Chapter 007: Old Friends

In any case, everything is completely different from that impoverished small county town in Canghai's memory. The pedestrians by the roadside exude a sense of vitality even while walking, no longer appearing as listless as they did when leaving Canghai.

Arriving in the small county town does not mean that one is immediately home, as it is still about one hundred kilometers away from the town of Canghai. Do not underestimate this distance of one hundred kilometers; if it were in the eastern plains, it would take at most one or two hours. However, in a landscape filled with yellow earth and ravines, one hundred kilometers can take four to five hours by car

The two foolish gentlemen stood by the street and embraced for nearly a minute, before finally parting with cheerful smiles.

After watching for about ten seconds, Cang Hai finally asked with a tone of uncertainty: "Zheng Weibao?"

Cang Hai quickly said: "I haven't gone home yet, I just arrived in the town. There will be time to drink later, but right now I need to go to my third uncle's house"

Cang Hai listened and reached out to pat the little one's cheek, saying to Lu Jing: "Sister-in-law, you take the nephew onto the car, and I will follow on the motorcycle"

He then introduced his wife to Canghai: "My wife is Lu Jing from Class 3 of high school, and this is my child, Ziyue, Zheng Ziyue."

After exchanging a few words, Lu Jing began to engage in lively conversation and laughter with Cang Hai.

"Are you already married?" Cang Hai glanced at the woman standing beside the motorcycle, who appeared somewhat awkward, along with the child who looked on with curiosity

The younger sister on the ridge, oh, she is so beautiful that it takes one's breath away, the young shepherd, oh, is thinking of her intently

At this moment, about twenty meters away from the vast sea, a man in his early thirties, riding a motorcycle with his wife and child, is staring intently at the ocean.

After getting off the car, Cang Hai stood by the roadside, scratching his head while starting to scroll through his phone, searching for his uncle's number.

Ah! It is truly Cang Hai! Upon hearing Cang Hai call his name, the man immediately displayed a joyful smile on his face, hurriedly dismounting from the motorcycle in a rush, almost causing himself and his wife and child to fall to the ground.

Zheng Weibao slapped his thigh and said, "That's simple. Their two families are only separated from our home by seven or eight households, just a few steps away. Let's go, follow my car!"

Upon hearing Zheng Weibao's words, Lu Jing got out of the car with the child. However, the little one had not taken many car rides, and it seemed that this short distance was not enough for him to feel satisfied; he was a bit reluctant to get off the car and wanted to stay inside. In the end, Lu Jing directly pulled him out.

Zheng Weibao first ensured the safety of his wife and children before striding confidently towards Cang Hai. He then embraced Cang Hai and gave a hearty pat on his back.

What happened to him?

Cang Hai does not remember Lu Jing, but Lu Jing remembers Cang Hai, mainly because Cang Hai was exceptionally outstanding in school, with grades that left others far behind, making the so-called top students bow their heads in submission. If Cang Hai did not score at least 40 points more than the second place in each exam, it would be considered a failure on his part.

The car came to a stop, I took a moment to calm my emotions, pulled out a wet tissue from the car to wipe away my tears, and continued on my way.

Zheng Weibao immediately asked, "Is your third uncle named Cang Shiyuan or Cang Shigui?"

When Cang Hai entered the town, his heart skipped a beat, for what he had originally remembered as a small town with only forty to fifty houses now seemed to have no less than five or six hundred households. Each household featured small courtyards and large tiled houses, and occasionally, one could see two-story small general's buildings. In the rural areas of Jiangnan, these would hardly be considered anything remarkable, but in this place, where the yellow earth was abundant and water was extremely scarce, they certainly represented prosperous families.

As the car entered the town, Cang Hai hesitated once again, for the road was completely different from what he remembered, and even the navigation was of no help to him in this place

Cang Hai returned to the car and started it, following behind Zheng Weibao's motorcycle. He allowed Zheng Weibao to lead him through several turns into two alleys, only then did he see Zheng Weibao stop the motorcycle

More than 1,500 kilometers were traveled over the course of two full days, and it was not until the morning of the third day that Cang Hai finally arrived in his hometown, a small county town. It had been nearly ten years since he last returned home, and as Cang Hai's vehicle entered the county town, he was left utterly astonished. In his memory, that impoverished and dilapidated small county town was now completely transformed. Although it still could not compare to the county towns in the eastern region, it was vastly different from the large single-story houses and narrow streets he remembered. The main thoroughfares had been replaced with four-lane asphalt roads, and on either side stood four to eight-story buildings, closely lining the main roads of the county town. The once inhabited single-story brick houses had been replaced by clusters of four to five-story apartment buildings. The pedestrians on the streets no longer exhibited the same sense of hardship he remembered from his departure; instead, it was not uncommon to see private cars with private license plates parked along the roadside.

As the road becomes increasingly winding, with more and more turns through the loess hills, Cang Hai realizes that he is getting closer to his hometown, where he was born and raised

As I drew closer to my hometown, even though the view was filled with desolation, my heart was increasingly stirred with excitement. I gently pressed down the car window, feeling the mountain breeze carrying the rich scent of yellow earth brush against my face. Although it brought a kind of chilly pain, I still found it pleasant, a refreshing comfort that penetrated to my very core

The vast sea does not shy away from saying that it is not young, but rather that you, young man, look too old! However, this phenomenon is quite common here; the hardworking farmers, facing the yellow earth and turning their backs to the sky, cannot possibly be compared to those who sit in an office all day.

The further one travels into the countryside, the more desolate the roads on both sides appear. As the journey progresses, the greenery on the yellow earth slopes becomes increasingly sparse, and the river below grows narrower and shallower.

Zheng Weibao, upon hearing Cang Hai's words, quickly waved to his wife and child, saying: "Wife, come over and let the child show himself to his uncle"

My third uncle is named Cang Shiyuan, and Cang Shigui is my paternal uncle!" said Cang Hai

Releasing Cang Hai, Zheng Weibao smiled at his old classmate. Without waiting for Cang Hai to respond, he carefully looked him up and down again and exclaimed, "The magic city really nurtures people. Just look at you, kid; you no longer have that dark and shabby appearance from before. You look like you're only seventeen or eighteen!"

I heard that you are doing quite well in the Magic City, is this a visit home to take a look?

Pointing to the red-painted iron gate, Zheng Weibao said: "This is your third uncle's house, and next door is your uncle's house. It seems that there is someone at home now"

It seems like my classmate! After the man on the motorcycle muttered a phrase, he shouted towards the direction of the sea: "Is that young man the sea?"

Having put away the phone and finished exploring the room, Cang Hai returned to the space. Looking left and right, he found that there was nothing much to see in the space; there were only so many items: a well, a seed, and a so-called beast den that could not accommodate any people. After a while, the novelty wore off, and it was just like that, far from the thrill and incredulity he felt when he first entered.

Cang Hai greeted Lu Jing and played with the child for a moment. The little one, with a pair of bright, curious eyes, was looking at Cang Hai, this uncle he had never seen before, with great interest

Cang Hai, upon hearing someone call his name, raised his head in surprise and looked at the man who was shouting at him.

Zheng Weibao, not one to stand on ceremony, waved his hand to his wife and then mounted his motorcycle, starting it up as he waited for Cang Hai

Back in the hotel room, lying on the spacious and comfortable bed, Cang Hai wondered if he could dream of that vague shadow again. Unfortunately, he had a night devoid of dreams, sleeping soundly until dawn. Not to mention the shadow, he didn't even have a spring dream.

"Let's go to my house! Today, we should have a couple of drinks together." Zheng Weibao enthusiastically grabbed Cang Hai's arm, eager to pull him along.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Cang Hai raised his voice to sing the mountain songs he had heard since childhood, again and again. After singing four or five times, he was unaware that his cheeks were already adorned with two streams of clear tears. The heart of the wanderer, who had been away from his hometown for nearly ten years, was filled with countless soul-stirring dreams and endless longing. As he vaguely caught sight of his hometown town, it transformed into tears streaming down his face.

After getting up and tidying up, I arrived at the photography studio and completely handled the matters. Cang Hai then took a flight directly back to the Magic City.

Cang Hai was taken aback by Zheng Weibao. Having lived in the magic city for nearly ten years, Cang Hai had long forgotten the enthusiasm and straightforwardness of the Northwest men. However, he quickly adapted and warmly embraced his old friend.

After picking up the car and greeting my friends, I filled up my Volkswagen, which I had been driving for seven or eight years, with fuel and headed onto the highway, driving directly at 120 towards my hometown

There is no need to find the way; simply follow the path until you reach the end, and you will arrive at the small town of my hometown, nestled among the yellow earth hills surrounded by mountains on all sides

The woman sitting on the motorcycle, holding her child, noticed her husband staring intently at a man by the roadside. Curiously, she asked him a question. If it had been a woman, she would have certainly been furious, but the presence of a man eased her suspicions significantly

As Zheng Weibao turned around, he was about to walk towards the motorcycle, at that moment, the little child in Lu Jing's arms spoke up: "Dad, I want to ride in a big car"

Leaving the small county town, Cang Hai continued to drive towards his hometown following the navigation. After less than twenty minutes, the newly paved asphalt road turned into a two-lane road, but it was not a proper two-lane road. When two vehicles met, both had to step on the brakes and slow down to ensure the safety of passing each other. This was unavoidable, as on either side of the road there were steep slopes of twenty to thirty meters on one side and towering yellow earth hills on the other.