When Li Lanzhen heard someone calling her, she covered her brow with her hand and looked up—she recognized them!
It turned out to be the young woodcutter who used his family's household registration to take Li Lanzhen out of Youzhou City.
She waved and called out, "Child, you're from this village? What a coincidence!"
The child also ran to the riverbank and shouted to them, "Grandma, row the boat here!" He pointed to the bend in the mountain beside them as he spoke.
Han Mingjiang paddled the raft, slowly turned a corner, and entered a large bay.
"Wow! There's more to this than meets the eye!"
The bay is semi-circular, and the pier is built along the mountainside.
There are more than a dozen boats here, all small wooden boats, as well as rafts and bamboo rafts like theirs. No wonder the people on the riverbank are not surprised to see them.
Han Mingjiang threw the rope tied to the head of the raft to the boy standing on the dock. The boy caught it skillfully and tied it to a wooden stake on the dock.
Han Mingjiang went ashore, turned around and helped Li Lanzhen off the raft. The boy saw Li Lanzhen and smiled innocently, "Auntie, come on, let's go to my house. My mother said that if she sees you again, she must invite you to her house."
"Okay, I'll go to your house with you and meet your mother."
Just then, the women who had been washing clothes and vegetables by the river came over, carrying baskets and wooden basins.
"Water Buffalo, are your relatives visiting?"
"Yes, my relatives are visiting. Auntie, are you going home after you've finished washing the clothes?"
"Is this really your relative? You're not trying to fool us."
"I think Shui Niu is lying. With their family living like that, would they even have any relatives visiting?"
"Oh my god, are they here to freeload? If so, this is terrible!"
A group of women were whispering among themselves, and Li Lanzhen thought that the family of Shui Niu must be quite poor.
At this moment, one of the women spat at the others, "Shut up, all of you! Think about who Buffalo's father left for. Don't be ungrateful wretches."
She turned to Li Lanzhen and the others, smiling and waving, "Water Buffalo, we're going home. You and your relatives should go back now."
Li Lanzhen overheard their conversation and learned that the firewood-selling boy was named Water Buffalo. Pretending not to hear the chatter, she called out to him, "Water Buffalo, what's your village called? How far is it from Youzhou City?"
The water buffalo had obviously heard what the women were saying. Looking dejected, it replied, "Auntie, our village is called Shanghe Village. It's only two li away from Youzhou City, just a short walk away."
Wow, that's a quick step! Those legs are really long!
As she walked, Li Lanzhen observed the situation in Shanghe Village.
The courtyards of every household were dilapidated, and the houses were leaning to one side or the other, as if they had just been repaired.
Li Lanzhen didn't know what this village had gone through, but their village was near a river where they could fish, and there were also fields on the mountain, so their lives shouldn't be difficult.
At the very least, it should be enough to fill you up to about half full.
But looking like this, it doesn't even look as good as Hanjiacun.
Li Lanzhen followed the water buffalo through the dilapidated village and all the way to a small hill at the back of the village.
There was a lonely courtyard on the hill, and like the others, it was dilapidated, with one wall already collapsed.
There were only three houses, with a few wooden beams propping up the walls in front of them, making them look like they were about to collapse.
As they arrived at the gate, the water buffalo began to shout loudly into the yard.
"Mother, Mother, look who's here!"
Hearing his shout, an old woman came out of the courtyard.
She was about the same height as Li Lanzhen, thin and frail, with a sallow complexion. I don't know what she was doing in the yard, but her hands were wet, and she quickly wiped them on the front of her clothes.
He looked at the water buffalo and said.
"Water buffalo, who is this?"
The water buffalo chuckled and said, "Mother, this is the benefactor I told you about."
Didn't you say that if I ever see that old lady again, I should invite her home?
What a coincidence! I ran into the old lady today, so I invited her back!
The water buffalo's mother immediately stretched out her rough hands and grasped Li Lanzhen's hand.
“Auntie, thank you so much. If it weren’t for the food you gave us, my eldest son and grandson would be dead.”
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she quickly raised her sleeve to wipe them away.
He grabbed Li Lanzhen's hand and led her into the house.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk."
Entering the middle room, you should find the main hall.
They settled Li Lanzhen in a chair with a limp leg, propped up with a stone slab.
He turned around and grabbed a stool for Han Mingjiang.
"Sit down, sit here, have some water, and rest."
A water buffalo and a young, heavily pregnant woman each brought a bowl of water and placed it on the table.
Behind the woman was a little girl who looked about two or three years old.
Similarly, he was very thin, but his big eyes were bright and dark.
She timidly tugged at the back of her mother's clothes and peeked at Li Lanzhen.
Li Lanzhen pulled her basket over, reached into the blue cloth covering it, and pulled out four pieces of maltose candy.
She handed it to the little girl, saying, "Come here, Grandma. What's your name? Grandma will give you some malt candy."
The little girl didn't come to Li Lanzhen. Instead, she looked up at her mother and then at her grandmother.
Grandma Water Buffalo said, "Baoya, come here, call me Grandma, and thank Grandma."
Seeing that her grandmother had spoken, Bao Ya quickly walked over from behind her mother to stand in front of Li Lanzhen.
A pair of big eyes, filled with laughter, looked at Li Lanzhen.
"Thank you, Grandma. My name is Baoya."
Upon hearing her name, Li Lanzhen knew that this family was not one that favored sons over daughters, and she was even happier.
“Baoya, come here, Grandma will give you some malt candy.”
As she spoke, she held all four pieces of malt candy in her hands.
Bao Ya didn't eat the malt candy herself; instead, she handed it to her grandmother with both hands.
"Milk, you eat."
Her grandma chuckled and said, "If she won't drink milk, our little one will."
"No, Grandma wants one."
The water buffalo's mother took a piece of candy from her hand, and she happily ran back to her mother, raising her hand and saying, "Mother, eat some candy, it's sweet."
And so, she divided the four candies among her grandmother, mother, and uncle.
She carefully placed the remaining piece into a small wooden bowl.
Li Lanzhen asked her, "Baoya, why aren't you eating?"
She said in a clear voice, "This piece of candy is for Daddy and my brother. Daddy is very tired every day because he has to support the family. My brother is also tired, so let them have it."
Upon hearing Bao Ya's words, the water buffalo mother began to cry again, raising her sleeve to wipe away her tears.
"Yes, Baoya is the best girl. Grandma's candy is for your dad and brother. You can have this piece of candy."
Water Buffalo also said, "Bao Ya, eat it. Your uncle's candy is for your father and brother."
Bao Ya's mother also said, "Bao Ya, eat it. I'll save my candy for when your father and brother come back, and I'll eat it with them."
Li Lanzhen nodded as she watched the family getting along so lovingly and harmoniously.
She was just about to chat with the water buffalo woman about the village when she heard a lot of people enter the courtyard, and a loud, aggressive voice was shouting.
"Water Buffalo's mother, I heard that people from another village have come to your house!"
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