Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn
Chapter 167 - 6: Nostalgia Filled with Laughter

Chapter 167: Chapter 6: Nostalgia Filled with Laughter

"Of course, I came back. Grandpa is still here," Xiao Xian’s answer slightly relieved Yezi, grateful that she wasn’t gone forever.

"It’s good that you’re back. I was wondering how you could leave Grandpa alone in the village, even though he looks stronger than my father," Yezi stared at Xiao Xian’s increasingly vivid face, when suddenly another thought struck her, "It’s okay for you to go to Beijing to study, just don’t talk to other boys." She scratched her head, feeling she was being too controlling - after all, how could she possibly control what happened in Beijing.

"You can talk, just not too much. No man is good. Ah, except for your Grandpa, my father, Master Shanyin, and me – all the rest are no good," Yezi thought, maybe in a few years she too could become some kind of representative like her father and then get the chance to visit Xiao Xian in Beijing on public expense.

"I promise you that. Let’s go, come to my house and look. Auntie brought me quite a few gifts," Xiao Xian sighed in relief; saying goodbye to Yezi had now been completed without him throwing a fit.

The two walked back towards the village, leaving the stone bridge and the iron chain bridge behind, like two parallel lines, through which countless people from Ge Village and Miao Village might embark on entirely different paths in the future.

Over the next few days, Zhuo Feng completely immersed herself in the life of the mountain village. She wanted to help Xiao Xian to gather firewood, busying herself under the stove for half the day, the green smoke making the entire kitchen smoky and full of miasma. Then she changed her mind about learning to cook with Sister-in-law Lian; she had chopped the vegetables and added them to the hot oil, "Whoosh," scared her so much she dropped the spatula on the floor. Yet, there was one thing she did well. The few acres of rice fields that were blighted by white leaf disease, it was she together with Zhu Shijun who came up with the ideas to cure it.

"You have to ensure good ventilation and drainage, and it’s best not to plant old rice varieties. If you really must plant them, then soak them in antibacterial solution before sowing. About one hundred milliliters of 401 solution plus a thousandfold emulsifiable concentrate. Soak them for two to three hours before planting. After the seedlings grow out, spray them a few more times with the same concentration of solution. After this year’s harvest, all the rice stalks must be burned, and they cannot be returned to the fields." Those who planted those acres were young people who had returned to the village, usually indifferent when the elder lectured about rice planting techniques. But they were really focused when a young lady from the city explained it all.

Xiao Xian, listening to Zhuo Feng’s methods, realized that apart from her "Copper Immortal Liquid" soaking method, there were other ways to eliminate diseases.

"That’s the benefit of reading. Once Xiao Xian and Auntie go back to Beijing together, you can learn a lot of useful knowledge too," Zhuo Feng took Xiao Xian’s look of sudden understanding as admiration, and took the opportunity to brag about Beijing’s education system.

"The primary schools in Beijing have been teaching natural geography and English for a long time. The kids there can all sing and dance, and are all multi-talented." Speaking of primary schools, Zhuo Feng remembered that they needed to set off for Beijing early. The transportation of ashes would have to wait until the New Year. The first thing after returning to Beijing was to find a suitable primary school for Xiao Xian.

"Chaoyang Primary School or Jian’an Second Primary School?" After lunch, Zhuo Feng sat with a full belly at the square table and jotted down a list of names. Since her marriage, she had bought a house near Jian’an Second Primary School, if Xiao Xian went to school there, she would only have to cross two streets. But Xiao Xian had only recently arrived in Beijing, and crossing streets could be unsafe for her. Zhuo Feng conveniently forgot that her little niece was clever enough not to get lost even in the big mountains.

Chaoyang Primary School might be a better choice; from their residence, there’s a direct bus to the school gate every day. However, the academic pressure at Chaoyang Primary School is high; Zhuo Feng wondered if Xiao Xian could adapt to the competition there.

"Auntie, I’ve packed all my luggage. Grandpa said there’s no need to bring clothes and backpacks. We can buy those in Beijing, as kids in the city dress differently from those in the village." All the luggage Xiao Xian packed was just one carry-on bag, pitifully small compared to Zhuo Feng’s large hiking backpack.

"Our Xiao Xian is pretty; she should dress fashionably. I’ll go with you to buy some new dresses. Not to mention anything else, you’re quite tall even among middle schoolers, aren’t you about 1.50 meters?" Zhuo Feng was both happy and worried.

"I was just measured by Uncle San Gouzi a while ago, 1.53 meters, still shorter than Auntie," Zhuo Feng, during her college time, was on the school’s model team, standing 1.73 meters tall. Xiao Xian, standing beside her, just reached her chin.

"You’re already quite tall, taller than your peers. You’re ten this year; you still have a few years before you hit puberty." Being tall isn’t necessarily an advantage in school. Zhuo Feng was worried thinking about Xiao Xian having to sit at the back of the classroom upon entering primary school.

"I am always in the back row at the temple too; I’m used to it," Xiao Xian didn’t mind, just blinked her eyes and looked at the names of a few schools Zhuo Feng had written on paper.

With Sister-in-law Lian’s mouth that couldn’t keep shut, the news of Xiao Xian’s departure within a few days had spread to the whole village.

Over three days, Xiao Xian received several gifts: a bag of rice from Granny Zhao, saying that city rice has sand whereas Ge Village’s rice is yummy. A small basket of free-range eggs from Sister-in-law Jin, claiming that city chickens are raised on feed and grow three legs and four wings. An 80% new bicycle from Sister-in-law Wangcai, claiming that Beijing City is vast, and Xiao Xian needs a bike.

There were also practical gifts, like Uncle San Gouzi wrapping a big red envelope with three hundred yuan. The village chief also gave three hundred yuan. Yezi’s parents sent five hundred yuan. The elder handed all that money to Zhuo Feng; he could tell that Zhuo Feng truly cherished Xiao Xian and would not let her down in the future.

The night before departure, Xiao Xian couldn’t sleep; she quietly went out of her room, took in the air of the mountain village one last time, touched the pear tree behind the house, and walked through the entire village under the moonlight, with the reluctance in her heart growing stronger with each step.

**

Finally going to the city, what will happen? Dear readers, I’m not asking for votes, but you’ve been silent. Have you eaten too much three-legged, four-winged KFC and forgotten to vote~~(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)