Chapter 23 Returning Home
  Fang Qing’s family chose a sunny day and returned to Liujiagou with their bags full.

  At that time, there was no convenient means of transportation. Fang’s mother took the two of them to wait at the intersection of Shuiquan Street for more than half an hour, and finally saw a car coming slowly.

  There was a smell of diesel in the car. Fang Qing covered his nose and leaned on his mother’s shoulder to rest. Although he had recovered, he still felt nauseous occasionally. Fang’s mother was afraid that Fang Qing had a headache and could not bear the bumps, so she wrapped Fang Qing tightly with a cotton hat.

  "Yesterday, the police came to our house for a follow-up visit and said they've apprehended your attacker. He's a sophomore from your school. Qingqing, when did you offend someone from the sophomore class again?"

  Fang Qing smiled wryly and shook her head. "Mom, I don't know. Maybe I've just been really unlucky lately. I'm back at grandma's, but I'd better go to the mountains to pay my respects."

  Fang's mother rambled on, saying how it was fortunate that the Wen siblings were alert and discovered Fang Qing's disappearance in time, otherwise Fang Qing might have been buried in the cold cemetery.

  Listening to his mother's words, Fang Qing felt a sense of dread. This incident hadn't happened in his previous life, and Fang Qing couldn't help but wonder if his rebirth had changed things, triggering this series of reactions. That meant that many things in the future might not match his memories of his previous life.

  Fang Qing didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, but it also made him more eager to strengthen himself. Only when he was strong could he be unafraid of these dangers.

  Along the way, Fang Qing recalled the significant events of his past life, pondering how to change his future. He gradually fell asleep in the swaying carriage.

  Liujiagou is located northwest of Jingtan County, surrounded by mountains and bordered by a large river. Sparsely populated houses are nestled between the hills, where generations of farmers have cultivated the land.

  After getting off the bus near the highway, they walked through a cornfield and could see rows of houses looming at the foot of the mountains in the distance.

  The four members of the Fang family walked into the village, carrying large and small bags, attracting the attention of villagers basking in the sun by the roadside.

  Fang's mother, Liu Chunxia, had not returned home for three years since her last ancestral worship. Returning to her hometown, seeing the few unfamiliar villagers lining the path, tears welled in her eyes.

  Fang's mother took Fang Qing and Fang Ming along the way, enthusiastically introducing them to the villagers and holding their hands, promising to visit her home. Finally, they reached the west end of the village.

  Beneath a jujube tree, several people stood talking beside a graphite stone. My aunt, listening to gossip with her sleeves tucked in, suddenly spotted Liu Chunxia and the other two approaching. She thought she was seeing things and rubbed her eyes, then she let out a quick, almost shrill cry and hurried over to meet them.

  "Chunxia, is that you? Chunxia, you're finally back! Are you tired from the journey? Come, give me your things and come home with me! Your brother was still nagging me yesterday, wondering if you'd be back today."

  Walking behind Fang's mother and aunt, Fang Qing watched as his aunt readily took all the things from his mother's hands and dashed off to the small courtyard ahead.

  Fang Qing entered the courtyard, barely noticing the two ancient, low houses before his aunt had already rushed inside, shouting excitedly, "Master, come out! Chunxia's back!"

  Immediately, the thick curtain over the main door swung aside, revealing a tall, stocky, and honest man. He was stunned for a moment at the sight of the people in the courtyard, then his eyes narrowed and he rushed out in a single layer of clothing.

  "Second girl, it's really you! Your sister-in-law just said you were back, and I was a little skeptical. It's you! Why didn't you send a message home beforehand? I could have picked you up at the village entrance!"

  Though no longer young, my uncle was still in good spirits. He was so overjoyed to see his family return that he was incoherent. My mother was also thrilled to see my uncle. After exchanging greetings, she quickly pulled the two children over.

  Seeing the two grown children before him, my uncle was overjoyed. "Daming has grown up so fast. When he came here, he was only as tall as my chest, but now he's taller than me! And Qing, too. When she was little, she used to sit on my shoulders picking dates, and now she's a grown woman!"

  My aunt put away her things and came out, slapping my uncle on the shoulder. "You're such a jerk! Let the children in! They won't freeze anymore."

  My uncle, realizing something was wrong, smiled and quickly called out to the others, first lifting the curtain to let them in.

  Living conditions in the countryside back then were still very backward. Unlike the clean, tidy houses Fang Qing had seen on television in her previous life, with running water and communal heating,

  the Liujiagou area was now conservative, and generations of people still relied solely on farming. Some young people, unwilling to accept this lifestyle, left their hometowns to work, but only returned home for the Lunar New Year, bringing back some money but no progressive development ideas.

  As Fang Qing entered the house, everything went dark. She could only hear the voices of those around her, but could see nothing. She wasn't surprised, understanding that the walls had been blackened by the constant burning of fire. Closing her eyes for a moment, Fang Qing finally took in the scene.

  The main room had once served as both the kitchen and the dining room. Two stoves flanked the entrance, and opposite the door was a wooden cabinet, where dishes and chopsticks could be vaguely seen. In the center of the room stood an old table, with a pickle bowl on top. Her

  uncle lifted the curtain to the right-hand room and told Fang Qing and the others to hurry in. This should be my uncle's bedroom. As soon as you enter the door, there is a big kang next to the window. On it is a golden straw mat,

  and a big lazy cat is lying on it. Opposite the kang is a row of mahogany cabinets. There is nothing else on the cabinets except some daily necessities and a calendar. On the contrary, on the wall above the mahogany cabinet, there is a large photo frame, which is densely packed with various black and white photos, and there are also several academic certificates next to it.

  Seeing that Fang Qing was interested in the photos, her aunt led her over and explained the photos to her one by one.

  My uncle and mother leaned against the kang and talked about their life experiences in the past two years. The brother and sister had not seen each other for many years, and it seemed that they had endless things to say. Until the big rooster outside the yard crowed several times, my aunt slapped her thigh and said, "Oh no, I still have porridge in the pot. Chunxia, you sit down, I'll go and take a look."

  The uncle finally remembered the important matter. "How long do you plan to stay this time? This year's ancestor worship is more grand than in previous years, so stay a few days longer."

  Fang's mother nodded. "Brother, we came back this time not only to visit our parents' graves, but also to do some other things. We will have to stay for at least seven or eight days. Then we will cause trouble for you and sister-in-law."

  The uncle's square and honest face finally showed a smile. "It's not a trouble, it's not a trouble. I'm glad to be back."

  (End of this chapter)