“Jianxi, Jianxi…”
In the cramped main room, Miao Daju looked at the dark, sturdy young man before her and was too emotional to speak. Xu Laojue, who usually wasn’t much of a talker, was also so moved that his hands trembled.
As for Xu Jianxi himself, he glanced around at his family, didn’t see the person he disliked, and flashed his parents a grin of bright white teeth. “Mom, Dad, I’m back!”
“Back is good, back is good! How many days can you stay at home this time?”
Xu Jianxi patted his buzz-cut head. “Probably half a month to a month. Depends on the situation. I also came back with a procurement assignment from the farm.”
Hearing that he could stay that long, Miao Daju and Xu Laojue grew even more emotional. The two of them grabbed Xu Jianxi and asked what he wanted to eat, completely forgetting about Xu Jiannan and his wife, as well as Xu Jianbei and Bai Lan.
Seeing this, Bai Lan thought it was wonderful. With the second brother back, the whole family was overjoyed. But then she thought about the eldest branch of the family, who had gone back to their in-laws’ home, and suspected there would be some trouble later.
Xu Jianbei had the same thought. He exchanged a glance with his third brother and signaled for him to step outside.
“Third Brother, the eldest brother and his family will be back this afternoon. If Second Brother wants to beat him up, don’t get involved.”
Xu Jiannan was two years older than Xu Jianbei. He knew all about what had happened back then with the sent-down youth assignment. He immediately said, “As long as Second Brother doesn’t beat the eldest to death on the spot, I won’t interfere. Someone like our eldest brother needs to be brought down with an iron fist.”
With that understanding between them, they turned to look at Xu Jianxi, who was still smiling cheerfully. Both brothers felt that he must have had a very hard time in the countryside all these years. Otherwise, that mischievous, carefree kid from back then wouldn’t have become so steady and composed.
——
While the Xu family enjoyed their reunion, the neighbors outside buzzed with gossip.
“Hey, that’s not right. Didn’t Jianxi go to the countryside? He hasn’t come back in all these years. Why is he back now?”
“Today’s New Year’s Eve. Isn’t it perfectly normal to come home for the holiday?”
“Carrying such a big burlap sack—Jianxi must be doing pretty well in the countryside.”
Xu Jianxi had indeed walked in carrying a large sack. Earlier, everyone had been surprised by his return. Now they were curious about what good things he’d brought back. They’d heard that Jianxi had been sent to an island.
Inside the Xu family’s main room, Xu Jianxi had already opened the sack and started pulling things out one by one.
There were bundles of salted dried fish, tied-together strands of kelp, paper-wrapped dried oysters and conpoy, and dried shrimp the size of an adult’s palm.
These things were extremely rare in the northern city.
With each item Xu Jianxi pulled out, the Xu family’s main room erupted in “oohs” and “aahs.”
Bai Lan had smelled the ocean scent as soon as Xu Jianxi returned. Now, seeing all these things before her, she couldn’t help but be delighted. The truth was, the aroma of dried seafood was incredibly savory. It was perfect for making soup. Since traveling through time to this era, she hadn’t had any. Just thinking about that sweet, fragrant taste made her mouth water.
While Bai Lan’s inner foodie was waking up, Liu Meiling had already started scheming. She wondered if she could partner with the second brother to bring these seafood products to the northern city to sell. The profits would surely be enormous.
But considering the current transportation situation, Liu Meiling could only sigh in resignation—she couldn’t get her hands on this business for now.
If Bai Lan had known what Liu Meiling was thinking, she would have marveled that the female lead really was something else—always thinking about making big money.
——
Outside, some neighbors who had seen the seafood Xu Jianxi brought out were burning with envy. The back courtyard grew even livelier.
The front courtyard was equally animated. Several people who had just come back from watching the excitement were at home discussing Xu Jianxi.
“Xiaocong, Xu Jianxi is back. Is that driving lesson thing still happening or not?”
At the Ning household, Datou was chopping meat. Thanks to the Xu brothers’ help, his family had no shortage of meat this year, and all at reasonable prices.
Hearing his mother’s question, Datou shook his head. “Mom, why are you worrying about nothing? Brother Xi coming back is a good thing. It has nothing to do with my driving lessons. Besides, Brother Bei is keeping an eye on this for me. And Bai Lan wouldn’t stand me up either. So just rest assured, one hundred percent!”
Hearing her son’s confidence, Ning’s mother relaxed a bit. The opportunity to learn to drive was just too important. She’d never achieved much in life, and her luck had been bad. Just as she got pregnant, her husband was injured and became paralyzed.
She alone had to take care of her husband, go to work, give birth, and raise the child. She simply hadn’t had a better way to give her son a better life.
Fortunately, her son was luckier than she was. He got along well with Bai Lan and Xu Jianbei in the back courtyard. Now that they were helping him get ahead, she was deeply grateful.
But as a mother, she was always afraid her son might miss a golden opportunity. Especially since Xu Jianxi was Xu Jianbei’s own brother. If there was only one chance to learn to drive, her son might have to step aside.
After all, if Xu Jianxi learned to drive, with the Xu brothers’ connections, they might even be able to get him transferred back from the countryside.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Ning’s mother decided that once she fried the meatballs, she would send a big, full bowl over to the Xu family.
Datou had no idea about his mother’s complicated mental calculations. As he chopped the meat, he daydreamed about the wonderful life that would open up once he learned to drive.
But his daydream lasted only a few minutes before his father’s voice called out from inside the house.
Datou hastily put down the kitchen knife and went inside to help his father drink some water.
——
Bai Lan came over to give Datou some seafood and happened to see Datou rush inside. She didn’t follow him, just stood at the door and greeted Ning’s mother.
“Oh my, Bai Lan! You… why are you here?” Ning’s mother shook the water off her hands, wiped them repeatedly on her apron, and looked at Bai Lan nervously.
Bai Lan said with a smile, “Aunt Ning, my second brother came back, didn’t he? He brought some seaweed—it’s not worth much. I just wanted to give you some to try.”
Hearing that she was offering a gift, Aunt Ning immediately tried to decline. But Datou heard the commotion outside and ran out. “Oh, seaweed! That’s good stuff!”
Bai Lan knew Datou wouldn’t stand on ceremony with her. She shoved the seaweed into his arms and continued, “Your Brother Bei just said that the driving lessons can start on the fourth day of the New Year. Use these next few days to get things in order at home. For a while at the beginning, you’ll probably need to be out and about a lot.”
Hearing that it was about this matter, Datou waved his hand casually. “Sure, sure, no problem. It’s not a big deal. By the way, what about Brother Xi…”
Hearing that nickname, Bai Lan burst out laughing. She found it absolutely hilarious.
Datou had no idea why Bai Lan was laughing and just wanted to ask about any interesting news from the place where Xu Jianxi had been sent to the countryside.
“If you’re curious, come over to the house this afternoon and ask Second Brother directly.”
——
On the other side of the courtyard wall, Xu Jianbei heard Bai Lan’s laughter and smiled, shaking his head.
Xu Jianxi, seeing that his youngest brother, who had still been a little kid back then, was now married—and his third brother was also married—sighed at how quickly time had passed.
“Second Brother, can you really stay as long as a month this time?”
Xu Jianxi nodded. “Yes, our farm has supplies to procure. I came to help with that.”
Xu Jianbei didn’t press for details on what exactly the procurement assignment entailed. Instead, he started telling Xu Jianxi about how things had been at home over the years. Although they’d exchanged letters, some things were better explained face to face.
After hearing him out, Xu Jianxi sighed. “When Grandpa passed away at the beginning of the year, I wanted to come back. But something came up, and I couldn’t make it.”
Xu Jianbei wasn’t angry about that. Before Grandpa passed, he had specifically said not to notify Second Brother. Besides, Grandma was still around then, and if Second Brother had come back, it probably would have caused another scene. Grandma had held on just long enough to outlive Grandpa, passing away less than a month later.
Once the heavy topic had passed, Xu Jianbei patted his second brother on the shoulder. “Elder Brother and his family went to deliver New Year’s gifts to his in-laws. When he comes back this afternoon, if you want to teach him a lesson, Third Brother and I won’t interfere.”
To be fair, married daughters usually visited their in-laws and presented gifts on the second day of the New Year. But his eldest sister-in-law was afraid that if they kept the New Year’s goods from the factory at home, they’d get used up. So as soon as she got her hands on them, she took the whole family straight to her parents’ house. Frankly, that kind of petty behavior was such a killjoy.
Hearing his younger brother’s words, Xu Jianxi was momentarily surprised, then broke into a mischievous smile. “That coward. I really can’t be bothered to touch him. But if he provokes me, then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Xu Jianxi was no longer the pitiful, bullied boy from back then. He had long since looked down on the eldest brother, who only acted tough at home. That kind of person was nothing once he left the house.
——
Just as the two brothers were talking about Xu Jiandong, they saw him and his family walk in from outside.
“Oh, Jiandong, didn’t you say you were staying at your in-laws’ for lunch before coming back?”
Xu Jiandong was left speechless by the old man at the front gate’s question. He waved his hand without a word and rushed straight home. It seemed he’d taken some kind of blow at his in-laws’ house.
But as he charged forward with his head down, he nearly ran straight into Xu Jianxi, who was standing at the door.
Xu Jianxi, seeing the path blocked, was about to tell the person to move. But when he looked up and saw Xu Jianxi grinning at him with a mouthful of white teeth, he stumbled back several steps in fright, pointed a trembling finger at Xu Jianxi, and couldn’t get a word out.
Seeing what a coward his eldest brother was, Xu Jianxi was instantly reminded of that useless wretch rolling on the ground, crying and begging Grandma to force him—Xu Jianxi—to go to the countryside.
In an instant, Xu Jianxi turned to Xu Jianbei and said, “Little brother, I’ve changed my mind. Seeing this coward is making my fists itch.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of fists pounding flesh rang out. Along with it came a man’s howls and a woman’s screams.
Bai Lan came back from delivering the seafood, saw the commotion, and clapped her hands in delight.
The neighbors in the communal courtyard rushed out again to watch the excitement, muttering among themselves about how the Xu family was putting on quite a show today. On New Year’s Eve, no less—one spectacle after another! They couldn’t keep up!
In the end, Xu Jianxi landed seven punches. From the time he went to the countryside at 16 to his first return home at 23—one punch for each year. Every punch landed on flesh. Finally, he had let out that pent-up fury.
——
“Alright, stop playing dead. If you keep lying there pretending, I’ll give you a few kicks.”
After finishing his punches, Xu Jianxi shook out his fists. He thought to himself that it was quite something that his eldest brother had managed to put on all that fat.
Xu Jiandong had been rolling on the ground, howling. Hearing this, he sprang up like a jack-in-the-box. The sight of his foolishness made the entire courtyard burst into laughter.
Miao Daju, who had been hiding away for a while, suddenly emerged. “Alright, alright. It’s the New Year. Stop playing around. Everyone go back inside. Aren’t you cold out here?”
Hearing the words “playing around,” Su Xiaomei immediately fumed. “Mom, Jiandong got beaten by some wild kid, and you didn’t help him? And Third Brother and Little Brother, you two are absolutely worthless. Your own elder brother was attacked by an outsider, and you just stood there watching instead of helping. Having you as brothers—we must have been cursed for eight generations.”
As soon as she said this, the laughing courtyard fell completely silent.
The neighbors started pointing and whispering about Su Xiaomei.
Miao Daju was so angry she put her hands on her hips and yelled, “You weren’t born from me, so I won’t scold you. But I’ll ask our eldest here. Take a good look—who exactly hit you?”
Xu Jiandong had recognized Xu Jianxi the moment he laid eyes on him. But Xu Jianxi had struck too quickly for him to even get a word out. Hearing his mother’s question, he stayed silent.
Su Xiaomei wasn’t a complete fool. She immediately realized what was going on. “That’s impossible. Didn’t they say the second son was sent to some island and would never come back?”
“Heh. If you say one more word, I’ll kick both you and your husband out,” Miao Daju said in a sinister tone.
——
“Xu Jiandong, how come your second brother is back?”
Having been beaten for nothing, Xu Jiandong could only drag Su Xiaomei into their room to apply medicinal wine. At her question, he bellowed, “You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?! That cursed short-lived ghost—tanned as black as coal—and he still managed to come back!”
Hearing this, Su Xiaomei also got angry. She wasn’t angry that Xu Jiandong had yelled at her. She was angry that trash like Xu Jianxi dared to hit her man. And that he’d chosen now to come back.
Hmph. Talk about eight generations of bad luck. She’d just thought of another good way to get that room. Now that Xu Jianxi was back, her plans were completely ruined.
In the main room, Xu Jianxi acted as if nothing had happened, pulling out candy for his two nephews he’d never met before. His attitude of not letting grievances spill over to the children was very admirable.
“Your second brother is a real man,” Bai Lan whispered to Xu Jianbei.
Xu Jianbei said proudly, “That’s right. Second Brother is something else.”
Even so, Bai Lan ran through her memory of the edited drama highlights she’d seen. From start to finish, Xu Jianxi had never appeared in them.
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