Back To The 80s-Chapter 615 - 608: The Grand Finale (Part 2)_1

Lu Ruixue looked at her mother, her eyes reddening. She opened and closed her mouth several times before she clumsily knelt down and choked out, "Mother..." full of endless regret and fear.

Wen Xiuqing ran over, helping to lift up Lu Ruixue while sobbing. "You little fool, where did you go all these years?" Looking at her thin, dark-skinned daughter, her heart ached.

Upon hearing the commotion at the front door, everyone in the yard came rushing out.

Gu Xiaobei and the others stood motionless in surprise.

It was Lu Aiguo who reacted first, suggesting, "Let’s go inside to talk. The child looks cold."

Wiping her tears, Wen Xiuqing squatted down to look at Lu Ruixue’s child, and excitedly cooed, "Ruixue, this is your child, isn’t it? Come inside quickly." She then took the child’s hand, pulling Lu Ruixue inside with her.

Lu Ruixue’s husband, Zhang Chuanjiang, wasn’t very tall and had a simple and honest look about him. Seeing the entire family gathered at the doorway, he felt rather awkward, unsure of what to do with his hands.

Lu Songyuan, suppressing his own excitement, glared at Lu Ruixue who had just walked inside and scolded, "So, you know your way home. I thought you had forgotten where home was."

Lu Ruixue leaned against the door, her head bowed in fear, not daring to speak.

Only after becoming a mother did she realize how hard raising a child was and could understand her parents’ disappointment. She wanted to return home, but was afraid her family would not accept her. She had made so many mistakes - how could a simple apology make everything alright? Hence, she didn’t dare to apologize, fearing her family would still not forgive her.

Tears sparkled in Wen Xiuqing’s eyes as she said continuously, "It’s good that you’re back. It’s good that you’re back. How old is the child? A boy or a girl?"

With her head lowered, Lu Ruixue murmured in reply, "A boy, one and a half-years-old, his name is Longlong."

Wen Xiuqing picked up the boy and said, "Longlong, that’s a good name. Call me grandma."

Longlong, with his big round eyes and a bit of shyness, obediently replied, "Grandma."

At the sound of "Grandma", Wen Xiuqing’s tears began to flow once more.

Lu Aiguo looked at the timid Zhang Chuanjiang sitting on one side and glanced at his sister Lu Ruixue; his eyes welled up with emotion. Among all the siblings, he had been closest to his sister. He didn’t know when their relationship worsened to the point where they totally stopped communicating. Now, seeing his sister’s transformation, he was the most moved. He had daydreamed countless times about protecting his little sister if he could go back to their childhood.

When Wen Xiuqing finally calmed down, she held Longlong and asked Lu Ruixue about her situation over the past few years.

After Lu Ruixue ran away from home, the little money she had soon ran out, and she eventually fainted from hunger at Zhang Chuanjiang’s doorstep.

Zhang Chuanjiang was a homeless person who had come to the city to make a living. He hadn’t earned much over the years and was just barely making ends meet.

Seeing how Zhang Chuanjiang was still willing to share his scanty food with her, Lu Ruixue was deeply touched.

Later, Zhang Chuanjiang’s fellow townsmen suggested moving to X Province. They said that the area was sparsely populated, had lots of wasteland, and that the government would waive taxes for a year if they could cultivate some of it.

On hearing this, Zhang Chuanjiang became interested and urged Lu Ruixue to return home as he planned to relocate to X Province.

Feeling ashamed to return home, Lu Ruixue decided to follow a group of people to X Province. During the process of cultivating the wasteland, both of them developed feelings for each other and naturally ended up together.

Wen Xiuqing sighed with relief on hearing the story. Learning that the family of three didn’t have any legal identification, she became somewhat anxious and suggested, "Your elder brother needs to do something about this. He should have some connections in X Province, right?"

Lu Ruixue shook her head and replied, "Mother, that’s not necessary. I heard a new national census is about to begin. When it does, we’ll be able to register as residents. I don’t want my elder brother to ask for any favors."

Lu Songyuan felt relieved to hear this and nodded approvingly, "Farming’s good,earning a living through one’s own labour is nothing to be ashamed of."

Zhang Chuanjiang had initially been afraid that Lu Songyuan would look down on him for being a farmer with no legal identification, but after hearing what Lu Songyuan had to say, he looked considerably more relaxed and broke into a broad grin.

With Lu Ruixue’s return, that year’s Spring Festival turned out to be the most harmonious one the family had experienced in many years.

On the first day of the new year, Wen Xiuqing arranged for Lu Aiguo to call in the photographer. The whole family finally took a group photo together.

After the Spring Festival, Lu Ruixue’s family of three returned to X Province, promising Wen Xiuqing to return when there was a lull in farm work. Lu Aiguo’s family of three also returned to the south.

By the end of February, Lu Zhanguo set off for Capital City.

Ji Xiangdong submitted a report to his employer asking for leave with salary, preparing to enter the jade business. He knew that the next few years would be a period of rapid economic development, he couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Ji Xiangdong comforted Lu Songyuan and Wen Xiuqing by saying, "Once the business is stable, we’ll all move back to the Capital City. After all, the development prospects are better there."

Lu Songyuan nodded in agreement. Being older, he yearned for his roots. Capital City felt like his hometown, he wanted to be buried there after he died.

By the end of March, Lu Zhanguo had settled everything in Capital City and returned with Zeng Changzhi and Liu Hongbing to bring their families to Capital City.

Jiujiu knew that Gu Xiaobei was leaving and cried at home for several days. On the day of Gu Xiaobei’s departure, Jiujiu and Chen Gang came over early. Jiujiu cried, "Aunty, when will we see each other again?"

"When you get into a college in Capital City, we’ll be able to reunite there." Gu Xiaobei felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Jiujiu hesitated, her tears flowing like they couldn’t be wiped away. She wanted to go to S City’s medical school because Li Duo was in that city. But, that would mean she couldn’t see Gu Xiaobei. Finally, she made a big decision and said, "Auntie, I’ll go to a college in Capital City. I’ll come to see you."

Chen Gang choked up and said, "Auntie, I’ll go to a military academy in Capital City. I’ll come to see you whenever I’m free."

With tears in her eyes, Gu Xiaobei nodded, "Good, auntie and your brothers and sisters will be waiting for you in Capital City."

Until Gu Xiaobei and the children got on the train, Qin Li was still not there. Gu Xiaobei could not help looking back at the crowd. Wen Xiuqing and Bai Xiaolan were already in tears. Even though they were going to see each other soon, no one knew how long this soon would be.

Zhuang Shuxian, holding Jiujiu who was also in tears, and Li Fengmei, hiding her face with a handkerchief, cried bitterly. If it weren’t for Zhang Lijun supporting Li Fengmei, she would have collapsed.

The tears Gu Xiaobei had just held back flowed again. She knew that once she left, meeting again would become uncertain.

Just before the train was about to leave, Qin Li, with swollen eyes, ran over. She laid on the rail car window, looking at Gu Xiaobei, her tears falling down without stopping. She was so upset that she couldn’t speak a word. She just held Gu Xiaobei’s hand through the window without saying a word, her reluctance mirrored in her tears.

Gu Xiaobei’s own tears were falling uncontrollably. She choked up, wanting to say goodbye to Qin Li, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Until the train slowly started moving. Qin Li, still holding Gu Xiaobei’s hand, ran alongside the train. Only when she could no longer keep up did she let go, watching the train receding in the distance before crying out, "Sister, I can’t bear it..."

Gu Xiaobei collapsed in Lu Zhanguo’s arms, crying. Even though a new life was waiting for her at the end of the journey, she didn’t want to leave everything in the province, including both the joy and the pain.

Xiaopang and Mo Wang held Gu Xiaobei’s hand, saying in unison, "Mom, when we grow up, we will take you back to see Aunt Lily."

By the end of May, the weather in the province began to warm up.

On good days, Qin Li would take Jin Cheng out to bask in the sun.

She would also take him to see the jujube tree they had planted together.

"Jin Cheng, look, our jujube tree is blooming. It’s really blooming. Will you wake up when the jujubes ripen?" Qin Li excitedly looked at the small clusters of jujube blossoms amongst the tree’s leaves.

"Okay."

Qin Li turned her head in surprise, her tears flowing down instantly.

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