"Hey! You're all grown up now and have your own ideas. I won't interfere with your decisions, but remember this: you must come back. Everyone's waiting for you."
"I just promised you I would come back."
“Alright, then go ahead. It’s good to broaden your horizons. We old folks don’t expect you to be outstanding or have great achievements. We just hope you can be safe and happy.”
"Grandma, don't worry, I will."
"Alright, go check the cafeteria. They smoked all the meat last night. Today's sausage is for you. See if you like it and season it yourself."
"I'm not going. The food is all good; the aunties and grandmas will definitely cook it well. I'll just stay home with you."
"You're still in school, are you planning to stay home for a few days?"
“I took a month off, but I was afraid I would do too badly on the exam, so I stayed at home for ten days and then went back to school. During the summer vacation, I want to go to the border to see Zhang Xingguo. Also, although the real culprit behind my parents' deaths has been found, there are still many accomplices. I need to go and see them and ask them.”
"Alright, go ahead and experience the cruelty of war. Take as much food as you can; the worst thing on the battlefield is running out of food."
"Well, I'm planning to find a truck and drive there myself, but I don't know if I can find one. We'll see when the time comes."
"Hongmei, how about letting Jingze go with you?"
"No need, it would delay Brother Jingze. Political requirements are very strict, and it wouldn't be good for him to go abroad. Besides, there are fourteen other people going with me, including Wang Ying and Wang Xinyi, who will take care of me."
The old lady's eyes were complicated. "Are Wang Ying and Wang Xinyi reliable?"
"Wang Ying was trained by Gu Chuanming since she was a child, and I guess she'll be with me for the rest of her life."
Wang Xinyi speaks excellent foreign languages. She spent five years abroad, and she's Zhang Shouyi's person, so Grandma can rest assured. I'll keep an eye on them all.
"It's good that you've made up your mind. I just don't know if you can adapt to foreign food?"
"You'll get used to it eventually. No one can't endure any hardship; you'll adapt little by little."
"Grandma, I still think the moon is rounder in our family." Zhang Hongmei laughed heartily after saying this, recalling the joke from her past life.
“You know, the village still owes you five thousand yuan. We’ll scrape together the money and give it to you after the wheat harvest.”
"No need, I can't say no, but let's give everyone a break first. Besides, even if we offered money, we probably wouldn't be able to get the antique back."
"It's okay, I have plenty. I'll divide them up later and leave you plenty."
"Come on, you have so many descendants. I don't want them to hold a grudge against me. Don't cause me any trouble."
The old lady just smiled and didn't say anything. She could give her things to whomever she wanted.
The mother and daughter sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), chatting idly about this and that.
Zhang Hongmei suddenly sat up.
"Why are you making such a fuss?" The old lady rolled her eyes at Zhang Hongmei, annoyed.
“There’s still a lot of yarn left to be distributed. I’ll go home and get it, and I’ll have my aunt knit a sweater for you.”
What would I need that for?
"No, this is just a small token of my appreciation. I need to go back and pack up first."
When Zhang Hongmei got home, she found the snakeskin bag on the floor next to the cabinet. Luckily, she remembered it, otherwise it would have been all for nothing.
Take out two jin of jujube-red cigarettes, which are for the old lady; two jin of sapphire-blue cigarettes for Liu Changhe; two jin of black cigarettes for Liu Aimin; two jin of maroon cigarettes for Liu Changhe's family; and two jin of red cigarettes for Hu Aifen.
Two jin of dark red fruit were given to Li Cuihua, two jin of royal blue fruit to Liu Maocai, black fruit to Shitou, red fruit to Sanya, and yellow fruit to Erya.
The rest were put into the storage space to be given away later. The portions that had been divided between the two families on the kang (heated brick bed) were wrapped in cloth.
They picked up the package for the old lady's family and then went to Liu Changhe's house.
"Grandma, look at the colors of this yarn, aren't they pretty? They say it's pure wool. This maroon one is for you, the royal blue one is for my grandpa, the black one is for my uncle, the red one is for my aunt, and this dark red one is for my grandma."
"Hmm, they feel quite soft to the touch. These must have cost a lot of money. You're quite the spender. They're all your elders, so you can't do this again. You've sent and brought back so much since you left."
Zhang Hongmei's smile faded, and she replied seriously, "Grandma, we're all family. I haven't refused your kindness."
"Yes, we're all family. Alright, I'll give it all to your aunt when she gets back. When she has some free time, I'll have her knit sweaters for the whole family."
“That’s right, Grandma. I really consider you all family. From now on, let’s not stand on ceremony.”
Zhang Hongmei stayed until 11 o'clock before going home, as the old lady also needed to get some sleep.
Wang Ying leaned closer and said, "Hongmei, I'm going for a walk in the mountains this afternoon."
"Let's go together."
"No need, I'll go by myself. If I let you come with me, Aunt Wang will nag me. I'll go and check on myself, and I'll definitely be back in three hours."
"Let me tell you, there's stewed meat tonight. This big pot of stewed meat smells especially good. If you come back late, there won't be any left to eat."
Wang Ying was conflicted. "Maybe I shouldn't go today. I really want to try the big pot meal in this village with more than two hundred people."
"Let me tell you, I love stewed meat the most. Only a big iron pot full of stewed meat tastes the best."
Zhang Hongmei was still trying to seduce Wang Ying; no matter how skilled she was, she was still just a young girl.
"I'll go tomorrow morning and won't be back by noon, so I can have as much fun as I want."
"Hehe. You can decide for yourself."
“Hongmei, let me tell you, all of us twenty-odd children grew up in the mountains. We’ve lived there ever since I can remember, so whenever I see the mountains, I feel a special connection to them.”
"Hehe, since that's the case, why don't you go and take a look at our mountain? But you can tell Aunt Wang yourself."
"Hongmei, you're not going out tomorrow, are you?"
"I'm going to the city tomorrow. Aunt Wang, it's just the two of us. I'm just going to see my friend. The day after tomorrow, the village is harvesting wheat, and I need to help."
Wang Ying smiled and said, "I'd rather go out with you tomorrow."
"Really, you don't need to. I'll give you a day off."
“No, I’ll help you harvest wheat the day after tomorrow. I’m a fast harvester. I’ll go up the mountain again before we go back.”
"You go tomorrow, I won't go to the city. We'll go there on our way back."
"Won't this cause any problems?"
"It's nothing, just a visit between friends. You can go tomorrow. I won't go this time so that you can get up the mountain smoothly."
"That's great, I love mountains the most. I feel carefree and happy in the mountains."
"I also love the mountains, and I also love traveling freely and without restraint."
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