Chapter 53: Two Families Reunite

He Daixing looked at Tong Xueyan. “You can rent a house if you want, but that one is at the foot of the mountain. It is farther from the brigade and a bit more dangerous. If anything happens, I will not be responsible.”

“Huh? Farther away? Then let me think…” Tong Xueyan hesitated, glancing at the group of sent-down youths and her mountain of luggage. In the end, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

“Alright, Brigade Leader. For the sake of a good night’s sleep, and so I can properly contribute to building the country, I will stay in that house at the foot of the mountain.”

He Daixing immediately had the accountant issue her a receipt. “That house might be remote, but it is actually quite spacious. How much rent are you planning to pay?”

Tong Xueyan readily pulled out a large bill. “Ten yuan, enough for a year?”

“That is fine. Next year at this time, just come to me to pay again.” The accountant quickly scribbled a receipt and handed it to her.

Tong Xueyan pocketed the receipt, smiling from ear to ear. “Thank you, Brigade Leader, for taking care of me. I promise to build the country diligently and fully respond to the nation’s call.”

Her slogan was loud and bright, making He Daixing feel a faint headache forming on his forehead.

Why did he have the feeling this person might cause him trouble?

He Daixing pulled out a set of keys, handed her a brass one, and then led Zhou Yulan and Ou Wenrui toward the cattle shed.

Luckily, their paths were aligned. With Tong Xueyan’s mountain of luggage, He Daixing simply lent them a trading cart to haul it all.

After a round of thanks, the three of them left the yard and walked for ten to twenty minutes until they reached the northern foot of the mountain.

He Daixing pointed to a mud-brick house. “This is the yard you are renting. There are three rooms inside. You can cook your own meals. If you run into any problems later, come find me immediately.”

Tong Xueyan replied cheerfully, “Alright, I will come by later. I want to buy some bedding and food.”

He Daixing told her his home address, helped her put down her luggage, and then left with the other two.

Once they turned a corner, Tong Xueyan finally allowed herself to relax.

She inserted the key into the door and opened it. Seeing the deserted yard, she finally broke into a genuine smile.

…

It was lunchtime when He Daixing brought the other two to the cattle shed.

Wu Meixia was the first to come out when she heard the voices. Seeing two more people, she stood at the doorway, scrutinizing them.

More people? And she had not heard the Brigade Leader mention that there were still rooms available.

He Daixing pointed to a small house. “Go check if this one works. If it cannot accommodate people, I will make arrangements for you.”

Ou Wenrui immediately ran over and pushed open the wooden door in front of the small house.

It was normally used to store firewood. Inside, it was stacked to the ceiling, but there was still enough space. A ventilation window allowed some light and air in. Placing a double bed and a few other items would work.

The left wall had a few cracks, through which one could see into the neighboring room. That could be covered later.

Ou Wenrui was fairly satisfied. Though it was not comparable to the other rooms, it at least offered some privacy.

He returned and unloaded the luggage. “No problem at all. Thank you, Brigade Leader.”

He Daixing said, “As long as you have no objections, that is fine. I will bring you rations later. Our brigade distributed last year’s supplies in mid-August. The next distribution will not be until summer.”

“When you get the rations, you can return the money. I will also find wooden beds for you. If you have the money, I can help buy bedding. Winters here are cold, and it will not really warm up until March or April.”

Zhou Yulan and Ou Wenrui understood. “Got it. Thank you, Brigade Leader, and sorry for the trouble.”

Their voices startled Tong Lingxian and Fang Bo Song, who were holding Fang Mingxi as they came out. Seeing the two standing outside, they froze in place.

Why were their in-laws here?

Coincidentally, Zhou Yulan glanced up and saw them at the doorway, shivering as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

He Daixing did not notice anything unusual and waved at Old Yu. “These are the newcomers. Explain our work schedule to them. When it is time, you will be responsible for bringing them along.”

“I understand, Brigade Leader,” Old Yu replied.

He Daixing gave Zhou Yulan and Ou Wenrui a few more instructions to come to him if needed, then pushed the cart away.

Once he left, Old Yu did not introduce himself first. Fang Bo Song and Tong Lingxian immediately ran forward.

“In-laws! Why are you here?”

In-laws?

Fang Mingxi froze. Were these her maternal grandparents?

…

The situation had come too suddenly. Fang Bo Song and Tong Lingxian had not eaten lunch with everyone else. The group returned to their room, closed the door, and discussed everything that had happened over the past few months.

Zhou Yulan and Ou Wenrui held Fang Mingxi tightly, their hearts aching as they looked at their granddaughter, who could now walk but had little flesh on her bones.

“Not long after you got into trouble, we sent people to track your whereabouts, but those people were cunning. They burned all the information immediately and even fed us false leads, making our search go to the wrong places,” Ou Wenrui said, anger flaring. The last time he had seen his granddaughter was when she was eight months old, and now, after more than half a year, he finally saw her again.

Such a thin child, how much hardship must she have suffered?

Tong Lingxian nodded in sympathy. “Our relocation was too sudden. We did not even have time to leave a note for you. They took us on several trains before we got here.”

Fang Bo Song suddenly sensed something off.

“Logically, they knew our two families were connected. They should not have let us stay together. Why did they put us in the same place? Was it deliberate?”

Ou Wenrui was also doubtful. “The people escorting us were not part of the raiding group. Maybe that is why there was some conflict between the two sides, accidentally placing us in the Maple Leaf Brigade.”

“Or maybe the person choosing our addresses had no idea about our background. They just randomly picked this place, and we happened to end up here. Maybe it was pure luck.”

It was possible. China was huge. For the two families to be relocated one after the other and still meet, it was so unexpected. Even within the same commune, there were several brigades. For them to end up in the Maple Leaf Brigade was like the ancestral tombs smoking green smoke.

Fang Mingxi sat in Zhou Yulan’s arms, silently bowing to the Mountain-Harvest Trading Game panel in her heart.

So the events that the game said would happen within three months turned out to be this. She did not dare imagine what would have happened if she had not exchanged her wish token in time. Where would her grandparents have been relocated?

By chance and twist of fate, the wish token had brought her grandparents to her side. Their family was truly reunited.