Chapter 91 : Take Them Back to the Village

Han Zhenyu shook his head nonchalantly. “We understand how you feel. These things are a heavy blow to anyone. I admire your perseverance for being able to hold on until now.”

Gu Fangxun smiled bitterly, “I’m not afraid of you laughing at me, I just managed to hold on until now.”

Han Zhenyu patted his shoulder comfortingly and told Gu Fangxun what he and Su Xieqiu had discussed last night.

“We suddenly have two more children in our family, so we need to find a reason to quiet the villagers. As for the household registration of the two children, we have to report it to our team first. Once your family affairs are settled, we can move the household registration.”

Seeing that they had thought of all this, Gu Fangxun said gratefully, “Thank you and your wife for your thorough consideration. I’ll leave the two children to you from now on.”

“Don’t be polite.” Han Zhenyu suddenly thought of something and asked him, “Comrade Gu, does Director Wu know about this?”

The Director Wu he was talking about is the purchasing director of the county armed forces department, and the cousin of Gu Fangxun’s brother-in-law.

Gu Fangxun shook his head. “I haven’t told him yet. I’ll meet him privately before I leave. You don’t need to mention this to him. He has never met my sister’s child.”

It’s not that Gu Fangxun distrusts his brother-in-law’s cousin, but his wife is very realistic.

Before my brother-in-law’s family went bankrupt, everyone had a good relationship.

But now people may not want to be involved with them. For the safety of the two children and Han Zhenyu’s family, it is better for fewer people to know about it.

Zhenyu understood what he said, and he stood up with a smile, “Since it’s settled, don’t stay in the guesthouse, come to my house.”

Gu Fangxun asked hesitantly, “Would it be bad if I went with you?”

Han Zhenyu smiled and shook his head. “It’s okay. Just say you’re here to send the child off. Our home is far from the village and it’s quite quiet. You can stay at home with the child for a few days and let them get familiar with the environment before leaving.”

Thinking it would be inconvenient for his wife to be at home with a grown man, Han Zhenyu planned to ask for a few days off from the factory and go back to work after Gu Fangxun left.

Gu Fangxun said helplessly, “I’m afraid I can’t stay here any longer. I have to leave the day after tomorrow at the latest, because there are only six days left before my registration date. It takes several changes of trains to get from here to the Northwest, so I have to leave two days in advance.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chenchen threw herself into his arms, hugged him tightly, and her shoulders twitched from crying.

Gu Fangxun hugged him and comforted him, “Chenchen, don’t cry, your uncle will come to see you .”

Han Zhenyu and Su Xieqiu both felt a little uncomfortable watching this.

Su Xieqiu saw An An also grinning and ready to cry, so she quickly picked her up and comforted her.

Han Zhenyu went to the factory and asked for two days’ leave, and said hello to Deputy Director Bai.

He went to find an ox cart and took Gu Fangxun and the others back to the village.

It is the busy farming season now. Except for a few old men and women who are taking care of their children at home, most people in the village go to work.

So the whole village seemed very quiet.

Gu Fangxun looked at the small village at the foot of the mountain.

To the north of the village is a lush mountain, and at the foot of the mountain is fertile black soil.

The path in the field is long and quiet, with the occasional cries of children and barking of dogs breaking the tranquility.

Han Zhenyu and Su Xieqiu led the way on bicycles.

After passing through the village, they stopped at a small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

Han Zhenyu gave a few cents to the old man driving the ox cart, and Su Xieqiu took out the key to open the gate.

“Comrade Gu, please come in.”

Gu Fangxun held An An in his arms and followed the couple into the yard.

“Han Zhenyu, is your house newly built? It looks very nice.”

Han Zhenyu smiled and nodded, “It was just built. We just moved in the day before yesterday.”

Han Zhenyu carried the luggage for the three of them into the room and said with a smile, “Comrade Gu, you can take Chenchen and An an to rest for a while. After dinner, I’ll show you around the neighborhood.”

“We’re not tired. Is there anything I can help you with?” Gu Fangxun asked.

“There’s not much to do at home. How about I show you the backyard?” Han Zhenyu, wanting them to feel more comfortable on their first day, decided to familiarize them with the house.

“Okay.”

Meanwhile, Su Xieqiu was pouring water for them in the main room. A plate of snacks was set on the table. Seeing them come out, she smiled and said, “Chenchen, An an, are you hungry? Have some snacks first. Auntie will make something delicious for lunch.”

Jiang Lichen politely shook his head. “Thank you, Auntie. I’m not hungry.”

An An, however, was less reserved. She let go of her uncle’s hand, ran to Su Xieqiu, and pointed at the snacks on the table, saying, “Eat, eat…”

Laughing, Su Xieqiu picked her up, handed her a cookie, and gave two more to Chenchen. “Here, eat.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Chenchen said, glancing at his sister.

Seeing An An happily munching a cookie in Su Xieqiu’s arms, too focused to notice anything else, Chenchen gently reminded her, “Sister, say thank you to Auntie.”

An An, always obedient, immediately grinned, her little teeth showing. “Thank you, Auntie.”

“An An is such a good girl, and Chenchen is so well-mannered too,” Su Xieqiu said, smiling as she pinched An An’s cheek. She praised the siblings warmly.

Then she added to Chenchen, “We’re family now, so there’s no need to be so polite.”

“Okay, I understand, Auntie,” Chenchen nodded earnestly.

Watching how well-behaved the boy was, Su Xieqiu sighed inwardly.

‘He’s so sensible because he knows he’ll be living under someone else’s roof from now on. He’s afraid to cause trouble.’

Han Zhenyu smiled, lifting Chenchen into his arms. “Come on, I’ll take you and your uncle to the backyard. Let An’an stay here with your aunt.”

Surprised at being picked up, Chenchen clung tightly to Han Zhenyu’s neck, then smiled shyly.

Han Zhenyu chuckled, patted Chenchen gently on his back, and carried him along with Gu Fangxun to the backyard.

In the backyard, a small pile of firewood was stacked neatly in the vegetable shed. Han Zhenyu had gathered it from the mountains during his free time. Green vegetable sprouts dotted the field, adding a lively touch of green to the courtyard.

Gu Fangxun took in the tidy and welcoming yard, thinking to himself how capable the couple were. At such a young age, they already had a cozy home of their own. He felt a wave of relief knowing Chenchen and An an now had a stable place to live.

Spotting the well in the corner and a brick laundry table nearby, Gu Fangxun asked, “Han Zhenyu, can we use that well?”

Han Zhenyu was crouched down, teaching Chenchen how to identify different grasses in the field. Hearing the question, he nodded. “Of course, it’s a newly dug well.”

“I’d like to wash the dirty clothes we’ve been wearing on the road. Would it be convenient?”

With two young children in tow, Gu Fangxun hadn’t had the chance to wash any clothes during their stay at the guesthouse. He hadn’t dared to leave the children out of his sight.

Han Zhenyu smiled. “It’s no trouble at all. I’ll get you a wooden bucket and some soap. Just bring all the clothes over, and we can wash them together.”

“No, no, I can do it myself,” Gu Fangxun quickly refused. He couldn’t possibly let someone else help him with such a personal chore.