Chapter 677 - 585: Reunion
Chapter 677: Chapter 585: Reunion
Only Shaoyu had come back with Xiao Man, and Grandpa was disappointed. In the past, whenever people came from Beijing, there wasn’t a decent place for them to stay, which made him feel quite guilty. Now that the new building was finished, he had really hoped they could all come back to stay and liven things up, but it turned out everyone was busy.
How could Xiao Man not know what was on Grandpa’s mind? She found it amusing and comforted him, saying, "You know as well as I do that they’re truly busy. Never mind the two grandfathers—their activities during festivals and holidays have multiplied these last couple of years. My dad just got transferred to a new department and has to get familiar with his new responsibilities as quickly as possible. You know how it is, a new broom sweeps clean. He won’t be able to come this year. As for Shaolian and Shaozheng, they’re bosses now, so making money is their priority. The bigger their business gets, the harder it is for them to get away... Besides, it’s not the New Year yet. Who knows, maybe more people will come back then. In any case, our new house is built and ready, so there’ll be a place for them to stay whenever they come."
Grandpa wasn’t a child; of course, he understood what was important. It was just a fleeting moment of disappointment. He cheered up after hearing Xiao Man’s words and was about to eagerly lead her upstairs to see her room when Grandma gave him a light slap. "Look at you, fussing about. Go do what you’re supposed to do!" she chided. "Household matters and my granddaughter are my responsibility. You stay out of it and stop causing trouble."
Grandpa chuckled. "What do you mean it’s all your responsibility? So now I’m the one causing trouble? Fine, fine, you’re in charge! But I have to at least look after the young men, don’t I? Shaoyu is here. Dapeng, take Brother Shaoyan upstairs. There are empty rooms from the second to the fourth floor. Take your pick, choose any room you like. Stay wherever you want!"
’Even my own grandpa isn’t immune,’ Xiao Man had to laugh. ’Now that he has a house and cars, that proud, ’new money’ attitude is coming out whether he realizes it or not.’
The herb plantation on White Hat Mountain near the reservoir was a long way from the village road. To make it easier to transport supplies, Grandpa and Mo Jiabao had decided to buy a Dongfeng dump truck and two tractors. And with the building just finished, they now had both a house and cars.
Xiao Man’s new room was on the third floor, which Grandma and her aunt had already decorated. Of the five rooms on that floor, the two largest ones at each end had balconies and were assigned to Xinghua and Xiao Man. Qiuyan was in the room next to Xiao Man, and she said with great disappointment, "I can’t room with Sister Xiao Man anymore! SIGH!"
Xiao Man said, "Of course you can. The room is huge. We can just move your bed in here."
Qiuyan pursed her lips. "I’d better not. You’re engaged now, and Grandpa and Grandma are already preparing to hold your wedding banquet. When Brother Gu comes back, I’ll just get kicked out again. The last time I was sleeping with Sister Xinghua, Brother-in-law Jiang suddenly hitched a ride home in the middle of the night, and I got kicked out!"
Xiao Man glanced at Xinghua, whose face turned beet red with embarrassment. "You were half-asleep! It was Mom who pulled you out of the room, not me!"
Grandma smiled and gave Qiuyan a gentle pat, but Yu Wumei scolded her, "You’re such a big girl now, yet you still have no filter. You can’t keep anything to yourself. We’ll see what happens if you dare spout such nonsense outside!"
"I’m not an idiot. We’re at home," Qiuyan retorted, then gleefully snatched up the large gift box Xiao Man had given her and ran off.
When Gu Shaoqin learned that Da Zhi was on the fourth floor, he went up and picked a room there as well. Dapeng enthusiastically invited Gu Shaoqin to share a room with him, but he politely declined.
Hearing the news, Guan Ailan and a few others quickly ran over to see Xiao Man. Going to university really did make a difference; they felt she had changed from the inside out, suddenly seeming much more mature and composed. This was especially true for Mo Shuixia, who was now working. Although she was only a gym teacher, she already looked the part and carried herself with a teacher’s air.
Mo Linghui, who had just started university, had surprisingly already gotten a boyfriend. She hadn’t dared to mention it in her letters and only now, back home for break, did she confess to her friends. "He’s from back home, from Ping County Town, and he’s a junior. He came to the station to pick up new students, and that’s when he saw me. After that, he started coming to see me all the time. He’s really, really good to me, and then... well, it just sort of happened!"
Guan Ailan crossed her arms and glanced skeptically at the sky. "And how good is ’really, really good,’ exactly? You agreed to go out with him after only two months? You really can’t resist temptation, can you? Oh well, I guess that’s that!"
Mo Linghui blushed and fiddled with her fingers. Xiao Man asked, "He likes you a lot, doesn’t he? And do you like him back? I mean, really like him, from the bottom of your heart? And his character—you need to understand that. You have to observe him in all sorts of situations."
Mo Linghui nodded, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. "He said he liked me the moment he first saw me. To be honest... I think he’s special, too. He’s so warm and gentle. I love seeing him, and when I’m with him, I feel so relaxed and cheerful. It just makes me so happy..."
Guan Ailan rubbed her arms. "Okay, okay, stop! Don’t say another word! It’s so cheesy! You’re giving me goosebumps!"
Mo Linghui gave her a hard slap. "You’ll understand when you meet that special someone someday! If you don’t believe me, ask Xiao Man if that’s how she is with Gu Shaojun. I’m just dating him, but Xiao Man and Gu Shaojun are already engaged! I bet they’re even more sappy!"
’Hey, we were ganging up on you. Why are you dragging me into it?’ Xiao Man coughed. Then she said with a perfectly straight face, "It’s different for us. We’ve known each other for so long that the novelty has worn off. We’re not all fiery and passionate like you guys who are just starting to date."
Guan Ailan chimed in mischievously, "That’s right! You’re the only one who knows how to be in love. You love being sappy the most!"
Mo Shuixia grinned, baring her teeth. An exasperated Mo Linghui gave Xiao Man a shove before letting out a playful shriek and pouncing on Guan Ailan. The girls laughed and roughhoused for a while before settling down to talk seriously again. They made plans to go to the big local market while the weather was good, and then head into the mountains together to forage for wild delicacies. After that, they’d take a trip to the county town before the New Year to visit Teacher Yu and their other old teachers and classmates—and, of course, to check out Mo Linghui’s "hometown" boyfriend.
They chatted until evening, when Grandma invited the girls to stay for dinner. The three friends declined, saying that Xiao Man must be tired from her trip and needed a good rest after her meal. If they stayed, they would have endless things to talk about and would end up staying who-knows-how-late. It was better, they said, to come back for a meal another day.
As Xiao Man walked them to the courtyard gate, Mo Shuixia suddenly remembered something. "You need to be careful when you’re out and about in the village," she said to Xiao Man. "Watch out for a surprise attack from Wu Qin. Since I got back for the break, she’s been lurking outside my house almost every day, or she’ll chase after me to block my path when I walk past her yard, demanding to know when you’ll be back. She’s getting ready to make a scene with you. The Wu Qin now is... unbelievable. Never mind that she’s filthy and disgusting, she’s like a crazy person. When she gets agitated, she’ll grab onto the first person she sees and chase them relentlessly. A lot of the village children are terrified of her, and the more timid girls and young women don’t dare go anywhere near her."
Xiao Man said, "I’m not afraid of her, and there’s no way I’ll let her get close to me. But everyone says her limbs were crippled. How can she still run to your gate and chase after you?"
"They are crippled. Her arms and legs are limp and weak, but she can crawl. She must have practiced or something, because she can crawl surprisingly fast. Ugh, I don’t even know how to put it... she’s like a rabid dog—no, like a rabid she-wolf! Vicious and vile. According to my sister, Shui Yue, Wu Qin knocked Mo Xiaohua out and then smothered her to death with a rag. Liu Fengying cried for ages, but in the end, she just told everyone that Xiaohua had accidentally fallen from the wooden house. Then she had her hastily buried on the barren mountain."