"

Once they reached the back, Xu's mother would go over and say a few words to anyone she met.

She would even show off the gold hairpin in her hair if a dog walked by.

She would occasionally turn back to look at Xu's father and ask him if the hairpin looked nice.

Looking at her, Xu's father pursed his lips but said nothing.

It took a whole afternoon to walk that road, and when Xu's mother finally saw her home, she was still somewhat reluctant to leave.

She touched the gold hairpin in her hair and even thought about walking around the village a couple more times.

Having been married for so many years, Xu's father knew exactly what she was thinking, so he spoke up.

"It's almost dark, and the boss must be starving. Let's hurry up and cook."

Hearing this, Xu's mother reluctantly entered the house.

She took off the gold hairpin from her head, carefully took a piece of cloth, wrapped it up in layers, and hid it under her pillow.

This is a gold hairpin; it's meant to be saved for my eldest son's wedding.

The Xu family's dinner was simple: a pot of bean rice, plus a wild vegetable and small fish soup.

The most expensive thing on the table was a pot of wine that Xu Kun had bought.

Father Xu unsealed the wine and poured himself a bowl.

Then he stood up and poured a bowl for his eldest son as well.

"Now that I'm older, it's time for me to have a drink."

Xu Kun looked at him without saying a word. He stared at the wine in the bowl and fell silent.

His younger brother, Xu Shi, felt somewhat aggrieved.

"Dad, I want some too!"

Mr. Xu, with a stern face, slapped the back of his head and scolded, "What are you doing drinking alcohol, kid!"

After being slapped, Xu Shi's eyes became much clearer.

His dad didn't beat him today, which made him a little cocky.

Only after being slapped did he obediently start eating the rice in his bowl.

Xu Kun only had three days off, and during those three days, he came to understand some things.

For example, the money and time spent on Liu Yue could have yielded much more if spent on one's parents.

A piece of cotton cloth costing one or two taels of silver would be looked down upon by Liu Yue; it would only be used to wipe her feet or the table.

However, if you buy it for your parents, you can make them two new outfits that they usually can't bear to wear.

The pastries costing 100 coins were only enough to satisfy Liu Yue's cravings.

But you can buy two pounds of meat and feed the whole family for two days, until they're all greasy and full.

Five taels of silver jewelry was something Liu Yue found distasteful, feeling it was unworthy of her wearing.

However, it's enough to buy five loads of coarse grains for the family, enough for three meals a day for a year.

Moreover, giving these things to one's parents not only makes them happy, but also earns praise for oneself.

Now, whenever he goes out, he hears people praising him everywhere.

Thanks to word of mouth in the village, everyone knew that he had bought his mother a gold hairpin.

He added oil, salt, firewood, and rice to the household supplies, and even bought an ox for his father to plow the fields.

Everyone praised his parents for being lucky to have such a filial and successful child.

Hearing such words, even the usually stern old man would smile a little more.

Every time Xu's mother went out and talked to others, she couldn't stop talking about her son.

They might say they dislike it, but the pride in their words was impossible to hide.

Every time she hears someone praising her eldest son, Xu Kun can hear her laughter from three miles away.

On his last night away, Xu's father sat down in front of him, a rare occurrence, and the two of them began to chat casually under the starry sky.

Are you going back tomorrow?

"Yes, we only had three days off from the military camp, and we have to go back tomorrow."

"Then be careful. I heard there was a battle a couple of days ago, and many Japanese pirates died."

Xu Kun smiled but didn't mention that he had gone into battle to fight the enemy.

He was afraid his parents would worry, so he only said that he had not participated in the war.

The father and son talked for a long time, but it was all about trivial topics.

At the end of the conversation, Mr. Xu looked at his grown-up child and sighed deeply.

He put his hand on Xu Kun's shoulder and said something.

After a while, he finally spoke.

"Dad feels you're not as happy as before."

"There are some things that even Dad doesn't know how to say."

"But Dad hopes that you can be as happy as before."

After saying that, he turned and left to help Xu's mother pack her things.

Xu Kun sat on the threshold, listening to his mother's rambling on about the luggage she had prepared for him, feeling completely at peace.

Looking at the starry sky, he felt that time was passing quickly.

He grew up so fast that in the blink of an eye, he was all grown up.

As dawn broke, Xu Kun stood at the village entrance, carrying a large bag of luggage on his back.

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