Without He Wanrou constantly adding to the tension, the atmosphere in the car became much more relaxed and harmonious.
Along the way, the elderly couple from the Shen family focused all their attention on their granddaughter, Zhouzhou, asking her with great interest about her drawing, what colors she liked, and what she had drawn.
Most of the time, Zhou Qiqi answered on her behalf with a smile, while Shen Huaichuan would occasionally chime in with a few words.
When it came to Zhouzhou making friends in the compound, Shen Huaichuan had a lot more to say:
"Didn't you play jump rope with those girls yesterday? You did a great job! From now on, play with girls more often and run around with that mischievous monkey Jiang Xiangyang less! That kid is really wild, climbing on roofs and catching fish in the river. Don't let him turn our quiet little girl into a wild monkey too!"
He meant well, but he never expected that Qin Peilan would be the first to object.
The old lady immediately became displeased, protectively pulling Zhouzhou closer to her, and scolded her playfully:
"Hey, Huaichuan, I don't like hearing that! Our Zhouzhou can play with whoever he wants, whether it's a boy or a girl! This is a new society, why are you thinking more old-fashioned than this old woman? As long as the child is happy, that's all that matters!"
She remembered clearly that when Zhouzhou was with them before, she was always sullen and would stare blankly out the window. They longed for their child to be more lively and have a playmate.
As she spoke, she tenderly ruffled Zhouzhou's hair.
"Zhouzhou, be good, don't listen to your uncle! Grandma will back you up! You can play with whoever you want!"
Sitting in the passenger seat, Shen Zhenbang glanced in the rearview mirror and joined the chorus of condemnation of his son with a smile:
"Exactly! How dare you talk about Zhouzhou like that? You were even more mischievous than a monkey when you were little!"
I remember one time, you were only four or five years old, right? You insisted on climbing that almost two-meter-high coal pile in the logistics warehouse! You slipped and fell right into the coal pile, looking like a black mudfish! When you got home, your mom scrubbed you clean with three big basins of black water!
Qin Peilan was reminded of her memories and slapped her thigh, laughing as she said:
"Yes, yes, yes! I remember! He scrubbed the bathhouse until it was covered in black foam! And another time, it was even more dangerous! He somehow managed to get his hands on a few big firecrackers and secretly stuffed them into the chicken coop at Commissar Zhang's house next door, hoping to scare the old hens out! But when the firecrackers went off, instead of scaring the chickens out, they shook off the potted clivia plants that Commissar Zhang's mother-in-law kept on the windowsill, knocking them to the ground and smashing them to pieces! For this, Commissar Zhang chased him halfway around the yard with a feather duster!"
The family reminisced about the past and laughed. Shen Huaichuan also showed a rare smile, a smile that was both a little embarrassed and happy.
As Shen Zhenbang got into the conversation, another incident immediately came to mind, and he continued with a smile:
"And there was another time, I remember it most clearly! He was probably ten years old then? He took his older brother Huai Shan and his second older brother Huai Yue, and the three of them secretly went to the small river behind the military region's firing range, saying they were going to catch fish to improve their meals. But this kid, in order to catch a big fish, slipped and fell into the deep water with a splash! The current was quite strong!"
His vivid description, accompanied by laughter and hand gestures, made everyone on the bus feel as if they were there:
"Huai Shan and Huai Yue were frantic! The two older brothers jumped in without thinking and pulled him out! Huai Shan grabbed his arm and pushed him ashore, while Huai Yue supported his buttocks from behind and pushed hard! They finally got him out, but Huai Shan himself cut his leg on a rotten branch underwater. The wound was deep and he bled a lot! Huai Yue also choked on water while pulling them out and got a lung infection! But the one who caused all this trouble just swallowed a few mouthfuls of cold water and got a little frightened, and he was fine!"
"In the end, all three brothers were sent to the military hospital and stayed there for more than half a month! Huai Shan was the most seriously injured and had a fever for several days. Huai Yue had a lung infection and coughed badly. Only Huai Chuan, who was always lively and energetic, couldn't stay in the ward for more than two days! The news spread throughout the military region at the time, saying that my three sons from the Shen family were almost wiped out by one fish! Your mother and I were really... completely disgraced by this kid!"
Shen Zhenbang spoke with great enthusiasm, immersed in the amusing memories.
But as he was talking, he suddenly noticed that the laughter had stopped coming from the back seat.
He glanced at it subconsciously in the rearview mirror.
The smile on Qin Peilan's face vanished.
She bit her lower lip hard, her eyes quickly reddening and becoming noticeably watery.
Shen Zhenbang's heart sank immediately, and he thought to himself, "Oh no!"
How could he have been so quick to speak, getting so caught up in telling jokes that he blurted out the names Huai Shan and Huai Yue?!
Of the two sons, one disappeared years ago during a border conflict, with no trace of him, neither alive nor dead.
Another was critically injured during the mission and became a vegetable, lying unconscious in the hospital...
Over the years, these two names have been the deepest wounds in my wife's heart, and they can't be mentioned at all!
Just mentioning it makes her break down!
She has a heart condition and absolutely cannot be subjected to this kind of stimulation!
"I'm not going to talk about it anymore! Sigh! It's all old news, what's the point of talking about it? Let's not mention it again!"
Shen Zhenbang quickly stopped talking, his tone somewhat flustered as he forcibly changed the subject, feeling deeply regretful.
Shen Huaichuan, who was driving, didn't immediately notice the strange thing in the back seat. He was still waiting to hear his father continue when he suddenly heard him stop talking, and he was stunned for a moment.
She glanced back at her parents' expressions instinctively and instantly understood. The smile on her lips vanished, and her eyes dimmed.
He quickly gripped the steering wheel again, looked straight ahead, and resumed his usual expressionless demeanor.
Zhou Qiqi was listening with interest when the sudden silence startled her.
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