"What's the matter?"
"Fell into a pit?"
"There was nothing like this when we came by this morning. How can there be a pit without rain? Damn it! The axle is broken!" Yang Peijun jumped down and, after checking the vehicle, shouted.
"What do we do now?" Zhang Minghua glanced at the deserted road, still 40 minutes away from Xiahe Village, and started to worry. "We might be able to walk back, but the baby from the second family can't take that."
"I'll see with the second brother if we can tie the axle back on."
"Okay, I'll go find some vines to use." Yang Peihua said and deftly ran off to look for tools.
Yang Peijun started unloading things from the vehicle one by one.
"I need to pee," Bai Hehua suddenly said.
"You're lazy and bathroom trips are frequent!" Zhang Minghua glared at her, but felt helpless since her second son had walked off. She let Yang PeiMin hold the child. "Knowing we'd be lying down on the way back, would drinking less water have killed you?"
Pushing herself up, Bai Hehua kindly addressed her mother-in-law with a forced smile, "Don't tire yourself, Mother, just have Minmin help me up."
"How can Minmin have the strength to support you! If you fall, who will be responsible? Are you going or not? Hurry up, every single day, you're the one with the issues!" Zhang Minghua snapped at her, giving her several hard glares.
Despite her complaints, she efficiently helped her daughter-in-law get up and they headed toward the small woods not far off the road.
As they left, Bai Hehua's baby immediately started crying.
"Wah wah wah..."
Yang PeiMin instantly grew flustered. "What's wrong with him, third brother?"
"Check if he's pooped?"
"How can I check in this cold? I'm worried he'll catch a chill."
Yang Peijun placed the items on the ground and stood up straight, rolling his eyes at her. "Can't you just reach in and feel?"
Yang PeiMin shook her head vigorously. "I-I can't do it..." What if he had actually pooped, and especially if it were a big one? If she reached inside, her hand would get covered in it...
Seeing her reaction, Yang Peijun could guess what she was thinking. He wanted to bang her head open to see if it was stuffed with straw. "Can't you think a bit? If you just feel through his pants, you can tell. If he really did poop, there will be a warm sensation..."
Yang PeiMin felt like she could never love again...
She carefully followed Yang Peijun's instructions and reached toward his little bum, feeling through the diaper. It seemed like there was nothing, "No..."
"If it's not that, then he could be hungry."
"But we fed him at the hospital before we left, as second brother said. It hasn't even been half an hour; how could he be hungry so soon?" Yang PeiMin ruled out that possibility.
"Maybe it's the way you're holding him that's uncomfortable. Try walking and bouncing him a bit."
"Oh, okay." Yang PeiMin hastily carried the little "ancestor" and started walking.
"Wah wah wah...!"
Still crying!
"Don't cry, don't cry! How about Auntie sings a song for you?" With walking not soothing her nephew's mood, Yang PeiMin had no choice but to offer her singing, "Sleep, sleep, my dear baby..."
"Wah wah wah...!"
The little thing didn't appreciate the gesture at all, his little face turning red from crying.
"If you keep crying, I'm going to start crying too..." Yang PeiMin stomped her foot, also at a loss for what to do.
"Maybe he's hungry, why don't you try feeding him some milk?"
A rich male voice sounded from behind her.
Pei Min was startled. She hurriedly turned around to find a man dressed in military uniform standing tall before her like a javelin.
"I'm sorry for scaring you, I'm saying he might be hungry."
Feed, feed milk?
Whoosh! Pei Min's face turned beet red, quickly spreading to below her neck. She gasped for air, eyes wide, and blurted out to him, "You, what are you talking about! This is my nephew!"
The man was taken aback for a moment before he realized what she was refuting. Watching the girl who looked as flustered as a ruffled rooster before him, a smile couldn't help but flicker in his eyes. He brought his right hand to his mouth in a coughing gesture, masking his amusement, and apologized again, "Sorry."
The heat on Pei Min's face did not subside, making her want to fan her flushed cheeks.
Seeing that he had sincerely apologized, she couldn't well hold it against him. She avoided his smiling eyes as if escaping and looked behind him. She wanted to know how he had appeared.
Three steps behind him, a jeep was parked, but how had she not heard it arrive? Was the baby too noisy?
The man noticed where she was looking and offered, "It seems you're having some trouble, do you need help?"
"Shen family's boy?" Zhang Minghua's voice rang with surprise.
Hearing her mother's voice, Pei Min also lit up with surprise, turning around and calling, "Mom, come and soothe your grandson!"
"Oh, what happened here?" Zhang Minghua walked over and skillfully held the baby in her arms, peeking into the swaddling clothes, "I think he's hungry. I'll have his mother feed him a bit."
Pei Min sighed in relief, lightly thumping her sore arms as if a major crisis had been averted.
The man beside her watched her again. Which farm girl hadn't since childhood helped her mother look after siblings, or a niece or nephew?
Pei Min felt his gaze, turned her body to face him, and took another good look. A military man stood before her, with a resolute face, bushy eyebrows, sharp eyes, a crew cut, and a tall, upright, and commanding posture. She ventured to ask, "Is your family name Shen? From Daji Village?"
The military man nodded.
"Was it you who saved me that day?"
Shen Yiguang replied indifferently, "It was no trouble at all."
"Thank you for that day," Pei Min expressed gratefully.
"Look at you two, chatting away all friendly," Zhang Minghua turned back and spoke, "Shen family's boy, where are you headed?"
"I was originally going to the town, but seeing you in trouble, I thought I might be able to lend a hand."
"Thank you so much; I hate to trouble you again. The axle on my oxcart is broken, and my daughter-in-law just had a baby, so it's not easy for her to walk. If it's convenient for you, could you give her a ride?"
"Sure, don't be too polite." After saying that, Shen Yiguang got to work, swiftly moving things from the oxcart to the back of the jeep with strong and efficient movements. After one trip, everything was loaded. He then checked the damaged part of the oxcart, decisively saying, "No point in fixing that, just unload it. Put it in the back of my car, and leave someone to lead the ox back. The rest can ride with me."
Yang Peijun nodded, his face flooded with relief, and smiled at Shen Yiguang, "Honestly, I knew it'd be difficult to fix without nails, just tried my luck. But now, we're good, fortunately we met you."
The family happily got into Shen Yiguang's car, and Zhang Minghua, using the excuse of not being good at caring for people, allowed Pei Min to sit in the front passenger seat, leaving Yang Peihua to lead the ox.
On the way, Zhang Minghua struck up a conversation with Shen Yiguang.
"I heard you're back on leave to find a marriage prospect, any progress?"
Shen Yiguang shook his head, "These things can't be rushed."
"That's true, someone as outstanding as you should look carefully and choose a good one."
"You flatter me, ma'am."