Chapter 446 Not Cuicui
He stood at the door, his heart beating faster, and when he saw the woman in the store turned around, he was stunned. It was a weather-beaten face, but there was a familiar light in her eyes.
Qi Tongwei stood at the door of the grocery store, fully expecting to see Cuicui. However, although the woman in front of him looked familiar, she was not the one he thought of. When the woman saw Qi Tongwei, a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes, and then a light of surprise bloomed.
"You are Uncle Qi Tongwei, right? I am Xiaohua, Qi Xiaohua!" The woman's voice was a little excited and trembling. Qi Tongwei was slightly startled, and tried hard to search for the memory of this name in his mind. After a moment, the scenes of the past gradually emerged.
In Qijia Village, Qi Tongwei knew Xiaohua's family when he was a child. Xiaohua's father and his father were brothers, so he was Xiaohua's uncle. At that time, Xiaohua was still a little girl with pigtails, always playing behind a group of children. Every time Qi Tongwei returned to the village during the holidays, Xiaohua would always be like a little tail, surrounding him and asking questions, full of curiosity and admiration for this educated uncle who came back from outside.
Qi Tongwei walked into the grocery store, which was filled with a faint smell of spices. The shelves were filled with a wide variety of goods, which were not luxurious but neatly arranged. Xiaohua greeted him warmly and brought a stool for him to sit down.
"Uncle, I didn't expect to see you here. You are the pride of our village, and everyone talks about you all the time." Xiaohua said as she smoothed her hair. Qi Tongwei looked at Xiaohua, and a wave of emotion welled up in his heart. The little girl has grown up, and the years have left some marks on her face, but her simplicity and enthusiasm remain unchanged.
"Xiaohua, why are you here? How have you been these years?" Qi Tongwei asked with concern. Xiaohua lowered her head slightly, a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she soon raised her head and said with a smile: "Uncle, I have been wandering around these years, and finally came to this town, opened this small shop, and barely made a living."
Qi Tongwei could hear the difficulties of life from her words. He began to recall every little detail of Qijia Village, the days of running in the fields and catching fish by the river. "Xiaohua, do you still remember the hill behind our village? When we were young, we often went to the hill to pick wild fruits." Qi Tongwei said. Xiaohua's eyes lit up, "Of course I remember, uncle. The wild fruits at that time were so sweet, and I picked a lot every time."
The conversation between the two became more and more heated, as if time had gone back to the Qijia Village full of laughter. Xiaohua poured a cup of tea for Qi Tongwei and began to tell her experience after leaving the village. She had worked in big cities, worked as an assembly line worker in a factory, and worked as a waitress in a restaurant. She had suffered the cold eyes of others, but also encountered help from some kind-hearted people.
Qi Tongwei listened quietly, and felt more tenderness for his niece. He remembered that he had also experienced countless hardships in the pursuit of his dream. "Xiaohua, you are very strong. If you have any difficulties in the future, just tell your uncle." Qi Tongwei patted Xiaohua on the shoulder. Xiaohua nodded with emotion, "Uncle, thank you. You have always been a role model in my heart."
As time went by, the sky gradually darkened. The dim street lights on the streets of the town added a bit of warmth to this quiet place. Xiaohua was about to close the shop and invited Qi Tongwei to her home for a simple meal. Qi Tongwei readily agreed.
After walking along the bluestone road for a while, we arrived at Xiaohua's home. It was a small yard with some flowers and plants. The layout of the house was simple, but very clean and tidy. Xiaohua went into the kitchen and started to work. After a while, she brought out several plates of steaming home-cooked dishes.
"Uncle, these are just simple meals, please don't despise them." Xiaohua said a little embarrassedly. Qi Tongwei looked at the food on the table and was touched. "This is already very good, Xiaohua, thank you for your trouble." At the dinner table, they continued to chat, and the topic extended from the past to the future. Xiaohua said that she wanted to expand the grocery store business and make her life better. Qi Tongwei encouraged her and gave her some ideas.
At night, Qi Tongwei lay in the guest room Xiaohua prepared for him, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He thought about his family, career, and Xiaohua's future. He decided to do his best to help Xiaohua before leaving the town.
The next day, Qi Tongwei accompanied Xiaohua to the market to purchase goods. He used his connections and experience to help Xiaohua contact some better and cheaper sources of goods. Xiaohua was very grateful and looked at Qi Tongwei with admiration in her eyes.
In the following days, Qi Tongwei and Xiaohua rearranged the grocery store and developed some marketing strategies. The business of the store gradually improved and more and more customers came. Xiaohua's face was filled with a happy smile, and Qi Tongwei looked at her and felt a sense of accomplishment.
However, Qi Tongwei knew that he could not stay in the town forever. He still had his own life to face. On the day of his departure, Xiaohua sent Qi Tongwei to the intersection of the town with tears in her eyes.
"Uncle, you must come back often." Xiaohua said with tears in her eyes. Qi Tongwei nodded, "Xiaohua, you must take good care of yourself. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me."
Qi Tongwei sat in the car, looking through the rearview mirror at the gradually shrinking Xiaohua and the quiet small town intersection, his heart full of mixed emotions. He knew that Xiaohua's reluctance was genuine, and he himself was also full of concern for his niece. But at this moment, the thought of finding Cuicui occupied his mind again.
The car drove slowly on the road, and the scenery on both sides flashed by like a slide. Qi Tongwei fell into deep memories. He thought of his father, the simple and honest old farmer. His father had been digging for food in the land all his life, raising him with his rough hands and supporting his education. Once, his father's wrinkled face was always filled with a proud smile, because his son was the only college student in the village. However, as time went by, he went further and further on the road of pursuing fame and fortune, and the time he spent with his father became less and less.
He remembered that once when he went home for the Spring Festival, he saw his father's hunched back busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner under the dim light. The furnishings at home were still simple, and his father was wearing an old cotton-padded jacket that had been washed white, but his smile was still bright, just because his son was back. But at that time, he was thinking about how to return to the city as soon as possible, back to that world full of temptations and opportunities.
Now, he feels deeply guilty towards his father. He brought his father to Handong, but failed to let him live a good life. His father seemed out of place in the city, and he was always busy with various affairs, ignoring his father's inner loneliness and his longing for his hometown.