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The journey home was familiar and easy. Jiang Yizhou got off the train with his luggage, passed through the ticket gate, had breakfast at a restaurant in the train station, and then boarded the long-distance shuttle back home.
"Ah!" The strange yet familiar feeling arose. Jiang Yizhou's two sets of memories led him to perceive things in two different ways. Although it was primarily his consciousness at play, his acceptance of this life naturally came with these emotions.
Jiang Yizhou walked along the town's streets towards the village when he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.
He turned around in confusion, momentarily unable to recall who it was.
A young man with a buzz cut, wearing a shirt printed with incomprehensible patterns and text, rode up on a tricycle and stopped beside him.
"You haven't forgotten me, have you?" The young man grinned widely and laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm Tiger, we used to go to school together all the time. Don't you remember?"
Gradually, Jiang Yizhou began to recall him, and memories surfaced in his mind. He smiled back, "How could I forget? It's just been a while, hahaha! How have you been lately? What are you up to now?"
Tiger pointed towards a nearby restroom and chuckled shyly, "I'm waiting for my son to use the bathroom!"
Jiang Yizhou was momentarily taken aback, "Your son? How old is he?"
"Three years old. He can still manage to use the toilet!"
Looking at Tiger's youthful face, Jiang Yizhou thought he seemed unreliable. Although rural ages often add a year or two, three years old usually meant he was just two years old plus the time of pregnancy.
"Tiger, I remember you are nineteen, right?"
The young man glanced at him shyly and pressed his lips together. "What can I say? One thing led to another, and now I just had to throw a banquet first; there's no rush for the marriage certificate!"
Tiger looked at Jiang Yizhou's pile of luggage and offered, "How about I give you a ride? You’ll probably be exhausted walking home!"
After considering it for a moment, Jiang Yizhou gladly accepted. He didn't find his luggage too heavy; carrying several hundred pounds of rice was common for him. Unlike this generation that lacked physical strength, it would be quite easy for him to sit in Tiger's vehicle.
"Daddy, I'm back!" A tender voice emerged from the alley. Upon seeing Jiang Yizhou, the child slowed down his steps, appearing somewhat afraid of this unfamiliar uncle.
"Son, come here! Don’t be scared; this is your Uncle Jiang. Say hello to Uncle!" Tiger said earnestly to his son.
Jiang Yizhou smiled warmly and extended his hands, quickly picking up the boy. "What a good friend! Here, have some White Rabbit milk candies!"
Jiang Yizhou left his hometown when he started university and has been living independently ever since, with little experience dealing with children, much like the clumsy Tiger. Perhaps Tiger has even more experience as a new father than he does.
The White Rabbit Creamy Candy was also brought back by Jiang Yizhou from the capital, and he had two large bags of it. He casually opened his canvas bag, tore open one of the packets, and handed a handful to Tiger.
Children are easy to please, especially for someone like Jiang Yizhou, who generously offers gifts without worrying about whether the child has cavities, acting as a "carefree elder."
Tiger had nothing else to do but wipe his nose with his sleeve and smiled widely, unwrapping a piece of candy and tossing it into his mouth along with the wrapper.
"You can only eat two!" Tiger said sternly to his son. Although Tiger was reluctant, he stuffed the rest of the candy into his pocket and only ate two pieces on the surface.
"I can only go this far; I'm heading home now!" Tiger stopped the Tricycle and said to Jiang Yizhou, who was sitting in the vehicle. His village was located between Jiang Yizhou's home and the town.
"That's fine; thank you for your hard work!" After waving goodbye to Tiger and his son, Jiang Yizhou walked toward the village with his luggage, which was still about ten minutes away.
Perhaps due to the recent rain, the ground was a bit muddy. He had to carry his suitcase, and when he reached his doorstep, he wasn't too tired, though his arms felt a bit sore.
"Maoqiang, doesn't that look like our son?" Gao Qingzhen, who came out holding a basin to wash rice and vegetables, called out to her husband. However, Jiang Maoqiang leaned back on a stool, leisurely basking in the sun with squinted eyes, hardly paying attention to what his wife said.
"Can't you just take a look? Don't you recognize our son?" Jiang Maoqiang replied in a way that annoyed Gao Qingzhen, without even lifting his eyelids.
Gao Qingzhen angrily slammed the long handle of her tool down but soon helplessly resumed washing rice. Her husband's temperament was such that he always tried to keep things smooth between them. Even if he secretly went against her wishes, at least they were consistent as a couple; he let her handle matters, so what else could she do?
As the figure drew closer, when Gao Qingzhen was about to head back to the kitchen with the basin of rice, she realized it was indeed their eldest son returning.
"It really is our son! Hurry up and go see him; help him with his luggage!" Gao Qingzhen shouted loudly at her husband sitting at the door. She hurriedly poured the washed rice into a large pot, lit a fire, and began cooking while using tongs to add dry grass to stoke the flames.
This time, Jiang Maoqiang finally moved. With a smile on his face, he approached his son and took the suitcase from him. "Son, why did you come back so suddenly without saying anything?"
"I just missed home and wanted to stay for a bit. Besides, isn't Xiao Ya starting high school? I came back to see her!" Jiang Yizhou felt awkward mentioning that he was worried about his mother.
Upon entering the house, he found that their mud-brick home was relatively clean thanks to his mother's efforts; there wasn't much dust visible. The first thing Jiang Yizhou did was open the gifts he brought. "Dad, this is a down jacket I bought for you—it's sturdy and durable in black. I also got something for Mom and Xiao Ya."
Looking around, Jiang Yizhou asked while watching his father try on clothes, "Dad, where are Mom and Xiao Ya?"
"Your mom is in the kitchen, and Xiao Ya went to town to buy something!" Jiang Maoqiang casually said.
Jiang Yizhou responded with a hum and didn't ask further, continuing to move things outside. "Dad, look, this is..."
After organizing his luggage and putting it back in his room, Jiang Yizhou went to the kitchen to help with the fire.
However, his mother was anxiously instructing him to watch the fire and was planning to go out.
"Mom, where are you going?"
"What are you doing? I'm going to slaughter a chicken. Today we can consider ourselves a family reunion, so we should celebrate!" His mother said happily.
However, feeling a bit hungry, Jiang Yizhou looked at the ingredients ready to be cooked and advised, "Mom, I brought back a Peking duck. Can't we just have that for lunch? I didn't eat much on the train and I'm a bit hungry!"
His mother thought for a moment, "That works too. You go check if Er Ya is back, and call your dad over to tend to the fire."
Having received the instruction, Jiang Yizhou got up and made way.
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