RIRW – Chapter 39

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When they arrived at the town, sure enough, Zuo Chengcai was already there.

Seeing Zuo Dan carrying so many bags, he quickly took them from her hands. “Why’d you buy so much stuff?”

Zuo Dan replied, “It’s almost the holiday. I bought some fabric for Grandma and my mom. Also got some white flour so we can make dumplings. By the way, Uncle, remember not to spill the beans. You need to say it was your money that paid for everything.”

Zuo Chengcai nodded. “Got it. But Dandan, you’re always giving me credit for these good deeds, and it makes me feel a bit guilty.”

“Uncle, what’s there to feel guilty about? Without you, we wouldn’t be able to do the work to earn money. Besides, with how cautious my parents are about my maternal grandparents’ situation, if they knew I was doing this, they’d definitely stop me.”

Zuo Chengcai immediately said, “Then it’s better to pin it on me—just say it was me.” After all, if his niece stopped making money, who would help him earn in the future?

Zuo Chengcai was convinced that as long as he worked with his niece, his path to making money would stay smooth.

“It’s just that I feel a bit uneasy—knowing you’re the one making the money.” He muttered under his breath.

Zuo Dan laughed. “You’re my uncle. Why are you being so particular? Besides, I don’t want people knowing what I’m doing. And since you didn’t care much about the family before, you don’t know me that well. If it were Uncle and his wife, they’d definitely start speculating. My philosophy has always been to quietly make a fortune. You’re a man out there hustling; even if you earn money, people might envy you, but they won’t pay too much attention. If it were me, though, everyone would be watching. I don’t care about fame or others’ opinions; I just want to live a comfortable life.”

She pulled out thirty yuan from her pocket. “Uncle, here’s the deposit. They want us to quickly collect the mountain goods and get them ready.”

Holding the money in his hands, Zuo Chengcai felt reassured.

Zuo Dan instructed, “As for the apples, once the mountain goods are packed into baskets, just take everything to the county town and pack the baskets there. After that, we’ll send them straight to the provincial city.”

The two walked back home together. With her uncle accompanying her, Zuo Dan wasn’t worried. But as they passed by the scarecrow, she remembered how Shen Yiming had tried to scare her last time. Watching her cheerful uncle beside her, Zuo Dan pointed to the scarecrow and said, “Uncle, look over there—is that a person?”

Zuo Chengcai looked and froze. Who would be standing there in the middle of the night?

In a hushed voice, Zuo Dan said, “Uncle, do you think it could be…”

“Agh—” Zuo Chengcai grabbed his things and ran. Then, remembering Zuo Dan, he turned back and pulled her along as they sprinted away together.

“…”

Zuo Dan ran after him, barely managing to keep up. She quickly shouted, “Uncle, Uncle! Could it just be the scarecrow? I remember seeing a scarecrow there during the day.”

Hearing this, Zuo Chengcai froze, turned to look back, and then casually let go of her arm. Picking up his bags, he resumed walking with a straight face. “Of course I knew it was a scarecrow. I was just in a hurry to get home. Let’s go; your parents and grandma are waiting.”

“Uncle, I know you’re not afraid of those things. I’ve always thought you were really brave. I admire you so much.”

Zuo Chengcai responded, “Of course. I’ve been around the block—what’s there to be afraid of?”

“Uncle, I’m tired and can’t walk anymore. When I was little and couldn’t walk, my dad used to carry me. Don’t underestimate him—he’s not as tall as you, but he’s really strong.”

“Your uncle’s strong too. Hop on, I’ll carry you.”

When they got home, Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng were still busy. Most of the smoked meat was finished, but the bamboo baskets still needed to be woven. Li Hui, with her nimble hands, sat next to Zuo Dacheng, weaving baskets together. Each basket earned them 20 cents, and with her quick hands, she could make seven or eight in a day. After a few days, that added up to several yuan.

Seeing Zuo Dan return with so many things, Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng were surprised. When they heard it was bought with Zuo Chengcai’s money, they were reluctant to accept it.

“Third Brother, how can we accept this? You should keep it for yourself. This fabric is so nice—you should save it for your future wedding,” Li Hui said, pushing it back to him.

Zuo Chengcai replied unhappily, “Sister-in-law, if you don’t take it, you’re looking down on me. I know I used to mess around, but now that I’m earning money, I’m happy to buy things for the family. I’ll buy more in the future, too. Don’t be shy about it, or it means you’re still thinking about my past mistakes.”

Li Hui, unsure how to respond, finally said, “Alright then, Third Brother. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to ask me or your big brother.”

“I won’t hold back,” Zuo Chengcai replied confidently.

He then picked up the cotton fabric Zuo Dan had bought and took it to their grandmother.

After Zuo Chengcai left, Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng both felt emotional. Zuo Dacheng said, “Third Brother really has grown up. I used to worry he’d always be a troublemaker.”

Zuo Dan smiled and said, “My uncle is just a late bloomer.”

Next door, Grandma Zuo was beaming as she looked at the fabric her son had brought. The wrinkles on her face seemed to blossom like a flower. Hearing that he had also bought fabric for Zuo Dan and Li Hui, however, she felt a bit displeased, thinking her son should prioritize her. Still, she didn’t voice this directly and instead said, “Since when did you get along so well with your second brother’s family? You didn’t even buy anything for your eldest brother’s family.”

Zuo Chengcai scoffed, “Big Brother isn’t filial to you, so why should I buy anything for him? Besides…” He leaned in close to Grandma Zuo and whispered mysteriously, “I ran into a fortune teller while I was out. He said my luck is weak and that I need someone whose birth characters match mine to help me out. Only then will I become wealthy.”

Curious, Grandma Zuo asked, “And this person with matching birth characters—is it someone from the second brother’s family?”

“It’s Dandan. We’ve already checked everyone’s birth characters in our family, and Dandan is my lucky star. So, tell me, how could I not treat her well?”

Realization dawned on Grandma Zuo. She had been wondering why her usually indifferent third son had become so close to the second brother’s family. Now she understood.

She believed the fortune teller’s words—after all, ever since Dandan started interacting with her third uncle, he had begun earning money and even bringing the family along in his success.

“Then you should treat her well,” Grandma Zuo agreed. After all, compared to the money he was earning, it wasn’t much to give.

In a small courtyard near the provincial city’s middle school, the alley was quiet, and everyone had gone to bed early.

Shen Yiming knocked on the door of his house. From inside came the voice of an elderly woman, accompanied by a few coughs. “Who is it?”

When the door opened, and she saw Shen Yiming standing outside, her face lit up with surprise. “Yiming, you’re back!”

The frail old woman, her hair streaked with white, was overjoyed.

“Grandma, I’m back,” Shen Yiming said warmly, smiling as he stepped inside.

“Hurry, come in,” she said, pulling him into the house while looking him over. “You’ve lost weight.”

Shen Yiming set his bag on the floor, took his grandmother’s hand, and led her to a chair. “I’m fine, Grandma. I’ve gotten a lot stronger, too. Life in the countryside isn’t bad—the villagers are really kind to me. They even gave me some food to bring back, knowing I was coming home.”

“That’s good to hear, very good,” his grandmother said, her hand constantly patting his face. What a good child he was—so well-behaved and sensible. How could those people have been so heartless as to send him to the countryside?

She coughed a couple more times. Shen Yiming frowned. “Grandma, are you coughing again? Have you been taking the medicine I brought you last time?”

The old woman sighed. “I’ve been taking it. There’s still plenty left—you brought so much I could take it for a year. Don’t worry about me; it’s just an old ailment. How long can you stay this time? I heard the educated youth hardly ever get to come back.”

Smiling, Shen Yiming said, “I came back to spend the holiday with you, Grandma. The team leader gave me five days off, so I’ll be home for three days after travel time. Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to come back to the city for good soon.”

His grandmother waved her hand. “There’s no rush. Just take good care of yourself there and don’t force anything.” She knew those people wouldn’t make it easy for him to return.

Shen Yiming smiled. “I have to come back, Grandma. I’ll take care of you in your old age.”

Seeing his determination, she said, “Why don’t you try apologizing to him again? Ask for forgiveness. You’re still his son; he can’t truly abandon you. If your mother were still here, you wouldn’t have to endure such hardships.”

Shen Yiming’s smile faded. “Grandma, let’s not talk about him. Don’t worry—I’ll come back. Just wait for me to take care of you.”

Sighing, she said, “I don’t ask for much. I just hope you grow up safe and sound.” Then she added with a smile, “By the way, have you met any of the female educated youth? I hear some of them settle down and start families there. If you find someone, Grandma will support you. It’s nice to have someone to take care of you.”

Shen Yiming shook his head. “The female educated youth aren’t as smart as I am. I’m worried if I marry one, our kids won’t be very bright.”

“Nonsense,” she scolded. “You little rascal! How dare you look down on those girls? I’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Alright, alright,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll bring someone back for you to meet eventually. But it’ll have to wait until I return to the city. It’s not the right time now.”

“Well, don’t take too long,” she said. “Or someone else might snatch her up.”

“Don’t worry. She’s not interested in anyone else,” he said confidently.

His grandmother laughed, pleased. “So, you’ve got your eye on someone, haven’t you?”