Chapter 116 Going Home
“Okay, let’s go back together.” Huo Zheng and Qin Lie agreed in unison.
With a clap of their hands, the matter was settled.
Before we knew it, the twelfth lunar month arrived. Every household began to dry cured meat and cut paper-cuts for windows. Even the air was filled with the sweet aroma of candied melon, and the festive atmosphere grew stronger day by day.
Early on the morning of Laba Festival, Lu Mingyue set up a small pot to cook Laba porridge.
Red beans, mung beans, glutinous rice, and red dates are slowly simmered in a pot, releasing a thick, sweet aroma.
She only cooked a small half pot and pickled a small jar of Laba garlic.
After all, we'll be returning to the capital in a few days, and too much stuff will spoil easily, so it's better to make just a small amount, enough for the whole family to enjoy.
At breakfast, Leilei held a bowl of warm Laba porridge and slurped it down with relish.
Yao Yao stared curiously at the greenish garlic cloves in the jar: "Mommy, when can we eat this garlic?"
Lu Mingyue smiled and put a red date into her bowl: "By the time the garlic turns green, we might be back in our hometown in Beijing. It will taste even better with dumplings then."
As Huo Zheng drank his porridge, he remembered the train tickets he had just finalized with Qin Lie and added, "We'll pack our bags the day after tomorrow and try to get home before the Lunar New Year."
After the Laba Festival, Lu Mingyue took out the large bundle at home and began packing her luggage.
On the last night before departure, Huo Zheng carefully packed the dried wild rabbit and pheasant, and also put the dried shrimp and scallops that Lu Mingyue had divided into portions into a net bag.
They traveled light this time, sending all the things they wanted to bring for their families in advance, so the packages would arrive around the same time they arrived at their destination.
The chickens at home were given to Wang Fengmei; they wouldn't be going back home for the Chinese New Year this year.
"Thank you for your help, sister-in-law. This is some dry feed for the chickens."
Wang Fengmei glared at her and pushed the things back, saying, "Do I really need this little bit of dry food from you? Aren't you trying to embarrass me? Take it back now."
Lu Mingyue smiled and said, "Then I can't let you waste your things. I'll leave them here, remember to take them back."
After saying that, she put the things down and ran away, and Wang Fengmei called after her but couldn't stop her.
After arriving home, the two children circled around the cloth bag. Leilei asked curiously, "Mom, are we going to ride in the car with Mingming the day after tomorrow?"
Lu Mingyue ruffled his hair: "Yes, we'll meet at the station and go back to Beijing together for the New Year."
On the day of departure, Huo Zheng and Qin Lie no longer carried the heavy packages of local specialties, but only carried a few small bundles containing changes of clothes and personal belongings.
"This is much easier; I don't have to carry all that stuff around and get so tired."
Lu Mingyue held Yao Yao's hand and walked briskly towards the station. Yao Yao was still clutching the candy, carefully putting it in her pocket, saying that she wanted to give it to her grandmother to try.
Huo Zheng followed beside her, carrying cotton shoes for his godmother, and said with a smile, "Yes, let's go see our godmother first, then go to Beijing. We can pick up the package directly there, saving us the trouble of traveling."
Lu Mingyue packed her homemade Laba porridge in a bottle and brought it with her, along with various kinds of meat sauce and dried meat she had made.
Before setting off, Lu Mingyue specially found two glass bottles and carefully divided the thick Laba porridge into portions.
He then stuffed the meat sauce and jerky, which were wrapped in layers of oiled paper, into his personal bag.
The meat sauce is made by slow-cooking pork belly, resulting in a savory and rich flavor. The pork jerky is roasted until firm and chewy, making them both convenient snacks for the road.
She prepared a large quantity and gave two bottles to Xia Xiaofang as soon as she got on the bus.
Lu Mingyue walked over with a smile, took out two bottles from her bundle and handed them over, "These are the meat sauce and pickled garlic I made. Take them with you on the road to eat with your child's meals."
Xia Xiaofang was taken aback for a moment, then quickly took out a steamer of still-warm meat buns from the cloth bag in her arms: "I was just about to bring you some buns. They were just steamed before I left this morning. Your kids will definitely love them."
The three children huddled together. Yao Yao took the meat bun Xia Xiaofang handed her, took a bite, and her eyes lit up: "Mommy, this bun smells so good!"
Mingming also unscrewed the meat sauce jar, dipped some in with his chopsticks and tasted it, and mumbled, "Mom, this sauce tastes better than the one at home!"
After the train started moving, it was time for lunch. Lu Mingyue took out a golden-brown flatbread from her bundle and opened the lid of the meat sauce jar. The aroma instantly filled the small space between the seats.
She scooped a spoonful of meat sauce with a clean spoon, spread it on the flatbread, and gave it to Leilei and Yaoyao: "Eat quickly, it tastes better with the meat sauce."
Huo Zheng also took a piece, took a bite, and the soft bread mixed with the oily aroma of meat sauce filled his mouth with a homely taste.
Worried that the children would get bored eating only pancakes, Lu Mingyue also went to the food truck and bought two servings of stir-fried vegetables. The bright green vegetables coated in sauce were just right to cut through the richness.
The children devoured their food, saying it tasted even better than the boxed meals on the train. The journey in the carriage slipped away quietly amidst the enticing aromas.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Nanshi Railway Station. As soon as the train came to a stop, Huo Zheng picked up his small bag, and Lu Mingyue followed behind with the child in her hand.
Qin Lie and his family also got up to see him off. Standing at the door of the carriage, Qin Lie patted Huo Zheng on the shoulder: "Let's get together again when we get to Beijing, and have a good drink then!"
Lu Mingyue also said goodbye to Xia Xiaofang, giving her the leftover pork jerky from her own home: "Take it as a snack for the children on the way."
The two families waved goodbye on the platform. Watching Qin Lie's family's figures gradually disappear with the train, Huo Zheng turned to his wife and children and smiled: "Come on, let's go see godmother."
Huo Zheng led the child and followed Lu Mingyue toward her godmother Ren Huifang's house.
The train station is some distance from the compound where Ren Huifang lives, but there is no shortage of people waiting for passengers near the train station.
Huo Zheng found a man driving a cart. The man was clearly an experienced driver and kept calling him "brother," acting like a close family member.
Soon they arrived at familiar territory. At the gate of the compound, after the man left, Lu Mingyue and Huo Zheng showed their identification.
Lu Mingyue had stayed here before, and there was her registration information. In addition, Huo Zheng was wearing a suit. After verifying that everything was correct, the soldiers let the family in.
The military compound where Ren Huifang lived was clean and tidy, with a red brick wall surrounding the courtyard. There was also a familiar sentry post at the gate, which made Leilei and Yaoyao feel very close to her.
"Godmother!" Lu Mingyue called out first.
Ren Huifang looked up abruptly and saw a family standing at the door. The vegetable basket in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud." She quickly walked over and grabbed Lu Mingyue's hand.
She patted Leilei and Yaoyao's heads again, her eyes instantly reddening: "Why did you come? Why didn't you tell me beforehand!"
"I wanted to give you a surprise." Lu Mingyue smiled and handed over the bundle containing Laba garlic and meat sauce.
Ren Huifang then realized what was happening and pulled them into the yard, calling out to the house as they went, "Old Zhang, come out quickly! Mingyue and the others are here!"
Zhang Chengliang was also delighted to see Lu Mingyue's family and affectionately patted the two children's heads.
After shouting, Ren Huifang turned around and called her son and daughter to come back.
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