"That's fine! You're a distinguished guest, how can I let you bring that up?"
As he spoke, the man pushed the suitcase, and Huang Youquan went next door to pick up a bag of bedding and quilts that had been specially bought in town. The three of them walked towards the man's house together.
After walking a short distance and turning onto a dirt road, the suitcase could no longer be pushed. The man simply exerted force and carried the suitcase on his shoulders. He walked on the slightly rugged dirt road as if it were flat ground, and from time to time reminded Xu Jiyuan to pay attention to his feet.
Xu Jiyuan looked at the man's back silently and hummed softly.
Not long after, they arrived outside the man's house.
The man laughed and shouted, "Jingwaer, look who's coming!"
The little boy, who was having fun peeing and playing in the mud in the yard, looked up and saw Xu Jiyuan. His expression changed instantly and he ran into the house with his short legs. He hid behind the door, quietly stuck his head out and looked at him vigilantly.
The man put the suitcase under the eaves, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile, "The little kid is shy, Expert Xu, please don't mind."
Xu Jiyuan waved his hands quickly, "It's okay, it's okay."
As he was talking, a woman wearing an apron came out from the kitchen at one end of the house and greeted them somewhat stiffly, "Hello, village chief, hello, expert!"
Huang Youquan said with a smile: "Hongmei, I will leave the expert to you from now on! Don't let the expert get too thin!"
The woman wiped her hands with her apron and said with a smile, "Don't worry, village chief. Even if we starve to death, we will never let the expert lose even a pound of meat!"
Everyone laughed, and the woman said, "Okay, you guys go ahead and do your work. I'll go to the kitchen and cook!"
As soon as the woman left, the atmosphere suddenly fell into an awkward silence. Huang Youquan smiled and said, "Yuanfa, take Expert Xu to make the bed and put the things away. Then get some water to wash your hands and have a cup of tea!"
The man slapped his forehead and said, "That's right, that's right!"
After settling down, the three of them sat at a small table under the eaves, smoking and drinking tea.
They smoked the village chief's Hongtashan cigarettes and drank low-quality green tea that cost a few yuan a pack. Xu Jiyuan, who had made sufficient mental preparations, suddenly felt that these things did not seem so unacceptable.
The little boy was hiding behind his father, staring at Xiao Xu with curiosity and fear with his dark eyes.
Xu Jiyuan thought about it, got up and went into the house, took out a very beautiful gift box from the suitcase, walked out and handed it to the little boy, "This is for you."
The little boy looked at him, then looked at the beautiful box in his hand that he had never seen before, with undisguised love in his eyes.
Xu Jiyuan smiled slightly, "Take it if you like it! I'll give it to you."
Huang Youquan also chimed in: "This thing is so beautiful, if you don't want it, Grandpa will take it!"
The little boy looked at the box reluctantly, then looked at Xu Jiyuan, turned around and ran into the kitchen.
Xu Jiyuan stood there holding the box, silent and awkward.
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