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As they reached the main road, they saw Wang Zhenhe leading the two siblings back. He held one of their hands, walking with great pride and confidence.
Wang Qian was surprised to see her father back today, and the timing was quite coincidental, as it happened to coincide with Zuo Xiangcheng’s visit.
“Dad, how come you’re back?” Wang Zhenhe saw his son, daughter, and Zuo He leading two children towards him. Upon hearing his daughter’s call, he picked up Mingcheng and Wang Xuan and walked over, asking, “Do you miss your dad, my little girl?”
Wang Zhenhe warmly teased his daughter as he held her.
Wang Qian felt a bit uncomfortable with her father’s beard scratching her, and she pouted, “Dad, you haven’t shaved for days, have you? Look at your scruffy beard. You’re starting to look like an old man. Let’s go home quickly and tidy up.”
Zuo He pulled his two brothers and said to Wang Zhenhe, “Uncle, look, my brothers are here. This is my big brother, and this is my second brother. My parents are here too. Come, I’ll take you to meet them.” He then took Wang Zhenhe and headed home.
Finally, Zuo Hao and Zuo Yu got to see what the uncle, mentioned in their brother’s letters as the one who often bathed him, looked like. He seemed very friendly and familiar, which explained why their brother often praised him in his letters.
The family left a good impression on the two brothers. Unlike some people who looked down on them after their family’s misfortune, even their former playmates in the neighborhood seemed to despise them. Having experienced a family tragedy, even the children, including Zuo Hao, had started to become more observant of people’s words and actions.
“Hello, Uncle. My dad and grandpa are at home, and there’s also someone from your family, seems like Qianqian’s little uncle,” Zuo Yu reported the situation at home to Wang Zhenhe in a familiar manner. Wang Zhenhe patted the heads of the two brothers and said with a smile, “Zuo Hao, Zuo Yu, I’ve heard about you from Zuo He a long time ago. Stay at Uncle’s place for a few more days. You have no idea how much Zuo He missed you. He almost cried his eyes out thinking about you.”
Upon hearing this, Zuo Hao held his brother’s hand even tighter. At thirteen, he already understood the pain of longing and the bitterness of separation. He felt especially sorry for his younger brother, who had been separated for so long. “Hehe, from now on, I’ll always be with you. We won’t be apart again,” he said.
Zuo Yu also held his brother’s hand tightly, and the three brothers walked hand in hand with Wang Zhenhe back to the house.
Wang Zhenhe was curious about the appearance of the third family couple from the Zuo family. Seeing how handsome their three children were, his curiosity only grew stronger.
As they entered the courtyard, Mingyuan called out, and everyone in the house came out, especially Zuo Xiangcheng and his wife. Their emotions were evident upon seeing the male head of the family return, and they were just as curious as Wang Zhenhe.
What kind of man would have the courage to take care of their family and even the elderly men in the house at such a time?
Upon meeting Wang Zhenhe for the first time, the couple was surprised. He seemed like an ordinary man, with a good appearance and a seemingly honest and kind demeanor. However, it was this simple man who had come to their aid at a critical moment, saving their mother and taking care of their children and the elderly men.
Zuo Xiangcheng walked up to Wang Zhenhe, expressing his highest respect to this ordinary rural man. After saluting him, he hugged the somewhat unfamiliar benefactor tightly.
“Brother Wang, although we’ve spoken on the phone, I still want to thank you for everything you’ve done for our family. Thank you!” Zuo Xiangcheng said.
Wang Zhenhe was taken aback by the sudden bear hug from Zuo Xiangcheng, but he quickly recovered and hugged Zuo Xiangcheng tightly in return.
“Brother Zuo, I’ve heard a lot about you from Uncle and Zuo He. Let’s not talk about thanks. That’s too formal. I consider Uncle and Aunt as my own family. Come, let’s go inside and talk,” Wang Zhenhe said, leading Zuo Xiangcheng inside while holding his hand. Zuo Xiangcheng introduced his wife to Wang Zhenhe, and Peng Ziyun, just like her husband, saluted the man who had helped them and said with a smile, ” Brother Wang, I finally get to meet you in person. I was wondering what kind of person could match up with my sister-in-law. Now I understand. You two are truly well-matched and good people. Sister-in-law, we really have to thank you.”
Today, the couple expressed their gratitude many times, but these words were not enough to convey their true feelings. Some people and some things would be remembered in their hearts forever.
Seeing Peng Ziyun and Zuo Xiangcheng, Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but marvel at why their three children were so well-raised. Seeing Peng Ziyun’s grateful expression, Wang Zhenhe felt a bit embarrassed. “Sister-in-law, please don’t thank us anymore. Uncle and Aunt have helped us a lot as well. We are all family, so let’s not be so formal,” he said.
The whole family gathered around the kang and continued chatting, while Peng Ziyun helped out in the kitchen. However, seeing the delicious meal prepared by Zhang Lan, even she couldn’t help but envy her son’s good fortune.
“Sister-in-law, your cooking is so good that I can tell it’s delicious just by the aroma. Our military canteen doesn’t have your skills,” She praised.
Hao Lianchun knew that her daughter-in-law was feeling envious. She understood that Peng Ziyun was beautiful but lacked culinary skills. Her son’s family mostly relied on the canteen for meals. So, she took out a bowl and served some freshly cooked seafood separately.
“Peng Ziyun, call the children over to eat. These are fresh. If it weren’t for your sister-in-law’s family living by the sea, we wouldn’t have such fresh seafood. Hurry and take the children to eat. The meals are almost ready. Your sister-in-law just needs to make a soup,” Hao Lianchun said.
Peng Ziyun felt a bit embarrassed and asked, “Mom, is it really okay?”
Zhang Lan, seeing that Peng Ziyun was a straightforward person, smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re all family here. There’s no need for so much formality. You’ve come a long way. Hurry and let Zuo Hao and the others taste the local specialties. But don’t let them eat too much, we still have a good meal waiting for later. Don’t dawdle. Go ahead.”
With the hostess’s instructions, Peng Ziyun happily carried the bowl to the kang and called the children over to eat.
Zuo He and the others were used to eating such food, so they didn’t show as much enthusiasm as Zuo Hao and Zuo Yu. Since the arrival of the elderly men from the daughter’s family, Geng Lianhua and Zhang Weiguo often sent over seafood whenever they had the chance.
Zuo He noticed that his brothers were unsure how to eat the seafood, so he quickly demonstrated and taught them how to eat it. While they had eaten seafood at home before, the variety had never been so rich. They had mostly eaten fish and crabs, and occasionally shrimp.
Zuo Hao picked out a piece of meat with a needle and put it in his mouth, exclaiming, “Mom, it’s so fresh and delicious. It’s a pity we can’t get such delicious food back home.”
Wang Qian brought over some sliced conch prepared by Hao Lianchun and offered it to them. “Auntie, try this.”
The three of them each took a piece and tasted it. “It’s really fresh. Do you often get to eat this?” Peng Ziyun asked, expressing her curiosity.
Zuo He nodded. “Yes, Uncle often comes to bring us food.”
He then took a large clam, removed the meat, and fed it to his mother. “Mom, this is also delicious. It’s so fresh. Sometimes we eat it raw, and it’s even fresher than when it’s cooked. Later, I’ll prepare some raw oysters for you. They’re even better than this.”
Finally, the mother and her sons got to taste the famous seafood of the area, and its deliciousness exceeded their expectations.
Meanwhile, preparations for the meal were underway in the kitchen. Mingcheng and Mingyuan had just started school the day before, and they had only cleaned up in the morning. They had no classes in the afternoon, so Zhang Lan didn’t rush to serve them lunch.
Mingcheng brought the dishes to the table, and Zuo He and the others immediately got off the kang to help. Peng Ziyun watched her son efficiently bring a plate of food to the table and couldn’t help but sigh. Her son, who used to cuddle in their arms and act spoiled, had grown up and become sensible.
“Hao, Yu, let’s go help too. Call Grandpa and the others to come for lunch,” she said.
With so many people for lunch, they had to split into two tables: one for the women and children, and another for the men. They borrowed a table from the neighboring Liu Hui, who had two tables, which they could use for a couple of days.
Finally, the guests from the north got to experience what real seafood tasted like. The freshness of the seafood almost made the family overeat.
Peng Ziyun had two large bowls of seafood soup, and Wang Qian was amazed at how she managed to fit it all in her slender figure. Zuo Hao and Left Yu, persuaded by Zuo He, reluctantly put down their chopsticks. Their stomachs were full, but their eyes were not.
Wang Qian understood that they didn’t have access to such seafood in the north, and even the locals wouldn’t have access to it if their families didn’t live by the sea. She used to be just like them.
Wang Qian poured everyone some wine to drink as a beverage. Mingcheng and the others were used to drinking it, but for Peng Ziyun, it was a luxury. They rarely had access to it in the north, and since moving there, it was out of the question.
After taking a sip of delicious fruit wine, Peng Ziyun sighed and said, “Mom, I now realize that leaving Zuo He with you was the right decision. The food in the south is so much better than what we have up north.”