Chapter 700: Preparing for a Reception
The twilight shone through the glass of the supply and marketing cooperative, casting a warm halo on the three people.
Yang Xiaohua finally showed her first sincere smile after arriving in the Great Northern Wilderness. Although still weak, she was like the first ray of sunshine when the ice and snow began to melt, illuminating all the heartache and determination in Zhao Shuzhuo's eyes.
The wooden floor of the supply and marketing cooperative creaked slightly under Zhao Shuzhuo's feet. He took off his army green hat, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and glanced at the enamel pots and floral cloths neatly arranged on the shelves.
The setting sun slanted in through the dusty glass, casting mottled light and shadows on the concrete floor.
"Jianguo, where did the rain go?"
He suddenly stopped and turned around, the hem of his military coat swept across the shelf behind him, causing several packs of matchboxes to shake slightly.
"When I came in just now, I clearly saw her standing next to the bicycle at the door."
Wang Jianguo was helping Yang Xiaohua choose an enamel cup, and his fingertips could still feel the cold touch of the cup.
Hearing the question, he gently put the cup back on the shelf, and the sound of metal colliding made a crisp sound.
"This girl,"
He smiled and shook his head, a gentle smile in his eyes.
"I saw you coming back, faster than a rabbit, and you had to come and tell me in person."
He remembered He Yushui's hurried back as she left, her ponytail turning into a blurry black shadow in the setting sun, and the jingling sound of bicycle bells ringing all the way towards the village.
Zhao Shuzhuo raised his eyebrows and patted Wang Jianguo on the shoulder:
“So positive?”
His palms had calluses from years of holding guns, and the force was neither light nor heavy.
Yang Xiaohua stood aside, her fingers unconsciously stroking the patterns on the coarse sheets on the shelf. She raised her head when she heard the words, a look of curiosity appearing on her pale face.
Wang Jianguo took the hemp rope handed to him by the salesperson and tied up the enamel cup skillfully with smooth movements.
"I asked her to go home and clean up the house first."
As he spoke, he double-checked that the knot was secure.
"I want to welcome Xiaohua, so I can't be too shabby."
He remembered He Yushui nodding seriously, his blue shirt puffed up by the wind like a little bird ready to flap its wings.
"She and Chunhua are the best at organizing things. They will definitely make the house more festive than during the Chinese New Year."
Yang Xiaohua uttered "ah" softly, her fingertips trembling slightly, leaving a few wrinkles on the coarse cloth.
Zhao Shuzhuo immediately noticed her awkwardness, quietly moved half a step towards her, and said with a smile:
"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Yushui."
He turned to look at Wang Jianguo with a hint of ridicule in his eyes.
"But Jianguo, your arrangement is quite thoughtful."
The tips of Wang Jianguo's ears turned slightly red. He coughed and handed the tied enamel cup to Yang Xiaohua.
The glass reflected tiny pieces of light in the twilight, just like the setting sun dancing on the ends of He Yushui's hair when she turned around:
"Isn't this what we should do? Xiaohua has come from afar, so we should be good hosts."
He paused, his eyes scanning the cans on the shelf.
"By the way, bring some canned meat back later. Yu Shui's best stewed pork is braised pork. I'm sure Xiao Hua will never forget it after eating it."
Zhao Shuzhuo threw his head back and laughed out loud, his hearty laughter startled the sparrows on the beam and made them fly around.
He put his arm around Yang Xiaohua's shoulders, his tone full of anticipation:
"That's great. I've been telling Xiaohua about Yu Shui's cooking skills for a long time."
Yang Xiaohua was amused and chuckled, a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks, and the air in the supply and marketing cooperative seemed to be filled with the warm scent of fireworks.
The tungsten lamps of the supply and marketing cooperative were crackling overhead. In the warm yellow halo, the raised dust slowly fell like golden snow.
When Zhao Shuzhuo listened to Wang Jianguo's words, his Adam's apple rolled violently and a layer of crystal clear light appeared in his eyes.
He stretched out his calloused hand and patted Wang Jianguo's shoulder heavily. The strength of his palm was filled with indescribable gratitude. The fabric of the army green jacket swayed slightly.
"Jianguo, you are more thoughtful than an embroidery needle. You have thought of everything for us."
He turned to look at Yang Xiaohua beside him. The girl lowered her head, and the silver hairpin on the end of her hair trembled slightly with her movement.
"I thank you on behalf of Xiaohua."
Wang Jianguo waved his hands hurriedly, rubbed his rough palms on his work pants, and a faint blush appeared on the tips of his ears.
He recalled the time when he first arrived, that night when it was raining heavily. He and He Yushui had just arrived in the Great Northern Wilderness and were huddled at the entrance of the team, soaking wet.
Zhao Shuzhuo spread his bedding in the duty room without saying a word, and went to the kitchen in the rain to cook ginger soup.
At this moment, those warm memories surged up, and his voice softened unconsciously:
"Brother Shuzhuo, it's too formal to say this. If it weren't for you, how could Yushui and I have established ourselves here so quickly? You treat us better than your own brothers."
The old-fashioned wall clock suddenly made a heavy sound of gears turning, and the pendulum swung back and forth, casting flickering shadows on the wall.
Wang Jianguo looked up at the dial. The hour hand was almost pointing to seven o'clock. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the dusty glass window, dragging a long strip of light on the ground.
"Brother Shuzhuo, you guys have been sitting in the car for a whole day and a whole night. Your bones must be broken, right?"
He pointed to the bicycle parked crookedly outside the door, with mud still on the wheels.
"Go home and rest first. The rain might have put the hot meal on the table by now."
Zhao Shuzhuo indeed felt a wave of fatigue rising from the soles of his feet.
He rubbed the back of his sore neck and then noticed Yang Xiaohua leaning against the shelf. Her face looked paler than when she came, her light pink shirt was wrinkled and stuck to her body, and the hem of her skirt was stained with coal dust from the train.
The girl tried hard to stay alert, but she couldn't hide the weariness in her eyes, and even the ends of her hair looked a little wilted.
"Okay, let's go back first."
He reached out and gently held Yang Xiaohua's elbow, his movements so gentle as if he was touching fragile glass.
"Xiaohua, are you tired? Let's go home."
Yang Xiaohua raised her head and forced a smile, her voice so soft that it seemed to float in the wind:
"I'm fine. It's not hard."
Her fingers twisted the corners of her clothes unconsciously, and the silver hairpins flickered under the light. Wang Jianguo walked quickly to the door and pushed two bicycles to the side of the road. The bicycle bells made a crisp sound in the evening breeze.
The three of them pushed the cart along the gravel path, the setting sun stretching their shadows very long.
Zhao Shuzhuo and Yang Xiaohua walked side by side, occasionally talking in low voices, their voices muffled by the evening breeze.
Wang Jianguo followed behind on his bike, the wheels making a rustling sound as they rolled over the stones.
From the distant village, wisps of smoke rose, mixed with the aroma of firewood. A few sparrows returning to their nests flew overhead, and the sound of their wings flapping in the air could be clearly heard.
At this moment, all the tiredness and longing turned into solid warmth in front of the village where the lights were about to be turned on.