Sugar went on summer vacation, and Zheng Long thought about going back to his hometown to pay respects at his grandfather’s grave and see if there were any complete Monkey Stamps to buy.
The house now could not go without someone; everywhere needed attention. Although the fields had been taken care of, the vegetables in the front and back of the house required watering and fertilizing. The chickens and ducks at home couldn’t be left alone either. Most importantly, it wasn’t convenient to take the little one back home, so the best solution was for Zheng Long to go back by himself and let Sugar stay home to watch the house.
The previous homeowner had planted sweet potatoes before leaving; half were eaten, half were sold in the space, and the rapeseed had been harvested and awaited an appropriate opportunity to be pressed for oil.
That year he planted peanuts and rapeseed in the backyard, both of which could yield oil.
In the front yard and their own yard, they grew commonly eaten vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants, which were basically consumed entirely since they were rarely sold into the space.
After leaving enough baby formula for the child, Zheng Long asked the village chief for a letter of introduction and set off back to H province.
The journey involved both bus and train, and it took him five or six days to arrive.
Upon returning to their small town, he bought some pastries and candy from his space and picked up cigarettes and alcohol from the Cooperative Society, then carrying them to visit the village chief and the production team leader’s homes.
When they learned he was discharged from the military and currently living in the Chongqing countryside, both men were quite shocked.
Zheng Long, however, was very calm, explaining that his son was attending university there and he didn’t want to be far from him, so he conveniently bought a house in the suburbs. He settled down during a favorable government policy period; because of the relocation, they even got land.
When asked why he was discharged, Zheng Long said with a light and breezy tone, "I was injured, sustained a back injury, and couldn’t do heavy labor, so I retired."
Both felt a sense of pity and sighed at the difficulties of the life he had chosen. As for questions about a government job allocation, they didn’t dare to ask. Zheng Long didn’t bring it up, so they didn’t delve into that subject.
After leaving their homes, Zheng Long directly took pastries and pre-sliced, vacuum-packed meat from the space to his grandfather’s grave, spent a good while drinking and eating with him, then, carrying a basket, made his farewells to the village chief and others. Follow current novels on NoveI[F]ire.net
"Won’t you stay for a meal before you go? Look, your family’s house is still well preserved. The previous clothes and furniture were all collected into one room. You could stay at home for a few days," they said.
Zheng Long shook his head, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t stay long. I’ve already had a chat with the old man."
Zheng Long didn’t have much attachment to this village. If it weren’t for the fact that this was his grandfather’s home and he and his wife were to be buried together, he’d have considered relocating the grave, as traveling back from Chongqing was simply too difficult. Even though he was from this place, he never felt much connection to it.
That night, he stayed at the town’s guesthouse. The next day was the weekend, and he carried goodies to visit Master Chang.
From Master Chang, he learned more news about his family, "Your brother gambled away everything, and your eldest brother has completely fallen out with your parents. Your father had a stroke from the anger, and your mother is not doing well either. This family is utterly broken apart."
Although Master Chang didn’t urge him to visit, the undertone was apparent that since he was now living well, perhaps he could support the Long Family.
But Zheng Long shook his head outright, "I’ve severed all ties with them, and I can’t step in. Once I do, they will stick to me like glue. As for the misfortunes they will face, that’s all a result of their past decisions. The old saying goes, parents are heartless, children are unfilial. My ’unfilial’ behavior today is a consequence of their ’heartless’ actions. So, Master, don’t try to persuade me, I won’t be concerned with their wellbeing. I’ll be leaving here tomorrow. Please take care of yourself."