"Uncle Township Head is already organizing the militia. He's sent out notices to the surrounding villages, saying that any veteran or strong young man can join our village's militia to deal with hooligans and scoundrels and ensure the growth and prosperity of our county's leading enterprise," Xu Yang said excitedly. "My two brothers and I have also signed up for the militia, and we'll be going to the Armed Forces Department for formal training later."
"Then you guys take your shifts, we're going home first." Su Xiaonuan felt much more at ease after hearing this news. With a militia force in the village, people like Lan Guangxue and Wang Xiaobao would be afraid.
"Sister Xiaonuan, here, take this flashlight, there's no light inside." Xu Yong handed her the flashlight.
"Thanks!" She took it and shone the flashlight on Xiao Moran's face a few times.
Rural areas are different from big cities; there are no streetlights.
If it weren't for the distillery workers working overtime, the entire village would be quiet and dark at this time.
The village dogs were barking happily. Some villagers got up to check and found that Su Xiaonuan and Xiao Moran had returned. Soon, everyone in the village got up and gathered at the Xiao family's courtyard.
Big Yellow came out wagging its tail to greet Xiao Moran and Su Xiaonuan, acting like a long-lost relative, and kept running around happily in front of them.
Xiao Moran reached out and patted Da Huang, as if to affirm the loyalty of the dog. Only after receiving a response did Da Huang stop wandering around in front of them.
"Brother Hao, thank you so much for your hard work!" Su Xiaonuan said to Chen Hao. "I'm so grateful to you for taking care of my mother day and night."
"Little Nuan, please don't be so formal," Chen Hao said apologetically. "It's because we're incompetent and can't control those two villains. Otherwise, Uncle Township Head wouldn't have called Moran. Since you're going to take Auntie to the provincial capital, you might as well do it sooner rather than later, to avoid any accidents."
Zhang Yulan was woken up from her sleep by the noise. Thinking it was Lan Guangxue and Wang Xiaobao again, she grabbed a carrying pole and rushed out. "Mo Ran, Xiao Nuan, is that you two? Am I dreaming?"
The carrying pole she was holding was still suspended in mid-air, afraid that if it fell, the dream would end. She hadn't seen them for days and felt strange and missed them. She even regretted not going to the provincial capital with Moxi to see them.
"Mom, it's not a dream, we're back." Xiao Moran stepped forward and took the carrying pole that she was holding in mid-air.
"It's really not a dream?"
"It's not a dream." Su Xiaonuan grasped her withered hand and placed it on her own face. "We're really back. If you don't believe me, touch my face and see if it's real."
"Xiao Nuan, you've lost weight!" Tears welled up in Zhang Yulan's eyes instantly. "Is it because doing business is too tiring?"
"Mom, I'm not tired." Su Xiaonuan choked up. "It's just that fat people aren't fashionable in the city. Being thin is considered beautiful."
The villagers rushed in, and under the dim light, everyone was so excited they couldn't sleep.
"Auntie, you can rest easy tonight. Your son and daughter-in-law are here to protect you. Go and get a good night's sleep!"
"Yes, you've been worried sick for several nights. Now that Xiao Nuan is here, you can sleep peacefully."
"I'm sure Lan Guangxue and Wang Xiaobao are the ones who won't be able to sleep tonight."
...
"Thank you all for your concern and care. You should all go back and get some sleep. We can talk about anything else tomorrow. We're tired from rushing back overnight." Su Xiaonuan knew that some villagers had to go to work early the next morning and didn't want to disturb their rest.
"Everyone, go back and rest!" Chen Hao waved his hands. "Let's go, everyone go home."
After they left, Xiao Moran closed the courtyard gate, turned around, and, together with Su Xiaonuan, helped Zhang Yulan into the house, one on each side.
"Are you two hungry?" Zhang Yulan glanced at her son, then at Su Xiaonuan. "Mom will go make you something to eat."
"Mom, we're not hungry." Xiao Moran looked her up and down. "I heard they hit you. Were you hurt? Do you feel any pain or discomfort anywhere?"
"It's nothing, it's been a few days already," Zhang Yulan said casually. "They just wanted our TV, saying they wanted to borrow it for a few days, but they actually wanted to rob us. I didn't give in, so they pushed me down and kicked me twice. It was Haozi who led the villagers to drive them away."
"Shameless!" Su Xiaonuan cursed. "Do they really think the Xiao family has no one? They think they can bully you just because you're home alone? No way! Tomorrow, I will definitely get justice for Mom."
"Forget it, as long as they don't cause us trouble, let's not provoke them." Zhang Yulan shook her head helplessly. "Since they came back, things have been going missing from the village every day, either chickens and ducks or valuables from homes. Before, when it was just Wang Xiaobao, he wasn't this brazen. At least, he rarely stole from his own neighborhood; most of the time he was out stealing chickens and dogs. Now that Lan Guangxue has him as a companion, neither of them goes out hunting anymore; they're just stealing chickens and dogs from the village every day."
"Someone will come and take care of them, Mom, don't worry!" Su Xiaonuan comforted her. "Uncle Township Head has already come up with a plan. Xiaolong Village is the best-performing model village for economic development in our county. The leaders above will do everything they can to protect it. Don't worry too much about this. However, you'll have to come and live with us in the city this time."
"Sigh, it's not that I don't want to go, it's that I really can't bear to leave this place." Zhang Yulan looked back reluctantly. "Leaves fall back to their roots. I'm so old, and if I have to leave home to live elsewhere, I'm afraid I won't be able to come back here after I die."
"Mom, what are you saying?" Su Xiaonuan said. "You're not that old, just turned sixty. In the city, that's the time to enjoy life. What's with the old age? You should learn from the old people in the city. They're more open-minded. They eat and drink as they please. Their children and grandchildren have their own lives. Just let go of everything and enjoy your retirement."
"How can an old man from the countryside like me compare to an old man from the city?"
"What's wrong with elderly people in the countryside?" Su Xiaonuan encouraged her. "Your son is a big boss now, his business is booming. You, an elderly person from the countryside, are the most confident elderly person. Wouldn't it be better to go to the city, dance the Yangko with those city elderly people every day, and enjoy family life?"
"City people can still do Yangko dance?" Zhang Yulan used to do it when she was young.
“Yes,” Xiao Moran replied. “However, I’m nowhere near as good as Mom. I’ve heard from the older generation in the village that when Mom was young, she was an excellent Yangko dancer. When the People’s Liberation Army was being welcomed, it was you who led the Yangko team to do it.”
Zhang Yulan blushed; she was thinking about things from her youth.
"Mom, don't hesitate any longer. Come with us to the provincial capital. We can take all the grain from home, rent out all the fields, and take the chickens and ducks to the provincial capital to eat slowly. We'll buy a big house in Mo Ran. You can even grow vegetables if you want; we have land in front of and behind the house for you to grow vegetables." Su Xiaonuan pressed her advantage and persuaded the old lady.
The two had already discussed it on the way home. The first thing they would do upon returning was to persuade the elderly woman to go to the provincial capital, and then quickly take care of things at home so that she would have no room for regret and would give up any thought of staying at home.
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