Happy to be praised by his father, Shitou grinned and replied, "Grandpa is also teaching me how to read and recognize medicinal herbs. In the future, I will become a good doctor like Grandpa too!"
Hearing this, Li Sang realized it was indeed time to send his son to school. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Ah Heng, do you want to go to school?"
Shitou thought for a moment, then asked, "Father, if I go to school, can I be like my sister?"
Thinking his son was referring to being smart and knowledgeable, Li Sang nodded and replied firmly, "Of course!"
At the same time, Shitou recalled the snacks his sister had brought home from school and started to salivate. After swallowing, he nodded and said, "Father, I want to go to school!"
"Then Father will ask Grandpa Xie to help with your school registration. You can start after the new year," Li Sang said.
"Thank you, Father!"
When they arrived at the backyard, Li Shu had already finished washing the dirt off her hands. Seeing her father, she asked, "Father, have you eaten?"
Li Sang bent down to let his son down, then placed the things he had brought on the balcony before replying, "Father has eaten."
Li Shu nodded and went to the kitchen to get a bowl of fish soup. As she handed it to her father, she said, "Father, this fish was caught by Shitou yesterday. It's fresh and delicious—try it."
Accepting the bowl, Li Sang smiled and tasted the soup. Though it was only stew with mushrooms and ginger, it was indeed delicious.
After her father finished the soup and drank some tea, Li Shu finally asked, "Father, did you come today to discuss Grandmother's matter?"
Hearing his daughter's words, Li Sang was taken aback. After a moment of surprise, he smiled and said, "So you already know about it."
Li Shu nodded and replied, "When Grandmother was looking for someone to marry you, everyone in the village was talking about it. It was hard for me or Shitou not to hear."
Li Sang let out a long sigh and said, "Father did come today to talk about your Grandmother, but not about marriage."
"Then what do you want to discuss, Father?" Li Shu asked.
"It's about your brother. I already rejected the matchmaking and sent your Grandmother to live with your eldest uncle in Wen Village," Li Sang explained.
After a pause, he continued, "Since I have to work and rarely come home, I want to ask you to take care of your brother. Ah Shu, can you help Father?"
Li Shu thought for a moment before replying, "Father, I need to ask Grandpa for his opinion first. Before we get an answer, how about you stay with Shitou for now?"
Before Li Sang could respond, Shitou had already said, "Father, Sister, I don't want to stay here."
"Ah Heng, don't you like your sister the most? Why don't you want to stay with her now?" Li Sang asked with doubts.
"Okay. Father and Shitou should join Grandpa and me for dinner later," Li Shu said with a smile.
"Good."
As they waited for Doctor Xie to return, Li Sang helped his daughter repair parts of the house, chop firewood, and refill the water tank.
At the same time, at the entrance of the village, Father Wei and Mother Wei stepped out of a car, followed by a young man.
After unloading their luggage from the trunk, the young man said, "Comrade Wei, I still have tasks to handle and need to return to report to the brigade leaders."
He took out an envelope from his pocket, handed it to Father Wei, and said, "This is the recommendation letter written by the brigade secretary. You can show it to the team leader—he will arrange accommodations for you and your family."
Father Wei took the envelope and replied, "Thank you for bringing us here, Comrade Jiang."
"Comrade Wei, you are too polite. This is just my duty."
With that brief exchange, Comrade Jiang got back into the car and drove away.
Standing at the village entrance, Mother Wei covered her nose and mouth with a silk handkerchief and asked, "Husband, is this really Xie village?"
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