Chapter 4

First, take the mountain road, and when you see the road, you need to change to a bus. When you get to the city, Song Ci separated from everyone else. First, she took Xiaoshu to have breakfast, and then went to the bookstore.

When she was cleaning the house yesterday, she found that the original owner had few books. Now that the college entrance examination has been announced, she must prepare well. Although she graduated from a 985 university, it has been a while since she graduated, so it is better to be cautious. With this in mind, she entered the only bookstore in town.

Unfortunately, after asking for a long time, she couldn’t buy any review materials, let alone textbooks. Helplessly, she had to take Xiaoshu out. Money is precious these days, and you need tickets to buy things. Song Ci didn’t buy anything else. After walking around the street with Xiaoshu for a long time, she went back without buying anything.

Because she arrived early, she waited on the street for quite a while before anyone else arrived. Seeing her and Xiaoshu empty-handed, many people looked over, but she didn’t explain. On the way back, Xu Yuan wasn’t there, and no one spoke to Song Ci. Xiaoshu was tired from walking for so long, and the mother and daughter dozed off all the way back.

Before reaching home, Song Ci saw Li Yannian watering the vegetable garden and thought that this guy was quite perceptive.

When Xiaoshu saw Li Yannian, he immediately rushed out, “Dad, we are back.”

Li Yannian saw that the mother and son were empty-handed and asked curiously, “Didn’t you say you were going into the city?”

“I didn’t buy what I wanted.” Song Ci said helplessly.

“What didn’t you buy?”

“Textbooks, high school textbooks, it would be better if there were review materials. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Have you really figured it out?” Li Yannian said with narrowed eyes.

Song Ci’s heart skipped a beat. Thinking of the original owner’s previous behavior, he glared and said, “What? You want me to quarrel with you every day?”

“No, I just think it’s quite sudden.” Li Yannian’s eyes drifted to the side.

“Why don’t you just give up while you’re ahead? I’m not a fool, I was just blinded for a moment. You know what kind of life I lived before and what kind of life I lived after going to the countryside. Isn’t it normal for me to want to go back to my old life? I’m like this now because I’ve figured it out. I have to rely on myself to live the life I want. As long as I get into university…” Song Ci hadn’t finished speaking when he heard Li Yannian say in a muffled voice, “I don’t agree. You can’t leave even if you want to.”

“Didn’t I tell you that I want to live a good life with you in the future?”

“You’ve said so many things, who knows if they’re true or not.”

“Hey, then you just wait and see.” Song Ci said and ignored him, turned around and walked into the house.

“Dad, don’t quarrel with Mom.” Xiaoshu looked up and said to Li Yannian.

Li Yannian touched his head and said, “I talked to your mother, we didn’t have a quarrel.”

“But mother looks unhappy.” Xiaoshu said with a frown on his face.

“Don’t worry, I’ll apologize later, and your mother won’t be upset.” Li Yannian poured the remaining water in the bucket into the vegetable patch, then packed up and went back inside. But when he entered the house, Song Ci wasn’t there; he was in the kitchen.

Seeing that it was getting dark, Song Ci thought about making dinner early.

Li Yannian walked in and Xiaoshu followed him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have doubted you.” Li Yannian said as he sat down in front of the stove. There was a red mole behind Song Ci’s ear. It was definitely her.

Xiaoshu stood next to Song Ci and said, “Mom, please forgive Dad.”

Seeing his uneasy face, Song Ci hurriedly said, “Mom and your dad are just joking. It’s hot and stuffy in the room, go play outside.”

Seeing her smile, Xiaoshu felt relieved. He walked to the small stool at the kitchen door and turned his head to look into the house from time to time.

When Song Ci saw this, he felt very sad, as if he saw himself as a child.

Li Yannian saw this too, and a trace of guilt spread across his face. It was the lean season, and the vegetables in the garden weren’t ready to eat yet. Song Ci followed the original owner’s usual recipe and cooked a pot of noodles.

Li Yannian was silent for a while, then suddenly said, “Don’t worry about the books. I’ll see if I can borrow a set for you.”

Song Ci said, feeling a bit uneasy, “It would be best if I could borrow it, but it doesn’t matter if I can’t. It just depends on whether I do well or not. By the way, if I do pass the exam, what will happen if there’s no one to take care of the little tree?”

“You are so confident. You think it is so easy to get into university? But I have hardly seen you touch a book.” Li Yannian looked up at her, wondering where her confidence came from.

“My mom’s a university professor, how could I possibly be any worse? I used to have pretty good grades. I didn’t touch the book because I was scared by what happened earlier. Speaking of which, I don’t know how my parents are doing after they returned to the city.” Song Ci paused, spatula in hand. The original owner’s relationship with his family wasn’t very good, and he even seemed to resent them.

“Why don’t you just send a letter back and ask? Xiaoshu, don’t worry. If you really get into college, let him go back to his hometown for two years, and then bring him back when he is able to go to school. By then, you should have graduated.” Li Yannian thought for a while and said.

“Wouldn’t that make them left-behind children?”

“What left-behind children? You don’t know yet how much my parents love Xiaoshu. If you are still worried, wait until your summer vacation and then take him back. You can go back to see him during weekdays when you miss him.” Li Yannian said indifferently.

“Can mother come here to take care of the little tree?” Song Ci asked after thinking for a while.

Li Yannian shook his head: “I have so much to do at home, how can I come here?”

“That’s right. My eldest and second brothers’ children still need my help to take care of them. If I come, my eldest and second sisters-in-law will definitely have opinions. But if I leave the children in my hometown, can I take care of so many children alone?” Song Ci said with some concern.

“Why can’t I take care of it when there are so many people at home?” Li Yannian didn’t think it was a problem. After all, most of the children in the village were raised like this.

“Forget it, let’s talk about this after I get admitted to university. If I can pass the exam and return to Beijing, I will bring Xiaoshu with me. Then I will see if I can ask my mother to help take care of Xiaoshu. I can also take care of him when I am not in class.” Song Ci thought for a while and said.

“That’s fine.” Li Yannian nodded.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “You really aren’t making a fuss?”

“Stop making trouble.”

“Then I’ll move back tomorrow. You don’t know, the political commissar persuaded me again today.”

“Just move back, no one asked you not to come back.”

“I’m not afraid you’ll quarrel with me again. I just hope you’ve really thought it through this time, otherwise I’ll have to retire and return home sooner or later.”

“Don’t worry, I’m only thinking about going to college now.”

“No, if you really get into college, you won’t dislike me even more in the future, right?”

“Yes. So if you have nothing to do, read some books and improve your cultural literacy. We can make progress together, and then I won’t look down on you.”

“Then I can lead troops, but you can’t. I don’t despise you.”

“How can that be the same? I am the only one who can dislike you, but you are not allowed to dislike me.”

“As expected, he is still so unreasonable!” Li Yannian whispered.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, there are mosquitoes.”