The Breath of Life

"Oh, it's Xiao Chun."

The phone screen shook, and an old man appeared in the video. He had a short, stiff mustache, a face full of deep wrinkles, deep-set brown eyes, and a head of messy gray hair.

"Yes, Grandpa, it's me, Xiao Chun."

"I called you this afternoon, but no one answered. Hei Wa Er kept telling me you must be in class."

Mo Jingchun nodded and smiled, "I was in class."

Hei Wa Er, which was the nickname of Mo Jingchun's Aunt (Mother's Eldest Brother's Wife), Zhou Xing, was a name only Grandpa still used for his Aunt these past few years.

The first time Mo Jingchun heard his Aunt's nickname, he laughed for a long time and was even made to stand as punishment by his dad. If Grandpa hadn't protected him, he would have almost been hung up and beaten.

If Mo Jingchun wasn't mistaken, his Aunt must have a dark look on his face right now.

"Xiao Chun, are you and your sister doing well in Jingcheng?"

"Grandpa, my sister and I are both doing very well. The teachers and classmates take good care of us."

"Ah, that's good. You're both good children. Xiao Chun, you must remember in your heart everyone who helps you. They are all noble people who helped you when you were at your most difficult."

Mo Jingchun nodded seriously, "I know that, Grandpa."

"It's good that you know."

"They all say people in the north eat wheat. You must not be used to eating there, right?"

Mo Jingchun, holding Candy, adjusted his sister Candy into a more comfortable position and said with a smile, "No, there's everything you want to eat here. Rice, steamed buns, noodles, you can choose whatever you want."

"Tsk, big cities are different."

Mo Jingchun saw longing in those cloudy eyes. Mo Jingchun knew why Grandpa longed for big cities so much. Because in his entire life, from birth until now, Grandpa had never left An Province. Even the provincial capital, he had only been there a handful of times in his life.

Every time they sat together, warming themselves around the stove, Grandpa would always tell stories of his youth.

Each time, he would tell similar stories, but the people gathered around the stove, regardless of age, would never interrupt him. They would all listen quietly.

The generation of parents felt the same way. When they were young, they also suffered similar hardships, just slightly better than Grandpa's generation.

As for the younger generation, they heard real, vivid stories and listened with great interest. As for how hard the lives of their elders were, they had no concept of it at all.

Because, although the food and clothing of Mo Jingchun's generation when they were young might not compare to now, they were definitely never hungry or cold.

This was a very fortunate thing, and it was something their ancestors fought for with their lives for the future generations.

Grandpa had also said that he wanted to see the big cities outside, but without a doubt, he was unanimously rejected by Mo Jingchun's Aunt and the others. The old man's body simply couldn't handle the long journey.

If anything went wrong along the way, no one could bear the responsibility. Moreover, in the countryside, the saying is "fallen leaves return to their roots."

"Xiao Chun, do you have enough money over there? Spending money is high in big cities. We should save where we can, but don't always think about saving where you shouldn't."

"You and your sister are still growing. Don't ever save on food."

"If you don't have enough money, call me and tell me. I still have some here."

Mo Jingchun quickly refused, saying, "You don't need to give me money, Grandpa. I still have a lot on me, enough for me and my sister to finish college together. Once we graduate and find jobs, we won't have to worry even more."

Even if Mo Jingchun was short on money, he would only borrow it, never ask for it from Grandpa.

Grandpa had some money, Mo Jingchun knew that, and it could be said that everyone knew.

Where did the money come from if there was no labor force? It was all given by Mo Jingchun's mother and his aunts every Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival.

It wasn't much each time, usually around 500 yuan, but Grandpa saved it all every time.

Mo Jingchun's grandpa sighed and didn't say anything.

That day, as a father, he personally sent his daughter up the mountain. The heartache of a white-haired person sending off a black-haired person was imaginable.

"Xiao Chun, a few days ago I just happened to see a prickly ash tree, so I thought about making a teething stick for Candy. Didn't I just finish making it? So I called you to tell you to send me the shipping address. In the next couple of days, I'll have Hei Wa Er make a trip to mail it to you."

As soon as Grandpa finished speaking, Mo Jingchun heard the voice of his aunt's husband, Zhou Xing, from the video.

"Your grandpa went to someone else's mountain and cut it down without telling anyone. I had to swallow my pride and apologize to them."

Mo Jingchun touched his nose and didn't dare to speak. Cutting down a small tree in the countryside, this kind of thing could be big or small. If you told others in advance, they basically wouldn't say anything.

But the premise was to say hello in advance, so it was no wonder his aunt's husband was a little annoyed.

"What's wrong with me cutting down a prickly ash tree belonging to Zhang Tieping? Even when his father Zhang Jixiang was alive, he had to call me 'Grandpa' when he saw me."

"You're amazing, you're amazing."

Grandpa, who was bickering with his aunt's husband, turned back and said to Mo Jingchun, "There's nothing else. You rest well over there. Don't get sick yourself and then pass it on to Candy. By then, you won't even have anyone to take care of you."

"Got it, Grandpa. You also need to take care of yourself at home. Go out and have fun when you have nothing to do. Don't always think about running up the mountain. And as for that Fu Ling, just let your aunt's husband look after it."

"Alright, alright, I'm hanging up."

The phone screen shook again, and the phone returned to his aunt's husband's hand.

"Okay then, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up. Your aunt has also finished cooking, we'll eat in a bit."

"Okay."

Beep~

After the WeChat video call ended, Mo Jingchun leaned on the sofa and recovered for a while before sending the school's receiving address to his aunt's husband, Zhou Xing.

"Guo-ge."

"Brother."

"Guo-ge."

"Brother."

At the kitchen door, Candy, holding a milk bottle, was indistinctly calling out "Guo-ge", while Mo Jingchun, wearing an apron, was stir-frying in the kitchen over high heat.

Although there was still only one dish today, there was meat. It was Green Pepper Stir-fried Pork, which Mo Jingchun liked to eat.

After eating, washing the dishes, and helping his sister Candy take a bath, this was Mo Jingchun's daily life after returning to the apartment building in the afternoon, day after day.

At night, the little one lying in Mo Jingchun's arms had fallen asleep at some point. Her little tongue was still sticking out a little, looking extremely cute.

Mo Jingchun's hands were rapidly typing on the laptop keyboard. Mo Jingchun found that he had already fallen in love with the feeling of typing on the keyboard, and his sister Candy had also gotten used to this sound. The sound of the keyboard typing was like a lullaby, sending the little one into dreamland.

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