Chapter 165: “digging For Gold”
That afternoon.
Ning Lao Tai ate mushroom meat sauce mixed with noodles, and the old lady who had enjoyed blessings and suffered hardships was stunned for a moment, then sped up her eating.
So fast it didn’t look like an old lady.
Mao Dan’er was dumbfounded.
“Grandma, slow down, don’t choke.” He hurriedly said.
Ning Lao Tai didn’t slow down, swallowed the noodles in her mouth, and then said: “Can’t slow down, haven’t had a decent meal in years!”
“No, that’s not it.” Mao Dan’er exposed her, “A while ago, Aunt Lin sent fragrant chicken soup.”
“That’s not the same.” Ning Lao Tai said.
Mao Dan’er didn’t argue with his grandma, his little face serious, “Aunt Lin taught me, Grandma likes to eat it… I’ll make it for you.”
Ning Lao Tai was moved, “My grandson is really filial, Grandma is truly blessed.”
She really felt her life was good, good family background in childhood, never suffered, after marriage never mistreated, gave birth to a promising son although gone, daughter-in-law was also good, grandson sensible and filial.
Mao Dan’er was used to his grandma praising him like this, his face didn’t change, and he even said: “When I buy meat, I’ll make it.”
Ning Lao Tai expectant, “These days are getting more and more hopeful.”
“In another five or six years, I can earn work points, then every day make dumplings for Grandma, make buns, stew chicken soup.” Mao Dan’er’s childish face full of seriousness.
Ning Lao Tai: “…”
“Don’t you want to be a worker?” she asked.
“How?” Mao Dan’er looked at his grandma, meat sauce on his mouth corner, stuck out his tongue to lick it off, “The uncles in the village all want to be workers, why can’t they?”
He furrowed his little brows, “Grandma, people need to be practical, down-to-earth, iron rice bowl isn’t something us country folk can hold.”
Ning Lao Tai: Being lectured by her grandson…
“Why can’t hold it.” Ning Lao Tai revealed to her grandson, “I don’t care about others, you definitely can be a worker, just wait for junior high graduation.”
“?” Mao Dan’er showed a helpless expression, not knowing where his grandma’s confidence came from.
Ning Lao Tai saw her grandson didn’t believe, extremely depressed, but didn’t say more.
Hmph! He’ll know when he grows up!
–
County.
Not far from the train station.
Lin Shichang supported on crutch standing in the shade, watching Lin Father and Lin Mu walk into the wild grass, walk a few circles on the spot, stop, half-squat, digging something.
He was full of question marks.
Waited a bit, couldn’t hold back, hopped over on one leg.
Before speaking, met Song Xiwei’s displeased eyes.
“What are you running around for, don’t want your leg anymore?”
Lin Shichang touched his nose tip, clumsily changed topic, “Mom, what are you and Dad digging?”
Son had suffered, Song Xiwei couldn’t bear to scold more, answered: “…Digging gold.”
It was the truth.
But Lin Shichang didn’t believe.
“Pfft—” He laughed out, scanning surroundings, birdshit nowhere, not even a dog in sight.
“Where’s gold here. Dad, Mom, where did you hear there’s gold here, got fooled huh.” Lin Shichang held back laugh.
Lin Heling raised eyes, lightly glanced at him, “What if there is?”
Lin Shichang hey hey laughed, thick-skinned: “If really is, give me some.”
“…” Sure enough shouldn’t expect too much from Third Son’s thick skin.
Lin Heling dismissed him, “Go sit on the side. If you still want to stay in the troops, don’t use your leg.”
Lin Shichang lowered eyes, looked at his numb right leg, something flashed in his eyes.
He probably couldn’t stay.
He loved being a soldier so much, reluctant to leave those comrades, many regrets in heart, but if he had to leave, he’d leave gracefully.
Aaaah, clearly convinced himself, but thinking of discharge… eyes stinging badly.
“Who you showing that dejected look to, not like a qualified soldier at all!” Song Xiwei slapped Lin Shichang’s back, her strength huge, could carry over two hundred jin wild boar, this slap made the young man grimace in pain.
Before rushing to biological father for comfort, Song Xiwei looked at him disdainfully.
“Your leg’s only seen a few doctors, Western medicine no good, there’s still traditional Chinese medicine, what to fear. If really no good, your dad and I take you to capital to see, find best doctor, you’re still a soldier with firm will, not even as good as me this ordinary country woman.”
Lin Shichang’s eyes strange.
Ordinary country woman?
He almost didn’t recognize the word ordinary anymore.
“Mom.” Lin Shichang clutched chest coughed twice, looking tragic like internally injured from the thump.
Song Xiwei waved his face away, “Go to the side, don’t affect me and your dad doing proper business.”
Lin Shichang full face injured,
Just now still calling Shichang, Third Son, only pampered a few days, now became picked up.
“Shichang, find a clean place to sit, your mom and I will be done soon, wait we dig out gold, take you to eat.” Lin Heling warm voice, comforting Third Son’s little heart.
Lin Shichang uncomfortably rubbed feet, cough, he was almost thirty, why Dad still call him little name.
Wanted to express dissatisfaction, feared Song lady rage, didn’t dare provoke.
His leg injury couldn’t use force, wound would split, so didn’t go help, trampled the dry yellow grass scorched by scorching sun, sat on ground, injured leg stretched out, watching busy dad and mom.
“Dad, Mom, drink water?” Lin Shichang called out.
“No need, you drink yourself.” Lin Heling didn’t turn head, walked again, silently counting in heart.
“Should be right here no mistake.” He said to Song Xiwei.
Song Xiwei didn’t disbelieve, kept digging, no handy tool, even her great strength, digging inconvenient.
“Mom, catch.” Lin Shichang shouted, threw crutch over, “Use this to dig.”
Feared old mother too forceful, break his tool leg, hurriedly said: “Light actions ah.”
Song Xiwei glanced at him, “Got it.”
Then added: “If breaks, I’ll carry you back.”
Lin Shichang cracked.
Don’t ah.
He quite had baggage.
Song Xiwei used crutch to dig on spot.
Tool handy, her strength big. Progress pleasing.
Ten-odd minutes later.
Yellow soil covered, wooden chest of indistinct shape exposed to air.
“Came out.” Lin Heling eyes bright, “If I remember right, inside ten gold bars, some assorted jewelry.”
While speaking, Song Xiwei squatted, reached hand, one pull, pulled out wooden box.
Rustle, soil on wooden box fell down.
She on spot patted, shook off soil above, wooden box’s complete appearance revealed.
Box surface carved intricate patterns, extremely exquisite, round arched lid, small lock hanging on top.
Hearing biological father’s words, Lin Shichang dragged injured leg over, saw dad and mom really dug something, pupils quaked.
“!”
“Dad, what’s this?” He full face shocked.
Lin Heling eyes helpless, tone patient enough, “Didn’t say, gold.”
“No, not that, I mean…” Lin Shichang surprised to stutter, “I mean where’d this come from?”
Lin Heling smiled, “Ours.”
Lin Shichang only felt dad joking, he soldier, full of righteousness, immediately: “Dad, ill-gotten wealth can’t take.”
Lin Heling didn’t find issue with that.
He smiled, explained: “This I buried before.”
Lin Shichang’s brow wrinkles smoothed, eyes undisguised astonishment, surprised: “Dad remembers who he is?”
He had no possessiveness toward biological father’s money, just thought, after recovering memory, his dad’s head wouldn’t always hurt!
“Still fragmentary recall, not complete, like fragments.” Lin Heling said.
But he found, recalling this box of gold, his head throbbed, within tolerable range, not like before headache splitting, half life gone.
This progress.
Big progress.
Thus, toward recalling past, no longer so… as if facing great enemy.
Lin Shichang happy for biological father.
“This way you won’t have headaches later!” Excited voice rose.
When Meng Jiusi not recognized back, he was Lin Family’s youngest son, parents doted, brothers coaxed, uncle indulged, little days don’t too sweet, basically wanted what got what.
In front of family, especially biological parents, he free and casual, not half the rigid seriousness from troops training.
Lin Heling patted Third Son’s head, palm felt prickly touch.
He slightly stunned.
In a blink, Third Son grown into big man, still remembered sending him to enlist that year, he touched Third Son’s head, his hair still soft, just few years, that tender, fearless bear child became real young man ah.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Lin Shichang touched own face, “Why look at me like that?”
He leaned face over, thick-skinned: “I tanned under hometown sun, blew hometown wind, became more handsome?”
Lin Heling: “…”
Song Xiwei fair evaluation: “No matter how handsome you are, not as handsome as your dad.”
Words fell, looked to Lin Heling, asked: “This box, has key?”
“Long gone.” Lin Heling answered.
He back then fled in panic, many things lost.
Song Xiwei nodded, hand pulled hard, exquisite wooden box’s small lock yanked off.
“Done.” Tone flat.
Like back then one whip flung away ferocious bandit.
Lin Heling’s loving gaze looked over.
“Impressive!” He praised.
Slender beautiful hand opened wooden box.
Ten-odd gold bars shot blinding light under sun.
“Hiss!” Lin Shichang who hadn’t seen world hissed.
Lin Heling patted Third Son’s shoulder, voice warm, words slightly stinging.
“Don’t look like you’ve never seen the world, this kind of thing, our old Lin Family has lots.”
This subconscious feeling.
Came to senses, recalled others not recalled, he cleared throat, said: “If I remember right, this wooden box has twelve gold bars, your mom and I have four sons one daughter, give you each two, your mom and I keep two, other jewelry… leave for your mom and Zhaozhao.”
Lin Heling in few words divided wooden box’s contents.
Song Xiwei counted gold bars inside, “Indeed twelve gold bars.”
One not light.
Sons more not valuable, she favored daughter more, “This box also to Zhaozhao, she likes antiques.”
This box huanghuali wood, Zhaozhao definitely like.
Lin Shichang no opinion.
He picked up one gold bar, weighed in hand.
“Pretty heavy.” Seriously evaluated.
“Dad, you heart big, so many valuables, say bury say bury, not afraid picked up by someone.”
Not buried deep, if rain, soil washed away, box exposed.
Where’d this young master come from.
Lin Heling eyes calm, “Compared to life, these all external things.”
Paused, then: “Moreover… I lucky, won’t lose.”
Facts proved, his lost property, money… all there.
Lin Shichang put gold bar back, closed, wanted to hug box.
“Don’t want leg!” Song Xiwei hit his hand, conveniently shoved crutch into his palm, “Give you back home, money grubber, not even have partner, what need gold bars for.”
As family’s only unmarried, not even dated one, Lin Shichang’s family status kept dropping.
He didn’t speak.
Sigh.
Originally had Fourth Son as shield, who knew, he even had two kids!
Lin Heling saw Third Son pitiful, smiled to smooth, “Xiwei, let’s go, eat first, then see Zhaozhao.”
“Zhaozhao’s birthday, our first time not there, hope she not sulking.”
He pressed brows, “Don’t know if she ate longevity noodles.”
Thinking daughter unhappy, daughter-con daddy pinched fingertips, heart ached.
“Not say brother-in-law there, he not even make longevity noodles for Zhaozhao?” Lin Shichang smile faded, voice frosty, hands clasped, pinched hard, crack crack crack sounds.
Lin Heling very satisfied with son-in-law Gu Chenghuai, toward Zhaozhao impeccable.
“Don’t overthink, Chenghuai very good to Zhaozhao.”
Lin Shichang: “Oh.”
If so, what parents worry about.
Don’t get.
This problem, probably wait he have daughter to understand.
While speaking, Song Xiwei put wooden box into snakeskin bag, single hand carried, supported Lin Shichang to flat ground.
Family of three ate meal, rode ox cart, toward Fengshou Brigade.
Village entrance quite a few children playing.
Lin Heling saw twin grandsons, not light not heavy voice rose.
Warm voice carrying pleasant.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao.”
Yu Bao Heng Bao out walking dog, nth time pestered by little friends to tell provincial capital things.
Little brothers not stingy, while Da Huang and Amber strolled, sat cross-legged on little stone under tree, you start I supplement telling.
Not said a while, heard someone call them.
Brothers looked toward voice.
Saw people on ox cart, stunned, then like gust of wind rushed over.
Mouths nonstop shouting: “Grandpa, Grandmother!”
Song Xiwei jumped off ox cart, hugged Yu Bao Heng Bao one by one, tossed up to sky, steadily caught, two little friends’ mouths overflowed happy shouts.
“So high wow!”
Lin Shichang very envious.
He also wanted to play like this with nephews!
Hated looked at injured leg, annoyed wanted to go mad.
While Grandmother tossed little brother, Yu Bao sized up stranger in military uniform, “Grandpa, who’s this?”
Clothes same as Daddy’s, Daddy’s comrade?
Lin Heling not yet spoken, Lin Shichang showed white teeth, introduced self: “Your third uncle, real third uncle, your mom’s third brother, real brother.”
Yu Bao eyes wide, usually calm big brother tone rose.
“Heng Bao, third uncle, the one who sent milk tablets and dried dates!”
Dropped words, he bolted home.
Just to home door, shouted loudly: “Mom, my third uncle back!”
“And my grandmother and grandpa!”
Knew Lin Zhao missed those three coming, Yu Bao no closemouthed, one after another shouted.
Lin Zhao walked out room door.
“Your third uncle and your grandparents back?” She confirmed.
“Yes.”
Lin Zhao quick stepped out, looked toward village entrance, far saw three familiar figures.
Small jogged over.
“Dad, Mom, Third Brother.” She called, went forward support Lin Shichang, words full concern: “Third Brother, how’s your leg, hurt? If hurts don’t hold back, I go find cart push you.”
Lin Shichang that outwardly strong inwardly weak heart, instantly melted to water.
This his sister.
“No problem!” He raised head waved hand, “Rest half month good!”
Lin Zhao half believe half doubt, thought, wait later time, take Third Brother find Grandpa Meng check.
