twenty three
As they were walking, Old Man Chen suddenly stopped, turned around and said to Xu Xiao, "Girl, I heard that you were investigating the past and found that it was related to me. Everyone has their own responsibility. It was indeed me who handed her over to the Xu family back then."
"However, the Chen family treats you well not out of guilt. This matter has nothing to do with Abei and the others."
Old Man Chen seemed to have aged suddenly, his straight back bent. He was like the rice in the paddy field, but he was not because of the abundant wheat ears above.
Xu Xiao thought, maybe it was shame. An old man like him just has too much shame.
If it were her, even if she did it, she wouldn't admit it. She's not fair, and she's not upright.
But Old Man Chen was a good man. Even when she took advantage of him, he didn't say anything and even thanked her for trusting him. With his status, he would have no shortage of funds for research even if he continued for decades.
With a light snort, Xu Xiao reached out to Old Man Chen and said, "Old man, give me the intercom. Your Xiaobei is leaving soon, and I need to return that thing to him."
The walkie-talkie was lent to her by Chen Bei. She didn't believe that Chen Bei would refuse to see her for such a valuable item.
She understood Chen Bei. The Chen family had a very strong sense of responsibility. Old man Chen was like that, as were Chen Bei and Chen Nan.
Old man Chen was stunned for a moment. He looked at Xu Xiao with disbelief: "You don't blame me? After all... your mother is really because of me..."
"She's been gone for more than ten years, almost twenty years. My dad doesn't care, so why should I care?"
Xu Xiao thought about it and realized she didn't have many morals. Perhaps it was because of her that Father Chen didn't refuse her to join Chen Bei and the others in the military camp for training.
Emotions are contagious. At least she does have a faint sense of family and country that pulls her to be a good person.
In fact, it was normal. She had no parents when she was young, and her brothers and sisters left when she was old enough to know the world. She could have gone astray. It was the Chen family who held her back.
Ultimately, she wanted to thank the Chen family.
Old man Chen's eyes were full of complexities. After a while, he looked at Xu Xiao and said earnestly, "Girl, you will finally have a happy ending after all the hardships."
Xu Xiao chuckled, unable to suppress it. After all these years and two lives, Old Man Chen was the first to tell her that she would "endure hardship and experience happiness."
No one felt that she was suffering. She was just a country girl, but she was brought to the capital and did not even fall behind in her studies.
Later, even when she went to the countryside, the work she was assigned was easy. Later, she got married, her husband was excellent, and her children were well-behaved.
Until her death, she always said that she lived to be eighty years old and her life was worth it.
But whether it was worth it or not, no one else had the final say, not even her own. Thinking of her own thoughts before her death, she thought that only her heart could have the final say.
It seemed like she suddenly fell in love with Chen Bei, so she took the initiative and did not reject Chen Bei's approach. If there was a conflict, she was also willing to take the initiative to talk it out.
All this is just for one thing - she doesn't want to have memories of the hustle and bustle of life. Whether it's a dull life or a life of ups and downs, she is willing to do it.
"Old man, your Xiaobei is not as good at talking as you."
Old man Chen, as usual, frowned and pretended to be angry: "That kid is just dumb in talking."
As he spoke, he handed a black lump to Xu Xiao: "You still want to go find him? If you ask me, you'd better not return it to him."
Xu Xiao looked up at Old Man Chen, put the walkie-talkie in his pocket, uttered an "ah," and suddenly said, "Old man, tell me, why is your Xiaobei so awkward? Everyone else thinks it doesn't matter, but he insists on being so stubborn."
Just like in her previous life, she heard that Chen Bei refused to compromise for the sake of that adjutant, even if it meant breaking off relations with his family.
Although this example is not good, this person is stubborn and born to be stubborn.
Moreover, the Chen Bei of her previous life and the Chen Bei of the present life were two different people, and she wouldn't care about that. She and her previous self were also two different people.
Old man Chen laughed: "Xiaobei, he's not stubborn, he just feels sorry for you."
Even if it was him, who had lived for so many years, he would feel sorry for Xu Xiao if he encountered this.
Not to mention Xiaobei, that kid seldom cares about people or things. From his observation, the girl in front of him is a rare one.
However, he didn't know what the outcome would be for these two people, whether it would be good or bad. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and he was old, so it was not his place to care.
The burial date has been set, it's tomorrow.
So there is a banquet in the evening and then the next morning.
Old man Chen did not stay. He was still thinking about his jute. He gave Chen Nan a few simple instructions and was then escorted back to Chenjia Village by Xu Xi.
He said, "Nannan, don't worry about those things. That girl is still your sister."
After discussing with the Xu family about going up the mountain tomorrow morning, Xu Xiao went to the main hall to check on the two old men lying quietly there covered with red cloth.
Chen Nan was standing there, and when he saw her, he bit his lip: "Sister Xiao..."
Xu Xiao leaned against the door, stretched out her right hand, and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Come here, sister will hug you."
She rarely called herself "sister". Most of the time, she preferred simpler names, such as "I" or "Xiaoxiao". She usually used the former and the latter when facing Chen's parents.
Chen Nan's face turned red, and he walked over slowly and threw himself into Xu Xiao's arms.
She whispered, "Sister Xiao, it's a good thing Chen Bei left."
Otherwise, she can't hug!
"He's gone, why mention him?"
As the sun sets in the west, the guests sit at the table, waiting for their food to be served.
Xu Xiao pulled Chen Nan to find an empty table and sat down. After Xu Xi sent Old Man Chen away, he returned, looked around, and sat at the same table with them.
As a member of the same family, there are many dietary restrictions. But Xu Xiao doesn't care. Even if someone reminds her not to eat meat, she still eats it.
Her appetite, which had been absent from home for a long time, seemed to have suddenly returned. She drank half a bowl of chicken soup and ate a small bowl of rice.
After eating and drinking, she stood up and looked at Xu Xi and Chen Nan: "You go back first, I will continue to guard tonight."
My aunt and her people are here, but they are too old and maybe they don’t know how to keep the position.
Unexpectedly, none of the people in the group left. After seeing off the guests, they lit a fire and warmed themselves.
Chen Nan didn't leave either. She sat in the corner with Xu Xiao and leaned on Xu Xiao to rest.
Xu Xi wanted to help the next day, so he didn't hesitate. Seeing that Chen Nan didn't go back, he just left.
Xu Xiao had no choice, she couldn't chase Chen Nan away.
Xu Huai and Xu Ran sat in the middle, dividing the family into three parts. The job of lighting the incense and candles was given to them.
After what happened during the day, no one said a word. The four Xu Ping siblings just looked at each other quietly. The orange-yellow flames illuminated their similar faces, neither sad nor happy, and extremely calm.
The moon was high above the branches, and by the end of the night, they could no longer bear it. They had said they would stay with their parents, but in the end, they left, just like they had said they would take care of their parents before.
As soon as they left, Chen Nan instantly perked up. Glancing at the two siblings who were lighting cigarettes in the main room, she whispered, "Sister Xiao, do you really not blame us?"
Blame the Chen family, blame the Xu family, blame the people who showed up tonight, and blame those people who knew nothing but made big remarks during the day.
Xu Xiao gently tapped Chen Nan's forehead. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky, which was half covered by dark clouds. "The rain has stopped and the sky has cleared, the clouds have rolled and dispersed, why should we care about these things?"
Chen Nan opened her eyes wide. The moonlight poured down, and Xu Xiao, bathed in the moonlight, seemed ethereal, forcing her to open her eyes wide to see clearly.
The moonlight was like a garment, making the beauty look even more aloof and detached. Chen Nan suddenly lowered his half-red face and carefully played with Xu Xiao's long hair hanging behind her.
She originally had long hair, but later cut it short to her ears for convenience when she went to the countryside. But she liked short hair very much, as it was convenient for her to read and fight.
Chen Nan went to the countryside to act as Chen Bei's spy. She had lost a fight and was forced to pass on the news to Chen Bei.
But she never gave up on defeating Chen Bei.
Xu Xiao suddenly lowered her eyes, startling Chen Nan so much that she loosened her grip on the black hair. She asked cautiously, "Sister Xiao?"
"Hmm... I'm thinking about what I'm going to do in the future."
When it comes to the future, Chen Nan is also confused. She blinked and said, "How about we go back to Beijing first and see what happens?"
She didn't know what would happen in the future, so she felt that going back was the best option. Her parents were there and would make plans for her.
For example, her parents arranged for her to go to the countryside, and during the year or so she spent there, she did learn a lot, such as when to sow seeds, how to harvest wheat, and how to reclaim wasteland.
After all, Chen Nan had been training since she was a child, so she was in good health. When she had nothing to do, she joined the reclamation team and reclaimed land in the mountains.
All the surrounding land has been utilized, except for the back mountain.
Houshan is the faith of the people here, and they will not change their faith.
Xu Xiao didn't say anything because Xu Huai and the others had returned. They brought chairs and sat over. Xu Ran smiled gently, "When will you return to Beijing?"
Chen Nan immediately leaned on Xu Xiao and pretended to be asleep, but she couldn't help but observe them out of the corner of her eyes. She had only seen them once, and more often, they existed in Xu Xiao's words - the brother and sister who saved her life.
Feeling the weight on his shoulders, Xu Xiao leaned over and draped his coat over Chen Nan. It was September after all, and while the daytime heat might still be a bit warm, the nights were already gradually approaching winter.
Just as she put it on, another coat was handed to her - it was Xu Huai. He frowned slightly. Even though he didn't say anything, Xu Xiao knew what he would say.
It's nothing more than "Don't catch a cold", "Don't refuse", "Put it on quickly"...
Xu Ran still smiled gently, the smile seemed to be welded to her face. In fact, Xu Ran and Xu Huai had the same personality, but she was good at hiding it.
Xu Xiao had seen her coldly threaten Xu Ping and Second Uncle Xu, had also seen her stubbornly reject the blind date arranged by the Xu family, and had even seen her harshly question the Xu family for mistreating her.
Therefore, she chose to ignore and tolerate the Xu family, largely because of Xu Huai and Xu Ran.
Her relationship with the Xu family is too complicated. She tolerates them and also wants to escape from them, but from time to time she is curious about them and imagines them.
It's just that they haven't seen each other for many years and haven't said anything personal for many years, so Xu Xiao didn't know what to say to Xu Huai and the others.
She was not a qualified sister, she was just learning to take care of Chen Nan like them.
Xu Huai looked away only after Xu Xiao took the coat and covered his legs with it. He whispered, "The city is better than here. There are more opportunities. Don't come back."
Xu Ran held Xu Xiao's hand and continued, "Don't worry about us. My brother and I will go to Beijing in the future."
"Xu Ran!" Xu Huai shouted threateningly, but he did not deny her words.
Xu Xiao showed an expression of surprise and confusion. It was within her expectation that Xu Ran would go to Beijing, because she had been there in her previous life and attended her wedding with Ji Hong.
But Xu Huai, she hadn't seen him since she left here. She thought Xu Huai might have gone somewhere else, or maybe stayed in Xujia Village, but Xu Huai was also going to Beijing.
If he went and she didn't see him, then something must have happened to him!
Hiding the worry in her eyes, she looked up and said, "You don't have to go anywhere because of me, and likewise, I won't stay here because of you."
Everyone is a lonely individual. They may have companions who accompany them, but in the end, they can only face death alone.
As for lovers, there is still hope. It is always fun to wait and see who will die first.
Xu Ran smiled and gently stroked Xu Xiao's hand: "We know, but we didn't go there just for you." She changed the subject: "I heard that your brother left?"
She was talking about Chen Bei. The villagers couldn't find Xu Xiao, so they asked him to help. It was the first time Xu Ran met him, and she immediately guessed that he was Xu Xiao's brother in the Chen family.
Xu Huai coughed twice in dissatisfaction.
Xu Ran turned around: "What are you doing? If you are sick, stay away and don't infect Ah Xiao!"
"snort!"
"Well, the army has an urgent transfer order, and he has to go back to make arrangements." But not recently, there is still half a month before the team leaves.
It was Xu Xi who told Xu Xiao, but she didn't ask where Xu Xi got the information from.
Even Chen Nan and Old Man Chen didn't know, only that person told it.
As if the chatterbox had suddenly been opened, the two chatted back and forth. Xu Huai sat aside and listened quietly to what the two sisters said.
In the middle of the conversation, Chen Nan "woke up" and naturally joined the chat team.
As they chatted, the sky gradually turned brighter. The coffin bearers arrived in the still-fading darkness, and Xu Huai was sent to boil eggs.
After eating the eggs, the bearers moved the two elderly people into two pine coffins dyed black. About half an hour later, Xu Ping and his companions arrived, supporting each other.
After they were sure, they closed the coffin and waited for more than ten minutes. A hazy white appeared in the sky. The group of people knocked and banged, staring at the semi-transparent mist and went up the mountain.
They went up the mountain and down again. The two old men were buried on the mountain. In addition to being the faith of the people here, the mountain behind is also the burial place of their ancestors and even their descendants in the future.
Once the old man was safely buried, the four children acted as if they had no responsibilities. They ate and drank leisurely, and finally left with the guests.
Xu Ran was speechless about her elders, but as a junior, it was indeed not appropriate for her to criticize them.
In the end, she could only clean up with Xu Xiao and the others. Xu Huai left early, without even having breakfast, and left in a hurry as soon as he got down the mountain.
While sweeping the floor, Xu Ran couldn't help but say, "Brother only took two days off. He can't stay any longer."
She was worried that Xu Xiao would misunderstand Xu Huai and then misunderstand her.
Xu Xiao curled his lips and chuckled: "Second sister, I know."
When it comes to the rules in the military camp, she knows them better than Xu Ran.
So, she really didn't care and wouldn't blame Xu Huai.
Chen Nan locked the door and shook the key in his hand: "Sister Xiao, Xu Xi and I have looked inside, and there's nothing. As for the things outside, Captain Xu said they would come and move them this afternoon, so we didn't move them. Who is this key for?"
The old man didn't leave anything behind, and even if he did, they had already given it to the elderly people nearby.
Xu Ran gritted her teeth, she knew that having such a group of relatives was a nuisance!
Xu Xiao looked at Xu Ran, who was full of indignation: "Second sister, is this key for you?"
"Give it to Grandpa." Xu Ran sighed. She would also leave in the future. "Since it's Grandpa's house, let them make their own arrangements. We won't take care of any of this."
Xu Ran said so, Xu Xiao didn't care. She put the key on the chair in the yard and took Chen Nan and Xu Xi back to the educated youth point. As for Xu Ran, she returned to the county.
After returning to the educated youth camp, the three of them said hello and went back to their rooms. Chen Nan was already very sleepy, so Xu Xiao asked her to change her clothes before letting her go to sleep.
After staying up for two nights, Xu Xiao was not very sleepy. Even though her eyes were full of red bloodshot, she still did not feel sleepy.
Thinking there was no one else at the educated youth camp, Xu Xiao unceremoniously went to the fields to pick the loofahs and eggplants that the owner had left behind, then carried a large bucket of water to the kitchen. She figured the two would probably be hungry when they woke up. And she needed to boil hot water for a bath.
But before Xu Xiao could get angry, a voice came from outside.
"Xu Xiao, come out!"
The voice had a condescending tone.
There was no answer, and the voice came again, with a much higher pitch.
Xu Xiao narrowed his eyes. The voice was Ji Hong.
If he continued shouting, he might wake everyone up.
Holding the lighter, Xu Xiao walked out and leaned against the door, staring at Ji Hong with deep eyes: "What are you doing here?"
Seeing the familiar disgust in Ji Hong's eyes, she frowned. For no reason, she remembered some things from her previous life.
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