Chapter 57 : Meeting My Parents

On the way, Su Mo found a secluded spot, put the coarse cloth and bamboo basket into her space, hung the kerosene on the bicycle handlebars, and took out the small stove she used during the apocalypse. She tied it to the back seat of the bike with a rope.

When passing by the commune supply and marketing cooperative, Su Mo glanced inside and saw that it was still crowded with people.

It seemed that the determination of uncles and aunts should not be underestimated in any era.

According to the timing, the brigade’s grain should be drying soon, and the public grain payment would probably be made soon. After the payment, the grain and money would be distributed.

Su Mo was a bit excited. Although she didn’t have many work points, she was curious about the public grain payment and work points settlement. This was the most significant event for all production teams in this era. When the time came, she had to go and see the grand occasion.

When she arrived at the brigade, Su Mo deliberately took a small path, but she still met a group of aunts who were carrying peeled corn kernels to the brigade warehouse. Li Yue’e was among them.

Upon seeing Li Yue’e, Su Mo had no choice but to stop and called out, “Mom.”

“Did you go to the supply and marketing cooperative?” Li Yue’e asked casually.

“Yes, I went to mail a letter. I also brought you a pound of kerosene, and I’ll deliver it to you in the evening,” Su Mo replied.

“I can get it myself after work.” Li Yue’e waved her hand, then noticed the stove on the back seat of Su Mo’s bike. “Where did you get the stove from?”

“Someone didn’t want it, so I traded with them. I live alone, and it’s a waste of firewood to use a large stove, so a small stove is more convenient,” Su Mo explained.

She had used the stove for many years, and it was quite old, so it was understandable that others didn’t want it.

Li Yue’e walked over and patted it. Although it looked a bit old, it was still quite sturdy and should last a long time.

“It’s pretty good. It’s really convenient for one person,” Li Yue’e said. “Go ahead, I’ll come get the kerosene after work.”

The third brother’s wife was thoughtful. She had just mentioned it casually, but Su Mo remembered and brought it back for her.

When Su Mo returned home, she placed the stove in its spot, then went back to her room, took out the coarse cloth, and started cutting.

Mo Yurong’s figure was similar to hers, so she planned to make hers first, then measure Su Tingqian’s after meeting him.

Su Mo worked quickly, and by 5 o’clock, she put everything into her space to avoid Li Yue’e seeing it when she came later.

Then she went to the well to draw water and watered the vegetable plots in the yard. Each plot had small vegetable seedlings about an inch tall, and the ground was covered with tender green, which looked especially pleasing.

Li Yue’e hadn’t been to Su Mo’s place for two or three days. When she came in, she was shocked to see how well the vegetables in the yard had grown.

Thinking about the sparse vegetable seedlings in her own garden, Li Yue’e began to doubt herself.

Could it be that she had been growing vegetables wrong all these years? Should she just sow them directly on the ground like Third Brother wife did, so they’d grow faster?

After watering the plants, Su Mo looked up and saw Li Yue’e standing at the gate of the yard, lost in thought. She asked in surprise, “Mom, you’re here? Why don’t you come in?”

“Third daughter-in-law, how come your vegetables are growing so well? Did you use artificial fertilizer?”

But she didn’t smell anything in the yard, not like artificial fertilizer. Besides, Third Brother had only been living there for a few days, so where would the artificial fertilizer come from?

“Ah? I didn’t use any fertilizer, I just watered them,” Su Mo said.

“Really no fertilizer?”

“Really.”

“Oh!” Li Yue’e was a little dazed, her professional knowledge shaken.

Maybe their method was wrong. She’d try planting the same way next spring.

Li Yue’e no longer had the energy to teach Su Mo how to grow vegetables. She took the kerosene and left quickly, forgetting to give Su Mo the money she had intended to.

After dinner and washing up, Su Mo closed the doors and windows, hung the curtains, turned on the desk lamp, and continued making cotton clothes. It wasn’t until 11 o’clock at night that she finished making Mo Yurong’s cotton clothes.

Although the style was simple and ordinary, most cotton coats of this era were like this. As long as it was warm and wearable, it was fine.

Su Mo put away her things and went to bed.

The next day, around four o’clock, Su Mo set out with her backpack.

She crossed over the mountain and hid on the opposite mountain near the Lijiaao cowshed, quietly observing the situation at the cowshed.

She didn’t know what was going on there yet, so it would be useless to go there rashly. She needed to find an opportunity to meet her parents and learn more about the situation.

After waiting for about half an hour, a man and a woman emerged from the cowshed, carrying backpacks.

As soon as Su Mo saw them, her tears immediately began to fall. She didn’t understand why, but it must have been because after receiving the original owner’s memories, she also absorbed the original owner’s emotions.

Su Mo wiped away her tears and continued to scan her surroundings, checking if anyone else was nearby.

The man and woman started walking up the mountain. After waiting for a while, Su Mo saw that there was no one else around, so she followed them up the mountain. Before leaving, she also took two cabbage and pork buns from her space, wrapped them in wax paper, and put them in her backpack.

The wax paper had originally been used to wrap an egg cake she had bought. She didn’t throw it away but kept it in her space.

Su Mo moved quickly and soon caught up with the two of them. She picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the grass near them.

When they heard the noise, they turned around and saw Su Mo. Their eyes widened immediately, and Mo Yurong burst into tears. Although they were overwhelmed with emotion, they didn’t make any other moves. Instead, they subtly waved at Su Mo and used lip language to signal her to leave quickly.

It was beginning to get light, and soon villagers would be coming up the mountain.

Su Mo shook her head and gestured for them to follow her. Seeing Su Mo’s firm attitude, the two nodded and followed her at a distance as they continued up the mountain.

Ten minutes later, the three of them arrived at a secluded valley. Su Mo had spotted this place when scouting the area earlier. It was well-hidden, with good terrain. From this position, they could see anyone coming from below, but those from below wouldn’t be able to spot them.

By now, the sky had brightened, and Su Mo could clearly see the two people.

In the original owner’s memories, Su Tingqian had always been handsome and elegant, with extraordinary looks, and Mo Yurong was gentle, virtuous, and a true middle-aged beauty.

The two people in front of her were now wearing old coarse cloth clothes, their origins unclear. Su Tingqian’s temples were graying, his face was gaunt, and he had a lot of stubble. Mo Yurong looked the same, her long hair had been cut short, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were very prominent. She looked incredibly haggard.

The emotions Su Mo had been suppressing for so long could no longer be contained and burst out. She choked on her tears and called out, “Dad, Mom.” She couldn’t speak anymore, and tears fell freely.

Mo Yurong had been crying uncontrollably for a long time. She rushed over to hug Su Mo and cried in a suppressed voice, “Nannan, my Nannan.”

Su Tingqian’s eyes were also red. He blamed himself for the suffering his wife and daughter had endured.

The mother and daughter cried together for a while before finally calming down. Su Tingqian then asked the question that had been on his mind “Momo, how did you know that Mom and Dad are here? We just arrived yesterday.”

“Yang Suyun told me in a letter,” Su Mo said.

It was the truth, and it was always her story. After all, the letter Yang Suyun had written to her had long been soaked in river water, and she wouldn’t be able to produce any evidence if she had to confront them. The Yang family had wronged their family, so they deserved no peace.

Su Tingqian frowned. How could the old Yang family know? However, this wasn’t the time to investigate that.

“Momo, after you’ve come here today, don’t come again. Just be a good educated youth and don’t worry about your parents. Your Uncle Geng is the secretary of this commune. Go to him if you have any problems,” Su Tingqian advised.

Su Mo shook her head.

“Be obedient! If you keep going out this early, the other educated youth will notice something strange, and it will be bad for you. If they find out, it could implicate you.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t live in the educated youth camp. I’m married here and have my own house. No one will find out,” Su Mo assured him.

Hearing this, Su Tingqian was shocked, his eyes bloodshot.

In an instant, all the tragic stories he had heard about educated youths sent to the countryside flashed through his mind. After a long pause, he asked with trembling lips, “Did they force you?”

Su Tingqian’s eyes were red with emotion, and Mo Yurong covered her mouth, fearing she might scream out loud. Tears began to fall again.

Her daughter! Her beautiful daughter!