Chapter 40: I just want to care about her

When the three of them were passing the brigade headquarters with sweat on their foreheads and red faces, Hua Xiali saw Huo Beixi standing in the office window and waving at her. Hua Xiali walked over in confusion and subconsciously looked inside the office. Seeing that no one else was there, she asked, "Huo Beixi, are you calling me?"

Huo Beixi just waved at her and didn't call her name, and she was not sure who Huo Beixi was calling.

"Someone just called you and said it was your fourth uncle and asked you to call him back." Huo Beixi said in a gentle voice.

Hua Xiali nodded, and then said to Zhang Yongfeng and Hua Qiuli, "Brother-in-law, Qiuli, you two go home and rest first. I'll answer the phone and will be back soon."

Although the brigade headquarters is on the roadside, the main entrance is not. Hua Xiali is currently at the window at the back of the brigade headquarters. If she wants to go inside the brigade office, she has to go around to the main entrance.

Hua Xiali walked into the brigade headquarters, came to the telephone, and dialed the number in his fourth uncle's village. Although it was already the 1990s, telephones were not yet popular. First, they were too expensive, costing three to five thousand yuan to install a phone. Second, most people didn't have access to telephones at home, so it would be a waste to install one.

Ten years later, telephones became common and less expensive. There was also a type of wireless landline phone that only cost a few hundred dollars to install.

I called and the village cadre answered first. Then he notified my fourth uncle through the radio. I waited for a while before I heard my fourth uncle's voice. He asked me on the phone, "Xia Li, when are you coming? There are already a lot of bamboo shoots piled up at home."

"Fourth uncle, I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. Just do what you need to do and don't worry about other things." Hua Xiali said in a low voice after answering the phone.

She was busy setting up the stall these days and couldn't leave, so she didn't go to her fourth uncle's house to harvest bamboo shoots. But it's time to go, otherwise the bamboo shoots will dry up.

She didn't want anyone to know that she wanted to make money from bamboo shoots, especially Huo Beixi, who was the village party secretary and had the interests of the villagers in mind.

What would she do if Huo Beixi asked her to lead the villagers to make money together?

She will help those who are good to her family without being reminded, but she will not help those who are trying to take advantage of her family even if they kneel down in front of her and beg her.

She was not the kind of person who would forget the pain once the wound had healed, and if she forgave him, wouldn't that be a betrayal to her parents?

After all, they had once taken advantage of her parents' misfortune and caused them great harm. There was no way she would forgive those people on her parents' behalf.

After hanging up the phone, Hua Xiali took out a dime and put it in the box next to the phone, then said to Huo Beixi, "Thank you."

"Xia Li, there is a smell of blood on you. Are you okay?" Huo Beixi asked gently.

Hua Xiali met Huo Beixi's narrow, dark eyes and was speechless for a moment. She turned around and left without saying anything. She smelled of rust on her body because her good friend was coming to visit. She could smell the rust every time before and when she came. Now she didn't expect Huo Beixi could smell it too. She felt as if there were no secrets between her and him when she was in front of him.

Huo Beixi didn't know why Hua Xiali was angry. He just wanted to show his concern for her!

"Second sister, have some water." As soon as Hua Xiali walked into the yard, Hua Qiuli handed her a teacup. "Second sister, it was only after I followed you today that I realized that although setting up a stall can make money, it is also too hard!"

Hua Xiali smiled faintly, "If you know it's hard, then study hard and try to get into college. When you graduate, you can work in an office. Not only will the salary be high, but you won't have to work in the sun or the wind. Besides, you're only in the second year of junior high school, and you'll be in the third year in the second half of the year. You still have four years, so you can do everything in time."

Hua Qiuli nodded, "I understand. I will no longer muddle through like before. I will pick up my textbooks and study hard."

It was only today that she realized how much her second sister had contributed to the family. She and her eldest sister were able to sit in the classroom and attend classes peacefully because of her second sister's efforts.

The second sister probably wanted to study more than anyone else, but she gave this opportunity to her and the eldest sister.

She wanted to be angry and strong. Her elder sister had only one month to review, but she dared to take the college entrance examination. She still had four years, so what couldn't she do?

Hua Qiuli did not take the college entrance examination in her previous life. She did not even finish high school. Seeing her classmates dropping out one after another, she also dropped out.

Among the three sisters in the family, she was the only one who had the opportunity to take the college entrance examination, but she gave up. Hua's mother begged her to go back to school and her tears were almost flowing.

However, children in junior high and high school are more rebellious. Who would listen to their family's arrangements? Hua Qiuli naturally did not listen to his family, but followed his classmates to work in an electronics factory in the suburbs of the county. After two years of work experience, he went to work in an electronics factory in a big city. At first, his salary was a few hundred yuan a month, and later it was several thousand yuan.

Later, he got married outside. His life didn't have any big ups and downs, but it was much better than Hua Xiali and his elder sister. However, living with a large family, the expenses were high, and life was very hard. He often worried about money.

However, Hua Chunli and Hua Xiali were both preoccupied with their own affairs and were unable to help her at all. After all, Hua Chunli's husband had passed away, and she was alone in raising her paralyzed son and young daughter.

Hua Xiali was raising two sons by himself and working various odd jobs. He was extremely short of money. How could he possibly help Hua Qiuli?

Fortunately, the house was demolished later, alleviating their urgent needs. Hua Chunli also transferred all the money that should have been due to Hua Qiuli to Hua Qiuli. Even though she had to treat her son who had cerebral palsy, she did not embezzle the money from her subordinates.

Now she has made up her mind to study hard. If she can get into university, she can find a good job in the future. She won't have to work so hard, and she won't have to marry far away and lose the chance to see her family.

Anyway, in the previous life, after Hua Qiuli dropped out of school, Hua Xiali hadn't seen her for many times. Later, when smartphones became popular and they could chat via video, Hua Qiuli often cried to her, saying that she wanted to go home, but the journey was long and the high-speed rail tickets were too expensive, and she was worried about taking care of the child alone...

Anyway, due to various reasons, Hua Xiali had hardly seen Hua Qiuli before his house was taken away by his mistress and illegitimate child.

Things are different now. In this life, her family members no longer have to suffer such regrets. Everyone can live and work in peace and contentment in their hometown without having to leave their hometown.

After dinner, it was still daylight, and the distant sky was hung with brilliant sunset glow, which looked extremely magnificent and beautiful. Hua Xiali and Zhang Yongfeng carried Hua's father out of the room, put him on the bamboo bed, covered him with a quilt, and let him lie there to enjoy the beautiful evening view.