Chapter 13: Xie Zhi’s Parents Have Returned to the City

A few hundred meters away from the village entrance, Xie Zhi gently nudged the girl awake. “Jiaojiao, wake up, we’re almost there.”

Xu Jiaojiao slowly opened her bleary eyes. After a sleepless night and a long day of travel, she was utterly exhausted. She yawned, her eyes tearing up from tiredness, and responded in a soft, sleepy voice, “Okay~.”

Before long, they were off the cart. From a distance, Xu Jiaojiao spotted her two brothers waiting at the village gate. She immediately raised her arm and shouted excitedly, “Fourth Brother! Fifth Brother! You’re here!”

As soon as she got off the cart, she was engulfed in a tight embrace. Xu Yan asked her, “Did you have fun?”

“Of course, I had a great time! I even brought some treats for you.”

Xu Chen squinted happily as he pinched his sister’s soft, fair cheeks. “Our Jiaojiao is really growing up, thinking of her brothers now.”

What he said wasn’t wrong. In the past, when she went to town, it was already generous enough not to take from her brothers’ money. Whatever she bought was usually only for Sheng Jie. But now, she even brought back snacks.

Xu Chen and Xu Yan exchanged a glance before stepping forward to help carry her things.

Meanwhile, Shen Yun had long since disappeared, leaving Yang Mei standing there in a daze. She watched Xu Jiaojiao, who was being pampered by both her brothers and her fiancé, not even allowed to carry her own bags. She was treated like a child, needing people to come pick her up.

Xu Jiaojiao noticed Yang Mei, and remembering how Yang Mei had stood up to Shen Yun on the cart, she figured that since they both disliked the same person, didn’t that make them friends?

Smiling, Xu Jiaojiao walked over and pulled out a few pieces of milk candy, handing them to Yang Mei. “Here, Yang Mei, have some candy. It’s really sweet.” Then, she took Xie Zhi’s hand and left.

Yang Mei stared blankly at the White Rabbit milk candies in her hand. This was the most expensive candy in the department store, something that most families only enjoyed once a year during the New Year.

As for her own family, not even during New Year’s did they buy such treats—she could only gaze at them from outside the store. Yet Xu Jiaojiao could easily give them away. How well-off was she?

She unwrapped one of the candies and popped it into her mouth. The sweetness brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t even finish the first candy before shoving the remaining two into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out.

There was no way she could take them home, and she even had to rinse her mouth to make sure no candy scent remained, or else she might get beaten.

When Xu Jiaojiao reached her family’s courtyard, she immediately spotted her mother waiting by the door. She rushed over. “Mom, I brought you some treats.”

“You really are growing up, Jiaojiao, knowing how to care for your parents now,” her mother said, her tone filled with pride as she patted her daughter’s head. Looking at Jiaojiao’s beautiful face, she couldn’t help but feel proud.

Who in the surrounding ten villages didn’t envy her for having such a pretty daughter?

“Where’s Dad?” Jiaojiao asked.

“He went to your grandfather’s house to deliver some wine and won’t be back tonight.”

“Then let’s save some for them,” Xu Jiaojiao suggested.

Soon, they were all seated at the dinner table, though the dishes had gone cold. Xu’s mother had placed them in the rice steamer to warm them up, and they’d be ready in no time.

Xie Zhi took the scissors handed to him and easily sliced through the tape sealing the package. Inside was a large plastic box, and Xu Jiaojiao stared at it in confusion, not knowing what it was for.

Xie Zhi opened the box, and the contents left Xu Jiaojiao’s mouth agape, speechless for a long time.

There were all sorts of goodies: malted milk, powdered milk, canned fruit, dried meat products, and even vacuum-sealed items. There were also tea leaves and other delicacies.

Aside from Xu Jiaojiao, the rest of the family seemed unbothered by the sight. They even cast worried glances at Jiaojiao, fearing she might send these things to the Sheng family.

Xie Zhi handed over the tea and a small bottle of wine to Xu’s mother. “Mom, these are for you and Dad.”

Xu’s mother sighed as she looked at Xie Zhi. “Xiao Zhi, your parents send so much every time. I don’t even know what to say anymore.”

“Mom, there’s no need to say anything. We’re all family, and if it weren’t for Grandpa Xu, my father wouldn’t have returned to the city so quickly,” Xie Zhi replied sincerely.

“Xiao Zhi, are your parents back now? They can really return?” Xu Chen, who couldn’t keep things to himself, asked eagerly.

Xie Zhi nodded. “Yes, thanks to Grandpa Xu and the help of Big Brother and Second Brother, they were among the first group to be released. The organization has even reinstated their previous jobs and provided generous compensation, so this time they sent a lot of stuff.”

Two of Xu’s brothers were in the military, and one worked for the provincial government. Without their discreet help, this wouldn’t have happened so quickly.

If not for Xu’s father’s long-standing position as village chief, relying solely on Grandpa Xu’s battlefield contributions wouldn’t have been enough.

Xu’s mother’s eyes welled up with tears. She turned away to wipe them before saying, “That’s wonderful. This is really wonderful.” The house filled with a lighthearted atmosphere.

Xu Jiaojiao finally understood everything and was genuinely happy for Xie Zhi’s family. Their hardship had finally come to an end.

Xie Zhi divided the goods, giving some to Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother, while the remaining items filled more than half the box.

Seeing the gleam in Jiaojiao’s eyes as she stared at the box, Xie Zhi chuckled indulgently. “Sweetheart, all of this is for you.”

Xu Jiaojiao, feeling a bit shy, pinched him lightly. She was just curious about what was inside.

After the goods were divided, everyone sat down to eat. They had brought back braised pig trotters, spicy chicken, and an eggplant dish from the restaurant.

No one asked about the price of the dishes—no one wanted to spoil the mood. The only sounds at the table were cheerful conversations, though Xu Jiaojiao was already planning to give some treats to Hongyan the next day.

After dinner, Xu Chen and Xu Yan took over the cleaning duties, while Xu Jiaojiao and Xie Zhi returned to their small courtyard with their share of the goods. The privacy and functionality of their courtyard were truly impressive.

Xie Zhi carefully unpacked the items one by one, placing them on the table. There were two fashionable women’s puff-sleeve blouses and a pair of pointed short boots that reached the calves.

Xu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but pick them up, examining them with great admiration. She lifted her pretty eyes to Xie Zhi and said, “They’re so beautiful!”

These clothes and boots would be fashionable even in the 21st century.

Seeing how happy she was, Xie Zhi’s face lit up with joy. “I’m glad you like them. Mom said you’d look great in these clothes.”

Xu Jiaojiao put the items down, walked over to Xie Zhi, and snuggled into his chest, rubbing her head against him affectionately. With her soft voice, she asked, “Xie Zhi, why do you like me? I made so many mistakes in the past and hurt you, but you never blamed me.”

He bent down and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. This kiss held no desire, only pure love. “I don’t know why either. From the first moment I saw you, I liked you.”

Soon, their lips met, and the room went dark. The only sounds remaining were the trickling of water and the creaking of the bed.

The whole courtyard was filled with the blossoming of spring.

In another room, Xu Chen suddenly threw back his blanket, the cotton stuffed in his ears falling out. He was furious. “This guy is tormenting my sister every night! I can’t take it anymore!”

Xu Yan, still reading his book, replied lazily, “You should be glad it’s Xie Zhi and not Sheng Jie.”

“But can’t they take it easy?” Xu Chen groaned in frustration. “Who can sleep through that noise every night?”