Once Zhang Hongmei figured it out, she wasn't so upset anymore.
Looking at Zhang Hongmei with her eyes closed, Zhang Shouyi felt that the girl must be feeling unwell. He had tried to comfort her, but he didn't know if she had listened.
I shouldn't bother her now; I'll just let her figure it out herself.
In fact, Zhang Hongmei had already brought up the matter a long time ago, and was now figuring out how to tell the old lady.
I couldn't come up with a good excuse no matter how hard I tried, so I'll just tell the truth.
Let Zhang Shouyi talk to the villagers himself; let him say whatever he wants, and I won't get involved.
The old principal's place also had milk powder, malted milk powder, tea, and shrimp.
There were two cans of each item left, which were given to the old lady and Liu Maocai's families.
As for other families in the village, they can just put their leftover rice in the canteen.
Er Ya and Zhu Zi should be in Liu Jia Tun at this time. Hopefully, we'll be able to see them this time.
I brought my camera to take pictures of the elderly and children in the village, preferably a group photo. But I figured even if I did, the pictures would be very blurry. However, taking family photos would be a good alternative.
Zhang Hongmei had her eyes closed, a smile on her face, and two sweet dimples showing. Zhang Shouyi, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but think how adorable she was.
Zhang Hongmei hadn't eaten a single bite this morning, and it was almost noon. "Hongmei, let's park the car and find a place to eat. How can you stand not eating a single bite?"
"It's alright. I'll just have a piece of sesame seed cake in a bit, no need to waste time."
Zhang Shouyi looked at Zhang Hongmei with complicated emotions. This girl had the right to be spoiled, but she just couldn't be. Since he met her, she had always been so strong that it was heartbreaking. She never acted spoiled or unreasonable, only faced things with a smile.
This is a lifestyle: facing everything with optimism and positivity. Whether facing hardships or smooth sailing, always greet it with a smile.
Such people are the most attractive, making people unable to resist following and looking up to them.
The little girl's smile was so sweet that even the most hard-hearted person would find it hard to bear.
"Boss, City C is ahead. Should we still go there to refuel?" Wang Ying asked cautiously.
"Just drive straight there, there's enough gas in the car."
Now Wang Ying really took off running. She's just a little girl, lacking composure. But having someone like that around Zhang Hongmei is good; Hongmei is mature beyond her years, and having a lively person around to balance things out is a good thing.
Zhang Shouyi also closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
An hour later, they entered the mountainous area, where the roads became very difficult to navigate. The ride was extremely bumpy. Zhang Hongmei opened her eyes helplessly. "Wang Ying, slow down. It's too bumpy."
"Hongmei, I'm not fast, but we should be able to get through in half an hour."
Zhang Shouyi also opened his eyes and found the little girl's helpless expression amusing.
"Brother Zhang, I've just remembered a saying."
"What?"
"To get rich, build roads first; have fewer children and plant more trees."
Zhang Shouyi pondered for a moment, then said, "That makes some sense."
"Right? Only when the roads are open can the whole country exchange goods and services, which will drive economic development."
"I'll think about this when I get back."
"Hongmei, then why should we have fewer children and plant more trees?" Wang Ying asked Zhang Hongmei, puzzled. If it were Xiao Li or Chengzi, they would never have asked that question; only this girl could ask it so freely.
"Having fewer children can reduce the burden on the family. It takes ten years to grow a tree but a hundred years to cultivate a person. This means that it requires long-term planning and preparation in advance."
Wang Ying seemed to understand, but Zhang Hongmei didn't bother to pay her any attention.
At this moment, Xiao Li also woke up. Zhang Shouyi ordered the car to stop so that everyone could get out and stretch their legs. It would be much more comfortable to eat a few bites while they were hungry than to eat in the car.
Zhang Hongmei stood under the shade of a tree, drank some water, and ate a sesame seed cake.
Zhang Shouyi only drank water and did not eat anything.
Ten minutes later, they set off again. This time, they stopped at 7 p.m., before it was completely dark. Xiao Li got out of the car to refuel and change shifts.
After passing through two cities, we arrived. "Brother Zhang, I think we can get there before dawn."
"Almost. We've met all your friends this morning, so this afternoon we can go back to Liujiatun and relax."
After arriving in the city, Wang Ying drove the truck my friend had prepared back to Liujiatun first.
"yes."
The daytime heat dissipated, and it got cooler and cooler as we drove. It only felt comfortable when the car windows were rolled up.
Zhang Hongmei closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down and go to sleep, otherwise it would be too unbearable.
I was half-asleep, opening my eyes every now and then. It was pitch black outside, and I couldn't tell where I was at all. Then I closed my eyes again and drifted off to sleep. In short, time seemed to pass incredibly slowly.
But even slow progress is progress. Five o'clock finally arrived, and Zhang Hongmei breathed a sigh of relief. It had truly been a difficult time; she was several hours ahead of Wang Ying and the other woman.
Zhang Hongmei directed the car to be parked directly in front of her house.
After getting off the bus, I felt like my legs weren't even mine anymore. I stood there for a while before I went to open the door.
Now that it's daylight and we've arrived at our destination, let's go to the breakfast stall for a meal. Zhang Hongmei doesn't have the energy to waste time cooking anymore.
Xiao Li was in charge of pumping the water. Zhang Hongmei found the main power switch and turned it on.
After everyone washed up, Zhang Hongmei went into her bedroom, which looked quite clean and tidy. She turned on the light switch and found she had a 100-watt bulb installed. The power company had done a good job; although the wires were exposed, they were neatly hung on the wall, which at least pleased Zhang Hongmei.
He closed the door, entered the space, hurriedly found ten bags of tea leaves, quickly wrapped them in packing paper, and then packed ten small bags of dried shrimp before coming out.
"Wang Ying, come in and help us move our things. We'll start our visit after we finish eating and won't be back."
The items weren't heavy, but they looked bulky. Wang Ying managed to get them all out in two trips.
Before leaving, Zhang Hongmei checked the doors and windows, turned off the power, and then locked the door.
Breakfast wasn't anything special—fried dough sticks and tofu pudding—but since it was fresh and hot, Zhang Hongmei still ate a bowl of tofu pudding.
Zhang Shouyi was rather picky about food; he only drank a bowl of soy milk and ate one fried dough stick before putting the rest down.
Xiao Li and Wang Ying ate with gusto as always, showing no signs of discomfort.
It was breakfast time, and there were quite a few people eating and buying food.
"Boss, where do we pick up the truck?" Wang Ying was a little anxious. Actually, she had wanted to go back to Liujiatun for a long time. Although she hadn't stayed there for long, she really liked it.
"Going to the Armed Forces Department should have been prepared long ago."
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