Chapter 44: The Wanderer Returns Home (Part 1)

The next morning, at dawn.

Mu Mian woke up on time. Outside, she could hear her parents bustling about and chatting.

She yawned, changed into clean clothes, and then combed her long, slightly messy hair. She braided it into a single plait and let it rest on her back.

As she got older, she preferred wearing just one braid instead of two.

Her hair had grown longer, and having two braids swinging around was a bit of a hassle.

One was just right—clean, neat, and stylish.

Breakfast was made by her grandmother, who specially prepared two boiled eggs for her.

She also gave her a corn cob, symbolizing a perfect score.

Mu Mian beamed. “Thank you, Grandma~”

Zhao Meihua smiled as well. “Eat quickly. I think Xiaolian will be here soon.”

Mu Mian nibbled on the corn like a little squirrel. After finishing it, she split the eggs among the three adults. “You all should have some too. If I eat both, I might choke.”

Zhao Meihua refused. “I’ve never heard of anyone choking on eggs. You eat them yourself and score a hundred on your exam.”

Mu Mian swiftly handed an egg half to her grandmother’s mouth. “I’ll still score a hundred even if I don’t eat them!”

Mu Fugui laughed heartily and accepted his half without hesitation. “That’s my girl—so ambitious!”

Mu Mian nodded seriously. “When you have knowledge in your mind, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

She had studied hard for this.

The school had strict requirements for transfer students. Understandably so—if it were too easy, wouldn’t anyone be able to get a diploma?

That wouldn’t be realistic.

Mu Fugui gulped down some porridge and kept talking even while eating. “That’s why people call you educated. Unlike me—I’ve got nothing but crap in my stomach.”

His words immediately earned him three disgusted looks from the women at the table.

Liu Shuangcui clicked her tongue. “We’re eating. Do you have to bring up such filthy things?”

Mu Fugui defended himself. “I was just following my daughter’s words!”

Mu Mian huffed. “Don’t pin that on me. I never said anything like that.”

Zhao Meihua tapped the table. “Enough. Just eat quickly and get going.”

Mu Fugui smacked his lips. “No rush. Xiaolian isn’t even here yet.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock at the courtyard door. The whole family turned to see Shi Xiaozhu standing at the entrance with Shi Xiaolian.

Liu Shuangcui waved them in. “Come on in. Have you already eaten?”

Shi Xiaozhu smiled. “Yes, Auntie. I came to drop off Xiaolian.”

Then she turned to Mu Fugui and said, “Uncle Fugui, sorry to trouble you.”

Mu Fugui waved it off. “No need to be polite. Whether I take one or two, it’s all the same to me.”

Mu Mian quickly stuffed the rest of her egg into her mouth. “Sister Xiaozhu, you two sit for a while. I just need to finish up, then we can leave.”

Shi Xiaozhu shook her head. “No need. I still have work to do at home.”

She turned to Shi Xiaolian and gave her a few reminders—mostly about exam-related things.

As an older sister, she was visibly nervous and kept advising her carefully, while the younger sister remained completely expressionless—calm and unbothered.

It was clear that Shi Xiaolian didn’t know what “nervous” meant.

Mu Mian watched the scene with amusement. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Shi Xiaozhu was the one taking the exam.

Now that she was twenty-one, Shi Xiaozhu looked much livelier than when she was seventeen.

Perhaps it was because life at home had improved. With fewer burdens on her shoulders, she looked more energetic.

One glance was enough to see she was a proper, hard-working young woman. Over the past few years, many village women had tried to introduce her to potential suitors.

Now that the commune’s machinery factory was holding recruitment exams, both Shi Xiaozhu and Mu Qiu were top candidates for office positions.

If Shi Xiaozhu passed, even more people would be eager to introduce her to potential husbands.

But who she would end up with was still uncertain. It would be up to her to decide. Her mother, Tian Hongjuan, had little say in her daughters’ marriages.

Their grandmother, Old Lady Shi, had once tried to make decisions for them. But two years ago, she passed away—one year after Old Man Shi.

She had been bedridden for two full years before she passed. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to say, but she certainly suffered a lot.

After the elderly couple passed away, Shi Xinggui lived alone, making do by himself. He wasn’t interested in finding a new wife—mostly because no one wanted to marry him.

Several years had passed, yet the grown man still carried an air of hopelessness, as if he had given up on himself. He neither took his job seriously nor maintained his hygiene, always dressing sloppily like a drifter.

The brigade leader and others did not intervene, mainly because there was nothing they could do.

He was still alive and had not starved to death, after all.

Unlike him, the second branch of the Shi family was thriving. Shi Xiaolian and her mother were living in better days.

Not only did Shi Xiaozhu look much healthier, but Tian Hongjuan’s health had also improved significantly.

The villagers whispered among themselves, saying that the Shi family’s fortunes had turned around and that perhaps Shi Xingfu was watching over the mother and daughters from beyond.

No one dared to say these things openly, but in private, people talked about it quite often. Mu Mian had overheard such conversations more than once.

But all she could do was listen. She never joined in or corrected them, knowing full well that Shi Xingfu had nothing to do with it. Everything was achieved through Shi Xiaolian’s own efforts.

At this moment, the very person being talked about was waving calmly at her sister, signaling her to focus on her studies and prepare for the recruitment exam.

It was just an exam at the commune, nothing to make a big fuss over.

As the sisters spoke, Mu Mian finished her meal, picked up her schoolbag, and got ready to leave.

She and Shi Xiaolian stood at the door, waiting for Mu Fugui to push out his bicycle. They would head to the exam first, while Liu Shuangcui would meet them at the commune around noon.

After the mother and daughter reunited, they would continue their journey to the city.

Zhao Meihua stood by the doorway and reminded them, “Be careful on the road. Normally, a little fall wouldn’t matter, but today you really can’t afford one.”

Mu Fugui patted the back seat of his bicycle and assured her, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the ride is steady!”

Then he tapped the front bar of the bike. “Daughter, sit in the front!”

Mu Mian shook her head. “No, I’ll squeeze onto the back with Shi Xiaolian. We’re both small, so we’ll fit.”

Ever since she grew a bit taller, Mu Mian could no longer sit on the back seat with her mother. There simply wasn’t enough space.

But with Shi Xiaolian, it was possible. The girl was tiny, having inherited her mother’s petite frame. Even when fully grown, she probably wouldn’t be taller than 1.5 meters. Right now, she was even smaller.

Mu Fugui was doubtful. “Are you sure? Don’t fall off halfway.”

Mu Mian puffed up her chest. “No way! I’ll sit in the back and hold on tight. Dad, hurry up and get ready, stop dawdling!”

With that, she grabbed Shi Xiaolian and lifted her onto the back seat.

Shi Xiaolian, who was caught off guard and was picked up: “…….”

Seriously, sometimes she really did not enjoy playing with people who were too strong.

Mu Mian was only a year older than her, yet she carried her like she was lifting a little chick.

Shi Xiaolian sighed inwardly but obediently adjusted her seat, making herself comfortable while leaving enough space for Mu Mian.

Mu Mian swung her leg over the bike and sat behind Shi Xiaolian, gripping her father’s clothes for support. “Let’s go, Dad! I’m ready!”

Mu Fugui stepped on the pedal and rode off with the two girls.

By the time they reached the school, the timing was just right.

Since there were only the two of them taking the exam, it was not particularly formal. They simply sat in the teacher’s office to complete the test.

There was a time limit, but no requirement to use the full duration. As soon as they finished, they could hand in their papers.

So, even though they had multiple subjects to cover, they completed everything within the morning.

As Mu Mian pulled Shi Xiaolian out of the school, Liu Shuangcui was already waiting at the gate.

Mu Mian quickly ran up to her mother. “Mom, you got here early! I thought we’d have to wait for you.”

Liu Shuangcui turned her head and smiled. “I just arrived. How was the test?”

Mu Mian patted her chest confidently. “Of course, it went great! The questions were super easy.”

Shi Xiaolian nodded. “It really wasn’t difficult.”

As they walked together, Liu Shuangcui chuckled. “You two little girls are just too smart. If it were me, I wouldn’t even be able to understand the questions.”

Mu Mian wrapped her arm around her mother’s. “But you’re great at working!”

Liu Shuangcui laughed again and changed the topic. “I wonder if there’s still food left at the state-run restaurant. I brought some flatbreads, just in case. If there’s nothing to eat, we can make do with these.”

Excited at the thought of heading to the city, Mu Mian bounced twice. “We’ll find out when we get there!”

Shi Xiaolian, however, declined. “I won’t go. Auntie, you and Mu Mian go ahead. I’ll head home for lunch.”

Liu Shuangcui pulled out a flatbread from her bag and handed it to Shi Xiaolian. “At least take this. You’ve been thinking all morning and still have to walk for another hour. You’ll be exhausted.”

“You girls need to eat more. If you don’t take care of yourselves when you’re young, you won’t grow tall. And when you reach that time of the month, it’ll be even harder on you.”

The still-short Shi Xiaolian silently took the flatbread. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Liu Shuangcui looked at her carefully. “Is one enough? Take another. Mu Mian’s grandmother made plenty this morning, and in this weather, they won’t last long anyway.”

Shi Xiaolian quickly shook her head. “One is enough. I’m full after just a little bit, Auntie.”

Mu Mian laughed. “She has a bird’s appetite.”

Liu Shuangcui, who had never heard this phrase before, burst out laughing. “Then what about you?”

Mu Mian tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Me? I have an ocean-sized appetite!”

Liu Shuangcui gasped dramatically. “That big? Bigger than the river next to our village? I won’t be able to afford to feed you!”

Mu Mian grinned and hugged her mother’s arm tightly. “Too bad, Mom. You have no choice but to feed me!”

As they laughed and chatted, they reached a fork in the road. Shi Xiaolian waved goodbye and headed back to the village while Mu Mian and her mother continued on to the state-run restaurant.

They were lucky enough to get the last few steamed buns.

Today had a bit of good fortune on its side.

—

There was no direct shuttle bus from the commune to the city. Usually, the buses only went to the county.

Moreover, the buses to the county typically departed in the morning, with only two trips available. If they missed them, there would be no other options.

This time, Mu Mian and her mother did not take the shuttle bus. A few days ago, they had asked her aunt for help and managed to find a truck that happened to be heading to the city in the afternoon.

The driver, surnamed Yang, had been driving trucks for over a decade. Since he was passing by, he agreed to give them a ride.

If they had not found this truck, they would have had no way to leave that afternoon. Their only option would have been to wait until early the next morning to take a bus to the county first and then transfer to the city.

When it was almost time, the mother and daughter headed toward the transportation team.

Since they were not employees, they could not enter the premises, so they waited at the gate for a while.

About ten minutes later, a truck drove out.

Liu Shuangcui waved her hand and called out, “Brother Yang, is that you?”

A man poked his head out from the truck window. “Are you Dongping’s sister?”

Liu Shuangcui nodded. “Yes, thank you, Brother Yang.”

Old Yang gestured toward the back of the truck. “There’s no room in the front. You’ll have to sit in the truck bed.”

Liu Shuangcui smiled. “That’s no problem at all. As long as we can go, that’s good enough.”

Old Yang even got out of the truck to help open the cargo bed for them. It was loaded with furniture, but the mother and daughter squeezed in and found a place to sit.

Although it was not the most comfortable ride, it was still far more convenient than transferring from one bus to another.

By the time they arrived in the city, it was already mid-afternoon.

Old Yang had to continue his delivery, so as soon as they reached the city, he dropped them off and drove on.

After getting off, Mu Mian discreetly rubbed her sore backside. This old driver with over a decade of experience sure drove fast—speedy indeed, but also quite bumpy.

Fast, yes. Bumpy, also yes.

Liu Shuangcui looked around. “Let’s find the guesthouse first. What did Old Yang say earlier? Walk straight ahead, then turn left, then right, and we’ll be there, right?”

Mu Mian nodded. “Yep, that’s what he said. Let’s try finding it first. If we can’t, we’ll ask someone for directions.”

The farthest place the mother and daughter had ever been to was the county. They had never been to the city before and naturally did not recognize the roads.

Fortunately, Old Yang was quite familiar with the area, and his directions were spot on. After taking two turns, Mu Mian spotted the guesthouse sign in the distance.

After walking for about twenty minutes, her legs were fine, but her backside had recovered from the bumpy ride. Excitedly, she tugged on her mother’s arm. “There it is! We found it!”

Liu Shuangcui craned her neck to look. “That wasn’t too hard to find.”

Checking in was simple. After verifying their introduction letter, the front desk lady assigned them a room.

The room was tiny, with only a single bed. The only good thing was that the place had electricity, so there was proper lighting inside.

Liu Shuangcui borrowed a basin from the front desk, fetched some water, and the mother and daughter freshened up.

By the time they were done, the sun was already half-set. It would not be long before nightfall, so they did not go out again.

Liu Shuangcui was not one to sit idle. She chatted with the front desk lady for a long while, and Mu Mian listened in.

When night fell, the two went to bed early.

However, knowing that she would finally see her big brother the next day, Mu Mian could not sleep well that night.