After the meal, Xie Mingzhu and Huo Xuan walked Xie Shaoqian to the bus stop.
Calling it a “station” was something of an exaggeration—it was really just a waiting room less than twenty square meters in size, plus a tiny parking area barely large enough to hold two minibuses.
The bus was scheduled to depart at 1:05 PM.
As soon as the time came, the driver started the engine.
Before stepping aboard, Xie Shaoqian gave them many reminders and earnestly asked Huo Xuan to look after Xie Mingzhu.
Xie Mingzhu’s face showed clear reluctance to part; she ran alongside the bus for a short distance, only stopping once it had driven far enough away.
Watching the vehicle shrink into the distance, she could not help but feel her eyes grow moist again.
Huo Xuan walked closer, glanced down at her, and raised his hand as if to put it around her shoulder—but halfway there, he changed his mind and instead gave her a gentle pat.
“Don’t be sad,” he said softly. “Before long, we’ll see each other again.”
Xie Mingzhu quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded. Then she lifted her head with a smile. “All right. Let’s head back.”
“But first, let’s go buy some grain.”
Originally, Xie Shaoqian had planned to come along, but seeing there was no more time, he had to let it go.
The two of them walked toward the grain supply station.
Xie Mingzhu still had quite a few grain coupons of her own, and combined with Huo Xuan’s, they could buy enough food to last them a full month.
There was no harm in buying more—they would eat it eventually, and it would save them from having to make frequent trips to the shop.
Once they had their grain, they also bought some fresh vegetables.
Behind the educated youth quarters, there was an empty plot of land suitable for growing crops, so they also picked up some vegetable seeds.
They had no idea exactly when the official notice allowing Xie Mingzhu to return to the city would arrive, so they knew they would be staying here for some time yet. Growing their own vegetables would ensure they had enough to eat without having to buy them every day.
After finishing their shopping, they turned back toward the village.
Huo Xuan tied the sacks of grain securely to the bicycle’s rear rack, then hung the vegetables and seed packets from the handlebars.
To make the seat more comfortable for her, he took off his own jacket and spread it over the hard metal frame.
Seeing him now wearing only a thin white short-sleeved shirt underneath, Xie Mingzhu asked, “Aren’t you going to feel cold without your coat?”
Huo Xuan shook his head and smiled. “Once I start riding, I’ll be working up a sweat—no need to worry about me freezing.”
With that, he swung himself onto the bicycle and got it balanced. Once he was steady, Xie Mingzhu ran a few steps and hopped onto the back seat.
Immediately, she grabbed hold of the fabric of his shirt at his waist with both hands.
Huo Xuan glanced down at her fingers clutching his clothes and could not help but tease, “This shirt is pretty thin, you know. Don’t pull so hard or you’ll tear it—and if you do, you’ll have to pay me back…”
Before he could finish speaking, she suddenly let go of his shirt and instead wrapped one arm firmly around his waist.
His hands tightened around the handlebars so hard they trembled, and he nearly lost control of the bike.
“Hey, hey—watch it!” Xie Mingzhu called out.
She quickly brought her other arm around him as well, holding him tightly. “Don’t go dropping me, all right?”
Feeling her arms locked securely around him, Huo Xuan’s mood instantly brightened.
“Then you’d better hold on tight,” he said with a grin.
Hearing the amusement in his voice, Xie Mingzhu assumed he was just being playful. She pinched him lightly at the waist. “Stop teasing me, or you’ll regret it!”
But his muscles were firm and solid, making it impossible to pinch properly. She soon gave up the attempt.
Her words only made him laugh even more heartily.
It had been so long since he had felt this happy.
Seeing him laughing like that, Xie Mingzhu looked confused. “What’s gotten into you? It’s only been a little while since we parted—have you lost your wits?”
Huo Xuan’s gaze grew distant for a moment as he murmured to himself, “Ten years, six months, and eight days.”
That was exactly how long they had been separated in her past life. He had only returned to the city after hearing about the troubles that had befallen the Xie family, hoping to find her. But when he reached the hospital, he had witnessed with his own eyes the moment she fell from the building.
Huo Xuan rode faster, the wind whistling past their ears. Xie Mingzhu did not quite catch his quiet words and raised her voice to ask, “What did you say?”
Huo Xuan shook his head, choosing not to repeat himself. Instead, he smiled and said, “Xie Mingzhu, having you beside me makes me happier than I can say.”
Taken aback, Xie Mingzhu lifted her head to look at the back of his head. His hair streamed in the breeze, and even the strands seemed to carry a sense of joy.
Yet suddenly, a heavy feeling settled in her chest—an inexplicable ache she could not quite put into words.
Sensing her silence, Huo Xuan glanced back over his shoulder and noticed her mood had inexplicably turned somber. “What’s wrong?”
Xie Mingzhu forced a faint smile and shook her head, offering no explanation.
Huo Xuan turned his attention back to the road, and neither spoke for a while.
On their way back, they passed an oxcart belonging to the production brigade, which was transporting Qin Haoyu and Qin Qing to the commune police station. Up front sat the driver and the village party secretary; behind them, on the wooden cart, Qin Haoyu and Qin Qing wore faces ashen and miserable, looking as though they had just suffered a death in the family. Several members of the village militia sat beside them, keeping watch.
As the two vehicles drew alongside each other, Xie Mingzhu gave them a calm, faint smile.
Seeing her expression, Qin Haoyu’s face twisted into a mask of rage. He pointed a shaking finger at her. “Xie Mingzhu! You vicious woman! I will never let you get away with this—mark my words!”
Qin Qing also began screaming shrilly beside him, spitting out insults.
Watching them throw themselves into such a frenzy, Xie Mingzhu simply looked away, her expression returning to indifference.
“If you’re feeling tired,” Huo Xuan called over his shoulder, “you can rest your head against my back.”
Xie Mingzhu did as he said, leaning her cheek against him and letting her breathing slow as she tried to calm her emotions.
Slowly, Huo Xuan felt the fabric of his shirt grow damp against his back, and his heart began to beat faster.
“Pay no mind to that scoundrel,” he said gently, assuming she was weeping over her former fiancé. “He’s not worth shedding a single tear for.”
Xie Mingzhu shook her head against him. “I’m not crying because of him.”
She was crying for the foolish, naive girl she had once been—someone who had given everything to people who did not deserve it.
Huo Xuan fell silent, his own mood turning uneasy.
The rest of the journey back to the village passed without conversation.
By the time they arrived, all the villagers had gone off to their work assignments, so there was no longer any crowd gathered at the entrance to watch the commotion.
When they reached the educated youth quarters, Xie Mingzhu had already regained her usual composure, her face showing no trace that she had been crying at all. If Huo Xuan had not felt the dampness on his back, he would have thought she had not shed a tear.
“Go inside and rest for a while,” Huo Xuan said. “I’ll tidy up the room next door.”
That room had been empty for a long time. The night before, they had only done a quick sweep-through, so it still needed a proper cleaning.
Xie Mingzhu paused, her expression softening with uncertainty. She bit her lip before asking, “Do you really intend to stay here too?”
Huo Xuan nodded firmly. “When your papers come through and you’re allowed to go back to the city, I’ll travel with you.”
He urged her to go into her own room and rest.
But Xie Mingzhu could not let go of the question that had been weighing heavily in her heart. Looking up at him, she asked quietly, “Huo Xuan… you’re like me, aren’t you?”