"Grandma, in two years our family will be returning to Beiliao from Longjiang. When that time comes, I'll take you and my uncle and aunt to Hongya to enjoy a good life, okay?"
When Wan Feng saw how poor his grandmother's family lived, he decided to move his uncle's family to Hongya.
Relocating across provinces is difficult as he does not have enough energy, but relocating within the province is much easier. Moreover, as they are all agricultural cooperatives, he does not think this is a difficult task.
"Silly child, grandma is approaching seventy and won't live long. As the old saying goes: It's hard to leave your hometown. I was born here and of course I want to be buried here in the future. I don't want to go anywhere else."
"What are you talking about? Grandma, you still have at least another thirty years to live, and you still have so much to enjoy. Hongya is developing very well. I'll take you there to see it next summer when I'm on vacation."
In her previous life, grandma died at the age of 85. It was nonsense for Wan Feng to say that grandma could live for another 30 years, but she could have no problem living for another 20 years.
"Grandma's old bones can't take it anymore. As long as you are doing well, grandma will be at ease." When she said this, grandma wiped the corner of her eyes.
My grandmother has six children, three boys and three girls.
Of the three sons, two are now gone, leaving only the youngest son.
The three daughters are all over the country. One is in Qiqihar, one is in Neimen Province, and the other is in western Liaoning, which is far away even if it stays in northern Liao.
Wan Feng's uncle and aunt are both in Qiqihar, and they only come back once in many years.
After his rebirth, Wan Feng understood very well the hardships his grandmother had endured in her life.
The longing for her children whom she has not seen for so many years is enough to make her hair turn white.
It is impossible for Wan Feng to bring all of her children to live with her, but he can still fulfill his filial duties to his grandmother in the future.
Because there were four more people, grandma kneaded the dough again and made another circle of pancakes.
Corn was also the staple food in northern and southern Liaoning, and corn cakes were the standard at that time.
"This is the condition of our house. We don't have anything delicious to eat. I'm sorry that your friends are here."
"Grandma, we usually eat bread and cabbage. We are all from the countryside. You don't have to worry." Wan Feng comforted his grandmother who felt sorry.
A few bicycle bells rang outside the gate, and a half-new bicycle stopped at the gate of the yard.
The man on the bike got off and stopped in front of the gate. The middle-aged woman sitting on the back of the bike jumped off and pushed open the gate.
The man pushed his bicycle into the yard.
This was a man who looked to be around forty years old. He wore a blue cotton hat and a half-length cotton jacket, and looked about three or four points like Wan Feng's father.
"Your uncle and aunt are back."
When grandma said this, Wan Feng had already left the house and smiled warmly at the man entering the yard: "Uncle and aunt, you are back!"
Wan Shuiming was bewildered by the sudden appearance of a young man in his home. He stared at Wan Feng without blinking: "You are..."
"Uncle, I am your nephew Wan Feng."
Wan Shuiming pointed at Wan Feng with his right hand but did not speak, as if he was reminiscing.
"Are you Xiaofeng? Let me think, when was the last time you came here? It seems to have been fifteen or sixteen years. I can't believe you're so tall now."
Wan Shuiming had no doubt that the Wan family had strong genes, and both men and women looked somewhat similar.
As soon as he saw Wan Feng, he was almost certain that he was from the Wan family.
The last time Wan Feng came, Wan Shuiming was still a middle-aged man in his twenties and was not married.
In the blink of an eye, time has passed and the world has changed. He is now the father of two children, and the naughty boy who knew nothing back then has become a man who stands tall and proud.
"When did you come?"
"It's been less than half an hour since I arrived."
"How did you find this place?"
"I know the address. I asked around along the way."
"Oh! Seeing you grow up, I now feel that I am really getting old." Wan Shuiming sighed.
Are you old in your thirties?
Wan Shuiming parked his bicycle against the wall.
"Hello, auntie!" Wan Feng respectfully greeted the woman who followed Wan Shuiming into the yard.
The old lady is also in her thirties. She was quite pretty when she was young, and she doesn't look ugly now, but the vicissitudes of life have made her look a little old.
The old lady was very kind to Wan Feng.
"Is it the eldest son of Big Brother's family? This is the first time I've seen him."
"It's the eldest son of my second brother." Wan Shuiming corrected his wife's mistake.
"Xiaofeng, right? Come in and sit inside. I'll go cook." The old aunt rolled up her sleeves and started cooking with grandma, while Wan Shuiming pulled Wan Feng into the house. As soon as she entered, she was surprised again.
There were three young men sitting on the kang in the room, and all three of them stood up when they entered the room.
Wan Shuiming looked at Wan Feng in confusion.
"This is my uncle, these three are my friends, and this one is Li Yong. You have to call my uncle brother."
Li Yong is not as old as Wan Shuiming, so it’s okay for him to call him brother.
"Hello, Brother Wan." Although Li Yong was only a physical education teacher, he still knew the basic etiquette and shook hands with Wan Shuiming enthusiastically.
"This is He Xiao, and this is Li Mingdou. They are my brothers, so you have to call me uncle." After introducing Li Yong, Wan Feng introduced He Xiao and Li Mingdou.
He Xiao and Li Mingdou couldn't shake hands, but they said respectfully in unison, "Hello, Uncle Wan!"
"Okay, sit down. You're welcome. Please don't be disgusted by the fact that my house is like a doghouse."
Only then did Wan Shuiming see the pile of gifts on the kang.
"Nephew, I'm not criticizing you, but this place is just like your own home. Doesn't it seem strange that you brought so many gifts?"
Wan Feng just smiled, sat down next to Wan Shuiming and chatted with him.
Through chatting, I learned that Wan Shuiming's family contracted more than ten acres of land, and could earn more than a hundred yuan a year. The brigade had a straw mat workshop, and the couple got jobs in the workshop through connections, earning more than ten yuan a month.
"It's much better now than before. In the past, I could only get enough food rations after working for a year. Now, as long as the harvest is good, I can still make at least 180 yuan a year. Your aunt and I can still make 180 yuan a year at the straw mat factory. Life is pretty promising now."
The uncle was satisfied with an annual income of more than 200 yuan, which made Wan Feng feel jealous.
"Uncle, have you ever thought about leaving here and developing somewhere else?"
"Leave?" Wan Shuiming shook his head.
"My uncle has lived here his entire life and has hardly ever left. The farthest place he's been is Changtu County. How can he leave?"
"I can transfer you to a place with better conditions."
Wan Shuiming pondered for a while and then shook his head: "I can't leave. There's no place like home. Uncle is used to living here. Besides, our ancestors' graves are here and we can't leave."
It is hard to leave one's hometown. No matter how beautiful the outside world is, it is not as good as the mountains and rivers of one's hometown. This is a truth that has been passed down by the Chinese people for thousands of years.
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