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墨書 Inktalez
On July 25th, the morning mist had just lifted, and the distant mountains and nearby scenery gradually became clear in the glow of dawn.
Qinglan's family was gathered around the breakfast table.
Though they called themselves a family, it felt rather desolate; only Qinglan, Liu Xiuzhen, and Grandma were present, a stark contrast to the lively six-member household they once had.
In the past, the breakfast table was filled with the lively Qinglan, the mischievous Liu Jiawei who loved to complain, and the talkative Liu Xiuzhen. For Liu Dezhou, there was never a quiet moment at the table.
However, now, if Liu Dezhou were sitting at the table, he would feel that it was too somber.
Liu Xiuzhen wore a serious and sorrowful expression, while Grandma sighed with her head down. Only Qinglan, though not particularly happy, kept trying to make conversation between the two, acting as a little spirit to lighten the atmosphere.
As the three were eating, suddenly someone rushed in from outside the courtyard, shouting, "Come quick! Is that Tree Uncle back? It seems like Jiawei is following behind!"
The person shouting was somewhat excited and thrilled, without even mentioning their name. They rushed in so hastily that they nearly tripped over the threshold.
Without even thinking of helping the person who reported this news, Liu Xiuzhen slammed her chopsticks on the table and rushed out to the courtyard, then dashed out to the bridge outside.
Qinglan and Grandma hurriedly put down their chopsticks to follow. Before they reached the entrance of the courtyard, they heard Liu Xiuzhen let out a loud cry of "Wow," before suddenly running back into the house straight to her bedroom.
Qinglan and Grandma thought she had been deceived and turned back to look at the person who reported it. "It seems like it really is Tree Uncle and Jiawei. How could I be mistaken?" Saying this, she headed outside to see for herself.
Outside, although Qinglan and Grandma were puzzled, they stepped out of the courtyard towards the bridge.
On the path leading into the village by the pond, in the direction where the sun was rising, on a path bathed in morning light, there were two figures walking one after another—one large and one small. Though not raggedly dressed, they looked travel-worn and disheveled. Who else could it be but Qing Shusheng and Liu Jiawei?
As soon as Qinglan caught sight of Qing Shusheng and Liu Jiawei, she dashed towards her father like a mountain hare.
Before she reached him, Qing Shusheng had already set down his bag. Standing straight with his arms hanging down like he was welcoming an esteemed guest, he opened his arms wide as Qinglan ran into him.
Qinglan accurately leaped into his embrace and then began to sob while hitting him lightly on his back.
Qing Shusheng held his beloved daughter in his arms, wiping away her tears.
"Father, do you know how bad you are? Mother and Grandma were so worried about you," Qinglan said, dabbing at her eyes.
"Yes, it's Father's fault for making them worry. I won't do it again. I've already brought your brother back; you haven't even seen him yet," Qing Shusheng said, patting Qinglan's head.
Qinglan finally smiled through her tears and called out to Liu Jiawei, her brother, before picking up a bag and heading home with Qing Shusheng.
Grandma stood in place, watching them with moist eyes.
Seeing them start to walk into the village, she turned and went back home.
By the time Qing Shusheng entered the house, Liu Xiuzhen had stopped crying and was busy inside with Grandma.
Though they claimed to be busy, it was more chaotic than anything else. The two seemed to feel that the house wasn't clean enough, wiping surfaces with cloths. They also thought there wasn't enough tea; despite the teapot being full, they muttered to themselves about needing more tea and went into the kitchen to boil water.
"Father and Brother must not have had breakfast yet," Qinglan remarked.
They were all preoccupied with trivial matters and had neglected the important ones. By the time Qing Shusheng and Liu Jiawei finished washing up and changed clothes, Liu Xiuzhen and Grandma were still busy but had forgotten to serve food for Qing Shusheng and Liu Jiawei.
Qinglan dashed into the kitchen and came out carrying two bowls of rice.
No one in the house was laughing. Liu Xiuzhen's tear stains from earlier were still visible on her face, which bore an expression that was a mix of joy and sorrow, but her smile hadn't fully appeared yet. Although Grandma's face showed signs of a smile, she still didn't dare to be too exuberant or expressive; it seemed she feared it was all just a dream. She worried that if she smiled too broadly, everyone in front of her would disappear or that a smile would wake her from this happiness, causing it to vanish.
Even without carefree laughter or joyous songs filling the air, the room was filled with an atmosphere of happiness that everyone could feel because the air itself was alive with joy and laughter.
Just as Qing Shusheng settled down to eat, a large crowd suddenly surged in. News traveled fast; within moments, nearly everyone in the village knew he had returned. Almost the entire village came to see him.
Thinking about it, this scene was truly touching. Sometimes even when officials from the town or county came by, they probably wouldn't receive such a warm welcome from so many people.
Qing Shusheng kept getting up repeatedly to greet everyone and offer his seat.
Liu Family Village returned to its former liveliness, and Liu Xiuzhen's family regained its previous status.
Liu Xiuzhen smiled, but there was no longer the arrogance and pride of the past. She had become much more humble and peaceful.
After finally finishing a meal, everyone began to inquire about her experiences in Shenzhen.
It turned out that after Qing Shusheng arrived in Shenzhen, he contacted many acquaintances, but surprisingly, no one knew that Liu Jiawei was working at that electronics factory. Eventually, through various acquaintances and some information from his classmates, he managed to locate Liu Jiawei.
Liu Jiawei had not actually started working at any electronics factory; instead, he had been taken to a pyramid scheme hideout. When he arrived at that place, fortunately, there were only a few teenagers there, about the same size as Liu Jiawei or even smaller. Qing Shusheng not only rescued Liu Jiawei but also brought several other children out.
Especially during the search for Liu Jiawei, Qing Shusheng was filled with fear and faced many hardships. This time, Liu Jiawei had suffered greatly while outside, so when he saw Qing Shusheng, he not only cried but also felt a multitude of shock and regret.
He almost couldn't return home.
Thus, he understood the meaning of home and the love of family, realizing that even when relatives scolded him, it was still an expression of love.
So when Qing Shusheng took him home this time, he did not resist as he had before; instead, he obediently listened. He also promised Qing Shusheng that after returning home, he would work hard in the fields and learn a trade.
The next morning, when he got up, Qing Shusheng was not at home. Liu Xiuzhen searched for him frantically.
"He must have gone out," Grandma said. "But wait, if he went out, why didn't he take anything? The hoe is still here." Liu Xiuzhen repeatedly checked the items that Qing Shusheng usually took when going out, but they were all in their usual places. Liu Xiuzhen began to panic again.
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