amaotonovel Chapter 128 What you can't have, you always yearn for.
Chapter 128 What you can't have, you always yearn for.
"I've already eaten! Oh my, why is it so late? This flashlight is really bright!"
What's hanging on the handlebars? Why does it smell fishy?
The villagers curiously gathered around Qiao Manman, who pulled out a handful of fruit candies from her pocket: "They're just salted fish brought back from the seaside, nothing special."
Auntie, I just got off the train, and I'm still feeling dizzy. I'm going home now, and I'll chat with you again tomorrow after I've rested!
Because they were eating her food, the older women, no matter how curious they were about what was happening outside, didn't press Qiao Manman for an answer.
Qiao Manman pushed off with her foot, got on her bicycle, and rode away.
He caught a glimpse of Ma Qiuhua out of the corner of his eye and called out, "Aunt Qiuhua, come over for lunch tomorrow!"
Ma Qiuhua exclaimed in delight, her face beaming with joy.
Many of my older girlfriends were puzzled: "Why did Man invite only you?"
Ma Qiuhua proudly raised her chin: "It shows that I have a good relationship with them."
What's that called again? A friendship that transcends age. Yes, Man'er and I are friends despite our age difference!
The others didn't believe it and scoffed. However, they genuinely envied Ma Qiuhua.
You can go to the Qiao family's house for a free meal and hear about the latest happenings outside.
Tsk tsk, why didn't they build a good relationship with the Qiao family girl beforehand?
Qiao Manman ignored the laughter and commotion behind her and rode her bike to the foot of the mountain.
Before we even got close, the big yellow dog started barking and scratching at the door, looking very anxious.
He Nian curiously came over to lead the dog: "Dahuang, it's getting dark, let's not go out to play!"
Big Yellow ignored her and continued barking through the door. Its tail was wagging back and forth, and it looked very excited.
Zhang Xiu, annoyed at the educated youth settlement, slammed her bowl down: "Noisy, noisy, noisy! That damn dog never stops all day long. If it pisses me off, I'll cut its tongue out!"
Qiao Haoyang and Qiao Chengping were completely bewildered, thinking that their third uncle's dog was quite well-behaved, so why was this educated youth so angry?
Noticing the strange looks from the two, Zhang Xiu's expression changed, and she forced a smile, saying, "That's not what I meant, it's just that this dog is annoying, in the middle of the night..."
Qiao Haoyang didn't mince words with her: "It's only a little past seven, not the middle of the night!"
"Yes, Zhang, the educated youth, everyone is busy until 10 p.m. during the summer harvest. Do you go to bed before 7 p.m. every day?"
That kind of awareness won't do. When you come to the countryside, you have to be unafraid of hardship and fatigue, and work together with the villagers with one heart and one mind!
Besides, why should a person argue with an animal? It's beneath them!
Zhang Xiu's face turned from white to green, then green to black, feeling that these two newcomers were really sharp-tongued.
I originally wanted to develop a revolutionary friendship, but now it seems...
The others lowered their heads, suppressing their laughter, thinking how bold the two brothers were. However, they dared not cause trouble, fearing that making a scene would damage their reputation and hinder their return to the city.
Qiao Haoyang and Qiao Chengping quickly shoveled the porridge into their mouths, washed the teacups in the backyard, and then went back inside.
The two brothers didn't live in a dormitory-style room; instead, they rented a small single room for two yuan a month. It wasn't big, but it was comfortable.
After locking the door, Qiao Chengping collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed): "Heavens, is this how a human being lives?"
In just a few days, I feel like my bones can't even stand up straight. My hands and feet are covered in blisters, and my face has darkened several shades.
Qiao Haoyang kicked Qiao Chengping's leg: "Wash your feet before you sleep, they smell awful and are annoying!"
Qiao Chengping took a deep breath and sat up: "You mean Qiao Runming at the foot of the mountain, is that our third uncle? I haven't been able to find an opportunity to visit him for several days!"
"Take it slow, what's the rush? Who knows, we might have to stay here for ten or eight years!"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Chengping became even more desperate: "If I find out which bastard is causing trouble for our family, I'll tear him apart!"
"Wake up! The trend is irreversible. What we need to do is go with the flow, protect ourselves, and wait for the light."
"Ugh, it tastes so bitter!"
On the other side, Qiao Manman smiled and called out, "Mom, I'm back!"
Hearing the familiar voice, He Nian quickly pulled open the door latch and saw the familiar figure in the backlight. He couldn't help but rush over.
However, someone—no, a dog—was faster than her.
It barked and came up to Qiao Manman, ignoring the bicycle next to her, and pounced on it.
The powerful impact caused Qiao Manman to stumble back two steps, lose her footing on the car, and fall to the side.
Big Yellow glanced at it, then turned its head. Its two eyes were watery, and it stuck out its tongue and hissed, expressing its enthusiasm.
Qiao Manman looked down and, lo and behold, her two hooves were resting right on her chest. Her tail swished back and forth, completely unaware of her mistake.
Qiao Manman raised her hand and poked Da Huang's forehead hard: "You rascal dog, get down here right now!"
Big Yellow whimpered, feeling wronged and not understanding why its owner was being so fierce.
Qiao Manman rubbed its head and lectured, "You can't jump on me like that, understand? Look, you've gotten your perfectly good clothes dirty!"
Sure enough, the two dog paw prints on her chest made He Nian laugh.
"It missed you so much that it didn't know its own limits!" she said, helping the car up. "Are you tired? Have you eaten?"
Qiao Manman took two mutated wheat grains from her spatial storage and stuffed them into Dahuang's mouth.
As he walked home, he said, "No, I went back to the machine factory to hand over my work and then came back."
"Alright, Mom will make you some noodles."
He Nian parked the car under the courtyard wall and placed the package on the wooden table in the yard: "Look, is it broken? Mom will go make you some food!"
Hearing the commotion outside, Qiao Runming hurried out: "Girl, you're back! Are you tired? Sit down and rest!"
As he spoke, he poured water for Qiao Manman and prepared to add white sugar to it.
Qiao Manman quickly stopped her: "No, no, no, I have some good tea. Dad, pour three cups of hot water, let's brew some tea and have a taste!"
Qiao Runming nodded and carried out the enamel mug.
Qiao Manman took out a tea canister, opened the packaging, washed her hands, pinched off a small amount, and put it into the cups of several people.
A fragrant aroma wafted out, and Qiao Runming took a deep breath, marveling, and exclaimed, "I've never tasted such fine tea before."
In fact, he only managed to get a mouthful of tea leaves when the old man (the groom) was still alive.
He could never forget what he couldn't have; he had been longing for that taste for over a decade.
Looking back now, it's really laughable.
Qiao Manman took out a photo from her canvas bag: "Dad, look, this is my grandpa and my grandma!"
The photo, taken by Qiao Manman with a Polaroid camera, shows the old man standing tall and the old woman gentle and graceful. The two of them look so harmonious standing together.
Qiao Runming gently stroked the photo, his eyes brimming with tears: "Are they alright?"
“Okay!” Qiao Manman nodded: “Grandpa and Grandma said that the situation is tense now, so there is no need to recognize each other.”
They were aware of what Mrs. Joe had done and told us to take care of ourselves and to reveal our relationship once things had improved.
Qiao Runming nodded with tears in his eyes: "Your grandparents are right!"
Qiao Manman put the photos away and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, and my second uncle and aunt have gone to the countryside in Northeast China and won't be back for a while."
Let's work hard and send some grain over there after the autumn harvest!
"What? You've gone to the countryside? Did something happen?" Qiao Runming asked nervously.