"I’m going out to check on everyone’s packing progress," Qin Jian said offhandedly.
"Why not have some water before you go?"
"No need! I’ll take care of it when I get back," Qin Jian replied.
Jian Ying and Tian Niu were wiping sweat and washing their faces inside the house when they heard voices from the yard and followed them outside.
"Jian Ying, Tian Niu, I’ve boiled some water. Come have some tea," Li Junping warmly called out to them.
"No thanks, Auntie, we’re going to check on the commander," Jian Ying politely declined and hurried after Qin Jian.
Once outside, seeing the direction Qin Jian had gone, Jian Ying laughed to himself.
"Tian Niu, where do you think Qin Jian is off to?"
"Do you think I’m a fool?" Tian Niu gave Jian Ying a knowing look and gestured with his hand, "Come on, let’s catch up!"
Halfway there, Qin Jian happened upon An Hao, who was moving houses.
An Ping was supporting her, carrying a bulging bundle on his back and hanging An Hao’s schoolbag from his arm.
"Is everything packed up over there?" Qin Jian approached and took the heavy bundle from An Ping.
"We’ve packed up one room," An Hao answered truthfully. Seeing him about to follow her home, she felt a bit bad, "Qin Brother, you don’t need to help us. An Ping and I can take care of it."
Qin Jian had just opened his mouth to reply when Jian Ying’s voice drifted from not too far away, "No worries, consider it a workout. Besides, we’ve got nothing better to do this afternoon, so it’s nice to come and join in on the fun."
An Ping, seeing these soldiers being so kind to his sister, couldn’t help feeling puzzled, "Sis, what’s your relationship with them?"
An Hao looked up at Qin Jian then at Jian Ying and Tian Niu, choosing her words carefully, "Friends!"
"When did you make friends?"
"Young man!" Jian Ying chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Our story would take too long to tell. But you should believe that our bond is only going to get stronger."
An Ping was a bit confused but noticing the faint blush on An Hao’s ears, he seemed to grasp a bit of the implication.
Someone among them had taken a liking to his sister, huh?
He’d have to be more observant!
Chatting along, they soon arrived at the old house of An Hao’s grandmother.
The house wasn’t far from An Hao’s father’s, separated by three small streets. The houses in this area were quite old, all made of sandstone.
Most of the residents in this area were elderly villagers.
The afternoon sun was scorching as two old people next to the ancestral home sat at the base of a wall, basking in the sun. Seeing An Hao moving, they struck up a conversation, "An Hao, why are you moving here? Your grandmother’s house has been vacant for ten years, hasn’t it? You can’t live there without a good cleaning, it’s full of dust!"
Before An Hao could answer, she smiled, "Don’t worry, Grandma Li. We’ll clean it up properly. Once we move in, we can look after each other."
"That’s right, that’s right," Grandma Li nodded with a chuckle, "Our An Hao is such a kind-hearted girl, I’ve liked you since you were a child. You must find yourself a good husband in the future."
An Hao laughed, "Grandma Li, you’ve been saying that for over a decade. You started when I was just a little girl."
"Indeed. I took a liking to you when you were just a tadpole. I hoped you’d become my grandson’s wife, but alas, my grandson has turned out to be a disappointment, not good in his studies and lazy to boot." Grandma Li regretted as she spoke.