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Chapter 781: Chapter 771 Picking Someone Up
The next afternoon, Old Man Li was calculating the time and went over to his eldest son’s place, planning to have him hitch up the cart to go into town and pick up the old lady. But when he got there, his eldest daughter-in-law told him that Hongxing had taken the donkey cart to her mother’s house and wouldn’t be back today.
Wang Dan said irritably, "Dad, if you wanted to pick up Mom, why didn’t you come and tell me sooner? If you’d told me earlier, I wouldn’t have let Hongxing go to my mom’s house at this time, no matter what. Look at the trouble this has caused."
Old Man Li was furious but knew he couldn’t win an argument with his eldest daughter-in-law, so he walked out with his hands behind him. "Fine, if he’s not home, he’s not home. I’ll go find someone else."
"Dad, take care," Wang Dan called after him. Once she saw him leave the yard, she spat behind his back, "Ptu, what a disgraceful old man, always up to no good. His grandson is about to marry, and he still wants to mess around."
Anyone with eyes could see what Old Man Li was up to. Wang Dan certainly didn’t want her man to be influenced by such a father. It would be terrible if her man learned bad habits from him.
After leaving his eldest son’s courtyard, Old Man Li stopped and thought about who in the village might have a cart he could borrow. After pondering for a while, he finally headed towards the village chief’s house.
Qiu Shuping had been sitting on the train for a whole day and night and could barely walk when she got off in the evening.
The train ticket Ma Liguo had bought at the last minute didn’t allow for a sleeper berth; he couldn’t even get a seated ticket, so he bought a standing ticket for the elderly lady. But he couldn’t let her stand all the way home, so just before boarding, he also slipped a small stool into her hand. With it, she could find a spot to sit on the train, which was better than standing.
Qiu Shuping boarded the train with a bag full of food and the stool, but with the train so crowded, even finding a spot for the stool was difficult. After shamelessly seizing a spot outside the restroom, she managed to sit on that hard stool for a day and a night.
After getting off the train, Qiu Shuping followed the crowd out of the station and saw the strange buildings outside. She felt a bit scared and dared not wander off. Carrying her bundle and stool, she looked around, as Liguo’s comrade had said he would inform the family to pick her up at the station.
With so many people around and her being short, she stood on tiptoes for a long time without seeing any familiar faces. She thought for a moment, then placed her stool near the station exit and sat down to wait to be picked up.
"Hey, you’re blocking the way sitting there," a passenger said unhappily when they saw someone sitting by the exit and blocking the way.
Qiu Shuping glanced back and even glared at them; why were they making such a fuss? But after the glance, she still pulled the stool forward a bit to leave room for people to pass.
Many people coming out were in bad moods, and seeing Shuping blocking the way, they cursed under their breath. But since they were all in a hurry to get home or continue their journey, they just scolded her and moved on without really confronting the old lady.
So there Shuping sat on her stool, waiting until the tide of people had completely vanished. Then she stood up and started to look around for someone to pick her up.
After scanning the area, she finally saw a familiar figure next to a big pillar on the edge of the square.
She rubbed her eyes and looked again to make sure she wasn’t mistaken, then quickly stood up, shouлdered her bundle, and ran over with her stool in hand.
"Old man, old man, why are you squatting there? You made me look everywhere for you," Shuping burst out with joy upon seeing her husband had come to pick her up.
Old Man Li also saw his wife and with a smile, he stood up, knocked his tobacco pipe clean, and tucked it behind his back. "I also didn’t know exactly when you’d arrive, so I came a bit early. Besides, I had to watch the horse cart, so I’ve been waiting for you here."
After more than two years of not seeing each other, Qiu Shuping was known for being difficult, but at this moment, seeing her old man made her heart sweet, and the wrinkles on her face eased up a bit, "How come it’s only you here, where’s Hongxing gone? And why a horse-drawn carriage, isn’t our family supposed to have a donkey cart?"
Old Li untied the rope binding the horse to the carriage and picked up the whip, ready to set off.
"Big brother didn’t come; he went to his mother-in-law’s house. I borrowed this horse-drawn carriage from the team leader’s house, it’s faster than a donkey cart. Get on, we’re going home." Old Li started to turn around as he pulled on the rope.
Upon hearing his words, Qiu Shuping’s face grew dark, "This worthless wretch, I really raised him for nothing. If I’d known he was going to be such a good-for-nothing, I would’ve strangled him the moment he was born." Qiu Shuping understood perfectly what the intentions of Big Brother and his wife were, which is exactly why she was so angry.
"Enough with the cursing, let’s hurry home." Old Li had already taken his seat at the front, gave a little flick of the whip, and the horse began to trot, pulling the carriage along.
It took several hours by car from the city to the county, and now with the switch to a horse-drawn carriage, if they didn’t hurry, they might not make it home by tomorrow noon.
Qiu Shuping was seething with anger as she sat on the carriage, and while she was pondering, she planned to unleash a tirade on Big Brother and his wife once she got home. Even if she couldn’t do anything to them, she was determined to ruin their reputation. Qiu Shuping’s mindset at the moment was: If I’m not having it good, then nobody will.
At night, the carriage was still clattering down the road. Old Li, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded jacket, smoked to stay alert, while Qiu Shuping had long since fallen asleep in a worn-out cotton quilt on the carriage.
It wasn’t until after ten the next morning that the carriage entered the county.
Qiu Shuping refused to go any further. "Do you have money on you? I haven’t eaten anything all day. Let’s go to a restaurant." She looked at the shiny new storefronts and smelled the scent of food wafting out, her mouth watering uncontrollably.
Before getting on the train, Ma Liguo had prepared quite a bit of food for her, but it was all bread and biscuits. After eating them all day, she truly couldn’t stand those foods any longer. Now, attracted by the aroma of cooked meals, she found it hard to resist.
Old Li was in a difficult position. He rummaged through his pockets and said as he handed over some money, "This is all I have."
Qiu Shuping counted it, just over fifty cents, "How come it’s just this much? When you go out, why don’t you carry more?" She had thought that the old man had saved all the support money his son had given him and was reluctant to bring it with him.
Old Li felt bitter. That was all the money he had left, not a penny more.
"Fine, fine, I can’t even cope without you at home. Go see if this is enough for a few steamed buns; if not, just get some steamed rolls. Once we’re home, I’m going to get a few pounds of pork and eat my fill," Qiu Shuping said fiercely. In prison, not to mention eating meat, it was good enough just to be full. The food she had on the train was all dry stuff like bread and biscuits. Now she just wanted to go home and cook herself a hearty plate of braised pork.
Old Li clacked his jaw but didn’t dare say that he’d spent all his pension, thinking to himself that he would talk about it once they were home. So, he took the money and went into the restaurant.
Although the rationing system wasn’t as strict anymore, eating at a restaurant still required food coupons. Without them, one would have to pay a premium. Therefore, with just fifty cents, Old Li only bought four big steamed buns from the restaurant.
Qiu Shuping was somewhat dissatisfied, sitting in the carriage, nibbling on the buns, and muttering to herself. Finally, at a little past two in the afternoon, the carriage entered Taoshu Village.
Standing outside her family’s courtyard, tears streamed down Qiu Shuping’s face. This was her domain, where her word was law – a place she never wanted to leave again in her life.
