Chapter 1726

The two big tables of people were eating and drinking, and neighbors were also enthusiastically joining in to chat and have a few drinks. The meal lasted until the sun was about to set. In the middle, they kept adding dishes; when it got cold, they heated it up. One meal turned into two.

If Ye Yaodong hadn't told them they were leaving early tomorrow morning and still had to do preparations and drive the boat back, he would have been dead drunk.

Ye Fu said he wouldn't drink, but by the end, his tongue was thick too. They couldn't drive back, but fortunately, Ye Chengjiang hadn't been drinking.

When Ye Fu wanted to toast, Ye Yaodong told Lin Guangming to drive them back later, otherwise, there was really no counting on Ye Fu.

He watched the sun hide behind the clouds. It was getting a bit chilly in the evening, and it was time to go back. It was already 4 o'clock, and it would be about 5 o'clock by the time they got home.

Eating from 12 noon to 4 in the afternoon, this meal was indeed long enough. Lin Fu and Lin Mu knew they were leaving tomorrow, so they didn't try to keep them any longer, only urging them to drive carefully.

Lin Guangming, Lin Guangwen, and Lin Dongxue also took their luggage and followed them into their three cars.

They would sleep at their house tonight and could leave together early tomorrow morning, saving them from having to take a car over early and making people wait.

They arrived home around 5 o'clock, so there was no need to eat dinner at all. They had eaten from 12 to 4 in the afternoon; they just needed to cook some late-night snacks to eat in the evening.

As soon as Ye Yaodong got home, he immediately called people to go to the town to fill up all their boats with fuel first.

The preparations for the other villagers' boats were also almost done.

The three siblings were also happily packing their luggage as soon as they got home. Ye Chenghu didn't have much to pack; he only brought one set of clothes when he came back, and his luggage was still in the Magic City.

The other two didn't have many clothes, but they had a lot of miscellaneous items.

Lin Xiuqing packed their clothes for them, and let them choose what other miscellaneous items they wanted to bring themselves.

When Pei Yu found out Ye Xiaoxi was back from her grandmother's house, she ran over to find her.

But she saw her packing her toys and was immediately curious.

"Sister, what are you doing? Why are you putting your toys in a basket?"

"Ah, sister, you're here? I'm packing my toys. I'm going on a long trip with my dad tomorrow. My dad said he's taking me to the Magic City for school," Ye Xiaoxi said cheerfully.

But when Pei Yu heard this, she felt like the sky was falling!

She widened her eyes in shock. "Ah? You're going to the Magic City for school? Why? You didn't tell me? Why aren't you going to school at home?"

"My dad only said it this afternoon. I just got back, and my mom told me to pack my own things. I was packing my toys when you came. Sister, why don't you come to the Magic City with us?"

"Why not here? Why go to the Magic City?"

"Because my dad is going to Zhou City to make money, my older brother is going to the Magic City for school—school is starting soon—and my mom is also going to the Magic City to work to help my dad earn money. So my second brother and I are also going to the Magic City for school, so my mom can take care of us."

Pei Yu's face fell. "I just came back for school, and you're going away for school."

"Then why did you come back? Wouldn't it have been better if you waited for me to find you?"

"I wasn't used to it up there. The local dialect they speak is different from ours. I still like our village."

"Is that so? Then what if I speak differently from them when I get there?" Ye Xiaoxi was a bit indecisive and shouted loudly for Lin Xiuqing.

Lin Xiuqing thought something was wrong and came up to ask. It turned out she was worried about the language barrier.

"Your brother said they speak Mandarin at school in the Magic City, and they only speak the local dialect after class. Won't it be fine if you speak Mandarin with your classmates after class? Aren't you good at making friends?"

Ye Xiaoxi nodded. "Of course! I have so many friends. Mom, can I take 'Gongxi Facai' and the others? And their little babies, 'Da Hui' and 'Xiao Hui'?"

Lin Xiuqing thought about it. There were dog kennels over there, and taking them would keep her company. She nodded. "Yes, you can take them."

"Great! Then I'll have them take me to school! That way no one will dare to bully me!"

Pei Yu was even more envious when she saw this.

"Mom, can I take my sister with me?"

Lin Xiuqing glanced at Pei Yu. She still liked this child very much; after all, she had raised her for a whole year when she was little, and had always treated her like her own child.

"Xiao Yu has her own parents. Her parents are also leaving for Zhou City early tomorrow morning, just like us. Taking her with us is no different from her parents taking her. You have to let her go home and ask her own parents."

Ye Xiaoxi turned and asked, "Then sister, why don't you go home and ask your parents to take you along? Then we can go to Zhou City together again."

Pei Yu hesitated. "Aren't you going to the Magic City?"

"I'm going to Zhou City with my dad first, and then when school is about to start, I'll go to the Magic City for school."

"But I have to go to school at home..."

Ye Xiaoxi was momentarily at a loss. "Then go ask your mom if you can go to school in Zhou City too? That way when my dad comes to see us, you can come along too!"

"Then I'll go ask my mom."

Pei Yu turned and ran away.

Last year, she was the only one who went to Zhou City for school. She was lonely without a companion, her friends were far away, and she couldn't fit in with the locals. She wasn't used to it at all.

But this year, all three siblings were going to the Magic City for school, which meant she wasn't the only one going to school away from home. She instantly felt comforted.

Moreover, her whole family was leaving tomorrow. If her little friend's family was also leaving tomorrow, she would really become a little pitiful one.

No wonder her mom kept telling her in the evening to be obedient when following her grandmother, and to call if she missed her parents.

Now that everyone was leaving, of course she had to leave too.

After she left, Ye Xiaoxi also asked Lin Xiuqing, "Mom? Can sister go to the Magic City for school with us?"

"Sister has her own parents. Her parents will plan for her; you don't need to worry. Besides, she's not in the same grade as you. Although she's the same age, she was born on the 15th of the eighth lunar month, so she's one grade behind you. Even if she goes to the Magic City for school, she won't be in the same class as you."

"Oh, then won't she have to go to school alone again?"

"Then why don't you not go to the Magic City for school? Just go to school in Zhou City, so you can keep sister company."

"That's fine too. I'm okay with anything; you and Dad decide."

Lin Xiuqing tapped her forehead. "Forget it. It's more chaotic over there. Go to the Magic City; the education is better."

"Alright then."

Ye Xiaoxi was an optimist and went with the flow, thinking everything was fine. Anyway, as long as either Dad or Mom was by her side, she was fine.

She happily packed her little things again. Lin Xiuqing saw the whole basket was full; there was almost nothing she wasn't taking.

"Are you taking everything? Aren't you leaving anything at home?"

"Then I won't take anything, and I'll buy new ones later?" She smiled ingratiatingly.

"Dream on. Suit yourself, take whatever you want."

When Ye Yaodong finished his preparations and came back, it was already pitch black. The boys next door were playing cards under a light, noisy and rowdy. Looking in from the outside through the glass window, it felt like it was filled with smoke.

He went over and knocked on the window to remind them, "We're leaving at 4 o'clock tomorrow morning. If you get up late, I won't wait for you; you'll have to take a boat up yourselves."

"Got it. We'll play for a while and then rest soon."

Lin Guangming and Lin Guangwen were also inside, touching the cards in their hands.

These few gathered together really had something to play with.

After Ye Yaodong finished reminding them, he went back to his own house. The luggage had already been packed into several large bags, and Lin Xiuqing was still checking to see if anything had been left out.

"Is everything packed?"

"Everything is packed. I'm just thinking if anything was left out. Probably not; I started packing days ago, and anything I missed was added long ago. The other three children packed their own things."

"Hmm, alright."

"Is everything on the boat ready?"

"Ready. We can leave as soon as we get up early tomorrow and go to the town pier. Tell them to sleep early tonight."

"Got it. I'm finishing checking things now, thinking of waiting for you to come back to cook some late-night snacks for you all to eat before sleeping. If you didn't come back, it would have gotten cold."

The old lady sighed. "All of a sudden, your whole family is leaving, all going up there. The house is going to be desolate again."

"I'll come back often. Anyway, I'll arrange a boat to send goods to the town and the city. As soon as I have time, I'll drive the boat back to see you."

"I'm fine, it doesn't matter. You young people need to work hard outside to make money. Now Aqing and the children are going with you too, it's good for the family to be together. Having Aqing by your side can also take care of you."

The old lady was about to wipe away tears as she spoke.

"If I take you with me, I'll get scolded by my dad..."

Last time, he took the old lady up without a word and got a severe scolding.

She was a year older after the New Year, so it was even harder for her to go out.

"I'm not going. I'm not going anywhere. I'll just stay at home and retire. How comfortable is it at home? Why would I go outside? It's so much suffering. At home, there's food and drink, and there are many people, so it's lively. Outside, I can't even speak the language, and I have to gesture back and forth. It's not as comfortable as home."

"Then you just stay at home and retire comfortably. If anything happens, call me."

"Aye, I will. You also have to call back more often. Don't get so busy that you forget to call. Eat your meals on time, don't go hungry. People are iron, rice is steel; if you don't eat a meal, you'll be hungry. Only when you're full do you have the strength to earn money."

"Got it."

"Huimei's family is gone, and your whole family is leaving too. Ahai and his wife went to the provincial capital early this morning. The young ones are all gone too. Tomorrow, only Chenghe and his wife will be left at home."

"When his wife gives birth to the child, remember to call me and tell us if it's a boy or a girl. We'll all come back to drink the wedding wine."

The old lady finally smiled. "Aye, good. When the little grandson is born, I'll call you, and you all come back to celebrate."

"Hmm."

Lin Xiuqing changed the subject. "Go ask the children what they want for a late-night snack? I'll go make it for them."

"Whatever, you decide. Whatever there is, eat it. Don't raise them to be picky."

"Alright."