Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 38 The Hu Family Past

A year and a half later, Hu Shutong returned home.

The house has changed a lot. This year's harvest was very good. We installed a landline and bought a freezer. The three rooms were painted white a long time ago, making them look bright and spacious. The places where newspapers used to be pasted have been replaced by "Eight Horses" and "Success Upon Arrival" posters. This year is the Year of the Horse.

The scene in the courtyard hadn't changed much; the familiar millstone table and a row of drying racks for seeds to prevent them from getting damp. Only against the wall, besides the tricycle, was a secondhand tractor.

Hu Yuntong was admitted to Qingyan No. 6 Middle School, a very good high school that ranks among the top ten in Qingning Province. When the results came out, Hu Wankui was quite surprised and then began to look forward to it. If his second son could also get into a university, with two university students, even the hardest work would be done with full energy. To put it another way, even if he only got into a junior college, it would still be a good job these days.

The family's savings can support them, but they can't go back to relying on this for a living. Going out broadens their horizons and gives them experience. Staying in the county for five years will improve the quality of melon cultivation. Going out for a year can change a person's temperament, especially for those with skills. They should go to a place that suits them.

No one knows a son better than his father, and the eldest son in front of us is a perfect example.

When he left home for his internship, he looked back every few steps. Besides his reluctance to leave home, he felt uneasy, knowing he would encounter challenges but unsure how to prepare. The brighter his eyes were, the more they betrayed his naivety, filled with youthful aspirations and anxieties.

His return this time made people distinguish him from a "college student." To see a person's growth, look at his brow. In his father's eyes, the eldest son had lost some of his innocence and gained some world-weariness. This is not a bad thing, but a process that a man must go through. Similarly, this is just a process, and he still has a long way to go.

The night was chilly, and a small, free-range chicken simmered on the stove, its aroma filling the air. Hu Yuntong peeled scallions and chopped garlic to make a bean curd dish for his brother, and he also cut the sausages he'd bought himself. It has to be said, Hu Yuntong had become less pretentious since starting high school.

Later, the family of four sat on the kang table, where a sumptuous feast was laid out. The white wine on the kang was neither too hot nor too cold, while the wind outside howled.

Hu Shutong tried to pour his father a drink, but his father stopped him. Instead, Hu Wankui picked up the glass and poured Hu Shutong a cup. "The old-fashioned coming-of-age ceremony? I saw it back in my hometown when I was a kid. We don't do those things anymore. Have a drink to calm down. Take it easy today and we'll make our way back to work tomorrow."

The mother asked with concern, "You haven't been back for a year and a half. Have you suffered any mistreatment out there?"

"No, no, it's all about my studies, so don't worry."

"Tell Mom what you've been doing all this time."

At this point, Hu Wankui chimed in, "Why talk about all that? Those building nests are looking for down, those digging holes are laying straw. We don't understand any of it anyway. Let's talk about what's right in front of us. Having a good drink is better than anything else."

The two brothers laughed. Their father always had a set of sayings, and even after hearing many, there were still some new things to hear, which were both old-fashioned and reasonable.

"Old Wang is going to the city to take care of his grandson. I plan to lease all seven mu of land he owns, including his own and his third and fifth sons' land."

"Seven acres of land, how can the two of you manage?"

"I can manage. Our two houses are next to each other, so I don't have to run around. It's just a matter of paying for water pipes. We haven't saved up much money over the years, and Yuntong will be going to university soon. His tuition will probably be much more expensive than yours."

Hu Shutong had been thinking about something for a long time, but finally asked, "Dad, have we cleared out the money from the north?"

Hu Wankui took a sip of his drink. "I finished it last year during the Spring Festival. After that, I was able to try doing somersaults."

Hu Shutong didn't know the full picture of what was going on. He had memories of the North, but they were very vague. He could only guess at the general situation from his parents' arguments when he was a child and from the strangers he met.

The Hu family had been large-scale cattle farmers for generations. The matter arose from the division of the family property. The grandfather had six sons, and the father was the eldest. However, the old man passed away when he was in his fifties. Before he died, he divided the livestock, with Hu Wankui receiving 30% of the share. Moreover, the large cattle shed was temporarily entrusted to Hu Wankui's care.

But not long after, all the cattle were stolen overnight. The five younger brothers in the family went to Hu Wankui to ask for the cattle back. There must have been many more outrageous things that happened afterward, otherwise the father would not have taken the mother and left his hometown with him.

Their initial destination was Mengtang County, which was their mother's natal home. However, their father, burdened with debt, was not accepted, and their mother was adopted. Eventually, an uncle from Mozi County helped them settle down.

Thanks to her father's strength, life got better year by year. Whether raising pigs or growing vegetables, their businesses were more prosperous than other families. However, the Hu family had not saved much money over the years.

When Hu Shutong was in elementary school, he saw relatives from the north come to his house asking for money, but after one or two times, those people never appeared again, and he roughly understood what was going on.

Hu Yuntong, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed. He had never even heard of anything about Northern Money.

"Shutong, don't mention the north anymore. You two should also remember that there are only big melons and small vegetables in this house, and there's nothing else for you to share. If you do well, it's up to your abilities; if you don't, I'll hire you to water the fields for 120 a month."

"Dad, let's not talk about that anymore. My brother just got back; let's discuss some important matters!"

Hu Wankui snorted, "I've been looking at you for so long, just bring it up and we'll talk."

Hu Yuntong first took out a piece of paper, then touched his backside and pulled out a pen. "Two catties of white sugar, two catties of brown sugar, two catties of red dates, two catties of sesame candy, and at least five catties of pastries. I'm used to living in big cities, so I'll need some walnuts and almonds. People in big cities love to eat fish, so bring a few more. And I love hawthorn the most, so bring a catty of hawthorn rolls and hawthorn candy!"

Hu Shutong glanced at his younger brother, thinking, "Goodness, even buying New Year's goods has to be blamed on me." He said, "Fine, I'll do it your way. I'll make up for any excess."

"Alright! You guys just stay home, I'll take care of all the errands!"

As night deepened, the two brothers returned to the west room. Unlike their lively demeanor at the dinner table, Hu Yuntong seemed rather downcast. In truth, Hu Shutong could tell that the boy's exaggerated gestures were more for the sake of lightening the mood. Now that things had calmed down at home, the boy knew nothing, but perhaps it was better that way.

"Brother, what university should I apply to?"

"It's not like you have a choice, that you can just go wherever you can reach."

"Qingda is too close, Longda is too far. If I go to Mingda, I'll be following your old path, which isn't my style."

"Did you secretly drink alcohol?"

"Brother, Mingda isn't a bad option, but I really want to know how well you fared there."

"It's alright."

"Just make do? Then I won't go."

"You're amazing."

……