Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 470 A Change of Taste

Aunt Wang put the steamed buns on the stove and said, "I've been there. It was right after the country opened up, and a lot of national leaders came. I went with your dad, but there wasn't much to see. It was just dark and cold inside, and we were shivering in the middle of summer. In the first few years, there were always foreigners coming, but you don't see them anymore. They said it was the longest cave in Asia, right?"

Xiao Hong said, "It's the longest water cave in Asia. Have you ever seen a national leader there?"

Aunt Wang said, "Where would I even see her? Besides, I wouldn't recognize her. The whole place is guarded by soldiers; you're not allowed to wander around. Your dad probably knows. She hasn't been back since. I heard she had a pretty good makeover."

Uncle Wang came out, rubbing his face, and asked, "What are you all talking about? Xiao Hong is up so early, is something wrong?"

Aunt Wang said, "They were talking about going to Waizi Cave, and Xiao Hong said it would be good to visit her grandma on the way."

Uncle Wang nodded and said, "Waizi Cave? There's nothing much to see there. It used to be quite a spectacle, with many people from the central government coming. The name of the cave was even given by the central leaders. But it's just like that now. It's very cold there. Are Chen Xiao and Geng Hui going too? Be careful not to catch a cold."

Xiao Hong asked, "Why is it called Waizi Cave again?"

Uncle Wang washed his face and said, "That place is called Xiejiawaizi. The cave has been there for a long time, so it was called Waizi Cave, the cave in Xiejiawaizi. Later, people from the government came and named it Beixishui Cave, and that's how it got its name. Now it's much nicer inside than before. They have electricity and installed a lot of lights. Back then, it was pitch black, and you could only see things with a flashlight."

Xiao Wei asked, "What's inside the cave?"

Uncle Wang thought for a moment and said, "Stalactites, all kinds of shapes, and some marine fossils and stuff, I can't remember them all. I went up there twice before, back then it cost 50 cents per person, how much is it now? Twenty or thirty cents per person. After you go in, you'd better not let Geng Hui and Xiao Xiao get off the boat, understand? If they fall into the river there, it'll be a disaster."

Xiao Wei asked in confusion, "Marine fossils?"

Xiao Hong said, "Our area used to be the sea, and land gradually appeared. I learned all about it in geography. Let's go, let's go, we'll talk when we get back. Goodbye Dad, goodbye Mom." She pulled Xiao Wei outside.

Uncle Wang said, "Be careful with your camera, and don't let anyone get off the boat."

Xiao Hong paused for a moment, then turned and ran into the house, saying, "Right, right, the camera! I always forget it when I go out. Old Wang is the most reliable guy."

A few minutes later, he came out carrying Xiaowei's camera bag and said, "Is everything here? Is there anything else I need?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's all here. Let's buy batteries over there. The ones here haven't been charged in a long time, so they might not work anymore." He reached out and took the bag, which, with all the miscellaneous items, was not light; it must have weighed twenty or thirty pounds.

The two went downstairs, put their camera bags in the car, and went to a nearby snack bar for breakfast. Xiaowei checked the time and said, "This is too early. Chen Xiao must be sleeping until nine o'clock, right? People say that not getting enough sleep is bad for a pregnant woman's health."

Xiaohong said, "No, Xiaoxiao herself said she wanted breakfast. Besides, why don't you eat breakfast first before going upstairs? Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"

Xiao Wei said, "Stop dragging Chen Xiao around like this. If something happens, are you going to take responsibility? If you want to go back to your hometown, just say so and we'll go quietly. Why do you have to drag those two into it?"

Xiao Hong glanced at Xiao Wei and said, "I didn't think that much about it."

Xiao Wei said, "It's good, but even if you get along well, you still need to think things through and be more mindful, right? Haven't you learned your lesson from what happened with Anton last time?"

Little Red pouted and fell silent, nibbling at her food in small bites, seemingly not in the mood.

"Oh, you two are eating already? So early?" Xia Maosheng and Geng Hui walked in hand in hand.

Xiao Wei turned his head and said, "Why are you running around in this room instead of eating your dried shrimp wontons? There's only tofu pudding in here."

Xia Maosheng sat down next to Xiao Wei and said with a smile, "Let's change things up a bit."

Geng Hui sat down next to Xiao Hong, looked at her, and asked, "What's wrong? Why do you look unhappy?"

Xiao Hong glanced at Xiao Wei and said, "He was mean to me."

Xia Maosheng called the boss for soy milk, fried dough sticks, and tofu pudding, then turned to Xiao Wei and asked, "Did you disturb her?"

Xiao Wei shook his head and said, "No. Why would I scold her for nothing? I just wanted to tell her to be more careful in the future and not to keep urging Chen Xiao to go out. Chen Xiao is almost due, and who knows when something might happen? Besides, with Chen Xiao's personality, wouldn't you worry? Once she goes out, it's always either mountains or rivers. What if something happens?"

Xia Maosheng nodded, glanced at Geng Hui, and said, "That's exactly right. I was talking about this with Geng Hui last night. I said it's fine to go anywhere now, but after this summer we won't go anywhere. We'll just stay home and wait for the baby to be born. We'd regret it to death if something went wrong."

The boss brought the food over and placed it on the table. Geng Hui handed chopsticks to Xia Maosheng and said to Xiao Hong, "Xiao Wei is right. Now that we're back, let's not go anywhere else. I also need to be more careful. Chen Xiao is already over seven months pregnant, and she should be giving birth in a little over a month. It's really easy for something to go wrong."

Xiao Hong said, "I didn't think that much about it. I just felt that we got along really well, and it would be interesting to go somewhere together." As she spoke, she felt wronged and tears welled up in her eyes.

Xiao Wei took out a handkerchief and handed it to Xiao Hong, saying, "What are you doing? Are you making it impossible for others to eat?"

Xiao Hong took the handkerchief, wiped her eyes, and said, "You're allowed to say that, but I'm not allowed to cry? Even Zuo Shandiao wasn't this domineering!"

Xiao Wei said to Geng Hui, "Geng Hui, you eat, don't worry about her."

Xia Maosheng helped Geng Hui tear the fried dough sticks apart and soak them in soy milk, saying, "Come on, wife, let's eat. There's no point in crying if we're not full."

Xiao Hong couldn't help but burst out laughing. Wiping away her tears, she said to Xia Maosheng, "Get out of here, you're so annoying." Xiao Wei and Geng Hui both laughed. Xiao Hong threw her handkerchief at Xiao Wei and said, "You're so annoying, always yelling at me."

After Geng Hui and Xia Maosheng finished breakfast, half an hour had passed. The four of them came out of the snack bar and stood by the roadside to feel the summer sunrise. To be precise, it was the sunrise of spring in Northeast China, as June is indeed springtime in the Northeast.

In contrast to the south, most areas in the south do not have autumn and winter seasons, and the northeast does not have spring and summer, as they are too short.

The sun felt warm on their skin. The four of them carried a few stools from the snack bar and sat by the roadside, watching Xiao Lu drive up to pick up Uncle Wang, watching Aunt Wang go out to the market to buy groceries, watching the shadows of the buildings on the ground grow shorter and shorter, and the cool morning breeze gradually turning warmer. Xiao Wei checked the time; it was almost 8:30.

Finally, Chen Hui and Chen Xiao came into view and slowly swayed over.

Xiao Hong said, "Chen Hui seems to have gained weight again."

Xia Maosheng and Xiao Wei exchanged a glance. Both of them were the type who didn't like to gain weight and didn't have the trouble of being chubby or thin.

(End of this chapter)