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After finishing work in the afternoon, Wang Zhenhe skinned the rabbits and kept one for his family. He stewed the other one and invited someone over for dinner.
The four siblings arrived at the production team with two fish. They found Zuo Zhanshan and Wu Changyong cooking. The two old men, who had spent their lives in battle, were now cooking with the same urgency as if they were charging into battle. “Grandpa Wu, we’ve come to see you. Look at what we’ve brought for you today.”
Hearing the crisp voice behind them, the two men turned around. Wu Changyong didn’t pay much attention to the group, but he noticed the fish in their hands. “My goodness, what a great thing! I haven’t had fish in so long. We won’t hold back, my dear.”
Wu Changyong took the two large fish from Mingcheng and Mingyuan and went to prepare them. Several old men in the house ran over to see what was happening. They all recognized the little girl who had brought them wormwood to repel mosquitoes last time. Seeing the fish they had brought today, a sense of warmth and familiarity arose.
“Girl, that’s great. You’re taking care of us, the grandpas. Come here and let grandpa give you a hug,” Old Chen walked over and picked up Wang Qian.
“Grandpas, these are my older brothers and sister. You should all get to know each other. If I can’t come over in the future, they can also bring you delicious food,” Wang Qian introduced her siblings.
Seeing the children from the Wang family, the old men nodded with joy. They were all grandfathers and grandmothers, and they all had grandchildren. However, their grandchildren were temporarily out of reach here. Even if they could meet, some of the old men were secretly saddened. What could they do? Perhaps their grandchildren wouldn’t come to see them at all.
Mingyuan and Mingcheng noticed their change in expression. “Grandpas, we’ll have fish later. Let’s talk about some happy things. Life will be much better that way.”
Mr. Cui didn’t expect such keen observation from the little rural children. It was a good sign.
Wang Qian and Wang Xuan saw the two old men bustling around, so they took over the cooking. They used leftover grass and cornstalks to start the fire. The old men watched and couldn’t help but comment, “It’s better to have girls. Look at us old folks, we’re not as efficient as the kids from other families when it comes to cooking. In the future, if I go back, I’ll have to train my granddaughter. She can’t just eat, drink, and play all day. The kids from the countryside are better.”
Mr. Wu sighed, realizing that their children couldn’t be compared to those from other families. It was true that adversity could temper a person.
Soon, the two sisters finished preparing dinner. The old men eagerly gathered around the table, their noses twitching in the air.
“It smells so good. We’re worse off than Old Kǒng. He at least had meat to eat, but we can’t even smell it,” Old Chen expressed the thoughts of everyone present.
“Grandpas, dinner is ready. Come and eat,” the Wang sisters set the table. The siblings planned to return home for dinner.
After preparing the meal at home, Zhang Lan served the three men and then went to find the children. She was worried that the old men wouldn’t have enough to eat if the siblings had dinner there. So, she brought some noodles, a plate of rabbit meat, and a plate of cold dishes from home.
Mr. Cui thought he had walked into the wrong place when he saw a woman entering. However, when he saw the children rushing over, he realized that this was the parent of the children.
Seeing the old men gathered around the table, Zhang Lan noticed the fish brought by the children. The color and aroma seemed to be the work of her children.
“Everyone, the food is ready. I thought the children would eat here, so I brought some food for them. You can also try it. Today, my husband caught a wild rabbit. Come and have a taste,” Zhang Lan brought out the food from the basket. The siblings didn’t hesitate to sit down and eat.
“Grandpas, try the rabbit meat. It’s delicious. My mom’s cooking is really good,” Mingyuan used the chopsticks brought by Zhang Lan to serve the old men. It had been a long time since the old men had smelled the aroma of meat. Looking at the meat in their bowls, their hearts began to stir.
“Niece, sit down and eat with us. It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a lively meal. Eat first, and I have something to tell you later,” Mr. Cui said to the children’s parent. If it had just been his idea earlier, he had now made a decision.
Zhang Lan smiled and said, “Uncle, I’ve already eaten at home. You all enjoy your meal. I’ll just sit here.”
Zhang Lan felt a bit embarrassed, but the old men didn’t hesitate. With such delicious food, they didn’t need to wait any longer. Everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat eagerly. The scene was one that the four siblings hadn’t seen in a long time, a unique style that belonged to their uncle and aunt.
The siblings didn’t eat much and didn’t join in the rush. Wang Qian had been improving their lives at home with delicious food during this time. Now, the children’s faces were truly tender, and their dry, yellow hair had become shiny and black.
“Qianqian, why aren’t you eating?” Old Mr. Zuo looked up and saw that the four children had already put down their chopsticks.
“Grandpa Zuo, we’re done eating. The remaining pancakes are for you. Enjoy,” Wang Qian replied.
The four of them shared the pancakes brought by Zhang Lan with the old men and then obediently sat next to their mother.
The old men were all experienced and could tell if the children had eaten enough. Mr. Zuo picked up the remaining pancakes. “Brothers, don’t be polite. Since the children gave these to us, let’s not disappoint them.”
The meal was quickly finished, and aside from the fish bones and rabbit bones, not a single crumb was left. The delicious meal not only brought a sense of gratitude and warmth, but also nourished their hearts. When their own relatives were about to give up on them, the simple rural family had brought life back to their withered hearts.
Mr. Cui was the first to speak. “Daughter-in-law, I’d like to discuss something with you. We don’t know when we’ll be able to leave here. We may not have much, but we still have some skills. I’m a mechanic, and I think your two boys are quite suitable. They can learn from me. Even if they don’t go to college in the future, they’ll still be able to make a living. I’m afraid that if I die here, my skills will be buried with me. Teaching the children will give them a skill for the future. It’s better to have more skills. What do you think?”
The group, including Zhang Lan and her children, were eager for this outcome, so they readily agreed.
“Brothers, don’t hide your skills. Teach these children. After all, they are the next generation of our country. In the future, they will contribute to society,” Zuo Zhanshan said to the others.
Old Chen walked over and pushed up his glasses. “I’ve spent a few years abroad, so I can teach the children some foreign languages. It might come in handy in the future. If you don’t mind that I’m an old ninth, I’ll do my best to teach the children.”
Old Wu kicked Old Chen from behind. “Old Chen, they are straightforward people. You don’t need to be so formal. It makes me uncomfortable. You can be in charge of teaching the children foreign languages. Old Zhou, you’re a famous accountant. You can teach the two girls. Share your thoughts with them. We old folks will rely on the children to carry on our legacy in the future.”
Old Zhou nodded. “No problem. I can teach that little bit of math with my eyes closed. The children must study hard. If they don’t, I’ll spank them.”
The children all expressed their determination, and Zhang Lan was pleasantly surprised. They had intended to learn from these skilled individuals, but they hadn’t expected them to be so willing to share their knowledge. “Gentlemen, how can we thank you for this?”
Zuo Zhanshan waved his hand and said, ” Niece, it’s settled. Let the children study with these teachers. If you feel uncomfortable, you can send us some delicious food. The children will start learning from tomorrow. The sooner they start, the sooner they will master it.”
Old Wu chimed in with a smile, ” Niece, Zuo and I are good at fighting, but we don’t know much about those formal things. If there’s any trouble, just call us.”
As the laughter subsided, one of the old men said, “Old Wu, you still think you’re young. If we could turn back time, that would be something. But look at you now. We’re afraid you’d be knocked down by someone. You should take it easy.”
Old Wu retorted, “Don’t underestimate me just because I’m old. I can handle a few young people. Back in the day, I could take on several Nationalist soldiers by myself. Although I’m older now, I’m still quick on my feet.”
As Old Wu recounted his past heroics, everyone listened with smiles on their faces. No one raised any objections. They had all been young and full of spirit once. Old Wu’s storytelling seemed to transport them back to that heroic era.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhenhe was also engaged in conversation. After a few minutes, one of the men called Zhang sighed and said, “To be honest, I found out that one of them is actually a distant relative of mine. I didn’t dare to announce that. But back when our family was in difficulty, he helped us a lot. It doesn’t sit right with me that I can’t do anything for him.”
Apologies for the late upload of this chapter. I had some matters to attend to today, which delayed the upload. Take your time to read it.