Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

As dawn broke, Lin Nuo, Qi Dawu, and Lin Jiang entered the old forest.

Zhang, the foreman, had mentioned the day before that there was a shady slope near the stream on the outskirts of the old forest, where many miscellaneous medicinal herbs grew.

There were quite a few medicinal herbs, but we still dug up half a basketful. The Bupleurum root was slender, and the Atractylodes rhizome was hard; when we broke it open, it released a medicinal fragrance.

Qi Dawu was a hard worker; he would squat on the ground and dig for half a day at a time. Lin Jiang was in charge of shaking off the soil and stacking the roots, while Lin Nuo identified and packed them up. The three of them worked together more and more smoothly.

As the sun began to set, they emerged from the woods and began their journey back along the mountain path. Lin Nuo carried a musket on his shoulder (though he might not necessarily need it, it was always a good idea to have one).

Halfway there, I turned a corner and bumped into someone.

Qi Dayong.

He was wearing a dirty military overcoat, his face was red and his neck was thick, and the smell of alcohol on his breath could be smelled from several steps away. He was staggering and unsteady on his feet, clearly having drunk quite a bit again.

Qi Dayong saw Qi Dawu, his eyes narrowed, a mocking smile on his lips, and said:

"Hey, isn't this the good son-in-law of Xiahe Village? What's wrong? Why are you doing hard labor in the mountains? Didn't your father-in-law say he'd give you all the family property? Why are you doing this?"

Qi Dawu's face flushed red, his lips trembled several times, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Qi Dayong took two more steps forward, his gaze falling on the medicine basket behind Qi Dawu, and he sneered:

"It's all different when you climb the social ladder; you don't even acknowledge your own brother. Fine, you've got guts."

Lin Nuo stopped and slowly turned around to face Qi Dayong. He didn't speak, but simply took the musket off his shoulder, rested it on the ground, placed his hands on the stock, and quietly looked at Qi Dayong.

Qi Dayong's drunken eyes lingered on Lin Nuo for a moment. He wanted to say something, but when his gaze fell on the dark musket, he opened his mouth a few times, but then swallowed the rest of his words.

Realizing that the other person was holding a real weapon, Qi Dayong shuddered slightly, perhaps sobering up. His expression changed, and he turned and hurried towards his own courtyard gate. He frantically pushed open the door, slipped inside, and the door slammed shut with a "bang," followed by the sound of the bolt being bolted from the inside.

Qi Dawu stood there, looking at the closed door, somewhat puzzled as to why his older brother's attitude had changed so drastically.

"Let's go."

Lin Nuo slung the musket back over his shoulder, his voice flat.

Qi Dawu sighed, lowered his head, and continued walking back.

Lin Jiang walked at the very back, and none of the three spoke again.

This thing ruined my mood for talking.

Behind the door.

Qi Dayong leaned against the door, his face pale. His wife, Zhao Cuihua, came out from the inner room and frowned when she saw him like that.

"What's wrong? It's like you're being chased by a ghost."

"Lin Nuo... he's carrying a musket on his back!"

Qi Dayong's voice trembled slightly:

"Where did he get that thing?"

Zhao Cuihua's expression also changed. But being a woman, she was quick-witted and walked over to tug at Qi Dayong:

"Sit down and listen to me."

Qi Dayong plopped down on the bench, his legs still trembling.

Zhao Cuihua lowered her voice:

"Dayong, stop picking on Dawu. Haven't you noticed? Lin Nuo is different now. With the village chief backing him up, who in the village doesn't give him face? If you insist on going against him, what will you do if he really turns against you one day?"

Qi Dayong's Adam's apple bobbed, still stubbornly insisting:

"I...I'm Qi Dawu's older brother! How could he hit me?"

"Da Wu's older brother?"

Zhao Cuihua sneered:

"Da Wu can settle down with Lin Nuo, but you insist on interfering. How can they not hate you? Take my advice: return the five yuan and don't concern yourself with Da Wu's affairs anymore. Let him live his life, and you live yours."

"We can live a good life without him being a burden."

Qi Dayong remained silent for a while, then slowly loosened his grip on his knee.

Although he still felt a little cheated, he knew Zhao Cuihua was right, so he agreed anyway.

"...Alright then."

in the afternoon.

Lin Nuo was in the courtyard with Zhang, the foreman, arranging muskets. Zhang was squatting next to the whetstone, sharpening a knife.

The courtyard gate was pushed open.

Qi Dayong stood at the door, his face completely devoid of the arrogance of the morning, instead looking somewhat embarrassed. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped over the threshold and came in. He pulled out a few crumpled bills from his pocket—five yuan—and slapped them on the stone table in the middle of the courtyard.

"I don't want this money."

His voice wasn't loud, but he spoke fairly clearly.

Lin Nuo stood up, looked at him, and didn't say anything.

Qi Dayong's gaze swept over Zhang Batou, then landed on the musket behind Lin Nuo's shoulder, and he forced himself to continue:

"I'm not going to concern myself with Da Wu's affairs anymore. From today onwards, he's no longer my brother. He can go wherever he wants. And from now on... don't call me his brother."

After saying that, he turned and left, as if afraid that Lin Nuo would call him back.

Lin Nuo glanced at the five yuan, shook his head, and put the money away.

I've considered many possibilities.

Unexpectedly, the matter was resolved with a musket. Lin Nuo thought about it more deeply; Qi Dayong was probably afraid that Zhou Laoshuan would use a musket to fight him to the death.

Old Zhou only has one daughter, and he cherishes her dearly. If Qi Dawu really dares to cause trouble, Old Zhou might actually fight him to the death.

Zhang finished sharpening the knife and left.

Lin Nuo rested for a while longer.

I didn't expect that I would have to go for a visit again in the afternoon, right after I woke up. Ever since Lin Nuo hunted the wild boar, more and more people have been coming to visit.

Including those who usually look down on their family.

Zhao Xiuying was chopping vegetables in the kitchen when Aunt Liu and Aunt Wang walked in. Both women had smiles on their faces and immediately moved closer to Zhao Xiuying as soon as they entered.

"Xiuying, your older brother goes around telling people that your Lin family has become rich and has forgotten about their relatives, kicking his own uncle out of the house and not even giving him a drink of water."

"you do not say,"

Aunt Wang chimed in:

"My husband was drinking in Zhao Village yesterday and heard about this too. Zhao Weihong told everyone he met that Nuozi has forgotten his roots and doesn't even recognize his own uncle now that he has money."

Zhao Xiuying's knife stopped on the cutting board, and her eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lip and didn't say anything.

Even his own uncle, he's ruining his nephew's reputation like this.

Lin Nuo happened to be passing by the kitchen door and overheard these words. He pushed the door open and came in, his tone relaxed:

"Mother, let him say what he wants, we'll live our own lives. How many people in the village actually believe him?"

He turned to look at Aunt Liu and Aunt Wang, and said with a smile:

"Auntie, do you believe me?"

Aunt Liu was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved her hand:

"How can you believe that! Everyone knows your uncle..."

She stopped mid-sentence, but the meaning was conveyed.

Aunt Wang nodded in agreement:

"That's right, that's right, Nuozi has changed for the better now, we can all see it."

Lin Nuo smiled but said nothing more. Zhao Xiuying slammed the knife down on the cutting board, looked up, her eyes still red, but a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth:

"Okay, I understand. Thank you."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Aunt Liu and Aunt Wang left.

Lin Nuo placed a bowl of water on the stove:

"Mom, have some water."

Zhao Xiuying took the bowl, took a sip, looked at Lin Nuo, and stared blankly for a while before speaking:

"When did you become so eloquent?"

Lin Nuo didn't answer, and turned to add more firewood.

That should be enough to comfort her; now it's up to her to handle it herself.

Zhao Xiuying was probably in a bad mood, so she took her father out to town.

Lin Weiguo returned just before dark, carrying a piece of pork rib wrapped in straw paper and then wrapped in red paper – a symbol of separation from one's mother. Zhao Xiuying's basket contained two strings of firecrackers, a stack of red paper, and several packets of candy.

Qi Dawu was also there. He was squatting by the wall, and when he saw Zhao Xiuying come in, he quickly stood up.

Zhao Xiuying put the things down, dusted off her apron, and said to Qi Dawu:

"Da Wu, let's eat here tonight."

Qi Dawu said "Hey" and helped move the things to the storage room.

Dinner was ready, and the family sat around the table in the main room. Zhao Xiuying placed a piece of food on Qi Dawu's plate, saying repeatedly:

"Eat more, eat more. In a few days you'll be a married man. In the future, you must be diligent and loving towards your wife in the Zhou family. Don't let people say that the children from Liujiagou are ignorant."

Qi Dawu held the bowl, not looking up. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his eyes were red-rimmed.

"……Why."

Lin Weiguo watched from the side without saying a word, then picked up his wine cup and took a sip.

Lin Nuo placed a piece of meat in Qi Dawu's bowl:

"Alright, stop crying. You'll have your turn to cry on your wedding day."

Qi Dawu grunted, stuffed the meat into his mouth, chewed it twice, and then shoveled a big mouthful of rice into his mouth.

After finishing his meal, Lin Nuo decided to go for a walk to digest his food and stopped at the village entrance for a while. Just then, the village chief, Liu Guicun, came out of his yard carrying an enamel mug and walked over when he saw Lin Nuo.

"Nuozi, come here, I need to tell you something."

Liu Guicun got straight to the point:

"You know that fishpond at the village entrance, right? The higher-ups said it can be leased out for thirty yuan a year. Are you interested?"

Lin Nuo was taken aback. The fishpond wasn't small, covering five or six acres of water. It used to belong to the collective, but no one managed it, and it grew weeds every year, making it impossible to catch any fish. If he contracted it, cleaned the pond, released some fish fry, and raised them until the end of the year, he could make a profit.

But he didn't rush to agree.

"Uncle Liu, let me go back and think about it. Is this urgent?"

This is no easy task. If you make money selling fish, someone might poison it the next day.

"No rush, no rush."

Liu Guicun waved his hand:

"I'm just letting you know in advance. If you're willing, I won't consider anyone else."

He paused, then took an envelope from his pocket and handed it over:

"Oh, right, there's a letter for Teacher Su, forwarded from the county. Take it back to her."

Lin Nuo took the envelope. It was made of kraft paper, with the words "To Su Wanqing" written on it in neat handwriting. The return address was "HN City". He glanced at it and felt inexplicably uneasy.

Does Su Wanqing have any relatives in Huainan?

Who could it be?

Lin Nuo politely thanked him:

"Thank you, Uncle Liu."

"Don't mention it."

Lin Nuo, clutching the letter, turned and went home.

In the east room at night.

Su Wanqing sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding the letter in her hand. She didn't rush to open it, but turned it over to look at the return address, her finger pausing on the words "Huainan".

Upon seeing Huainan, Su Wanqing probably thought of something.

She tore open the seal and pulled out the letter.

Looking at the contents of the letter:

"My dear daughter, Wanqing, it's like seeing you in person after reading this." This was followed by a series of warm greetings.

Lin Nuo leaned closer for a glance, a cold smile playing on her lips. When Su's father was seriously ill, Shen Huiling hadn't cared for him for a single day. As soon as he passed away, she immediately used her connections to rush back to her hometown, not even attending the funeral. Now she suddenly remembers her "daughter"?

Su Wanqing read on expressionlessly. By the third paragraph, her true colors were revealed:

"Wanqing, you're not young anymore, it's time to settle down. I know a family who are well-off; their son is a cadre in town, divorced but without children. If you're willing, I can help you inquire and pull some strings, maybe we can transfer your household registration to Huainan."

Su Wanqing clenched the letter tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Lin Nuo's face also darkened.

Su Wanqing had been tormented by this stepmother back then. Now, she's gone thousands of miles and still hasn't forgotten to "care" about her, calling it introducing her to a potential partner, but really just trying to use her to do a favor.

Is this what a stepmother is like?

Su Wanqing stared at the letter for a while. Then, without hesitation, she stood up, walked to the kerosene lamp, and held the letter up to the flame.

The flames licked at the edge of the paper, which slowly curled, blackened, and turned to ash. She watched the fire until the letter was almost completely burned before she let go. The ash drifted onto the table.

Lin Nuo didn't dare to speak. He knew that her "expressionless" state was when she was really angry. Su Wanqing was like this when they were assigning rooms before.

Su Wanqing brushed the ashes off the table, sat back on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and remained silent.

The two lay down. Lin Nuo didn't act "mischievously" as usual; he simply wrapped his arms around her waist from the side and pulled her into his embrace.

Su Wanqing neither struggled nor spoke.

The kerosene lamp had long been extinguished, and the room was pitch black except for the moonlight streaming in from the window, which drew a thin white line on the wall.

After a long silence, Su Wanqing suddenly spoke. Her voice was soft, but it was the first time Su Wanqing had proactively shared her innermost thoughts with him: she hated this woman.

"When my father was seriously ill, she didn't take care of him for a single day. She said she wasn't feeling well either and stayed in her room. She didn't even show her face on the day my father passed away."

"Later, she used her connections to run away back to Huainan. I begged her to take me and my father with her, but she said, 'You're not my child, I can't control you.'"

Lin Nuo tightened his arms a little.

"Now she's writing to me, saying she'll introduce me to someone, help me get my household registration sorted out... is she trying to sell me out?"

Su Wanqing's voice choked as she spoke, but she didn't cry. She simply took a deep breath and buried her face in Lin Nuo's chest.

"What does she take me for?"

Lin Nuo reached out and gently patted her back, one pat at a time.

"I don't want to think about it anymore, okay, sweetie?"

His voice was deep, as if he were coaxing a child:

"I'll take care of things from now on. When spring comes, I'll go with you to Huainan to see if you have any relatives there."

Su Wanqing didn't say anything.

She snuggled a little closer into his arms, like a frightened kitten. Lin Nuo pulled the blanket up to cover her shoulders.

Her breathing gradually became lighter. She reached her hand out from under the covers, grabbed his collar, and clenched it tightly.

Lin Nuo didn't move. He listened to her even breathing and knew she had fallen asleep.

The moon outside the window had moved to the west, and its light shone through the gaps in the window paper, forming a thin line that fell on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

A dog barked in the distance, and then the village fell silent again.

Lin Nuo closed his eyes and hugged the person in his arms even tighter.