The father cried when he heard this, never expecting that his daughter had almost lost her life.
He never dreamed that all of this was caused by his wife. If he knew, he probably wouldn't be able to live with his wife for even a day.
With tears in her eyes, she said, "Even so, why haven't you come back in the past four years? At least write a letter to your father."
Fang Lin cried and said, "Father, please don't ask any more questions. It's all my fault for being unfilial."
Fang Lin couldn't say anything at this point, and she couldn't explain herself. She hadn't come back for four years because she was afraid of her father asking her these questions.
Her father wiped away her tears and said through his own tears, "I won't ask anymore, it's good that you're back."
Fang Lin stood up and said, "Let's dig a bit more before going back."
The father said okay, stood up, and continued digging bamboo shoots with his daughter.
The father and daughter dug until the sun was setting, filling two bamboo baskets to the brim.
Her father helped her carry the bamboo basket on her back, and the two of them carried the basket down the mountain to go home.
When they got home, their stepmother had already prepared dinner—a lamb hot pot. She said, "You two, father and daughter, go wash your hands and eat!"
Fang Lin realized that he had done the right thing after seeing this. He should keep the past a secret forever and leave his father with a complete family.
The next day, after breakfast, Fang Lin said, "Dad, I know my train is at 9:30 this morning, I have to go."
Her father had no idea about the relationship between her and her stepmother. He asked, "Why did you leave in such a hurry? Couldn't you have stayed home with your father a few more days?"
Fang Lin lied and said, "The company is too busy, otherwise I wouldn't have come back so late for the Spring Festival. I'll come back to see you again this year."
The father said, "Tell me a lie too, something I can believe. Everyone's on holiday for the Spring Festival, what are you busy with at the company?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Lin realized how naive her lie had been, so she continued, "The company's main business is animal husbandry, and we don't take a holiday during the Spring Festival!"
"You do sound a bit like it." The father paused for a moment and said, "I'm relieved to see you. If you're busy, go ahead. I'll pack some dried bamboo shoots for Dongqing and his wife to take back. Please thank them for saving my life."
After speaking, her father went inside and packed the best dried bamboo shoots into a fish-skin bag. Fang Lin knelt down to help him fill the bag with the dried bamboo shoots.
After filling one bag, her father wanted to fill another, but Fang Lin said, "Dad, that's enough. We can't manage any more daughters."
The father said, "These are all high-quality winter bamboo shoots that I dug up last winter. They didn't sell for much, so take some back with you. I'll take you to the train station."
Winter bamboo shoots are the best quality dried bamboo shoots, and her father ended up packing two large bags full for her.
After finishing breakfast, Fang Lin didn't say goodbye to her stepmother, and without taking any luggage, she and her father each carried a bag of dried bamboo shoots out of the house.
Suddenly, I heard my stepmother say behind me, "Linlin, come back and visit your father often."
Not wanting to upset her father, Fang Lin stopped and turned around, saying, "I understand. I hope Auntie will treat my father better."
Father said, "What are you saying? Your aunt treats me very well."
Fang Lin said, "I'm sorry, Auntie, I misspoke. I will definitely come back for the Spring Festival this year."
The stepmother said, "You're not wrong. Your father is the pillar of our family, and your aunt will definitely treat him well."
"I'm relieved to hear that."
After Fang Lin finished speaking, she turned around and walked down the mountain with her father.
The father and daughter arrived at the train station, half an hour before their train was scheduled to depart.
Fang Lin wrote down the company's switchboard number and her home office's internal number on a piece of paper. She said, "During the day, I'll have the switchboard transfer me to my office, and at night it will transfer me to my home."
Back then, transferring external calls to internal calls was already quite convenient. The process involved adding a company switchboard for transfer; once the external call was connected, the internal call could be connected in just a few seconds.
Fang Lin took out her bankbook, put on her coat, and then, since the two large bags of dried bamboo shoots were too heavy, she bought her father a platform ticket and asked him to take her to the train.
Today is the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. There are obviously not many people taking the train at the county train station. She is the only one who enters the station on this train. After the ticket is checked, Fang Lin and her father carry dried bamboo shoots to the platform.
After getting into the car, Fang Lin opened the window and leaned out, saying, "Dad, go back quickly. I'll come back to see you this Spring Festival."
The father said, "Daughter, you're not young anymore, you're twenty-eight years old now. I hope you can bring someone home for Chinese New Year this year."
Fang Lin's father did not ask about her marriage in the two days since she returned home; this was his instruction before she left.
Fang Lin said, "Okay, I'll do whatever Dad says."
As the train gradually started moving, Fang Lin kept looking at her elderly father on the platform, waving goodbye to him.
Her father's figure receded further and further into the distance, but her heart never left him.
Her father's figure gradually disappeared from her sight, leaving only the long tracks behind the train and the sound of the train's whistle.
Fang Lin sighed deeply. She had returned in a hurry and left in a hurry. At this moment, she felt mostly lost and helpless. These feelings of loss came from her father's love and her concern for him.
She often thought how wonderful it would be if her biological mother were still alive, but this could only remain a lifelong dream in her heart...
In her helplessness and despair, Fang Lin wiped away her tears and turned to close the glass window.
On the train, just like when she came back, there were empty seats everywhere, so she randomly found a seat and sat down.
Three days later, Fang Lin got off the train carrying two bags of dried bamboo shoots.
When I got off the train, I saw Dongqing and his wife waiting on the platform.
Dong Qing and his wife hurriedly ran to the car door and took the bags off the vehicle. Li Yuzhu said, "Sister Fang Lin, it must have been difficult carrying so much stuff over thousands of miles."
Fang Lin said, "It wasn't particularly difficult. My dad saw me off at the train station. These are all high-quality dried wild bamboo shoots that my dad dug up in the mountains. They're delicious. I brought some back for you to enjoy at home."
Dong Qing said thank you, then hoisted a bag of dried bamboo shoots onto his shoulder, while Li Yuzhu and Fang Lin carried another bag of dried bamboo shoots toward the exit.
The three of them walked out of the train station, put the two bags of dried bamboo shoots into the trunk of the car, got in, and drove into the city.
Dong Qing drove Fang Lin to the machinery factory's residential area. He got out of the car and opened the trunk. There were two empty bags in the trunk. He opened one bag and gave Fang Lin the dried bamboo shoots to put into the empty bag.
Fang Lin packed some dried bamboo shoots and said, "That's enough. It's just Yu Rou and me eating; we can't eat any more. Let's take some back and give some to our older sisters."
Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "We don't know how to cook with such good ingredients. Come to my house for dinner tomorrow night, and you can make this dish. Let me learn how to make it too."
Dried bamboo shoots are a local specialty from Fang Lin's hometown, and she's an expert at making this dish. She said, "I'll soak the dried bamboo shoots tonight, and I'll definitely go over tomorrow night."
Dongqing said, "Sister Fanglin, come to my house for dinner tonight!"
Fang Lin said, "The things I bought before the Spring Festival will spoil if I don't eat them. You guys go back, I'll just eat whatever I need when I get back."
Dongqing said "okay," and the couple got into the car and drove back out of the residential area.
After Dong Qing and his wife left, Fang Lin carried the dried bamboo shoots and went upstairs.
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