Chapter 118: Going Home to See Mom

Chapter 118: Going Home to See Mom

When Su An returned to Fuqing Street with her belongings, Su Ping was in the kitchen, squatting as he washed dishes.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, he quickly put down the bowl in his hand and looked outside, "An An? Is An An back?"

He reached out to take the things from An An's hands and muttered under his breath.

"An An, have you eaten? I woke up this morning and saw you were gone. I went outside but couldn’t find you. When did you leave?"

"I saved you some breakfast, but it got cold since you didn’t come back, so I ended up eating it."

"Why are you carrying so much? It looks heavy. You should’ve called me."

An An poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down before saying, "I went to the Zhao Family to pick up some stuff I left there."

Su Ping opened his mouth, "That bad woman from yesterday’s house? They didn’t bully you, did they?"

An An shook her head, "No, I’m clever!"

"Alright, bro, enough talking. Check out what I brought you." An An lifted the cloth cover on the small basket.

"Egg crepes, I made them myself. Eat them quickly."

Su Ping's eyes were immediately drawn to the golden, thin egg crepes.

"It smells amazing."

"Of course, I went all out with the eggs and used half a pot of oil. Only the best ingredients. Who else would go to such lengths?"

An An washed her hands, picked up an egg crepe, rolled it up, and handed it to Su Ping, "Here, eat this first. I’ll slice some salted duck eggs to go with it."

Su Ping wiped his hands on his sides, took the crepe, and took a bite. His eyes lit up, and he started stuffing it into his mouth.

"Mmm, this is great. An An, your egg crepes are fantastic."

An An sliced two salted duck eggs and placed them on the table, then poured a big bowl of water for her brother.

She smiled as she watched him, "If you like it, eat up. There’s plenty, but it won’t stay fresh for long."

"An An, you should have some too. It’s really good," Su Ping said, his mouth full.

An An rolled one for herself, "I’ve already had two. I’m full, but watching you enjoy it so much makes me want another."

"Haha."

"Brother, didn’t you say you missed Mom? I’ve pretty much wrapped things up here. I promised you we’d visit when I had the chance. Let’s head out tomorrow."

Su Ping looked up suddenly, his eyes bright with joy.

"Really? An An, we’re going back to see Mom?"

An An nodded, "Yes, really!"

Su Ping was thrilled. Despite his size, he bounced a little like a kid.

"Great! We’re going to see Mom. It’s been ages. I really miss her bean paste. I even dream about it!"

An An nodded toward the egg crepes, "Hurry up and eat. Once we’re done, we’ll go check for tickets."

Su Ping nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at rice, "Yes."

In her past life, Su An had also thought about returning to Ninety-three to see her mother, but she never got the opportunity.

The place where Su Jianjun was sent to the countryside was a remote village called Ninety-three, located in Chuan Town, Wenyang County, at the farthest boundary of City A.

The villagers of Ninety-three had fields from the neighboring Ji County of City C right outside their doors.

Ji County, next to Wenyang County, is part of City C, and Ninety-three is situated at the border between City A and City C.

Ji County is a well-developed county in City C in various aspects, whether in terms of population density, economic strength, road transportation, or other areas, far surpassing the remote small county of Wenyang in City A.

Although Ninety-three Village is under the jurisdiction of City A, the local residents, whether going to the market or shopping in the county town, all go to the markets in Ji County.

For the villagers of Ninety-three, City C is closer than City A, and Ji County is also more convenient than Wenyang County. Their own county is actually much more unfamiliar to them.

Su An's first step on her journey back was to take a train from City A's railway station to City C, then transfer to a bus to Ji County under City C, and finally return to Ninety-three Village, which belongs to City A.

By the time Su An finished her egg pancake, her brother was already on his fifth.

Seeing his sister had finished, Su Ping quickly stuffed the rest of the pancake into his mouth, clapped his hands, and signaled to Su An that he was done and ready to go.

The siblings hurried to the railway station to check for tickets. They found tickets for a train leaving just after one in the morning, arriving in City C around five.

Even though it was a midnight train, Su An didn't hesitate and bought two tickets right away.

Back then, trains were the only way to travel long distances, and major stations were always crowded. If you didn't buy a ticket when it was available, it might be gone the next second.

Once they had the tickets, Su Ping's smile never left his face. "An An, remember the river at the village entrance? It's full of crabs, fish, and shrimp. When we get back, I'll catch some for you. And the mountain behind the village, I wonder if there are still tea bubbles."

Su An laughed, "Brother, what are you talking about? Tea bubbles only come out in March. It's not the right season."

Su Ping's enthusiasm remained undiminished, "No worries. We can collect pine cones and needles for firewood."

"I wonder how Er Dan and the rest are doing. He came to see me off when I left. It's been ages. Do you think they still remember me?"

"And Grandma... Oh, the jujube tree by her door should be ready to eat soon. I remember it's eaten when the leaves fall..."

After packing at home, Su An took her brother to the store.

Her brother had friends in Ninety-three, and so did she. She also wanted to get gifts for her mom, grandma, and uncles. Grandma's getting old, and after this trip, she didn't know when they'd see each other again.

The siblings packed light, just one set to wear and one spare, each wearing a thick coat they had bought last time. With the food and gifts they packed, they only had two big bags.

Not sure how long they'd stay in Ninety-three and wanting to be prepared, Su An worried about unexpected changes. She brought all her 500 yuan in cash and even wrapped her gold bracelet in red wool to wear.

The bracelet was wrapped in red thread, making it hard to notice. At that time, withdrawing money from a bank account required going to the specific branch where the account was opened, but gold could be quickly converted into cash anywhere.

From the 500 yuan, she kept a little over 30 yuan for emergencies and sewed the rest into her underwear.

The next day, after saying goodbye to their neighbors, they left with her brother that evening.

On the very day Su An took Su Ping back to their hometown, Su Jiao returned home with swollen eyes and a look of despair, carrying a bucket and a quilt.

Seeing Su Jiao's haggard appearance and the things in her hands, Ji Qingqing's heart skipped a beat.

"Jiao... Jiao Jiao, isn't it still before the holiday? You, what's going on?"

Hearing her mother's question, Su Jiao immediately broke down, "Wuwuwu, Mom... I... uh, I got fired."