She Only Cares About Cultivation-Chapter 905 - 821: Famine Era 62

The parents and brothers also brought greetings from home, handing over money and food stamps to her, comforting her that everything would get better.

Ye Huan wanted to refuse, but their attitude was firm, and they said that if it weren’t for her initial help, the Ye Family wouldn’t be doing as well as they were today.

Because of the many successful children at home, the Ye Family’s reputation in the village was even higher than that of the village chief.

The town chief and the village chief would occasionally visit, and with the Third Brother and Fourth Brother managing the situation, they lacked neither money nor food. They managed to gather 300 yuan and food stamps for 100 pounds, placing them in Ye Huan’s hands, a heavy-hearted gesture!

In such cold weather, rushing here on New Year’s Eve and leaving early on Chinese New Year’s Day, they urged her not to worry about home, just to take care of herself and the children.

As they were leaving, Ye Huan’s vision was perpetually blurred, and it was precisely having her family’s support that made her days not so hard to endure.

Ultimately fearing she would burden the family, Ye Huan settled in Jibei Province, avoiding thoughts of matters back home.

In April 1967, she received a telegram from the Fourth Brother, telling her she would soon receive a letter.

A few days later, a stranger sent her a letter.

Upon opening it, the familiar handwriting caused her to break down. It was a letter from Tong Zhan. Who would have thought that after a year, they would finally get in touch?

Tong Zhan wrote that he was well, told her not to worry, and promised to take good care of himself, telling her to manage well with the children.

However, he did not specify where he was, nor did he allow her to come to him, just saying that patience would lead to a brighter future, encouraging her to live with hope.

Is this refusing her even a slight chance of contact?

Isn’t he too harsh on himself, insisting on severing ties to avoid dragging everyone down?

Since the letter contained no address, there was no way to reply, and it was even the Fourth Brother who helped find connections, with Tong Zhan advising her to limit contact to avoid implicating others, especially during such precarious times.

Silently crying, the children saw her tears and looked at her expectantly. She couldn’t help but gather them into her embrace.

"In the future, your father can’t protect you anymore. Hongqing, you must support this family with your mother, waiting together for his return, okay?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Hongqing, mature for his age, nodded with tears in his eyes: "Mom, rest assured, I will help you take good care of my younger brother and sister, waiting together for dad to come home!"

——

Now Ye Huan felt extremely fortunate to be plain-looking, having numerous burdens, and most of all lucky to work in J Employment, preventing them from encountering those who might bully a widow and her children.

However, many beautiful young wives around her weren’t as fortunate, having to both raise children and deal with complicated social relationships daily.

Even without Tong Zhan’s protection, Fourth Brother, Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother, and Ji Huzi were all still within the System, undoubtedly having made arrangements for her. Although her salary hadn’t increased, and her position remained at the most strenuous grassroots level, at least no one dared to bully them. Moreover, the family frequently sent things her way from home. Third Brother from Luoyang, Fourth Brother from Chongqing, Seventh Brother from Hunan, Eighth Brother from Shanxi, the younger sister and brother-in-law in Xinjiang, even the youngest brother studying in Harbin sent over his stipends. It was then she truly sensed the power of having family, the feeling of being remembered was wonderful.

Of course, excluding Ye Huan, the brothers at home had discovered where Tong Zhan was. Indeed, he was in a rural area under Yunan. To get him transferred, the brothers had put in considerable effort, and Third Brother Ye Jiazhe occasionally sent someone to visit him, bringing some food. Excluding mental strain, he could manage everything else.

Moreover, regarding his wife and children’s situation, Ye Jiazhe would convey it through others.

No one could have anticipated that this separation would last a full thirteen years.

Thirteen years later, the youngest daughter Ye DanNi was already 17, the eldest son Liu Hongqing was 24, the twin brother and sister were 21, Liu Zhengrong was 19, and Ye Huan was already 50. Tong Zhan was ten years older than Ye Huan; when they reunited, he was sixty.

At this age, even returning safely, there wouldn’t be many years to be productive. Ye Huan didn’t mind these things; looking at his aged face, slightly hunched figure, her heart ached, shedding tears. Although time had passed, each other’s situations could still be clearly known through others’ retelling.