No sooner had he finished speaking than Wen Songtao and his men shouted from above, "Girl, girl, haha, Grandpa's here, haha—"
When Wen Songtao saw his granddaughter, he didn't know what words to use to express his excitement and joy. All he could do was smile.
Jiang Qiao waved to the old man, then looked him over. He had lost weight and gotten darker, but he seemed to be in good spirits.
"Grandpa, slow down, don't rush, I'm right here, you can't run away, oh dear, be careful—"
Wen Songtao was anxious. Although living here was quite nice, his granddaughter was different. He hadn't seen her for a long time. Her arrival meant that the old couple's life would improve.
Despite his thorough preparations, the long duration of the meal proved too much for the elderly couple. Although they couldn't eat much, the lack of income meant that all their initial supplies were gone. He noticed his wife getting thinner and thinner each day, and it pained him, but there was nothing he could do.
Now, seeing Jiang Qiao feels even more affectionate than seeing one's own children.
"Hey, Third Master, slow down. Seeing your granddaughter makes all the difference. This old man is almost like a child again."
Wen Songtao said with a sigh, "You have no idea how much I miss this child. It's just the two of us old folks at home, we can't compare to you."
Seeing what Jiang Qiao had brought, the old man quickly called over the people behind him to help. He also introduced the items to Jiang Qiao, calling out a bunch of uncles, aunts, and other relatives. Jiang Qiao couldn't figure out what the relationships were, but since the old man told her to call them, she did.
The elderly couple are here, and they can't take care of them themselves. They can only rely on these uncles, aunts, and cousins to help look after them.
"Oh, there are fish too, live fish! Wow, we're going to have a better meal today, Uncle. Your granddaughter is quite something. She's filial, beautiful, and has a sweet tongue. She's a sensible child."
"Uncle, uncles, and aunts, come over for lunch! I'll cook, and I've brought the wine. Let's have a good chat. Aunts, come over sometime too!"
Jianghu pulled Jiang Qiao aside and whispered a few words to her. Jiang Qiao nodded and said a few words in a low voice.
He took out a few more fish and handed them to his younger sister who had called for them to come back. "Third sister, take these home to eat. Remember to send one to Father and the others. I have to go back to work, so I won't be going back. I'll come back when I have some free time."
The third sister from the martial arts world excitedly came over and took the fish. "Brother, where did you get this? It's so big!"
"Hurry up and take them back, ladies. There aren't many fish, so you're lucky to have found some. Take one each and bring it home for your children. Wash them slowly, and we'll see you next time."
Jianghu shouted to the old man, "Third Master, I won't go over there. I'll come see you next time."
The old man waved to Jianghu, "Alright, I'll save some wine for you. We'll drink it together next time you come over."
The women who had caught the fish waved excitedly towards the river, not even bothering to wash their clothes, and hurriedly took the fish home.
When Jiang Qiao reached the top, he saw the whole village. It was a large valley surrounded by mountains and trees, with houses scattered in a staggered pattern on the valley and hillside.
After observing for a while, I saw that the hillsides in the distance were covered with terraced fields, which looked like a painting. I wondered how the people here managed to do it. One terraced field connected to another. If I had to say, it must have been a huge project.
As Wen Songtao walked, he explained to his granddaughter, "Those terraces were all created by our ancestors. Everyone relies on these terraces to make a living. As you know, there are mountains all around here, and not much land, so this is the only way."
Jiang Qiao nodded. "You're really wise. I didn't know until I came here. It's truly an eye-opening experience."
"But Grandpa, this is a valley after all, and it gets a lot of rain. Remember to remind the villagers not to cut down trees indiscriminately, otherwise the soil and water won't be retained, and when the rains come in, mudslides will inevitably occur."
As Wen Songtao walked with his granddaughter in his hand, he said, "They understand all of this. They've lived here for so many generations, and they know these things by heart."
What surprised Jiang Qiao even more was that there was a surrounding water system in the village. This thing was really high-tech.
"this--"
Seeing his granddaughter's expression, Wen Songtao smiled and explained, "You don't understand. This water comes from springs in the mountains. It passes by the door of every household, so there's no need to dig a well or carry water. It's very convenient. It's cleaned and washed regularly, so it's very clean."
Your grandma and I are getting old, and we definitely can't carry water anymore. Luckily, we have this. That's why people say the ancients were wise. This was passed down from generation to generation, and we are just the beneficiaries.
Look over there, that's a drainage ditch. If there's a lot of rain, the water will flow into the river outside through the drainage ditch.
However, it's true that life in the mountains is inconvenient, so anyone with the means and ability has moved out. Those who remain are people who can't bear to leave this place.
Jiang Qiao had a lot of questions, but with outsiders present, there were some things she couldn't ask.
It's probably because few outsiders come here usually. That's why people ask Wen Songtao and his group about all the things they're carrying, and the pretty young girl with them.
"Third Master, have we had guests?"
"My granddaughter, the child came all the way to see us, the old folks. You're busy, please come visit when you have time—"
Wen Songtao led Jiang Qiao to a house with three rooms, which looked a bit old. Jiang Qiao guessed that it must belong to someone else and that his grandfather had bought it.
"Old woman, look who's here!"
Zhou Yaru was making shoes for her husband inside the house when she heard his excited shout. She dropped what she was doing and ran outside.
Upon seeing Jiang Qiao standing at the door, the old lady's expression became even more direct; she rushed over and hugged Jiang Qiao with great joy.
"Girl, what brings you here?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and looked the old lady up and down. She had lost weight, but she seemed to be in better spirits.
"Grandma, you didn't expect this, did you? I just wanted to give you a surprise. Aren't you happy?"
"I'm so happy! My granddaughter is here! How could I not be happy? Come on in!"
Jiang Qiao held the old lady's hand and walked around, looking her over. The yard was well-maintained, with a few chickens, but she didn't see any pigs. However, after thinking about it, she understood why. They needed food. Without pigs, the old couple could have enough food. If they had an extra pig, they would have to share some. Besides, they were too old to raise such things.
There wasn't much furniture in the house, but it was arranged quite warmly. It was obvious that the old lady had made it herself, and these things must have been brought by them.
"Grandma, how are you? Do you like life here?"
The old lady nodded happily, "I like it. Apart from the inconvenience of shopping, everything else is great. The people here are nice."
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