As they entered the town, they walked along the streets. Li Baolong recounted childhood stories to Wang Yumei, the days he spent playing with Ajun and Yuanyuan. Wang Yumei listened quietly, looking at the man before her, a stirring of love in her heart. She knew this trip would be their most unforgettable memory.
Standing before the house where he had lived for over a decade, gazing at the weathered walls, Li Baolong's eyes welled up with tears. Wang Yumei gently approached and took his hand. "Baolong, this place must hold many memories for you," she whispered.
Li Baolong turned to look at Wang Yumei, a somewhat bitter smile on his face. "Yes, this place holds my childhood memories and those happy times with my parents." His gaze returned to the painting on the wall by the door, simple and childlike lines that depicted his purest dreams.
Just then, the little girl ran in, looking at them curiously. "Uncle, Auntie, what are you looking at?" Li Baolong squatted down and said gently to the little girl, "These are drawings that Uncle made when he was little. Do you like to draw?" The little girl nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.
The old woman watched this scene from the doorway, smiling. She seemed to see a reflection of her past in Li Baolong. Li Baolong stood up and walked to the old woman's side. "Auntie, not much has changed here over the years." The old woman sighed. "Yes, we moved here three years ago. My son works in the military here, and I help them take care of their children. My granddaughter is about to start first grade."
Wang Yumei listened quietly, looking at Li Baolong, knowing that this return was of great significance to him. She wanted to become a new part of his memory, intertwined with this place. Li Baolong turned to look at the little girl, his eyes filled with deep affection. He knew that she was perhaps like him in the past. Looking at the little girl's new drawing, Baolong felt that the memories of the past had become warmer, and the future had gained new color.
In the house, which bore the marks of time, Li Baolong and Wang Yumei sat quietly for a moment. The old woman warmly invited them to stay for lunch, her eyes full of sincerity: "Please stay for a meal. We don't have much to offer, but it's all from our heart." Li Baolong smiled and politely declined: "Thank you for your kindness, but we have some things to take care of."
Just before leaving, Li Baolong saw a little girl with bright, sparkling eyes looking at him, and his heart softened. He turned around and bought some snacks from a small shop on the street and gave them to the little girl. Her eyes instantly crinkled into crescent moons as she happily said, "Thank you, Uncle. My name is Tongtong, and I'm six years old." Her clear, childlike voice was like a bright ray of light, illuminating the surrounding air.
They arrived at the town's armed forces department, sunlight streaming onto the somewhat dilapidated building. Li Baolong and Wang Yumei entered the office, explained their purpose to the duty officer, and were warmly received by Officer Sun. Officer Sun carefully reviewed the documents while simultaneously making a phone call to the Jianzhou Education Bureau, his voice steady and professional. After verifying the information, he looked up at Li Baolong and said, "Li Baolong, because you are the child of two martyrs and have been admitted to a key university, according to military regulations, you will receive a subsidy of 2,000 yuan per year, paid annually for the four years of university. The remittance slip will be sent to the school's account; you can collect it from the school's finance office." Li Baolong was filled with gratitude and quickly thanked him, "Thank you so much, Officer Sun." Officer Sun waved his hand, "It's all what I should do; taking care of the children of martyrs is my duty."
After leaving the armed forces department, the two went into a small shop and each ate a bowl of liangpi (cold skin noodles). The sour and spicy flavor of the liangpi spread on their tongues, a familiar taste of their small town. Thinking of his friend, Li Baolong went to Ajun's house. Ajun's older brother, Awei, opened the door. Seeing Li Baolong, he sighed slightly and said, "Ajun went to work at the biggest wholesale supermarket in the county. He's dropped out of school." Li Baolong's heart sank, an indescribable sense of loss welling up inside him. He said goodbye to Awei and slowly left, his steps heavy.
Wang Yumei gently took Li Baolong's arm and whispered, "Don't be too sad. Everyone has their own path to walk." Li Baolong turned to look at her, and a warmth flowed between their eyes. On this slightly chilly day, their companionship seemed to ward off all the world's disappointments.
Li Baolong and Wang Yumei hurriedly boarded a minibus bound for the county town. After a bumpy ride, they arrived in the town as night fell and the streetlights came on. Li Baolong suggested softly, "Let's find a hotel first, drop off our things, go out for dinner, get a good night's rest, and then go find Ajun tomorrow." Wang Yumei nodded slightly in agreement.
They found a clean and tidy-looking hotel and, out of consideration for saving money, booked a double room. By this time, Wang Yumei was already used to such arrangements, and her initial embarrassment gradually dissipated. After a simple dinner, the two returned to their hotel room, and the fatigue of the past two days made them fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
The next morning, Li Baolong woke up to find Wang Yumei gone from his room. He quickly washed up, went downstairs, and saw Wang Yumei chatting animatedly with the shop owner in the supermarket next to the hotel. Seeing Li Baolong approach, Wang Yumei hurriedly said, "Baolong, I just asked around, and there are only two wholesale supermarkets in this county. Ajun should be working at one of them." Li Baolong replied, "Awei said it's a large wholesale store; Ajun works there handling the goods. Let's look there; we should be able to find him." With that, the two, full of anticipation, hailed a taxi and sped towards the largest wholesale supermarket.
Throughout the journey, Li Baolong gazed resolutely out the window, his heart filled with anticipation for his reunion with Ajun. Wang Yumei silently accompanied him, occasionally glancing at Li Baolong with a look of concern and deep affection in her eyes. The taxi weaved through the streets, seemingly carrying them on an unknown yet hopeful journey.
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