Zheng Nanle felt strangely uncomfortable.
"Ah, yes, yes, brother." Lu Guangbai tried to put his arm around Zheng Nanle's shoulder like a brother, but when he raised his hand and stared into Zheng Nanle's bright eyes, he lowered his hand again.
That's too bright, bro.
He can't fool himself.
Zheng Erya squatted down next to Zheng Nanle, looking at Zheng Nanle and then at Lu Guangbai, feeling that something was off between the two.
Oh, that feels familiar.
But my sister and this person have only known each other for a few days, haven't they?
Also, isn't it going to cause trouble if my sister gets too close to that bastard's son?
Little Er Ya has a lot on her mind.
Over there, the village chief found Xie Xiaowu, who was unconscious in the tree. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Let him hang there to wake him up. We'll take him down tomorrow morning."
If before I was thinking of interrogating both sides and not just listening to Zhang Yu, seeing Xie Xiaowu's state now, I feel that there is no need to interrogate him anymore.
The village chief came and went, like a migratory bird passing by, "waving his sleeves without taking away a single cloud."
Zheng Nanle praised, "The village chief is truly a man as swift as the wind."
Lu Guangbai didn't really understand what Zheng Nanle was praising, but he still chimed in, "The village chief is indeed quite good."
*
As dawn breaks in the east, the first rays of morning light begin to appear.
Zheng Nanle took the rice oil and insect repellent powder from Lu Guangbai and went back to her room, squinting her eyes.
About half an hour later, there was movement in the Zheng family's courtyard, and the Zheng family members began to get up one after another.
Zheng Nanle didn't move.
About ten minutes later, Old Mrs. Zheng knocked on her bedroom door and her harsh voice rang out, "Er Ya, get up and have breakfast."
Zheng Nanle still didn't move.
Once she heard that the courtyard was quiet, she slowly got out of bed, opened the door, and saw only a few children outside. When they saw Zheng Nanle, Zheng Sanhu was so frightened that he took his two younger brothers and slipped out.
Zheng Nanle strolled around the yard and kitchen, and was satisfied.
She washed her face with hot water, then went to the pot to get sweet potato rice, and said to Er Ya, "You see, this is how family members get along. 'The east wind prevails over the west wind,' whoever is stronger gets the upper hand."
Zheng Erya shook her head: "Sister, shouldn't family members be like Sister Qingmiao's family, full of love?"
Zheng Erya was incredibly envious of Qingmiao, the village chief's sister. She had never worked in the fields or done much housework. Before, she had to study, and studying was the most important thing, so she wasn't allowed to get involved in household matters. After graduating from high school, she became a cadre in the commune, so she was even less likely to be bothered with household chores.
If she wants to eat something, she just has to whine and ask her grandma for it. Even if she can't get it for the next day or two, she'll be able to have it at home every now and then. Her family cares about her, and whether she just said it casually or really wanted it, her loving family will satisfy her every whim.
She had secretly observed the way her family looked at her; it was warm and enviable.
That was what she longed for, but could not have.
If there is an afterlife, she hopes to be reborn into a family like the village chief's, with loving parents and grandparents.
"Ah, yes, that's what real family is like." Zheng Nanle nodded in agreement, recalling the girl who rode her bicycle to work, her confident and radiant demeanor unlike the drab and dreary girls from other rural areas.
She began tidying up the storage room.
In order to maintain her foolish persona, she rarely cleaned herself or tidied her room except for washing her hands and face. She just got by, tsk, even more slovenly than she was in the apocalypse.
Now that things have calmed down at the Zheng family's place, she can live more comfortably. If she needs anything, she can get it from Old Mrs. Zheng's room. Even if something is in terrible condition, she can get it from Old Mrs. Zheng's room.
As she washed up, she talked to Zheng Erya, "But Erya, with people like your grandparents, do you think you and your grandparents can get along like Xie Qingmiao's family?"
If the initial configuration is inadequate, no amount of subsequent modifications will make it work.
“However, you can find a family like that to marry into,” Zheng Nan said happily. “Once I’ve taken better care of you, you can marry Xie Ronghua. I think he’ll be someone important in the future.”
Zheng Erya blushed and waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, Brother Ronghua has someone he likes."
"What about Xie Ronghua's brother? I remember his brother isn't married either, he's in the army, right?" Zheng Nanle asked again.
“Sister, really, there’s no need,” Zheng Erya said, remembering Jianhua from a few years ago, and hiccuped repeatedly in fright.
Jianhua stood there in his military uniform, his pupils dark and sharp as he looked at people, as if he could see right through them.
That's terrifying; just thinking about it is horrifying.
Seeing Zheng Er Ya's resistance, Zheng Nan Le gave up on the idea of a romantic relationship.
This is Er Ya's life; at most, she can only offer suggestions, not make decisions for her.
With her heart pounding wildly, Zheng Nanle lay stiffly on the bed. The amount of exercise she had just done had left her feeling completely exhausted, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
Even with her mental strength supporting her, this is how it is. How did Er Ya get through it in the past?
It all comes down to perseverance?
No wonder she's so young and in such poor health; she's worn herself out.
Zheng Nanle originally planned to rest for only a while, but after closing his eyes and lying down, he unknowingly fell asleep.
When I woke up again, it was 2 p.m.
Zheng Nanle went to the kitchen to reheat the food that Old Lady Zheng had left for her, and also took out the cornmeal she had left yesterday and ate it. Then she walked around the village with her hands in her pockets.
There were hardly any people in the village. Unless they were old or disabled and unable to work, most of them would go to work in the fields. There were some children playing together, but Zheng Nanle felt that he couldn't play with them.
She strolled along with her hands behind her back, unconsciously walking towards the field.
It's already May, the fields are lush and the water is clear, and Zheng Nanle's mood is as bright and cheerful as the sun at this time.
Having traveled back in time, this was the first time she had experienced the beautiful scenery and natural beauty of the 1970s. Before, she had been too busy fighting against the Zheng and Xie families to appreciate it.
The green water was clear and the sunlight filtered through the branches of the big willow tree, shattering into silver light on the rippling river surface. The water flowed gently, and with the afternoon breeze, Zheng Nanle sat on the steps by the river, staring at the shimmering waves. He felt as calm and still as the river itself.
After a moment of silence, Zheng Nanle asked Er Ya, "Er Ya, how are you learning the footwork I taught you?"
“I practice every day, sister,” Zheng Erya replied obediently, sitting next to Zheng Nanle.
"You can read all the articles in the newspaper now, right?"
"I understand. I'll read it to you tonight."
"That's great. You can recognize all the words in the newspaper now, so literacy isn't a big problem." Zheng Nanle smiled. "Come back after your grandparents relocate you."
By then, as long as Zheng Erya doesn't develop a "saintly mother complex," she won't have a bad life.
"Sister, isn't it good if we stay like this?" Zheng Erya asked.
“No, that won’t do,” Zheng Nanle said with a smile. “Er Ya, although I don’t know why you can exist as a soul and it doesn’t affect your activities day or night, I think that being a soul without a physical body to protect you will not be good for you.”
"You'd better go back to your body as soon as possible."
"And what about your older sister?"
"Of course I'm going back to where I belong."
She should have died when she perished together with the zombie king. The life she has now is stolen, and she is already very content.
Of course, there was still some regret. In the 1970s, rural areas were materially scarce, and many delicacies were unavailable. Of course, Er Ya was too weak to eat them, which was a great pity.
Zheng Erya hugged herself, staring straight at the river, her face tense.
Zheng Nanle patted Zheng Erya's head and said with a smile, "Erya, in this life, relationships come and go. Some people can accompany you for a long time, while others are destined to only accompany you for a while. You have to learn to accept it."
Er Ya turned her head and looked at Zheng Nanle, "Sister, will you remember me?"
"Of course, Er Ya is so cute."
Zheng Erya pursed her lips, then smiled happily, "Sister is a little fairy."
"Yes, I am a fairy, so I will go back to heaven."
"Mmm." Er Ya nodded repeatedly.
After finishing her conversation with Zheng Erya about leaving the topic, Zheng Nanle felt much better and viewed the mountains, the water, and the people with a very tolerant attitude.
Crossing the stream leads to fields and land. Zheng Nanle, with her hands tucked in her sleeves, walked along the bridge and spotted Lu Guangbai working among the crowd.
There's no other reason than his uniquely tall and thin stature, making him highly recognizable.
Liushan Village is located in the south and can generally grow two seasons of rice, early rice and late rice. Now the early rice is being transplanted. Lu Guangbai is standing in the rice field with both legs bent over. From her angle, she looks almost like a compass.
His movements were very nimble, and the rice seedlings in front of him stood straight.
As Zheng Nanle watched, he felt a strange unease.
Zheng Erya was working beyond her physical health, and so was Lu Guangbai.
When he first came here, he was not yet of high school age, which is the golden stage of a boy's development. However, he came to this backward mountain village, where he was not well-fed or clothed, and had to do heavy farm work and take care of his elderly grandfather.
Such pressure is something even adults might not be able to withstand, but he withstood it for five years.
Looking at his face, there was not much hostility. He was like a soft oyster that turned suffering into pearls and forged an indomitable core.
Seemingly sensing Zheng Nanle's gaze, Lu Guangbai turned around, and the two met eyes across the vast void.
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