On the day Chen Lan and the others began transplanting rice seedlings, Grandpa Zhou, along with several other elders and the twenty-two cashmere goats brought back, returned to the valley. They also brought back two piglets. The group traveled a long and dusty road, carrying their livestock in baskets, either on their backs or on the backs of animals; it was incredibly difficult to get these animals back to the valley! Grandma's eyes lit up with joy seeing the new arrivals.
Upon their return to the valley, Grandpa Zhou, upon seeing Grandma, apologized sincerely, "Auntie Zhou, I am truly sorry for taking so long. We couldn't buy enough cashmere goats and failed to complete the task. I feel quite embarrassed."
Grandma was very understanding of their hardship. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "Elder brother, you are too polite. How can we blame you? It was not easy for you to carry and transport everything along the way."
Grandma paused to catch her breath. Seeing that Grandpa Zhou and the others still looked uneasy, she continued to comfort them, "Moreover, the past few years have been turbulent, and the harvests were poor. Not many households raised goats to begin with. It's already a great achievement that you managed to bring back so much from so far away. We are grateful, how could we possibly blame you? Besides, you even helped us bring back two piglets! Those are not easy to find."
Grandpa Zhou and the other elders were deeply moved by her words, and the fatigue they felt seemed to lift considerably.
When Grandma mentioned the piglets, Grandpa Zhou quickly explained, "We bought this pair of piglets incidentally from a family selling cashmere goats. They had a sow that had a litter this year. When we went to buy the goats, he casually asked if we wanted any piglets. We saw that the piglets looked sturdy, but we weren't sure if pigs were raised in the valley. We couldn't decide right away because raising pigs can be quite messy."
Grandpa Zhou paused to catch his breath, then glanced at Grandpa Chen and continued, "On the twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month, Grandpa Chen heard Xiao Lan mention that she regretted not raising pigs in the valley, as they couldn't have homemade preserved meat dishes. So, without consulting anyone at home, the elders among us discussed it and decided on our own to buy a pair. We hope, Auntie Zhou, you won't be upset!"
Grandpa Chen and the other elders nodded in agreement.
Hearing Grandpa Zhou's explanation, Grandma immediately waved her hand again and said, "Elder brother Zhou, you are being too formal. I believe you did this for the good of our valley. We brought our families to this remote valley to live a better life, wouldn't you agree?"
After a pause, she cleared her throat and continued, "Besides, we all live together in the valley; we are one big family, it's fate! When we work together with all our strength, it's all for the sake of living a better life. Don't you think my words are reasonable?"
According to Mother, the elders were deeply touched by Grandma's words.
Chen Lan was unaware of these events until later that evening when she was chatting with her mother. Her mother told her about it, expressing that Grandma was very adept at handling people and advised Chen Lan to learn from her in dealing with others.
Chen Lan, along with Ming Wei and Chun Cao, spent five days and finally finished transplanting seedlings in over a hundred mu of rice paddies. Everyone let out a heavy sigh of relief.
The past few days had been incredibly strenuous for everyone. Operating the rice transplanter required constant concentration, with no room for carelessness for fear of making a mistake. In fact, Chen Lan worked the hardest. While Ming Wei and Lin Mai could operate the transplanter independently, Chen Lan accompanied everyone else on the machine.
Today was truly a good day. As Chen Lan and the others, weary from their efforts, walked into their yard, they found it in a state of commotion with many unfamiliar faces. Chen Lan guessed that Xiang Dong or Er Hu must have returned with more people.
Chen Lan thought to herself that her mother's guess was correct. Xiang Dong and Er Hu had indeed taken over half a year to find people. They must have endured great hardship, camping outdoors for all those months!
She couldn't help but sigh again, reflecting on how inconvenient transportation was in the 1950s. If this were her past life, it probably would have been resolved within a week.
As Chen Lan and her companions entered the yard, everyone turned to look at them. Chen Lan smiled and nodded to everyone as she walked in, acknowledging their greetings.
Upon entering the living room, she saw Xiang Dong and Er Hu, looking thin and dark, with long hair and unshaven faces, along with Teacher Zhou and a group of injured men engaged in conversation. Chen Lan smiled and nodded to everyone.
Greatly surprised, she greeted Teacher Zhou and the others one by one. Then, she curiously asked, "Teacher Zhou, how did you all meet up with Brother Xiang Dong and Brother Er Hu?"
Teacher Zhou smiled and replied unhurriedly, "We met on the road after leaving the pass. First, we met Er Hu and his group, and later we encountered Xiang Dong and his group. Afterward, we traveled together."
Then, Teacher Zhou happily introduced Chen Lan to an elderly gentleman with somewhat graying hair. Smiling, Teacher Zhou said, "Come, Xiao Lan, allow me to formally introduce you. You surely recognize this elder. He is the attending physician at the renowned 'Hundred Herbs Hall' in the capital, Doctor Guo. Beside him are Doctor Guo's daughter and granddaughter."
Chen Lan became so excited that she stammered, her words tumbling out. With clasped hands, she said, "Doctor Guo, welcome, welcome to such a remote place as the valley. Thank you! We are truly grateful that you have come here! Please rest assured, although our valley is not as bustling as the capital, we will gradually have everything that the capital has!"
Doctor Guo waved his hand with a smile, chuckling, "Whether it's bustling or not doesn't matter. I only wish for my daughter, granddaughter, and myself to live peacefully, without so many troublesome matters, and I will be content."
Chen Lan also smiled and assured him, "Absolutely, absolutely. Please rest assured, sir. Apart from people seeking your medical advice and prescriptions, no one will bother you unnecessarily!"
Afterward, she turned to Teacher Zhou and thanked him with clasped hands, "Teacher Zhou, thank you! You must have spoken highly of us to have invited Doctor Guo. Thank you! We are truly very grateful!"
Teacher Zhou repeatedly waved his hands, saying, "Xiao Lan, you are too polite saying that. It's too formal. We are all part of the valley and live here too. Let's not thank each other anymore."
Chen Lan immediately fell silent, not continuing her thanks.
Teacher Zhou, seeing Chen Lan quiet, continued, "It's just a pity this time. We couldn't find suitable teachers. Both the young and old were unwilling to come once they heard we lived in the valley. This issue with teachers delayed us for some time, and in the end, we still couldn't find anyone suitable. Since we couldn't delay any further, we set off for home."