The December wind was chilly, but it couldn't dampen the passion within the Huang family. Huang Wenbin had already written to say he would be honorably discharged and returning home at the end of the month. Grandma Huang had moved to the city in the middle of the month, eager to wait for her eldest grandson. Every day, she and Grandma Huang busied themselves stuffing sausages and smoking bacon.
"These are Wenbin's favorite foods. Although we have sent them to him in the past few years, there are so many people in the army. I don't know how many bites the child can eat." Grandma Huang said softly while busying herself, her eyes starting to turn red.
Seeing this, Wenxia murmured quietly:
"Our grandma is still partial to me. I haven't seen her treat me so well since I came back from the capital."
When Huang Nai heard what Wen Xia said, she immediately took off her shoes and held them in her hands, pretending to be angry and said:
"You silly kid, you've only been gone for a few days, how can I care about you? Besides, your elder brother went there to suffer hardships, while you went away to play and enjoy yourself. Come here, I'll caress you with the soles of my shoes."
When Wenxia saw Huangnai's attitude, he quickly ran away.
"Grandma, your ears are so good, you can hear everything. I don't want you to be precious anymore."
"Hmph, your grandma, I just couldn't see clearly before, but now I can see and hear clearly. You little girl, just behave yourself every day." Grandma Huang said proudly.
Not long after, Grandpa Qi called to ask about Wenbin's situation.
"Wenjuan, is your brother coming back soon?"
"Yes, he wrote to say he would be home by the end of the month."
"Did he reveal any work arrangements?"
"He didn't mention that. I think we should go back to our registered place of residence to report for assignment. That's what I heard Dad say before."
"Then he's going back to the mine. So, I'll call my old colleague in Huanshi to reserve a spot for him. If there's no better arrangement for your brother when he returns, let him report directly to the Railway Bureau."
"That's great, thank you, Grandpa Qi!"
It was already the afternoon of December 31st when Huang Wenbin returned home. Huang's grandmother had been pacing back and forth at the doorway these past few days. When a man in military uniform appeared with luggage, she instinctively stepped forward, took two steps, and then hesitantly asked:
"Is it my Binzi?"
"Grandma, if it's not me, then why don't you recognize me?" Huang Wenbin said jokingly.
"Oh my, my dear grandson, how come you have grown so tall! Darker! Thinner!" Grandma Huang touched her grandson's dark face with heartache, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm taller, but not thinner. I've gained 20 pounds. I'm just stronger. Feel my muscles."
Huang Wenbin showed off his arms as he spoke, and his strong muscles made Huang Nai burst into laughter.
"Binzi is back! I have to go and call your mother back."
When Grandma Huang heard Huang Wenbin's voice, she also came out of the house and shouted happily.
Huang Wenbin's return made the house very lively. When Shaozi and others came back from work and saw him, they naturally started to play around with him, punching each other and laughing.
"Oh, that's great. Boy, the army is awesome. They've trained you to be tall and strong. Now none of us can be your match." Whistle patted Huang Wenbin on the back and said with a smile.
"Nonsense, have I trained for three years in vain? You all come together and try." Huang Wenbin immediately showed off his strength.
Huang's mother saw this and quickly stopped them, saying, "Alright, stop it! Look at how powerful you are, and you still want to fight five of us alone? In the past few years when you were not home, Hu Zi and the others have helped our family and the store a lot. I cannot agree if you hurt them."
"I'm just kidding, Mom. After not seeing you for three years, I, your son, have no place in our family. Poor me, I miss home and you guys every night while I'm away from home." Huang Wenbin deliberately pretended to be aggrieved.
"Look at the sausages drying in our yard. These are all prepared by your grandma and grandma for you. Do you think you have a place in our family?"
Huang's mother looked at her son with a smile. Having been in business for several years, she could see through her son's tricks at a glance.
"My grandma and grandma are still the best to me. Mom, why do I feel like you have changed?" Huang Wenbin said somewhat aggrievedly.
"Why have you changed? How can I not be your mother? Stop talking nonsense. You can stay in Wenxia's room first and bring your luggage over." Huang's mother urged.
When the three sisters returned home from school, they were even more surprised to see Huang Wenbin.
"Brother, how come you've grown so tall? What did you eat?" Wen Xia asked in surprise, his eyes full of curiosity.
Wenrong also echoed, "No wonder they say that green onions in Shandong Province are taller than children. This land is different. My eldest brother has become the tallest in our family."
"Why does this sound so awkward? Xiaoxia, you have grown a lot taller. Wenrong, have you two grown taller?" Huang Wenbin looked at his two sisters jokingly.
"Of course I've grown! I was 163cm tall last year, and I can still grow taller for another two years." Xu Mengyao immediately responded.
"Hey, I'm your brother, I'm already 1.8 meters tall. I breathe more easily after growing taller." Huang Wenbin showed off deliberately.
"That's amazing! You've changed the genes of our Huang family. Oh, by the way, you may not know that my eldest sister is shooting a commercial." Xu Mengyao said.
"Is it true? Where is it? Let me see it?" Huang Wenbin asked in surprise.
The family sat together, chattering about the little things in their lives that hadn't happened in the past few years. He had a vague feeling that things had changed in his family, seeing how Huang's father now consulted his mother before speaking or doing anything, how his grandfather's family was all doing business in Huanshi, and how Huang's mother was treating him and his father.
He saw the eldest sister appearing in the advertisement on TV again; he heard that the second sister made a lot of money by investing, and had traveled to Hai City and Beijing several times, and even Whistle got involved to show off the prosperity of Hai City; Hu Zi Badan and the others excitedly talked about how good their skills were now, and even the usually taciturn Guizi started talking and smiling more; there was also a little girl in the family that he had never seen before.
Huang Wenbin sat in the middle of the living room, looking around at his family members who were both familiar and unfamiliar to him. For a moment, the huge amount of information made his head dizzy.
"Before I came back, I thought that I had changed the most in the family in these three years. I didn't expect so many things to happen to you. I can't accept so many changes." Huang Wenbin said with a bitter face, looking a little depressed.
Wen Xia's heartless voice came from the side.
"What's wrong, big brother? Try this juice. My second sister brought it back from Haicheng. There are only a few bottles left and I can't bear to drink it. It tastes best with fried skewers. I'll give you a bottle, okay?" After saying that, he picked up a fried skewer and ate it with gusto, with a little sauce hanging from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing his younger sister's satisfied expression, Huang Wenbin's mood gradually brightened. Although much had changed at home, his younger sister was still the same younger sister, and the family bond remained unchanged. He also had to work harder to keep up with the changes in his family.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
