Chapter 237: The Young Mother
Chapter 237: The Young Mother
Sitting next to Deng Shirong was a young mother and her son, who were eating the most common sweet potatoes.
Across from them was an elderly couple, who looked to be in their late fifties. They had brought white porridge and pickled vegetables, and one of them also had a boiled egg.
As the elderly couple peeled the egg, the four- or five-year-old child, who had been sitting quietly, watched with wide eyes, his gaze fixed on the egg in their hands, his eyes revealing a longing that was all too clear.
The elderly couple exchanged a look, and finally, the grandmother broke her egg in half, offering one half to the little boy. "Here, child, take it and eat!" she said.
The little boy’s heart raced, and he reached out instinctively, but halfway through, he remembered something and quickly looked up at his mother. "Mom?"
If it were up to the young mother, she would have refused the kind offer. In those days, everyone struggled, and eggs were not something you could just eat whenever you wanted.
But as a mother, seeing her son’s eager eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She nodded with difficulty and said, "Quick, thank Grandma."
Seeing his mother agree, the little boy smiled, a rare sight. He reached out to take the half egg and said, "Thank you, Grandma!"
The grandmother smiled. "No need to thank me, child. Eat up!"
Despite the little boy’s mouth watering, he first offered the half egg to his mother. "Mom, you eat first!"
The young mother felt both proud and heartbroken by her son’s thoughtfulness. She said softly, "Mom doesn’t want to eat. You eat it, dear."
The little boy said, "Oh," and then he savored the egg with relish.
Deng Shirong watched all of this.
He thought for a moment, then reached into his burlap sack and pulled out a paper-wrapped package. Of course, this was just a cover; he actually retrieved the package from his system space.
Opening the paper, he revealed six large meat buns.
Deng Shirong then picked up two of the meat buns and offered them to the little boy. "Here, child, take these and share them with your mom."
The little boy, who was savoring the rare egg, looked curiously at the meat buns Deng Shirong offered. "Uncle, what are these?"
In the future, even two-year-olds would recognize buns.
But in this era, while city dwellers might know buns, rural children might not have even seen one, let alone eaten one.
This was especially true in the south, where people didn’t often eat flour-based foods.
So, it wasn’t surprising that the little boy didn’t recognize the buns.
Deng Shirong smiled. "These are buns, and they’re very delicious."
Before the little boy could respond, the young mother interjected, "Sir, these are too precious. You should keep them for yourself."
Deng Shirong smiled. "I have plenty more. In this weather, buns won’t last long. If we don’t eat them now, they might go bad by tomorrow, and that would be a waste. So, don’t be polite, and take them to share with your child."
Normally, people on long train journeys were strangers who might never meet again, so Deng Shirong had planned to sleep and avoid too much interaction.
But everyone has a compassionate heart. some extent. From the young mother and child’s clothing, their family must be struggling. Even the grandmother had been willing to share her egg with the child, so Deng Shirong didn’t mind giving a few meat buns.
Hearing Deng Shirong’s words, the young mother finally took the buns, her face filled with gratitude. "Thank you, sir!"
Then, Deng Shirong picked up two more buns and offered them to the elderly couple across from him. "Aunt and Uncle, you should try them too. These buns are quite large, and I can manage with just two."
The elderly couple was taken aback, clearly not expecting Deng Shirong to offer them buns.
The grandfather refused, shaking his head. "Aunt, we’re fine. Young people like you have big appetites. Two buns won’t be enough for you!"
Deng Shirong insisted, placing the buns in their hands. "If I were still doing hard labor every day, these two buns wouldn’t be enough. But I haven’t done that kind of work for two years, and my appetite is much smaller now. Two buns are enough for me, and I have plenty of other food, so I won’t go hungry."
"Ah... well, thank you, Aunt."
Thus, they all took the meat buns and savored them with relish.
The little boy, who had likely never tasted a meat bun before, ate with gusto, occasionally exclaiming, "Mom, these buns are so good!"
Even in the future, meat buns were very popular, and in this era of scarcity, they were a rare treat for both city and rural dwellers. The little boy’s reaction was perfectly normal.
Fortunately, over the past year, Deng Shirong had considered various scenarios when storing food in his system space. He had divided the food into hot and cold sections, and the meat buns he took out were from the cold section.
Otherwise, pulling out steaming hot buns in this situation would have been too much.
With this interlude, the initial awkwardness of the journey dissipated.
Through their conversation, Deng Shirong learned that the elderly couple, Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen, were also heading to the capital. They were visiting their younger son’s family, who worked in the capital.
(End of chapter)
As for the young woman surnamed Jiang, although her words were somewhat vague, Deng Shirong had a general understanding of her situation. Her life story was a typical drama filled with cliches often seen in TV shows.
To put it simply, she had fallen in love with a male youth who had been assigned to their production team. Unfortunately, the young man had no intention of settling down in the countryside, and his parents were also against him marrying a rural woman. After the national college entrance examination was reinstated, he took the exam and was successfully admitted to a specialized college in the capital.
In those days, college graduates were assigned jobs, and no one knew where they would end up working after graduation.
Moreover, his prospects brightened after he was admitted to college, and his horizons expanded beyond the rural life. It was only natural that the two, who were not yet married, would break up.
After the young man left, the young woman surnamed Jiang discovered she was pregnant.
Being an unwed mother was a significant social stigma, even in modern times, let alone in that era. Although Jiang did not elaborate much on this, Deng Shirong and the elderly Chen couple, with their extensive life experience, could imagine the kind of life she had led in the village.
Chen Grandma did not blame her but asked, "Xiao Jiang, did you stay in touch with the father after he went to college?"
Jiang shook her head, her expression somber. "After he left, he never even wrote me a letter."
Chen Grandma sighed. "After so many years without contact, where will you take your child to find him?"
Jiang bit her lip and said, "One of the youth who came to our village with him visited last month. From him, I learned his address. I will definitely find him."
Chen Grandma asked again, "Xiao Jiang, what is your purpose in going to the capital to find him? Do you want to start over with him?"
Jiang shook her head, her eyes red. "He is already married. I came this time mainly to talk about our child. My resources are limited, and I cannot provide a good living environment for the child. He is always bullied in the village, and as the father, I hope he will take on the responsibilities he should bear."
Deng Shirong understood her situation. Although many years had passed, he did not think the young man would acknowledge his responsibility. However, for Jiang, this might be the only way to change her son's living conditions. It was worth a try, even if it might not succeed. If it worked, her son could escape the unfriendly environment in the village; if not, things would remain the same, and it would not get any worse.
Chen Grandma shared a similar view. She did not believe that a man who could leave without a trace would take on his responsibilities. More likely, he would deny everything and distance himself from the child to avoid affecting his current family.
Of course, these were just their speculations. No one knew how the young man would react when he met Jiang and her son.
...
On the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, Deng Shirong arrived in the capital for the third time.
After getting off the train, Jiang was both amazed and a bit nervous at the bustling city outside. This was her first time traveling far from home. When she had reached Nanning, she had already been stunned by the city's prosperity. The wide, busy roads had almost made it impossible for her and her son to find the train station without the help of kind-hearted people.
Now, in the capital, which was many times larger and more prosperous than Nanning, finding the person she was looking for with just an address would be a tremendous challenge for Jiang.
Chen Grandma, seeing Jiang's helpless and lost expression, felt a pang of sympathy. "Xiao Jiang, you are unfamiliar with this place, carrying luggage and a child. It won't be easy to find the person you are looking for. Why don't you come with us to my younger son's place to settle down first, and then we can help you find the person. What do you think?"
Jiang was tempted but did not want to be a burden. After some hesitation, she declined. "Thank you, Grandma, but I don't want to trouble you. I can manage on my own."
Chen Grandma had wanted to persuade her further but remembered that her younger daughter-in-law might not be happy if she brought a stranger home. She held back and instead patted the child's head, saying to Jiang, "In that case, be careful. If you need help, find the police."
"Thank you, Grandma. I will."
After spending three or four days on the train together, and being fellow Guangxi natives, Deng Shirong could not stand by idly. "Xiao Jiang, I have nothing to do right now, and I have been to the capital a few times, so I know my way around. If you trust me, I can help you find the child's father."
Chen Grandma, feeling a bit disappointed that she couldn't help, was relieved to see Deng Shirong stepping in. "Xiao Jiang, agree quickly. With Uncle Deng's help, we can rest easy!"
Jiang hesitated but finally nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Deng. I will trouble you."
Today's 6,300-word update is complete.
(End of Chapter)
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