Chapter 22

“Sister, did you strike it rich? Why did you buy so many things?”

“I heard you went to town for something, and you were gone for several days. I was so worried.”

Xu Li helped Song Shishi carry the things into the house, while describing her worries about her these past few days.

Song Shishi smiled and briefly recounted what happened these past few days, and Xu Li’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Sister, I really don’t know how to describe you. Should I say you’re lucky or unlucky?”

“Anyway, the outcome is good, right? But don’t show off your wealth. If anyone asks you, just say I’m a spendthrift and I’ve spent all my money, okay?”

Xu Li nodded, looking at a sack of broken glass shards, she asked in confusion, “Sister, what are these for?”

“We’re two girls living alone now, I’m afraid some bad people in the village might target us. On my way back, I happened to see a lot of empty bottles, so I smashed them all.

After we eat, you and I will put these broken glass shards on the wall. If anyone wants to climb over the wall at night, they’ll have to suffer a bit.”

Song Shishi said, and then asked, “By the way, I also want to raise a dog. I remember Jiang Shan’s dog is about to give birth. You can go ask in a couple of days.”

Xu Li was stunned, “Sister, how do you know everything?”

She just experienced it.

Song Shishi smiled, patted her head, and went into the kitchen with the meat and seasonings.

Xu Li didn’t idle either. There was already a chicken coop in the yard, she put the two chickens in the coop, and then went to the river to fetch mud.

Their house had earthen walls, and if they wanted to stick the glass shards on, they had to get some mud to fix them.

By tomorrow, when the sun dries them, these glass shards will be effective.

Besides, it would be too conspicuous to do this during the day when there are many people around.

…

As soon as dawn broke, Song Shishi wanted to go to her own plot of land to see if the soil had dried enough, she had to start sowing seeds.

Also, the plastic sheet shed hadn’t been built yet, there was still a lot of work to be done.

But as soon as she went out, Yang Huifang ran over.

She was out of breath, “I knew you would get up early and go to the field as soon as you came back.”

“Anything?” Song Shishi waved to her, wanting to call her into the house to talk.

But Yang Huifang waved her hand, “I won’t go in, I just came to deliver a letter to you.

The letter was delivered the day before yesterday. I saw it was from Beijing, and I guessed it might be a letter from your family.

I was afraid I would forget about it later, so I got up early to deliver it to you.”

Song Shishi naturally remembered Yang Huifang’s kindness.

She took the letter and took out a handful of milk candies from her pocket and stuffed them into Yang Huifang’s pocket.

Yang Huifang didn’t hesitate, thanked her and ran away.

Song Shishi turned back to the house, glanced at the envelope, it was a letter from her mother.

“Dear Daughter:

Hope this letter finds you well!

It’s been about a month since you came to the Huaiqing Brigade, are you getting used to it?

I read the letter you left for your dad.

I have started taking medication under the doctor’s advice, and as long as my mood is stable, there won’t be any problems.

I’m afraid you’re worried, so I thought I’d write to you and let you know I’m safe.

I don’t know if the money and tickets I left you before are enough, so I’ve sent you some more.

Hope you’re doing well, looking forward to your reply!

Love you, Mom.

Zheng Peilan.”

Song Shishi didn’t feel anything when she didn’t see her mother’s letter.

But when she looked at the letter written by her mother’s own hand, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.

Taking out paper and pen, Song Shishi wrote a reply.

In the letter, she briefly talked about what happened to her in the Huaiqing Brigade. She was afraid that her mother would worry about her all the time, so she omitted all the bad things that might be involved, and only talked about the good parts.

She was now a young intellectual in the countryside, and her mother kept sending her money and tickets, if someone with bad intentions noticed, it wouldn’t be good.

So she also mentioned that she was working as a translator in the town library, and told her mother not to send her any more money or tickets.

After writing the letter, sticking on the stamp, Song Shishi asked Xu Li to help her give the letter to the postman.

She still had to rush to her own plot of land to take care of her seeds and plastic sheet shed.

Song Shishi was so busy that she lost track of time.

She didn’t sit down to rest and drink some water until her waist couldn’t take it anymore.

But as soon as she looked up, she saw a familiar figure coming from a distance.

She stood up, and the person also quickened his pace.

Meng Xunzhou’s face gradually became clear, sunlight fell on his hair.

He was coming towards her against the light, and at this moment, he was wearing a military uniform, and in Song Shishi’s eyes, he seemed different.

But Song Shishi couldn’t tell exactly what it was.

Perhaps it was his eyes, which sparkled with joy but also held a sense of restraint.

Or maybe it was his aura, which made her feel safe.

“I went to the young intellectual’s dormitory to find you just now, and I learned that you moved to Xu Li’s house. She said you came here, so I came directly.”

“Is there anything you need help with?”

Counting the days, they hadn’t seen each other for half a month, but Meng Xunzhou seemed as comfortable as if he saw her every day.

There was no polite greeting after a long separation, he skillfully picked up the hoe next to her and started loosening the soil.

“Did you just come back from a mission?”

“Yeah.”

He came directly to her after returning from a mission.

She was no longer the naive girl she used to be.

Since she was reborn, she had vaguely sensed a change in Meng Xunzhou’s attitude towards her.

But she didn’t want to believe it was true, so she always deliberately avoided it.

Even though Xu Li said it so clearly in the hospital that day, she pretended not to know.

But just now, she saw the look in Meng Xunzhou’s eyes, the emotions in those eyes, she understood.

She couldn’t avoid it, and she couldn’t escape.

She used to dislike the way her family arranged a marriage for her.

She always thought Meng Xunzhou felt the same way.

“Meng Xunzhou.”

As if by fate, she called out his name.

“Yeah?” Meng Xunzhou stopped what he was doing, straightened up and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

But Song Shishi didn’t know what to say.

“Well… you came just in time, I was just worried about how to build this plastic sheet shed.”

Meng Xunzhou gave a faint smile, “Okay, I’ll build it for you before I leave today.”

Looking at Meng Xunzhou working alone, Song Shishi felt a little embarrassed.

Meng Xunzhou loosened the soil, and she followed behind sowing seeds.

At noon, because Meng Xunzhou was here, she felt embarrassed to eat pancakes with him.

Thinking that the pork she bought yesterday hadn’t been finished yet, she greeted Meng Xunzhou and went back to cook.

When Song Shishi went back, Xu Li wasn’t home.

She was working today, and probably brought dry food to eat in the field.

Anyway, she bought a lot of meat yesterday, Song Shishi simply made a dish of braised pork, stir-fried a dish of cabbage and potatoes.

The cabbage and potatoes were grown by Xu Li in the yard, and they were very delicious.

She had had enough of eating corn and sweet potatoes every day, so today she simply steamed the rice she bought yesterday.

She packed the food into two large portions, and carried them to the threshing ground.

Before she got close, Song Shishi saw Xu Li and Yang Huifang gathered together talking.