Chapter 44: The Wanderer Returns Home (Part 2)

Normally, she would sleep straight through until morning, but that night, she woke up two or three times. Every time she woke up, she had no idea what time it was, only that it was still dark outside.

By the time she opened her eyes again, daylight had already filled the room.

The pancakes they brought had been eaten the night before, so Liu Shuangcui went out and got some food from the front desk lady.

As Mu Mian ate, she let out a big yawn. Liu Shuangcui then asked her daughter, “Should we go straight to the supply and marketing cooperative? Your father mentioned that there’s a zoo in the city. Do you want to go?”

The train was arriving in the afternoon, so they had plenty of time in the morning.

Mu Mian asked back, “Mom, do you want to go?”

Liu Shuangcui scoffed, “Do I look like your dad? He’s the one who likes those places. He acts like a kid, even in his fifties, still running around with the little ones.”

Mu Mian chuckled. “I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t want to go either.”

Aside from the fact that zoos in those days had very few animals, she could already imagine the scene in this scorching July weather.

The animals were probably all sprawled under the shade of trees, completely listless.

If even people lacked energy in this heat, what about furry animals?

Besides, what was the fun in going with just the two of them? Outings should be a full family activity!

They could visit together another time when the opportunity came.

Mu Mian took a sip from the water bottle and added, “Let’s go to the supply and marketing cooperative first, then head straight to the train station. What if Big Brother arrives early?”

Earlier, she had thought they would have time to explore the city in the morning. But in reality, the closer it got to her brother’s arrival, the more restless she felt. She would rather wait at the train station than walk around.

Liu Shuangcui chuckled. “No way he’ll be early. If the train isn’t delayed, I’d already be thanking the heavens.”

Despite saying this, she completely agreed to go to the train station early. She was just as impatient.

—

The supply and marketing cooperative was not far from the guesthouse.

After packing up and confirming they had not left anything behind, Mu Mian led her mother toward the cooperative, following the directions given by the front desk lady.

The city’s cooperative was much larger than the county’s. Since it was not a holiday, there were fewer people, and the store actually looked quite spacious.

Mu Mian had promised to bring something for Lele, so she carefully picked out a gift.

Since there were many girls in the family, she also bought gifts for Mu Wan, Mu Qiu, and the twin sisters.

The twins were already over four years old. Their hair was long enough to be tied up, and they were at the age where they were starting to care about their looks.

As for the boys like Xiao Chengzi, she did not buy anything for them. The glass marbles they liked could easily be bought at the commune.

Liu Shuangcui also bought some daily necessities, things that couldn’t be found in the commune.

After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, the mother and daughter followed the directions they had asked about earlier and made their way to the bus stop.

Public bus routes were still limited in this era. Many places could only be reached on foot, but for destinations like the train station, there were buses available.

Train stations were usually built far from the city center, and walking there would take a long time.

By the time the bus slowly made its way to the train station, it was already midmorning.

Just as they arrived, a train happened to be pulling into the station. A large crowd of passengers got off, making the place bustling and noisy.

Train station management was not as strict in those days. People dropping off or picking up passengers, as well as those taking the train, could all squeeze onto the platform. Some individuals even ran alongside the moving train.

The mother and daughter stood off to the side as Liu Shuangcui glanced around. “So many people got off this train.”

Mu Mian understood immediately. “It’s the provincial capital, so of course, there are a lot of people. Other cities probably aren’t this crowded.”

Their city was the provincial capital, and the train station was likely the largest in the province, so having so many people was normal.

Liu Shuangcui sighed. “I wonder when your brother will arrive. With this many people, we can’t afford to miss him.”

Mu Mian was full of confidence. “No way! Your daughter has sharp eyes. I guarantee I’ll spot Big Brother in the crowd right away.”

As the train’s arrival time drew closer, Liu Shuangcui grew more restless. “I don’t even know what he looks like now. He’s probably changed so much that I won’t recognize him.”

Mu Mian imagined for a moment. “He’s definitely more muscular than before, but I don’t think he got much taller. His height was pretty much set back then.”

Although adults could still grow a little taller, most didn’t gain much height. However, her brother had already been a tall young man at 185 cm when he left.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. “He must look really impressive—definitely different from ordinary men!”

After all, her big brother was now a deputy company commander. He had spent years away from home, earning medals for his service.

Getting promoted to deputy company commander at his age was an impressive feat. It showed how hard he had worked in the military.

Liu Shuangcui tried to picture her eldest son looking strict and authoritative, but no matter how hard she thought, she just couldn’t imagine it.

The last memory she had of Mu Zhuo was him and his little sister hugging each other, crying their hearts out when he left. He had wiped his tears and snot all over her.

As the mother and daughter chatted idly, time passed quickly, and soon, it was already noon.

Fortunately, Liu Shuangcui had exchanged some food with the front desk lady earlier that morning, so they had something to tide them over.

Waiting was a tiring and nerve-wracking process.

As they eagerly anticipated the arrival, the time left dwindled to just half an hour.

Mu Mian was about to ask the station staff whether the train would arrive on time when she suddenly heard a sharp whistle.

Train station staff would usually blow whistles when a train was entering or departing the station.

It served as a signal for other workers to ensure that people stayed clear of the tracks to prevent accidents.

Mu Mian quickly scanned the surroundings, her eyes widening slightly with excitement.

Liu Shuangcui immediately asked, “Does that mean a train is arriving? Is it your brother’s train?”

Mu Mian replied, “I’ll go ask! It should be!”

She ran toward the staff member who had blown the whistle, tilting her small round face up. “Uncle, excuse me, is the train from Ningzhang City arriving now?”

The staff member thought for a moment before replying, “Ningzhang City?”

After two or three seconds, he nodded. “Yes, the train about to arrive did pass through Ningzhang City.”

Mu Mian’s face lit up with joy. “Really? It’s early?!”

Seeing how eager she was, the staff member couldn’t help but add, “Since it’s the last stop, sometimes the train arrives ahead of schedule.”

“Are you here to pick someone up? You’re in luck! Last time, this train was delayed by more than half a day and didn’t arrive until late at night. Arriving thirty minutes early this time is quite rare.”

Mu Mian was so excited that she nearly jumped. “Haha! I’m here to pick up my brother! Thank you, Uncle!”

She then turned and dashed back toward Liu Shuangcui, bouncing as she ran. “Mom, mom, mom! The train is here! Big Brother is arriving!!”

Although Liu Shuangcui had already overheard, she still couldn’t help but jump a little with her daughter.

Her son had been away for over five years, and he was finally coming home.

Moments after the whistle blew, a green train chugged into the station.

As soon as it stopped, passengers impatiently climbed out of the windows before the doors even fully opened.

The mother and daughter craned their necks, their eyes locked on the crowd.

Since this was the final stop, everyone had to disembark, making the station especially packed.

About a minute later, amidst the sea of people, a figure that couldn’t be more familiar appeared in Mu Mian’s sight.

The man wore a short-sleeved military uniform, looking sharp and energetic. His hair was cut short in a military style, and he carried two large bags while scanning the crowd.

Who else could it be but her big brother?!

The moment she spotted him, Mu Mian shouted at the top of her lungs, “Big Brother!!”

Her voice was so loud that even the people around her flinched.

But Mu Mian didn’t care. Like a nimble little deer, she took off running. She covered several meters in an instant, completely forgetting about Liu Shuangcui behind her.

Running while waving, she shouted, “Big Brother! Big Brother!!”

Mu Zhuo, who was also searching for someone, instantly heard his little sister’s voice from the noisy surroundings the moment she called out.

Turning his head, he saw a young girl, now grown into a graceful and confident young lady, running toward him.

Compared to his memories, his sister had grown much taller. Her little face was still round, her eyes remained big and bright, and her smile was even more radiant than the sun.

Carrying two large bags, Mu Zhuo immediately sprinted toward her. “Little Sister!”

After more than five years apart, the siblings had just reunited when, before they could say a word, Mu Mian suddenly found her vision lifting more than a meter high, her feet leaving the ground.

Sometimes, genetics can be fascinating. The men of the Mu family all had this habit—whenever they got excited, they liked to lift people up.

The two large bags were tossed to the ground. Mu Zhuo lifted his little sister and bounced her slightly, grinning from ear to ear as he rattled on, “When did you arrive? Have you been waiting long? I was afraid you’d be anxious, so the moment the bus stopped, I rushed out…”

As her vision shot up, Mu Mian suddenly realized there were quite a few people around. She patted her brother’s arm. “Brother—Big Brother! Put me down first! Hurry! I’m almost thirteen now, not three!!”

Mu Zhuo’s grin stretched so wide it almost reached the back of his head. He let out an “Oh” and obediently put her down.

Liu Shuangcui arrived a step later and fixed her gaze on her eldest son without blinking.

Mu Zhuo scratched his head and called out loudly, “Mom!”

Liu Shuangcui’s eyes instantly turned red. Choked with emotion, she could only manage to say, “It’s good that you’re back.”

Mu Mian glanced at her mother, then at her brother. She picked up one of the large bags from the ground and urged, “Come on, let’s go home. Dad and Grandma are waiting. If we hurry, we can catch the last bus and won’t have to stay at the guesthouse tonight.”

Liu Shuangcui wiped her eyes and nodded. “Yes, yes, let’s hurry home.”

She reached out to grab the other bag, but Mu Zhuo stopped her. “Mom, I’m not tired. I slept the whole way here. Little Sister, can you carry that one?”

Mu Mian swung the heavy bag over her shoulder effortlessly. “Of course! Don’t underestimate me, Big Brother!”

Liu Shuangcui chuckled as she walked beside them. “She’s got quite a bit of strength now. Maybe even more than you.”

Mu Zhuo laughed. “We’ll see when we get home!”

Mu Mian teased, “If you lose, don’t cry!”

Mu Zhuo smirked. “That’s impossible. I’m not Little Uncle.”

Over the years, Mu Mian had gotten into the habit of writing every little detail about home in her letters.

Even though Mu Zhuo had been away for years, he hadn’t missed a single thing. The three of them chatted endlessly along the way.

Since Mu Zhuo had arrived early, by the time they traveled from the city to the county, they just managed to catch the last bus back to the commune.

The last time Mu Mian had taken this bus, she had been completely drained by the time she got off.

But this time, with her brother back, she was too happy to feel uncomfortable and was still full of energy when they arrived.

Because it was the last bus, it was already quite late. The sun was setting, and the moon had impatiently climbed into the sky, ready to take over.

Mu Mian dragged one of her brother’s bags while chatting, “Dad and Grandma probably think we won’t be back until tomorrow. They’re going to be so surprised when we…”

Before she could finish, she suddenly spotted a familiar bicycle parked by the roadside. Beside it was an even more familiar figure.

Almost at the same moment, Mu Fugui saw them too. Without even bothering to push his bike, the burly man strode toward them.

Mu Mian was surprised. “Dad! Why didn’t you go home? You just waited here? What if we didn’t come back today?”

Mu Fugui replied, “I was just trying my luck. If you didn’t get off the bus, I would’ve gone home.”

Saying that, he quickly reached Mu Zhuo and gave him a once-over before slapping his shoulder. “Brat, you’re even bigger than me now!”

Mu Zhuo had been smiling all afternoon. His face was almost sore from grinning, but seeing his father made him smile even wider.

The father and son walked with their arms around each other, chatting nonstop.

Since Mu Mian had already spent the whole afternoon talking to her brother, she stepped aside to let her father have his turn. Meanwhile, she tied the two large bags securely onto the bicycle.

With four people and only one bike, they couldn’t ride it, so they had to push it along as they walked.

Liu Shuangcui pushed the bike and turned back to call out, “Stop standing there, you two. It’ll be dark soon.”

The father and son quickly caught up.

It was already late, and since they were walking slowly, the sky turned completely dark before they were halfway home.

Fortunately, it was a full moon night, and the road was still visible.

The moonlight stretched their shadows long across the small path.

As they neared home, Mu Mian saw two figures standing at the entrance from a distance.

The old lady held a kerosene lamp, and Shiyi stood beside her.

Mu Mian quickened her pace. “Grandma must have been waiting anxiously.”

Mu Zhuo was even faster. He ran ahead, shouting, “Grandma! I’m back!!”