Yan Xin didn't understand Lin Xiazhu and the others' behavior at all. "You've all moved to the town, why do you still care about the roads in Linjia Village? You only go back a few times a year, don't you?"
“You can’t say that. Although we’ve moved out of Linjia Village, it’s still where we were born. Whether we go back or not, we have to do our part now.”
Lin Xiazhu glanced at Yan Xin with a half-smile, "We didn't ask you to go, so what are you worried about? Don't worry, no matter how wide the road back to Linjia Village is, you just need to stay at the clothing store and no one will force you to go back to do farm work."
“That’s not what I meant,” Yan Xinxin said, her thoughts exposed. She hesitated for a moment, then honestly replied, “Okay, I’m just feeling uneasy. It’s mainly because your grandma is such a troublemaker. Sigh, I’ll try to avoid her in the future.”
It took seven days to get back to town from Linjia Village. The reason why the road could be repaired until next year was mainly because everyone had to work on the farm in addition to repairing the road. They would only have time to repair the road after finishing their farm work, which was like working two days on and three days off.
"Will you go back to help in the future?" Yan Xin asked.
"I'm not going." It wouldn't be good to not go even once. Lin Xiazhu is strong; she can cut down trees, mow grass, and shovel soil—she's as good as three people.
However, it's quite annoying. There are always some women who like to stir up trouble. Instead of thinking about doing more work, they spend all day staring at this person and that person and gossiping. They can argue with someone at least three times a day.
He spewed out all sorts of swear words in a high-pitched, shrill voice that echoed through the valley. Lin Xiazhu had been driving for several days and her ears were ringing.
Let's just give the village fifty yuan per person based on the number of people on the household registration. This was agreed upon by the village secretary beforehand. Those who can contribute can contribute their labor, and those who don't want to contribute can contribute money. It's fifty yuan per person.
Including Xiao An, there are six people in their family. The total is three hundred yuan. They will settle the matter when they go back another day.
Lin Xiazhu went to the shop first. Seeing that the snack shop wasn't busy at the time, she sat in the clothing store and chatted with Yan Xin for a while. Around noon, she carried a long-handled machete and a sickle stuck in a bamboo tube tied to her waist and headed home.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard the sound of running on the floorboards. Looking up, I saw three girls wrapped in sheets, their arms outstretched as if they were flying.
Is this child's play? What role are they pretending to be? Are they acting like they're mentally ill?
Then Lin Xiaoxue was heard singing loudly: "Where is the road? Where is the road..."
Lin Chacha sang: "You lead the horse, I carry the load, and we welcome that..." Oh dear, she forgot the lyrics.
Not to be outdone, Lin Taozi sang in a soft voice: "Mandarin ducks play in pairs, butterflies fly in pairs, the spring scenery in the garden is intoxicating, I want to ask the holy monk if the daughter is beautiful, beautiful..." Although she didn't remember all the lyrics, Taozi had a really good voice and was quite talented at singing.
After hearing this, what else is there to understand? These kids watched "Journey to the West" at someone else's house and even learned a few parts of the theme song and interludes.
Lin Taozi was the first to see Lin Xiazhu and immediately leaned on the second-floor railing to call out to her, "Big sister, you're back! We watched Sun Wukong, and I'm dressed as the Queen of the Women's Kingdom. Do I look like her?" She even confidently shook the bed sheet draped over her.
"Sister, I dressed up as Guanyin, and I'm so amazing!" Lin Chacha covered her head with the sheet, revealing her face, and raised her hands into orchid fingers.
Although Lin Xiaoxue didn't particularly like Lin Xiazhu, she couldn't resist showing off, "I dressed up as Chang'e, who lives on the moon. She also has a jade rabbit, and she's the most beautiful fairy in the Heavenly Palace."
Lin Xiazhu's lips twitched. Now that she's dressed up as Journey to the West, the bed sheet is going to be a long and arduous task for her in the next few years. After all, there will be a series of TV series such as The Legend of the White Snake to be broadcast in a few years. Back then, she also dressed up as the White Snake, but she didn't wear a bed sheet. She just gestured with her hands and learned magic.
"Alright, stop playing and take the sheets down and wash them. What's all this fuss about?" She had an adult's mindset. Although she could understand the children's feelings, she couldn't stand the sheets getting dirty.
Although unwilling, the three little ones dared not disobey her orders and obediently went downstairs to wash the bed sheets.
"Where's Xiao An? Isn't he home?" Normally, the child would rush out to greet her the moment he heard she was coming back, but it's been half a day and he hasn't been seen. He must have gone out.
“Zhang Yu and the others came to find him, and he went to learn to swim with them,” Lin Chacha replied while drawing water from the well.
Shanhe Town not only has a large river, but also two smaller rivers and several streams. The water from all these streams eventually flows into the large river, so children who grow up by the river are all good swimmers.
She was more than in favor of Xiao An going swimming, but Zhang Yu and her gang were too noisy and liked to swim back and forth aimlessly. The river was deep, and Xiao An, being a novice, would definitely not be able to adapt. She would have to keep an eye on them.
"When did they start going down to the river? I'll go check. The midday sun is scorching hot; aren't they afraid of getting sunburned?" Lin Xiazhu threw down her tools and went out.
"Let's go take a look too," Lin Chacha said, also wanting to play in the water.
"No, the sun is scorching hot. You go if you want." Lin Xiaoxue vigorously rubbed the bed sheet. After more than a year, her skin had finally become fair. Although it couldn't compare to Xiao An's crystal-clear complexion, it was still several shades fairer than the other children in her class.
Now her hair is no longer yellow, her face is fuller, and her complexion is rosy. If she wore a princess dress, she would definitely look like a city person.
She doesn't want to go out in the sun; she wants to take care of her skin and make herself beautiful, even more so than that devilish Xiao An.
"Is Taozi going?" Lin Chacha asked, unwilling to give up.
"No, I'm hungry, I need to eat." Lin Taozi also pretended to rub the bed sheet, her voice soft and sweet with a touch of childishness, it was extremely pleasant to listen to.
Lin Chacha was disappointed that none of her younger sisters were going. She was too scared to go alone, fearing that her eldest sister would scold her. She decided to wait until evening to go instead.
From the beginning of summer until the end of autumn, adults and children in the town would run to the river to bathe and play in the water every evening, making the whole river incredibly lively.
There has been little rain this year, and the river has become shallower.
Lin Xiazhu found Xiao An and the others a little down from the deep pool. A village upstream had built a hydroelectric power station. Because it hadn't rained for a long time, the river was low, and the power station was probably storing water.
The river, which was already shallow due to drought, is now even shallower. Where the water used to reach an adult's neck, now a child can simply roll up their trousers and cross to the other side.
"Sister, you're back!" Xiao An, with his sharp eyes, quickly spotted Lin Xiazhu, who was squatting on a rock by the riverbank, picking river snails.
"There are so many river snails here, and I even found a few large river clams." Xiao An abandoned her usual calm and mature demeanor, and now smiled brightly, her peach blossom eyes shining, grabbing a large river clam in each hand to show off her achievement.
"A good harvest indeed." Lin Xiazhu returned a bright smile. Her skin had gotten a little tanned from driving the road these past few days, making her teeth look even whiter.
With a splash, Zhang Yu emerged from the deep pool, holding a five- or six-pound red carp in his arms. He immediately spotted Lin Xiazhu on the shore and grinned.
"Xiaozhu, I caught a big fish and lots of river snails. You're in for a treat." Because Lin Xiazhu had helped him several times, he already regarded her as his boss and was never stingy in giving her good things.
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