Chapter 22.1

The sky was clear, the air fresh and pleasant.

After several days of travel, Chu Wuwen finally stepped onto the familiar land of his hometown. Despite not having any romantic feelings, he couldn’t help but feel at ease, as everything around him seemed so comfortable.

It had been three and a half years since he had left home.

Although the shabby and weathered bus station in front of him had not changed much from his memories, Chu Wuwen still felt a sense of novelty.

Thinking about how his parents, his brother’s wife, and the others would be so happy to see him, he couldn’t help but smile, his lips curving upward.

After a moment of imagining their reaction, Chu Wuwen felt the weariness from his journey vanish. He took long strides and walked briskly toward the bus station exit.

It was 2 PM. He planned to borrow a bicycle from his high school friend and reach home by 3:30 PM. He was looking forward to his mother’s signature dish, the sour pickled cabbage with pork bones.

“Big Brother! Big Brother!”

The voice that broke his thoughts was unfamiliar, but having heard the term “Big Brother” so often, Chu Wuwen instinctively turned to look.

It was his Third Brother Huai, Fourth Brother Jun, Fifth Brother Yi… and Sixth Sister?!

Great, everyone who could come had arrived.

After the initial shock, Chu Wuwen couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

“Shao Zheng, you bastard!!!”

“Big Brother, I knew you’d be here by now.” Chen Jun, the liveliest among them, spoke while showing off his intelligence. At the same time, he eagerly reached out and took a large parcel to carry.

Chen Yi rolled his eyes. They clearly had bicycles.

Although only 18 years old, Third Brother Huai Chen Huai had inherited his father’s sturdy build. Last year, he had been slightly smaller than Second Brother Liu Cao Liu, but in the past six months, the difference had almost disappeared.

His personality was just as simple as Fourth Brother Jun’s. He grinned and grabbed a parcel to carry, saying, “Big Brother, you really are something. What’s with the surprise visit? If Sixth Sister hadn’t called the military unit, we wouldn’t even know you were back.”

Chen Yi rolled his eyes again. They had three bicycles, so why were third and Fourth Brother Juns carrying parcels?

Upon hearing this, Chu Wuwen, who had already sensed something was off, instinctively glanced toward Little Sister Yuyu, who had been standing quietly by the side. In disbelief, he asked, “Did Yuyu talk to Old Shao on the phone?”

When she heard “Yuyu” coming from Big Brother, Chen Nongmo’s tense heart relaxed instantly. She raised a slightly shy smile and said, “Mm, Shao Zheng is really nice.”

He had a pleasant voice and seemed to have a gentle temperament.

Of course, she didn’t say this part out loud—not because she was embarrassed, but because she had a gut feeling that if she did, Big Brother would explode.

Who would want to hear that dog be praised by Little Sister Yuyu?

Chu Wuwen felt like he was about to explode at that moment!

“Big Brother?” Chen Nongmo looked at him, confused as to why his face was so dark.

Meeting her questioning gaze, Chu Wuwen suddenly chuckled and ruffled her head.

This was his Little Sister Yuyu!

No matter how angry Old Shao got, it didn’t matter. He and Yuyu were a real family, forever a family!

No one could take her away!

Even if Shao Zheng was envious of his Little Sister Yuyu, it was all in vain.

Why should he care about that guy?

Thinking about this, the man, who had recently been caught doing something shameful and had been thoroughly reprimanded, suddenly felt refreshed.

Chu Wuwen didn’t want to talk about the childish rivalry with Old Shao with Little Sister Yuyu. Smiling, he shifted the conversation, “I brought a lot of things for you all. Let’s head home now, Mom and Dad must be waiting anxiously.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to carefully take in his siblings and sister-in-law.

Little Sister Yuyu hadn’t changed much since the childhood photos.

She was still as beautiful and delicate, soft and round like a little ball of dough.

The twin brothers, while their facial features hadn’t changed much, had grown taller.

He remembered three and a half years ago, when the two little guys were only 13, their voices hadn’t even changed yet. Now, however, they had grown into adults.

As for Third Brother Huai, his build seemed even more muscular than his own.

Chu Wuwen reached out and squeezed his younger brother’s arm and shoulder, then tested Third Brother Huai’s strength. Afterward, he said with a smile, “Not bad, really solid! You’ll make a good soldier.”

Chen Huai, who received Big Brother’s compliment, immediately grinned and showed his white teeth.

Chen Nongmo, too, smiled, her eyes curving as she explained, “Daddy Zong and Mother Qiuhua don’t know you’re back yet. Big Brother, didn’t you want to surprise them? So, we kept it a secret.”

Chen Yi, who had been reminding the two silly brothers to fasten the bundles to the bicycles, also laughed and added, “Yes, we didn’t ruin the surprise Big Brother planned.”

Chu Wuwen… What was this inexplicable feeling of embarrassment?

On the way home, Chu Wuwen was riding with Little Sister Yuyu.

Neither of them had a dull personality, and with half a year of communication behind them, the siblings quickly overcame any awkwardness and began chatting and laughing.

With the other three brothers always around, the trip was filled with laughter and teasing. The hour and a half journey passed by quickly.

As they entered Shanshun Village, the twins grabbed two handfuls of candy from Big Brother’s bag before returning the two borrowed bicycles.

Before meeting their parents, Chu Wuwen didn’t want to be watched, so he led his Third Brother Huai and Little Sister Yuyu down a more secluded little path to wait.

By the time the twins returned the bicycles and hurried back, the five siblings finally set off towards the foot of the mountain.

It was just past mid-May.

The peach and plum trees in the yard had already shed their blossoms, leaving only the autumn pear in the corner with its delicate flowers still blooming.

Of course, where flowers fall, others bloom.

For example, under the eaves, the few rose bushes that Chen Nongmo had been eagerly anticipating were now in full, dazzling bloom.

Chu Wuwen stood quietly in the yard, observing the presence and absence of things in his memory. His anxious and restless feelings suddenly settled as he realized something.

He was home!

It turned out… he missed this place more than he had realized.

His parents must have missed him often too…

Thinking of this, Chu Wuwen quickly moved to rush into the house.

However, before he could take more than one step, a loud voice startled him, causing him to stumble.

“…Second Brother Liu has been gone for several days, and here you are, still dragging your feet? If you ask me, you’re just too idle. Who doesn’t like visiting others? Look at you—didn’t that just get you into trouble? How about telling Wu Wen to hurry up and get married and have a baby so you can have someone to look after, then you’ll be too busy to overthink things?”

“I wish I could, but that damn kid’s been at the Military Unit for years, and I can’t get him to come back!”

“Ha… true, but what’s Wu Wen thinking? He’s almost 30 now, right?”

29 years old!

He was only 29 years old!

Frozen in place, Chu Wuwen silently protested the ‘surprise,’ then wiped his face with one hand, and quickly turned to retreat into another room, hoping to wait until Aunt Xiumei left before reappearing.

Unfortunately, Chen Jun, with no sense of timing, rushed into the hall like a gust of wind, loudly announcing, “Mom! Big Brother’s back!”

Unable to stop himself, Chu Wuwen met Little Sister Yuyu’s sympathetic gaze and felt a bitter taste rise in his mouth.

This was completely different from the surprise he had imagined!

Where had things gone wrong?

Inside the house, Cao Qiuhua was entertaining an old friend who had come over once again to play matchmaker.

Once she processed what the Fourth Brother Jun had said, Cao Qiuhua suddenly sprang to her feet.

Ignoring the dizziness from standing up too quickly, she hurried toward the door.

Just as she reached the doorway, she saw a tall figure approaching her.

It was really him!

Cao Qiuhua, whose tear ducts had been more active than usual these days, couldn’t help but tear up again. She looked up at her son, her loving gaze never leaving him for a moment.

Seeing this, Chu Wuwen felt a bit of moisture in his nose. He bent down, hugged his mother, then let go and called out, “Mom, I’m back.”

Cao Qiuhua laughed through her tears, “You’ve lost weight, and you’ve gotten darker.”

In reality, Chu Wuwen had gained a few pounds and was a bit sturdier. He nodded and joked, “Yes, I lost weight. I’ve been thinking about your sour pickled cabbage with pork bones, so I had to lose some weight.”

“You little brat, always so cheeky. I see you just need a good lesson. Why haven’t you come home in all these years if you missed us so much? Always trying to fool me.”

Chu Wuwen threw his arm around his mother’s shoulder and led her into the house, boasting, “What can I say, I’m just too excellent. The organization needed me.”

“Bah… do you think I’m stupid?”

Mother and son joked back and forth as they happily entered the house.

No matter what he felt inside, Chu Wuwen still maintained a polite demeanor. He straightened up and called out, “Aunt Xiumei.”

Chen Xiumei had watched Wu Wen grow up. Seeing him now in his military uniform, looking handsome and dignified, she couldn’t help but smile widely. “Hey! You’re looking more and more spirited. So handsome… How long can you stay this time?”

“I can stay for a month.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Spend time with your mom, she misses you.”

Warmth filled Chu Wuwen’s eyes. “I’ve missed home too. I applied for this long leave so I could spend more time with the family.”

Chen Xiumei nodded approvingly, exchanged a few more pleasantries, then said, “Alright, I’ll be going now. There are things waiting for me at home.”

Although she loved playing matchmaker, she wasn’t oblivious. Her friend’s child hadn’t been home in years, so there was no doubt a lot of catching up to do. She couldn’t just stick around.

Cao Qiuhua, too, wasn’t one to pretend with an old childhood friend.

When she heard this, she went to the cabinet to find some gifts for the matchmaker, but saw her daughter already handing over a small bag of cookies.

She shot her a teasing look. “You little rascal!”

Chen Nongmo smiled sweetly, looking utterly obedient…