The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Meanwhile, the girls weren't idle either.

Zhao Lin and Xu Xi worked together to pick a few fresh vegetables from the garden, along with several bags of rice and cooking oil, and put them in a small trailer before heading towards the village.

"Linlin, what are you carrying on your back?"

Xu Xi curiously poked Zhao Lin's military green backpack.

"This is the parcel that A-Yu brought up yesterday."

Zhao Lin patted the package with her hand.

"Some capable young people in the village go down the mountain to work outside and can't come back to the village often. Sometimes they will send letters back to their elderly parents and children."

"The letters can only be delivered to the town, and it's inconvenient for them to go down the mountain to pick them up. So every time we go down the mountain, we go to the post office to help bring these letters up."

"Oh, I see." Xu Xi nodded.

While chatting, two figures, one tall and one short, walked to the entrance of the village.

It was midday, and most of the young people in the village had already gone to work in the fields, leaving only some elderly people sitting under the eaves doing their handicrafts.

Hearing the sound of the small trailer wheels, they all stood up and craned their necks towards the village entrance.

Every time I hear this sound, it means there's news about the baby in the family.

When we arrived at the first house, the courtyard was empty.

Zhao Lin took out a few green vegetables and a few eggs from the small trailer and placed them in a conspicuous place that could be seen as soon as you entered the door.

"Huh, why is no one here?"

Xu Xi hurried into the house, looked around, and saw that the tables and chairs were covered with a thin layer of dust, and a few old clothes were piled on the floor. It was empty and there was no sign of human presence.

"A grandfather and grandson live here."

Zhao Lin sighed.

"The old man's wife passed away early, his daughter-in-law died in childbirth, and his son died last year when he fell off the mountain while chopping firewood. He was left to depend on his grandson for survival, and their conditions were very difficult."

At this time, the old man should still be working in the fields.

"Oh, I see."

After hearing this, Xu Xi felt a little down.

Seeing that the yard was messy, with fallen leaves and dust everywhere, she figured that the old man was too busy to make a living and didn't have time to clean up, so she picked up a broom and gave the house a quick sweep.

Upon reaching the second house, an elderly man with a hunched back stood at the door, leaning slightly forward, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Zhao Lin, the wrinkles on his face immediately smoothed out, and his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Teacher Zhao, is that my youngest son? Did he send me a letter?"

"Yes, Grandpa Chen." Zhao Lin put down the parcel, took out an envelope from it, and handed it to the old man.

The moment he received the envelope, the old man was so happy he couldn't stop smiling.

He trembled as he tore open the envelope, only to find a letter and a few crumpled banknotes inside.

"Teacher Zhao, I can't read. Could you please... read it aloud for me?"

The old man handed the letter to Zhao Lin, looking at her pleadingly.

Zhao Lin nodded, took the letter, and began to read it aloud, word by word: Dad. Long time no see. How are you? Yue'er and I are doing well here. This month, our factory manager said he's going to give us a raise—200 yuan each! Life in the city is much more convenient than in the village. Once we have stable jobs here, we'll bring you here so you can enjoy a comfortable life!

She read slowly, afraid that the old man wouldn't be able to hear her.

The old man sat on the doorstep, clutching the few coins in his hand. His smile deepened as he nodded repeatedly, muttering, "Very good, very good."

He stroked his beard, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

After reading the letter, the old man carefully folded it and put it into his pocket, then looked at Zhao Lin.

"Teacher Zhao, could you please write me another reply?"

"it is good."

"Okay." Zhao Lin took out the paper and pen she carried with her, sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, and waited for the old man to speak.

"You silly boy, work hard over there and stop worrying about your old man. Everything's fine here, the harvest is good this year, and I'm used to living in the village, so I won't go to the city. Also, don't send me money. You have too many expenses in the city, so be careful with your money..."

Zhao Lin nodded as she wrote her delicate handwriting on the paper.

"Linlin, you seem to have made a mistake."

Xu Xi bent down and whispered a reminder in Zhao Lin's ear.

Zhao Lin made a shushing gesture and continued writing furiously.

"Son, take good care of yourself in the city and work hard. Dad misses you very much. When you have time, bring Yue'er back to visit."

Xu Xi glanced at Zhao Lin's handwriting, then at the old man whose eyes held a deep longing, and suddenly realized what was going on.

Letters home are never a straightforward outpouring of emotions, but rather a gentle concealment.

The words reported only of peace and good fortune, but hidden within them were concerns and worries. Even the deep longing was carefully crushed and erased by the elders, for fear of becoming a burden to their children far away.

What Zhao Lin did was not just write for others, but also to help those elders who were not good at expressing themselves and were used to suppressing their feelings to lay out their hidden concerns on paper, stroke by stroke, so that their children who were far away could understand the deep affection hidden behind "everything is fine" that had never been spoken.

-----This is a dividing line

I'm taking a day off tomorrow~orz