Li Muwu didn't notice Zhang Chunhua's strange expression, and greeted her warmly: "Sister-in-law, take the children and sit on the oxcart. Our home is far away, and you can't walk that far."
Zhang Chunhua looked at the mud spots on the oxcart with disdain and forced a smile: "No, I can just walk." The four-year-old Li Mingxin looked at the broken oxcart with some curiosity, tugged Zhang Chunhua's hand, and whispered: "Mom, I want to ride in the car."
After squeezing her son's hand, Zhang Chunhua looked up and quickly glanced at Li Mulin, then lowered her head to look at her son and coaxed him softly, "It's warmer if we walk."
Li Muwu looked at the mother and her two children in confusion, and Li Mulin quickly tried to smooth things over, saying with a smile, "You've been sitting on the train for several days, and your legs are stiff. It would be good to take a walk."
"That's fine!" Li Muwu grinned and said bluntly, "If you knew my sister-in-law could travel long distances, I wouldn't have specially asked Lao Lin to borrow the ox cart and let him go with us for nothing."
Lao Lin, who was driving the ox cart, turned around and smiled naively: "It's okay, we are not strangers, there is no need to be polite! Besides, my trip is not in vain, I am here to help you carry your luggage!"
Li Mulin quickly laughed and said, "Sorry to bother you, Brother Lin." Then he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed one to Lao Lin.
Old Lin excitedly took off his gloves and wiped the sweat off his hands on his clothes before raising his hand to take the cigarette. He put the cigarette under his nose and sniffed it, then took off his hat and put the cigarette between his ears, revealing an embarrassed smile: "I have never smoked such a good cigarette before."
Li Mulin smiled and looked around again. He returned to his hometown after ten years away. Looking at the town that was both familiar and somewhat strange, Li Mulin couldn't help but think of things when he was at home.
Li Mulin had no impression of his eldest brother. He knew from the time he was old enough to understand that his eldest brother had followed the army to fight the Japanese devils. The second brother, Li Muwu, was honest since he was young, but he acted like an older brother and was very protective of his younger brother. Every time the family had something good during the Chinese New Year, Li Muwu would only taste a little and give the rest to his two younger brothers. Li Musen and Li Mulin were only two years apart in age. When they were young, they slept in the same bed, just like twins. They went up the mountain to collect firewood and went down to the river to catch fish together. They were inseparable all day long.
When Li Mulin left home, Li Musen, who was already in his twenties, burst into tears.
Turning his head to glance at his second brother who was obviously getting older and his third brother who had become estranged from him, and thinking of his white-haired mother at home, Li Mulin felt a little annoyed and regretful. He should have taken time to go home after all these years.
The group had only walked for about 20 minutes when Li Mingxin could no longer walk. He looked at Zhang Chunhua aggrievedly, and tears started to fall from his lips: "Mom, I don't want to walk anymore. I'm tired."
Zhang Chunhua glanced at her youngest son and felt distressed when she saw how tired he looked. She then looked at her eldest son Mingshu, who was looking at the ox cart in front of him with a look of longing.
Zhang Chunhua bit her lip in annoyance and looked at Li Mulin unwillingly, but Li Mulin just lowered his head and walked forward without even looking back at the three of them.
"Wait a minute." Seeing her youngest son's listless and pale look, Zhang Chunhua didn't dare to play any tricks anymore and could only bite the bullet and call out.
But the four old men in front of them were chatting about their daily lives, and no one heard Zhang Chunhua's voice. They continued to walk forward with big strides, talking and laughing. Seeing that no one paid attention to her, Zhang Chunhua's arrogance was further reduced, and she could only raise her voice and shout again: "Mulin, Mingxin can't walk anymore."
Li Mulin stopped and looked back. His two sons were so tired that they were squatting on the ground and couldn't get up. He quickly went over to pick up Mingxin and looked at Zhang Chunhua complainingly: "You don't like your sons riding in a bullock cart. If they get tired and have a fever, I'll see what you will do. It's not as convenient to see a doctor here as in Bingcheng."
Zhang Chunhua was terrified when she heard this and quickly said, "Sit down, sit down, sit down. I'll hold my sons in my arms and we won't leave." Li Mulin didn't say anything, but silently carried his two sons to the oxcart and helped Zhang Chunhua up. There were three small wooden benches on the oxcart. Zhang Chunhua held her youngest son in her arms, took out a tattered cotton jacket from her bag and covered Mingxin with it, and moved the two large bags to her legs to block the wind.
The ox cart moved forward slowly. Zhang Chunhua sat on it and rubbed her calves, feeling extremely regretful. If she had known that sooner or later she would have to ride this broken thing, what would she have been so confident about? Not only did she feel tired, but she also spent so much time being pretentious.
"Mom, we're back!" The carriage slowly drove for about an hour and finally arrived at the door of the house. Li Muwu shouted at the top of his voice while picking up his bag.
"Are you back?" The wooden door was pushed open and the heavy door curtain was lifted. Old Mrs. Li's hands, leaning on her walking stick, were shaking with excitement.
Li Mulin, who had just brought his son down, turned around and saw his mother, who was bent over and leaning on a cane. Tears immediately flowed down his face. He put his son aside and ran inside: "Mom!"
"You still remember to come back?" Old Lady Li's eyes were red. She raised her cane and hit Li Mulin a few times: "You ungrateful thing, do you still have me in your heart?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" After being hit hard a few times, Li Mulin suddenly felt very comfortable all over his body: "I dream of my mother hitting me with a cane."
"You deserve a beating." Old Mrs. Li smiled so hard that her mouth almost reached her ears.
Li Mulin rubbed his shoulders and turned back to wave at his son: "Mingshu, Mingxin, come here and call grandma."
Mingshu and Mingxin stood not far away and looked at Old Mrs. Li's sticks, and looked at the brilliant smile after her father was beaten. After the two boys were silent for a moment, a cute smile quickly posted on the face, one small and two white tender face: "Grandma!"
"Oh my grandson, come in quickly!" Looking at her adorable grandson, Old Lady Li no longer needed her walking stick, threw it aside, grabbed one in each hand and walked in: "Are you tired from the journey? Are you hungry?"
Ming Xin looked down at the dry and skinny hand holding him, and a smile uglier than crying appeared on his face: "Hungry!"
"Guihua, quickly cook a big bowl of noodles, beat two eggs, add a few drops of sesame oil, and give it to Mingshu and Mingxin." After giving the order, Mrs. Li glanced at her son and daughter-in-law whom she met for the first time, "You two haven't eaten yet, have you? There are ready-made big pancakes and corn paste. Go eat a bowl first and then talk."
Zhang Chunhua simulated the scene of meeting her mother-in-law face to face countless times in her mind, but she never expected that her mother-in-law would just send her away with a bowl of corn porridge.
Everything was ready and was kept warm in the pot. Guihua set up a table, put a basket of steamed bread on it, and also served a few bowls of porridge, a plate of pickles, and a pot of vermicelli stewed with sauerkraut.
After staying over the fire for a few days, Li Mulin's family had to make do with dry biscuits and hot water. Now, sitting at the table and smelling the aroma of steaming food, Zhang Chunhua had to put her thoughts aside for the moment, picked up a steamed bread and bit into it.
Guihua quickly boiled water and cooked noodles, and scooped a spoonful of pheasant soup for Wang Sufen and put a few pieces of chicken in it. Mingshu and Mingxin stood by the kitchen and watched with their eyes wide open, swallowing their saliva, and did not forget to flatter Mrs. Li: "Grandma, your family is really nice, and you can even eat chicken."
"That's a pheasant, not much to chew, it's for your second aunt to nourish her body. I'll ask your brothers to take you to the mountains someday. If you come across a silly roe deer and drag it back, you can stew it with delicious meat."
Mingxin swallowed his saliva. He looked back at Zhang Chunhua who was eating a mouthful of rice and a mouthful of vegetables. He couldn't help asking, "Mom, didn't you say that grandma's family is poor? I see that grandma's family eats much better than ours!"
Zhang Chunhua was unexpectedly sabotaged by her own son. A mouthful of steamed bread got stuck in her throat and she immediately let out a deafening cough.