"Xiao Yun, did you send me your leave application?"
Li Lihua, who had packed her bags in the room, came out to ask.
Chu Yun nodded and replied with a smile: "Mom has prepared everything, we will leave now."
Li Lihua breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and hurried back to the house to get her luggage.
The luggage was not much, just two cloth bags, one for dry food and water bag, and the other for my daughter's toiletries and spare clothes.
Li Lihua didn't have much luggage, so she brought a straw hat to protect herself from the sun and wore an old blue cloth shirt that was faded from washing. It was one of the few clothes in her wardrobe that didn't have patches.
On my feet were a pair of clean cloth shoes, which were also brought by my mother's family. I have never been willing to wear them for all these years.
Li Lihua walked all the way to the dock, almost on tiptoe, for fear of getting her shoes dirty.
Chu Yun noticed and switched one hand to hold the luggage. With the other hand, she supported her mother's arm and said softly, "Mom, be careful not to trip. It's okay if your cloth shoes rub against some dry dirt. It will be fine once we get on the boat. We have to hurry and buy tickets."
When Li Lihua heard her daughter say this, she immediately resumed her normal walking pace, quickening her pace and saying with some regret, "Mom, I haven't worn these new shoes yet. I'm afraid they'll get dirty on the dusty island. I should have brought the old pair with me so I can wear the new ones after we get off the boat."
It's also her fault that she was in a hurry and didn't think of this.
Chu Yun knew her intention. Her mother was afraid of embarrassing her.
Chu Yun didn't say anything else, thinking about going to the county town to buy a set of clothes for her parents.
The two rushed all the way to the dock, and sure enough, there was already shouting on the boat.
"Is there anyone here? If not, then we can just sail away!"
Chu Yun hurriedly waved and shouted, "Yes, wait a moment!"
The mother and daughter hurried over, paid for the tickets, and boarded the boat with lingering fear.
As the boat moved forward, Chu Yun and her mother found a place to sit.
The space in the boat was not very big. Each person had a small wooden chair to sit on. There were not many people, just a few relatives sitting there.
Chu Yun and Li Lihua have different skin colors, one dark and the other fair. Li Lihua looks like someone who often lives on an island, while Chu Yun, with her fair skin and beautiful looks, instantly attracted everyone else's attention.
One of the aunties smiled and said, "What a beautiful girl! Is she going to school?"
Chu Yun didn't want to explain too much, so she smiled lightly and nodded, "Yeah."
"Oh, this girl is so pretty. She doesn't look like someone from an island. Where is she from?"
The boat ride was long and the aunties and grandmas were bored, so they started talking to the mother and daughter.
Chu Yun was a little overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the stranger. After asking a question perfunctorily, she leaned on her mother's shoulder, yawned, and squinted her eyes, pretending to sleep.
Li Lihua thought her daughter was really sleepy, so she considerately put her straw hat on her daughter's face to protect her eyes from the sun.
From time to time, he raised his hand to drive away the mosquitoes on the boat.
Seeing this, others turned their attention to Li Lihua.
I just heard that this is a mother and daughter, but something is obviously not right.
The mother is obviously a local from the suffering island, while her daughter is fair and tender and looks like a city girl.
A curious auntie guessed and asked, "Girl, are you the educated youth sent down here?"
Li Lihua was a bit reserved, but she could see their curiosity. These aunts seemed determined to get the answer. She clenched her fists and said calmly, "Yes, I was sent down here a few years ago, and my daughter has been raised by my parents."
When he said this, the others immediately understood.
"So that's how it is. I was wondering how such a fair-skinned girl could be raised on this island."
Another woman interrupted and asked, "Sister, why can't you go back to the city? Almost all the educated youth from several nearby villages have left. Except for those who behaved particularly badly, the rest returned a few years ago."
When Li Lihua heard this, her face stiffened. On the island, they had no idea about this news and allowed Liang Jianguo to fool them.
Thinking about it now still makes me angry, but at the moment they haven't got any evidence to prove Liang Jianguo's wrongdoing, so they can only smile and deal with it: "I don't know, maybe the island will be later than the village. I'll ask the captain later."
"Oh, we have to pay attention to this. If not, ask our family to bring us some cigarettes and alcohol. This little broken island is exposed to the wind and sun, and it's worse than our crops..."
…
The boat didn't dock until 1:30 p.m.
Chu Yun's waist and legs were sore from sitting, and she was not very comfortable walking a few steps after getting up.
Li Lihua was not in much better condition. She started to feel seasick and had just vomited on the boat.
Seeing the mother and daughter in this state, the aunties and grandmas behind them came forward to help and support them, and asked them where they were going and if they knew the route.
Li Lihua was very grateful when she heard this. She waved her hand and said, "Thank you all for your kindness. We need to go eat something nearby and find a hotel to rest. We'll continue our journey tomorrow by bus."
"Oh, your mother's home is quite far away. You two should be careful. The hotel here is crowded. Please lock the door at night."
"No, go out and take a look on the street. The prices around here are definitely very high, and it's not safe with so many people coming and going."
Several aunts and grandmas were very enthusiastic. Chu Yun's legs had recovered, and she supported her mother and thanked everyone: "I've taken note of everything. Thank you, aunts. I won't delay your journey."
Several elderly aunties and grandmas were quite happy to hear the pretty little girl calling them "Auntie".
"Oh, this girl is not only beautiful, but also sweet-mouthed."
"Alright, alright, let's not waste any more time, let's hurry up and get going."
The group dispersed.
Li Lihua also said with emotion: "These older sisters, when we were on the boat, I thought they asked too many questions, and now I feel a little reluctant to leave. They are all warm-hearted and kind people."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
