Chapter 1 "Hi, I'm Huahua!"...
Autumn 1961, Shanghai Railway Station.
At the train station platform, a train bound for Inner Mongolia from Shanghai is about to depart.
Unlike other train journeys, this is a special one.
Due to the baby abandonment incidents that have occurred in the past year, many children have been left in nurseries where local conditions are clearly insufficient to support them.
Upon learning of this, the Premier called for giving these children a way to survive, uniting the North and South, and contacting Inner Mongolia to decide to send "3,000 orphans" to the grasslands.
There were several special train carriages on the train, filled with children of all ages, about to head north.
Just like in carriage number 13, seven children were sitting neatly in the hard-seat seats in front of them.
As the wailing began, the other children in the carriage were instantly moved to tears.
The little ones opened their mouths wide and began to wail loudly, competing with each other.
Upon seeing this, Liang Ying, the nanny in charge of carriage number 13, quickly picked up the crying baby and rocked him in her arms.
Then she tried to soothe the other children in a low voice, and two other colleagues joined in, but it was clearly not effective.
The slightly larger child next to her also wanted to be held, and seeing that Liang's mother didn't move, he simply climbed onto her lap.
The children around her followed suit, crowding around her one by one, and soon Liang Ying was surrounded by children.
She was even surrounded by children!
Liang Ying, who had just gotten married and didn't have any children yet, was both amused and exasperated by this.
But looking at the little guys in front of him, each of them was only three heads tall.
Her heart softened again as she whined and acted coquettishly.
Thinking back on these days of living and eating with the children, she understands all too well how difficult it is for these children to change.
So I found a place to sit down, picked up one or two, and then had them sit in a row while I put my arms on the back of the chair.
Now she has eight babies in her arms.
The other children who didn't go up stared with wide, round eyes, longingly watching her reach out to hug them.
The sound of the front carriage door opening rang out, and Comrade Chen Ping, who had collected warm water, waved and called out.
"Liang Ying, I've brought warm water. How are the children? They must be starving."
"Quickly feed them something."
Chen Ping was the team leader, responsible for the younger infants. Liang Ying breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her return, and the other two comrades, Chen Qiu and Yang Hong, also came up from the back of the vehicle carrying children.
Yes, there were only four of them in this carriage.
There were a total of 123 children to be cared for. Among them, 28 were still breastfeeding, and that was evenly distributed.
The train slowly started moving, and the innocent and naive children officially embarked on a new journey.
The four divided the work: two people were responsible for feeding the baby, and two people were responsible for feeding the older children.
The oldest children are only three or four years old, and the oldest is no more than six.
After locking the front and rear doors, the two caregivers gave the children easily digestible rice cakes one by one. After each child had finished eating, they gave each child water to drink.
There was a line to go to the restroom, led by two teachers.
After this series of events was completed, another hour or so had passed.
Although the project was a huge undertaking, the little ones were like chicks that had been moved to a new nest, huddled together listlessly, and were quiet except when they started crying.
With the train swaying like a cradle, many children began to doze off.
The two comrades who had been in charge of the babies wrapped them up and put them to sleep. Then they came to help, and it took them more than two hours to coax the children to sleep.
By this time, the train had already left Shanghai Station, and it was completely dark.
Only after the four women, exhausted and aching all over, were they finally able to rest and eat.
The group ate homemade flatbread, which became hard and dry after cooling. They carefully took a bite, chewed it slowly until it softened in their mouths, and then swallowed it with water.
This journey will take four days and three nights, and there are five such carriages on this train.
Every comrade is working tirelessly day and night to take good care of every child.
Until everyone was safely brought to the Inner Mongolian grasslands.
The train kept stopping and starting, and the journey went by quickly. The little ones gradually got used to it, and sometimes they would even go out the window to look.
They didn't even know what they were looking at.
Perhaps it's the unfamiliar scenery outside the window, or perhaps it's the birds flying in the distance.
Three-year-old Huahua is like this; today she has her hair tied in two pigtails.
The baby's hair was styled by the nanny auntie. The little one has round eyes, and his round face is gradually developing a small pointed chin.
She was a very quiet child, not fond of crying or talking; she just looked at everyone with curiosity.
There were many children around her who wanted to talk to her, but she didn't want to talk to any of them.
Four-year-old Xiaoming was one of them. He was a little taller than Huahua, so he naturally reached out to hold her hand.
Hua Hua shook off him, not wanting him to pull her.
Xiao Ming sniffled and stared straight at her.
"Huahua, let's go over there."
He pointed to the front row, where the aunties were handing out snacks. Everyone was going to get some snacks, and he wanted to go with Huahua too, because the snacks were delicious.
Hua Hua swallowed hard, smelling the sweet aroma.
But she didn't move. When Xiaoming saw that his aunt was waving at them, he simply pulled her forward.
"Hurry, hurry!"
Hua Hua was dragged away. Hearing the commotion, Chen Ping rushed over to see what was going on, but when she saw it was them, she didn't pay much attention.
This wasn't the first time the two children had done this.
As long as there is no danger, they are happy for the children to play together.
These children, in particular, are more silent and introverted than other children. Everyone feels sorry for their situation, so we try to encourage everyone to be more outgoing in our daily lives.
"Xiao Ming, flowers~"
Liang Ying shouted cheerfully.
"Aunt Liang," Xiaoming said softly.
He stood in front of Hua Hua, spoke softly, and tried to shield her with his thin shoulders.
Liang Ying smiled and patted his head.
Seeing the little girl behind him, he praised, "Xiaoming is such a good boy, he even takes care of his younger sister."
When Xiaoming heard Liang's mother praise him, he happily smiled.
Hua Hua quietly peeked out.
Upon seeing this, Liang Ying's tone and expression softened even more. "Huahua is also great; good children deserve a reward."
After saying that, she handed them the snacks.
Xiao Ming was so excited that the corners of his mouth turned up high and his eyes shone brightly.
He remembered Hua Hua and quickly moved aside.
Hua Hua was led over, and upon seeing the sweet-smelling pastries, her mouth watered involuntarily.
She wasn't aware of it yet, but suddenly felt her face getting wet.
When you touch it with your little hand, it's sparkling clean!
Chen Ping and Liang Ying, who witnessed the entire process, couldn't help but laugh.
"Here, Flower, this is yours."
Chen Ping offered her a snack and then helped her wipe her drool.
Hua Hua successfully got the snack and smiled contentedly.
After finishing their meal in small bites, everyone sat back down in their seats.
It wasn't until the train stopped at noon on the fourth day that these children from the south truly stepped into the northern region.
The final destination is Xilingol League in central Inner Mongolia.
They need to rest at the local orphanage for half a month first, and only after the little ones have adapted to the local environment will they start to notify them.
The train arrives at the station and comes to a safe stop.
Everyone got off the train one after another, and it was their turn after all the other passengers had disembarked.
The train dispatched 20 staff members, and seven or eight large trucks, all specially approved to transport children, were already parked outside the station. The little ones, still somewhat bewildered, followed their familiar "mothers" out of the station.
Before getting off the bus, the mothers stuffed thick clothes into their clothes. When they started walking in line, they realized that the mothers walked like ducks.
They also resemble round, chubby little penguins.
As soon as they got off the train, the little ones were swayed by the biting northern wind.
Each train attendant assigned to this spot looked kind and eagerly went to help.
As soon as the slow-moving, three-headed teams finished walking across the platform, they were picked up by the Women's Federation comrades who had been waiting nearby.
One comrade carried two of them and put them into the truck, which had already been warmed up.
Once all the children were on the bus, the buses headed off to various orphanages in Xilingol League.
The train sped along, still following the layout of the train carriages.
After driving for an unknown amount of time, the car stopped.
The little ones were carried off the bus one by one, and then they looked curiously at this unfamiliar place.
There isn't much difference between orphanages in the north and those in the south.
Especially since there were familiar children and mothers around, except that there were several more mothers who spoke Mongolian.
They had rosy cheeks and were quite tall.
But they are very kind to them, and they will wash their faces, comb their hair, and dress them.
Fifteen days passed quickly.
That day, the mothers woke them up early, applied perfume to each of them, and combed their hair beautifully.
Hua Hua was reportedly dressed up very beautifully!
This is according to Xiaoming.
Hua Hua tugged at her clothes, feeling that they made her body heavier. She would also step on her tail every time she walked, causing her body to wobble.
She wasn't happy, but it was only her own unhappiness.
The children around were very happy because their mothers said they were going to have new mothers.
There's a new family there, with a dad, mom, brother, and sister. There's also an endless supply of snacks and milk, and lots of meat.
Hua Hua swallowed hard when she heard that she could eat snacks and meat.
Xiao Ming was patting his chest and saying that he would share all the meat and snacks with her from now on.
Hua Hua was satisfied and smiled at him for the first time.
Seeing this, Xiaoming took the opportunity to grab her hand.
"Huahua, let's eat together then, okay!"
Before Hua Hua could agree, a lot of people appeared in the familiar courtyard.
Some arrived on horseback, some on brand-new bicycles, and others waited at the door with their carts.
The children were very excited, especially by the moving horse. They had no idea what was coming next; a scene of tears was about to unfold.
The herders in Xilingol League who received the notification were very enthusiastic and expressed their desire to take these "children of the nation" home and treat them as children of the grasslands.
Some herders traveled hundreds of miles, while others prepared supplies for the new member at home well in advance, and even learned Mandarin in advance so that they could communicate with him.
The criteria for this adoption were extremely strict. The local government, public security bureau, and women's federation jointly set standards, requiring that only families with dairy cows meet the adoption requirements.
The little ones have no idea that this journey between the north and south is a new path to survival that countless people have worked tirelessly to provide for them.
Once the adoption criteria are met, the process usually goes smoothly. After both parties meet and fill out basic information, the child is taken away by the new parents.
Some of the more timid children, upon seeing their unusually tall and imposing new fathers, immediately burst into tears, their little bodies constantly retreating.
The father, who looked like a small mountain in front of him, would scratch his head sheepishly. He would always be ready to coax the children by pulling out a piece of candy or a small toy from his pocket.
Seeing how dedicated these parents were, Chen Ping and the other childcare workers felt more confident.
Watching the familiar little figures leave one by one.
Chen Ping's mother and Liang Ying's mother couldn't help but shed tears. As the line dwindled, it was soon time for Hua Hua and Xiao Ming.
"Huahua, this is your new dad."
As Liang Ying's mother finished speaking, Hua Hua suddenly felt darkness in front of her.
She tilted her head up and realized she couldn't see him at all.
So she continued to lean back until her two little feet were sticking up.
Oh, she's going to fall.
Suddenly, a dark figure lunged at her.
Hua Hua's eyes widened as she stared at the person in front of her.
A person with a big face, a big nose, long hair, and dark skin.
Right now, I'm in his arms!
Even Chen Ping, the adult beside her, couldn't help but swallow hard; this herdsman was quite robust.
I met them here, and they weren't afraid; if I had met them outside, I would have been shocked just by looking at their build and size.
Hua Hua and he stared at each other, neither of them saying a word.
Xiao Ming, who was standing next to him, had already started crying when the adult appeared. Now, seeing his best friend being grabbed by him, he cried even harder, with tears and snot streaming down his face.
"Waaaaah, Flower!"
"Waaaaah, you've been kidnapped by bad guys."
The silence was thus broken.
Bart held the baby stiffly, his dark face slightly flushed.
He was delighted to see the fair-skinned and pretty little girl in his arms.
He's going to have a daughter, a girl from the South.
With that thought in mind, he carefully took the candy out of his pocket.
"Here you go, little girl!"
Hua Hua was surprised; she could understand what he was saying!
Her previously tense face relaxed, making her look even more delicate and lovely.
The new father, Bart, smiled broadly, wanting to pat her head, but remembering his wife's instructions, he didn't dare to.
He simply brought the candy closer. Sure enough, the little guy was attracted by what he was holding, his little hand gently touching his big palm, and he took the candy.
The comrade in charge of registration next to her raised an eyebrow and looked at the young girl, seeing how calm she was.
“Bart, your daughter is such a brave child, just like you.”
Bart laughed heartily, his cheerful laughter making Hua Hua tremble as well.
"Okay, hurry up and register, there are still people behind you."
Bart nodded, took the pen, and wrote down the address.
He then said "See you later!" to the person registering him, and carried her out.
Xiao Ming panicked and started yelling "Flower, flower, flower!"
Liang Ying rushed to hug him, "Hua Hua has a new family, and Xiao Ming, you'll have a new family too. Don't cry!"
Xiao Ming didn't quite understand. Didn't they say they were going to be together?
"Flowers, flowers!"
Hua Hua heard this, leaned on Xiao Shan's shoulder, and turned around.
He nodded and waved to Xiaoming.
He also said, "See you later!"
When Xiaoming heard this, he thought she was making a promise to say goodbye, and he gradually stopped crying.
Upon hearing this, Bart raised his eyebrows, eagerly anticipating the arrival of his youngest daughter.
Then, as if holding a newborn lamb, he wrapped her in his coat.
Stepping out of the courtyard, the streets outside were incredibly lively.
Hua Hua looked around curiously, following Bart's gaze.
After walking for a while, Bart stopped in front of the group.
Out of curiosity, she went to look and discovered that there were people she had never seen before.
A woman and a boy, wrapped in thick blankets, waved to her.
The woman, Urna, exclaimed with delight, "Bart, this is our child, a beautiful little girl!"
Bat was very pleased with himself and recounted what had just happened in Mongolian.
The scene of her calm and courage is especially unbelievable to him now.
He saw many children crying in front of her, but she didn't!
These must be their children, the children of the grasslands.
After listening to his father's words, the little boy looked at her with bright eyes.
"I am Hada, your brother!"
The hada was waiting to call her brother, but she didn't respond.
He frowned and repeated it.
Seeing that she was still in a daze, Hada said to her father with a bitter face.
"Father, what's wrong with my sister?"
Bat and Urna laughed at each other, "Hahaha, little sister can't understand your Mongolian."
Hada then realized what he meant and remembered what his father had taught him, "I, brother... brother!"
Hua Hua was curious and tilted her head to look.
A note from the author:
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The new novel, "A Family on the Grassland," has officially started! The main theme is a lighthearted slice-of-life story; the female lead has a career storyline, and many friends join the organization, embarking on a fantastic adventure!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
