Chen Family Village

"Dad! Come inside!" Chen Mo said. In Xiqin, more people called their fathers "Da," but it depended on habit. In Chen Family Village, people generally called them "dad" or "Pa." Chen Mo's family called him dad.

Father Chen Jianguo looked at Chen Mo, let out a deep sigh, tossed away the cigarette butt in his hand, then nodded. He got to his feet and went back inside with him.

With their son back, his parents were happy inside. Although they had run into some upsetting matters as soon as he returned, it was fine as long as they could be resolved.

His parents helped carry the luggage into the house. It was not that Chen Mo could not carry it himself, but it was their concern and love, so he let them do as they wished.

Mom hurriedly made some noodle soup. No matter whether he had eaten or not, a parent's heart was always concerned when their child came home late at night. Before Chen Mo had even finished washing up, a steaming bowl of noodles topped with two poached eggs had already been placed on the table.

Food at home was still the best. Wasn't a person who had struggled outside all this time returning home just to eat a meal cooked by mom? As Chen Mo ate, his nose stung a little. After several years away, it was still most comfortable to be back home.

After he finished eating, it was already quite late. He took out the gifts he had bought for his parents, then went to rest. Country people valued early nights and early mornings, so everyone went to bed early. He could tell that his parents were not in a very good mood, perhaps because they had not recovered from what had happened, so he did not say much. It was late anyway; whatever needed discussing could wait until tomorrow.

Chen Mo's home was built in the architectural layout of a Siheyuan Courtyard. One side had the main gate, while the other three sides held rooms. His parents' room faced the gate, while Chen Mo's room was on one side, with three rooms in a row. The first had belonged to his older sister. Although she rarely came home to stay after getting married, the room had still been kept for her.

The middle room was his own. It contained a bed, a desk, a homemade bookshelf, and a homemade wardrobe, all made by the village carpenter back then. The bedding on the bed had originally been put away, but his mother had already laid it out for him. Next door was his younger brother's room.

Directly opposite his room were the kitchen, storeroom, shower room, and a passage leading to the backyard, where there was a small vegetable field and an open-air earthen toilet.

After entering his room, Chen Mo did not go to sleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged and immersed his Spiritual Sense inside the Universe Bead. He first soaked all the seeds, bulbs, and cuttings he had bought in separate containers, using water from that small stream. Since all of them would be planted there, he decided to soak them first.

He looked again at the three little seedlings and found that they had grown a little more. Chen Mo was overjoyed and prayed for them to grow up quickly so he could see what kind of plants they were.

Chen Mo had no idea how the stream water in the Universe Bead was produced. However, according to the information conveyed by the Universe Bead, the stream water would neither increase nor decrease. No matter how much was used, there would always be that same amount. But after ten Restrictions were refined, the stream would double in size. Perhaps once the final refinement was complete, the little stream would become a great river.

Chen Mo processed the items he had bought in West City one by one, then directly used his Spiritual Sense to sow them, planting all the seeds and live plants he had purchased.

Once everything was done, he assumed a cultivation posture, placed the Universe Bead in his palm, and took a drop of Spiritual Energy Liquid into his mouth before slowly swallowing it. In an instant, his limbs and bones felt as though they had been warmed by the sun, and his entire body relaxed in comfort. His True Essence also seemed to cheer as it circulated faster through his Meridians.

This was the cultivation method Chen Mo had adopted after obtaining the Universe Bead. Not only could it speed up the accumulation of his True Essence and rapidly raise his Cultivation Level, but it could also further widen his Meridians, strengthen his physique, slightly increase his Soul Strength, and expand the range of his Spiritual Sense. Although the effects were not yet obvious, they would become terrifying with time.

As the sky gradually brightened, Chen Mo slowly finished exercising, then got up to help with the farm work. He had not yet discussed his plans after returning home with his parents, but there was plenty of work to do during the day. He would talk to them tonight instead.

Some of the roosters raised by the farmers had already begun to crow, calling people to get up and work.

Chen Mo's father was named Chen Jianguo, and his mother was Fu Huili. His younger brother was Chen Hui, already a first-year university student. His older sister was three years older than him and had been married for two years. Her husband's family ran a restaurant in the County Town, and she had met her husband while working as a migrant worker.

Chen Mo and Chen Hui still depended on their parents for their living expenses. Fortunately, Chen Mo had stopped asking his family for money two years ago and had begun earning money through migrant work, so his parents had it a little easier now. When his older sister got married, she had not received much of a dowry because the family had no money. His parents had also not kept the bride price from her husband's family. The twenty thousand yuan they had given as the bride price was returned in full as her dowry when she married. As his parents put it, they were not trying to make money by marrying off their daughter. As long as she lived well, that was enough.

His parents were honest, simple farmers. Ever since his grandparents passed away, the uncles in the village had rarely interacted with them, mainly because the family was too poor and everyone looked down on them. Fortunately, the family had produced two university students, allowing his parents to hold their heads a little higher in the village.

While Chen Mo was still in the kitchen burning firewood to heat water, his father and mother had already gotten up.

"Er Wa, why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Mom asked. Er Wa was Chen Mo's childhood nickname.

"I'm used to getting up early," Chen Mo replied with a smile. Then he asked, "Should I make some rice porridge this morning, or...?"

"Hey? Er Wa, hurry up and feed the chickens in the backyard first. I'll handle the cooking." Fu Huili pushed him out of the kitchen.

"The wheat bran is in the storeroom, still in the same place. You haven't forgotten how to feed them, have you?" Fu Huili was somewhat worried that Er Wa, who had not returned for two years, might have forgotten the process of feeding chickens.

"Mom! Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Chen Mo answered with a smile, then hurried to the storeroom to get the wheat bran.

Chen Mo's father was brushing his teeth beside the water pool in the courtyard. Watching Chen Mo go in and out, nothing showed on his face, but the joy in his eyes could not be hidden.

Er Wa had not returned for two years. It was impossible to say he had not missed him. But Er Wa had always had his own ideas, and he had even earned his own tuition during winter and summer breaks. Although his father missed him, he had never asked Er Wa to come home. The round-trip fare cost money, and it was not easy for a child to make a living outside either. Saving what they could was best. The family had been poor before, and they had let Er Wa down in some ways.

After breakfast, Chen Mo planned to follow his father to the fields and help out. By this time, the wheat seedlings in the family's fields had already been planted. They only needed periodic watering and weeding. Today, his father was going to weed the fields.

"Dad! Wait for me. I'll go to the fields with you today," Chen Mo said.

"Go for what? Rest at home first. There's nothing urgent in the fields. Everything that needed planting has already been planted. It's just some weeding," Father Chen Jianguo said.

But Chen Mo did not agree. He picked up a hoe and said, "Let's go together. I haven't done farm work in two years. There's no point resting at home."

Seeing that Chen Mo insisted, Father Chen Jianguo did not object any further and simply let him come along.

The two walked one before and one after along the road. Some villagers were also heading out, preparing to go to the fields. When they saw Chen Mo following behind Chen Jiaguo, they curiously asked questions.

"Isn't that Er Wa? When did you get back?"

"Er Wa, haven't seen you in ages!"

"Old Chen, your second son is back?"

"Er Wa, why are you back at this time? Did something happen again?"

Father Chen Jianguo answered them one by one, while Chen Mo chatted along with them and handed out cigarettes he carried with him. When he encountered elders, he greeted them as well. Among fellow villagers, offering someone a cigarette when meeting was customary, whether they smoked or not. Giving one to another person was a matter of politeness. Smokers accepted and lit them, while non-smokers waved their hands in refusal. It was different from the city. This was how people interacted in the village, and it had become a habit.

Since many young people in the village had gone out to work as migrant workers, those left behind were either elderly people or children. A village of more than a thousand people now had only a few hundred remaining. Most people in the village had the surname Chen, so all the aunts and uncles Chen Mo met upon returning were relatives in one way or another.

There were errors in the chapter posted by the elementary school student, so I corrected them. I also wanted to ask for some recommendations while I was at it. I hope readers can cast a vote. Thank you!