Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn
Chapter 157: A Guest from Afar

Chapter 157: A Guest from Afar

"But last week, Yezi insisted on helping Xiao Xian to redesign her bracelet and took it away, only to return it today."

Xiao Xian carefully examined the bracelet, warmed by the sunlight, and realized that Yezi had indeed made some changes to it. Silverware shines better with use, and with Xiao Xian’s good constitution, the plum carving bracelet on her hand became even more radiant without the need for cleaning. A small bell made up of multiple budding plum blossoms had been added to the new bracelet, with a silver bead stuffed in the middle of the bell. As she moved her hand, a crisp and pleasant jingling sound was emitted.

"Looks pretty, doesn’t it? It took me two nights to make this." In the past few years, Yezi’s silver-making skills had improved by leaps and bounds, yet he still wasn’t as adept as his father. He was quite good at carving animals, but flowers and plants were not his strong suit. This tiny Nine Plum Bell was indeed a challenge for him.

"I’m not Dahuang, what do I need a bell for? The ugly bell you made for Dahuang last year could be heard from a kilometer away." Xiao Xian pursed her lips, thinking about how Yezi was always up to mischief, filled with trickery.

It’s all the same, sooner or later it will all belong to my family, Yezi muttered to himself with a big grin.

"After you’ve finished eating, go to the well to wash your face; you’re sweating all over. Aunt Li will scold you again if she sees you," Xiao Xian scolded, but she still put the bracelet back on. The bell hung on her pale white wrist, jingling delicately as she walked.

Before the two had reached the well, a woman with short hair at the jawline, carrying a backpack, asked, "Excuse me, is this the Zhu Family’s home?" The woman appeared to be an outsider, dressed in a sporty black and yellow outfit and a mountaineer’s hat, an outfit people in Ge Village wouldn’t wear. Sweat glistened on the tip of her nose under the scorching sun.

It had become increasingly common for outsiders to enter Ge Village over the past two years, especially since the cement road was built, with three buses connecting the village to the town every day - at seven in the morning, eleven at noon, and at three in the afternoon. Xiao Xian didn’t respond immediately; something about the sporty-looking woman seemed familiar.

Zhuo Feng wiped away sweat, feeling a bit embarrassed under the inquisitive gaze of the two good-looking young people in front of her.

She thought a mountain village in the southwest would have rough paths and might even present problems for food and lodging. So, before she set off, her family had specially prepared a large backpack for her, filled with repellent for snakes and insects, and heatstroke prevention medicine.

"It’s all that fool’s fault for saying how backward the southwest area is; nothing here is backward," Zhuo Feng thought as she rode a bus adorned with a big red flower into the mountains. Despite many twists and turns on the mountain road, it was well-maintained. Getting off at the village entrance, the first thing she saw was a guesthouse built by the village government to accommodate grain buyers and tourists.

The guesthouse receptionist, a talkative middle-aged woman under forty, informed her that people in the village called her Sister-in-law Wangcai. Her first husband had died five or six years ago, and after the village prospered, her current husband returned from working in Fujian. They remarried and took over the management of this guesthouse.

When Zhuo Feng inquired about the elderly Zhu Shijun, Sister-in-law Wangcai gave her directions. Follow the cement road down, and you’ll see the Zhu Family’s four connected tile houses with a pear tree in the backyard. The cement road in the village wasn’t long, but Zhuo Feng hesitated and took a long while to reach the end.

Two years ago, after meeting Zhu Shijun at the Guiyang Police Station, she continued to search for him at the police station and train station, with no luck. It was certain that Zhu Shijun was somewhere not far from Guiyang. The lengthy lack of results had at times made Zhuo Feng give up.

But this May, at her wedding, her mother tearfully expressed her dying wish to see Xiao Xian one last time so she could die content. This reignited Zhuo Feng’s determination to find him. This time, she didn’t resort to conventional methods but directly hired a well-connected private detective who supposedly could access internal Ministry of Public Security records.

In less than ten days, the private detective had results.

Ge Village, a small southwestern mountain village that barely stood out on the map of China, caught Zhuo Feng’s attention. At that time, Zhuo Feng was considering quitting her job. It took her a month to hand over her work and, with her husband’s support, she headed south, from Guiyang to Bai Family Ancient Town, and finally to Ge Village.

During the journey, Zhuo Feng occasionally pulled out the only family photo left by her brother – a photo taken when Xiao Xian had turned one. In the photo, Xiao Xian was still a "little fatty" with sparse hair on her forehead and three small chins.

Leaving Beijing at the age of six until she was ten, those four years were crucial for a growing girl.

Zhuo Feng feared encountering a rough mountain girl with a runny nose and a dirty face, and she also worried that Xiao Xian would refuse to leave Ge Village.

Yes, taking Xiao Xian away from Ge Village was the goal, no matter what tricks that old fox Zhu Shi tried, Zhuo Feng planned to take Xiao Xian away. After all, Zhu Shi was a man with a guilty past; it wasn’t right for Xiao Xian to stay with such a morally corrupt person.

"This is the Zhu Family’s home. May I ask whom you are looking for?" Xiao Xian had just spoken when the woman wearing the mountaineer’s hat bit her lip – something Zhuo Feng did when she was nervous.

"I’m looking for Zhu Xiaoxian." Zhuo Feng’s gaze shifted from Xiao Xian to the open door of the tile house.

(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)