Mu Huaixi also knew that he could no longer stay in Zhangjiagou.
Uncle San said that Ying Mingcheng had driven three days to get here. He had saved him temporarily, but he couldn't save her forever. If she still stayed in Zhangjiagou, then when Uncle San's family and Zhang Hongwei came out, they would not let her go. But if she left immediately, the two families would definitely fight each other.
She heard Ying Mingcheng's intention to send her to Grandpa Ying's home in Shengjing, and she planned to wait until she got there to explain to the old man that she had no intention of clinging to the Ying family. She had just overheard Ying Mingcheng's conversation with the police officer in the house, and knew that the daughter of a certain leader was very fond of him, which should also help his career.
Mu Huaixi looked at the man in front of her carefully, and saw only concern and pity in his eyes. It was obvious that he had no feelings for her, but rather treated her like a younger sister.
She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled for the first time in a few days. "I'll go with you, but I have to say goodbye to Grandpa first."
It was almost noon when Mu Huaixi got into Ying Mingcheng's car with red eyes.
She sat in the back seat of the car, letting the villagers stare at her. Perhaps they were frightened by the men in the big hats, as no one came up to talk to her and they just let them drive out of the village.
When they reached the intersection leading to town, Third Uncle got out of the passenger seat with a serious face. He patted his chest, thinking no one noticed, then turned and smiled at his niece, "See, I told you I'd be the one holding the line. No one dared to stop the car! I'll drop you off here. Xiaoxi, you and Mingcheng will live a good life from now on."
He leaned over to the open rear window and handed her a red cloth bag, lowering his voice. "This contains a little gift from Third Uncle, along with the village committee certificate I got from your aunt. Go get the certificate from Mingcheng when you get to the county!"
Mu Huaixi pursed her lips and nodded, gripping the rather thick cloth bag. She knew there were fifty-eight dollars and eighty cents inside, all collected from one dollar and fifty cents, but it was a gift from her uncle. In her previous life, when she returned home alone, her uncle had also given her this red cloth bag, but his expression was particularly hard to describe.
Uncle San was born lame and unable to work in the fields. He learned some of the basic medical skills from Grandpa and became the village barefoot doctor. Unable to go up the mountain to collect herbs, he picked up Grandpa's bad habit of buying on credit, which prevented him from adding to the family fortune and left him single at nearly forty.
Parents who love their children plan for the long term. Now that she knew how much her uncle had done for her, she naturally couldn't bear to disappoint him. She wanted to wait until everything was settled before telling him. She accepted her uncle's kindness, but also borrowed two hundred yuan from Ying Mingcheng in advance and stuffed it into the medicine cabinet at her uncle's house.
"When you go to the Ying family, you must respect the elders and care for the younger ones, but don't put yourself in a difficult position. If you have anything, write to Uncle San!"
Uncle San earnestly instructed Mu Huaixi, who listened attentively but didn't notice a group of people gathered on the other side of the car, "Mu family girl, we're here to add makeup to you!"
Mu Huaixi turned around in surprise, and never expected to see Zhang Xiaohang and his son, Zhang Erni's family, and Hu Run's family.
Zhang Xiaohang and Zhang Erni were the children her parents rescued from the flood. They were about the same age as her. One was now a carpenter apprentice and the other was in high school. They were standing in the front and smiled when they saw her.
Zhang Xiaohang smiled shyly. He gave Mu Huaixi a small medicine box. It didn't look big, but it had many drawers. The handle was carved with gourd and he patterns, and it exuded the fragrance of wood oil.
"This, this is what I made, don't mind it," Zhang Xiaohang scratched his head, and immediately stepped back after she took it. However, Mu Huaixi noticed that he specifically looked at Ying Mingcheng who came out of the car before giving his seat to Zhang Erni.
"He heard that you studied medicine with Grandpa Mu, so he wanted to make a medicine box for you. I don't have the skills, so I asked my aunt to embroider a pair of pillowcases for you," Zhang Erni spoke crisply and swiftly stuffed the box in her hand into her arms.
Mu Huaixi felt overwhelmed and said thank you to her.
"We should be the ones thanking you. If it weren't for your parents, we wouldn't be standing here. I've wanted to buy you some makeup for a long time, but my mother said that if I gave it too early, you might not get it. So we're waiting for you at the village entrance."
"Thanks to you, I don't have to go to school today," Zhang Erni winked at her, clearly trying to cheer her up. She then took off a brand new red hairband from her wrist and tied it directly to her braid. Then she leaned over to her ear and whispered, "This man looks much better than that scoundrel this morning."
"Don't talk nonsense," Zhang Erni's mother patted her daughter gently, then turned to look at Mu Huaixi tenderly, "Since Uncle Mu passed away, we haven't had much contact, but we still remember your parents' kindness, and we're thinking of you too."
"Yes," Zhang Xiaohang's mother saw that her arms were full, and directly stuffed a large bundle into Ying Mingcheng's hands. "This is the dry food that Erni's mother and I hurriedly made. You can eat it on the way. Huaixi's father, mother, and grandfather are all good people, but it's a pity that good people don't live long. You have to treat her well in the future, otherwise we won't agree!"
"Yes!" Hu Run also stuffed a large basket into Ying Mingcheng's hands. "Your aunt's family is too domineering. We don't like to associate with them. We have always been thinking about you! This is a gift from our families to bring you joy."
Hu Run was referring to several families with surnames outside Zhangjiagou who had long been ostracized by members of the Zhang family. Their families were in dire straits, plagued by one injury or another. It was Mu Huaixi's grandfather who waived his medical fees and went up the mountain to collect herbs and make medicine, helping them overcome their difficulties. Meanwhile, his uncle on his aunt's side of the family was the village Party Secretary, and as the largest branch of the Zhang family, they had a history of bullying the younger generation, which had angered many.
"Don't listen to what your uncle says. That's the adults' business and has nothing to do with you." Hu Run's mother walked forward tremblingly with her crutches and touched her head. "Child, we all remember your grandfather's kindness and your third uncle's love. When I get to the underworld, I will tell him everything about you and put his mind at ease."
Mu Huaixi hugged everyone's makeup and was so moved that she was speechless and tears just fell.
"Don't cry," Aunt Hu wiped away her tears, took out some lip balm and motioned her to hold it in her mouth, then applied powder on her head and face, and took out a five-colored thread to trim her eyebrows and open her face, reciting a poem as she pulled, "Play a thread on the left and you will have a son, play a thread on the right and you will have a daughter, play three threads steadily in a row and your husband and wife will have a loving life. Trim your eyebrows into a crescent shape and your family will be harmonious, blessed and healthy, a thousand miles apart, a thread will tie your heart together, a hundred years of love and affection will bind your two hearts together..."
"On your wedding day, go out looking beautiful, and the rest of your life will surely be harmonious and beautiful." Aunt Hu's hands were shaking after the shaving, but she insisted on holding her hand and handed it to Ying Mingcheng. "Life between husband and wife is like the left hand and the right hand getting along. There may be some bumps at the beginning, but as long as the two hands don't fight and their hearts are united, life will always get better and better..."
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