Chapter 200: Two Hundred and Eight (1)
Summer vacation, 2008.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the bus that Guan Qianqian and her classmates took finally arrived at Lingxi Oasis Station.
The two girls, each carrying a simple backpack, jumped out of the car.
"Look, my home is right there!" Qianqian said, pointing to the distance.
The night in the oasis is beautiful, cool, quiet and peaceful.
On the way here, Qianqian had been talking about Lingxi Oasis with her female classmates, saying that although this place was in the countryside, it was very unusual, with both the ruggedness of the Northwest and the beauty of the south of the Yangtze River, especially the trees that stretched for hundreds of miles, which were so beautiful that they made people yearn for it.
At this moment, the female students were standing on a straight and spacious asphalt road, with lush green trees planted on the side of the road and bright street lights.
Looking a little further away, it was indeed quite dark and I couldn't see clearly how many trees there were.
But you can clearly hear the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the trees, gentle and low, and the sound of water brought by the breeze blowing across the water. The wind also carries a slightly moist scent and the fragrance of plants... It can easily calm people down.
It can't be said to be pitch dark.
Because in addition to the brilliant lights nearby, there are also twinkling lights in the distance... It is so beautiful that it makes you feel like you are in the Milky Way.
Qianqian saw that her female classmates were also staring into the distance, so she smiled and said, "The lights in the distance are scattered here and there, and it seems that there is no pattern, right?"
The female classmate nodded and said sincerely: "It's so beautiful, just like the starry sky!"
Qianqian explained: "That's a forest protection light! We have a patrol team in our village. They patrol all night and check the situation in the direction of the light. So the security in our village is very good!"
The female classmate nodded, looked at the stars in the distance, then looked at the bright lights around her, and asked in disbelief: "Qianqian, is this really the countryside?"
Qianqian said proudly: "Of course this is the countryside! The real countryside!"
"That's impossible. The city isn't so clean and spacious, with so many lights and flowers."
As she was speaking, the female classmate's cell phone rang.
She answered the phone, "Hello? Mom, I'm here! I'm here...ah? We haven't arrived yet! Uh, we just got off the bus! Let's talk about it when we get to my aunt's house. I just got off the bus! Public security? The public security here is very good! Mom, it's so beautiful here! I'll take some pictures to show you later! Got it, got it, I'll call you when I see someone later!"
Qianqian asked with a smile, "Did your mother urge you?"
The female classmate said, "Okay, let's go quickly!"
The two girls held hands and walked towards the depths of the blooming flowers.
Suddenly someone greeted loudly, "...Qianqian?"
"Why!"
Qianqian responded loudly, took a closer look, and smiled, "Mrs. Xiao!"
Xiao Qingjuan smiled in surprise and said, "Qianqian, it's really you! Oh, I saw you from a distance and I thought you looked like you, but I couldn't recognize you! What happened? You're here so late? Have you had dinner? Do you want to go to my mother's house? My mother will give you some pancakes!"
"Thank you, Madam!" Qianqian said with a smile, "... but no, I have to go home quickly, my parents don't even know I'm here today!"
Xiao Qingjuan said quickly: "Really? Then go back quickly! Don't let your mother worry about you!"
"Okay, my queen, I'll go over to play with Changchang tomorrow!" Qianqian said.
Xiao Qingjuan said: "That's right!"
Qianqian took her female classmate and they walked towards the depths of the blooming flowers.
The gate to the courtyard was wide open.
The yard was lit with dim and warm street lights.
Qianqian signaled to her female classmates, "Let's keep our voices down and give my mother a surprise!"
The female classmate also smiled and nodded.
The two girls walked into the yard with light cat steps.
The yard was neat and beautiful, with soft grass and a variety of blooming flowers. There are even green bamboos planted in the corners...
This is a bungalow with a yard. The door of the main room is open, and only the mosquito-proof screen door is closed. The sound of TV playing and the voices of men and women talking can be faintly heard from inside.
A gentle and charming female voice sounded:
"Why do you have to paint your feet different colors? It would be so embarrassing if someone saw it later!"
This sentence successfully stopped Qianqian from blurting out "Mom and Dad, I'm back"...
Qianqian and her female classmates looked at each other.
Then, a man's voice rang out in the room, "Aren't all young people like this now? This is called asymmetrical beauty! When we were in Kyoto in the first half of the year, didn't we see people deliberately wearing socks of different colors? I can't control others, but you, I have the final say!"
Woman: "But I don't think it looks good. What's the point of doing all these fancy things? In my opinion, it looks good just by painting it."
The man emphasized again, "I have the final say!"
Woman: "You..."
Man, "Don't move! I'm sticking rhinestones on!"
Woman, "Ouch, my feet are numb."
Man, "I'll rub it for you, is this where it is?"
The woman let out a melodious laugh and almost lost her breath.
The man's tone was somewhat helpless, "I told you not to move!"
Woman: “It’s itchy…hahahahaha!”
The lights were on in the room, and Qianqian and her female classmate looked inside through the screen door.
A petite beauty was lazily lying on a soft single sofa with a wooden basin in front of her. She was obviously washing her feet.
A tall man was sitting on a small stool in front of her, with a snow-white towel draped over his thighs. At this moment, one of the woman's small toes was stepping on the white towel, and the other toe was held in the man's hand.
The man's other hand seemed to be still fiddling with the woman's toes.
There is no doubt that the man and woman in the room are Qianqian’s adoptive parents - Song Zhi and Bai Taotao!
Both of them are over 50 years old, but the man is still handsome and the woman is still beautiful. At this moment, they are snuggling together, loving and affectionate, sweetly, which makes people's hearts beat wildly!
Qianqian blushed.
She glanced at her female classmate secretly.
The female classmate also blushed and felt embarrassed.
Qianqian thought: Even though my parents have a good relationship, I can’t let outsiders continue to see this...even though this female classmate is not an outsider.
So Qianqian took her classmate back several steps and shouted, "Mom and Dad, I'm back!" Then she asked her classmate loudly, "Xia Mei, is my parents' yard beautiful?"
Qianqian and her female classmate Xia Mei started chatting about flowers and plants in the yard.
Taotao and Song Zhi were in a mess in the room.
To be precise, only Taotao was startled, while Song Zhi calmly helped her to steadily paint the nail polish and inlay the rhinestones on her toes.
"Song Zhi, Qianqian is back!"
"My own child has returned, so what... I'll finish the things at hand first."
Tao Tao was so anxious, "Don't let the children see you like this!"
"What about me?" Song Zhi asked back.
Taotao: ...
She scolded, "Song Zhi! The child is ours, but she brought her classmates with her! Besides, Qianqian didn't tell us she was coming today. Look, it's already evening. How can a little girl travel so far away at night? You, you..."
Song Zhi also frowned.
However, he still held her feet and said stubbornly: "Then I will repaint your nail polish on your feet when we get back to the room tonight!"
"Okay, okay, okay!" Taotao had no choice but to compromise.
Only then did Song Zhi let go of her feet.
Taotao quickly shouted, "Qianqian? Qianqian is back?"
Qianqian, who was pretending to be admiring the flowers in the courtyard, finally breathed a sigh of relief and shouted happily, "Mom!"
The girl ran into the house, pulling her friend along.
Song Zhi was bending over to clean the foot basin when he saw his daughter and another girl running into the house.
He was stunned.
Taotao also opened her eyes wide.
——Qianqian suddenly came back in the middle of the night, and the couple were a little nervous. However, when they heard Qianqian talking to her classmates in the yard, the couple thought that even though the child came back without saying a word, it was no big deal as she should have some company.
Until Qianqian pulled a girl of similar age into the house?
Song Zhi and Tao Tao were suddenly shocked and angry.
Song Zhi scolded, "Qianqian, what's wrong with you? Why did you come back without saying hello? Does your grandfather know you are here?"
Taotao was also frightened. "Qianqian, when did you leave? Was the journey smooth?"
Qianqian threw herself into her mother's arms, "Mom and Dad, I'm fine. The public security outside is very good now. Xia Mei and I came here the day before yesterday. We took the train for a day and a night, and then we took a train directly from the provincial capital. It was a smooth day today. After arriving at the county railway station, we crossed the road to the long-distance bus station. There happened to be a bus back to Oasis, so we got on it..."
Qianqian and another girl were standing in front of him intact.
Of course Taotao knew that they were fine.
But even so, my heart was still pounding.
Tao Tao's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but say, "That won't do! Remember, you can't be so willful in the future! Girls must go out with friends, and your brothers must pick you up!"
Qianqian stuck out her tongue and admitted her mistake, "Mom, I know I was wrong. I won't do this again... I just wanted to give Mom and Dad a surprise!"
"Well! I didn't feel surprised, but I was really frightened! By the way, did you answer the question your father asked you just now?" Taotao asked.
Qianqian immediately said to Song Zhi, "Dad! I lied to Grandpa when I came here. I told him that we would have a holiday tomorrow... Because Brother Huangdou gave me five tickets for the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I have already thought about it. Mom, Dad, me, Grandpa and Grandpa Zhao! The five of us will go to watch it together! So this time I came back with the tickets to pick you up and take you back to Kyoto!"
Tao Tao asked curiously, "Won't Huang Dou go by himself?"
"Brother Huangdou is filming a movie and his schedule conflicts!" Qianqian said.
Song Zhi said, "We'll talk about the rest later. Your grandfather hasn't slept yet, so call him and tell him you're safe! I've got to make this clear, if your grandfather gets angry and starts scolding you, I won't get involved!"
Qianqian looked at her father aggrievedly.
Song Zhi remained unmoved.
The girl had no choice but to pick up the phone on the coffee table and dial a few buttons.
Soon, the other party answered the phone.
"Hello, I'm Song Xi!"
"grandfather!"
Song Xi's loud voice came from the other end of the phone, "Hey, grandpa's precious granddaughter Xiao Qianqian! Hahaha, have you finished the exam? How do you feel? Grandpa will pick you up from school tomorrow, okay? Your grandpa Zhao also said today that he made you a clear-boiled chicken yesterday to nourish you..."
Qianqian mumbled, "Grandpa, I, I... I'm in the northwest now."
"Oh, my little Qianqian, you've worked so hard studying..." At this point, Song Xi was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion, "What? What did you say just now?"
Qianqian said cautiously: "Grandpa, I am... with my parents now. I'm sorry, Grandpa, I lied to you. I finished the exam the day before yesterday, and then I took the train to the northwest with my classmates. I just got home now..."
"Where did you say you were?" Song Xi couldn't believe his ears!
——His little granddaughter is only seventeen years old this year and just started her first year of high school. She actually... took a train across half the country to the northwest alone (traveling long distances without his company is considered traveling alone)? !
Qianqian became more and more worried, "Grandpa, I..."
Song Zhi sighed.
He was also angry that his daughter was too willful and had no sense of safety at all. But when he thought of his father's subsequent anger, he felt sorry for his daughter again, so he snatched the microphone from Qianqian's hand, "Dad, Qianqian called me before she left, I was working overtime at the time and forgot to tell you... Don't worry, the child is fine."
When Song Xi heard this, he was furious. "Are you kidding me? How could you forget such a big thing? Qianqian is still a little girl! A young girl going on a long journey alone... Aren't you worried or scared? At least you could have called me. She wanted to see you guys, so I sent her to the Northwest. How could you forget it with just one sentence?"
Song Zhi stared at Qianqian and said to Song Xi on the other end of the phone: "Dad, I'm sorry... This is my problem. I didn't pay enough attention to Qianqian. I will definitely correct it in the future!"
After Song Xi had a tantrum on the phone, he hung up angrily.
Qianqian quickly grabbed her father's sleeve and shook him left and right, "Thank you, Dad! My dad is so nice!"
Song Zhi said coldly: "As a punishment, you are not allowed to leave the hospital tomorrow! Reflect on your mistakes at home!"
When Qianqian heard this, she immediately frowned and said, "Dad, I have agreed with Madam Xiao that we will go play with Changchang tomorrow..."
Tao Tao said, "Let Chang Chang come home tomorrow! You got into such a big trouble, but your father only grounded you for one day, that's too light!"
"Mother--"
Qianqian quickly negotiated, "Mom, my dear mom! Can you let me go to the experimental field?"
"You are not allowed to go!" Taotao said with a stern face.
Qianqian was so anxious that she pulled Taotao's hand and shook it, "Mom! The best mom in the world! The most beautiful mom in the world, I promise that I will never go out alone without saying hello again... But I want to go to your experimental field to play! Mom, my good mom, please agree to me!"
The girl's sweet and melodious voice and her cute expression finally made Taotao compromise, "You said it! You are only allowed to go to the experimental field!"
Qianqian was so happy that she hugged her mother's cheek and gave her a big kiss.
Taotao looked disgusted, "Hey, it's all saliva!"
Song Zhi watched the interaction between his wife and daughter and said sourly, "Look at you, you've spoiled her into this!"
Tao Tao said without showing any weakness: "Not even a fraction of what you can do! You are just afraid that your precious daughter will be scolded, so you are anxious to take the blame for her!"
Song Zhi: ...
Qianqian said quickly: "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world! My father is the man who loves my mother the most in the world! I am Xiao Qianqian who loves my father, mother, grandfather and brother the most in the world!"
Taotao and Song Zhi were both silent.
After a long while, they both burst into laughter.
"You still think of yourself as a child!" Taotao scolded with a smile.
Instead, she pinched her daughter's plump cheek affectionately.
Qianqian raised her chin and said, "Even if I'm eighty years old, I'm still mom and dad's little baby, hum!"
Song Zhi couldn't help laughing.
Tao Tao smiled and said to Song Zhi, "Okay, your little darling just came home now... She must not have eaten yet? Hurry up and cook her... and her classmates a bowl of noodles and two eggs!"
Song Zhi took the opportunity to look at Qianqian's classmate Xia Mei.
Xia Mei had already seen the harmony and happiness of Qianqian's family and couldn't help but smile with her eyes curved.
Qianqian ran over, pulled Xia Mei in front of Taotao and Song Zhi, and said, "Mom and Dad! Do you still recognize her?"
Taotao looked Xia Mei up and down.
She always felt that Xia Mei looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen this girl.
Song Zhi doesn't know Xia Mei.
Xia Mei said to Tao Tao and Song Zhi generously: "Hello, aunt! Hello, uncle!"
Taotao was stunned.
Song Zhize quickly figured out the relationship from the three words "aunt". He looked at Xia Mei and asked hesitantly, "Are you... Xiao Shitou's daughter?"
Bai Xiamei smiled and nodded.
Tao Tao suddenly realized, "It's you, Xia Mei!"
——Bai Xiamei is the granddaughter of the second branch of the Bai family. Her father is Xiao Shitou, who is one year younger than Huang Dou; her father is Bai Yongjun, Taotao’s cousin.
Xiao Shitou's full name is Bai Songshi, and he is 15 years younger than Taotao. He got married at the age of 19 and had a daughter, Bai Xiamei, two years after his marriage.
As for the first wife, people of Taotao's generation got married very late, and Bai Nansheng is still unmarried!
Plus Qianqian is an adopted daughter...
so--
Qianqian, the third-generation adopted daughter of the first wife, and Bai Xiamei, the fourth-generation granddaughter of the second wife, are actually almost the same age!
But the question is, how can Xia Mei be with Qian Qian?
Even so, Tao Tao was still worried that the two children would be hungry, so she urged Song Zhi, "Go cook the noodles first, don't let the children starve."
Song Zhi hurried out of the main room and went to the kitchen next door to cook.
"Are you two in the same school?" Taotao asked.
Qianqian said: "Yes! Ah, no..."
Bai Xiamei explained: "Aunt, I'm already a freshman, but I used to go to the branch school in Tongzhou. This semester I returned to the main campus, and our school is very close to Qianqian's school. We got to know each other, and when I told her my name... we were both dumbfounded!"
"How could you two meet and recognize each other as relatives?" Taotao exclaimed in amazement.
Over the years, Taotao and Song Zhi's scientific research tasks have become increasingly heavy.
The time and place of family reunions have changed, and most of the time they are accommodated.
So much so that they haven't returned to their hometown, Ruyi Village, for a long time.
As for relatives in my hometown, my familiarity is limited to telephone communication.
My hometown, Ruyi Village, is a nationally famous wealthy village. The second wife’s family also installed a telephone and often contacted the first wife. So everyone is pretty familiar with each other’s situation…it’s just that when we meet, we can’t recognize each other for a while.
Taotao looked at Bai Xiamei and indeed saw some of the image of a military-supporting sister-in-law in her.
"You look like your grandma!" Taotao said.
Bai Xiamei smiled and said, "A lot of people say that. Two years ago, when I turned sixteen, I went to the city to take a set of artistic photos. One of the series was a nostalgic style. I wore a plaid shirt and had braids. The photos were post-processed to make them look yellow and old. But when I took them home... my grandfather insisted that they were photos of my grandmother. He also blamed my grandmother, asking her when she took the photos and why she didn't ask him to go!"
Taotao was overjoyed.
After a while, Song Zhi brought over two bowls of steaming noodle soup.
Qianqian clapped her hands and cheered, "Great, there's food!"
She hurriedly said to Bai Xiamei: "My father's cooking skills are great! Better than the chefs in five-star hotels! Every summer vacation I come here, I gain several pounds, and I have to go back to school to slowly lose weight..."
Song Zhi smiled and placed two bowls of noodle soup on the table, then asked the two girls to wash their hands.
Qianqian took Bai Xiamei to wash her hands, and then came back and sat next to the restaurant.
Bai Xiamei saw two large bowls of delicious noodle soup.
——In the thick milky white soup base, there are snow-white, plump and soft noodles and green scallops. On top of them lies a golden egg that has been fried to a crispy surface, and two thin, palm-sized slices of luncheon meat that have been fried to a slightly charred state. Next to them are seven or eight neatly laid out blanched green vegetable leaves.
The top is sprinkled with roasted white sesame seeds, chopped chives and fried seaweed.
Just looking at it, I feel that this noodle is delicious!
Bai Xiamei quickly said to Song Zhi: "Thank you, uncle!"
Song Zhi smiled and said, "Eat quickly!"
Qianqian and Bai Xiamei were slurping noodles, and Taotao smiled and repeated to Song Zhi what Bai Xiamei had just said.
Song Zhi also smiled, picked up the fruit knife on the coffee table, selected an apple from the fruit plate, peeled it, and handed the white and tender apple to Taotao to eat.
Then Song Zhi went to clean Qianqian's room.
After the two girls finished their noodles, Tao Tao asked Bai Xia Mei, "Were you kidnapped by Qian Qian?"
Bai Xiamei smiled and said, "I thought since it's summer vacation now, I'll come here with Qianqian to have some fun... By the way, aunt, I've already bought the return train ticket, so I can stay here for about five days."
Qianqian said excitedly: "Mom, I want to go to Feitian Cave with Xiamei! I told Xiamei that the murals in Feitian Cave look like the Heavenly Palace! The flying fairies in it look a lot like my mother!"
Taotao: ...
"Xia Mei, why don't you stay a few more days? We are going back to Kyoto at the end of this month, why don't you come with us?" Taotao asked.
Bai Xiamei smiled and said, "No, Auntie, thank you. It's mainly because there's a fishing festival in my hometown, and I've calculated the date to rush back!"
Qianqian, "Mom, I also want to go back to my hometown with Xia Mei! I've only been there once since I was a child, and I was so young at that time that I have forgotten what my hometown looks like! Mom, let's go together!"
Tao Tao said: "Your father can't leave! I have a lot of work to do... Oh, I'm about to retire, and I haven't gotten a lot of data yet!"
Although Qianqian is good at acting like a spoiled brat, she is also very sensible.
After hearing what her mother said, she immediately said to Bai Xiamei: "Xiamei, I won't go with you this time. Let's wait until next year! Next year my mother will retire, and then I will go back to my hometown with my mother to celebrate the Fishing Festival!"
Bai Xiamei smiled and said, "Okay!"
Taotao and Song Zhi looked at each other and were touched by their daughter's thoughtfulness.
Taotao asked in detail about the recent situation of her relatives in her hometown.
The second cousin who supported the army stayed in his hometown, and the cousin who loved the army also took the path of a worker-peasant-soldier student and was selected two years later than Taotao. He chose road and bridge engineering as his major, and after finishing his studies he was assigned to build roads in the most difficult and poorest mountainous areas at that time.
But Bai Aijun worked hard and soon gained a foothold. Professional titles are evaluated and promoted based on academic qualifications, and we take steady steps one by one. Now he has become the head of the unit. Bai Aijun has a son and a daughter. Like him, they also work in the construction system and I heard that they are doing pretty well.
Bai Zhengqing, the third wife, divorced early in her life, and one remarried while the other remarried. Now, Huang Sanni, his remarried wife, has passed away long ago, and Bai Zhengqing and his step-wife are living a good life.
However, although Huang Sanni died early, the carpenter's family treated her very well when she was alive. After her death, her carpenter husband never remarried and even became a relative of Bai Panjin.
Bai Zhengqing's step-wife was also a woman of excellent character. Under her education, her twin sons also addressed Bai Panjin as siblings. Many years have passed, and Bai Panjin and his son A Yao's family have a good relationship with both their stepfather and stepmother, and they return to their hometown to visit every two years.
As for Bai Zhenglang’s family from the fourth room...it’s hard to describe.
Bai Zhenglang passed away three years ago. Among his three sons, the eldest, Fuguier, who is in his fifties or sixties, has become a local thug. He does nothing every day but lies in bed, waiting for his mother, Li Cuier, who is in her seventies, to serve him and find food for him.
Fuguier has a lot of diseases because he is too fat, including high triglycerides, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, etc. I heard recently that he was also diagnosed with diabetes! He is so lazy, sick and has a bad temper!
After the second son, Fuguier, became a son-in-law, he became more diligent. I heard that the couple gave birth to two sons and adopted one. The two biological sons took the woman's surname, and the adopted son took Fuguier's surname. The family lived a rich and happy life.
The third brother, Guicai, went to Shenzhen to work many years ago and he has never returned to Ruyi Village. A fellow villager once saw him in Shenzhen and said that he was already a factory owner and had been married three or four times, with each wife younger and prettier than the last...
Li Cui'er went to look for Guicai many times, but unfortunately she was disappointed every time. Helpless, she had to go to Fuguier to ask for money. Fuguier refused to give her any money, not even a penny. Finally, Li Cui'er was forced to sue her sons in court. The court ordered her three sons to give her 200 yuan each per month. Only then did Fugui'er agree to pay Li Cui'er 200 yuan per month according to the court's ruling.
Guicai did not appear in court. The court sent him the judgment. He received it and directly transferred a large sum of money to the court, asking Li Cuier to go to the court every month to collect his share of 200 yuan.
However, Li Cui'er's life was not much easier.
——Every month after she received the money from her second and third sons, Fugui would beat her up and take away her 400 yuan, not leaving her a penny! In the end, Li Cui'er had to rely on the village's elderly food to barely survive...
Li Cui'er's grandson Caibao was released from the juvenile detention center at the age of eighteen. Just seven days after being released, he was arrested for robbery. When he was released from prison, he was arrested again for fraud within a month...
Everyone in the village said that Li Cui'er had become a negative example. Yes, she had many sons, but what was the point of taking care of them if she didn't educate them? Look at the rich children and treasures she raised personally, isn't that the real retribution in this life?
But everyone also said that although he had Caibao, he was quite ambitious. At least he got into prison based on his own strength and didn't make Li Cui'er worry about him.
Hearing this, Taotao couldn't help laughing.
Bai Xiamei and Taotao were talking, and before they knew it, it was late at night.
Qianqian was so sleepy that she kept dozing off.
Song Zhi stopped them, "Okay, okay, Qianqian and Xiamei have been sitting in the car for so long, they must be tired. Go and have a rest... We can talk tomorrow if you have anything to say."
Qianqian said, "Mom, I'm going to take Xiamei to the experimental field tomorrow! Have the loofahs I planted grown vines? I want to pick one and cook it for mom and dad!"
Tao Tao, "Still waiting for you? I've already finished eating..."
Qianqian was stunned.
Taotao laughed out loud.
Song Zhi looked at his wife helplessly, "You are just like a child!" Then he turned to his daughter and said, "I went to check during the day. There are six melons. The two largest ones are ready to eat. If you want to eat them, go pick them tomorrow!"
Qianqian was relieved and asked, "Dad, what about our peach tree? What about the grape vines?"
"The peaches were eaten a long time ago, don't you see what season it is! There are a lot of grapes on the vines, but your mother ripened them and ate them one bunch at a time... There are still some now, but I guess not many are ripe." Song Zhi said.
Qianqian was anxious, "Mom! Why don't you leave some for me?"
"You didn't say you were coming today! If you had, I wouldn't have eaten three skewers in a row today." Tao Tao said confidently, and then added, "...If I had known you were coming, I would have saved one for you anyway."
ah?
Qianqian felt very aggrieved.
Song Zhi smiled and patted his daughter's head. "Okay, okay, take Xia Mei back to the room to rest! There are no ripe grapes in your mother's experimental field, but there are plenty in the greenhouse in the village. Now that we are here, are you still worried about not having fruit to eat?"
Qianqian turned her worry into joy and pulled Bai Xiamei back to her room.
Taotao and Song Zhi also tidied up and returned to the bedroom.
"So many years have passed in the blink of an eye! I always feel like I just left Ruyi Village, as if my career has just begun, as if... I am still a child. I didn't expect that I have already become a grandmother!" Taotao sighed.
Song Zhi smiled and said, "Why don't you call now and ask Feifei and his wife when they are going to have a baby?"
Tao Tao scolded: "If you want to hit me, hit me! I won't hit them. They can have the baby whenever they want..."
Song Feibai is 35 years old this year and is also passionate about scientific research.
He and his wife Meng Yu have a special bond.
The two have been alumni since elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college... Song Feibai is ten years older than Meng Yu. Later, Song Feibai went abroad to study, completed his doctoral studies, and returned to China. A few years later, he became a doctoral supervisor and professor. He went abroad again to become a visiting scholar and guest professor, and only then did he meet Meng Yu who was also studying abroad. He fell in love and began to pursue Meng Yu.
Meng Yu and Song Feibai were in different majors. She was studying electrical engineering and had always thought that Song Feibai was ten years older than her, so she was very conflicted and rejected him for other reasons. Song Feibai was quite sad, but he also respected Meng Yu's choice.
Later, they both returned to China.
Meng Yu occasionally saw Song Feibai’s ID and realized… he was only three years older than her?
Of course, this is because Song Feibai entered junior high school at the age of eleven, and only attended junior high school for one year before skipping a grade and going to high school...
Later, it developed into a situation where Meng Yu began to pursue Song Feibai, but Song Feibai had scientific research tasks so he was always busy. Meng Yu waited for Song Feibai for several years, and the two only got married last year.
Before Feifei got married, Taotao was actually quite worried.
It’s not that scientific researchers don’t love their families, but they always neglect their families due to heavy work. Once they miss the age of marriage, it will be difficult to start a family in the future.
Before Feifei got married, Taotao had observed Meng Yu for several years and thought that she was also a good girl. Now, she is happy for her eldest son and daughter-in-law, and hopes that they can live in their free and sweet world for a few years.
She doesn't want to induce labor!
Song Zhi asked again: "Then why don't you call and ask Momo when he's getting married?"
Taotao glanced at him and said, "Are you looking for trouble today or something?"
Song Zhi raised his hand and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, "...then come and look for it?"
Taotao bit her lip and said, "I find you..."
Before she could finish her words, her lips were blocked.
It was another night of passion.
The next day, Taotao was awakened by Song Zhi's kiss. She ate the breakfast he made in a daze and went to work at the research station first.
Her financial situation has improved in recent years, and she no longer lives in the research station. She spent some money to build a few bungalows with a yard on Jiang Hongzhi's land, and made an agreement with Jiang Hongzhi that she would pay for the construction of the house, but she would live in it. When she retires and leaves here, the house will belong to Jiang Hongzhi.
Over the past decade, Taotao's feelings for this place have grown deeper and deeper.
After all, she came here in her twenties, and now she is in her fifties and not far from retirement. She devoted all her youth and energy to the Northwest, and watched with her own eyes how this extremely poor village was built bit by bit.
Taotao was busy in the office for a while, then went to the greenhouse carrying a small hoe.
It’s quite comfortable to stay in the greenhouse in winter, it’s warm! The greenhouse in midsummer... is simply life-threatening!
So Song Zhi made a piece of equipment for Taotao - he made a "metal collar" thing and installed a small handheld fan on the collar. When Taotao wears this collar and turns on the small fan switch, she can turn on the electric fan.
At about ten o'clock, Qianqian came with Bai Xiamei.
Of course, Qianqian was still under "house arrest", so she only took Bai Xiamei for a walk around the village.
But Bai Xiamei was already shocked enough.
This village...
Is it really in the northwest desert?
Look at this lush vegetation! This clear blue lake water!
How could it be like the legendary Gobi Desert with no grass growing at all?
Bai Xiamei said sincerely: "Qianqian, you must go back to your hometown, Ruyi Village, to have a look... You will understand when you see it. Ruyi Village has fertile land, beautiful trees, green mountains and clear waters, but compared to here, it lacks some of the flavor of a water village."
Qianqian smiled and said, "Okay!"
The girls walked around the village for a while and then went to Taotao's greenhouse.
Standing at the door of the greenhouse, Qianqian took out two small handheld fans with great experience and handed one to Bai Xiamei, "My mother's greenhouse is wonderful and will definitely amaze you, but it's also true that it's very hot here... If you feel uncomfortable because of the heat, don't force yourself. I'll go out with you to get some fresh air."
Bai Xiamei nodded and turned on the small fan like Qianqian did.
The two girls were pleasantly surprised to find so many plants in the greenhouse, including vibrant dwarf trees, various flowers and plants, vegetables, fruits, and many strange plants that they had never seen before!
Qianqian saw Xiao Qingni busy in the greenhouse and quickly greeted her, "Hello, Madam Xiao, where's Changchang?
——Changchang is Xiao Qingni’s granddaughter. Xiao Qingni's daughter Niuniu, whose full name is Xiao Qiaoniu, got married many years ago and gave birth to a daughter named Changchang, who is fourteen years old this year. She and Qianqian have been playmates since childhood.
Changchang, like Qianqian, also goes to school in a big city outside and only comes back here during the winter and summer vacations.
Xiao Qingni smiled and said, "Why are you panicking? She won't leave anymore!"
Qianqian opened her eyes wide and asked, "Isn't she going to school in Ningcheng anymore?"
Xiao Qingni said: "Her parents have quit their jobs in Ningcheng and are preparing to come back to work here. Changchang is in the third year of junior high school this year and will go to high school in our village in the future. Of course, it is also because of the household registration... In the future, she must also live in our village.
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