Chapter 828: Extra 17

"Nan Nan, you're back."

"Educated Youth An, you're back."

"Educated Youth An!"

"You're back? The houses have been kept for you all, and people have been cleaning them. You should go back and get some rest first."

"Oh? Educated Youth Zhao, Educated Youth Xie, Educated Youth Li, you've all returned."

Half an hour ago...

The cars drove straight to the Daduibu—four cars in total—making the people of Quanshui Village stare as if they were seeing a grand spectacle. An Yinan stepped out of the car first, with Chen Anhua and Chen Anxia standing on either side of their mother, looking at this place with curiosity.

"Finally back."

For so many years, whenever she felt unsettled in her heart, she would think of these days, think of this village, and think of the people in the village; she would gather infinite strength.

She hoped to let these people stop living while tightening their belts, hoped these people would no longer have numb faces, and hoped those children who longed to study could walk out.

"Are you tired?" Chen Xun looked at An Yinan and asked with some concern.

An Yinan shook her head, looking at the three worried people; she had only accidentally twisted her waist, she wasn't made of paper.

"Auntie." At this moment, a little one ran over from beside Li Xiue, stood in front of An Yinan, and revealed a shy smile.

An Yinan smiled gently, "Shuya, are you tired?"

Yun Shuya smiled, her face gentle, carrying a bit of introversion and shyness, "Auntie, I'm not tired. I brought a medicinal plaster; does your waist hurt?"

In Yun Shuya's hand, she held a plaster, looking at An Yinan with a worried face.

An Yinan couldn't help but pinch her cheek, "Auntie doesn't hurt, Shuya doesn't need to worry."

Yun Shu's face flushed slightly. Li Xiue walked up, looking at her daughter with a gentle face; she didn't tease her, just stroked her daughter's soft hair. Yun Qi looked at his wife and daughter, his eyes devoid of any calculation, filled with an unconcealable tenderness.

"Finally here." Zhao Qiu Hua walked over, with her big, chubby son standing beside her. The little guy was named Zhao Aiguo, taking after Qiu Hua's surname.

It wasn't that Qiu Hua wanted it that way; because of this matter, she had talked to Qian Zhao many times, but Qian Zhao smiled and said, "I have no home, but I hope to let Aiguo have roots."

"It doesn't matter what his surname is, he is my son regardless."

Zhao's parents had talked to Qian Zhao, but Qian Zhao seemed to have made up his mind. He couldn't change his own surname, but he didn't want his child to have any ties to the Qian family, and he especially didn't want that group of vampires to follow them.

"Auntie, let me rub it for you."

On Zhao Aiguo's white, chubby face, there was a hint of a smile. He wasn't afraid of his father, nor was he afraid of his mother, but he was afraid of this auntie in front of him who smiled so gently.

If Auntie got angry, Brother Anhua and Sister Anxia would beat him up!

Sister Shuya would also ignore him.

Even little brother Chen Chaochao wouldn't play with him.

Once he was naughty, for three whole days, no little friends played with him. From then on, he knew there was someone in the world who couldn't be provoked, and that was Auntie Nan Nan.

"Thank you Aiguo, when Auntie's pain returns, I'll let you rub it for me, okay?"

An Yinan liked this little fatty. Qian Zhao was tall and thin, but this little guy had been fed white and chubby by the couple, though he wasn't short in height.

"The little guy needs to be controlled; it's not good for a child to be too fat." An Yinan glanced at Zhao Qiu Hua.

Zhao Qiu Hua chuckled, but nodded earnestly.

"Brother Anhua, Sister Anxia." A little bean-sprout, having just opened the car door, ran over, hugged Chen Anhua's thigh, and wouldn't let go no matter what.

The person he admired most was Brother Anhua. Brother Anhua was so amazing; when a kid at kindergarten bullied him, Brother Anhua went straight to the principal's office when he came to pick him up.

Originally, that kid's father wanted to make a move, but he was directly lifted up and thrown out by Brother Anhua.

From then on, that kid never dared to bully anyone again.

However...

He chuckled; he wasn't that easy to bully either!

"Were you good?" Chen Anxia squatted down, looking at the youngest Chen Chaochao, teasingly pinching his face.

The little guy wrinkled his nose, but revealed a smiling face.

"I was good. Brother Anhua said if I'm good and get first place, he'll give me a gift." The little guy announced loudly.

"Brother keeps his word." Chen Anhua bent down, picked up the little guy, and then followed the adults' footsteps.

"Educated Youth An." The people at the Daduibu thought someone from the county had arrived, and the Captain hurried over with his people, only then seeing the group.

The children were already grown, but their appearances were favored by time, as if time had frozen, just like before.

"Brother Li."

An Yinan walked forward, looking at the people he brought behind him, "Should I still address you as Captain?"

Brother Li was the son of the former Captain and also Huzi's father.

Huzi was very successful now, staying in Beijing and entering a government department; he had his own path.

"Dad." Huzi carried his bag, then walked forward and hugged his father.

His dad was a bit flustered, "You child, with so many people watching, they'll laugh at us."

Huzi let go of him and shook his head gently, "I want to see Grandpa."

The former Captain was old and had been injured before; his health was deteriorating day by day.

"Let's go."

"You've come?" The former Captain looked at An Yinan and finally couldn't help but reveal a smile, "You're back?"

"I'm back." An Yinan nodded.

"It's good to be back, go home and take a look." The former Captain nodded.

An Yinan performed a Pulse Reading on him, "How long has it been?"

"A long time."

"I saw through it long ago."

The old man's body was no longer sturdy; illness made him increasingly thin and weak, his face was somewhat sunken, and his hands were withered, marked with age spots.

He could no longer protect her as he had before.

With one relative after another passing away, An Yinan thought she had grown accustomed to parting, yet standing here, she still could not let go.

"I brought medicine, it's not a big problem," she looked at him and answered softly.

"Heh heh—"

"You! The first time I saw you, I knew another troublemaker had arrived!"

"The first troublemaker was you," those withered fingers pointed at Xie Shuyang.

Xie Shuyang smiled and nodded; he had stayed up all night researching a project topic and nearly burned down the Educated Youth Courtyard, after which half the village helped put out the fire.

"Later on, I learned a little bit about you all; although I didn't know much, I knew you were all good children."

"Constant dripping wears away the stone; the country has the life it does today because of countless people like you, silently giving your all."

The old man smiled and shook his head, looking at the groups of people; time had passed and things had changed, yet upon their return, they remained the same.

The sincerity and persistence in their eyes were just as they had been before.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

"Captain, there is still a long time ahead, get some sleep," An Yinan coaxed softly.

"Dad, get some sleep," Brother Li was also quite anxious; his father's condition had been getting worse lately.

"I'm fine."

The old man smiled, "Being able to protect you all when you were still fledglings is something I am proud of in this life."

An Yinan took the Health Pill out of her bag and gently handed it to Brother Li, "Three pills a day, take them for a month first."

"I will come over for Acupuncture these next two days."

Brother Li gripped the porcelain bottle tightly and nodded, too moved to say anything.

"Mom, is this the courtyard where you stayed as an Educated Youth?"

"Mom, is this the room where Uncle lived?"

"Mom, this vegetable garden is growing really well."

Returning to the Educated Youth Courtyard, they walked through the front yard, a place she had once not wanted to step foot in, one by one.

"Which hand hit my brother?"

"Whoever reached out, I will chop it off!"

By the water well, she seemed to see that day's scene replayed.

Looking at the empty room, it was as if chestnuts were still drying in the courtyard.

Looking at the open back door, it was now sealed from the inside, but she knew that opening the back door led to that vegetable garden, the vegetable garden that Zhang Qian and Xie Yuanyuan had helped her start together.

They walked through every single room, and fragments of memory flooded her mind as if without any need for thought.

"Thinking about it now, that time was truly wonderful!"

Zhao Qiu Hua looked at everything familiar, a place she had returned to countless times in her dreams.

She used to feel it was so painful, wondering when she would be able to escape.

Only after walking out did she realize that there were so many beautiful memories here.

"Mom," Xie Chaochao ran over from afar.

"Stand there, you've grown up, don't go bumping into Mom's arms," Xie Shuyang frowned, standing in front of Xie Chaochao to block his momentum.

"Oh!"

Xie Chaochao answered obediently, then looked at An Yinan, "Auntie, there are many people who sent things over, Chaochao doesn't recognize them."

An Yinan raised an eyebrow, and the group hurried to the backyard, where they saw rice, flour, vegetables, meat, and daily necessities placed in their courtyard...

They did not leave their names, just silently doing all of this.

"This is what a home is, right?"

A person's life can have many homes; as long as there is a place where the heart can rest, that is home.