Chapter 26

Big Brother’s words came so abruptly.

Chen Nongmo was completely caught off guard, unable to react for a moment.

If she thought about it, her time spent with her parents had been far too short—only about a week in total. 

She did miss them, of course. 

But after coming to this world, the people she had spent the most time with were Mother Qiuhua, Daddy Zong, and her brothers. 

So, just now, when the topic was brought up, Chen Nongmo hadn’t immediately realized… her parents’ exoneration meant that their family could finally reunite.

Was she going to go? 

She should go, right? 

After all, they were her Dad Zong and mother… 

Her mind was a jumbled mess, thoughts colliding and intertwining. Before Chen Nongmo could sort them out, Chen Jun exploded. He knew his reaction wasn’t right, but he couldn’t help it—he simply couldn’t bear the thought. 

A teenager’s heart is fiery and unrestrained, often acting without thinking of the consequences. 

Sure enough, he slammed the table in frustration, stood up abruptly, rolled up his sleeves, and shouted, “Why does Little Six have to go? I heard the borderlands are harsh, with strong winds and sandstorms. If she doesn’t go, she’ll stay in our house!” 

After saying that, he childishly ran to stand behind Little Sister Yuyu, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, as if afraid she might suddenly vanish. 

If this had been when Little Sister Yuyu first arrived, he might have felt curious but not so unwilling to let go. 

But hearts grow attached. Over the past six months, Chen Jun had grown accustomed to taking Little Sister Yuyu to and from school, sharing delicious food with her, and including her in his adventures on the ice sled. He had grown used to her cheerful laughter and the way she sweetly called him “Fourth Brother Jun” with that small figure of hers now just reaching his shoulder. 

He was her real older brother! 

The lineup had already been decided; everything had been set in order. So why… why did it suddenly not count anymore? Why… did Little Sister Yuyu have to leave? 

The more Chen Jun thought about it, the angrier and more aggrieved he felt. His eyes reddened, but he had no idea what to do. In the end, he could only glare at Big Brother, Chu Wuwen, who had brought up the topic in the first place. 

Cao Qiuhua, her head throbbing from Fourth Brother Jun’s outburst, understood that he was upset about the thought of Yuyu leaving. 

But if they couldn’t bear it, did Ji Mo and Demao, her parents, not miss their child as well? 

Emotionally, Cao Qiuhua naturally wanted her daughter to stay at home. 

But rationally, she knew it wasn’t realistic. 

Thinking of this, and still unsure of the right course of action due to the abruptness of the news, Cao Qiuhua rubbed her head and fell silent. 

Finally, Chen Zong made the decision: “There’s no need to rush this. It’ll take Brother Demao and Sister-in-law at least twenty days to settle down at the border. When the time comes, it’ll depend on what they and Yuyu want. Besides, no matter what, she has to finish her high school entrance exams and get her junior high diploma first.” 

---

In the master bedroom.

Cao Qiuhua lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep—just like last year when she had learned that her daughter would be coming to live with them. 

But back then, it had been excitement and anticipation; today, it was melancholy and reluctance. 

The thought of her soft and sensible daughter leaving her, possibly for many years, made her so restless that she turned over again. 

“Can’t sleep?” Chen Zong, noticing his wife tossing about for over half an hour, turned to her and asked. 

“…I’m a little upset.” 

Understanding exactly what was on her mind, the man reached out to pull her into his arms, only to see Cao Qiuhua suddenly throw off the blanket and sit up. 

“What are you doing?” 

Cao Qiuhua brushed the hair off her face and sat on the edge of the bed to put on her shoes. “I’m going to sleep with Yuyu.” 

After saying this, she ignored her husband’s reaction, went to the wardrobe, grabbed a small blanket, and left the bedroom. 

Chen Zong, who hadn’t slept alone since their child grew up, sat on the bed in a daze. 

Watching his wife leave without even looking back, as if she had completely forgotten him, Chen Zong was plunged into deep doubt. 

So… was his once warm and thoughtful “little padded jacket” now starting to leak? 

No, wait—his wife was gone! This wasn’t just a leak; it might as well be a full-blown sandstorm! 

---

In the following days, no one brought up the topic of Chen Nongmo leaving again. 

Life returned to its usual rhythm. 

The students continued going to school, and the adults resumed working in the fields. 

The only noticeable change was the sewing frenzy that swept through the village. 

Shanshun Village, with its small population and abundant land, benefited from its proximity to the mountains, making its living conditions generally better than those of nearby villages. 

Even so, bicycles and sewing machines—expensive and significant household items—were rare, owned by only a few families in the entire village. 

When the Old Secretary and several village cadres sold off the materials and distributed the money, it created quite a stir. The very next day, an auntie close to Cao Qiuhua came over to borrow her sewing machine. 

These borrowings weren’t without compensation—some would bring a few eggs, others small fish caught from the river, or fresh vegetables harvested from their gardens. 

The family’s meals were almost entirely taken care of by these aunties. 

For nearly half a month, the house was lively with visitors. Time flew by amidst the busyness, and soon it was early June. 

People, along with the mountains and fields, had changed into their summer attire. 

---

At the same time, Big Brother Chu Wuwen’s departure date had arrived. 

On a Saturday, the whole family gathered for lunch when Chu Wuwen mentioned his plan to return to the Military Unit the day after tomorrow. 

Everyone had already been mentally prepared for this, so there wasn’t much emotional upheaval. 

Cao Qiuhua, in particular, had little time for farewells. Knowing her son would be heading back to the Military Unit for an arranged meeting, her focus shifted entirely to practical matters. 

“Have you bought your ticket yet?” she asked directly. 

Chu Wuwen shook his head. “I’ll buy it when I get to the train station.” 

“Will you even get a good seat that way?” she countered, her tone tinged with worry. 

Chu Wuwen shrugged casually. “It’s fine. Any seat will do, even standing. No big deal.” 

Although the journey home took three days, the time spent on the train was less than a full day. The rest of the travel involved switching between buses, so buying a train ticket in advance wasn’t necessary. 

Hearing this, Cao Qiuhua frowned but didn’t press the issue further. Instead, she shifted to another topic. “About that matchmaking meeting, you need to take it seriously. If it works out, that’s great. She’s such an excellent young woman—marrying her would be a blessing for our family. But if she doesn’t take a liking to you, don’t you dare give her an attitude, you hear me? You’ve had a bad temper since you were a kid. Whenever you got upset, you’d sulk and pull faces—” 

Under the amused snickers of his younger siblings, Chu Wuwen helplessly wiped his face. “Mom, I’m thirty years old now, not three. That’s ancient history you’re talking about!” 

Cao Qiuhua gave him a sidelong glance. “Aren’t you only twenty-nine?” 

Chu Wuwen: … 

---

After lunch and a short rest, the men of the household, having tended to the fields earlier that morning, set off together for the mountains. 

Chen Nongmo wanted to go along, but Daddy Zong and Big Brother had decided to venture deep into the forest today, bringing Third, Fourth, and Fifth Brother Yis along. Since they were even taking rifles, there was no way they could bring her, a little girl. 

The boys, worried that their Little Sister Yuyu might pout or beg to join them, avoided her pleading gaze entirely. They laughed awkwardly before running off without a backward glance. 

In no time, the house was left with just Chen Nongmo and Mother Qiuhua. 

Cao Qiuhua began weaving cloth. With no entertainment and not even any homework to do, Chen Nongmo had no choice but to continue working on sewing clothes. 

Yes, sewing had essentially become her way of passing the time. 

This realization soured her mood, and she stomped the sewing machine pedal with exaggerated force. 

Perhaps it was the lush greenery at the base of the mountains, or perhaps the scorching summer heat hadn’t fully arrived yet, but the atmosphere inside the house remained surprisingly calm despite the circumstances. 

Chen Nongmo loved the current warm and pleasant weather. 

Especially since she had asked her brothers to move the sewing machine to the windowsill. 

The window was wide open, and the clear blue sky and the fragrant scent of flowers filled the air around her, slowly soothing her restlessness. 

As she and Mother Qiuhua chatted and worked, Fourth Brother Jun’s loud voice suddenly echoed from outside. Though he had left not long ago, his booming call was unmistakable: “Little Six! Little Six! Quick, come out! Come with me to take a phone call!” 

Before the words even fully landed, Chen Nongmo found herself being pulled up from her stool by Fourth Brother Jun. 

Looking at him in confusion, she hurriedly tried to keep up and asked, “Whose call is it—” 

Halfway through her question, it clicked. Her face lit up with excitement as she guessed, “Is it my mom and dad?” 

“Yes!” Chen Jun nodded enthusiastically. “Uncle Ergen called us just now. Dad and Big Brother have already gone ahead to answer the call. Hurry up!” 

Hearing this, Mother Qiuhua quickly locked the front door and rushed to catch up. She slapped her son’s hand off Chen Nongmo’s wrist and admonished him, “Why are you so rough? Didn’t you see Yuyu’s wrist is red?”  

Chen Jun, who had initially felt a little wronged, scratched his head sheepishly. His eyes fixed on the red marks on Little Sister Yuyu’s arm as he stammered, “Yuyu, does it hurt? I didn’t mean to do it.” 

“It doesn’t hurt; it just looks red…” Chen Nongmo replied truthfully. Her pale skin was prone to showing marks even from the slightest bump or tug. 

But most of her attention wasn’t on her wrist—it was elsewhere. 

Since waking up in this world, having lived over twenty years as an orphan, Chen Nongmo had suddenly gained parents who cared for her deeply and unconditionally. 

She thought that if she spent more time with them, she would undoubtedly grow attached and develop genuine familial affection.  

But alas, they had only been together for about a week. 

It wasn’t an exaggeration to call them the most familiar strangers. 

So, when the phone connected and she heard the distorted voices from thousands of miles away, the sense of unfamiliarity only deepened. 

At first, Chen Nongmo mostly listened, occasionally asking a few questions to show concern for her parents. 

Gradually, though, the strangeness brought by time began to fade away bit by bit during their conversation. She couldn’t help but smile as she told her parents about Mother Qiuhua, Daddy Zong, and her brothers, recounting how kind they all were to her. 

Her tone was soft but carried an unmistakable joy, which filled the hearts of Chen Demao and Ji Mo on the other end of the line with tenderness and relief. 

The so-called six months of “political reeducation” they had undergone had been far more grueling than they had let on. 

Chen Demao had always considered himself a resilient man, and Ji Mo had weathered the tumultuous years before liberation. 

But in just half a year, the mental and physical strain had aged them both noticeably. Once a couple who looked younger than their actual years, they now bore silver strands in their hair and deeper lines on their faces. 

Ji Mo leaned close to her husband, listening to her daughter animatedly recount amusing stories. For the first time, she felt an absolute certainty—Yuyu was truly better now. 

Never before had she been so sure. 

The memory of countless sleepless nights, fearing that her child’s illness would relapse, flashed through Ji Mo’s mind. Her eyes reddened again, tears falling uncontrollably as she quickly wiped them away. After taking a few deep breaths to compose herself, she accepted the phone from her husband and began speaking to her daughter. 

“…Yes, you should stay at your Mother Qiuhua’s house for now,” she said gently. “The weather here isn’t great, and it’s not convenient for schooling either. Isn’t Yuyu planning to attend high school? Finish high school first, alright? By then, you’ll be eighteen, a grown-up. We’ll ask your Big Brother to accompany you here when the time comes…”