I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 39 - Changed

Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Changed

Chapter 39 -39 Changed

He was He Xiuyu, and the little girl was his elder brother’s daughter, He Xuerong.

He turned around to look at Sun Dazhi and said gently, “You can go back first, come to pick me up the day after tomorrow morning.”

Sun Dazhi placed a large travel bag at the door. Seeing the door tightly locked, he thought that Qingyu might have gone to the commune.

He grinned and agreed, then drove away.

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He Xiuyu looked down at He Xuerong, a touch of softness fleeting through his indifferent eyes. He paused for a moment, then took out the keys and unlocked the iron lock.

With a creak, the door of this mistakenly formed home swung open.

He carried the travel bag in one hand and held He Xuerong’s hand as they stood in the courtyard.

Even the ever-composed He Xiuyu was taken aback for a moment.

The courtyard was still the same courtyard.

It was still run-down, still bearing the marks of decades.

But, it was different now.

The ground was swept clean; the previously scattered boxes and clutter had vanished, only a few neatly placed sacks were in the corner.

It was still somewhat cold in early April, so he picked up He Xuerong and carried the canvas travel bag into the low adobe house.

Their temporary dwelling was similar to all rural homes in the Northwest, with a kitchen upon entry and two rooms on either side for living. The layout had naturally not changed, yet it felt completely renewed.

This feeling was quite extraordinary.

The kitchen seemed to have just extinguished the fire not long ago, and the owner had not been gone for long, a faint rice fragrance wafting through the room.

He put the child down, took out the keys again, and opened his room in the west wing. A burst of cold and damp air hit him.

He had not returned to this home very often, his visits always brief, and naturally, he had no time to tidy up. Now, the room was covered in dust, a cold chill running from head to toe.

He Xiuyu stepped back out, looked at his silent niece, then glanced at the room on the east. The door was naturally unlocked. He hesitated for a moment but still led the little girl into the east room.

This was where Qiao Qingyu lived.

He had entered on April first, and now, just a short few weeks later, even with some mental preparation, he was still momentarily stunned.

The glass was spotlessly clean, and two small baskets sat on the windowsill with green plants about twenty centimeters tall. The reed mat spread on the kang was spotlessly clean, and by the kang’s head was a small kang table, the old table also wiped to spotlessness.

On the side against the wall, there was a stack of middle and high school textbooks.

To the west of the main kang, aside from the kang cabinet, there was now a row of wooden boxes.

They were planted with cabbage, spinach, garlic sprouts, and green onions…

The fresh greenery struck his eyes, spreading like ripples on water, inexplicably uplifting his mood.

If not for the red wedding characters and calendar on the wall, he would have thought he walked into the wrong place.

Moreover, the room was filled with a faint, unfamiliar fragrance.

Everything was reminding He Xiuyu that in his absence, this so-called home had undergone changes he was unaware of.

He let out a barely audible breath, then placed his niece on the kang edge, removed her small leather shoes, and let her sit on the somewhat warm reed mat. He softly said, “Rongrong, your little uncle is going to cook for you. Can you sit here quietly and be good?”

He Xuerong watched her little uncle without blinking and finally nodded, yet she still remained silent.

He Xiuyu sighed with relief. After traveling through the night, Rongrong was hungry, so he had to make her some rice porridge first.

The kitchen was cleaned and organized by Qiao Qingyu, which made it easy to find what was needed.

However, aside from an egg, there were only some dried goods.

Of course, Qiao Qingyu was also wealthy; she had grown several boxes of vegetables.

He Xiuyu opened his travel bag, took out sausages, smoked meat, dried shrimp, dried fish, and a cloth bag of eggs, and placed the items on the top shelf of the cupboard.

Soon, the rice porridge was ready, and He Xiuyu carried a big bowl and two smaller bowls into the east room.

There, he saw Rongrong, who had just been sitting on the edge of the bed, now kneeling in front of a wooden box, staring unblinkingly at the tender green bok choy.

He Xiuyu gently advised her, “Rongrong, this belongs to little aunt. Don’t mess with it, come and have some porridge…”

He Xuerong seemed to listen well to He Xiuyu; she obediently crawled over and sat down at the table on the bed, picked up her little spoon, and started to eat.

Just then, from the courtyard came a childish shout, “Everyone in the house, put your hands up…”

He didn’t finish his sentence before Sister-in-law Li shouted, “Xiao Hu! Uncle He is back, don’t be rude…”

He Xuerong put down her spoon and turned her face towards the window.

Reflected on the glass was the face of a little boy making faces, his features indiscernible.

Shortly after, Sister-in-law Li’s voice arrived before she did, “Xiao He is back, you mustn’t have had breakfast. I have steamed buns and egg custard here, have a bite first while you wait. Qingyu has gone to the town and won’t be back until the afternoon…”

He Xiuyu raised an eyebrow; Sister-in-law Li seemed to get along quite well with Qiao Qingyu these days, addressing her quite affectionately.

While she was speaking, Sister-in-law Li had already come in with the food, followed by Xiao Hu, who was carrying a small wooden gun.

Whenever Qiao Qingyu was not at home, the security of this shabby thatched house was Xiao Hu’s responsibility. If he hadn’t been playing around in the western part of the village just now, he would have instantly noticed He Xiuyu’s return.

He would also have noticed the addition of a beautifully featured little girl in Uncle He’s home.

Sister-in-law Li was slightly taken aback for a moment. He Xiuyu brought back a child—who’s child was it?

Behind her, Xiao Hu’s eyes widened as he blurted out, “Mom, I’ve seen this little sister before!”

He Xiuyu, “…”

Damn kid, if he didn’t know what kind of person Mr. Li was, he would have suspected someone had read him “Dream of the Red Chamber.”

Sister-in-law Li smacked him playfully, “Nonsense, where would you have seen her before?” She then smiled and asked He Xiuyu, “Xiao He, whose child is this?”

“Sister-in-law Li, this is my older brother’s daughter, her name is He Xuerong.”

So it turned out to be Xiao He’s niece.

And really, she was very pretty, just like the people you see in New Year pictures.

Meanwhile, Qiao Qingyu was still unaware that not only had He Xiuyu returned, he had also brought along his little niece.

At that moment, Qiao Qingyu was following Yu Factory Director, standing in front of the open-air warehouse at the back of the machinery factory.

Armed with an introduction letter, a family member certificate, and money, Qiao Qingyu’s meeting with Yu Factory Director went very smoothly, but she was speechless upon seeing the rusty machines in front of her.

Pointing at the machines, which were almost equivalent to scrap metal, she incredulously asked, “Director Yu, are these what you call tillers?”

Yu Factory Director smiled awkwardly, “Comrade Qiao Qingyu, our factory no longer produces large machinery; what you see is equipment from over a decade ago. Although it’s old, it still works.”