The journey was long, requiring a train ride followed by a long-distance bus, a bumpy ride that felt like my bones were about to fall apart.
By the time we finally arrived at the small town in L province that bordered Xujia Village, it was already dark.
To get to Xujia Village, you have to endure a bumpy two or three-hour ride on mountain roads.
Fortunately, Shen Huaichuan had made arrangements with the local military region before setting off, and the group was properly accommodated in the military region's guesthouse.
A hot meal, boiling water, and a clean bed finally helped me shake off some of my fatigue.
There was also a jeep parked in the yard, which gave us confidence for the next day's itinerary.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, the jeep carried the group towards the barren mountain valley that Zhou Qiqi was concerned about.
Shen Huaichuan gripped the steering wheel, Zhou Qiqi sat in the passenger seat, and the Lei family of three squeezed into the back.
The jeep bounced violently on the bumpy dirt road, kicking up a huge cloud of yellow dust behind it.
Xujia Village is nestled in a mountain valley. Compared to the towns along the train route, it appears isolated and impoverished, with a distinctly desolate and remote atmosphere.
Most of the adobe houses are short and old, with roofs either covered with old gray-black tiles or yellowed thatch.
It was the off-season for farming, and many villagers squatted against the wall with their hands in their sleeves, basking in the sun and chatting.
Upon seeing this jeep, which was only occasionally seen when commune cadres went to the countryside, they were all so surprised that they straightened up, craned their necks, and looked over with great curiosity.
These days, anyone who can drive a shiny jeep into the village is either a high-ranking official or someone who has done something incredibly serious.
Before the car even entered the village, the village chief, having received the news, jogged up to greet it, his deeply lined face beaming with a humble and respectful smile, his back unconsciously hunched.
"Commander, commanders, what's going on? What...what major incident has occurred?"
Shen Huaichuan told the others not to move in the car, then opened the car door himself, his tall figure landing on the ground with composure and competence.
He took a step forward, reached out and touched the village chief's arm, his tone gentle:
"Old comrade, don't be nervous, nothing's wrong. We're here to see Xu Tiesheng and Li Guixiang, we have something we'd like to ask them."
"Looking for the Xu family?"
The village chief was taken aback, then visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought to himself, "When did the Xu family manage to establish such a powerful relationship?"
Others might not be able to tell, but he was a worldly-wise person and could tell at a glance that although the young man in front of him wasn't wearing a military uniform, he was definitely a soldier, and of a high rank at that!
He dared not be negligent and quickly nodded and bowed:
"Alright, alright! His house is at the end of the village, at the foot of the mountain, quite a distance from here. The road is difficult to travel, but I'll take the leaders there!"
He walked ahead, while Shen Huaichuan drove behind.
Villagers who passed by along the way all ran out to see what was going on, and a crowd gathered around, moving in that direction.
This is a military jeep. You can't see inside from the outside, so the villagers don't know what's going on and can only guess.
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, saying all sorts of things.
"Is this car going to Aunt Guixiang's house?!"
"Of course! Aunt Guixiang was telling me about it the other day, and I didn't believe it, but it's true! Xu Shuzhen has really married into a wealthy family in the city!"
"My goodness, what a huge car! Are the Xu couple going to the city to enjoy a life of luxury?"
"The Xu family is about to prosper! Old Xu is going to be very proud of himself!"
......
Before the car even arrived, some nosy villagers started shouting at the top of their lungs:
"The Xu family! Xu Tiesheng! Li Guixiang! Come out quickly! A big truck has come looking for you!"
At this very moment, in the Xu family's courtyard at the foot of the mountain at the end of the village.
Li Guixiang was sitting on the threshold with her legs crossed, holding a rough bowl in her hand, drinking cold water as she asked.
"When do you think Shu'er will earn money and send it back? And what about Zao'er? Why haven't we heard anything from her?"
Xu Tiesheng squatted in the corner, silently smoking his pipe, the pipe making a "plop plop" sound, without uttering a sound.
After Lin Yao and Xu Shu got married, they returned to their village. They only received one letter from Xu Zao, saying that the Lin family had given them a lot of money. They didn't know anything else.
The two of them had never been to the city before; they had only heard about how wonderful the city was from Xu Shu's letters, but they had never experienced it firsthand.
Since my last trip to the military dependents' area and living with Lin Yao for a few days, I've come to truly understand what a "good life" is.
After the couple came back, they stopped working on the land, stopped cooking, and stopped heating water. They just drifted through life day by day.
They were just waiting for Xu Shu to get the money from Lin Yao's family so he could do something big, make a fortune, and take them to the city to enjoy a life of luxury, living off a golden bowl.
Unbeknownst to the two, far too many things had happened in S City in just one month.
They had no idea that their beloved son, Xu Shu, was already in jail.
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