On Sunday afternoon, Fang Yu was packing her schoolbag as she prepared to return to school. Hua Hua helped her fold the dried clothes and put them into the bag. "I'm so envious that you can live on campus," Hua Hua said softly.
"I don't want to live at school, but I do because my mom isn't home. You can live at school next year when you go to junior high."
"Maybe not. My grandma won't be home next year. I need to go home to make breakfast or something. My brother will have someone to look after him."
Fang Yu carried her schoolbag, a change of clothes, and this week's rice and vegetables to the school gate.
"Fang Yu!" A voice came from the side. Shi Feihao, who was sitting on a pile of large rocks by the school gate, waved to her and then ran over. Shi Feihao was the youngest son of Fang San Di and Er Jie, and he was in the third year of junior high school here.
"Fang Yu, my mom wants you to come to my house for dinner next weekend."
"No need, I'm going home." Fang Yu carried the bag and walked into the school.
The boys sitting next to Shi Feihao chimed in, "Cousin, they're asking you to go to your cousin's house."
After Fang Yu started studying here, Shi Feihao often came to the classroom to find her, but since the other students knew that he was the son of Fang Yu's second aunt, no one said anything.
However, Fang Yu had a strange dislike for him, even though he didn't say anything, always pretending to be a cousin caring for his cousin.
When Fang Shugen still had time to do farm work at home, he would go to work at the factory.
Fang Shugen's mother and Hua Mei were weeding in their sweet potato field. The sweet potato vines were growing vigorously, and the lush green leaves covered the ground. She thought that in a few months they would be able to dig up the sweet potatoes. Once the busy farming season was over, she would pack her things and go up the mountain to find Ren Lutong. This gave her a sense of anticipation.
"Hua Mei, you'll be doing all this work from now on. Shu Gen and I have already agreed that next year we'll plant less rice and sweet potatoes, just enough to eat. Use the energy you have in the fields to work at the factory; you'll earn more. While I'm away, you need to be diligent and take good care of things at home. Shu Gen will be earning money outside, and our lives will get better and better," Fang Shu Gen's mother said to Hua Mei.
Hua Mei nodded. She knew that Fang Shugen's mother would not be home after the busy farming season and the sweet potato harvest this year.
Fang Shugen had told her that her mother would be leaving home in a few months and that she would be responsible for most of the housework, but he hadn't told her where her mother was going, fearing that mentioning that place would cause Hua Mei to become emotionally unstable for a while.
Hua Mei felt a sense of anticipation when she realized that Fang Shugen's mother would be away from home for a while.
"Tree Root Mother! Tree Root Mother!" came the shouts of a neighbor from afar.
Fang Shugen's mother straightened up, wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, and responded in the direction of the voice: "Hey, over here."
"You have guests at your house. They say they're looking for you. Go back and check on them!" the neighbor shouted, waving his hand.
Fang Shugen's mother hurriedly patted the dirt off her trousers. "Hua Mei, we have guests at home, I'll go back first. Pull all the weeds out of this patch and come back later."
A man dressed in light gray clothes, about the same age as Fang Shugen, stood at the door. He was carrying an old briefcase. Upon seeing her, he took the initiative to greet her, "Auntie, I am Ren Lutong's son."
Fang Shugen's mother was stunned for a moment, then looked him over carefully. She could indeed see the resemblance to Ren Lutong in his features. She quickly invited him in, "Come in and sit down, come inside."
Ren Lutong's son followed her into the house, and Fang Shugen's mother poured him a glass of water. "Here, have some water. Where did you come from?"
Ren Lutong's son's eyes darkened, and Fang Shugen's mother's heart skipped a beat, and she inexplicably panicked. "Oh, you've come here? Is there something you need?"
Ren Lutong's son sniffed and turned his mouth down.
"What happened to Lu Tong?" Fang Shugen's mother had a bad feeling.
“My dad, my dad’s gone,” Ren Lutong’s son said, his voice trembling with sobs. “A few days ago, my dad went to the county town to submit some documents to the forest ranger station. When he was crossing the road, a truck’s brakes failed…”
“They’re gone…” Fang Shugen’s mother stood there, stunned, as if all her strength had been drained away. The cup she was about to hand over crashed to the ground with a “bang.”
Fang Shugen's mother stared blankly, her lips moved several times before she managed to squeeze out a mumbled question, "He's gone?"
She opened her mouth as if to ask again, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she could only make a choking "hoarse" sound. Her shoulders slumped uncontrollably, and if Ren Lutong's son hadn't helped her up, she would have almost collapsed to the ground.
Ren Lutong's son knew a little about the relationship between Fang Shugen's mother and Ren Lutong, but he wasn't very clear on the specifics. He had come to talk about something else, but seeing Fang Shugen's mother like this, he didn't know how to continue. "Auntie, where are the rest of your family?"
"The others?" Fang Shugen's mother chuckled a few times. "The others? I've been putting it off here year after year for them. I promised to go in a few months this year, ha, ha!"
Ren Lutong's son hadn't yet delivered the message he was supposed to, so he sat and waited for the rest of the family to arrive.
Fang Shugen's mother didn't even bother to entertain him anymore; her tears grew heavier and heavier, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.
After sitting for a long time, Ren Lutong's son thought, "Why don't I just deliver the message to her? But seeing her like this, and knowing these words were entrusted to me by my father before he died, I can't be careless. I'll just have to wait."
When Fang Huahua and Fang Jingming came home from school, Fang Shugen's mother ignored them.
"Little friends, where are your parents?" Ren Lutong's son immediately asked.
Fang Huahua and Fang Jingming looked at the stranger. "My mom works in the fields, and my dad works in the factory."
"Could you go and call him?"
"Oh!" Fang Jingming turned to go out to the fields to find his mother, but Fang Huahua stopped him and whispered in his ear, "It's no use calling Mom over."
Fang Jingming stopped again.
Just then, Hua Mei returned. She glanced at Ren Lutong's son and Fang Shugen's mother. "You," Ren Lutong's son was about to speak when she acted as if nothing had happened, said nothing, put down her basket, and went to wash her hands.
Before Ren Lutong's son could even speak, Hua Mei had already gone outside to collect the clothes.
Ren Lutong's son looked back at Fang Shugen's mother, who was curled up motionless on the low bamboo chair, her arms wrapped around herself, but it was as if she could not grasp anything, and her eyes were covered with a layer of gray.
Fang Huahua and Fang Jingming were doing their homework on the stools, while Huamei took her clothes to her room.
Ren Lutong's son was puzzled by this family. He had been waiting for so long, but none of the people who came could speak. "Little friend, who else in your family hasn't come back yet?" He couldn't wait any longer and went to Huahua and Fang Jingming to ask.
“My dad!” Fang Jingming replied.
When is your dad coming back?
"Wait a moment."
"Does your dad have any influence?"
"Huh?" Fang Huahua and Fang Jingming looked at Ren Lutong, both puzzled.
Ren Lutong's son looked outside and asked, "Will your dad be back before dark?"
"able."
"Okay, you guys do your homework, I'll wait a bit longer."
"Uncle, what do you do? What do you want with my dad?" Fang Huahua asked.
"Well, I need to talk to your dad about something. Is he far from here? Maybe I can go there to find him."
"He'll be back soon. We can wait for him after school and he'll be back soon."
"Okay, I'll go now. I won't be able to see him when he comes back."
There was the sound of a bicycle stopping outside. Fang Shugen saw an unfamiliar bicycle parked at the door. He walked in and looked back with a puzzled expression.
"My dad's back!" Fang Jingming shouted.
Ren Lutong's son stood up.
"Who are you?" Fang Shugen asked, sizing him up.
"I am Ren Lutong's son."
"Oh, sit down, come here..." Before Fang Shugen could finish asking.
"Gone, he's gone!" Fang Shugen's mother finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
“Uncle Lutong…” Fang Shugen looked at Ren Lutong’s son and his heart skipped a beat.
Ren Lutong's son nodded.
Fang Shugen was also stunned by this unexpected news.
“They just disappeared like that!” Fang Shugen’s mother cried with tears and snot in her eyes.
"Mother, Mother," Fang Shugen called out a few times, not knowing how to comfort his mother.
Fang Shugen looked at his mother, then pulled Ren Lutong's son aside, "Do you know about your father and my mother's affair?"
"I know a little, but I'm here for something else."
"What is it?"
"When we were notified to rush over, my dad was still being resuscitated. His injuries were too severe, and he couldn't be saved. Before he breathed his last, he told me to come and tell you something,"
"Hmm." Fang Shugen nodded, waiting for Ren Lutong's son to continue.
He called me over and said that the girl is doing well now, and that we shouldn't worry about her and that we don't need to look for her.
Fang Shugen's eyes immediately reddened, his lips trembled, and his voice became hoarse, "Did they say where it is?"
"He didn't say anything else, but my dad probably just wanted to let you know so you can rest assured. I've delivered the message, and I'm going back now."
"Is there any other news?" Fang Shugen wanted to know more about his daughter.
"No, I don't even know who that girl is. My dad just told me to come here and tell him, so I came."
Fang Shugen clasped his hands tightly and didn't invite Ren Lutong's son to stay for dinner.
Ren Lutong's son was also in a hurry to get going, so he said to Fang Shugen's mother, "Auntie, I'm leaving now," and hurriedly got on his bicycle and left.
Seeing that Ren Lutong's son had ridden far away, Fang Shugen realized that he had come all this way to tell them that he hadn't even invited him to eat.
"Mother!" Fang Shugen came to his mother's side.
“I originally planned to go after the New Year in the first half of the year.” Fang Shugen’s mother sat blankly. “If I went after the New Year, I could see him one last time.”
“Mom, I know, it’s all for us. You’re worried, and you want to teach Huahua how to cook. Look, I’ve already planted the sweet potatoes this year. You wanted to help harvest them first, but it’s been delayed until now. And then…”
"I didn't even get to see him one last time before he left," Fang Shugen's mother murmured.
"Dad, I'll go cook dinner." Fang Huahua said when she saw her grandmother like this.
"Okay, you go and burn it."
Fang Shugen's mother didn't eat much for dinner either. Given her current condition, Fang Shugen didn't mention the matter of his second daughter to her.
She was just wondering whether Uncle Lu Tong had always known where she was, whether he told them before leaving, or whether he suddenly found out her whereabouts. At the time, it was her mother and he who arranged for her to be sent away, and she didn't know where to look for her.
Looking at Hua Mei, Fang Shugen didn't dare to say anything. He didn't know her exact whereabouts, and if he brought it up with her, she might go crazy again.
Fang Shugen thought he would talk to his mother after she calmed down a bit.
But Fang Shugen's mother's mood worsened, and she often muttered to herself, "Why did she leave like that... She promised to wait for me to come..." As she muttered, her voice suddenly rose, with a high-pitched tremor, and her hands began to grope around as if trying to grab something, but she only grasped at air. "If only I had gone sooner," she began to mutter again.
"Shugen, what's wrong with your mother?" asked an unsuspecting neighbor.
"My mother, my mother, she's probably frightened," Fang Shugen answered vaguely.
"There are hospitals that specialize in treating this now, you should take your mother to see one."
"Oh, what hospital is it?" Fang Shugen asked immediately.
"Mental hospital".
"There are hospitals like this?" someone nearby asked in surprise.
“Yes,” the neighbor answered confidently. “I only said so because I knew someone had gone to see it. It seems to have just opened, and people specifically came here to check it out.” The man even pointed to his head.
“If such a hospital really existed, Mei Hao’s husband works at the People’s Hospital, so he should have known about it and taken Mei Xiang to see a doctor. But Mei Xiang stayed at home and didn’t go to see a doctor.”
“Meixiang, look at her these past few years, her mother often takes her out, and they go to the fields too. It’s not like she has to be hospitalized for treatment.”
"It seems so. Meixiang looks much better than before. She can even help her mother carry baskets and such. Shugen, go and ask her family. Meixiang has been getting better over the years, so your mother is just starting out and has a better chance."
After returning home, Fang Shugen hesitated for a long time, but still gritted his teeth and went to Fang Meixiang's house.
Fang Meixiang's mother was carrying a bundle of firewood out of the woodshed, intending to take it to the kitchen.
"Meixiang's mother!" Fang Shugen called out.
Fang Meixiang's mother was quite surprised to see him. In the past, his two children, Fang Huahua and Fang Jingming, often came to watch TV, but he and his mother never came to her house.
"Meixiangniang, I've come to ask you something."
"Oh, what is it?" Fang Meixiang's mother stopped, still holding firewood.
"Let me help you carry the firewood over there." Fang Shugen reached out to take it.
"No need, no need, I can carry you." Fang Meixiang's mother stepped aside.
"Then put it down first, and I'll ask you something later."
"Okay." Fang Meixiang's mother carried the firewood into the kitchen, while Fang Shugen stood outside and did not follow.
"Tree roots, what's going on?" Fang Meixiang's mother asked as she brushed the wood chips off her clothes.
"I'd like to ask if Meixiang is currently taking any medication?"
Fang Meixiang's mother probably knew what he was going to ask. She didn't have a bad impression of Fang Shugen, unlike his mother. "You didn't take your medicine. Are you asking because of your mother?"
"Yes, my mother is like this now. They told me to take her to a mental hospital to see a specialist for this problem. They also said that Meixiang is getting better and better. They asked me to come and ask where you went for treatment and whether you are taking any medication?"
"I, Meixiang, haven't taken any medicine. You're saying there are hospitals that specialize in treating this disease?" Fang Meixiang's mother's eyes widened instantly.
"Yes, it just opened. Meihao's husband works at the hospital, so he should know about it. That's why I came to ask you first."
“Meixiang is getting better and better. Wenzhao told us to treat her like a normal person, to do more things with her, to talk to her more, and not to agitate her. There’s nothing else. I don’t know about the hospital you mentioned. We haven’t taken any medicine.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com