Chapter 16: Support from the army
After taking the things, Shi Xiao Ai buried the clothes, took the children to worship again, and left the cemetery.
She did not open the bag immediately but knew what was inside, even through the oilcloth.
It was a relic left behind by the original owner's mother.
The second year after the original owner went to the countryside, she received a telegram from her family saying that her mom was critically ill and asking her to go home.
When she returned to the small hut where she had lived with her mom for several years after wandering around for several days, her mother had only one breath left.
She was waiting for her to come back.
Her mother died the day after the original owner arrived home.
Because of their imperfect family background, all the surrounding relatives were alienated from them.
After her father's death, mother and daughter depended on each other, so even when her mother was dying, there was only the original owner by her side.
Before her death, her mother gave her a locked, carved wooden box, saying it was a dowry left for her, and asked her to hide it regardless of what it was so that no one could discover it now.
The original owner and her mother had lived together for so many years that they were kicked out of their rental and changed residences many times. She had never seen that exquisite box, let alone how her mother had kept it all these years.
But she knew that her mother must have put a lot of thought and effort into this package.
After her mother died, she didn't even dare open the package.
Because she knew in her heart that the things inside could never be taken out now.
She didn't dare take it with her, knowing she didn't have the skills her mother had to keep it safe.
The original owner pondered about it and finally kept it with her parents because she felt this was the safest place.
So when she visited her parents for the last time before moving, she buried the box behind her parents' monument.
On the way home, Shi Xiao's heart was beating fast.
She knew that the original owner had left entirely this time.
By opening this memory to her before disappearing, she is also allowing her the right to use these things.
But the more this happens, the greater the pressure on Shi Xiao's heart.
Such a deep trust made her feel moved and much more duty-bound.
There is a direct bus from the suburbs to the alley where they live. Since it was a working day and it was freezing outside, there were few people on the bus, and they were seated all the way.
But the two children were exhausted. When they exited the car, they were sleepy and couldn't walk.
Shi Xiao Ai sighed, put her schoolbag on her back, and then bent down to carry Xiao Xi.
She reached out to take the bag in Xiao Rui's hand, but the child dodged it: "Mom, I'll carry it."
It was said the kid. He was trying to grab the schoolbag hanging around her neck.
Shi Xiao Ai shook her head, held the little guy's palm, and strode home with the two siblings.
As soon as a family of three stepped into the alley, they saw several people standing at the door of their house from a distance, about to knock on the gate.
Seeing them coming back, Aunt Liu Hongxiang picked up the lead in greeting them: "Xiao Ai, this is Director Yu from our office. These are comrades from the Military Support Office. We are all here to visit you!"
After hearing Liu Hongxiang's introduction, they knew that the woman in front of them, who looked younger than her actual age and was thin and frail, was the one they would visit today.
An older sister in her thirties hurried over and reached out to hug Xiao Xi, whom Shi Xiao Ai was still carrying.
When Xiao Xi saw so many strangers, she jumped off her mother's back and stood with her brother.
The woman did not hug Xiao Xi but stretched her hand towards Shi Xiao ai and introduced herself with a smile: "Hello, Comrade Shi Xiao ai, I am Yang Ruihua, the deputy director of the District Military Support Office. The subdistrict has reported the situation at your home to us.
We are here today. We would like to know more about your husband. We also intend to visit you and your children on behalf of the district. "
After saying that, she reached out and rubbed Mingrui's head and sighed: "It's difficult to be a military dependent, and it's even harder for you, a woman, to raise two babies!"
After hearing these words, Shi Xiao Ai thanked her and let the group of people into the courtyard.
The family left home early in the morning and spent a long time in the cemetery. It was then past three o'clock in the afternoon.
Although Shi Xiao Ai and the two kids had previously eaten some dry food they had brought with them on the way, they were still hungry and thirsty.
Adults can still hide it, but children can't do it.
As soon as they entered the door, the two little guys stopped falling asleep and hurried to the kitchen together. After entering, they picked up the tea jar on the chopping board and drank the remaining cold water.
The winter wind is biting and crisp.
Especially in the wilderness, there is not even a place to hide.
After running outside for a long time, they suffered from the chill. How could Shi Xiao Ai dare to let the two children consume such icy water?
It will be troublesome if you get sick again!
So she wasn't concerned about these people anymore, said "sorry," and rushed in.
She snatched the tea jars from the children's hands and stopped them. "You can't drink this; it will cause diarrhea! Just wait a moment; don't move; wait! Mom will boil water for you right away."
As she spoke, she went to poke the kiln, but when Shi Xiaoai took the kettle sitting on it, she found the stove was out again.
The two children stood aside and waited, but when they saw no fire in the kiln, their eyes showed a sense of disappointment.
Looking at the teapot placed high by her mother, Xiao Xi pursed her lips and said, "Mom, I'm thirsty; I'll just take a sip."
The words sounded aggrieved, and she was crying.
Xiao Rui knows more than his twin.
He looked at the adults who had followed him, then stretched out his hand to pull his sister to signal her not to cry.
Then, the little guy walked to the corner of the wall without saying a word and dug through the pile of small wood blocks. He was going to find some sawdust to start a fire.
Seeing such a scene, Liu Hongxiang was the first to feel distressed.
She squeezed in and hugged Xiao Xi into her arms.
Then she said to Xiao Rui, "No more, no more, Rui, go home with grandma; let's go home and drink water!"
After speaking, she looked at Shi Xiao ai and said, "Xiaoai, you talk to the director and the comrades from the Military Support Office first. I will take them home to drink water first. Then come back later with lumps of coal." Today, don't start this fire. Shi Xiao Ai knew that dealing with these family matters was inappropriate at this time. There was nothing she could do about it just now. Children are the biggest in the world. But now that Aunt Liu is helping, she agrees, "Sorry to keep you waiting." After the three people left, Shi Xiao Ai let everybody into the room and opened the bench to make room for everyone. Though the stove was out and almost as cold inside as outside, there was no reason to let the guests stand outside. Before they arrived, they had a general understanding of Shi Xiao-ai and her family.
But no matter how much you hear, seeing it with your eyes is better.
When we saw her carrying one child after another with her slender body and struggling to walk back with so many things, everyone felt a little sad.
I saw the three exhausted people returning home, only to face the cold stove in the cold room. It became a luxury for such a young child even to want to drink hot water, and I felt much worse.
Shi Xiaoai is a family member of the military!
The husband or father fights to the death to protect his family and country on the battleground, but his wife and children at the back are living like this!
The more I think about it, the more ashamed everyone feels. They all feel that they did not do their job well and failed to take good care of the families of military personnel.
Soldiers bleed on the battlefield. As an advanced unit supporting the army in this city, they cannot let their family members shed tears in the rear under any circumstances.
Yang Ruihua and her colleagues looked at each other and made up their minds.
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