Back in the village, Da Han drove his tractor all the way to the foot of the mountain with Xing Zhaozhao.
Xing Zhaozhao got out of the car and stuffed the red envelope she had prepared into Da Han's hand: "Thank you, Uncle Da Han, for spending so much time with us."
Da Han still refused to accept it: "How can this be? We're from the same village, helping each other is only natural. You're being too formal, Mingcheng's wife."
Xing Zhaozhao insisted, "It's what I should give you. After all, you've been gone for so long, wasting so much of your time and preventing you from earning work points. Besides, the tractor is public property. I borrowed it and used it for so long, so it's only right that I get some compensation for the fuel costs. Otherwise, the villagers might gossip, and I'd never dare to ask Uncle Dahan for help again."
Since Xing Zhaozhao had already said so, Da Han reluctantly accepted it. Later, they actually encountered someone who used this as an excuse to gossip, but Da Han used the money Xing Zhaozhao gave him to shut the old man up. After that, whenever anyone in their family wanted to hitch a ride on the tractor, Da Han would keep an eye on them and ask for the fare. He usually seemed like a simpleton, but he was surprisingly quick-witted: "Your old man is very principled. He said he can't take advantage of public resources. What's wrong with asking for two yuan for gas?" When Xing Zhaozhao found out later, she even gave him two packs of cigarettes.
After seeing Da Han off, Xing Zhaozhao turned around and saw Gao Qingshan squatting down in front of Fu Lan, who had difficulty walking: "Come on, Xiao Lan, I'll carry you up."
Fu Lan hesitated for a moment, then obediently climbed onto Gao Qingshan's back. After this incident, she had already made up her mind and no longer had so many reservations.
Xing Zhaozhao was happy to see this happen, and without disturbing the young couple, she took the first step: "I'm leaving now. Anyway, you know the way, so take your time to come up."
When Xing Zhaozhao returned home, Aunt Hao was holding Xiao Hongling in the yard, watching Hongfei and Hongyu tease a small black puppy.
"Little Black, Little Black, come to me."
"Come to me, Little Black."
Hongfei and Hongyu were having so much fun trying to attract the puppy's attention that they didn't even notice Xing Zhaozhao had returned.
"Where did this dog come from?" Xing Zhaozhao asked in surprise.
Upon hearing Xing Zhaozhao's voice, everyone in the courtyard immediately turned to look at her.
"Zhaozhao? You're back?" Aunt Hao exclaimed with delight as she looked at Xing Zhaozhao.
Hongfei and Hongyu quickly abandoned the puppies and rushed into Xing Zhaozhao's arms, calling out, "Mommy!"
Xing Zhaozhao responded with an "Ah," picked up one puppy in each arm, glanced at the little dog whose clear eyes were filled with confusion because it had been suddenly abandoned, and asked with a smile, "Where did this puppy come from?"
“My brother from my mother’s side sent them over,” Aunt Hao said. “My family’s dog, which we’ve raised for several years, just gave birth recently. Xiao Qiangzi has been wanting to raise one, so yesterday my brother from my mother’s side sent over two of them for him to choose from. In the end, Hongfei and Hongyu took a liking to the other one. If you don’t want to raise it, I’ll have Jianguo take it back.”
“Mom…” Hongfei and Hongyu both looked at Xing Zhaozhao expectantly.
Xing Zhaozhao met Hongfei and Hongyu's expectant eyes, then looked at the obedient little dog sitting there, seemingly oblivious to its future: "If you want to raise it, then raise it." They can afford to raise a dog.
Hongfei and Hongyu couldn't help but cheer and quickly ran off to play with the puppy.
"Why are you only coming back today? I thought you would have been back yesterday. Did something happen in Qingxi Town?" Aunt Hao asked Xing Zhaozhao.
"Something happened." Xing Zhaozhao said, then met the eyes of Xiao Hongling in Aunt Hao's arms, smiled and opened her arms to her, saying, "Xiao Hongling, Mommy is back, come and give me a hug."
Little Hongling pouted, glared at her angrily, snorted, and quickly turned her head away, ignoring her.
Remembering her similar experience last time, Xing Zhaozhao decided to repeat the trick. She looked at Xiao Hongling pitifully, turned around and left: "Xiao Hongling, don't you want your mother anymore? Then your mother is leaving."
I thought the little one would cry and rush over like last time, but this time she ignored me completely, instead patting Aunt Hao and pointing into the house: "Ah ah."
Aunt Hao was a little confused: "Shall we go inside?"
Little Hongling couldn't speak yet, so she stubbornly pointed into the house and said, "Ah ah."
Aunt Hao complied with her wishes and went inside.
Xing Zhaozhao, unaware of what the little guy was up to this time, curiously followed him.
"Ah ah." Once inside the house, Xiao Hongling pointed to the inner room.
Aunt Hao continued to carry her inside.
"Ah ah." Little Hongling pointed to the kang (a heated brick bed).
Aunt Hao then put her on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Little Hongling crawled to the neatly folded quilt, shoved her little head inside, and stuck her bottom out.
Aunt Hao: "..."
Xing Zhaozhao: "..."
Xing Zhaozhao pondered for a moment, then looked at Aunt Hao: "Does this mean she... doesn't want to talk to me?"
Aunt Hao hesitated for a moment: "Probably...yes."
Unexpectedly, the little girl had such a temper, but she was indeed in the wrong first. Xing Zhaozhao thought for a moment, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), gently tugged at her little clothes, and apologized to her in a low voice: "I'm sorry, it's Mommy's fault. Mommy shouldn't have left without telling Xiao Hongling and came back so late. Mommy promises that it won't happen again. Please don't be angry with Mommy anymore, okay?"
Little Hongling pulled her head back from under the covers, plopped down, pointed at Xing Zhaozhao with her chubby little finger, and made "ah ah ah" noises.
Xing Zhaozhao didn't know what she was talking about. Looking at her puffed-up little face, she guessed that she was probably, possibly, or perhaps... teaching her a lesson?
Whatever it was, she just bowed her head and admitted her mistake.
After the little girl finished saying "Ah ah," her little mouth twitched, and she threw herself into Xing Zhaozhao's arms, sobbing aggrievedly. It took Xing Zhaozhao a while to comfort her.
Xing Zhaozhao also breathed a long sigh of relief. This matter was over. However, the little girl is becoming more and more sensible as she grows up. She can't be fooled so easily in the future.
At this moment, Gao Qingshan, carrying Fu Lan on his back, slowly arrived.
Aunt Hao was startled when she saw Fu Lan's appearance: "What's wrong with you?"
Xing Zhaozhao told Aunt Hao what had happened.
Aunt Hao didn't dare to breathe loudly as she listened, nervously grabbing Xing Zhaozhao's hand and saying, "Luckily you chased after her, otherwise..." She really couldn't imagine the consequences.
"Just stay here and don't worry about anything else," she comforted Fu Lan.
"Mm." Fu Lan nodded.
Because Fu Lan was going to stay at home for a while, Xing Zhaozhao had the two boys clear out the house.
Fu Lan felt embarrassed: "No need to go to so much trouble, Sister Xing, I'll just squeeze in with you."
Xing Zhaozhao laughed and said, "How can that be? You are a guest. Besides, look how much my two boys would love to have you here."
Hongfei and Hongyu, already clutching their pillows and blankets, cheered and ran to the next room: "Great! We can sleep with Mom and my sister now!"
Fu Lan then stopped saying anything.
The next day, as dawn broke, Xing Zhaozhao woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. This life's Fu Lan had been saved, but the Fu Lan from the previous life hadn't returned home yet.
She took out her phone, which had been locked in the cabinet, and with the map Ling Xiao had drawn for her, went to the door.
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