At 4:30 in the morning of July 16, when the sky was just getting light, Lin Yi got off the train with simple luggage and followed the crowd to the outside of the station.
This is a county-level railway station. About a dozen trains make a brief stop here every day. Outside the station, there are vendors selling steamed buns on shoulder poles. Lin Yi also followed the local customs and found a clean-looking older sister to buy a few hot steamed buns, intending to keep them for breakfast on the road.
It is quite a distance from the train station to Qiujiadian Village, mainly because there are too few public transportation these days. Only relatively developed towns have one or two buses running at regular times every day. Most short-distance trips still rely on walking.
Lin Yi didn't think too much about it. He had a bicycle in his space. He would just find a deserted place to take it out later. A distance of fifty miles (25 kilometers) would only take more than two hours to ride. He had enough energy.
However, he still overestimated the road conditions in those days, especially in northern Shaanxi, which was dry and water-scarce. The bumpy dirt roads were already difficult to travel on, and he didn't expect that it had rained heavily the day before. Riding a bicycle on this muddy road was like riding a roller coaster, not to mention how painful it was.
His little girl should have been born four days ago today. A mother needs nutrition during the confinement period. He has milk powder, fine grains, brown sugar and milk candy in his space, but it is not enough. Lin Yi set his eyes on the old hens in the homes of fellow villagers along the way.
The owner was unwilling to sell the old hens and was not willing to pay more. After much persuasion, I finally bought 8 old hens and 6 roosters.
The villagers helped him bundle up the chicken feet, put them into a sack, and tied it to the rear frame. The rest of the road was bustling with activity. The chicken feet were tied up, but their mouths were not blocked. The crowing of the chickens rose and fell, forming a harmonious melody with the ups and downs of the road.
Along the way, Lin Yi thought a lot about what to say so that he would avoid being beaten when he got home. Although he didn't have an elder brother-in-law or a younger brother-in-law, he had two brothers-in-law. In his original memory, these two brothers-in-law were typical men from northern Shaanxi: rough, loyal and righteous, and they could drink as much as they could eat. Most importantly, they had strong fists.
Lin Yi felt that he couldn't escape a beating, but how could he make the beating less severe? He should be able to do some planning in advance.
At the entrance of Qiujiadian Village, Lin Yi packed all the cigarettes, alcohol, tea, sugar, milk powder and cloth in the space into a snakeskin bag, found a wooden stick and inserted it into the back rack, tied it to the bag containing the chicken on each side, then looked around, his eyes rolled, and an idea came to his mind.
There is a big willow tree outside Qiujiadian Village. There are several large and smooth stones under the tree. On weekdays, the old ladies in the village like to chat here. Today it is still early and the ground is muddy, so no one has come here yet.
Lin Yi turned the handlebars and rushed towards one of the rocks.
As expected, the bike tilted and fell over. He and the two snakeskin bags on the back fell into the mud pit. The handlebars of the bicycle were tilted and the chain fell off. Hey, why didn't he feel any pain?
Enduring the dirty mud on his clothes and arms, he hardened his heart, scooped up a handful of mud and smeared it on his face, then picked up his bicycle and walked towards the village. After walking a few meters, he still felt uncomfortable and started to pretend to limp, taking one step higher than the other.
When he arrived outside the gate of the Qiu family, he kept saying "ouch, ouch".
This guy is so shameless.
But he cried out for a long time and no one came out from the Qiu family, so he had no choice but to park the car and go forward to knock on the door.
Soon, Qiu Sanmei's mother's voice came from the yard: "Here I come."
When Old Lady Qiu opened the door and saw the man, she frowned: It's unlucky to be begging so early in the morning.
Looking closer, why does this sloppy beggar look a little familiar?
Beggar Lin showed a flattering smile, stretched out his muddy hand and shook it at Old Lady Qiu: "Mom, it's me, Xiao Jiang."
Old Lady Qiu was so frightened that she could have stuffed an egg into her mouth. After a while, she finally realized, "Oh my god, my third uncle is back."
After saying that, he led Lin Yi into the yard, and while doing so, he shouted into the cave: "Her father, Xiao Jiang is back."
Looking at their affectionate attitude, it's as if they're unaware of the previous owner's past misdeeds. Is he just too angry? Should he be forced to close the door and show him some real power?
Lin Yi felt a little scared: points are really hard to earn these days. Boys must protect themselves when traveling in another world, because anything can happen.
The father-in-law in the cave also heard the noise, opened the door curtain and came out, also with a smile on his face: "My son-in-law is back. I thought it would be in the next two days. Is it summer vacation?"
Lin Yi was even more confused. Could it be that Qiu Sanmei didn't tell everyone about their divorce?
He quickly adjusted his expression and smiled widely, "Yes, Dad. I rushed back as soon as the holiday started. Are you and Mom all right? How's my third sister?"
Father Qiu smiled and nodded. "All right, all right. How did you get all covered in mud? Go wash up quickly. Then come inside to see your little girl. She was just born the day before yesterday. She looks like your third sister, so pretty."
Lin Yi smiled in surprise at the right moment and quickly went to scoop water from the water tank under the eaves. Glancing at his mother-in-law about to close the door, he hurriedly said, "Mom, my bike is still parked outside. Don't lock the door yet."
Old Lady Qiu went out again to push the cart: "Where did you ride this back from? What's in this bag? How come it's still alive?"
Lin Yi washed his head and face carefully, even taking off his short-sleeved shirt and rinsing it in the basin. "I borrowed the bicycle. The bag on it contains a dozen chickens. I bought them on the way. They're for my third sister to eat during her confinement. The other bag is a gift my dad asked me to bring for everyone."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Qiu's smile widened. "You are so kind, my dear. You still miss me so much after coming all the way here. Please take good care of your father when you return."
Lin Yi also smiled: "Okay, Mom, then I'll go inside and take a look at my third sister first."
Old Lady Qiu smiled knowingly and waved her hand: "Go ahead, go ahead. It's still in your room."
Mother Qiu asked Father Qiu to put the roosters and hens that were shaken to pieces in the sacks into the chicken coop. In order to take care of her daughter during her confinement, she had already raised more than a dozen hens in advance. Together with the ones Xiao Jiang brought today, one hens a day would be enough for her daughter to eat during her confinement.
In the past six months, her son-in-law has gone out to school, and her daughter has been depressed and unhappy every day. She is also very anxious. This time she has to have a good talk with her son-in-law to see if he can take her third sister with him when he leaves. The old couple still have some savings, and it would be better to rent a house near the school for the young couple than to live apart.
?
Lin Yi pushed open the familiar door with heavy steps. The light inside the cave was dim. Qiu Sanmei was sleeping soundly on the kang. Next to her was a little baby, who must be Jiang Qiuying, the daughter of Jiang Bieming and Qiu Sanmei.
He tiptoed closer and first glanced at Jiang Qiuying, the target of this world's mission. She was still a small and soft ball, and there was no difference between her and other babies.
Lin Yi felt that her stunning beauty in the future might have been half due to the magic of makeup.
Thinking of this, he chuckled, tilted his head, and met Qiu Sanmei's pair of confused eyes.
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