Chapter 131: Reunion

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Chunni lifted her little face, her eyes wide with worry. “Now that we’ve moved here, does that mean I’ll never be able to see An’an again?”

Feng Erqiu paused before comforting her. “I’ll have Uncle Wu give Auntie Shen our new address later. Then she can bring An’an over to play whenever she has time. Would that be all right?”

At once, a smile spread across Chunni’s face. “Good. Then does that mean we’ll never have to see Dad again?”

“Do you want to see him?”

Chunni shook her head like a rattle. “No.”

Feng Erqiu sighed. “But once your mother’s divorce application is approved, we’ll still have to see your father one more time.”

“Just that once? Afterward, we won’t ever have to see him again, right?” Chunni’s long lashes fluttered.

“Yes. Now hurry and help Mother tidy up. Later I’m going to buy some quilts, sheets, and bowls.”

As she spoke, Feng Erqiu tied Er’ya to her back with a square piece of gray cloth.

Although she was starting over from scratch and had not yet fully recovered, she felt filled with energy.

She and her elder brother would run a business here. Chunni could attend school, and later go to college and study in the capital...

This time, she was not doing it for her parents-in-law, nor for that man. She was doing it for her own future.

For the first time, she felt that life was actually full of hope.

Once the house was tidied, she prepared to go out and buy supplies. Since they did not yet have enough pots and bowls to cook, she made an exception and took Chunni to a street stall, where each of them ate a bowl of thin noodles garnished with scallions.

Chunni’s cheeks bulged as she ate. She had never imagined that noodles in the city could be so delicious.

After finishing, she wiped her little mouth and teased the younger sister on her mother’s back. “Er’ya, hurry up and grow bigger. Then you can eat noodles this delicious too.”

The mother and daughter’s clothes were completely out of place among the pedestrians here, but Feng Erqiu did not care in the least.

No wonder people always said that money gave a person courage. If she had not had a single coin on her, Feng Erqiu would certainly have felt uneasy standing here, and Chunni would have become timid as well.

After they finished eating, Feng Erqiu paid the bill and asked where she could buy everyday items such as bed sheets.

The noodle-stall owner pointed toward the street entrance on the left. “There’s a private shop over there that sells household goods. The prices are low, and the quality is good. You can take a look.”

So private businesses were already this well regarded here. After hearing that, Feng Erqiu felt even more certain that staying in Lincity to do business had been the right choice.

She found the shop and bought two quilts and two sheets.

Back in the countryside, quilts were made by stitching two sheets together, one on top and one underneath. Here, however, there were ready-made covers that could be slipped directly over them. The shopkeeper said they were a new style brought in from Guangzhou and sold extremely well.

Feng Erqiu bought two sets as well.

She could not carry everything in one trip, so she made two journeys.

After purchasing all the bedding, she went to buy bowls. Counting her parents and elder brother, Feng Erqiu bought six bowls, four plates, and a pair of chopsticks.

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Once everything had been arranged, she calculated that she had spent thirty yuan. Now that they were settled, she would have to start earning money immediately.

Exhausted, she sat down on the bed to rest. Then Chunni asked, “Mother, are we getting ready for the New Year?”

“Even for the New Year, people don’t replace everything like this.”

Feng Erqiu smiled. “If we already had old things, who would be willing to buy new ones? Still, I hope we can celebrate a good New Year this time.”

Two days later, Feng Erqiu’s elder brother and parents arrived.

When they heard she had divorced, the whole family had rushed over in a panic. Back then, they had married Feng Erqiu to Liu Yong because he was honest and had the kind of stable job everyone envied.

Feng’s mother had begun wiping away tears on the train. She could not understand why her daughter had made such a major decision without discussing it with the family. Feng’s father drew hard on his dry tobacco again and again.

Her elder brother, however, appeared much calmer. He tried to reassure them. “Our sister says she met a benefactor who wants her to stay in Lincity. She has always been clever. As long as we help her take care of Chunni and Er’ya, she’ll certainly be able to establish herself here.”

“Your sister has always liked saying things to comfort people. Benefactors aren’t so easy to meet.”

All three of them remained worried throughout the journey. But when they reached the terminal station and saw Feng Erqiu waiting there with her two children, all of Feng’s mother’s reproaches vanished. She embraced her daughter and asked, “How did you become so thin and worn out?”

She was not even thirty yet. Their family had been poor before, but they had never seen their daughter look like this.

Feng’s father stood behind them, silently carrying two large bags.

Her elder brother carried a woven plastic sack and looked her up and down.

Putting on a brave face, Feng Erqiu said to the three of them, “Things won’t remain like this. I’ve met a benefactor.”

Seeing that none of them believed her, Feng Erqiu tugged Chunni forward. “Greet them.”

“Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle—Mother was telling the truth. You’ll understand once you come home with us. She even prepared rooms for you.”

Chunni’s voice rang out clearly.

The three adults exchanged bewildered looks. It was not until they followed her inside that they realized Feng Erqiu had been telling the truth.

Feng Dakuai was shown to his own room, where he stood dazed for quite some time. There was a table, a cabinet, a chair—everything he could possibly need.

There was even a rosewood chest atop the wardrobe. The entire room was spacious, airy, and quiet, with a smooth cement floor and whitewashed walls.

The elderly couple felt as though they were dreaming. “How much does it cost to rent this house?”

“I’m not sure. A friend helped rent it for a year, and she paid for it as well.” If Feng Erqiu told them the monthly rent, they probably would not dare stay in such a fine house.

Chunni smiled. “That’s right. A very beautiful auntie helped rent it, and she was also the one who saved Mother.”

Feng Dakuai stared at her in astonishment. “There really is someone like that?”

Chunni’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. “She even lent Mother money to start a business. She said Mother has to pay her back in ten years.”

Although Feng Dakuai had a lame leg, he was not stupid. “Ten years? Anyone with an ordinary memory would have forgotten by then.”

He suspected it was merely an excuse.

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Feng Erqiu quickly said, “Even if she forgets, I never will.”

After saying this, Feng Erqiu prepared dinner. The family sat around a bright, square rosewood table to eat while discussing her plans for the business.

Feng Dakui was clever, and he understood as soon as his sister explained. “Your benefactor truly is a benefactor. With every step she takes, she has already planned ten steps ahead.”

...

These days, apart from going to and returning from work as usual, Lu Yan and Shen Qingyi had exchanged little more than ordinary conversation.

Though he felt deeply miserable, he continued to restrain himself as much as possible.

Shen Qingyi had also finished all the drawings she had previously left undone, and their days passed in relative peace.

One day, Feng Erqiu came over without the children, carrying a woven plastic sack.

Once she arrived at Shen Qingyi’s home, she took out the contents. “Comrade Shen, my elder brother dug up these wild mushrooms himself in the countryside. They’ve all been dried, so they’ll keep for quite a long time. I brought them for you, Engineer Lu, and An’an.”

Shen Qingyi did not stand on ceremony. She accepted the sack and took a look inside. “These have been sorted, haven’t they?”

They had been trimmed neatly, with none of the blackened or spoiled parts left behind.

Feng Erqiu nodded. “My elder brother said city people all like this kind of mushroom.”

Shen Qingyi smiled. “These boletus mushrooms sell for several yuan a pound. How could people not like them?”

“As long as you like them.”

Feng Erqiu then took a stack of insoles from her bag. Two pairs were made for Lu Yan. “I still have half of them left. I’ll embroider the rest and bring them over.”

Shen Qingyi accepted them. “There’s no need. Focus on getting your business running first.”

As she spoke, she picked out Lu Yan’s two pairs.

“We’ve had our stall open for two days. Since I still haven’t found a recipe for making herbal tea, we started by selling glutinous rice dumplings instead. Business has been fairly good, and we’ve sold almost everything we made.”

The two women continued discussing matters related to the business. Shen Qingyi suggested several improvements, and Feng Erqiu committed every one of them to memory.

Before leaving, Feng Erqiu reminded Shen Qingyi to bring An’an over to play whenever she had time.

After Feng Erqiu left, Shen Qingyi carried the insoles into the bedroom. She took out one of Lu Yan’s shoes from beside the bed and slipped an insole inside to test the size.

It fit perfectly.

A satisfied smile appeared on Shen Qingyi’s face. She put the other insole into the second shoe as well. When she straightened up and turned around, she nearly collided with Lu Yan’s chest.

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