"Brother Chen, it's that woman from the train!" Xiao Xuejun whispered. "Now your destiny has come together, hasn't it?"
Gu Chen was taken aback, his gaze returning to Lin Yuxi before shifting away.
Gu Zhixiang couldn't care less about Lin Yuxi's family at this moment and hurriedly went to greet them, "Xiao Chen, you're finally back!"
"Second Uncle," Gu Chen called out softly.
Xiao Xuejun didn't get on the bus because he lived in Xinluo Town. So after picking up Gu Chen, he rode his bicycle back home.
On the donkey cart.
There were exactly seven people. Gu Chen's luggage was just heavy, while Lin Yuxi had more luggage. The luggage was placed near the front of the donkey cart. Gu Chen was right next to her, and she subconsciously kept her distance.
“Our Qinghe Village is located at the foot of the mountain in Yongchang Production Brigade. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and has no water, so we don’t raise cattle or sheep.” Gu Zhixiang said while driving the cart. “This donkey is the only means of transportation in the village. You came relatively late, and all the houses in the village have been rented out. There is only one mud-brick house left, but it has not been lived in for a long time, so the environment may be a bit poor.”
Gu Chen sat in the car without saying a word, but his eyebrows twitched when he mentioned the adobe houses.
"Having a place to stay is good enough, why worry about poor conditions?" Grandpa Lin accepted it all with an open mind, not caring at all. "I wonder if this mud-brick house is available for rent? If so, how much is the rent?"
"You'll have to ask Xiao Chen about this. The house is his; let's see what he has to say," Gu Zhixiang said.
The topic then shifted to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen thought for a moment and said calmly, "No need to pay. The house is a bit dilapidated. If you move in, you'll have to spend money on repairs."
No need to pay?
Lin Yuxi's gaze lingered on Gu Chen for a moment before she looked away. The road to the countryside was uneven, and because they were in a hurry, the donkey cart was traveling very fast. It hit a stone, and everyone tilted their bodies. Lin's mother's hand, which was holding onto the wooden plank, slipped and she fell right onto Lin Yuxi.
Lin Yuxi wasn't much better off. She had already distanced herself from Gu Chen, but then her mother fell on her, causing her to lose her grip and almost fall off the wooden cart.
The man's broad, rough hands supported her shoulders. His warm palms felt like hot potatoes through the rough fabric. After steadying her, he withdrew his hands.
"Thank you." Lin Yuxi turned her head, her lips curving upwards.
Fortunately, the slope of the road wasn't too steep, and we finally arrived at Qinghe Village before dark.
In 1976, Qinghe Village had just been connected to electricity, but every household was reluctant to use lights, so they would go to bed as soon as it got dark, around six or seven o'clock.
Gu Zhixiang's house is a single-story house. In addition to the kitchen and living room, there are three small rooms. One is for him and his wife, one is for their child, and the other is for Gu Chen. But today, five people suddenly came to the house, so they will definitely have to squeeze in to sleep.
Aunt Gu had already steamed some white flour buns and some white porridge in the pot. Because Gu Chen was coming back, she also specially stir-fried a plate of toon and egg, stewed half a chicken, some shredded meat, and prepared some side dishes. Normally, this would be considered a luxury, since they usually only eat meat once a week. Today, there were many people coming, so she made more.
"You can stay here tonight, just make do for the night. Tomorrow, Xiao Chen will take you to the mud-brick houses." Gu Zhixiang made simple arrangements. "You must be hungry after traveling all day, right? Come and have something to eat first."
A small eight-person table was filled with dishes, just the right size for eight people to sit down.
After a simple meal, Lin's mother helped Aunt Gu wash the dishes, feeling embarrassed to have been eating and staying at someone else's house.
Lin Yuxi wasn't idle either; she helped clean the table while Grandpa Lin and her father discussed work arrangements with the village chief.
"Your household registration should be processed in a few days. I'll go and handle it for you and bring it back. Go to the mud-brick house tomorrow and see if there's anything else you need. You can take it from me first. You've just arrived and there are many things you'll need to spend money on. If you need to buy anything, you can give me a list, and I'll bring it back for you as well."
"Won't this cause you trouble? After all, it will also delay your work," Grandpa Lin said after a moment's hesitation.
"What's the big deal? Now that you're all here, you're all part of Qinghe Village from now on." Gu Zhixiang took a drag of his cigarette and laughed loudly. "Tomorrow, I'll have Xiao Chen install the power lines for you. Although it's a bit shabby over there, with some repairs, it can still provide shelter from the wind and rain."
That night, Lin Yuxi, her mother, and her grandmother shared one room; Aunt Gu and Gu Zhixiang and his wife shared another; and Gu Chen, Lin's father, and her grandfather shared yet another.
And so, the eight of them squeezed together and spent the night.
Before dawn, Lin Yuxi got out of bed, filled the water tank with some water, washed her face, and the fatigue from the two days of train travel was instantly swept away.
With a creak, the door behind her opened.
Lin Yuxi subconsciously took a step back, because the man's eight-pack abs were so nakedly displayed in front of her, it was incredibly impactful.
Unexpectedly, her foot slipped and she fell backward, about to do a backflip, when the man's rough, broad hands were already caressing her slender waist.
The man still had a piece of clothing he wore yesterday draped over his wrist; perhaps he had slept in it, because the clothing was all wrinkled.
Lin Yuxi had nowhere to look, so she finally raised her hand and pressed it against his muscular chest.
Why not touch it if you're going to miss out!
But as her gaze shifted downwards to check for any V-lines, Gu Chen's hands were already on her brows, his voice hoarse, "If you can stand firmly, then I'll let go."
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