As for Yu Hongyan, the reason Jian Dan initially disliked her was because she wanted to scheme against Cheng Chao. Apart from that, Jian Dan had no interest in her affairs. Once he was sure that Yu Hongyan would not scheme against Cheng Chao again, he put the matter aside.
Half a month is neither a long nor a short time; it just flew by.
"Let's go to bed early tonight, we need to catch the train back tomorrow."
She was simply leading her two children, running wildly through the mountains, when she received this shocking news that evening. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Brother, you're leaving after only a few days?"
Cheng Chao didn't want to say anything more; his mission was complete.
As a result, thanks to Yu Hongyan, he was able to get another week of external support work, and only then did things calm down.
His last two weeks have been incredibly fulfilling; he's either on a mission or on his way to one, not a single day has been wasted.
He was even more depressed when the topic of leaving came up.
However, this was indeed an objective condition; he had to set aside a week for the train journey each way.
"Have you been having too much fun these past few days? It's been a month-long vacation, and today is the twenty-second day."
Just as I was having a great time playing, this news was like a bombshell, and my mood immediately plummeted.
Tang Sumei felt heartbroken watching this.
"Next time, Xiao Chao will find a time when he's not busy to deliver it to Dandan, and then you can all stay here a little longer, understand?"
"Okay, next time I come I'll definitely take more time off and have a good time here."
Seeing Jian Dan's forced smile made Cheng Zhuo uncomfortable, while Cheng Rui was even more impulsive, shoving his head right in front of Jian Dan's face.
"Sister, are you reluctant to part with me? Why don't you take me with you? You'll be happy if I come to keep you company."
"ah?"
Before Jian Dan could even react, Tang Sumei ruthlessly suppressed her.
"No, you still have to go to school."
Cheng An's eyes, which had briefly lit up, immediately dimmed.
Cheng Chao saw this and his eyes flickered. Actually, it wouldn't be a bad thing if these two kids could keep Jian Dan company. They're such big boys, and although they're not as strong as Jian Dan, they can still keep each other company.
I just don't know what "simple" means, and whether Cheng Zhuo and his wife are willing to give it up.
After dinner, Cheng Zhuo quietly asked Cheng Zhuo how much longer the child's vacation would last.
Cheng Zhuo looked confused.
"What are you trying to say? What, you want to use the kids, and you insist on giving them a holiday?"
"No need for that. When they have their holidays, if I can come over, I'll take them to stay for a few days. Otherwise, it's just me. Uncle Jian has a niece with her, but when Uncle Jian isn't busy, the child will probably have to stay with him. It's quite lonely by myself. It would be nice if they came over and it would be more lively."
Cheng Zhuo frowned and thought for a moment.
"She's already a sent-down youth there; if we bring two more children over, wouldn't that just cause her trouble?"
"As soon as she arrived at the rural area, she bought a house in the village and lived there alone. However, she did not do anything out of line when she went to work. She always went with the other educated youth and the villagers, so it was not considered out of line."
She lived in a secluded spot, at the foot of the mountain near the village entrance. Like us back then, without going through the educated youth compound, she generally wouldn't attract the attention of the villagers. At most, she would work alone, earning her own work points. Whether several people went with her or not, it wouldn't affect the village, nor would it take up anyone else's work points, and no one would say anything.
"How could you let a young girl live alone in such a remote place, so close to the mountains? If someone were to come down the mountain, wouldn't she be the first one there?"
Cheng Chao knew this matter couldn't be discussed in detail; if it were, he would definitely get anxious.
"Second Uncle, don't rush, listen to me first."
She chose that house herself, and she was living there perfectly well before we recognized each other. She even encountered wild boars coming down from the mountain, but she eliminated them all.
We later suggested that she move closer to the village, and my uncle also said he would build her a bigger brick house, but she refused.
She just wanted to live her life quietly and didn't want to be watched by others all the time.
Besides, I've lived in that little house before, and I'm used to it. It's quite nice. Now the heated walls and kang (heated brick bed) have been repaired, so it's warm in winter and cool in summer. It's also convenient for going up the mountain. It's so far from the village that even if I eat meat every day, no one will notice.
Second Uncle, if you ask me, with my sister's skills, it would be better if she stayed away from the village for some peace and quiet.
As Cheng Zhuo listened, he imagined Jian Dan all alone, shivering pitifully in the small house, and his nose tingled with emotion.
"Tell me, how can a girl from the Cheng family live like this?"
Cheng Chao was full of questions. How was it? What kind of day was it?
"Second Uncle, what are you thinking about now?"
Judging from Cheng Zhuo's expression, one could roughly guess what was going on. If he were allowed to imagine things like that, tears would well up in his eyes in no time. It was best to quickly interrupt his wild imagination.
"Stop, stop, Uncle, you're overthinking it... Aside from having to work in the fields, my sister is doing much better than us, really,"
"real?"
Cheng Zhuo looked completely incredulous, and Cheng Chao deeply regretted bringing up the topic; he had truly shot himself in the foot.
This is still hard to explain.
Cheng Chao didn't explain further.
"Fine, believe it or not, if you don't believe me, ask my uncle."
Inside the house, Cheng Rui and Cheng An helped Tang Sumei pack their things.
Having been there only a short time, Tang Sumei had already made three sets of clothes. Now, aside from the one she was wearing, she had packed them all away. She had also packed a large bag of the dried meat she had made a few days ago; Tang Sumei had known about it a little earlier and had already started kneading the dough.
"I'll make you some fried dough sticks tomorrow morning and boil a few eggs too."
It's hot, so don't bring too much. Just enough for two days. After that, I'll have Xiao Chao buy you food from the dining car.
Your second uncle got you sleeper tickets through someone, so you can just lie down and go back this time.
Be careful on the road. Be wary of strangers who talk to or strike up conversations with you.
I heard there are all sorts of people on that train, so you really have to stick with him. There are so many people, it'll be a real problem if you get separated. Just stick with him, and if you need anything, just ask him.
In no time, they had packed out a rather large package; even the simplest person would find it a bit exaggerated.
"Second Aunt, do we really need to bring so much stuff?"
They came empty-handed, but left with bags and packages. This is definitely a case of freeloading.
"Take it all. We don't have anything else good here, so we just packed some food for you, including some jujubes. It's good for a young lady like you to eat more. You can also soak them in water to drink in winter."
You don't need to do any of this, just let your brother take it. Remember, just stay close to him and don't get separated.
This was the first time Tang Sumei had ever felt this way. She kept giving instructions, feeling uneasy if she didn't say a word. Even the next morning, when Jian Dan and Cheng Chao hitched a ride on a truck to purchase supplies, she was still thinking about what else she hadn't told them before leaving the family compound.
"Let's go, let's go back,"
"Hey? Lao Cheng, did they get their letters of introduction? Do they have enough money?"
Cheng Zhuo hadn't expected his wife to have this kind of personality; she was much simpler and more brutal when it came to the two boys.
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