Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

On the day the old man was discharged from the hospital, Lin Nuo arrived at the health center early.

Old Zhou was already in the ward, clearly having barely slept again. His head was resting against the headboard, and his complexion looked much better than it had been a couple of days ago.

"Uncle Zhang, I've come to pick you up."

Lin Nuo pushed open the door and went in, placing the cloth bag she was carrying on the bedside table and taking out a piece of clothing: "It's still cold, put this on. My mother made it for you."

The old foreman glanced at the navy blue uniform but said nothing. Old Zhou, standing nearby, clicked his tongue.

"Look how good Nuozi is to you, and you're not even grateful?"

The old foreman slowly took the clothes and put them on:

"good."

Lin Nuo stuffed the old foreman's old clothes into a cloth bag and tidied up the things on the bedside table. Zhou Laoshuan went to complete the discharge procedures.

"It's done. Nuozi, you guys go first. I'm going to Xiahe Village to call Dawu. Didn't you say you wanted them to go into the mountains to gather herbs?"

Lin Nuo nodded:

"Uncle Zhou, then I'll trouble you. Please tell Da Wu to let my older brother go too. He doesn't know anything about medicinal herbs, so could you help him out?"

"Okay, don't worry."

Old Zhou patted Lin Nuo on the shoulder, then turned to look at the old foreman:

"Old man, once you're at Nuozi's house, live a good life and don't cause them any trouble. I'll come see you tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned and left.

After leaving the health center, Lin Nuo helped the old foreman onto the donkey cart. The old man driving the cart was from Song Village and knew the old foreman; he glanced back at him.

"Mr. Zhang, where are you going?"

"Liujiagou".

The old man paused for a moment, then laughed:

"Oh my, is Master Zhang moving? Good news, someone will take care of you now." He shouted, and the donkey cart swayed forward.

Lin Nuo sat down next to the old foreman and pulled the blanket over his legs.

"Uncle Zhang, I'll take you back to Song Village first. Is there anything else you need to take? After you get your things, we'll go back to Liujiagou."

The old foreman grunted in agreement.

Lin Nuo glanced at him and added:

"Uncle Zhang, you can't just leave me once we get to Song Village."

The old foreman didn't respond. With Zhou Laoshuan gone and no one to speak up for him, Lin Nuo felt a little uncertain.

The donkey cart stopped at the village entrance. Lin Nuo helped the old foreman off the cart, and the two walked along the village road towards the old foreman's house. Villagers passing by saw them and whispered among themselves.

"What happened to the old foreman? Is he better now?"

"I heard he's moving to Liujiagou to live with his apprentice."

"Apprentice? You mean Lin Nuo? The one who did it with the thugs on the bus?"

"That's right. The old foreman is lucky to have taken on such a good apprentice."

Some people whispered sarcastic remarks:

"Who knows what they're after? The old foreman's been hunting his whole life, he must have accumulated quite a fortune, right? If people aren't after his stuff, why would they treat him so well?"

The speaker was a middle-aged woman wearing a floral dress, standing in front of her house eating sunflower seeds. Someone next to her tugged at her sleeve, and she retorted defiantly:

"Am I wrong? Nobody gets up early for nothing; who doesn't want more money these days?"

Lin Nuo heard that the news that Lin Jian's courtyard had been tidied up a few days ago and that the old foreman was to be taken over had already spread throughout Liujiagou, and he didn't expect that Song Village would also know about it.

There are still many people who gossip.

When they arrived at the old foreman's house, the gate was ajar. Lin Nuo pushed the gate open, and the courtyard was as it always had been. The old foreman went into the main room, sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and looked around.

Lin Nuo didn't urge him, but stood at the door waiting.

After a while, the old foreman stood up, walked to the corner, squatted down, and pulled a wooden box from the deepest part of the cabinet. The box wasn't big, about a foot long and half a foot wide, made of boxwood, with polished edges. The carvings on it were blurred, and the patterns were no longer legible. He wiped the dust off the box with his sleeve, stood up, and placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Lin Nuo had never seen this box before and didn't know what was inside.

The old foreman didn't open it, he just pushed the box over. Lin Nuo was about to ask a question when the courtyard gate was pushed open.

"Old man! I'm still afraid you'll try to renege!"

Old Zhou rushed in, panting. He ran to the door of the main room, and when he saw the wooden box on the kang (a heated brick bed), he froze on the spot.

"This... old man, you actually brought this out?"

Old Zhou's voice changed. He walked over quickly, bent down, and peered into the box as if he had seen something extraordinary.

The old foreman ignored him and pushed the box towards Lin Nuo again.

"Open."

Lin Nuo glanced at Zhou Laoshuan, who nodded vigorously at him. Lin Nuo reached out and gently lifted the lid of the box.

Inside, there was a layer of red silk cloth, which had faded, and on the silk cloth lay a ginseng.

The ginseng is plump, yellowish-brown, with fine horizontal lines on its skin, long rhizome, many bowl-shaped nodes, and intact roots, tied one by one with red thread, as if afraid of it falling apart.

Lin Nuo knew about ginseng, but had never seen anything like it.

"This is……"

He raised his head and looked at Zhou Laoshuan.

Old Zhou squatted down, resting his hands on his knees, his eyes fixed on the ginseng, his voice softening as if afraid of startling something.

"This aged wild ginseng is your Uncle Zhang's most prized possession. I've been with him for over forty years and have only seen it twice. The first time was thirty years ago when he took it out to show me, and the second time is today."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"This old man really treats you like a son."

Lin Nuo's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the old foreman, who was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with no expression on his face.

"Uncle Zhang, this is too valuable, I can't accept it."

Lin Nuo gently closed the lid of the box.

The old foreman looked up at him, his voice hoarse:

"Here you go, just take it."

Old Zhou also chimed in from the side:

"Nuozi, your Uncle Zhang has never had any children, this is all he has. If he's giving it to you, just accept it. He won't feel at ease if you don't."

Lin Nuo shook his head and pushed the box back.

"Uncle Zhang, I don't know how to preserve this. Wouldn't it be a waste if it got moldy? Please keep it for now, and give it to me after I learn how to care for ginseng. Is that alright?"

The old foreman remained silent for a long while. He looked into Lin Nuo's eyes, took the box back, and gently stroked the lid.

"OK."

Old Zhou watched this scene from the side, muttering, "That old bastard, he just needs to be taught a lesson."

When we left Song Village, the sun was already high in the sky. The donkey cart carried the old foreman, Lin Nuo, and two large bags of things.

Upon arriving at Liujiagou, as soon as the donkey cart entered the village entrance, a group of people squatting under the old locust tree turned their heads in unison. Aunt Wang was the first to stand up and shout at the top of her lungs:

"Hey! Old Foreman's here! We've been waiting for you!"

Several women stood up and greeted him all at once. Aunt Liu brought a bowl of hot water from her house, trotted over, and handed it to the old man with both hands.

"Uncle Zhang, have some water. The journey must have been bumpy, right?"

Everyone wanted to curry favor with the old leader.

The old foreman opened his eyes, took the bowl, drank a sip, and then handed it back.

Several old men stood up and greeted the old foreman. One old man squatted against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, and whispered to the person next to him:

"The second son of the Lin family has really changed. The good-for-nothing he used to be now knows how to respect his teachers."

The person next to him chimed in:

"That's right. The old foreman is really living the good life by following him."

But some people made a sarcastic remark:

"Who knows? That old foreman has been hunting his whole life, how much wealth has he amassed? That Lin kid, he's probably after his stuff, isn't he?"

The one who said this was Yang Sanshun. He was squatting at the very back of the crowd, his eyes filled with resentment.

The donkey cart stopped in front of the Lin family's house. Zhao Xiuying was already standing at the gate waiting. Seeing the old foreman get off the cart, she quickly went to greet him:

"Brother Zhang, you've finally arrived! Come in quickly, it's cold outside. Dinner will be ready soon. I made dumplings, pork and cabbage, please have a taste."

Lin Weiguo also came out of the main room, stood at the door, nodded to the old foreman, didn't say anything, but lifted the curtain.

Lin Nuo carried the old foreman's luggage into the west wing. The room was small, but it was clean and tidy, with paper windows and new bedding on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Lin Weiguo followed him in, looked around the room, opened a crack in the window, and said:

"Let's air it out; it's a bit damp inside."

He walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), pressed the quilt with his hand to make sure it was thick enough, and then nodded.

Zhao Xiuying came in carrying a teapot and poured a bowl of tea for the old foreman:

"Brother Zhang, you take a rest first. I'll call you when the food is ready."

After she finished speaking, she turned and went out, but turned back at the door.

"If the blanket is too thin, just let me know, and I'll add another one."

The old foreman sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), watching all this, and finally only muttered:

"Thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all!"

Zhao Xiuying waved her hand:

"Since Nuozi is learning skills from you, you're practically family. Family doesn't need formalities."

The aroma of stewed chicken wafted from the kitchen. Lin Nuo squatted in front of the stove adding firewood, Zhao Xiuying rolled out dumpling wrappers on the cutting board, and Lin Weiguo sat at the table peeling garlic. The whole family was busy preparing for a meal.

"Nuozi, what does the old foreman like to eat?"

Zhao Xiuying asked as she rolled out the dough.

"He's not a picky eater. He just loves meat, especially when it's stewed until very tender."

"Then I'll stew the chicken a little longer. Go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy two bottles of wine, the better kind."

Lin Nuo stood up and brushed the dust off his knees:

"Okay, I'll go right now."

He had just stepped out of the hospital gate when he heard a murmur coming from under the old locust tree:

"The Lin family really hit the jackpot this time. The old leader has been hunting all his life, how many good things has he accumulated? Any one of them is worth a lot of money."

"That's right. I heard the old man's family has a lot of good stuff."

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear."

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm just telling the truth. These days, who doesn't get up early for something that's not profitable?"

Hearing this, Aunt Liu frowned and slammed the shoe sole in her hand onto the ground.

"Can't you guys watch your language?"

The women were speechless and awkwardly shut their mouths.

Yang Sanshun squatted against the wall and said sarcastically, "Aunt Liu, don't speak up for him. How do you know he's not after the money? You can't see into someone's heart; who knows what's in their belly?"

Aunt Liu glared at him:

"Yang Sanshun, you've borrowed money from people before, and they never refused to lend you any. Now you're making fun of them? Don't you have any conscience?"

Yang Sanshun's face flushed red, and he stood up and left.

Lin Nuo stood at the courtyard gate, listening to every word. He wasn't angry, nor did he go over to argue. He already knew what kind of person Yang Sanshun was. He didn't care what the aunties were saying.

He went to the convenience store and bought two bottles of wine. On his way back, he passed under the old locust tree. Several of the women were gone, and only Aunt Liu was sitting there sewing shoe soles.

"Nuozi," Aunt Liu called out to him, "Don't take what those people said to heart. They're just gossipy, they don't mean any harm."

Lin Nuo smiled:

"Auntie, I know. It's alright."

"You're a good child. Your aunt watched you grow up."

Aunt Liu put down the needle and thread in her hand:

"You used to be a jerk, but now you're really good."

Lin Nuo nodded:

"Thank you, ma'am."

He went home and placed the wine on the table in the main room.

"You're back? Go call your Uncle Zhang for dinner."

Lin Nuo washed his hands, walked to the door of the west wing, and gently knocked twice.

"Uncle Zhang, the food is ready."

The door opened, and the old foreman came out.

"Uncle Zhang, are you hungry? Come on, let's eat."

The old foreman followed Lin Nuo into the main room. The main room was filled with a table full of dishes.

Stewed chicken, scrambled eggs, peanuts, cucumber salad, a pot of sauerkraut stew with vermicelli, and Zhao Xiuying's pork and cabbage dumplings, plump and white, stacked on a plate, steaming hot.

Even during the Lunar New Year, the feast wasn't this lavish.

Lin Weiguo was already seated, with two wine cups in front of him. He saw the old foreman enter and stood up.

"Brother, sit here."

He pulled out the chair next to him and let the old foreman sit in the main seat.

The old foreman didn't sit down, and his voice was very soft:

"This...is too expensive."

Zhao Xiuying came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of dumpling soup, smiling as she said:

"It's no trouble at all. It's just family eating together, it's not expensive. Please sit down, don't be shy."

The old foreman sat down. Lin Nuo sat beside him, opened the wine bottle, and poured two small cups. Lin Weiguo picked up one cup:

"Brother, this will be your home from now on. Just let me know if you need anything or anything."

The old foreman also picked up his wine cup and clinked it against Lin Weiguo's.

Lin Weiguo quickly put a piece of food on his plate:

"Slow down, slow down."

Zhao Xiuying pushed the dumplings towards the old foreman:

"Brother Zhang, please try this. It's filled with cabbage and pork. Nuozi said you like it."

The old man picked up a dumpling:

"tasty."

Zhao Xiuying's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter:

"If you like it, please eat more. There's more in the pot, plenty to go around."

Lin Nuo picked up a chicken leg and put it into the old man's bowl.

Halfway through the meal, the old foreman suddenly put down his chopsticks, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, untied the string, took out a wad of money, and placed it on the table.

"I'll pay you back for the hospital stay."

Lin Nuo glanced at the stack of money and pushed it back.

"Uncle Zhang, are you asking me about this?"

"Take it. I have money." The old foreman pushed the money over again.

Lin Nuo didn't refuse anymore and accepted the money.

He knew the old foreman's temper; he wouldn't feel at ease if he didn't get the money back. But he didn't plan to spend the money anyway; he'd have Su Wanqing keep it separately and give it to the old foreman when he needed it.

After finishing their meal, Zhao Xiuying went to the kitchen to clear the dishes. Lin Weiguo sat with the old foreman in the main room. The two old men didn't talk much, but neither of them felt awkward.

Lin Nuo tidied up the bed in the west wing.

Lin Weiguo thought to himself that the little brat had never made his bed, and he felt a little jealous. He decided to find something to do to him tomorrow.

I'll just give him a scolding, or maybe I'll let it go and wait until the old foreman is gone.

"Uncle Zhang, everything's ready. You should get some rest."

The old foreman stood up and went into the west wing.

Lin Nuo stood at the door but didn't go in.

"Uncle Zhang, if you feel unwell at night, just call me. I'm in the east room, not far away."

"Hmm," the old foreman responded.