Chapter 90
The 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, early morning.
Lingnan Railway Station.
The bustling waiting hall was filled with people carrying large and small bags. Even if they didn't know each other, they could still chat happily.
Among the dusty crowd, the combination of three adults and one child is very eye-catching.
All three adults were strikingly handsome, with tall figures and graceful demeanors. Two men, carrying bundles, stood outside, protecting the women and children inside.
The child was very cute, like a doll in the cupboard, with fair, soft and smooth skin, long and curled eyelashes, and round, clear eyes that were now wide open, looking around curiously.
The baby remained silent, cuddling in its mother's arms, clutching a small tiger doll the size of an adult's palm. The tiger's tail was incredibly long, seemingly intentionally so, and it looped around the baby's waist to prevent it from falling off.
Meng Wanqiu was not affected at all by the vague glances around her, because she felt that there was no malice in these gazes, but only pure curiosity.
This combination of three big and one small is actually Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi, Meng Mingxia, and Xiao Xixi.
Yesterday, their work was completely finished and the Lunar New Year holiday began. Having purchased their train tickets in advance, they arrived in Lingnan County yesterday, stayed overnight at Aunt Wang's house, and arrived at the train station early this morning.
It was Xiao Xixi's first time traveling far away. Before this, the farthest place she had been was the couple's workplace. When they arrived at the train station, the little one kept twisting her body and looking around. If Meng Wanqiu hadn't been so strong, she really wouldn't have been able to hold her.
We Xixi have never seen so many people before, and we find it very strange.
"Be good and don't move!" Meng Wanqiu patted the little guy's butt in her arms and said with a deliberately gloomy face.
Spanking Xixi’s butt, how can this be tolerated!
Xixi frowned, pursed her lips, and looked unhappy.
This look was exactly the same as Meng Wanqiu's, which made her father and uncle next to her laugh.
Meng Mingxia couldn't help but secretly pinched the little guy's butt, and then peeked at the little guy's reaction.
“Aaaaaa——”
The little guy raised his eyebrows, waved the little tiger in his hand, opened his pink little mouth slightly, and looked at me with disbelief.
Are you still pinching me? Do you think I have no temper because I am young?
Meng Wanqiu pretended to be unaware of Meng Mingxia's little tricks. Seeing the little girl like this, her desire to tease the baby surged again. She deliberately moved closer to Xixi and put her forehead against hers. "What's wrong? Are you angry? Mommy held you for so long, and you're still angry with Mommy, you little heartless thing."
Her mother hit her forehead, and Xixi did not show any weakness. She pushed back with her own forehead. Her little face was tense and her fists were clenched, as if she was determined to fight to the end.
Because it was difficult for the little guy to exert force while sitting on his mother's arms, the little guy just stood up, knocked his butt outwards, pushed his forehead forward, and used his body to create the principle of leverage.
Meng Wanqiu hugged the little guy's waist tightly to prevent the little thing from falling, and said, "Wow, you're quite strong!"
"Pfft——" Meng Mingxia burst out laughing.
Pei Xingzhi raised the corner of his mouth, put down his bag, took the little guy from behind with his free hand, scratched the little guy's face, and said with a smile: "Why are you like a little calf!"
Mo ——
What happened? Suddenly, someone changed his embrace. The little guy was caught off guard, and his little hands were placed in the air in a daze.
Turning her head, Xixi's eyes lit up.
“Oh my——” It’s Dad.
The little guy felt relieved immediately, lying softly on his father's broad chest, which was completely different from the proud and tough calf he looked like when he was in his mother's arms.
Meng Wanqiu curled her lips.
The little girl is also two-faced. She has completely different faces in front of her and in front of her father.
Not long after, their train arrived.
The three of them bought sleeper berths because Meng Mingxia knew the stationmaster Fan at the train station. The ordinary hard seat carriages were crowded, noisy, and the environment was not very good.
They also had a child who was less than one year old, so they bought a sleeper car. The whole family could be in the same car, which made it easier to take care of the little one.
I bought a ticket for the early morning train, hoping to arrive in Hongshan County today and return home to Qinghe Village in the evening.
For those who are away from home, they are extremely eager to go home at this time, feeling excited and a little panicked.
The train had been running for two or three hours, and the little one was hungry, so Pei Xingzhi went to get some hot water to make milk for him later.
Meng Wanqiu was holding the little guy in her arms. The little thing fell asleep as soon as he got in the car. He just woke up and was still sleepy.
He yawned lazily, tugging at the corner of his mother's clothes. The little tiger was right next to her ear and could be seen by glancing sideways.
Meng Wanqiu looked at Meng Mingxia. The other party had been silent since getting in the car, his eyes fixed on the scenery passing quickly outside the window.
"Second brother, what are you thinking about?" Meng Wanqiu asked.
Meng Mingxia was stunned and pulled the corner of his mouth. "I was thinking, the last time I left home, you were only a teenager, my eldest brother and his wife had just gotten married, and Fengdong was still a little kid... So many years have passed in the blink of an eye."
Somehow, Meng Mingxia suddenly understood the feeling of "leaving home when young and returning when old, the accent is still the same but the hair is gray."
It's strange that he doesn't look old and his parents and family are still alive.
However, ever since he boarded the train back home, his heart has been hanging in the air, unable to settle down.
Meng Wanqiu was stunned for a moment. She looked down at the little guy in her arms. His big eyes blinked at her and she pursed her lips and scratched the little guy's face.
"Well, time flies by pretty fast."
When I left home, this little girl was not even born yet, but now she has grown so big. In a few months, she will be able to walk and call people.
"Here, you hold her, my hands are sore." Meng Wanqiu suddenly stuffed the little girl into Meng Mingxia's arms.
"Hey, be gentle, be careful Xixi might cry." Meng Mingxia quickly adjusted the little guy's posture.
The little guy was used to it. He yawned gracefully and started playing with his fingers.
With a warm little guy in his arms, Meng Mingxia had no time to think about anything else. He gently coaxed Xixi to talk to him.
After a while, Pei Xingzhi also came back. Meng Mingxia was feeding the little guy with a bottle of milk and could no longer remember what had happened.
Meng Wanqiu glanced at him calmly, and felt relieved when she saw that he had returned to normal.
It was normal for her second brother to feel uncomfortable after being away from home for so long. But she didn't want him to dwell on his bad mood for too long.
A brief moment of sadness is enough.
Pei Xingzhi squeezed her hand. They had all felt that something was wrong with Meng Mingxia before, and now that he had returned to normal, they knew what she had done.
Meng Wanqiu curled her lips and smiled smugly at Pei Xingzhi with raised eyebrows.
But he was handsome for only three seconds before he felt sleepy. He couldn't help yawning, his eyes were misty, tears squeezed out from the corners of his eyes, and hung on his long eyelashes.
I woke up early this morning and still can't help feeling sleepy.
Pei Xingzhi smiled, took out two blankets from his bag, and handed one to Meng Mingxia, who immediately covered Xiao Xixi with it.
Then Pei Xingzhi took another one and said to Meng Wanqiu, "If you feel sleepy, sleep around this for a while."
Meng Wanqiu nodded and fell asleep wrapped in a blanket.
…
Qinghe Village.
The autumn harvest is over, and most of the farm work for the year is almost over. Heavy snow falls all day long, and everyone stays at home to hibernate.
Of course, Qinghe Village in the south is not in the north after all. The temperature is not so low that people dare not go out, and people still visit every now and then.
Look, Aunt Liu Juhua, the "nosy" girl in the village, is wearing a thick coat. Her already plump figure, coupled with the thick winter clothes, looks like a human-shaped winter melon.
With a shoe-making basket on her wrist and melon seed shells spitting out of her mouth, she walked towards the Meng family with her hips twisted.
It is said that girls like to hang out together, and older aunts and mothers-in-law also like to get together. When they have free time in winter, you can see who has a good relationship with whom in the village.
Only when the relationship is good will people go there when visiting. So, Liu Juhua naturally went to Li Lanxiang's house.
It was snowing, and the hardworking rural people got up early in the morning to sweep the snow. The road along which Liu Juhua came had already been cleared, and thick snow was piled on both sides of the road.
Winter is the only time of rest for villagers throughout the year, but it is also a natural playground for rural children.
Ever since the first snow fell, the children in the village, both big and small, have been having fun.
Playing snowball fights, building snowmen, rolling snowballs, and skiing down the slopes are fun and exciting.
It was around nine or ten o'clock at this time. Liu Juhua had just served breakfast to the young and old men in the family, and only after she had time did she have time to come to the Meng family to find Li Lanxiang.
Liu Juhua spat out the melon seed shells with a "Puh" sound, and glanced over to see a few children dragging some bamboos towards them from a distance.
Liu Juhua narrowed her eyes and took a closer look. The poor kid in the lead was none other than her own unlucky child.
"Liu Tiezhu, what are you doing?"
Liu Juhua was shouting from a distance, and the children on the opposite side saw her and subconsciously wanted to turn around.
"Why are you running? Come here quickly." Liu Juhua frowned.
Liu Tiezhu had no choice but to drag the bamboo over and called out dejectedly, "Grandma, why are you here?"
The little kids behind also shouted, "Grandma Liu."
Liu Juhua hummed and poked Liu Tiezhu on the forehead. "Mind your own business, and tell me, whose bamboo did you cut? Aren't you afraid of being scolded to death?"
Liu Tiezhu chuckled and said, "It belongs to Mrs. Zhou's family."
Hearing that it was Mrs. Zhou's family, Liu Juhua felt relieved. "Hey, you are quite good at choosing people. Okay, it's her family, then everything will be fine."
That old woman Zhou was the one who bullied the young daughter-in-law's family and caused Xiuzhi to almost jump into the river with her daughter. She was later arrested by the Women's Federation and educated for a whole month before being released.
It is difficult for this old woman Zhou to change her nature. She is a mean-spirited person who loves to take advantage of others. Liu Juhua was once fleeced by this old woman, but she got angry and the matter was left unresolved.
When Liu Juhua heard that her grandson had gone to cut down her family's bamboo, she didn't feel any psychological burden at all.
Patting Liu Tiezhu on the head, he said, "Alright, go home now and tell these kids to stay away from the fire pit."
The bamboo is cut to make skateboards and skis. The bamboo is split in half, cut at the joint, and then placed over a fire to roast. Then, you press on it to form an "L" shape. The short part at the bottom is for your hands, and the long part at the top is for your feet.
This is the tool used by children in rural areas in the south for skiing. Almost every rural child can make it. Liu Juhua was also a child herself, so she naturally knows what the children are doing.
"I understand, grandma. I'm going home now." After Liu Tiezhu said this, he called the child behind him to go home with him.
After wasting some time, Liu Juhua was still at her leisure. When she arrived at the door of Meng's house, she saw Dong Hanyun killing a chicken in the yard and Meng Dongran Zhuangzhuang plucking the chicken feathers beside her.
"Oh, Zhuangzhuang is so hardworking. He is helping your mother pluck chicken feathers. He is so sensible. Unlike that bad boy in my family, he runs faster than anyone else when asked to work." Liu Juhua came in and praised Zhuangzhuang when she saw him.
Dong Hanyun was somewhat helpless, "This kid is only making things worse."
Zhuangzhuang is not even seven years old yet, he doesn't have much strength, his face is red, and he hasn't cleaned it up yet. When I tell him to play by himself, he's not willing to do it.
"Okay, Zhuangzhuang, come to my house quickly. Tiezhu has cut several bamboos and is burning skateboards. Go find him and ask him to make one for you. You should have more fun during the holidays and don't stay at home all day." Liu Juhua put down the basket and picked up Zhuangzhuang directly.
Caught off guard, Zhuangzhuang's face turned red.
Liu Juhua was amused. It was so funny that this little thing was so embarrassed even though it was so small.
Dong Hanyun followed with a smile, "Alright, go play with your brother Tiezhu. I'll call you if anything happens."
Zhuangzhuang nodded like a little adult, "Then mother, call me when the time comes."
Dong Hanyun waved her hand and said, "Okay, remember, go quickly."
After all, he is a child. No matter how sensible he is, he still likes to play. After getting a positive answer, Zhuangzhuang ran out and went to play with Liu Tiezhu, the Liu family.
Liu Juhua loves this sensible little boy very much.
"Alas, it seems that Tiezhu should study hard. Only by studying can he become sensible."
Dong Hanyun washed her hands and said, "Aunt, you're worrying for nothing. It's normal for boys to be a little naughty when they are young. Besides, Tiezhu is sensible. I saw him lassoing two rabbits a few days ago."
Liu Juhua laughed, "This brat is only okay in this area."
"By the way, why are you killing chickens at this time? Where's your mother?"
Dong Hanyun smiled and said, "Xiao Wanxingzhi Mingxia and Fengdong will be back today, so I'm preparing dinner here in advance. My mom and dad went to the river to catch fish."
"Oh, everyone is back, even Mingxia is coming home. Oh, that's great, your family can finally be reunited." Liu Juhua clapped her hands suddenly, happy for the Meng family.
Dong Hanyun was also very happy. Ever since her family received the letter from Meng Wanqiu, they had been preparing and waiting for a reunion.
"Hey, did Xiaowan give birth to a daughter? Is she coming back with her this time?" Aunt Liu asked curiously.
"They're all back. The little girl's name is Pei Jingxi, Xixi. Xiao Wan even sent her photo back. I'll look for it for you. That little girl looks just like Xiao Wan..."
In town, Hongshan Printing Factory.
Meng Fengdong avoided the crowd and stayed alone in the corner.
Today the county leaders came to inspect, and the factory leaders surrounded the inspectors, waiting attentively and speaking flattering words.
Why should we hide? Because the leader who came to inspect was Jiang Bo.
After a few years, Jiang Bo's position was promoted.
After graduation, Meng Fengdong was recruited to work in the town's printing factory and entered the office. His job was to write speeches and reports for the factory director.
Meng Fengdong was a little bored with this kind of work, but he could tolerate it. Now that the Gaokao was gone, he had no idea what he wanted to do, and he had no concrete idea of his future.
It's okay to just work in the factory like this.
It was not until last year that Jiang Bo came to the factory for the first time and recognized him as Meng Wanqiu's younger brother. He took good care of him, which led to people in the factory having a lot more opinions about him.
Some people disdain the claim that he got in through the backdoor, while others believe he has connections and is trying his best to curry favor...
Meng Fengdong didn't know what Jiang Bo felt for Meng Wanqiu. He was a little uncomfortable with the change in the attitude of the people in the factory and felt wronged, but he didn't blame Jiang Bo.
But the more often Jiang Bo came, the more he asked him about Meng Wanqiu, openly or secretly. Meng Fengdong was not stupid. He had seen many people who had just started to show affection in high school.
Thinking that Jiang Bo took care of him because he liked his third sister, Meng Fengdong felt disgusted and couldn't help feeling nauseous.
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