As soon as Chen's mother entered the house after tidying up the kitchen, she saw Chen Shuning staring at her luggage with red eyes. Chen's mother felt a pang of sadness and secretly turned away to wipe away the tears welling up in her eyes. Pretending not to notice Chen Shuning's distress, she said to the stunned Chen Shuning, "There are quite a lot of packages. Your father and I can see you off at the train station tomorrow, but you'll have to manage on your own when you get off. There are some things that can't fit in the luggage, and I'll send them to you after you've settled in there."
After Qin Yalan finished speaking, she turned to Chen's father, who was fiddling with coal briquettes in the yard, and shouted, "Old Chen, can't you do that coal tomorrow? Xiao Ning is leaving tomorrow. Don't you have anything to say to Xiao Ning?"
Chen Ma's shout was clearly effective; in less than a minute, Chen Shuning saw Chen Ba, whose hands were covered in coal dust, enter the house.
Chen's father looked embarrassed as he washed his hands and said, "I was thinking that I haven't been home for a week, and after seeing Xiao Ning off tomorrow, I have to go back to the station immediately. Who knows how many more days I won't be able to come home. I was worried that we wouldn't have enough coal at home, so I thought I'd take some time to store up some extra for you."
At this point, Mr. Chen's tone still carried a hint of grievance.
Chen's mother knew that her husband was worried about her, so she didn't say anything more. She took a towel and handed it to Chen's father, then ignored him and turned to take a handkerchief from the cabinet and pulled Chen Shuning to sit on the bed to talk.
“Xiao Ning, here is two hundred yuan and tickets. Keep them close to your body. It’s not like home. You have to take care of many things on your own. You can’t be as carefree as you are at home. You have to be careful with your money and tickets.”
As she spoke, Chen Ma pointed to the pile of packages on the ground and said, "There are two boxes of Beijing Eight Delicacies in that army green bag. Keep them for you to give as gifts when you go to the village. No matter who it is, the brigade leader or the party secretary, just give them to whoever you can talk to. As the saying goes, a local official is more powerful than a distant one. It's so far away, and if you need anything, your father and I can't get there right away. But if something really happens, we'll at least put in a good word for you if we accept your gift."
Just as Chen's father came into the house after washing his hands, he heard this and quickly took out a note and a brand-new watch from the pocket of his coat hanging on the hanger and handed them to Chen Shuning.
"Xiao Ning, this is the address of an old comrade of mine. We had a pretty good relationship back in the army. Keep this safe. He happens to be in the commune where you were sent to work in the countryside. You can visit him when you get there. He can lend a hand if you need anything."
And take this watch. You're going to the countryside soon, so having a watch will make it easier to tell the time. You've always been a sensible child, and your parents are at ease knowing you're going to the countryside.
However, you are still quite young. If you encounter any problems that you can't make up your mind, be sure to write a letter to your parents or call them. Don't worry about the cost.
Your parents don't mean to interfere in your affairs, but you're still young and may not have as much experience as we do in handling many things. So, if you have any problems, talk to me and your mom; we can offer some advice.
Chen Shuning, of course, understood what her father meant. She happily accepted the note and watch, put the note into the handkerchief bag that her mother had just given her, and put the watch directly on her wrist. While thanking him with a smile, she also raised her arm to show off to Chen Jiandang, who rolled his eyes at her younger brother, who looked speechless.
Mr. Chen spoke somewhat reservedly, but Mrs. Chen, who was standing to the side, had no such reservations and directly interrupted, saying, "Xiao Ning, you are still young, so don't rush to find a partner over there."
Especially the villagers. Mom doesn't look down on rural people, it's just that we can't bear to see you marry so far away. Life in the countryside isn't easy, and you're not as smart and capable as your sister. If you really find someone in the village, you might never be able to come back. Your parents can't bear it."
As Qin Yalan spoke, her voice trembled with tears. This youngest daughter was not as capable and competent as her eldest daughter. Now that she was so far away from home, she was always worried. In the past two years, she had finally gotten used to her eldest daughter being sent to the countryside in the border region.
Who knew that just as she was starting to recover, her youngest daughter was going to the countryside again, to such a far place as Heilongjiang Province. The main problem was that her youngest daughter wasn't as smart and sensible as her eldest daughter. She was the type who would even break her head up if she tried to break up a fight. How could she feel at ease letting her go to live so far away by herself?
As Chen Shuning watched her mother start to cry, her heart ached. Seeing that her father's eyes were also red, she quickly raised her hand and promised, "Oh, Mom and Dad, you can rest assured. I will take good care of myself. If I encounter anything I can't handle, I will write to you, once a week. I promise I won't skimp on the money. I will do my best to trouble the postman. As long as you and Dad don't find me annoying, that's fine."
Chen's parents, who were initially feeling a bit sad, were amused by Chen Shuning's alternating gestures of raising his hand and clenching his fist. Chen's mother gave Chen Shuning a disapproving look and then instructed, "Stop fooling around with me. It's not like being at home when you're away from home. You must keep a close eye on your money. In the countryside, you must hide your money and tickets even better. I've packed two padlocks in your bag for you to use to lock your suitcase. It's not that I'm being petty and suspecting people for no reason, but you educated youth sent to the countryside come from all over the country, and no one can guarantee that everyone is good."
Xiao Ning, remember what Mom said: "You shouldn't have a heart to harm others, but you can't be without a heart to guard against them. Living in a communal community, you must be extra careful. Make friends with those you can, and try not to offend those who aren't worth associating with. But if anyone bullies you, that's unacceptable. Remember, if you tolerate it once, it will happen again. We won't bully others, but we also won't let others bully us. Got it?"
"Okay, I'll remember. Don't worry, Mom. I'm not stupid. Do you think I'd let anyone bully me? Don't you know whose daughter I am?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
