Han Chen and his group arrived in the provincial capital of Nanhu Province at around 4 pm on the 17th day of the first lunar month. After arriving, Han Chen took a few people to a state-owned restaurant for dinner, and then went to a guesthouse near the bus station. After arranging Feng Ru and several children, he left Lin Jianye's guards at the guesthouse to watch over Feng Ru and the others.
Han Chen went to the bus station to buy a bus ticket, and then went to the post office to call the brigade headquarters. After Liu's father answered the phone, he knew that they would arrive in the county town around 1 pm tomorrow. He immediately told Han Chen that he and Mingwu would come to pick them up in a tractor tomorrow.
The next morning, Han Chen took the others to the bus station and had breakfast there. Lin Jianye's guard escorted Feng Ru and the three children to the bus, stowed their belongings, and said goodbye to the driver. Lin Jianye's guard then said goodbye to Feng Ru and Han Chen, as he would soon be taking the train back to Beijing.
In the car, Han Chen took care of the two brothers Xiaojin and Xiaoren; Lele was taken care of by Feng Ru, but Lele was not as easy to take care of today as he was in the previous two days. He started crying as soon as he got in the car.
Feng Ru fed her with a bottle she bought at the Friendship Store. No matter what, Lele didn't cry and started to have diarrhea. Han Chen and Feng Ru were very worried when they found out. Fortunately, the people in the car were relatively friendly and didn't mind Lele disturbing them.
An aunt even took Lele in specially. After knowing Lele's condition, she held her and rubbed her belly. After rubbing for more than ten minutes, Lele stopped crying, but just whimpered, still a little uncomfortable. Han Chen quickly heated the bottle with warm water. Lele drank half a bottle of milk and then fell asleep whimpered.
The aunt got off the bus halfway. Han Chen and Feng Ru were very grateful to her. When she got off the bus, Han Chen specially gave her a box of snacks from Jing City.
Han Chen and his friends arrived at the county bus station at just one in the afternoon. Han Chen and Feng Ru planned to wait until everyone else got off the bus before they took their children off, and asked the ticket seller for help.
But before Han Chen could tell the conductor, Liu's father got on the bus. Han Chen saw Liu's father and said in surprise: "Dad, when did you and Mingwu get here? Have you been waiting for a long time?"
"It didn't take long. Mingwu and I had just arrived when the car came. Where is the thing? Let's go down first and talk about it. Mingwu is watching the tractor downstairs!" Liu's father replied.
With Liu's father helping them, Han Chen and Feng Ru had an easier time. Liu's father carried a large rattan box in one hand and two cloth bags on his shoulders. Han Chen carried a rattan box in one hand and a large hemp bag on his shoulder with the other. Feng Ru held Lele in her arms, while the Lin Jin brothers carried their own small school bags.
After getting off the car, Liu's father led the way in front. Liu's father took Han Chen and others and walked more than ten meters to the tractor parking place. As soon as Mingwu saw Liu's father and others, he jumped off the tractor to help carry things and put the luggage behind the tractor.
After putting the luggage away, Father Liu first carried the two children, Lin Jin and Lin Ren, onto the tractor. Lin Jin and Lin Ren had been riding in the car for several days and nights, and both children were listless. When they got off the car and met unfamiliar people, they were very reserved. When they got on the tractor, they sat obediently on the place where Father Liu had laid straw in advance.
Immediately afterwards, Han Chen and Feng Ru also climbed onto the back of the tractor. Seeing that they were all on the tractor, Liu's father went to the co-pilot seat in the front of the tractor and took a cloth bag, then he also climbed onto the back of the tractor and sat down at the outermost position.
After Father Liu sat down, he took out an oil-paper bag from his cloth bag, handed it to Han Chen, and said, "Xiaochen, these are the meat buns I just bought at the state-owned restaurant. Share them with your sister-in-law and two nephews to fill their stomachs!"
After Father Liu finished speaking, he took out two military water bottles from his cloth bag and said, "This is the boiled water I brought from home. It's still warm, perfect to drink now!"
Father Liu handed one of the kettles to the two children and placed the other next to Han Chen. Seeing Feng Ru still holding the child, he said, "Sister-in-law Xiaochen, welcome to our construction. Eat something hot first to fill your stomach. I'll hold the child for you!"
Father Liu spoke with a thick southern accent. Feng Ru didn't hear clearly at first and looked at Han Chen for help. Han Chen had just been in the countryside for a while and was confused when he heard the Liujia Village dialect. But now, Han Chen not only understood it, but could even speak a few words of it.
Han Chen looked at Feng Ru's confused expression and repeated Liu's father's words in Mandarin. Only then did Feng Ru understand what Liu's father meant. Han Chen also told Feng Ru that Liu's father could understand Mandarin.
Because he often listens to the radio, he can understand Mandarin. However, as his father is older, learning Mandarin is difficult, and he has a lot of things to do in the village, so he doesn't have much time to learn Mandarin. Therefore, his father still can't speak Mandarin. He can only say a few simple Mandarin words, such as "good" and "yes".
After listening to Han Chen's explanation, Feng Ru handed the child to Father Liu and said in Mandarin, "Uncle, thank you for coming to pick us up today. The four of us will continue to trouble you for a while. My name is Feng Ru, you can just call me Xiao Feng!"
After introducing herself, Feng Ru pointed at the Lin Jin brothers and said, "These two boys are my eldest brother Xiaochen and my children. The older one is Lin Jin and the younger one is Lin Ren. Little Jin and Little Ren, call me grandpa!"
Lin Jin and Lin Ren obediently called Father Liu "Grandpa!" Father Liu nodded happily and praised with a smile: "Good children! You are all good children!"
Han Chen had already introduced Mingwu to Feng Ru, and Feng Ru then asked the Lin Jin brothers to call Mingwu uncle, and the two brothers did so. Mingwu didn't have anything with him, so he touched his head and said in Mandarin, "Wait until we get home, and uncle will get you some candy!"
When the Lin Jin brothers heard about candy, a hint of joy flashed in their eyes and they nodded obediently.
After the Lin Jin brothers finished calling everyone, Feng Ru continued to introduce: "Uncle, this little girl in your arms is the daughter of my third brother Lin Hongzhi. Her nickname is Lele, and she is only half a month old!"
Feng Ru saw Ming Wu looking at Lele with a puzzled expression. She knew he was confused about why such a young child was brought here. Feng Ru used the excuse her family had prepared in advance and explained in a low voice: "After Lele was born, an experienced elder said that Lele was born prematurely and would be better off growing up in the countryside!"
When Mingwu heard this, an expression of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face. It turned out that the little girl's fortune had been told after she was born, and she was told that she would grow up healthily only if she was raised in the countryside.
Although these things cannot be said openly now, people in the countryside still believe in them, whether it is naming their children, holding weddings, etc. So Mingwu was not surprised to hear Feng Ru say this. He just thought that the Lin family valued the baby in Liu's father's arms, otherwise they would have sent him here from afar to be raised, and let Feng Ru follow him, with so much luggage packed. What Mingwu didn't know was that except for Han Chen's sack, the rest of the luggage in the car was only half of the luggage Feng Ru packed at home. In ten days or so, three more large packages would be sent.
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