Sitting on the oxcart, Zhang Hongmei felt quite comfortable. The old ox moved slowly, so even the bumpy road didn't feel too jolting. Lost in thought, she hoped her parents hadn't been murdered. In her memory, Zhang's parents were very upright people, and their educational philosophies for Xiao Hongmei were positive. Her mother, Cui Lin, was particularly striking. Tall and slender, her features, while not exceptionally beautiful, possessed a unique charm. She wasn't the gentle, submissive type, nor was she a fierce, tomboyish woman, but she spoke gently and reasonably, always with a smile on her face. As a field medic, she was efficient and decisive. She was also quite skillful with her hands. Xiao Hongmei remembered her mother as an excellent cook, and the clothes she made for her were finely stitched and done incredibly quickly. In Xiao Hongmei's mind, her mother was omnipotent.
Her father loved her no less than her mother. Every time he came back, he would bring Xiao Hongmei lots of delicious food and take her to play in the mountains. He would always let Xiao Hongmei sit on his shoulders and tell her stories, including embarrassing stories about her mother. And every time he left, this grown man would have tears in his eyes. Xiao Hongmei didn't know why her parents sent her back to their hometown when she was 5 years old, leaving her to live alone, but she never resented them.
Zhang Hongmei guessed that either there was some trouble or the border was too dangerous; otherwise, why would biological parents bear to let their five-year-old child live alone? However, she didn't agree with their actions either. After all, the child was too young. Even though the villagers were kind and could look after the child, the lack of parental care was the greatest harm to the child. In later generations, many left-behind children suffered from psychological problems. Although they had to go out to make a living, they regretted not spending time with their children when problems arose.
"Hongmei, we'll be in the village soon. Don't fall asleep, or you'll catch a cold," Liu Maocai said, turning to look at Zhang Hongmei.
"I didn't sleep, I was just thinking about my mom and dad."
Liu Maocai didn't know how to comfort Zhang Hongmei after hearing her words. He was usually stern in front of his children at home, and he really didn't know how to comfort this little girl, so he turned his head, flicked the whip in his hand, and remained silent.
The roadsides, once barren and devoid of buildings, are now covered by the university campus, a blinding white expanse that shines brightly even in the distance. "Is Uncle San almost there? But why are there still only fields on both sides?"
"Almost there, we'll see the village in ten minutes. Our village is right next to the mountains, the furthest from the township. Are you cold? Why don't you come down and walk around?"
Zhang Hongmei immediately chickened out when she saw the snow-covered road. "Uncle, I'm not cold, I'm fine." She didn't want to walk on this road, and besides, she really wasn't cold.
"Okay, I'll nudge this old ox to make it walk faster."
"No, I can't bear to part with it. It's a treasure of our village."
"Haha, it really is our village's precious gem! It has made great contributions to our village. Without it, we would have suffered a lot more." Liu Maocai was amused by Zhang Hongmei. "See that? That's Zhanggezhuang. Once we cross it, we'll be in the township." Liu Maocai pointed with his whip to Zhang Hongmei.
"Uncle, are there many people with the surname Zhang in Zhanggezhuang? Just like there are many people with the surname Liu in our village."
"Yes, most of them are surnamed Zhang. The village chief is having an affair with your father. I'll introduce you to him when you see him. You should have seen him before, right?"
Zhang Hongmei thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, I remember you. Uncle Zhang, right? I still remember you."
“Your Uncle Zhang is a very good person, and he’s loyal. He doesn’t know about your parents’ sacrifice. If he did, I think he would definitely let you come to his house. He mentioned this when you were first brought back, but your parents didn’t agree then. Do you want to go now?”
“Uncle, I’m not going. It’s more convenient to stay at home. I know everyone in our village. They’re all good to me and help me with anything. Besides, everyone is struggling these days, and I don’t want to cause trouble for others. A day or two is fine, but I’m afraid Uncle Zhang’s family will have a problem if it goes on for too long.”
“Yes, you’re a smart girl. Even if you live alone in the village, everyone will sympathize with you and lend a hand if there’s work to be done. You don’t have to live under someone else’s roof. Your third aunt also told me that she wanted to take you to live with her. It’s not that your third uncle doesn’t have any compassion, nor is it that I don’t want to take care of you. Just like you said, it’s inevitable that there will be some bumps along the way, but it’s better to be like this now than to have any conflicts.”
"Yes, I don't go to anyone's house. I've been living on my own since I was 5 years old. I will grow up day by day and live a better life. The most important thing is that I can't bear to leave my home and my family."
"This girl, you really did tell your third aunt that you'd find a son-in-law to live with you in the future?" Liu Maocai joked with Zhang Hongmei.
"I'm still young and haven't thought about this yet. Anyway, I'm reluctant to leave home now. I'll think about it when I'm older."
"Look, that row of brick and tile houses in front is the township government. Sit tight, I'll drive the car in."
"Okay, I'm all set." When Zhang Hongmei got off the bus, she saw several oxcarts parked next to the oxcarts in her village, with a few people gathered around chatting. They all came over to greet Liu Maocai when they saw him.
"Hongmei, what brings you with your third uncle? Is something the matter?"
“Uncle Zhang, the army called to say that my parents have both sacrificed their lives. I’ve been sick for several days, and I came over to ask about the situation as soon as I recovered,” Zhang Hongmei said, choking back tears.
"What did you say? Your parents sacrificed their lives?" The 1.8-meter-tall man burst into tears. "What exactly happened? Liu Maocai, do you know anything about this?" The village chiefs and cadres from the surrounding villages were also shocked and looked at Liu Maocai.
“I’m not quite sure either. The township head answered the phone and relayed the message to me. I was panicked and didn’t understand. I brought Hongmei with me today to ask. I have the phone number of the Patriotic Army, so I’ll call and ask.”
"Then hurry up." Zhang Hongqi wiped his face and pulled Zhang Hongmei into the township head's office. Liu Maocai and the village heads from other villages followed behind.
"Township head, what happened to Zhang Aiguo and his wife from Liujiatun? This old Liu Maocai didn't hear clearly either, so Zhang Aiguo's daughter came over to ask."
Zhang Hongmei looked up at the township head sitting behind the table. Her first impression of him was that he wasn't a good person; he had a pointed face and a weasel-like appearance, with a cunning look. She simply didn't like him. Just from his appearance, he didn't seem like an honest person. And why did he look at her so strangely?
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