The Cultivator's Reborn to 1970s
Chapter 81 - 69

Chapter 81: 69

At the entrance to the village, Wang Guiyu was fussing over Mo Junhua about various matters—he should wear more clothes in the cold weather, make sure to eat enough, not overexert himself during training; as long as he got by, that was fine, but absolutely must not ruin his health. Her eldest son was moving things onto the ox-cart. After loading, he sat woodenly at the front of the cart, waiting.

"We don’t have much at home, but take these peanuts to the army and let everyone try them. And there’s also some chili sauce; use it when you can’t eat. Who knows when you’ll come back once you go. Sanwa, as for matters in the military, your mom doesn’t understand and can’t speak on them. There’s just one thing that weighs heavy on my heart; at your age, kids in our countryside already have several of their own. Tell your mom honestly, do you have someone special in the military?"

The last few sentences, Wang Guiyu whispered them into Mo Junhua’s ear, afraid of being overheard, "If you do have someone special, bring them home to see when you have the chance. Mom won’t get in your way. If not, how about finding someone when you come back for the holidays?"

"Mom, don’t worry, I have it all figured out. At home, you and dad should take care of yourselves, do less work in the fields, don’t exhaust yourselves. You should go back; I’m leaving."

Standing at the entrance to the village, Lan Tian watched the heartbreaking scene of flesh and blood parting, cursing in his heart: What lousy luck, to meet a harbinger of doom on the way out. He should have consulted the almanac before leaving today. He wondered if there was still time to turn around and go back. Wasn’t it said that it was only a few days of leave? Why hadn’t they left yet? He emerged after five days of isolation, yet still ran into this. The holiday seemed a little too long!

Zhao Li saw Wang Guiyu and the others, hurried over with a smile, "Sister-in-law Guiyu, sending off Hua Zi. Hua Zi, heading back to the army?"

Mo Junhua greeted with a "Auntie," his gaze drifting towards Lan Tian. Lan Tian indifferently gave a shout, "Uncle, heading back to the army, huh? Have a safe journey!"

Mo Junhua’s eye twitched. How unwelcome was he that the expression almost wished him to vanish on the spot, his title changing from ’Brother Mo’ to ’Uncle.’ Since his return, aside from meeting her on the first day, he had passed by her house several times without seeing her even once. Mo Junhua had thought she was avoiding him, not expecting that today she would specially come to see him off—it was just that her words were too vicious.

Mo Junhua raised his eyebrows, "Not angry anymore? Came to send me off?"

After the quarrel in the vegetable garden that day, Mo Junhua no longer saw Lan Tian as a child. A child couldn’t speak those kinds of words.

Lan Tian gave him a sideways glance, that look as if seeing a fool, "You’re overthinking." Then ignored him.

Zhao Li, seeing the two getting along, was comforted. The girl was still very well-behaved outside.

Wang Guiyu wiped her eyes, "Exactly, it’s been only a few days of leave, came back for a spin, and now he’s leaving, saying the military is busy. This season, the house doesn’t have much to take, just pulled up some early peanuts. So far away from here, we don’t know how he fares in the army."

A mother worries about her child traveling a thousand miles! Every mother is like this. Zhao Li patted her back to console her, "He wouldn’t have grown so big without hardships. Alright, stop worrying, so Hua Zi won’t worry about you, and can stay calm in the army."

It made sense, and that was when she noticed Lan Tian was there too, looking curiously at the two of them, "What’s going on here?"

"They’re all so worrisome, insisting on going to the county town alone," Zhao Li said helplessly, the bitterness of raising a child only known to a parent, heartbroken.

"School is just a few days from starting, and the stationery and notebooks haven’t been bought yet. Yuangle injured his leg, and the house can’t do without people, so we thought of going in a few days. This damn girl was making a fuss about going now, wouldn’t let her go, she’d run off on her own. I followed from behind to catch up, to see if anyone from the village was going to the town, to keep an eye on her on the road. This child’s heart is too big, acting on impulse. You know the girl was once almost taken by human traffickers? That’s why I can’t rest easy."

Wang Guiyu glanced at Lan Tian, the girl’s skin was so fair and tender like it could squeeze out water, not at all like a villager. Everyone in the village knows that Sun’s grandaughter has been reared like a city girl, she never did any farm work, it is said that she has never even washed a bowl at home, nor ever held a broom.

Behind her back, the villagers gossiped, saying with a girl raised like this, who would dare to marry her? To marry her just to worship her like an ancestor? People in the countryside have to work, after all. Glossy and smooth skin can’t feed you; you might as well raise more chickens and ducks instead.

"That’s true!" Wang Guiyu echoed without saying much else.

The last time Guihua’s mother muttered behind her back that Lan Tian was spoiled like an ancestor, Zhao Li heard it and chased her around the village with a broom to beat her; everyone saw it, and since then, no one dared to say it again.

Letting this girl go out indeed worries people.

Wang Guiyu felt it strange and asked, "Then you still let her go alone?"

"She has learned some self-defense martial arts with Yuangle for the past few years. Yuangle agreed to let her go, saying the kid needs to get out and about more. Listen to that, utter nonsense! The old won’t listen, and now the young won’t listen either, making a fuss at home! Oh, it’s killing me." Zhao Li said that it was driving her crazy, but there was never a break in her smile.

"Hua Zi is going to the army soon, and he can ride with you guys. You can drop her off at the town, but it will be a bother to Hua Zi."

"Auntie, it’s no trouble at all!"

Arriving at the town, Lan Tian thanked Brother Mo, then waved goodbye to Mo Junhua and jumped down from the ox cart to head into town. The two hadn’t spoken again on the way, and Mo Junhua seemed to be dozing off with closed eyes but was actually paying attention to Lan Tian’s movements. When he saw her jump off the cart, he immediately followed her down and grabbed her hand.

He knew she wouldn’t be obedient and compliant; not for a moment could he be lax!

Lan Tian looked back at him, her gaze challenging, "What’s the matter?"

"I forgot to mention, your aunty asked me to keep an eye on you on the way, to drop you in the county town," Mo Junhua’s gaze swept around, "This is still just the town. Don’t worry, I am a man of my word. I promised your aunt that I’d take you to the county town, and that means all the way there, without abandoning the task halfway."

I actually don’t mind at all if you leave me halfway through, really! Lan Tian knew once this guy made up his mind, not even nine cows could pull him back, so she didn’t bother speaking, as it would be a waste of saliva. The strategy to ditch him and go alone was now impossible. Since she couldn’t escape, Lan Tian obediently let him lead her.

Mo Junhua said goodbye to his brother, carried his backpack, held Lan Tian with one hand, and took a woven bag with the other, and both walked to the roadside to wait for a bus. Brother Mo drove the ox cart back.

At that junction ahead, quite a number of people had gathered, villagers from nearby places going to the county town for errands. They chatted in groups of twos and threes, giving the pair a look as they approached, then turning their gazes back, that one glance was a bit lengthy, probably because they had never seen a country girl who looked so good, they stared a bit longer.

Lan Tian glanced over there, her brow subtly furrowed. There were quite a few people coming from that direction, but only one bus was available. Not to mention squeezing onto the bus with everyone else, but also having to crowd with poultry, such a lovely thought... too beautiful to even contemplate.

She had planned to walk to the county town, if it weren’t for Mo Junhua being nosy, she might have already arrived there.