Chapter 9 Chapter 9
There weren't many entertainment venues in the village, save for a few mahjong parlors. By then, every household had turned off their lights. As Bai He drove through the village, only the barking of dogs could be heard.
Bai He's home was at the end of the village. When he arrived and opened the car door, Hei Dou couldn't wait to get out of the car.
His house is a two-story self-built house surrounded by a thick concrete wall and a large iron gate in the middle, like countless ordinary rural courtyards.
Bai He fished out his house key from his backpack. The front door had a large, old-fashioned lock, made of heavy iron. It was both difficult to open and lock. It had been a source of great worry for Bai He. But what troubled him as a child was a piece of cake for an adult. So, countless children dream of becoming adults!
Rural areas are vast, so every household has a generously sized house. For example, within the walls of Baihe's home lies a 400-500 square meter cement slab, perfect for drying grain, playing, and exercising. There's a small vegetable garden to the side, and next to it a small pond with a rockery. Originally, Baihe's father used it to raise turtles and fish and water the vegetables, but now, neglected, the water has turned green.
The solar-powered lights in the yard faithfully glow every night, protecting the home even when the owner is away for extended periods. Returning to the place where he grew up, Bai He feels a sense of peace, his tense nerves relaxed.
I turned on the lights in the house. I found that it was a little dirty because no one had lived in it for several months. There was a thin layer of dust on the furniture and the floor.
It was already one o'clock in the morning, and he didn't plan to tidy up the house now. He simply cleaned his room and spread the mat in the sealed bag on the bed.
After a quick cleanup, Bai He looked at Hei Dou, who had been following him around, and felt a little sorry. Hei Dou had been cooped up in the car all day, and while his eyes were still bright and energetic, Bai He, as his owner, felt sorry for him. Hei Dou was very sensible, and because the car was long, he didn't dare to eat more than the water or food he had.
Bai He took its nest out of the space, and then placed a full basin of water and a bowl of dog food in front of it.
"We're home, don't worry and eat." Bai He squatted down, touched its head, and looked straight into its bright black eyes.
Heidou licked his hand gently, and once he was sure he had reached a stable environment, he lowered his head and ate with big mouthfuls.
Some animals are actually very human-like. After years of living together, Heidou has become a close family member of Baihe.
Seeing the dog eating so happily, Bai He smiled. After taking good care of the dog, Bai He himself had no desire to eat. Sighing, Bai He opened a bottle of mineral water for himself, thinking about taking the medicine and going to sleep.
At this time, Heidou, who had his head buried in the food bowl, stood up his ears and suddenly barked a few times towards the outside.
Then there was a burst of barking of dogs and a sharp scratching sound at the door from outside.
Bai He hurried out upon hearing this. He reached the iron gate and opened a small window above it. Through the blurry rubber layer, he saw two excited yellow dogs outside.
Bai He quickly pushed the iron door open, and as soon as the gap was opened, the two dogs excitedly jumped on him and licked him enthusiastically with their tongues.
The two dogs were young and strong, and Bai He couldn't control them even if he held one in each hand.
"Da Huang, Niuniu."
The scolding voice calmed the two excited dogs down a little.
Bai He saw the opportunity to escape from them and looked at the two people walking towards him with flashlights in surprise. Their hair was messy and they kept yawning. It was obvious that they had just rolled out of bed. "Uncle, aunt, why are you here so late?"
"Big Yellow Girl kept barking and running towards us. Aren't you afraid there might be thieves here? So I came over to take a look."
"I didn't expect you to come back, kid. You didn't even tell your family when you came back." Bai He's uncle Bai Changqing patted him on the shoulder. Although he said some words of reproach, the joy in his eyes was unfakingable.
"There's nothing to steal in my house. If a thief really comes, don't just come over here. It's very dangerous." Bai He put his arm around his uncle's shoulders.
In order to look after each other, the two families had built their houses very close together, just a few hundred meters apart, so they could hear any movement. But if a thief really came, he didn't want his uncle and the others to rush in all at once. They were far more important than these material possessions.
Judging from the reactions of his uncle and aunt, they must have taken care of his family a lot during the time he was away.
Bai He felt a warm feeling in his heart. "Thank you for taking care of my family during this period, uncle and aunt."
Hearing this, Bai Changqing, who was originally smiling, turned serious and said disapprovingly, "What's the hard work? It's just a one-look thing."
"That's right, we're all family, why be so polite! Have you had your tangyuan for dinner? Go to your aunt's house and she'll make it for you." Bai He's aunt was a thin-looking but very capable woman, good at both housework and other household tasks. She grabbed Bai He's arm and was about to take him home.
Bai He didn't feel comfortable bothering them so late at night. After several attempts to refuse, he lied, "I had a late-night snack in town on the way home. I'm not hungry now."
"Hey! We have fish and meat at home, and your aunt can cook whatever you want. Eating out costs at least tens of dollars." Aunt Chen Zhen had a loud voice, and her words sounded like an argument. But to Bai He, she was very close.
"Hehe." Bai He knew from long experience that when his elders scolded him, he just had to smile.
Sure enough, after a few words, my aunt-in-law automatically moved on to the next topic.
"Then let's go to my aunt's house for dinner tomorrow." It was not a negotiating tone but an affirmative one.
"Okay!" Bai He responded readily.
Only then did a smile appear on my aunt's thin face.
Uncle and aunt followed Bai He into the house while talking. When they entered the house and saw the situation inside, they frowned.
"You didn't even tell me you were coming back. We could have helped you clean up. This house hasn't been cleaned for months, how can anyone live in it?"
"I'm not afraid that grandma will worry!" Bai He smiled shyly, scratching his head.
The uncle beside him immediately showed a look of understanding. Bai He's grandmother was 72 years old and worried a lot. She would think a lot about the smallest things. If she knew that Bai He was driving back alone, she would probably not be able to sleep until he was home.
"Do you want to go to your uncle's house to rest tonight?"
Hearing this, Bai He naturally refused. No matter how good a place is, it is not as comfortable as your own doghouse.
My uncle and aunt didn't force it.
After chatting for a few more sentences, several people yawned. The aunt looked at her phone and said, "It's almost two o'clock. Tangyuan, you've been driving all day today, so take a good rest! I'll call you for breakfast tomorrow."
"OK."
After watching his uncle and his wife leave, Bai He locked the door and lay down on the bed. In rural areas with many trees, the heat subsided at night, so there was no need to turn on the air conditioner.
But... Bai He looked at the mosquito corpse in his hand with a blank expression.
There were many trees and mosquitoes, and they were particularly poisonous. In just a short while, Bai He's arms and legs were bitten by several red bumps the size of fingernails.
Bai He sighed. The buzzing in his ears was truly annoying. If he remembered correctly, there was a box of mosquito coils at home. He reluctantly rose from the bed, the bright white light piercing his eyes, making him feel nauseous and dizzy. The world spun around before his eyes, then quickly returned to normal. Bai He breathed a sigh of relief, dug out a mosquito coil from the living room cabinet, and lit it. Soon, the world was beautiful again.
From time to time, the sound of frogs croaking could be heard outside the window, which was a good lullaby. Baihe had a good sleep at home. Although he was awake for a while, he fell asleep again soon.
It was already nine o'clock when his aunt woke him up at the top of her voice.
When I opened the door, my aunt was standing in front of it, looking very energetic. There were also villagers passing by outside the door, looking in curiously.
Bai He felt a little awkward. In the countryside, if you weren't up by nine o'clock, you'd be laughed at.
"It's okay. You drove all day yesterday. It's normal that you can't get up in the morning."
Seeing Bai He's confused eyes and the tuft of silly hair standing on his head, the aunt grinned.
"Come to your aunt's house after you wash up, eat, and then go to bed."
Bai He nodded, and her aunt left in a hurry.
Boys didn't have to be so particular about washing; they simply washed their faces with a couple of scoops of water from the tap. The water, pumped from the well, was icy cool, and after washing, they felt refreshed. Baihe didn't care about the water droplets on his face. Heidou and the specialty health supplements he had bought were all he needed as he headed for his uncle's house.
Bai He's grandparents had two children: Bai He's father, Bai Tiancheng, and Bai Changqing. In an era when families often had six or seven children, theirs was considered small. However, the brothers had a close relationship, working together and prospering. His uncle and aunt always treated him like their own son, ensuring he had a share of everything his cousins had. When his parents were away from home for work, he grew up in his uncle's home, and it's no exaggeration to say that his uncle's home was his second home.
As soon as he arrived at his uncle's house, the two dogs, Da Huang and Niuniu, came to greet him excitedly and circled around his feet.
Grandma Bai, who was about to feed the chickens with a basin in her hand, saw him and her eyes lit up. Grandma Bai was seventy-one years old, but she was in excellent health, able to carry water, plant vegetables, and farm. She took two steps at a time and grabbed Bai He's hand.
"Tangyuan is up. Come and eat."
Holding Bai He's hand, the old lady couldn't help nagging, "You said you were coming back but you didn't even tell your family. If you were driving alone and something happened on the road, we wouldn't know..."
Before she could finish, she was interrupted by an impatient voice. "Hey! What are you talking about, old woman? Bah, bah, bah, old woman, don't blame me, God."
The person who spoke was Bai He's grandfather, Bai Huaichun. Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai were of the same age. Although most of their hair was white, their complexions were rosy and they were more energetic than young people. They did carpentry, farmed and grew vegetables, and raised livestock. They were never idle for a moment.
"Bai Hedu is such a big man, he can't drive alone and he doesn't know how to rest, but you are the one worrying about it."
Grandpa Bai gave Grandma Bai a sidelong look, but Grandma Bai didn't care, smiling happily with her toothless mouth bent. This was how the old couple had lived their lives, bickering and tolerating each other.
The author has something to say:
Happy New Year everyone, you will definitely get what you want in the new year
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