Under the star-studded night sky, a group of people sat around the grass, not far from a bonfire roasting a wild mountain goat, with a large pot on top bubbling with the aroma of meat.
The simple and sincere Mu’s face flashed a shy smile, "... There’s an agricultural market in town, you can buy a lot of good stuff if you go there early..."
"... More people are raising sheep in the open markets, we have quite a few more this year... The summer is too hot, I’ll send some over to you in the winter..."
"... Watermelons, plenty of them... Wild fruits aren’t worth much, no one buys them..."
Not far away, Zhou Jiao listened absentmindedly to the sporadic words, somewhat dazed. Is this the era she belongs to or the future?
"... People from the county commune have come to persuade them to return to their hometown... Habits become natural, this is also their homeland... Relatives and friends come over..."
"... It’s not like before, with a military camp here, it’s safer... The population has multiplied... You used to hear wolves howling as a child..."
The pregnant Yi Shumin stretched her body, with Zhou Jiao lying behind, "It’s really nice here. If Xiao Fei wasn’t unable to leave, I’d want to transfer to work here."
Zhou Jiao smiled, not answering. Occasionally staying for a few days is fine, but truly living a herdsman’s life long-term is another experience altogether.
Not to mention, without Zhang Guoqing’s skillful means, it’s impossible to eat meat every day.
Within the sheepfold, those bleating lambs represent the hope for the entire family next year. Unless there’s an honored guest, who would be willing to feast? And the harsh winter, for the herdsmen, is a major test as well.
People, living in this world, none has it easy. Some hide their pain inside, others are used to receiving sympathy and support.
"When do you plan to send the Liu Yi brothers to daycare?"
Zhou Jiao chuckled, "Your topic transition is quite distant."
"Hahaha... If I wasn’t pregnant this time, I would’ve brought Yueya’er along. It’s better for the child to stay around oneself. I see the Liu Yi brothers are so smart, they can’t do without your guidance."
"You simply think the grass is greener on the other side. Isn’t your Yueya’er also very clever? I heard from Grandma Fang that at her age, she already knows not to play with kids with runny noses."
"Who knows whom this girl takes after? She’s very domineering but fun now. Every day she claps her little hands singing and knows to carry a handkerchief with her..."
Zhou Jiao listened to her talking about the child’s merits and smiled knowingly. Indeed, a pleasant mood can make one relax, without worrying whether the baby in the womb is a male? There’s no more...
The next morning, a group of them swayed into the county town on a production team’s ox cart.
Just stopping, Zhang Guoqing took out a baby carrier from the backpack, and with Zhou Jiao’s help, embraced a pair of twins, apologetically looking at his eldest son, "Would Daddy carry you?"
Aunt Sun, beside, was frantically pacing, "I’ll watch the kids, give me one."
Ping’an shook his head, chuckling gleefully, "Grandma Sun, my dad wants you to feel assured to play."
Such high emotional intelligence! Old Mrs. Cheng and Zhou Jiao exchanged a smile and advised, "Alright, it’s usually you who tends to the children. Let’s listen to Xiao Wu this time, come, walk with us."
Over there, Fang Fei carefully supported his wife down, "Are we really going in? The market is quite crowded."


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