The reunion after a long separation was quite emotional. After Changlin went to return the ox cart, the grandmother and granddaughter were still weeping in each other’s arms.
This…
He sighed and turned his gaze to the others. Changshan and Changsheng pursed their lips uncomfortably—they were at a loss too. They had already moved all the luggage, but the crying still hadn’t stopped. Couldn’t they see that the younger ones were all staring in amazement, their little heads tilted back, eyes filled with wonder?
Glancing at the sky, Changlin estimated it was almost time to finish work. He took two steps forward, about to say something, when he heard the Old Lady exclaim, “Eh?” The next second, Xu Zhitao collapsed limply onto the kang.
Well, that stirred up another round of chaos.
She woke again half an hour later.
The Old Lady sat at the head of the kang sewing shoe soles, glancing at her from time to time.
Turning her head, Xu Zhitao saw several little ones playing with marbles at the far end of the kang. When they noticed she was awake, they scrambled over, their eyes sparkling as they called out,
“Grandma, Sis is awake!”
This body was indeed very weak. Already injured, her nerves had been taut the entire journey. Suddenly relaxing and crying so intensely had likely left her breathless.
Sure enough, the Old Lady sighed,
“You silly child, pushing yourself when you’re not well. If you wanted to come home, you should’ve had your uncle go fetch you. You didn’t rest properly at all on the way, did you?”
Remembering the village doctor’s words earlier, the Old Lady felt a pang in her heart. What nonsense was this about “congenital deficiency, malnutrition, just take good care of her”?
To people of her generation, “just take good care” wasn’t a good sign—it was what you said about someone beyond hope. Her granddaughter was barely over ten years old. Even if her health wasn’t great, she was still growing. With careful attention, more meat, and better food, why couldn’t she recover?
She, the Old Lady, wasn’t someone easily fooled. She had been a women’s militia member, could read, and had seen the world. She wasn’t one to be deceived.
So, after the old doctor finished his hasty examination, the Old Lady unceremoniously shooed him away, even calling him a “quack.” He had been quite indignant about it.
Xu Zhitao slowly sat up, feeling a bit embarrassed,
“Grandma, I’m fine. I was just too emotional earlier. Did I scare you?”
The Old Lady shot her a look and handed over the cooling teacup,
“What do you think? Do you still recognize these little ones?”
The Xu family had seven brothers. Xu Yongqing was right in the middle—three older brothers above and three younger brothers below. Xu Zhitao had seven older cousins in her generation, and five years ago, she had four younger cousins. Five years wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either. Adults might not change much, but children were different every day. At this moment, she really wasn’t sure she could recognize them.
The child in the Old Lady’s arms was the youngest, still sucking on a finger. Xu Zhitao was certain she hadn’t seen this one before.
“Who’s this?”
The Old Lady chuckled,
“This is Changzhao, your sixth uncle’s child. He’s three this year.”
Then she pointed to the other children one by one,
“This is Changbai, this is Changrui, and this one is Chang’an. Take a look, can you still recognize them?”
Xu Zhitao’s heart skipped a beat. Chang’an, her own younger brother?
The five-year-old boy wasn’t particularly chubby, having spent his days running around outside. He was even a bit tanned, but those big, lively eyes—almond-shaped, exactly like Guo Hongying’s.
It must be admitted that while marrying into the Qin family required skill, Guo Hongying truly possessed striking looks, especially those peach blossom eyes—not a bit wasted, as both Xu Zhitao and her brother had inherited them.
When she left, she was just a month old and didn’t recognize anyone. After five years apart, Xu Zhitao wasn’t sure what to say, but little Chang’an wasn’t shy at all and called out boldly,
“Sis!”
Xu Zhitao smiled, but before she could speak, Chang’an’s second question followed,
“Sis, did you come back from the city? Do you have any candy?”
The Old Lady laughed in exasperation, raising her hand to swat his bottom,
“What nonsense are you talking, you little glutton? Always thinking about candy. Wait, the day after tomorrow is the big market. Grandma will go and buy candy for you when she gets back.”
Though he was asking for something, his eyes were clear, and Xu Zhitao didn’t mind. Especially when, at the mention of candy, three-year-old Changzhao began sucking his fingers faster, and even six-year-old Changrui and eight-year-old Changbai seemed to be subtly swallowing.
She couldn’t sit still any longer,
“Yes, Sis bought candy for you, and other tasty treats too. They’re all… Grandma, where’s my luggage?”
The Old Lady sighed,
“Everything’s in your room, the one your father used to have. Go take a look. They’ll be off work soon, and Grandma will make dinner—steamed egg custard for you.”
The older ones leading the younger, the little girl surrounded by her four brothers, they all headed out together. Behind them, the Old Lady seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, or perhaps it was another sigh.
The items had been purchased and packed by the Qin family’s servants, so she truly didn’t know what was inside. Now, claiming to fetch the treats, she was opening each package like a blind box herself.
The children were all well-behaved; no one rushed to grab anything. They obediently carried small stools and sat to the side.
Changbai handed her the scissors, earnestly advising,
“Sis, be careful, don’t cut yourself.”
Changrui nodded along. Xu Zhitao couldn’t help but smile, wondering what Changlin and the others had told them. In the eyes of these little ones, she seemed to have become a useless older sister who couldn’t do anything.
There were six army-green canvas bags, each as large as a sack. Honestly, Xu Zhitao was already surprised that Guo Hongying could be so generous. It just went to show—truly a wealthy family, even the packing materials were good cloth without a single patch.
As she cut the threads, the tightly packed contents burst open, scattering brightly colored candies everywhere. Chang’an’s eyes lit up,
“Candy, slurp! Sis, candy!”
Little Changzhao followed with a “slurp,” wobbling over.
Xu Zhitao hadn’t expected Guo Hongying to be so generous when she chose to be. For ordinary families, a single piece of candy was a luxury, but here—Wowo milk candies scattered on the floor, White Rabbit milk candies still packed inside, animal crackers, milk biscuits, canned malted milk powder, and what seemed to be the familiar shape of canned goods.
It must be said, the servant who did the shopping was very practical—half the bags were filled with these easy-to-carry treats.
For a moment, her feelings toward Guo Hongying grew even more complicated.
Still, she only allowed herself a brief reflection. The thought of Guo Hongying’s disdainful, dismissive look in her past life instantly dispelled any lingering sentiment. Compared to human lives, what were these things?
“Have some candy, there’s enough for everyone,”
She grabbed a handful of candy and began distributing it, giving two pieces to each, then stuffing two extra handfuls into Changbai’s hands.
“Changbai, you share these with your younger brothers. Don’t eat too many—only one per day.”
She divided the remaining treats into two portions. One portion she placed in the cabinet, while the other she packed into a basket, which she then picked up, intending to take it to the Old Lady.
Chang’an sucked on his candy, his eyes fixed on the basket. Xu Zhitao tapped his forehead lightly.
“Let’s go. The rest are for Grandma, so she can distribute them.”
“Sis, what is this? Is it tasty? Can we have it tonight?”
“Then go ask Grandma.”
Chang’an took her words at face value and immediately dashed toward the main room.
Just as he stepped out of the room, a hand reached out and took the basket.
“Trying to fool the kid again?”