Reborn Soul: Me and My Family

Hongqi Commune was very close to the unit where Ouyang Bai was located. Ouyang Bai stopped the car at Hongqi Commune and went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy canned food, malted milk, cakes, and a bag of big white milk candy, or 2 portions. Fan Laosan also went with him to buy some things. He hadn't been home for so long, so he thought about buying some things to go back yesterday.

I also bought a bucket of malted milk and pastries for the elderly and parents, and some candies for my nephews to sweeten their stomachs. It was a pity that I didn't buy any meat. But it doesn't matter, because when they go up the mountain in the afternoon, they will definitely be able to eat meat in the evening.

Everyone could understand Fan Laosan's behavior, but when they saw what Ouyang Bo was holding, they were a little confused about what it meant. They only said, "When you visit someone, of course you have to bring something! How can you come empty-handed?" These words confused everyone in the car.

The journey takes less than half an hour at a normal driving speed, but Qingshan Brigade, located under Hongqi Commune, is a little far away. As the name suggests, Qingshan Brigade is backed by a big blue mountain. So far, few people dare to go to the deepest part of this mountain.

Even experienced hunters would only go a little further up the mountainside. In the past, when there was a famine and there was a shortage of food, some people were so hungry that they took the bark of the trees halfway up the mountain home to chew on. They had no other choice but to organize a hunt, and that was when almost half of the people were killed on that mountain.

Since that time, no one dared to go to the mountains. I only heard from a few people who escaped back that there was a lot of food in the mountains, but many of those who followed them up the mountain were eaten by tigers. When they ran down the mountain, they also encountered a group of wild boars. Later, according to the older people, they heard from their elders that they could encounter blind bears in the depths of the Daqing Mountains.

Since that incident, the people of Qingshan Brigade have had a love-hate relationship with the mountain. What they love about the mountain is the abundance and variety of edible supplies.

Every time after the rain, you can pick mushrooms and fungus on the mountain. People who pick a lot will dry the fresh mushrooms and fungus and keep them for eating slowly in the winter. People who are lucky and have good eyesight and knowledge can also pick a lot of good medicinal herbs.

Children also love to go up the mountain with adults. They go up the mountain to find pine nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, pecans, and many other wild fruits when they finish their farm work, and store them to use as snacks to pass the time during the winter.

What was so hateful was that many people died on that trip and never came back. Ouyang Bai looked at his watch when he got off the car. It took them nearly 40 minutes to drive from Hongqi Commune to Qingshan Brigade, even though they didn't drive very fast.

The two military jeeps were very eye-catching. They were spotted by children playing at the entrance of the village long before they entered the village. When the cars drove onto the small road leading into the village, the children swarmed around them.

The road was not particularly wide, so the people in the car left their seats and hurried out, on the one hand to stop the children who were blocking the way in front of the car, and on the other hand to clear the way ahead.

Until the car stopped steadily at the gate of the village branch compound, at this time, people in every household were basically working, and some older children who were able to work also went up to cut grass for the pigs.

Now he was surrounded by some little children and a few older people. As soon as Fan Laosan got off the car, he saw his nephew running away. He was so anxious that he didn't even have time to call out to him.

While running, they did not forget to shout loudly: "Grandpa, grandma, uncle is back, grandpa, grandma, uncle is back..." They shouted all the way to the ridge of the field, and the people who were busy working in the field stopped what they were doing. Wow, now the whole village knew that the third son of the Fan family was back.

Fan Dayong (the leader of Qingshan Brigade) and his elder brother Fan Dazhi (the village chief of Qingshan Brigade) who were checking the progress of the harvest in the field hurriedly called a few children to stop them. Fan Dayong said, "Tiedan, Tietou, Shitou, what were you talking about just now, your uncle is back?"

"Really? Really? Grandpa, great-grandpa, my uncle, or the uncles who came to our house a few times before and drove back in a big car? It was so impressive, and the children said one by one. The village chief and the team leader were both dizzy from the noise.

"Then why are you still here? Go and call your grandma back home. Tell her that your uncle is back and is here to cook."

The captain and the village chief brothers didn't bother to stay here anymore, and both walked towards home. After Ouyang Bai and others parked the car, they followed Fan Laosan back to his home.

Everyone in Yin's family had gone out to work, and the gate to the compound was closed. Not far from his home was his uncle's house. The two old people rarely went to work and often strolled around the village.

Therefore, the gate of Fan Laosan's house was rarely locked. After pushing the gate open and going in, everyone would go to the well to fetch water to drink. They came to Fan Laosan's house quite often.

Being quite familiar with the village, Ouyang Bai put the things in his hands on the small table in the yard. The first to arrive were Fan Laosan's uncle and father.

Although the troops were stationed nearby, Fan Xiangbing rarely went home due to busy training, and his family hadn't seen him for almost half a year.

"Xiang Bing, how come you suddenly have time to come back? Why didn't you tell your family in advance to prepare so many of your comrades?"

"Dad, uncle, you guys are back! Isn't it a good time for the holidays? Everyone likes our village. I'll bring everyone back to play when I'm free. Besides, they are all my good brothers, and it's not their first time here. By the way, has my mother gone to work?

Qiao Hongmei was working in the fields with her back bent. She heard her children calling her from a distance. She wondered in her heart whether the children were having too much fun and were shouting on the ridge of the field.

Just when she was about to say a few words, she heard clearly that it was her youngest son who came back. She didn't dare to delay, so she asked a few good sisters to help her ask for leave, and then she ran home as soon as she could. As she ran, she even wished she had two more legs.

Seeing this, some gossipers who were working in the fields said with a smile, "Hongmei, please run slower! Your son won't run away. Maybe he has come back with his girlfriend."

"Of course she is! Otherwise, how could Hongmei run faster than a rabbit? If she wasn't at work, I would like to follow her to see if there is anything exciting going on." The people who spoke were all veterans in the fields, and they never stopped moving their hands while teasing.

Qiao Hongmei, who ran away, is now thinking about her old son. Even if she heard it, she has no time to chat with these old women.

Before the person entered the yard, the voice arrived first. Fan Laosan heard his mother's voice coming from far away: "Xiang Bing, Xiang Bing, my dear son, why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming back?

Come here and let me see you. Have you lost weight in such a long time? Next time, tell me in advance and I will make something delicious for you."

Fan Xiangbing deliberately ignored the teasing looks from his comrades. He had clearly told his mother not to speak to him in that tone when they were outside. He was not a child in his teens. "Mom, please stop talking. My comrades are all here. It's okay. Just eat something casually at noon."

As soon as Qiao Hongmei entered the yard, she saw several young men in the yard. Aren't these her son's comrades who often come to her house? Those little bastards said that when their son came back, they didn't say that his comrades were also here.

If I knew there were other comrades, I would never have shouted from such a distance! I could only ignore my son's dissatisfied expression and change the subject: "Xiang Bing! I just haven't seen you for a long time. It's all because of Tiedan and those brats. They didn't make things clear."

The few children who didn't outrun Qiao Hongmei felt a little aggrieved. Their grandma ran too fast and they definitely couldn't hear what they said behind her. When their grandma heard the news that their uncle had returned, they couldn't catch up with her at that speed.

"Uncle, we told you, it was grandma who didn't hear us. If you don't believe me, ask grandpa and great-grandfather." Upon hearing this, the two brothers Fan Dayong stopped talking and just kept smoking their pipes.

Fan Laosan understood the situation immediately. He picked up the White Rabbit milk candy he had bought from the supply and marketing cooperative from the table, opened the package and gave several pieces to each of the children.

With the sweet candies in their mouths, the children immediately forgot about the incident and went out to show off the rest. There was nothing they could do about it since their uncle always brought them candies when he came back. This was also the most prestigious time for them in the village.

Seeing that everyone had almost finished their greetings, Ouyang Bai immediately stepped forward and placed one portion of the things he had bought in front of Fan Dazhi, and gave one portion to Qiao Hongmei. Everyone in the yard looked at his actions in confusion, as they had brought gifts before, but they were not as formal as the second brother's.

"Abai, you are being so awkward! Our whole family is very happy that you can come to visit my house. Why are you being so polite when you spend money on this? Listen to my aunt and take the things back when you go back. If you do this again next time, your uncle and I will be unhappy."