Back to the village
The next afternoon, a long-distance bus stopped at the bus stop at the entrance of Yunxi Village.
The car stopped, raising a cloud of dust.
Zhong Ling got out of the car with a backpack and walked towards the village.
A middle-aged man with dark skin and wearing a brown shirt was standing under the big locust tree at the entrance of the village, looking towards the car.
When he saw Zhong Ling, his eyes lit up and he quickly walked up to her with a smile on his face.
"Is it Miss Zhong Ling?"
He asked tentatively, his eyes looking her over.
"I'm Wang Jianguo. I spoke to you on the phone yesterday."
"Yes, I'm Zhong Ling." Zhong Ling nodded and looked at the man in front of her. He looked like a typical rural cadre, his eyes revealing shrewdness and simplicity.
"Oh, that's good, that's good." Wang Jianguo rubbed his hands, and his smile became more obvious. "Come with me to the old lady's room first?"
"It's troublesome." Zhong Ling said concisely.
The two of them walked one in front and one behind along the bumpy dirt road in the village.
A few children playing at the doorway stared at Zhong Ling curiously. Even some women, picking vegetables and chatting outside their own doors, cast their gazes over openly, whispering something in a low voice.
"The old lady didn't feel any pain when she passed away," Wang Jianguo said as he walked, trying to break the silence, his tone comforting. "She ate dinner the night before last, went to bed, and never woke up again. A neighbor found her the next morning."
Zhong Ling said "hmm" to indicate that she was listening.
"She was an old lady... Alas, she was also a miserable person. Her husband passed away early, and her son and daughter-in-law are all gone... You are the only granddaughter left." Wang Jianguo sighed and secretly glanced at Zhong Ling. Seeing that she looked calm and did not look sad, he felt a little worried in his heart, but continued to explain the situation.
"This old house is quite old. It was built when the old lady got married. The few acres of land at the back were used to grow vegetables. But in the past two years, the old lady's health has been poor, so the land has been left there." He pointed to a house not far ahead, hidden under several old trees.
It was a typical old rural house, its grayish-gray tiles partially chipped, revealing the wooden beams beneath. Its ochre-colored walls were somewhat worn, and its small courtyard, surrounded by a sparse bamboo fence, had two faded, old wooden planks as its gate. Behind the house, a patch of weed-covered ground loomed.
"This is it." Wang Jianguo stopped and pushed open the wooden door.
The yard was relatively clean, with some firewood and farm tools piled in the corner, and a few strings of dried chilies and corn hanging under the eaves.
Wang Jianguo pulled a bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked the main door. "Go in and take a look. Everything is still there. We haven't touched it."
Zhong Ling walked into the house. The light was dim, and it took her eyes a moment to adjust before she could see the furnishings clearly.
Facing the door was an old round table, flanked by long wooden benches. Against the wall stood a few peeling wooden cabinets. To the left was the bedroom, with a bed covered in washed-out sheets and two quilts. To the right was the kitchen.
The house is not big, but it is tidy.
Zhong Ling paced slowly, her eyes scanning every object in the room. The hazy fragments in the original owner's memory became clearer because of the real scene before her.
"The village has helped with the old lady's funeral, according to custom." Wang Jianguo followed in and stood at the door, his voice lowered. "I've kept a log of some simple expenses, including favors." He pulled a small notebook and several receipts from his shirt pocket.
"According to the old lady's wishes, these inheritances are all left to you. You need to go to the relevant department in town to complete the inheritance procedures, and the village committee will issue a certificate." Wang Jianguo handed the keys and the account book receipt to Zhong Ling. "Here are the keys to the old house."
Zhong Ling took the item and looked through the account book. The entries were very clear. "How much is the fee? I'll transfer it to you."
"Oh, no rush, no rush." Wang Jianguo waved his hand. "You just arrived, settle down first. If you are not familiar with the procedures, I can take you to run through them." He looked at Zhong Ling and felt that although this granddaughter from the city looked cold, she did things efficiently.
"Thank you, Village Chief Wang." Zhong Ling put the key away. "I'll settle the bill later."
"Okay, then you should get familiar with it first. If you have any problems, come to the village committee to find me, or come directly to my house, which is the newly built two-story building at the east end of the village." After Wang Jianguo finished his instructions, he looked at the old house again, turned around and left without saying anything more.
The gate was closed gently, and the surroundings became quiet, with only the faint barking of dogs in the distance and the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Zhong Ling stood in the middle of the room and looked around.
The house is in good condition and just needs some renovation.
Zhong Ling did not rush to start, but walked around the old house first.
The courtyard wall was a sparse bamboo fence, which was broken in some places and shook when touched.
The doors and windows of the main house are also old, and there are some cracks on the edges of the wood.
As Wang Jianguo had said, the few acres of land behind the house were covered with weeds taller than people, and it was almost impossible to tell that they were originally farmland.
She stood in the yard, closed her eyes, and her consciousness slowly spread out like water waves.
The structure of the old house, the degree of decay of the wood, the condition of the foundation, and even the insects hibernating in the cracks in the corners of the walls all appeared clearly in her mind.
Better than expected.
The main structure was still sound, it just needed a complete renovation, which was not difficult for her.
The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, the sound of roosters crowing could be heard in the village.
Zhong Ling pushed open the wooden door, and the cool morning air hit her face.
She took out a set of wear-resistant work clothes from the mustard seed space and put them on, and then took out some tools.
Zhong Ling had already used cleaning techniques to clean the house yesterday, and was tidying up the yard today.
The noise outside the house soon attracted the attention of the neighbors.
The first person to come out was a thin old lady who lived next door. Her surname was Sun and everyone called her Grandma Sun.
She was holding a chipped enamel bowl with half a bowl of porridge in it and slowly walked to the fence.
"Oh, it's Xiao Zhong, why are you up so early?"
Granny Sun narrowed her eyes and looked at Zhong Ling who was busy in the yard, and the old and broken items that had been moved out and piled up in the corner.
"Well, clean it up."
Zhong Ling didn't even raise her head and continued to tidy up the scattered firewood under the eaves.
"You look delicate and tender, but you are actually a capable worker."
Granny Sun slurped a mouthful of porridge and looked at Zhong Ling.
"Are you planning to renovate the old house?"
"Um."
Zhong Ling's response was still brief.
Granny Sun didn't seem to care about her indifference and continued talking to herself.
"Your grandmother is also a pitiful person. Since her husband died, it has not been easy for her to raise the children alone. Later, she was left alone to guard this old house..."
"Your return this time can be regarded as a return to one's roots."
"Will you live in the village from now on?"
Zhong Ling stopped what she was doing and looked at Grandma Sun with a calm look in her eyes.
"Stay here for now."
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