Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

It was still dark.

Zhao Xiuying was the first to get up. The fire in the stove was already burning brightly. She packed the steamed buns she had made yesterday into her bundle.

Lin Weiguo squatted in the yard:

"Is the water boiling yet?"

"It's open, it's open, we've been waiting for you."

Qi Dawu emerged from the storeroom. He was wearing a borrowed navy blue cotton-padded jacket with a large red flower on the chest, dressed like a groom.

Hirako, dressed in new clothes, stood in the middle of the courtyard with his hands hanging at his sides.

He was the child who was pulling the cart today; Zhao Xiuying had reminded him several times:

"Don't move around after you get on the carriage, don't run around when you arrive at your destination, and accept red envelopes with both hands."

Hirako nodded, her lips pressed tightly together.

Lin Nuo came out of the east room, saw Qi Dawu's appearance, and chuckled:

"Groom, you really are a groom today."

Qi Dawu blushed to the roots of his neck and scratched his head:

"Brother Nuozi, please don't make fun of me..."

The carriage was already harnessed; it belonged to Liu Guicun, the village head. A red ribbon was tied to the tail of the carriage, and a red quilt was laid on it. The quilt was Zhao Xiuying's dowry, which she usually couldn't bear to use, but she brought it out today.

Qi Dawu climbed onto the carriage, unsure what to do with his hands, gripping the reins so tightly his knuckles turned white. Lin Nuo and Lin Jiang sat on either side of him.

The carriage swayed and rattled as it made its way down to the village at the foot of the mountain. The morning light streamed over the eastern ridge, turning the snow-covered ground a pale gold.

Lin Jiang didn't say much today, but the corners of his mouth were always turned up. Lin Weiguo sat in the back of the car, with two bottles of wine in his arms. He said it was a congratulatory gift for Zhou Laoshuan. Although Zhou Laoshuan didn't need anything, it was the thought that counted.

When we arrived at Xiahe Village, the gate to Zhou Laoshuan's house was already open. A red double happiness symbol was pasted on the door frame.

Old Zhou stood on the threshold, wearing a slightly worn black cotton-padded jacket, its buttons neatly fastened. His wife stood beside him, wearing a dark red cotton-padded jacket.

The elderly couple had smiles on their faces.

Qi Dawu jumped out of the car, his legs went weak, and he almost lost his balance. Lin Nuo helped him up from behind.

In the courtyard, Zhou Xiaoyu sat on a chair in the main room.

She was wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, which made her face look even whiter and more beautiful.

Qi Dawu stood at the entrance of the main room, staring at Zhou Xiaoyu, as if he were nailed to the spot.

Zhou Xiaoyu sensed someone watching her, so she lowered her head slightly and her ears turned red.

Lin Nuo waited for a while, then couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and gently nudged Qi Dawu on the back.

"Stop daydreaming. We'll see her every day after we marry her; there's plenty of time. Now, let's get her onto the carriage."

Qi Dawu then realized what was happening, exclaimed "Hey!", and quickly walked over, squatting down in front of Zhou Xiaoyu.

Zhou Xiaoyu placed her hand on his shoulder, her fingers trembling slightly.

Zhou Xiaoyu lay on his back, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder.

Old Zhou's wife stood at the door, watching this scene, her eyes instantly reddening. She quickly wiped them with the back of her hand, took a red paper packet from her pocket, and stuffed it into Pingzi's hand: "Good boy, take this."

five yuan.

Hirako accepted it with both hands, bowed, her little face tense and serious.

Old Zhou walked to the carriage and reached out to take Qi Dawu's hand. He patted the back of Qi Dawu's hand and his lips moved:

"Treat my daughter well."

Qi Dawu's eyes immediately reddened, and his voice choked:

"Dad, don't worry."

The sudden cry of "Dad" startled Zhou Laoshuan for a moment, and his eyes reddened.

According to custom, when a wedding takes place in a village, a horse-drawn carriage carries the bride around the entire village of Xiahe. This is to announce to the whole village that the Zhou family's daughter has gotten married.

The carriage traveled along the village road. Qi Dawu sat in front, holding the reins, while Zhou Xiaoyu sat behind him, her face covered by a red veil.

Lin Nuo followed beside the carriage, watching Qi Dawu's feigned composure, a smirk playing on his lips that he couldn't suppress.

Lin Jian, walking behind, suddenly said:

"Second Brother, Da Wu is much more nervous than you were when you married your sister-in-law."

Lin Nuo turned around and glared at him. Lin Jian chuckled twice and didn't say anything more.

The carriage returned to Qi Dawu's new house, the neighbor's courtyard that Zhou Laoshuan had bought. The courtyard was small, with three main rooms, and it was kept very clean.

An incense table was set up in the main room, on which were placed the tablets of Heaven and Earth, and a pair of red candles, their flames flickering and casting swaying shadows on the wall.

Qi Dawu led Zhou Xiaoyu in.

The master of ceremonies was Liu Guicun, the village head, whose loud voice echoed throughout the main room.

"First bow to Heaven and Earth."

The two bowed towards the doorway.

"Bowing to the parents twice."

Two elderly couples sat in the center of the main room. On the left were Zhou Laoshuan and his wife, and on the right were Lin Weiguo and Zhao Xiuying. This was arranged beforehand; since Qi Dawu's parents had passed away, Lin Weiguo and Zhao Xiuying were his "parents."

Qi Dawu turned around and faced Zhou Laoshuan and his wife.

His legs bent, his knees hitting the ground with a dull thud. His forehead pressed against the brick floor, and he remained there for a long time before straightening up.

"Dad. Mom."

Lin Weiguo sat upright in his chair, trying his best not to lose his composure. Zhao Xiuying's eyes were also red, but she had a smile on her lips. She reached out and gently patted Qi Dawu's shoulder: "Good boy, get up."

"Husband and wife bowing to each other"

Qi Dawu and Zhou Xiaoyu faced each other. They both bent over at the same time, their foreheads almost touching, and the tassels of the red veils brushed against Qi Dawu's face.

The master of ceremonies shouted, "Send them to the bridal chamber!" and the whole room erupted in laughter.

Lin Jiang stood at the door, his eyes a little red. He wiped them with the back of his hand, as if to cover it up.

Lin Nuo stood beside the incense table, watching this scene, her heart filled with something.

After completing this process, it's time to eat the feast.

There were twenty or thirty tables set up in the courtyard. A pig was slaughtered, weighing about two hundred pounds, with fat as wide as a hand. A large pot of stew was made, enough for everyone.

The children scrambled around the table for peanuts and candy, while the adults held rough porcelain bowls filled with bulk liquor, drinking until their faces were flushed and their necks were thick.

Lin Nuo was busy greeting guests, and Su Wanqing also helped serve dishes. She wore a red scarf and a dark blue cotton-padded jacket, carrying a plate through the crowd with light steps, her hair shimmering in the sunlight.

Zhang, the foreman, also arrived.

He was wearing a faded black cotton-padded jacket, leaning on a wooden stick, standing in the corner of the yard, not moving towards the crowd. Lin Nuo saw him, quickly went over, and invited him to sit down at a table on the side.

Zhou Laoshuan and the old foreman have been friends for so many years, he certainly couldn't be absent.

"Uncle Zhang, please sit down. I'll have someone bring you some wine."

Zhang nodded, pulled out his pipe from his waist, filled it with tobacco, and lit it with a match. He took a puff, squinted at the people in the courtyard, and the wrinkles on his face appeared even more pronounced in the smoke.

Lin Nuo crouched down and whispered in his ear:

"Uncle Zhang, in a few days, Lao San said the fertilizer plant is hiring porters. I'd like to work there for a while. It's not spring yet, and there aren't many game animals in the mountains, so I'd like to earn some cash."

Zhang, the foreman, didn't say anything, but took two puffs of his cigarette. The tobacco hissed as it burned.

"Go hunting when there's no work, but don't go when there is work."

That means you've agreed.

Unexpectedly, the old foreman was so open-minded. Lin Nuo felt a warmth in his heart and nodded.

"Why."

As he stood up, he caught a glimpse of Zhang Batou's lips twitching, as if he were smiling.

Even an old leader can laugh?

Qi Dawu was forced to drink. Zhou Laoshuan was delighted and, having somehow acquired some bulk liquor, poured it into white porcelain pots and served them to the table one by one.

Lin Nuo, Lin Jiang, and Lin Jian took turns drinking for Qi Dawu. There was no other way; Qi Dawu only had one family member, Qi Dayong, so the task of drinking for him had to be left to the three Lin brothers.

Qi Dawu couldn't drink; after just two sips, his face turned as red as Guan Yu's, his tongue slurred, and he spoke incoherently.

The first one who couldn't do it was Lin Jian.

Lin Jian had boasted about how much he could drink during dinner, so the drinking was left to him.

When it came time to drink, he stood up with his bowl in hand and toasted Zhou Laoshuan's relatives. After drinking half a round, Lin Jian's face turned pale, and he covered his mouth and ran to the wall, where he vomited with a "whoosh".

Zhao Xiuying saw it from afar and sighed:

"Kid, if you can't drink, then don't drink."

Despite saying that, she still carried a bowl of warm water over to Lin Jian, handed it to him, and patted him on the back twice.

The second one who won't do is Lin Nuo.

He could have held on for a while longer, but he couldn't withstand the constant toasts from Zhou Laoshuan's uncles and elders. One cup after another, by the seventh cup, his stomach was churning. He put down his bowl, quickly walked to the tree outside the courtyard, squatted down, and vomited.

Su Wanqing carried a bowl of hot water over, squatted down next to him, handed him the water, and patted his back gently without saying a word.

Lin Nuo took it, rinsed her mouth, looked up, and gave her a wry smile. Su Wanqing's lips twitched, as if she wanted to laugh but didn't.

No one expected that Lin Jiang, this honest and simple older brother, was actually a hidden master who could drink without any problems.

The eldest brother drank silently, bowl after bowl, without batting an eye, as if it were water. Later, he even poured drinks for others, his hands moving very steadily.

Lin Nuo squatted under the tree, looking at his older brother, somewhat bewildered:

"Big brother, when did you become such a drinker?"

Lin Jiang said in a low voice:

"Every farmer has a drink or two."

Zhou Laoshuan's uncles looked at each other, and dared not come to offer their respects again.

If several people can't outdrink one person, wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing?

When toasting, Lin Nuo noticed that Qi Dayong and the others really hadn't come, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the musket had really frightened him. Good, it saved him trouble.

Zhao Xiuying noticed it too, and leaned over to ask in a low voice:

"Qi Dayong didn't come?"

Lin Nuo shook his head: "He didn't come."

Zhao Xiuying snorted, "He's smart to know what's good for him."

Night fell. The banquet ended, and the guests walked home in twos and threes. Lin Nuo turned her head and found that the table where Zhang Ba Tou had been sitting was now empty.

Lin Nuo's heart tightened, and she put down the bowl and quickly walked out of the yard.

"Uncle Zhang!"

Lin Nuo chased after him.

Zhang didn't turn around, but he slowed his pace a little. Lin Nuo ran to his side:

"Uncle Zhang, why don't you sit a little longer?"

"I'm full." Zhang's voice wasn't loud, and it drifted a little in the night breeze.

Lin Nuo knew his temper and didn't try to persuade him further. The two walked side by side for a while, neither of them speaking.

When they reached the old locust tree at the village entrance, Zhang stopped, turned around, and looked at Lin Nuo.

Come to my house the day after tomorrow morning.

He said.

Lin Nuo was stunned for a moment:

"Uncle Zhang, I'm going to the fertilizer factory with Lao San the day after tomorrow..."

"How many days will you be gone?"

"Ten days."

Zhang remained silent for a moment:

"Then we'll talk about it when you get back. Spring is here, and the medicinal herbs in the mountains should be sprouting. It's no use just recognizing all the ones in your notebook; you have to go up the mountain and see them in person."

Lin Nuo felt a surge of warmth in her heart and nodded, "Okay. I'll come find you as soon as I get back."

Zhang nodded and took out a small cloth bag from his pocket. Without turning around, he threw it behind him, and Lin Nuo quickly caught it.

"Iron pellets. Leftovers from hunting wild boars. Your musket shouldn't be idle; practice more often."

Back in the courtyard, Su Wanqing was clearing the dishes from the table. She noticed Lin Nuo had a cloth bag in his hand and asked:

"What did you send?"

Lin Nuo placed the cloth bag on the table, untied the rope, and inside were seven or eight iron pellets.

"It was given to me by Uncle Zhang." His voice was a little muffled.

After tidying up these things.

The Lin family bid farewell to the drunken Zhou Laoshuan and prepared to go home.

At this point, Lin Jian had completely blacked out from drinking and was slumped on the carriage, unable to move. Village chief Liu Guicun was driving the carriage, while Lin Weidong watched over Lin Jian, worried that he might fall off.

Lin Jiang then supported Lin Weiguo. Lin Weiguo had also drunk quite a bit; his face was flushed to the roots of his neck, he was unsteady on his feet, and he was muttering something under his breath.

Zhao Xiuying walked beside her, her words sharp and sarcastic:

"Lin Weiguo! Look at yourself, making a fool of yourself! You're like a rat being poured into a vat! Aren't you ashamed?"

Lin Weiguo opened his eyes groggily and mumbled something:

"I'm so happy today... Once I've saved up some money, I'll be waiting for my third son's wedding..."

Zhao Xiuying was both amused and exasperated:

"Yes, yes, when the third brother gets married, you'll drink like this too, so everyone will know that Lin Weiguo from Liujiagou goes on a drunken rampage."

Lin Weiguo muttered a sentence:

"I don't want to talk to you."

Zhao Xiuying clicked her tongue:

"Do you think I care about you?"

Those nearby heard this and couldn't help but laugh.

Lin Nuo and Su Wanqing walked behind. The moonlight shone brightly on the snow. Their shadows stretched long in the snow, close together.

Su Wanqing suddenly asked:

"Can Da Wu take good care of Xiao Yu?"

This question is rather strange.

Lin Nuo thought for a moment and said seriously:

"Yes. He's the second man in the world who would never let his wife suffer."

Su Wanqing turned her head to look at him curiously:

"So who was the first?"

Lin Nuo looked at her with a smile, her eyes seemingly shining:

"Teacher Su, the first one, of course it's me."

Su Wanqing was stunned for a moment, her face slightly flushed, she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth turned up, she pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but her hand reached out from her sleeve and hooked her fingers with his.

Lin Nuo tightened his grip on her hand, walked for a while, and then brought up the important matter again:

"My third brother said the fertilizer plant is hiring porters, 1.35 yuan a day, with food and lodging provided. I plan to take my eldest brother and Dawu with me. We'll work for ten days, and when we get back it will be just in time for spring, so it won't interfere with planting."

Su Wanqing looked at him, her eyes filled with worry:

"That's physically demanding work, are you sure you can handle it?"

She knew that Lin Nuo had never done any heavy work before, so could she keep going?

Lin Nuo turned his head to look at her, a sly smile playing on his lips:

"Aren't I pretty energetic?"

Su Wanqing reacted for a moment, her face immediately turning red. She lowered her head, bit her lip, and muttered a curse under her breath:

"...Indecent."

Lin Nuo chuckled twice and tightened his grip on her hand. He glanced back in the direction of the Zhou family's house; the lights were still on in Da Wu's new house, the warm yellow light shining through the paper windows and casting a soft glow on the snow.

He smiled and put Su Wanqing's hand into his pocket.

In Qi Dawu's new house, the red candles were still burning.

Zhou Xiaoyu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her red veil already lifted. She lowered her head, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. The light from the red candle shone on her face.

Qi Dawu sat next to her, his hands on his knees, unsure of where to put them.

He stole a glance at her.

"Xiaoyu".

He called out softly, as if afraid of startling her.

Zhou Xiaoyu hummed in agreement.

Qi Dawu slowly reached out and touched her fingers. She didn't flinch. He grew a little bolder and took her hand in his.

"I...I will be good to you, Xiaoyu."