Chapter 16: Visitors from the Military Support Office
After Shi Xiaoai took the things, she quickly buried the clothes, took the children to pay their respects again, and then left the cemetery.
She didn't open the oilcloth bag immediately, but even through the oilcloth she already knew what was inside.
That was a relic left to her by the original owner's mother.
In the second year after the original owner went to the countryside, she received a telegram from home saying that her mother was critically ill and asked her to return home immediately.
When she finally returned to the small house where she had lived with her mother for several years after several days of wandering, her mother was already on her last breath.
It was obvious that he was waiting for her to come back.
The original owner's mother died the day after he arrived home.
Because of their bad family background, all the relatives around them became estranged from them.
After their father passed away, the mother and daughter had been dependent on each other, so even when their mother was dying, the original owner was the only one by her side.
Before her death, her mother gave her a locked carved wooden box, saying it was her dowry, and asked her to hide it no matter what and not let anyone find it now.
The original owner had lived with her mother for so many years, having been evicted several times from their rental homes and moved around a lot. She had never seen the exquisite box, and she had no idea how her mother had kept it all those years.
But she knew that her mother must have put a lot of thought and thought into this box.
After her mother died, she didn't even dare to open the box.
Because she knew in her heart that the things inside could not be taken out now.
She didn't dare to keep it with her, because she knew she didn't have her mother's ability to keep it.
The original owner thought about it and finally decided to leave it with her parents because she felt that this was the safest place.
So when she visited her parents for the last time before leaving, she buried the box behind her parents' tombstone.
On the way home, Shi Xiaoai's heart was pounding.
She knew that the original owner had left completely this time.
Giving her this memory before leaving means giving her the right to use these things as well.
But the more this happened, the more pressure Shi Xiaoai felt.
Such a deep trust made her feel touched and also felt that she had an obligation to do her part.
There is a direct bus from the suburbs to the alley where I live. Because it is a weekday and it is very cold outside, there are not many people on the bus and there are seats all the way.
But even so, the two children were extremely tired. When they got off the bus, they were so sleepy that they were staggering and couldn't even walk.
Shi Xiaoai sighed silently, put on her schoolbag, then bent down and carried Xiaoxi on her back.
She reached out to take the bag from Xiao Rui, but the child dodged her and said, "Mom, I'll take it myself."
The child said this and tried to grab the schoolbag hanging around her neck.
Shi Xiaoai shook her head, took the little guy's hand, and slowly walked home with the brother and sister.
As the family of three walked into the alley, they saw several people standing at their door from a distance, apparently preparing to knock on the door.
Seeing them come back, Aunt Liu Hongxiang was the first to greet them: "Xiao Ai, this is Director Yu from our office. These are comrades from the Military Support Office. We've all come to visit you!"
After hearing Liu Hongxiang's introduction, they knew that the thin and weak woman in front of them, who looked younger than her actual age, was the one they were going to provide preferential treatment to today.
A woman in her thirties hurried over and enthusiastically reached out to hug Xiaoxi, who was still being carried on Xiaoai's back.
At this time, Xiaoxi, seeing so many strangers, quickly jumped off her mother's back and stood obediently with her brother.
The woman didn't hug Xiaoxi, but instead extended her hand to Shi Xiaoai, smiled and introduced herself, "Hello, Comrade Shi Xiaoai, I'm Yang Ruihua, deputy director of the District Military Support Office. The street office has already informed us about your family's situation.
We're here today to learn more about your husband and to visit you and your child on behalf of the district."
After saying that, she reached out and rubbed Mingrui's head, sighing, "It's not easy to be a military family member, and it's even harder for you, a female comrade, to take care of two children!"
After hearing this, Shi Xiaoai of course thanked them repeatedly and then warmly let the group into the yard.
The family left home early in the morning and spent a long time in the cemetery. It was already past three o'clock in the afternoon.
Although Xiao Ai and her two children had eaten some of the dry food they brought with them on the way, they were still hungry and thirsty.
Adults can still cover it up, but children can't fake it.
As soon as they entered the door, the two little guys were no longer sleepy. They ran quickly to the kitchen together. After entering, they picked up the teacup on the chopping board and drank the remaining cold water in it.
The winter wind is bitingly cold.
Especially in the wilderness, there is not even a place to hide.
They were already cold after running outside for most of the day, so how could Shi Xiaoai dare to let the two children drink such cold water?
If you get sick again, that would be troublesome!
So she didn't care about these people anymore, said "sorry" and rushed in.
She snatched the teacups from the children's hands and stopped them, saying, "You can't drink this. It will give you diarrhea! Wait a moment, don't move, wait! Mom will boil some water for you right away."
As she spoke, she hurried to poke the stove, but when she took down the kettle on it, she found that the stove was out again.
The two children were originally standing aside waiting obediently, but when they saw that there was no fire in the stove, their eyes were suddenly filled with disappointment.
Looking at the teacup placed high by his mother, Xiaoxi pursed his lips and said softly, "Mom, I'm thirsty, I'll just drink one sip."
The voice sounded extremely aggrieved, and it was obvious that there was a hint of crying in it.
Xiao Rui knows a little more than his sister.
He looked at the adults who had followed him, then reached out and pulled his sister, signaling her not to cry.
Then the little fellow walked silently to the corner and started digging in the pile of small pieces of wood, apparently preparing to find some wood chips to start a fire.
Seeing this scene, Liu Hongxiang was the first to feel distressed.
She hurriedly squeezed in and hugged Xiaoxi in her arms.
Then he said to Xiao Rui, "No more babies, no more babies. Rui, come home with grandma. Let's go home and have some water!"
After saying that, she looked at Shi Xiaoai and said to her, "Xiaoai, you talk to the director and the comrades from the Military Support Office first. I'll take them home to drink some water first. I'll bring them back with some coal later. Don't light the fire."
Shi Xiaoai knew that it was inappropriate to deal with these family matters at this time.
There was nothing we could do just now. Children are the greatest in the world.
But now that she had Aunt Liu's help, she naturally agreed quickly.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
After the three people left, Shi Xiaoai invited everyone into the house and pulled out the benches for everyone to sit on.
Although the stove was out and it was almost as cold inside as outside, there was no point in letting the guests stand outside.
Before they came, they actually already had a general understanding of the situation of Shi Xiaoai's family.
But no matter how much you hear, it is not as good as seeing it with your own eyes.
In fact, when we saw her carrying one child on her slender body and then holding the other's hand while walking back with so many things, everyone felt a little sad.
At this moment, seeing the three people who were exhausted returning home, only to face a cold house and a cold stove, and even a drink of hot water becoming a luxury for such a young child, I felt even worse.
This is a military dependent!
The husband/father is fighting on the battlefield to defend his country, but his wife and children in the rear are living like this!
The more they thought about it, the more ashamed they felt. They all felt that they had not done their job well and had not taken good care of the soldiers' families.
The soldiers bleed on the battlefield. As an advanced unit supporting the military in this city, they cannot let the families of the soldiers shed tears in the rear again!
Yang Ruihua and his colleagues looked at each other and made up their minds at the same time!
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