Two days had barely passed before Uncle Zhang brought a visibly reluctant Aunt Zhang over to apologize. Mama Wang did not let them inside, however, and her barbed remarks made Aunt Zhang’s face alternate between green and white. If her husband had not suddenly become so forceful, she probably would have exploded on the spot.
Although Mama Wang refused to accept Aunt Zhang’s apology, Uncle Zhang still insisted that she stand at the doorway and apologize before dragging her away. After what had happened, the two families probably would not have much to do with each other in the future.
Later, because of the move, the Wangs heard nothing about Zhang Liangzhong and his wife for a long time. It was only by chance that they eventually learned Uncle Zhang had reined Aunt Zhang in so thoroughly that she no longer dared run her mouth. Only then did everyone realize that Uncle Zhang was not nearly as meek or easy to push around as he appeared. He had probably been putting up with Aunt Zhang’s temper for a very long time.
Before long, the day came when they had no choice but to move.
They had prepared themselves for it, but Papa Wang and Mama Wang had lived in their hometown for decades and grown deeply attached to it, so actually leaving was still hard.
Wang Ning’an had originally planned to take leave and come home to help with the move, but now that Wang Cheng was back, Papa Wang and Mama Wang discussed it and told him there was no need to make the trip. He had only recently been promoted, and taking leave might leave a bad impression on his superior. Even though their eldest son said it would be fine, they ultimately would not let him come back.
Their moving vehicle was an old three-wheeled truck with a flatbed in the back, leaving plenty of room for furniture.
Because they had been a little slow arranging things, all the vehicles in the surrounding villages had already been booked by other families. The one they were using had been found through Mama Wang’s relatives. It was parked outside the Wang house early that morning, and every piece of furniture still worth using was loaded onto it.
Wang Cheng was strong enough to carry a sofa by himself, but Papa Wang was afraid he would hurt himself and insisted on helping. In the end, each man took one side and carried it onto the truck together.
While the two men handled the heavy work, Mama Wang and Little Sister packed the luggage. Clothes went into suitcases, and anything that did not fit was stuffed into bags. In the past, their cellar had also been piled with jars of pickled radish, cured pork, and other preserved foods. Later, however, their eldest son told them that eating too much pickled food could increase the risk of cancer, and several families in Shiquan County had indeed lost relatives to cancer. Better safe than sorry. Worried about her children’s health, Mama Wang stopped preserving those foods herself and only bought some occasionally when the family wanted them.
There were still plenty of other things in the cellar, including homemade wine and some plum preserves left from earlier years. All three siblings had loved them as children, so every so often Mama Wang would put some away, then have Wang Ziyu and her elder brother bring wine and plum preserves up the mountain for Wang Cheng and the old monk. They did not eat much of that sort of thing anymore, so there was not much stored now.
They herded the chickens from the coop into several large cages and secured the cages to the truck. Fortunately, they did not own very many chickens, or they would have needed to make another trip.
The wheels kicked up clouds of dust from the sandy road as the old three-wheeler puttered out of Wang Family Village. They were moving fairly late in the process, and about eighty percent of the village households had already left. Streets that used to have plenty of people around now stood almost completely empty.
Mama Wang looked back at Wang Family Village, which would soon be flattened, and a thousand emotions welled up inside her. They had never imagined that one day they would leave. There might have been two branches of aggravating relatives there, but it was still the place where they had spent so many years. Of course they had feelings for it.
“Mom, we’ll be living in Guanjia Village from now on. You’ll be able to see Grandma and Grandpa every day. You should be happy.”
The older people grew, the more attached they tended to become to familiar places, especially people as sentimental as his parents. Quite a few elderly villagers were unwilling to leave the village where they had lived for so many years, but for the sake of the younger generation, they all had to compromise. Whatever anyone else did, Wang Cheng only wanted his parents to feel a little happier about it.
Wang Ziyu chimed in from beside him.
“Grandma and Grandpa will definitely love having you there. Your grandma was asking about Chengcheng just a few days ago.” Mama Wang rubbed Wang Cheng’s head. The stubble growing in was a little prickly against her palm. Eighteen years ago, when she had entrusted this child to the old monk, she had never dared dream that their whole family would one day be reunited. This was a gift from heaven, and she would treasure every moment they could spend together.
“Could it be because everybody loves me?” Wang Cheng rubbed his chin.
“Second Brother, you really have no shame.” Wang Ziyu covered her mouth with a look of astonishment, as though she had only just discovered her Second Brother’s true nature.
“What do you mean, no shame? That’s called confidence.” Wang Cheng rapped her on the head. She actually dared call her own Second Brother shameless. What a dishonest little brat.
“More like narcissism,” Wang Ziyu muttered.
“What did you say?” Wang Cheng raised an eyebrow. Did she think lowering her voice meant he could not hear her?
“N-nothing.” Wang Ziyu stuck out her tongue and hurriedly smiled ingratiatingly. She had not forgotten the ferocity her Second Brother had shown when he smashed up the Zhang family’s bun shop.
Watching the brother and sister laugh and joke together, Mama Wang and Papa Wang, who was driving, exchanged a smile.