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“Third Aunt, you’re too polite. We’re neighbors, so helping out and checking in on things is only natural. When you’re in the city for work, both of us miss you. We used to visit your house and chat when we had spare time. Now that you’re gone, we have nowhere to go,” Liu Hui expressed warmly.
Zhang Lan playfully patted Liu Hui and replied with a smile, “You have a sweet tongue. I miss you all too, but I need to earn money. With four children studying at home, it’s no small expense. Once they’re all in college, I’ll probably need to work three times as hard.”
Listening to her mother’s words, Wang Qian stifled a laugh, surprised at Zhang Lan’s unexpected humor.
Wang Xuan came in with freshly washed fruit, saying, “Sister-in-law, Aunt, have some fruit. Just picked them from the tree; they’re delicious.”
Seeing Wang Xuan with the fruit, Liu Hui remarked with a smile, “Look at our little sister, now a college student. She’s blossoming into a beautiful young lady. I must have some of this fruit too, hoping to share in her good fortune. Maybe we’ll also have a college student in our family someday.”
The three women chuckled at her comment, enjoying the light-hearted moment. “Eating fruit to share in good fortune—eat more, and may all your children go to college. It’ll be a proud moment for you parents.”
After lunch, Zhang Lan packed up their belongings and decided to return to the city with her family. The place was too chaotic, and they thought it best to escape for a while.
Yang Nuo, busy in the shop, was surprised to see the women return so soon with gifts. “Aunt, weren’t you planning to stay at home for a few days? Why are you back so soon? Oh, by the way, Grandpa came by today with some gifts. We’ve nearly sold everything, but he left some for you at home. He even brought some gifts for us,” Yang Nuo shared excitedly.
Yang Nuo went over the recent sales accounts with Zhang Lan, meticulously detailing each transaction. Seeing the new fruit brought in, Cong Tao quickly grabbed one to taste, “Mmm, this is delicious. Auntie, we want to go check on Grandma and Grandpa with Xuan. Last time when they were building the house, we didn’t get a chance to stay there.”
Zhang Lan was pleased with the idea of the children visiting their grandparents, “Sounds good. Take your siblings with you. Let Mingcheng lead the way to see your grandma. Stay there for a few days, have fun, and then come back.”
Upon hearing about the trip to their hometown, Mingyuan jumped with joy and helped his siblings pack. Wang Qian took out some of the fruit from the space to ensure they wouldn’t run out during their absence. The saplings brought from the south were thriving, and they were expected to bloom soon. The thought of enjoying delicious fruits at home made Wang Qian happy.
This opportunity to visit their hometown served as a chance for Mingyuan to relax, having been put off by the Wang family. Mingcheng wanted to visit his uncle, as Zhang Weiguo had returned for a short family visit. During the train ride, his uncle mentioned the recent developments at the front line, indicating that General Wu was intensifying military training. After visiting his parents, Zhang Weiguo planned to report to General Wu.
When Ge Yun returned home at noon, she found the children all packed and ready, their belongings neatly arranged on the table. Seeing this sight brought a smile to her face. Since their return from reformation through labor, these four children had learned to take care of themselves, relieving her of much worry. Their maturity was touching.
Upon her arrival, Yang Jian quickly approached her, “Mom, we want to tell you something. After lunch, we’re heading to Grandma’s house by the sea. Grandpa has invited us, and Auntie agreed to let our older siblings accompany us.”
Ge Yun held her youngest son’s hand as they entered the house. Seeing the eager expressions of the children, she couldn’t help but smile, “Alright, but when you go, be on your best behavior. Don’t tire out Grandma. Help out a bit; treat it like your own home.”
Ge Yun truly worried about the children potentially tiring out the elderly lady, but since the children enjoyed being there, she couldn’t stop them and could only offer a few words of caution.
After lunch, Cong Tao led his younger siblings to meet up with Yang Nuo and the others for their visit. Zhao Ru, still concerned, followed along until the older children safely led the younger ones away.
Both mothers continued to offer advice as the children departed. Yang Mingxuan shook his head from behind, “You both, the kids are grown up now. There’s no need to worry when they go out to play. Yang Nuo and Cong Tao have been looking after their younger siblings just fine when we’re not around.”
Ge Yun glanced back and playfully scolded her husband, “Back then, I wanted to control the kids, but I couldn’t. Now, I want to care for them, but they’ve grown up and don’t need their mother’s constant concern. They grow up so fast; I didn’t even get the chance to cherish them properly.”
Ge Yun truly felt regretful, wishing she could make up for lost time, but the children had grown up overnight, no longer requiring her care.
Yang Mingxuan hugged his wife, “Xiao Yun, having obedient and sensible children is a blessing for us. Did you see that I caught two rascals yesterday? They dared to peek at women changing clothes. Imagine dealing with kids like that; we’d be worried sick. Let the children be, they have their own fortunes. Let’s focus on doing our work well.”
Ge Yun sighed, realizing that making more money to ensure a good life for her children was the most important thing to focus on.
Yang Nuo arrived with a group of people to find Zhang Lan and her family ready to go. They had already packed the items for their parents, which Mingcheng had taken with him. Yang Nuo took out two sun hats from his bag and handed them to Wang Xuan and Wang Qian, “Xuan, Qian, these were made by my grandmother for you. Look, my younger siblings have theirs on too. She said girls are afraid of the sun in the hot summer, so take these to shield yourselves.”
Feeling a bit shy, Wang Xuan accepted the hats. At seventeen, she was at an age where she enjoyed dressing up. She admired the floral brimmed sun hats made by the old lady. “Wow, they’re so lovely. Thank you, Yang Nuo. Please pass on my thanks to your grandmother. Sister, let’s try them on.”
Wang Xuan led her sister to the inner room to try on the hats. Despite being conscious of her skin tone not being very fair, she found that the color of the hat complemented her face well.
Seeing her sister wearing the hat, Wang Qian was impressed. “Sister, you look stunning. Just like that, people might not even recognize you when we go out.”
After putting on her own hat and admiring herself in the mirror, Wang Xuan, feeling confident in her appearance, dragged her sister out.
“Do I look good?” she asked proudly.
The two sisters appeared in front of everyone, leaving even Yang Nuo slightly stunned. He had never really observed the girl before and now realized how stunning she truly was. The ugly duckling had transformed into a beautiful swan.
Cong Tao nudged his somewhat dazed brother, “What do you think? We were standing next to a beauty and didn’t even realize it. From now on, we’ll keep a close eye and shoo away any flies. I even saw a guy pestering Xuan last time, asking her to help with his studies. Could he have ulterior motives?”
Feeling a surge of impatience, Yang Nuo stared at his good friend and asked, “Do you know who it was? I didn’t see anything. I’ll have to investigate when I get back to school. If he dares to make advances on my sister, he’s asking for trouble.”
Learning about this incident left Yang Nuo feeling uneasy, as if something precious was at risk of being taken away. He was anxious, fearing that the girl before him might vanish in the blink of an eye. He made a mental note to keep a close watch when he returned to school, as this discomforting feeling lingered.
Before he could fully grasp his emotions, Yang Nuo was pulled out of the house by Mingcheng and the others. They all boarded a car and headed towards the beach in a grand procession.
The group of handsome men and beautiful women walking along the rural road formed a picturesque scene. The villagers they passed were excited to greet them, having gotten to know these young people during a previous incident.
“Grandma, we’re here!” Cong Fei and Yang Jian led Cong Yu as they ran into the yard.
Zhang Weiguo and Geng Lianhua were sun-drying seaweed when they saw the kids running in. The old lady’s face lit up with a smile at the sight of the children.
“Look who’s come to visit us,” the old lady exclaimed as she hugged little Cong Yu.
Seeing the lineup of well-dressed young men and women at the courtyard gate, the old lady’s heart swelled with joy. Her children had all grown up, becoming more and more handsome and beautiful.
Quickly inviting the group of young men and women inside, Geng Lianhua led them into the house where Zhang Weiguo had a radio playing traditional opera. The radio wasn’t as compact as modern ones; it was quite large, resembling a small television set. Wang Qian, listening in, recognized that it wasn’t Peking opera, “Grandma, what type of opera is this? It doesn’t sound like Peking opera.”
Geng Lianhua chuckled, “I don’t understand that either. This is Shandong Lu opera, ‘Shuang Yu Chan.’ Can you understand it? This radio was a gift from your uncle to cheer me up.”
Seeing the radio, Cong Yu eagerly stepped forward, “Grandma, I want to listen to the little speaker.”
Not quite sure how to operate the radio, the little grandson, Yang Jian, helped adjust the station. A familiar voice filled the room, “Tick tock, tick tock, tick-tock—tick—tick—tock; Kids, the Little Speaker program is now broadcasting!” The soothing sound of the Little Speaker program began, stirring a mix of emotions in Wang Qian. The familiar voice reminded her of her past life, where this program had been her childhood companion.
“Hush, everyone, let’s be quiet. Grandpa Sun Jingxiu and Uncle Cao Can are about to start telling stories,” Cong Yu, wanting to enjoy the program without interruptions, informed everyone in advance.
Cong Tao affectionately ruffled his little sister’s hair and led the older ones outside, leaving the younger ones listening to the radio. Mingcheng and Zhang Weiguo had already started working in the yard.
“When are you leaving, Uncle?” Mingcheng asked as he sorted through the seaweed.
Without looking up, Zhang Weiguo replied, “The day after tomorrow. Mingcheng, stay at your grandma’s place with Yang Nuo and the others for a while. Your grandma and grandpa are quite lonely, and there’s no liveliness at home. It’s quiet in the big house, but not lively. Your presence will brighten things up. Once you’re there, I can leave with peace of mind. General Wu has already started intensifying military training, so I need to go back promptly. If anything comes up at home, you and Yang Nuo can handle it.”
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