Mo Junhua, having taken a bath, went to bed to sleep. Just as he lay down, Lan Tian demanded he get up. Mo Junhua, with his eyes closed, refused to get out of bed and even let out faint snoring sounds to feign deep sleep. He thought to himself, with such a big bed, surely the girl wouldn’t actually make him sleep on the floor.
"Don’t pretend with , get up. The scars on your body haven’t completely faded yet. I’ll apply so dicine to help it heal faster, lest my grandma and the others see the marks and get curious."
Hearing it was just for applying dicine, Mo Junhua breathed a sigh of relief, opened his eyes, gave Lan Tian a silly smile, and slowly rolled over to lie on his stomach on the bed, waiting for Lan Tian to apply the dicine. Lan Tian couldn’t even bother to roll her eyes at him. His little sches were so transparent, he might as well have written them on his face, putting on an act like the big bad wolf.
For Mo Junhua, having Lan Tian apply dicine was a profound experience of pain mixed with pleasure. Lan Tian’s soft, gentle hands moved over his back, causing every spot she touched to burn like fire. Shafully, he reacted to her touch.
Outside the window, the moon shone brightly, and the curtains in the room fluttered about, revealing the restless figure tossing and turning on the bed.
It was a torturous and trying night.
...
After lunch, Lan Tian and Mo Junhua made a trip to Granny Lin’s house. Since Mo Junhua returned from the battleground, he hadn’t visited Granny Lin, and the old lady was constantly on his mind. Grandma Sun and Zhao Li prepared a bunch of stuff; ho-grown peanuts, soybeans, dried sweet potatoes, a little bit of everything, and even brought two baskets of pears. Mo Yuanle contributed his bicycle for them to use.
After looking at the bicycle for a few seconds, Lan Tian calmly said, "Uncle, Mo Junhua and I will go to the bus station ahead and take the bus. Let’s keep the bicycle at ho. It will be convenient for you if there’s an ergency."
One bicycle, two people, and a heap of goods; how would that work?
Mo Yuanle stared at Lan Tian for a few seconds, then sullenly wheeled the bicycle away to store it, and when he returned, Lan Tian and Mo Junhua had already left, his expression even more stern.
Zhao Li, seeing him sulk, teased him, "What were you thinking? With such a big heap of things, and two people riding a single bicycle, Mo Junhua would sit in the front, packing the things at the back, where would your niece sit? That girl is too proud to sit on the crossbar in the front. You spoiled her. Look at other families’ kids; none behave like her."
As if she never pampered her herself.
Who was it that told the girl that sitting in the front isn’t good as it’s too bumpy? Last ti, he wanted to give her a ride to the bus station, and she scrambled over to tell the girl to sit on a cushion in the back to avoid discomfort, insisting she must not sit in the front because it’s too bumpy.
Granny Lin was so happy to see Mo Junhua, fussing over him warmly; now and then she brought over tea for him to drink, then sliced fruits for him to quench his thirst, while Lan Tian was rather left out in the cold.
It was the first ti Lan Tian was treated this way, she pursed her lips, went over to a seat, poured herself so water, and helped herself to the fruits. Lin Guofu on the side, on the other hand, seed to find delight in her misfortune.
The family was buzzing over Mo Junhua, with Granny Lin even specifically instructing the kitchen to prepare several dishes that Mo Junhua loved.
"Miss Lan Tian, the Old Master ca back a few days ago, it’s a sha you weren’t ho. Your great grandfather hasn’t seen you for a long while; he misses you so much," Granny Lin expressed sympathy on behalf of Lan Tian.
Lan Tian smiled without a word. Should she tell them not to feel sorry for her, as she had seen her Great Grandpa earlier than they did—Old Master had co back specifically to take her to Beijing for dical treatnt.
Haha, stop kidding.
"Son-in-law, how long do you plan to stay this ti?" Granny Lin suddenly asked Mo Junhua.
"I can’t stay for long, about five or six days, then I’ll go to Beijing and stay there for two years. When I return depends on the military’s arrangents."
Granny Lin automatically interpreted it as Mo Junhua having another mission, sighed deeply, "Soldiers are good in every aspect, but they can’t take care of ho. There’s little gathering and frequent parting, it’s rare to have a reunion al with family throughout the year."
Mo Junhua remained silent.
"Be nicer to Miss Lan Tian in the future, it’s not easy for her either, keeping such a ho. If you’re not good to Miss Lan Tian, our family won’t let you off easily."
Mo Junhua nodded, "I will, Granny Lin."
.........
Lan Tian is going to Beijing for school and will be away from ho for most of the year. Mo Yuanle, according to modern terms, is a daughter’s man; he worries that Lan Tian will miss ho (mainly he wants to call her), writing letters takes too long, and the girl is lazy, doesn’t like writing. When she was young, replying to a letter from Mo Junhua would take half a year. If waiting for her letter, one needs to be ntally prepared.
The village chief’s house has a telephone. Many young people from the village who work outside call the village chief’s house, and the village chief announces in the village, calling soone’s parents to answer the phone. Their house is too far from the village chief’s house, they can’t hear him when he announces, and it takes five or six minutes back and forth. People waiting to use the phone might hang up soone else’s call.
There have been several such incidents in the village; once nearly resulted in two sets of parents fighting. Also, the village chief’s telephone is only available during two ti periods in the afternoon; no other ti is allowed.
Mo Yuanle thought about it and found it inconvenient. It might be better to install a telephone in their own house; it’s convenient to call anywhere, and for the girl to call back whenever she wants.
Zhao Li, hearing he wanted to install a phone, showed no reaction. Lan Tian went to Shanghai for school and returned for winter vacation; he worried the girl might feel bored at ho and specially bought a TV for her. Now that Lan Tian was going to Beijing, far away, it’s odd if he had no thoughts about it. A few days ago, she told Grandma Sun that Mo Yuanle kept silent, actually pondering over installing a phone.
The only people in the village who could afford a phone were two families; one was the village chief’s house, and the other was a girl from his family who married a rich man in Shanghai, able to afford a telephone. You either have power or money. Grandma Sun’s family in the village, speaking of which, is a powerful and wealthy capitalist family.
Without money, you couldn’t afford so much land and orchards; without power, military vehicles wouldn’t frequently park at their doorstep, stopping for several days. Installing a telephone at Sun’s house was no surprise to the villagers.
After the telephone was connected, Grandma Sun especially called Granny Lin, the two old sisters talked for an entire afternoon before hanging up, Grandma Sun, feeling the conversation was still unfinished, hung up the phone, feeling like these good days were like a dream.
Lan Tian called Mr. Mo, told him about the train to Beijing that day, also gave him the ho phone number, telling him to call if anything happens.
Ti passed quickly, and soon it was the day of departure. When it was ti to leave, Grandma Sun repeatedly instructed Lan Tian, to eat well outside, dress warmly, as the north is much colder than the south. She advised Lan Tian, then advised Mo Junhua, not to rush with studies, take it slow, make sure to eat, and keep warm.
Zhao Li was thinking if anything had been missed, she checked again. Apart from Lan Tian and Mo Junhua’s items, they also brought so dried and mountain goods from their ho, and even several bags of vegetables from the yard for Mr. Mo, making Lan Tian’s mouth twitch.
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