Chapter 17

Time passed too quickly.

It was already mid-April.

Chen Nongmo only felt that with a turn of her head, the sky full of white snow had already been replaced by the vibrant green of spring.

The villagers, who had slept through the entire winter, were waking up along with the earth.

Plowing, sowing, watering, fertilizing…

The busy farming season was exhausting, but the sun-darkened faces of everyone showed nothing but joy, as if they could already see the bountiful harvest in the fall.

The Chen family was naturally one of the busy households.

The teachers needed the farmers’ help, so the school gave the students a half-month vacation.

Chen Nongmo did not go to the fields; instead, her family instructed her to stay at home and prepare meals.

Feeding seven people, with the men eating more than one another, was not an easy task when cooking on a clay stove. By the time the meals were ready, it was already noon.

On this day, after preparing lunch, she left the kitchen, walking on the wooden planks that formed the suspension corridor, and stood at the intersection, gazing toward the direction of the village.

Not seeing Mom Qiuhua and the others, Chen Nongmo turned back and entered the yard.

Finally getting a moment of rest, she didn’t relax. Instead, she took the bamboo broom that was placed on top of the chicken coop and began sweeping the fallen leaves in the yard.

After finishing, she waited for the others to return. She squatted under the eaves, observing whether the rosebuds were larger today than yesterday.

She still remembered that when she first arrived here, Second Brother had said that the weather was warm and the fruit trees in the yard looked beautiful when they bloomed.

They were beautiful, but it was only after the snow melted and spring arrived that Chen Nongmo realized that the large yard didn’t just have fruit trees and vegetables; it also had several rose bushes.

The flowers were under the eaves, and Mom Qiuhua had said that when they bloomed, she should open the window, and the scent of the flowers would be carried in by the breeze.

Chen Nongmo kept these words in her heart.

In this life, without the overwhelming financial pressure that used to suffocate her, she had changed. She had become someone who eagerly sought out romance in everyday life..

“Looking at flowers again? What’s new to see by looking every day? At least you’ll have to wait until early May for them to bloom.” Cao Qiuhua, dragging her tired steps, returned home and saw her daughter leaning forward, counting the flower buds.

Chen Nongmo turned around and smiled as she walked toward her: “Isn’t it a little late today? Didn’t you say it was almost done?”

As soon as she spoke, she noticed that, aside from the exhaustion from the work, everyone’s face also carried a clear joy.

Chen Nongmo’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked at Second Brother: “Did the enlistment notice come through?”

Cao Liu wiped his hands and face clean, then turned around, ruffling his little sister’s head with a smile: “Smart! I just went to the Village Committee and took a call from the Armed Forces Department.”

“Who else is there from the village, besides you, with a spot?”

“It’s Old Accountant’s eldest grandson, Chen Tiezhu. You’ve met him.”

She had met him; Brother Tiezhu was one of the more sturdy and capable young men in the village, so it made sense that they would choose him.

No wonder they came back so late today. Chen Nongmo smiled, then turned and handed the towel to Mom Qiuhua, before following Second Brother like a shadow: “So… when are you going to pick up the military uniform?”

Cao Liu looked down at his little sister, thinking she was just curious: “We’re going Monday morning.”

Monday happened to be the day after the holiday ended, so it would be convenient to go then. Worrying that others might notice something, Chen Nongmo pondered for a moment but decided not to ask further. Instead, she went into the kitchen to serve the rice and dishes.

The busy farming season was the most exhausting time of the year, and since the family never lacked meat, Chen Nongmo made a variety of dishes every day.

Today, in addition to a large pot of black fish and tofu soup, she had also made wild vegetable and pork dumplings.

When Cao Qiuhua saw the food, she felt both happy and a little heartbroken.

It wasn’t that she was concerned about the food, but rather her heart went out to her slender, delicate daughter: “Did you spend the whole morning on this? Next time, just roll some noodles and throw in a couple of eggs. Making so many dumplings, how much trouble is that?”

Chen Nongmo handed out chopsticks to everyone, and hearing her mother’s words, she laughed and said, “What’s tiring? You’re the ones who are tired, eat quickly, or it’ll get cold.”

Her words were not untrue. The dumplings were large, and with her appetite, she could eat a maximum of ten.

After a hearty meal, the family sat together in the yard to digest and chat, with most of the conversation revolving around Second Brother.

About half an hour later, they all returned to their rooms for a midday rest, knowing they would need to work hard again in the afternoon.

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Monday.

Early in the morning, when Chen Nongmo, the twins, and Third Brother set off for school, Second Brother went along with them as well.

When they reached the village entrance, they saw Brother Tiezhu, who was waiting there.

Shanshun Village had a small population, and during times like these, the advantage of that became clear.

The villagers were united, and there was little competition, so the two enlistment spots were essentially a given.

Unlike some villages where, from the moment registration began, everyone would show their various tricks to secure a spot.

Now, from what Second Brother said, if it weren’t for the coincidence of the busy farming season, Old Secretary would have likely arranged for someone to drive them to the county on a tractor.

Joining the army was a great honor, not just for the family but for the entire village as well.

The group chatted and laughed, and when they arrived at the town, they parted ways.

Once Second Brother, Third Brother, and Brother Tiezhu were out of sight, Chen Nongmo began to play cute and act spoiled, saying she wanted to see Second Brother pick up his uniform.

If it had been when she first arrived in Shanshun Village, Chen Nongmo would never have been so willful.

But after these few months, not only had she grown a few centimeters taller, her confidence had also grown.

It was probably… the comfort of being favored.

Chen Yi didn’t expect his usually obedient little sister to suddenly become so willful.

If it had been Fourth Brother, he would have just flat-out refused.

But it was Sixth Sister who spoke up. Yuyu rarely made such requests, which made it a bit awkward for him.

Chen Yi didn’t immediately refuse. Ignoring Fourth Brother’s excited prodding, he reminded, “There’s only one bus to the county, and if Second Brother sees us, he’ll definitely beat us up.”

There was a way!

Without needing to hear from Sixth Brother again, Chen Jun quickly patted his chest and interjected, “We’ll ride bicycles; it’ll take only an hour and a half. We can take turns riding.”

These days, many people walked to the county to save two cents on the bus fare.

For those with quick legs, a round trip of forty to fifty kilometers could be done in one day. Having bicycles made it much more comfortable.

Chen Yi didn’t respond to Fourth Brother. Instead, he focused on his little sister and asked, “You really want to go?”

Chen Nongmo nodded firmly.

“Alright then, you go ask the teacher for leave. But remember, this is a one-time thing, understood?”

Knowing that Fifth Brother was worried she might start skipping school, Chen Nongmo immediately promised and ran off to the school.

If it weren’t for keeping an eye on Second Brother and trying to change his fate of having a limb amputated, she wouldn’t want to skip class.

Standing at the door waiting for his little sister, Chen Jun felt his brother’s gaze prickling at the back of his head. Finally, he lifted his leg and rushed into the school as well, calling out, “Sixth, wait for me, I’ll go with you!”

“…”

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Chen Nongmo was lucky.

She didn’t even need to ask for leave. When she went to the office, she found out that the teacher’s work in the fields wasn’t finished yet, and it would be a few more days before she could come to school.

Since it was best not to skip class, the siblings happily returned to the school gate to meet up with Chen Yi.

Young people always had endless energy, especially Chen Jun. He hopped on the bike carrying the two of them, as if he couldn’t feel any fatigue. He repeatedly turned down Fifth Brother’s suggestion to switch riders, riding straight to the county without stopping.

Along the way, whenever Chen Jun felt like showing off and racing with someone on the bike, all it took was a tap from Little Sister, and he would immediately settle down.

He wasn’t afraid of her, but as a 16-year-old young man, his pride was bigger than anything. He’d rather avoid the scene of being scolded by his parents if he could help it.

The car wasn’t moving very fast, due to the road conditions and the passengers being picked up along the way.

So when the three siblings arrived at the Armed Forces Department, they just happened to run into Cao Liu and Chen Tiezhu.

Seeing them, Cao Liu froze for a moment, then furrowed his brow in disapproval.

Chen Nongmo jogged over to explain, “The teacher didn’t come, so we were told to have free time. I just brought Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother along to take a look.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Liu’s expression softened. Looking at the large crowd, he warned them with concern, “Then stick with me. Don’t run off, okay? There are a lot of people today.”

Little Sister was so striking that, in just this short time, several young men had already turned red-faced at the sight of her.

If it weren’t for the more restrained atmosphere in recent years, someone might have already approached her to strike up a conversation.

Chen Yi glanced at the crowd, holding onto both the restless ones. He reassured, “Don’t worry, Brother. You do what you need to do. I’ll keep an eye on Fourth Brother and Sixth Sister.”

Fifth Brother was indeed a thoughtful one. Cao Liu gave a few more instructions to his sister-in-law and then headed toward the large Military Unit.

“Sixth Sister, look, there’s a car!” Chen Jun, never one to sit still, even though Fifth Brother had been keeping him in check, used his height advantage to turn his head and scan around. His eyes landed on something, and he raised his hand, shaking Little Sister, speaking in an almost admiring tone.

Chen Nongmo wasn’t particularly interested in cars, but she had previously guessed that one of the reasons Second Brother might have been injured was due to a car accident.

Of course, she had assumed it was a bus, since in the few months she’d been here, aside from the bus, the only four-wheeled vehicle she’d seen was a tractor.

Now, seeing a black sedan parked not far from the Armed Forces Military Unit, she couldn’t help but think a little deeper.

Aside from the well-known big brands, Chen Nongmo had no real knowledge about cars, and she had no concept of cars from the 60s or 70s. From the appearance of the car, it vaguely resembled the Master car from the audio-visual materials she had seen…

“Where are you going?” Seeing Fourth Brother take a step forward, Chen Nongmo, still lost in thought, instinctively reached out and grabbed him.

Chen Jun flashed a grin and said, “You like it, don’t you? Let’s go over and take a look.”

“When did I ever say I liked it?”

“You were practically drooling over it just now,” Chen Jun said with a knowing smile, looking at her with that look of “I know everything,” which made Chen Yi, who had been disapproving, also turn to look at his little sister.

That silly boy. Chen Nongmo thought to herself.

But… it wouldn’t hurt to get a closer look and maybe ask around about who owns the car…

What if?

With that thought, she allowed herself to be dragged along by her silly brother, who was using her as an excuse, as they walked toward the car.

There were others gathered around the car as well, so when the three siblings approached, no one found it strange.

A sedan, who wouldn’t be curious?

Inside the car, there was someone!

While the others were observing the car’s exterior, Chen Nongmo’s gaze fell on the driver.

He was very young, likely still under twenty, with a face that carried a hint of youthful innocence mixed with an air of pride and arrogance.

Clearly, he had deliberately lowered the window, seemingly to bask in the admiration and envy of the onlookers.

For some reason, at that moment, Chen Nongmo felt an inexplicable… sense of recognition. Her gaze sharpened.

If it really was him, then… could it be that as long as they avoided this car, everything would fall into place?

Inside the car, the well-dressed young man seemed to sense something. He lifted his chin slightly, pretending to casually glance behind him.

And then… his face turned red.

Chen Yi, who had observed everything, furrowed his brow and stepped in front of Little Sister.