PCJ – Chapter 159 The Beginning of Growth

Zhang Manyin and Ma Donghua arrived at their second son’s house early, with Ma Donghua bringing a dozen boiled eggs.

“Food on the road is precious. Take these eggs to eat on the way. If you’re hungry, eat at the rest stops and don’t worry about spending money. Keep your money safe. Guangdong is not like our local area. Be cautious when dealing with others.” Despite being grown-ups, Ma Donghua continued to nag.

“Youping, don’t worry. As long as we have food, we won’t let Jiaohua go hungry,” Zhang Manyin seemed to understand his son and daughter-in-law’s concerns.

Mentioning Zhang Jiaohua, Liu Qiaoye couldn’t help but get teary-eyed, “Son, listen to your grandparents at home and focus on your studies. Try to earn certificates every semester.”

In the first semester of first grade, Zhang Jiaohua brought home a certificate for being an excellent student, which made Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye very happy. Zhang Jiaohua’s Chinese and Math were the top in his class, and he even scored full marks in Math. This surprised the teachers, given Zhang Jiaohua’s usual attitude towards studying.

“If we come back and hear you’re not working hard in school, see how I’ll punish you!” Zhang Youping chimed in.

“Why so loud? You failed every subject in elementary school, and you still dare to hit our grandson!” Ma Donghua retorted, shutting Zhang Youping up.

“Mom, can’t you not contradict me when I’m disciplining our son?” Zhang Youping complained.

“Didn’t you use your grandparents as a shield often enough when you were young?” Ma Donghua revealed Zhang Youping’s past.

Liu Qiaoye smiled, “It seems our son’s good grades come from me.”

Ma Donghua immediately changed her tune, “Well, not necessarily. Actually, Youping’s grades were good when he was serious.”

Liu Qiaoye smiled without arguing.

Seeing Liu Qiaoye smile, Zhang Youping felt uneasy, “Really, my grades in elementary school were okay.”

“Yes, yes, they were okay.” Ma Donghua’s insincere agreement made it seem even more false.

“Jiaohua, later I’ll take you to Yuanbao’s house while your grandmother and I take your parents to town to catch the bus,” Zhang Manyin said.

Just then, Zhang Youlian’s family of four arrived. Hu Xiaoqing also brought a dozen boiled eggs and a few bottles of eight-treasure porridge, along with some local specialties.

“Youping, Qiaoye, we don’t have much to offer, just some boiled eggs for your journey. I bought these bottles of eight-treasure porridge at the general store in town. They’re convenient. Take them with you. I wish you a safe journey and to earn lots of money in Guangdong,” Hu Xiaoqing said, handing over a full bag.

“Sister-in-law, you’re too kind. This much food will last me many days in Guangdong,” Liu Qiaoye smiled.

“That’s even better. You might not be used to the food there when you first arrive. Don’t worry about Jiaohua; I’ll treat him like my own child,” Hu Xiaoqing, usually a bit stingy and competitive with Liu Qiaoye, had changed after some events last year. Life has no fixed labels, and people do change, some for the better, some for the worse.

Zhang Manyin and Ma Donghua were pleased to see such positive changes in the family.

“Youping, Qiaoye, don’t worry about anything. We’ll take care of things here. Eat something quickly; the bus ride will take one or two days, and it won’t be easy to find hot food on the way,” Ma Donghua urged.

The food was already on the table, but it was so early that they had no appetite.

Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye forced themselves to eat a little. Zhang Shicai’s family was already carrying their luggage over.

The two families went to the street together.

Zhang Jiaohua insisted on going to the street, and Liu Qiaoye, reluctant to part, wanted to spend more time with her son.

At four or five in the morning, it was still dark, and flashlight beams cut through the sky.

The village dogs barked incessantly at the commotion, finally emerging from the shadow of the wolf attacks.

These days, the weather was clear, and the ice and snow started to melt, but at this time, the temperature was still very low, and the road was completely frozen.

Liu Qiaoye tightly held her son’s hand, fearing he would run away if she let go. Zhang Jiaohua didn’t seem to grasp the weight of the farewell. Everyone thought he was too young to understand.

After walking for several hours, they reached the town as daylight broke. The bus station was bustling, with many people like Zhang Youping and his wife loading their luggage into the buses heading for Guangdong.

Liu Qiaoye hugged her son tightly, kissing him several times on the face, “Son, be good at home. Mom will bring you lots of toys when she comes back for the New Year.”

Zhang Jiaohua just nodded without speaking.

“It’s time to board,” Zhang Youping said, rubbing his son’s head and kissing him before pulling his wife towards the bus.

Zhang Manyin hugged Zhang Jiaohua, “Jiaohua, tell your parents to take care of themselves in Guangdong. You’ll be good at home, so they don’t have to worry.”

All Zhang Jiaohua heard was a buzzing sound, and he just waved vigorously at his parents.

The bus door closed with a puff and started slowly. As he watched the bus move away, Zhang Jiaohua suddenly broke free from Zhang Manyin’s grasp.

“Mom!” he cried out, running after the bus.

Liu Qiaoye, sitting at the back of the bus, already had her vision blurred with tears. The station, the people, and her dear son began to blur.

Suddenly, she saw a small figure running after the bus, waving his thin arms.

“Son!” Liu Qiaoye couldn’t help but shout, covering her mouth with her hand, tears streaming down like an open faucet.

The bus passengers were familiar with such scenes. Every bus to Guangdong had a heartbroken mother and a child chasing after it. Goodbye, son. Starting tomorrow, Mom will no longer be with you as you grow up.

Zhang Jiaohua kept running until the bus disappeared into the distant mountains. He didn’t know that after dark, he would face a lonely life.

Zuan Shanbao followed behind Zhang Jiaohua. Jin Hu and a few others stood helplessly, watching Zhang Jiaohua’s pain.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

The strongest red rooster in Meizi Village crowed, heralding a new day.

Sunlight spilled over the mountain ridge, casting a golden light on Meizi village.