Chapter 23

On Friday, Lin Nanzhi had a physical education class, but she requested leave from the teacher and left. This semester, she had performed exceptionally well, consistently ranking among the top students. In last week’s monthly exam, she even secured the first place in her grade.

Compared to before, many people believed Lin Nanzhi was a hardworking student, just previously overlooked by her teachers. As a result, everyone attributed her success to the new homeroom teacher’s guidance. Because of this, the teacher even received a bonus and naturally favored Lin Nanzhi, approving her leave without hesitation.

Holding the leave slip, Lin Nanzhi left the school but didn’t head home. Instead, she took a bus to the neighboring town.

The town next door was called Jing’an Town, which was where Lin Mu’s maternal family lived.

Her parents had always treated Lin Mu very well. Now that they had built a new house, they naturally wanted to invite the elderly couple to stay with them for a while. However, Lin Mu had gone to Zhejiang Province to handle some matters and couldn’t return today, so she asked Lin Nanzhi and Lin Nanxuan to pick them up.

When Lin Nanzhi got off the bus, she immediately saw her older sister, Lin Nanxuan, waiting at the station. A crowd had gathered around her, but Lin Nanxuan remained calm. As soon as she saw Lin Nanzhi, she waved.

Lin Nanzhi vaguely heard people around them discussing whether they were foreigners.

Neither she nor Lin Nanxuan paid attention to the remarks. They had gotten used to it. In the past, they would explain, but now, there was no need.

“I’ve already bought everything. The bus is over there, but we still have to wait a bit before it leaves.”

“Alright. Did you bring the wheelchair?”

“Yes, it’s in the car.”

Lin Nanzhi nodded.

Their grandparents were quite old now. When their grandmother was young, she had fallen off a mountain while herding sheep. Though she survived, her leg was broken. Their family couldn’t afford medical treatment, so it was left untreated.

Later, when Lin Mu had money, she wanted to take her mother to see a doctor, but their grandmother had severe motion sickness. No matter what kind of vehicle she took, she would feel dizzy and start vomiting within a minute. After two attempts, she refused to go through the ordeal again.

Lin Nanzhi remembered that every time they visited, their grandmother would always be sitting in her chair, never moving. Their grandfather never gave up, though—he studied traditional medicine, gathered herbs, and used them to soak and massage her feet. His hands became rough and withered from handling medicinal herbs, but his efforts brought their grandmother a miracle.

Although her legs never fully recovered, she could now move occasionally. Otherwise, staying seated all the time would have caused serious problems.

Thinking of her grandmother’s condition, Lin Nanzhi specifically asked Lin Nanxuan to buy a wheelchair for her. As for motion sickness, she had already mixed spiritual spring water into a thermos of hot water.

If their grandmother sipped it occasionally, she might not feel sick. It wasn’t guaranteed, but it was worth a try.

The two of them headed to the bus station.

The vehicle they took was a minivan, a type of informal taxi common in Wumeng. It transported passengers between small towns and villages and could even go to the city. Most of these were privately owned cars used to earn extra income, making travel more convenient for villagers.

Lin Nanxuan pulled Lin Nanzhi onto the bus, where a few passengers were already seated. Some of them immediately recognized Lin Nanxuan since she often visited with their mother. However, Lin Nanzhi rarely came due to her busy school schedule, so it was understandable that they didn’t recognize her.

A few people warmly greeted Lin Nanxuan, “Xuanxuan, you’re here! Oh, is this your younger sister? She’s adorable.”

Lin Nanzhi wasn’t fond of talking to strangers, so she simply smiled in response, found a seat, and remained quiet.

After a few more passengers boarded, the vehicle was full. The driver got in and started the engine, heading toward the village.

Their grandmother’s house was located halfway up a mountain. The mountain was very steep, with winding roads, and most of them were dirt paths filled with potholes, making for a very bumpy ride.

Every time the vehicle turned; passengers would bump into each other. Sitting near the edge, Lin Nanzhi tightly gripped the handle above her seat, while Lin Nanxuan held onto her.

About twenty minutes later, the vehicle climbed to the mountainside and continued onward. Although the roads weren’t paved, they were covered with gravel, making them slightly easier to navigate. However, the sharp turns were still numerous, which could make people prone to motion sickness.

—-

After a few minutes, they reached a bridge. From there, they needed to walk about thirty meters to reach their grandparents’ house, which was the second one along the path. The sisters got off the bus.

“Uncle, we’ll need to head back down later. Could you take us again?”

This was the last bus trip of the day since the market was closing. If they wanted the driver to make another trip, they had to ask in advance.

“Sure, just have your grandfather call me ten minutes before you need to leave.”

“Got it.”

After paying the fare, the two sisters looked at the pile of things they had brought and felt a bit overwhelmed.

The walk was only thirty meters, but the road wasn’t paved and was full of muddy potholes from recent rain. Otherwise, they could have used the wheelchair to carry the items.

“Here’s the plan. I’ll carry some of the stuff first while you watch over the rest. I’ll go find our cousins to help.” Lin Nanxuan picked up two boxes of milk and walked off, leaving Lin Nanzhi to move their things to the side and wait.

About twenty minutes later, Lin Nanxuan returned with a sixty-year-old elderly man, a forty-year-old middle-aged man, and two young men in their teens or twenties.

These were their grandfather, uncle, and older cousins.

“Why did you buy so much stuff?”

The sisters just smiled without answering.

Each person carried some of the items, and the oldest cousin slung the wheelchair over his shoulder. In no time, they had moved everything.

Their grandmother’s house was a two-story building. The upper floor was made of earth bricks, while the lower part was built from stone and used for raising pigs.

The house was spacious, with several rooms in a row. The second uncle’s family lived in the first room, the grandparents in the middle, and the eldest uncle’s family in the last one. There were seven or eight walnut trees planted at the entrance, and beside the house flowed a large river.

Although they raised pigs and sheep, the abundance of trees kept the air fresh. The sound of a nearby waterfall added to the peaceful atmosphere.

“Grandma!”

Since their grandmother couldn’t move much, she had been sitting inside, looking out. She quickly spotted a small head approaching.

The entrance had a double wooden door, with a smaller wooden gate outside. Excited, Lin Nanzhi rushed in, forgetting that chickens were kept inside. As soon as she pushed the door open, a chicken perched on it flapped its wings and nearly scratched her face.

Startled, she quickly stepped back, her heart pounding.

“Did it scare you?”

“No, no,” she waved her hand and walked inside.

The house was dark. Since their grandmother had bad legs and was afraid of the cold, she kept a fire burning year-round. It was fueled by firewood, making the room smoky and dim.

“What brings you two here?”

“Mom asked us to pick you up so you can stay with us for a while.”

Lin Nanye’s condition had improved significantly. The doctor said it might be related to his mood and suggested he recover at home with regular check-ups.

After sending Lin Nanye home, their mother had gone to Zhejiang Province.

Since it was Friday and Lin Nanxuan had no classes, and their mother was about to return, they had come to bring their grandparents over.