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At night, Wang Qian went to the space and planted the small tree seedlings in the fields. With the growth speed of her space, she believed that it wouldn’t be long before their family could enjoy fresh fruits. During the day, she spent her time in the space picking grapes to make wine, watering the young trees, and fulfilling her promise by giving a fish to each of her uncle and grandmother’s households.
As the weather grew warmer, Mingyuan and the others had already switched to wearing short-sleeved shirts. After spending the winter indoors, their skin was fair and delicate, making people want to pinch their cheeks. Among the four children in the Wang family, Mingyuan and Wang Qian had fair skin similar to Zhang Lan’s, while Wang Xuan and Mingcheng were slightly darker. However, their darker skin tone was only a shade or two darker than Mingyuan and Wang Qian’s, and overall, they were still very good-looking.
The three Zuo brothers were dressed in shorts and tank tops, looking like little jade sculptures. Zhang Lan liked them more and more as she looked at them and couldn’t resist pinching their cheeks. They felt really good to the touch. Today, Zhang Lan planned to take the children to her mother’s house, and also take some bean oil to her mother. She also planned to take the children to see the sea.
Zuo Hao was a little worried and asked, “Auntie, will Grandma not like us when we go over? Should we bring some gifts?”
Looking at Zuo Hao, who was about the same age as her own Mingcheng, Zhang Lan smiled and touched the little boy’s conflicted face. “Grandma will definitely like you all. As for gifts, you are still young. Auntie will bring gifts. When you grow up, you can bring gifts to Grandma.”
Zuo He also assured, “Big brother, Grandma is very nice and kind to us. When I went to see her during the New Year, Grandma even gave me a New Year’s gift. When you go, Grandma will definitely like you.”
The two brothers had never met Geng Lianhua and didn’t know what the old lady was like. They hadn’t taken them to see her when they went to send their younger uncle off to the army last time because they were in class. However, after hearing what his brother said, the little ones felt a little relieved.
Hao Lianchun put a small handkerchief in the pockets of each of the three brothers. “Haohao, when you take your brother to the beach, make sure not to go into the water. The sea is deep, so just catch some fish by the shore.”
Since the weather had gotten warmer, the three Zuo brothers played in the water every day. The old lady was afraid that the children might not know the depth of the water and end up drowning.
Zuo Yu pouted and said, “Grandma, do you think your grandsons are that foolish? I won’t go into the deep sea. I’m small, and if I go in, I might not make it out alive. I’m waiting for Auntie’s family to slaughter a pig for the New Year. Don’t worry, we’ll bring back some seafood for you when we return.”
This time, Zhang Lan took the seven children to her mother’s house to visit. Wang Zhenhe still had work to do in the mountains, so both husband and wife couldn’t take time off. Before leaving for work, Zhang Lan repeatedly instructed the mischievous children to listen to her.
Walking along the familiar winding path, except for Zuo Hao and Zuo Yu, who felt everything was new, the others were already accustomed to it. The two brothers, like Zuo He, were curious about everything. When they saw the jujube trees on the hillside, Wang Qian couldn’t help but pick some. The small red fruits looked somewhat like bayberries, but they were really sour.
Zuo Hao and Mingyuan, who were in the front, seemed to have seen something and started chasing after it. Mingcheng, seeing this, quickly ran ahead to see what was going on. “Mom, are they chasing after a rabbit or a pheasant or something?” he asked.
Wang Qian, seeing them running ahead, couldn’t help but speculate. Zhang Lan didn’t know what was happening either, so she grabbed her two daughters and ran after them. From a distance, Wang Qian saw something patterned hopping ahead. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a small squirrel, but it had already climbed up a tree. Mingyuan and the others could only look up at the tree and sigh, “Bro, the squirrel got away.”
Zuo Yu looked disappointed as he watched the squirrel disappear into the trees.
Zuo Hao also felt regretful. They had wanted to catch it to play with, but the squirrel was too cunning. Its speed was something they couldn’t match.
“It’s okay, little brother. Maybe we’ll see a pheasant. We might catch one and bring it back for Grandma to eat,” Mingyuan said.
Thinking about pheasants, Mingyuan and the others also wanted to catch one, but they hadn’t seen any on the way.
Seeing the disappointed faces, Zhang Lan comforted them, “It’s okay. Even without a pheasant, Grandma will still like you. Let’s go.”
Zhang Lan and the children continued on their way. To be honest, traveling in the summer was a bit challenging as it was easy to get thirsty, and they weren’t sure if there was a water source in the area. Wang Qian hadn’t seen one.
When they saw some trumpet flowers by the roadside, Wang Qian picked a few and sucked the sweet nectar from the flowers. It was refreshing. Zuo Hao and the others followed her example to quench their thirst. “Wow, it’s really sweet. Auntie, you should try it. It’s really delicious and thirst-quenching,” Zuo He said as he sucked the nectar from the flowers.
Zhang Lan had never tried this before and was skeptical, but she picked some to give it a try. Indeed, her daughter had a way with things. The nectar was sweet and refreshing.
After quenching their thirst, they continued on their journey and didn’t find any pheasants or rabbits until they left the mountains. Zhang Lan took the seven children to the local supply and marketing cooperative to buy some food for Geng Lianhua and her husband. She also bought some snacks and drinks for the children. Zhang Lan had enough money in her pocket, so she didn’t hesitate to spend it. Besides, they had been walking for the whole morning and were hungry.
Around noon, they arrived at Geng Lianhua’s house. The old lady was carrying hay back to the house from the street when she saw a group of children approaching. They were all neatly dressed and didn’t look like rural children. However, when they got closer, she recognized her daughter and grandchildren.
“Grandma, I missed you so much,” before Wang Qian could speak, Mingyuan, the sweet-talker, began to sweetly express his longing.
Geng Lianhua hugged her grandson, smiling, “Mingyuan, are you tired? Are these two behind you Zuo He’s brothers?”
The last time she heard from her daughter, Zuo He’s two brothers were also living with them. From their appearance, the old lady could guess who they were.
“Hello, Grandma. I’m Zuo Hao, and this is my brother, Zuo Yu. We’ve come to trouble you today,” Zuo Hao greeted politely and introduced himself.
Seeing the polite children, Geng Lianhua was especially pleased. She couldn’t help but feel affectionate. After all, her only grandson from his son, was a bit lacking in manners, and she couldn’t do anything about it. Seeing these two handsome boys who looked similar to Zuo He, the old lady’s affection naturally emerged. “Zuo Hao, Zuo Yu, come inside with Grandma. Are you thirsty?”
Wang Qian walked behind with her hands behind her back, observing how well-behaved and good-looking children received special attention. Even at her grandmother’s age, she was the same.
Zuo Yu and the others, despite being mischievous at times, were all well-behaved here. They answered questions politely and didn’t seem nervous. This was the advantage of being children from the mainland. They had seen and experienced a lot, unlike rural children who might be shy and nervous. These traits were not present in the three Zuo children.
After drinking water, Zuo He and the others asked to go to the beach. Zhang Lan had chosen to return today for a reason. It was the perfect time for low tide. People from the mountains were more aware of the timing of the tides, so the Wang family always managed to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Mom, you cook at home. I’ll take the children to the beach for clamming. Let Qian Qian stay with you at home. When my dad comes back, you can all go together. How does that sound?” Zhang Lan had a plan in mind. She had already discussed with her daughter how to handle the situation. Moreover, the basket she had brought was still covered with a cloth, so Geng Lianhua hadn’t seen what was inside. Zhang Lan wanted her daughter to take this opportunity to take out the jar of oil.
Wang Qian nodded in understanding. Geng Lianhua was more than happy to have her granddaughter stay with her. The house felt empty after her son left, and she enjoyed chatting with the child. So, she quickly sent the others to the beach and asked Zhang Lan to go to the yard to get the tools.
Once everyone had left, Wang Qian went to the basket and took out the jar of oil that she had prepared in the space for Geng Lianhua. Then, with a smile, she walked over to the old lady, who was sitting on a stool peeling onions, and wrapped her arms around her neck from behind.