Chapter 357 - 314: Returning to the Village
Chapter 357: Chapter 314: Returning to the Village
Zheng Shaolian checked in on Mo Jiabao and his family to get a sense of the situation. He was relieved to learn that Uncle Tang was handling the remaining matters. After chatting for a while with Grandpa and Grandma and the others, he headed back to his military base.
Xiao Man handed Zheng Shaolian a fruit basket she had specially set aside for him. She had made seven in total: one for Xiao Feng, and one she had brought when visiting Mo Jiabao. The two children had munched on that one nonstop, finishing it in half a day. They had wanted to get another from the car, but Tang Qingyun had already taken them away, claiming he had given them to friends.
Xiao Man had modeled them after the gift baskets from modern fruit shops. They were filled with rustic yellow pears, golden loquats, green-skinned plantains, red tomatoes, dark purple blood plums, and black grapes. Although they were mostly local fruits, their quality was exceptional after being nurtured with Spiritual Energy in her space. Wrapped in clear film, the baskets were vibrant, beautiful, and elegant—perfect for gifting. Many people had worked hard on Xinghua’s behalf, and Xiao Man worried she wouldn’t have enough to go around. But time was short, so she couldn’t prepare any more. This would have to do for now.
Tang Qingyun had to stay in Wancheng for another two days. The main reason for his trip was to see Xiao Man off to Beijing for university. But Xiao Man wasn’t in a hurry to leave, and there was nothing he could do about it. He could only give Zheng Shaolian a few instructions, adding that he wouldn’t be able to come by for the next week and asking Zheng Shaolian to be extra attentive when he took Xiao Man to the airport.
The bus swayed along the highway at a leisurely pace. Mo Jiabao, Yu Wumei, and their children gazed out the window with curiosity at the green mountains, clear waters, terraced fields, and villages passing by. H Province and G Province were neighbors, and the common dialect most people spoke was mutually intelligible, with only minor differences in accent. The climate was also similar. However, H Province was mostly plains with abundant waterways, known as the "land of fish and rice," while G Province was entirely hilly and mountainous. Some areas there lacked even a small stream and suffered from severe water shortages. Although his family had been in G Province for eight or nine months, the decision to truly settle down must have filled them with a little trepidation.
Fortunately, Gongdao Village was not overly remote or impoverished. It was a good place with water, electricity, and level fields. Anyone could surely adapt to life there.
Mo Jiabao leaned back in his seat, his expression resolute. ’For the better part of the last year, I’ve led my family through the mountains of G Province, traveling from village to village, fluffing cotton and mending pots and pans for a living. I’ve seen prosperous areas, and I’ve seen impoverished villages so poor that birds won’t even shit there. Honestly, the environment in most of G Province is harsh, and it’s hard to get by. I don’t know what the place where my birth parents live is like, but no matter. Since this is my ancestral land, my hometown, I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here to care for my parents, and our family will slowly build a life together.’
Sitting in the back row was Hu Xinghua—now Mo Xinghua. Her delicate, pretty face was still veiled by a faint sorrow, her eyes sad and lost. In her heart, however, she shared her father’s thoughts: ’We’ve found my real grandparents, found Dad’s roots. This is wonderful! From now on, I’ll stay with Grandma and Grandpa. I’m never going back to that heartless place. Those people who smiled to my face but were wicked at heart... they’re rotten to the core. I never want to see them again!’
She thought of the two people she had grown up with: her aunt and her cousin. She had always respected them so much. She never went against her aunt’s wishes. Her cousin was from her second grand-uncle’s family, but whenever her cousin asked for help, she did her best to provide it. Because she was capable, gentle, and good-tempered, they had both liked spending time with her. Her aunt was so timid that they had even shared a bed for several years. ’Weren’t we supposed to be close?’ She never would have imagined that those same two people would be the ones to trick her into going to the market. They dragged her to the county town to "have fun," sweet-talking her the entire time, only to turn around and shove her toward two strangers. A blow from a club knocked her unconscious. When she came to, she was forced to drink some strange liquid. The next time she woke up, she had been sold to a family in a mountain stronghold, forced to become their son’s wife.
As she recalled those humiliating, desperate days and nights, tears welled up and streamed down Xinghua’s face. She wept silently. ’That man was brutish and so strong. I couldn’t fight back, and I couldn’t escape. I was forced to be his wife. He wanted me to bear him a son so we could settle down and live a peaceful life, but I didn’t want to! I didn’t like him. In my heart... there was already someone else...’
The person beside her pulled the crying Xinghua into an embrace. As Xinghua smelled the faint scent of soap on Grandma’s clothes and hugged her back, her heart unexpectedly grew calm. ’Since I’m far away from there now, so be it. We will forget each other. I’ll just consider the Xinghua from that place to be dead!’
’Now I’m with Grandma and Grandpa, with Mom and Dad, with my younger siblings. I’m starting a new life! This time, I won’t blindly trust anyone except my immediate family. I have to work hard, honor my grandparents and parents, and protect my younger siblings. The fact that I can still live for my family is a gift from the heavens, a chance my loved ones risked their lives to give me. It’s my greatest fortune, and I must cherish it!’
There isn’t much entertainment in the countryside; the one thing everyone is passionate about is gossip. The efficiency of the village grapevine should never be underestimated. From the moment Grandpa and Grandma left for Wancheng the day before, news that the couple had found their biological son began to spread. By that evening, the name Mo Jiabao was known to every household in the village.
It was a miraculous event, the kind of family reunion that good-hearted people love to see. The entire village followed the developments closely, just as they had when Xiao Man and Tang Yaxuan’s identities were swapped. As the minibus drove into the village, it was greeted by crowds of welcoming villagers lining the road. It eventually had to stop at the village brigade headquarters. Mo Jiabao, leaning on a crutch, was helped off the bus by Grandpa and Secretary Mo to greet everyone. After taking a good look, the crowd all smiled and agreed on the resemblance. His build and voice were just like Grandpa Mo’s, while his facial features showed traces of Granny Mo. When Yu Wumei disembarked with Xinghua, Dapeng, and Qiuyan, the people cried out in amazement. The younger folk praised Xinghua’s beauty, while the older generation declared that the grandchildren were without a doubt their own flesh and blood. The grandson looked just like Grandpa, and the eldest granddaughter was the spitting image of Granny Mo!
Grandpa Mo and Granny Mo thanked everyone for their concern and extended a warm invitation. "Once Jiabao has recovered, we’ll host a running feast at our house! Everyone who’s free should come for a drink and join the celebration!"
The villagers, of course, happily accepted and loudly congratulated Grandpa and Grandma.
Standing nearby, surrounded by Mo Shuixia, Guan Ailan, and a few others, Xiao Man couldn’t help but give a wry smile. ’Looks like the courtyard won’t be escaping a "catastrophe" after all.’
Originally, she and Grandpa had an agreement. Once she got into university, they would hold a huge, three-day banquet, just like other families do when a son gets married. But she was the one who backed out, adamantly refusing such a large celebration. She only let Grandpa make a token gesture by hosting three tables for the family elders to have a meal, and that was that.
Xiao Man had two reasons for not wanting to host a banquet. The first, which she couldn’t say out loud, was that she had reached a certain level in her Cultivation and required a tranquil environment, not a noisy one.
The reason she gave publicly was simple but also very important: ’Protect the flowers, and protect the big pear tree!’
Every time they hosted a feast, the courtyard ended up a complete mess. The dirt and clutter could be cleaned up, but it was a terrible pity when the flowers and plants were destroyed by unruly children.
The trellis full of climbing roses was in fiery, gorgeous bloom. The ornamental pines, dwarf hollies, garden balsams, daylilies, and canna lilies were all growing with vigor, each vying for attention in a splendid display of beauty. And then there was the great pear tree, laden with fruit... Xiao Man’s heart ached just thinking about it. ’But there’s no way around it,’ she thought. ’Acknowledging our relatives is a major event. This feast is a must!’