The next day, Liang Xiaonan had breakfast, said goodbye to Qiuhua and went to work.
I didn't expect that we would meet again ten years later.
The weather is getting slightly cooler. In two days, Qiuhua will pack up and go to her master's house. Therefore, she has not been embroidering for the past few days, but helping with housework.
The village has already received a batch of camphor tree saplings. Every household is very happy to receive some money. The money is not much, but it is a good omen.
Everyone gradually gained confidence in planting trees. Dahua would go to the hill every morning and evening to see how the fruit trees were growing.
The fruit trees are planted on the side of the hill facing Hetou Village, and the other side belongs to another village. This village has recently started mining stones on the hill. During the day, rumbling explosions can often be heard, and cartloads of stones are transported out.
Dahai often stood on the top of the mountain and watched them transport stones. The same small hill had completely different scenery on both sides.
One side is planted with fruit trees. Although the fruit trees have not grown up yet, they look neat and uniform. The upper part of the other side is still lush trees and weeds, while the lower part is loess and gravel.
He was vaguely worried, wondering if continuing to pick fruit like this would affect the fruit trees in Hetou Village.
Since the ancestors of the Wu family moved to the top of the mountain, they probably couldn’t sleep well during the day. It was like an earthquake every day.
Dahua smiled. He was just worried at the moment and he had no say in the affairs of other villages.
As he walked down the mountain, he checked the fruit trees along the way. These trees were rootstocks ready for grafting. Next spring, the sturdy orange and loquat trees could be grafted onto the mother plants.
The fruit will be produced two or three years after grafting, and then it will be clear how much effort the family has put in.
Planting trees is similar to taking care of children. There are good and bad tree species. Some fruit tree species simply cannot bear good fruit. No matter how much you water and fertilize them, the fruit will still be sour and astringent.
Our ancestors, who were very wise, invented the grafting method and through careful cultivation they were finally able to produce delicious fruits.
When Dahua came down the mountain and got home, his yard was bustling with activity. His uncles and aunts were there, and everyone looked serious. His aunt was crying, and it seemed that something bad was happening.
It turned out that Liang Xiaonan had not returned home since she left Qiuhua's house that day.
The next day, my second uncle went to the factory to look for him but couldn't find anyone. Wang Jinshui was also missing.
My second uncle felt dizzy and almost collapsed in the factory.
"How many days have you not been home?" Liang Gen asked.
"Today is the third day." The second uncle replied. At this moment, the aunt was crying and could not answer.
Liang Genfa thought carefully and asked again, "Have you been to Wang Jinshui's house?"
The old couple was stunned and shook their heads.
"Come on, I'll go to Wang Jinshui's house with you." Liang Genfa walked to the door and came back to call Dahua to go together.
"If Xiaonan is there, we'll bring her back even if we have to. More people means more work."
They first took a tractor to the factory to ask which village Wang Jinshui's home was in, and then rushed over in a hurry.
The tractor stopped in front of two dilapidated houses. Several people walked back and forth several times but didn't see a single ghost.
Liang Genfa found that the door of the neighbor's house was open, so he went in to ask, and the answer he got was that there had been no lights on in Wang Jinshui's house for several days.
Auntie collapsed to the ground with a cry, crying and shouting, "How cruel! She just left without saying anything! I raised her for nothing, and she ran off with a man like that!"
The crying attracted the villagers, and everyone ran outside the yard to watch the fun.
"Are you here to look for a mermaid?" an old lady came out and asked.
"Yes, Auntie, have you seen it?" Liang Genfa asked.
The old aunt nodded, as if recalling something. After a moment, she said uncertainly, "I saw that little girl come to Wang Jinshui's house several times. The last time was about two or three days ago. I saw them leaving with a big bag."
"Oh my, Jinshui, you're dragging a little fish with you at your age!"
"What a sin..."
People around were talking about it, and when Auntie heard it, she cried even more desperately.
"Stop crying! Isn't it embarrassing? Go back!" Second uncle roared and angrily dragged Aunt to the tractor.
However, the old man was skinny, while the aunt was much stronger. The old lady had lost her energy and was like a puddle of mud, and could not be dragged.
In the end, it took four people, including Sun Ada, to lift her onto the tractor. It seemed that Liang Genfa was foresighted and believed that more people would make things easier.
Instead of going home directly, they went to the police station halfway.
The person who answered the call was an old policeman with some gray hair. Perhaps because he also had a daughter, he was shocked after hearing what they said.
"Oh my... Oh my... How can this little mermaid be so bold? Oh my... Oh my... What should I do? Oh my..."
For a moment, I didn't know who was asking for help.
The police expressed their sympathy for the old couple's plight and promised to do their best to help them find their loved ones.
The old couple went to the police station every day to listen to the news. Finally one day, the old policeman called them in to sit down and said that there was some news.
It is said that the two bought tickets to Yunnan and have probably arrived there a long time ago. If you want to find them, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The aunt lay on the cold floor of the police station and cried for a while. It took several policemen to help her get up.
"Aunt, don't cry. At least you know Xiaonan is safe. She will figure it out eventually and will definitely come back."
Qiuhua wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, wondering if she had already had this thought in her mind when Liang Xiaonan left that morning, or maybe even earlier. If she could have kept her that morning, perhaps things would not have developed to this point.
Auntie hugged Qiuhua and cried and laughed. She felt a pang of sadness in her heart, wondering what the purpose of life was, which was full of hardships and suffering.
"Auntie, have you looked carefully at home? Maybe Xiaonan left a note?"
Qiuhua's question reminded Auntie, and she went back to look for it in a daze. Finally, with Qiuhua's help, she found a letter.
Mom and Dad:
Jinshui and I left.
Jinshui is really good to me and I am willing to marry him. I know I can't change your minds, but it doesn't matter, you can't change my decision either.
Jinshui can give me a real home.
Thank you very much for raising me. I will send you money in the future to repay your kindness.
After we have taken root there, I may come back to see you.
Please also tell my mom and dad there that you don’t have to worry.
I'll be fine.
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