Reborn in the 60s, I hunt to support my family and even seduce the village beauty.

By the time we got back to Grandpa Xiaoshui's house by car, it was already completely dark.

There were no lights in the courtyard, only a small patch of dim yellow light emanating from the main room.

Fan Degui sat at the octagonal table, wearing a coat and holding a pipe in his hand.

The old lady sat by the stove, the pot lid slightly ajar, the aroma of corn porridge mingling with the smoke from the firewood filling the whole house.

"Have you eaten? I'll heat it up for you." The old lady said, reaching for the pot.

Chang Kun waved his hand: "Grandma, you've eaten. Don't bother anymore, you should all get some rest."

With so much food in the space, plus various delicious treats as system rewards, I'll never go hungry.

Seeing that Chang Kun had indeed eaten, the old lady did not insist any further.

Knowing that Chang Kun was taking Xiao Shui away tomorrow, the old folks were all reluctant to part with him.

It's said that grandparents love their grandchildren more. Over the years, they've only seen Xiaoshui twice and spent two days with her. How could they bear to let Xiaoshui go back?

When it was bedtime, Xiaoshui stayed in her grandparents' room and refused to leave. She clung to her grandmother's arms, hugged the old lady's waist, buried her face in her grandmother's chest, and swung her legs back and forth.

The old lady sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), one arm around her and the other gently patting her back, humming some tune.

Xiao Shui nestled in her grandmother's arms, her voice muffled, "Grandma, come with us to the capital."

The old lady paused her hand patting her back, neither saying she would go nor saying she wouldn't.

Little Shui tilted her head back and started counting on her fingers, her little mouth chattering away fluently.

"If you go to the capital, you can see me every day. My mother is pregnant, and if you go, you can help her take care of the baby. The four of you can play together, it will be so lively... When the baby grows up, he can play with me too."

She paused, then added, "Since you and Grandpa are both gone, my older brother and Sister Xiaomin won't dare punish me by making me copy characters anymore, hehe!"

Fan Degui laughed. This little girl!

While other girls were struggling to get enough to eat, she went to school and was even afraid of copying unfamiliar characters!

The next morning, when Chang Kun got up, the old lady had already prepared the meal.

The dumpling soup was thick and mushy, and a bowl of it sat on the table to cool, with two boiled eggs next to it, their shells still hot to the touch.

Xiao Shui was still asleep, curled up in bed with her pillow, her braids disheveled.

Chang Kun wrapped her up with the blanket and carried her to the octagonal table, then used a wet towel to wipe her face.

The little girl finally woke up. Knowing that she was leaving her maternal grandmother's house today, her little mouth pouted so much it could hold an oil bottle.

After finishing his meal, Chang Kun tidied up and secretly added two grouper to the pot for the elderly couple. These things taste good even without oil.

With a bag in one hand and Xiao Shui by the other, they went out the door.

The elderly couple saw them off at the courtyard gate and then to the entrance of the alley.

Just as I turned out of the alley, I ran into a woman in red.

She changed into a simple outfit and re-tied her braids, looking more energetic than the day before.

Upon seeing the elderly couple, she paused, pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then called out, "Father, Mother."

The old lady responded, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but after looking at Tao Hong's face, she swallowed her words.

Fan Degui nodded without saying anything.

Chang Kun stopped and said a few words to Tao Hong.

Tao Hong said she was going back to her parents' home for a while, and wouldn't come back once the formalities were completed.

He said this in a very calm tone, as if he were saying he was going to work today.

The elderly couple stood by and listened, neither of them offering any advice.

What's the point of trying to persuade him? How can a son like that have the nerve to tell a girl to stay?

After a moment of silence, Fan Degui spoke: "Taohong, our Fan family has wronged you. From now on, you should live your own life and not worry about this place."

The old lady stood to the side with her head down, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, never raising her head.

Tao Hong glanced at the elderly couple, then bowed to them before turning and leaving.

Xiao Shui tugged at Chang Kun's finger, looked up at him for a long time, and then suddenly asked in a low voice.

"Big brother, if Uncle treats Grandma and Grandpa badly, will Aunt abandon him?"

Chang Kun glanced down at her but didn't reply.

The little girl muttered to herself, "I don't care about this uncle. I'll tell my mother when we get back."

Chang Kun smiled and didn't stop him.

Children are very perceptive; they know exactly who is nice to them and who is not.

The elderly couple followed Chang Kun and his companion all the way to the train station. The old lady held Xiao Shui's small hand tightly in her own.

This parting is now, and who knows how many years it will be before we meet again? I also don't know if the little girl will still remember me when she grows up, or if we will still be close.

Even after the train departed and rattled away for a long time, you could still vaguely see the elderly couple waving their arms through the window.

Ugh!

Chang Kun sighed silently. That's just how life is; people experience joys and sorrows, partings and reunions. All we can do is cherish the present moment.

Xiao Shui's eyelashes were hanging down her eyes, and her nose was twitching. It was obvious that in just two days, the little girl had become very close to her grandparents.

"It's alright. Next time I run this route to Tangshan, I'll bring you here again."

Xiao Shui's eyes lit up: "Big brother, are you serious?"

"Of course! When has my brother ever lied to you!"

"Hmph!" Xiao Shui pouted, "Last time you and Sister Xiao Min tricked us into doing character practice, even though the teacher didn't assign any homework..."

Chang Kun's eyes lit up: "You've reminded me! Next time your sister Xiaomin tests you, if you answer all the questions correctly, I'll bring you to Tangshan, how about it?"

Xiao Shui's face tightened: "You said it!"

With the reward, she suddenly didn't find studying difficult anymore.

For her grandparents' sake, she was determined to defeat Xiaoqing and Xiaomu!

The train rattled forward, and the fields outside the window receded one by one.

Xiao Shui sat by the window in the dining car, her face pressed against the glass. After enjoying the view, she fell asleep to the side. The little girl had been playing with her grandparents until very late last night and refused to go to sleep.

There weren't many people in the carriage, and nothing happened during the patrol.

Chang Kun leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and went through the events of the past two days in his mind.

Fan Laibao's various actions, the anguish of the elderly couple Fan Degui, and Tao Hong's resolute decision.

I need to think about how to tell my aunt when I get back. There's no need to exaggerate; just tell the truth.

How Fan Laibao cheated his parents out of their money, how he cheated his wife out of her dowry and salary, how he spent his time eating, drinking, having fun, going out to restaurants, and riding bicycles, while his parents were starving, eating only one meal a day.

Let his aunt decide for herself. Chang Kun thought to himself that if he had a younger brother like this, he would be lucky if he wasn't beaten to death.

My aunt must feel sorry for my parents.

She's pregnant now, and her uncle works at the grain station. The family's financial situation has improved, but they're short of manpower.

The elderly couple took them over so they could help with the postpartum care and baby care. It was much better than staying at home earning very little money and suffering from their son's temper every day.

We'll see what my aunt thinks when we get back. If she's willing, she can make another trip to Tangshan to pick them up.

That will make things easier for Grandpa Hong.

The families of the martyrs in Zhao Family Village have enough food to last for more than half a year, and they were also secretly given cotton coupons by Old Mrs. Zhou, so they won't freeze in the winter.

Over the years, Grandpa Hong has been quietly sending money and food. This time, I've gone out of my way to help him and see more things for him.