Chapter 60
In the barren northwestern land, the cold wind roared wildly, and yellow dust filled the sky, forming a thick barrier that blocked the sunlight, and the air was dry and parched.
The labor camp was built below Xi'an. Apart from the guards holding wooden boxes, it was no different from other farms.
It is late autumn and all the crops in the fields have been harvested, leaving only bare roots and stems, all lifeless and withered.
Rows of cave dwellings were built on the hillside. A man, wearing a thin cotton shirt covered in patches, emerged from one of the cave dwellings. He was thin, but his back was straight, like a poplar tree that never bends.
The cold wind blew up his patched clothes, making his already skinny figure look even thinner, as if he could be blown away by a strong wind.
The man was probably in his fifties, with a gentle and elegant temperament. Even though his face was so thin that it looked unrecognizable, one could still vaguely see his handsome appearance in his youth.
Pei Zhongyuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. His eyes reflected the vast world, and deep in his pupils were emotions that others could not understand.
"Old Pei, there's a letter for you!"
A loud voice rang out on the winding path connecting the caves, interrupting Pei Zhongyuan's thoughts.
He smiled, walked outside, and looked at the people running towards him excitedly. "Old Zong, are you kidding me? Or are you too old and blurry to see the words? Don't take other people's letters."
Since the incident, Pei Zhongyuan has been confined for a full year. After his release, he was moved around the country before finally settling on this farm, where he has now been for seven years.
In the past eight years, Pei Zhongyuan has not received any letters related to him.
He didn't know about his parents or Xingzhi's news. As for his wife, he wasn't worried. She had already sent him a divorce agreement when the incident happened. Pei Zhongyuan didn't insist and simply wrote his name on it.
What he was always worried about were his parents who gave birth to him and his children.
When he left, Xingzhi was only a ten-year-old child with a very mature personality and more reliable and stable than many adults. I wonder if he took good care of himself and his grandparents.
If possible, Pei Zhongyuan didn't want to leave the responsibility of supporting his parents to his young son. However, he had bad luck and could only hope for the best.
Inside the cave, Pei Zhongyuan and Zong Xuehai sat at a table. The harsh northwest weather necessitated a closed door, lest sand and dust blow into the room. The tightly closed doors and windows blocked out the light, making it very dark inside.
There was no oil lamp, but the dim light still revealed the words on the envelope.
Recipient: Pei Zhongyuan
Sender: Pei Xingzhi
Even though it was clearly written on the envelope, Pei Zhongyuan still couldn't believe it, and his hands under the table were shaking.
"Look, his surname is Pei and his name is Xingzhi. Isn't he the son you always talk about? Open it quickly and take a look. You haven't contacted your family for many years. Come and see how your uncles and aunts are doing?" Zong Xuehai urged Pei Zhongyuan.
There is a saying that goes "homesickness makes one feel timid", and Pei Zhongyuan is in this state now.
He wanted to see it, he wanted so much that he was going crazy.
But he was afraid.
Before he got any news from home, he could still comfort himself that his parents and Xingzhi were probably living well and nothing bad had happened.
Now this letter is like honey and love, bringing Pei Zhongwang hope and breaking the hope built in his heart.
However, Zong Xuehai's words dispelled Pei Zhongyuan's concerns, and his urgent desire to know news about his family suppressed his fear.
The edge of the envelope had been torn, but Pei Zhongyuan was not surprised. Given the status of their group, everything sent from outside needed to be inspected before it could be delivered to them.
[Father, I am Xingzhi. This is the 47th letter I have sent to you. I don’t know if it can be successfully delivered to you.
Time flies, and we have been apart for nearly ten years...]
Looking at the flowing, powerful, and yet subtly elegant handwriting on the letter paper, Pei Zhongyuan's lips curled up slightly. He could still vividly remember the days when he held Xingzhi's hand and practiced calligraphy, stroke by stroke. Now, Xingzhi's handwriting had begun to show its own unique style.
But looking at the font, Pei Zhongyuan imagined a cool and handsome young man sitting at the table, his back straight, writing a letter with a serious look on his face.
"What are you laughing at? What's the good news?" Zong Xuehai asked with his arms folded.
Pei Zhongyuan showed the letter to Zong Xuehai and said, "Look, Xingzhi is only twenty-three this year, no, almost twenty-four, and his handwriting is almost catching up with mine. You can already see his style and character. In a few years, he will definitely surpass me in hard pen calligraphy."
The Pei family is a family of scholars. Their ancestors have produced top scholars. Pei's grandfather is a master of calligraphy. Pei Zhongyuan has high attainments in calligraphy, but he prefers hard pen calligraphy, as his achievements in hard pen calligraphy are much higher than those in soft pen calligraphy.
Influenced by him, Pei Xingzhi studied hard pen calligraphy since childhood. Seeing his son's achievements, Pei Zhongyuan was very happy and couldn't help but want to show off his child to Zong Xuehai.
Seeing Pei Zhongyuan, who was completely different from his usual steady appearance, Zong Xuehai's mouth twitched. Thinking that the other party had no news about his child for so many years, he could understand his excitement.
He leaned over and took a few careful looks. To be honest, he couldn't understand it. He was just a soldier and the characters he knew were all learned in the army. It was good enough for him to recognize the characters. But when asked to see what kind of style or character he had, he was completely clueless.
"Well, neat, clear and powerful." The handwriting is very beautiful.
Zong Xuehai tried hard to find a few words to describe it, which seemed a bit forced, but Pei Zhongyuan was already very satisfied.
[…In the third year since you left, my grandparents passed away. Don't worry, they didn't suffer; they passed away in their sleep. I've buried them properly…For the third year, I was cared for by Master Bai Fengyao. I became his student. He treated me like his own son, teaching me everything he knew…]
[Four years after I went to the countryside, I married Meng Wanqiu, the daughter of Meng Aiguo, the Party Secretary of Qinghe Village. The Meng family treated me like their own daughter, with all their heart and soul, and I have no way of repaying them... Wanwan is a good girl, and the love of my son Xingzhi's life. You will like her.]
The day after I wrote this letter, Xiaowan and I were leaving Qinghe Village. My father-in-law, knowing I was talented in mechanics and unwilling to see my talents wasted in the countryside, painstakingly secured me a job at a machinery factory. This is the last letter I write to you from Qinghe Village. The day before I left, I dreamed of you, my father, and I wonder if it was providence.
By the way, I have another good news to tell you, Dad. Xiaowan is pregnant. I am going to be a father, and you are going to be a grandfather.
I still remember the little drama you and Grandfather had when we were little. It was about naming me. Grandmother told me that Grandfather had already chosen a name for me, but you weren't happy with it, so you secretly changed it to my current name when I registered my household registration. Grandfather was so enraged that he lost all composure, called you an unfilial son, and threatened to punish you in the street with his cane. When Grandmother recounted this, tears welled up in her eyes as she laughed.
As the saying goes, like father, like son. Now I am going to be an unfilial son. I have already chosen a name for your grandson.
The girl is named Jingxi and the boy is named Jinghuai.
Does it sound nice? My grandmother told me that when you were naming me, you had already thought of the names of your future grandchildren. What a pity!
…
Father, please take care of yourself. The day will come when we will be reunited as father and son.
An unfilial son should show respect to his superiors.
】
Pei Zhongyuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His heart ached like a knife. When his parents passed away in the third year after he left, Pei Zhongyuan was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe.
His chest was heaving violently, his throat was dry and burning, and he couldn't utter a single word. At that moment, Pei Zhongyuan seemed to have become mute.
The third year, the third year...
Pei Zhongyuan's lips were trembling as he silently recited these words.
His parents were clearly in good health when he left. How could they have passed away in just three years?
Pei Zhongyuan is not a fool, on the contrary, he is a very smart man. Of course, he saw the traces that Pei Xingzhi was trying to cover up.
My parents, this was definitely not a normal death!
And the experiences that Xingzhi downplayed in his letter were definitely not that simple.
How much suffering did his parents and his children endure?
Guilt, regret, pain and all the negative emotions overwhelmed Pei Zhongyuan.
It was him, it was he who implicated them.
Thanks to his years of cultivation, Pei Zhongyuan was able to conceal his near-collapse state and forced himself to keep awake and continue reading.
When Pei Zhongyuan saw Xingzhi going to the countryside at the age of sixteen, his hands trembled.
This state of collapse was not relieved until Pei Xingzhi got married.
A look of relief flashed in Pei Zhongyuan's eyes. The handsome young man finally had a sweetheart. After knowing how good the Meng family was to Pei Xingzhi, Pei Zhongyuan felt both grateful and melancholy.
This was clearly what he should have done, but due to the turbulent situation, he had lost his responsibilities as a son and a father.
Does Pei Zhongyuan regret it?
Of course he regretted it, but besides regret, he wanted to know what his parents and son had experienced and who had made things difficult for them.
A chilling glint flashed across Pei Zhongyuan's eyes, then disappeared in an instant.
At the end of the letter, Pei Zhongyuan was very excited to hear that his daughter-in-law was pregnant.
"Why are you so happy? You have a grandson?" Zong Xuehai scratched his head and came over to ask curiously.
Pei Zhongyuan laughed out loud and gave Zong Xuehai a thumbs up. "Amazing! You figured it out! It seems I have a lot to learn from you, Brother Zong."
Zong Xuehai's eyes widened, and he was stunned for a moment, then suddenly uttered a Chinese quintessence, "Fuck!"
After the joke, Zong Xuehai was envious, but still sincerely congratulated Pei Zhongyuan.
Soldiers usually get married late. Zong Xuehai got married when he was in his thirties. Now he is in his fifties and his child is just twenty years old and still not married, let alone grandchildren.
At night, Pei Zhongyuan came out of the cave and came outside the yard.
The north wind blows fiercely during the day, but it becomes calm at night. When the yellow sand fades away, you can see a bright full moon hanging high in the night sky. The moonlight pours down unobstructed like silver gauze, covering the entire northwest land.
Pei Zhongyuan fell to his knees with a thud, heading towards the northern capital.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three heavy and dull sounds rang out, stirring up a thin layer of dust. Tears fell one by one, wetting the ground under the shadow.
Only in the dead of night can the concealed grief be vented.
Y Province, July 15.
Thinking that Pei Xingzhi was waiting for her at home, Meng Wanqiu was quite eager to go home.
He was multitasking, working and calculating while still finding time to think about Pei Xingzhi. His hands were almost leaving afterimages. The work that he had originally planned to complete in two hours was completed in half the time, taking only one hour.
The colleagues next to him were stunned: ...
Accountant Meng is indeed the factory's fortune teller, so terrifying.
After finishing the work, Meng Wanqiu didn't care about anything else. She simply packed up and went home.
While walking on the ordinary road, Meng Wanqiu keenly noticed something was wrong.
She suddenly turned her head and looked in a certain direction, her eyes sharp and cruel.
No one.
Is there really no one? Meng Wanqiu didn't think so.
She believed in her perception, which couldn't be wrong. Just now, someone was watching her from that place.
After taking a look, Meng Wanqiu did not chase after him, but continued to walk forward normally, as if what just happened was just an illusion.
When Meng Wanqiu left, a man suddenly appeared at the place where she had just been, looking suspiciously in the direction where Meng Wanqiu had left.
He supported his chin and recalled what happened just now. It must have been an illusion. How could an ordinary person like him detect him who had received professional training?
The man shook his head, thinking he was overthinking it, and disappeared, continuing to follow.
Not long after, Meng Wanqiu felt the feeling of being followed and monitored again.
Meng Wanqiu's eyes flashed, but she still didn't react and continued walking towards home.
Now that she is pregnant and has no self-defense items on her, it is not a wise idea to confront him directly.
When she got home, the feeling of being monitored disappeared and Meng Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm back!"
I thought Pei Xingzhi was the only one at home. Meng Wanqiu's voice was so sweet, but when she opened the door, she was dumbfounded.
Wow, with so many people around, her yard seemed to have suddenly become much smaller.
Bai Fengyao, Uncle Feng, Aunt Feng, Jiang Peiran, Sister Gao, Master Zhu, Zhu Junze, and Pei Xingzhi.
There is actually a dog.
A group of people looked at Meng Wanqiu in unison. Meng Wanqiu was stunned for a moment and her face turned red instantly.
"Everything is here. I'm going back to the room to change clothes."
After saying that, without caring about everyone's reaction, Meng Wanqiu immediately ran back to the room.
Bai Fengyao was still admonishing, "Xiao Wan, go slower, don't fall."
Pei Xingzhi touched his nose to hide the smile on his lips. He knew why Meng Wanqiu was so abnormal.
"You guys go ahead and do your work, I'll go in and take a look."
Wait until the couple enters the house.
Jiang Peiran's eyes widened as he asked Sister Gao, "Is Accountant Meng usually like this at home?"
Oh my god, when I first entered the house, I heard someone shouting 'I'm back', it was so sweet.
Jiang Peiran originally had no particular ideas about children; neither he nor his wife had any plans to have any. But at this moment, he suddenly wanted to have a daughter, a soft, cute, and spoiled daughter.
Sister Gao scratched her head. This was also the first time she had seen Meng Wanqiu like this. "Uh, huh?"
Uncle Feng and Aunt Feng are older after all, and have eaten more rice than you. They know that Meng Wanqiu is shy, "Alright, alright, stop asking. They are a close couple."
Jiang Peiran wondered why he and his wife didn't do that.
Sister Gao has been married for ten years. Upon hearing this, she glanced at Master Zhu.
Master Zhu shuddered and put his arm around his son's shoulders. "Don't make a fuss. Your Northeastern accent doesn't fit. Every couple has their own way of getting along, and this isn't for us."
Sister Gao thought about it and nodded, feeling that it made sense.
However, Xiao Wan looks so cute that it makes people's hearts melt.
"Master Zhu, why don't we have another daughter?" Sister Gao nudged Master Zhu with her elbow.
Master Zhu glanced at her and silently walked to the other side to help roll the noodles.
"Hey, why don't you give me a word on whether you agree or not?"
Master Zhu sighed and sprinkled a handful of flour on the board. "Do you think we can raise a delicate daughter with our personalities? Or are you sure you can have a daughter?"
After hearing this, Sister Gao instantly wilted and said, "Forget it then."
Here, as soon as Pei Xingzhi came in, Meng Wanqiu squeezed into his arms, ruffled his hair, and said in a low voice, "Ahhh, it's all your fault. Why didn't you tell me so many people came to the house? You made me embarrassed."
Pei Xingzhi held Meng Wanqiu's waist, narrowed his eyes and let her mess up his hair, smiling dotingly, "It's not my fault, it's Jiang Peiran, that idiot. I asked him to invite Master Zhu and the others over, and told Sister Gao everything. I thought you knew."
Meng Wanqiu didn't care about anyone else. She put her arms around Pei Xingzhi's neck and banged her head against his chest. "It's all your fault, it's all your fault. Woohoo! The image I created is ruined."
Hearing this, Pei Xingzhi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Then he held up Meng Wanqiu's face to stop her from bumping into the opponent, so as to avoid a headache.
Looking at her puffed-up cheeks, Pei Xingzhi lowered his head and kissed her lips several times. Finally, he couldn't help but lightly bit the flesh on her cheek.
"Well, don't bite me. I have to go out and meet people later." Meng Wanqiu protested.
Pei Xingzhi smiled and said, "It's okay, it's just gentle, there will be no marks." How can she be so cute? After getting pregnant, Meng Wanqiu became more and more childish in front of him, and Pei Xingzhi loved her so much.
Speaking of which, everyone was surprised by Meng Wanqiu's behavior, and the reason was Meng Wanqiu herself.
Meng Wanqiu's appearance is already outstanding, and she is even more beautiful after losing weight. Her peach blossom eyes have a charming effect, and it seems like she is emitting electricity when she looks at people.
There are so many single young men in the factory, and many of them don’t know that Meng Wanqiu is married. Every time she appears in places like the cafeteria or the square, there are many people watching her. Some bold young men come up to say hello and ask her to go to the movies with them.
Meng Wanqiu got tired of explaining so much and kept a cold face all day long, scaring others away.
Pei Xingzhi was very satisfied with this and supported her. When he first arrived, he was busy adapting to the department. Bai Fengyao assigned him many tasks, so he did not notice the movements around Meng Wanqiu.
After discovering this, he was very jealous. After following Meng Wanqiu for several days, it finally saw some effect.
Besides giving the young male workers the cold shoulder, Meng Wanqiu didn't want to be looked down upon because of her appearance. In the accounting department, she often had to communicate with other departments or other factories, and it was inevitable that she would run into some idiots who thought Meng Wanqiu was just a pretty face.
Meng Wanqiu had a cold face, but her aura was still quite strong, so others didn't look down on her.
As a famous fortune teller in the factory, Meng Wanqiu also has a bit of idol baggage, so she has always maintained a cold and taciturn image.
Apart from her colleagues and close friends, people like Sister Gao knew that she had a gentle and steady personality, but they had never seen her act like a spoiled brat.
Jiang Peiran had a good relationship with Pei Xingzhi, so he didn't know Meng Wanqiu that well. He always thought that she was as cold and aloof as the rumors in the factory said.
Meng Wanqiu has also been trying to create an image in front of them that she is reliable.
However, after what happened today, her plan was completely ruined.
Pei Xingzhi continued to kiss Meng Wanqiu and comforted her, "It's okay. The people outside are all very close to us. It doesn't matter if they know."
Meng Wanqiu glared at him and said, "It's not you, so of course it's okay for you."
Pei Xingzhi smiled and changed the subject, "By the way, did you see that dog outside? Can we keep it?"
Tell Meng Wanqiu the whole story of the puppy.
Meng Wanqiu thought for a moment and said, "Let's keep it. I miss Da Mi so much. I wonder which female cat it will cause trouble to this year."
Speaking of Dami, Meng Wanqiu sighed. She missed her parents, her elder brother and sister-in-law, Zhuangzhuang and Fengdong.
As she thought about it, Meng Wanqiu's eyes turned red. Pregnant women always have big mood swings, and Meng Wanqiu is no exception.
Pei Xingzhi's heart ached, and he hugged her in his arms, "Don't cry, I promise, we will go back next year for the New Year, okay?"
Meng Wanqiu hummed a sigh of relief. Her sadness faded quickly, and she wasn't ignorant. She knew she couldn't force things like this. If she ignored her child and rushed home, her mother would beat her to death.
"Change your clothes quickly. Do you want me to help you?" Pei Xingzhi asked with a raised eyebrow.
Meng Wanqiu glared at him and said, "I can do it myself, hurry up and help!"
After being kicked out, Pei Xingzhi still had a doting smile in the corner of his eyes.
Seeing him come out, Jiang Peiran winked at him, but Pei Xingzhi ignored her and walked over to help make dumplings.
Originally, there were only the couple today, but later the idiot Jiang Peiran insisted on coming over, so Pei Xingzhi planned to invite Uncle Feng and Aunt Feng, and on the way he met little Zhu Junze.
After bringing the child home, of course the other party's parents had to be notified, so Jiang Peiran went to tell Master Zhu. I don't know what he said, but the couple came anyway, and they brought the ingredients.
Bai Fengyao went there today and came to Pei Xingzhi's house to tell him something, but he didn't expect that everyone gathered there to make dumplings, so he stayed.
After changing her clothes, Meng Wanqiu came out and saw that the yard was divided into several piles.
Pei Xingzhi, Master Zhu, and Aunt Feng were in the food preparation area, rolling out dough and making dumplings; Uncle Feng and Bai Fengyao were playing chess under a jujube tree, with Jiang Peiran blindly giving orders beside them, completely oblivious to the principle of 'a gentleman watches a game of chess in silence'; little Zhu Junze was playing with a puppy nearby, while Sister Gao watched the two little ones from a distance.
The corners of Meng Wanqiu's mouth curled up, and her gorgeous face was like the peach blossoms in bloom in March, so beautiful that it was beyond words.
"What kind of fillings are there?" Meng Wanqiu asked with a smile as she walked behind Pei Xingzhi.
"Cabbage and pork, pickled mustard greens, and leeks and eggs."
Then Uncle Feng's cheerful voice rang out from the side, "General!"
"Let me do it, let me do it. Uncle Feng, please move aside. I want to play with Master Bai."
"Go away, go away. With your mediocre skills, go play with little Junze."
Aunt Feng laughed when she saw this. This alley hadn't been so lively for many years.
The courtyard was filled with laughter and joy. The temperature was getting colder, but people's hearts were getting warmer.
At the same time, an old Taoist priest with white beard who was walking on a mountain path suddenly sneezed.
"Strange, strange, who is talking about me?"
The old Taoist priest with white beard paused after counting with his fingers, then laughed, "So it's you, your unlucky little disciple. You've run into trouble and I, your master, have to step in to help you!"
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