Chapter 268 - 209: A Series of Happy Events
"Wendong, you’re different than you used to be."
Zhao Wendong looked at Lin Zhiyin, puzzled, and said, "How am I different?"
Lin Zhiyin chose her words carefully, speaking slowly. "The impression I always had was that you were very good to your family, but you never really cared much about people or things outside of it. But recently, I feel like you’ve changed. You’ve started to... how should I put it... you’ve started to think about other people, even ones who aren’t that close to us."
Zhao Wendong’s heart stirred. He asked in a low voice, "So, do you think this version of me is good or bad?"
Lin Zhiyin didn’t answer right away, falling silent. After a moment, she said softly, "If it were anyone else, I’d say it’s not a good thing. In this day and age, just surviving is hard enough. Providing a good life for yourself and your family already takes all the strength a person has. But you’re different. My husband is an ordinary farmer, but he’s also a great hero. You have the ability to help more people, to let more people live happy lives. I’m so proud of you."
"You’re right. Just staying alive already takes all our strength. I’m tired, too, and I don’t know if what I’m doing is right or wrong. But if someone needs help and I happen to be in a position to give it, I can’t just stand by and do nothing."
Zhao Wendong paused for a moment, then continued, "Ever since I received those four words, whenever I run into someone I know who’s in trouble—even if we’re not close—if I even think about ignoring them, it’s like I can see that old man. His eyes are full of encouragement, urging me to take on more. Maybe helping others will lower our quality of life, but it makes me happy. It gives me peace of mind."
Lin Zhiyin hugged Zhao Wendong tighter, pressing her entire face against his arm. "Whether you want to be a hermit or a hero, I will always be by your side. If you want to save the world, I’ll rally the cause with you. If you want to destroy the world, I’ll wander to the ends of the earth with you."
Zhao Wendong shivered and quickly looked at her with a serious expression.
"Don’t talk nonsense! We’re just ordinary people. What’s all this about destroying the world? Get that thought out of your head right now!"
"Hee hee, why are you so nervous? I was just giving an example."
"Not even as an example."
Seeing Zhao Wendong’s serious face, Lin Zhiyin didn’t understand why but still nodded obediently, promising not to bring it up again. Only then did Zhao Wendong breathe a sigh of relief. ’Whether I’ll save the world is up in the air, but in her past life, Lin Zhiyin really did destroy it.’ Thinking of what Lin Zhiyin had said about hermits and heroes, Zhao Wendong felt a stir of inspiration.
’Be a hero? Maybe you’re right.’
At that moment, a line from *Legend of the Condor Heroes* surfaced in his mind: ’The greatest of heroes serve the country and its people.’
’I definitely can’t call myself a great hero, so I’ll just have to try my best to be a minor one for now. First, I’ll make sure my own life is in order, then I’ll do what I can to take care of the people around me.’
The two of them went to Zhao Dahai’s house first. They entered the west room and greeted their grandparents. As usual, Zhao Wendong touched the mat on the heated brick bed. ’Mm, nice and warm.’ Hearing Zhao Wendong’s voice, Pandi and Laidi came running over. They gathered around Lin Zhiyin, calling out "Sister-in-law San" repeatedly. Zhao Wendong knew Pandi’s personality, so he chose to ask Zhao Laidi directly.
"Has there been enough firewood these past two days?"
Zhao Laidi knew what he was getting at. She nodded with a smile and said,
"Plenty. Mom chops the wood every day, and my brother and we girls gather it."
Zhao Wendong frowned. ’Didn’t I tell Zhao Wenhua to come to my place for firewood? He was probably too embarrassed to ask. Oh well, it doesn’t matter, as long as my grandparents don’t get cold.’ Zhao Wendong pulled two oranges from his pocket and stuffed them into his grandmother Ye Qingmei’s hands. After a moment’s thought, he took out another one and gave it to Zhao Laidi.
"Share this with Pandi."
"Hehe, thanks, Brother San."
Zhao Laidi quickly snatched it. Then, following Zhao Wendong’s instructions, she peeled the orange and split it with Zhao Pandi. The two of them first broke off a piece for their grandparents, then tried to share some with him and Lin Zhiyin, but Zhao Wendong refused. Seeing how thoughtful his two cousins were, he nodded in satisfaction. When he saw them beaming as they ate, but holding the seeds in their hands, reluctant to throw them away, he was a little surprised.
"Throw the seeds away. What are you keeping them for?"
"To see if we can grow an orange tree!"
Hearing this, Zhao Wendong felt a sense of dissonance. ’I’d forgotten that in this era, people saved the seeds from everything.’ He shook his head, somewhat amused.
"You can’t grow those things around here. Go on, throw them out."
"Nope! What if we can grow one? Then we’ll have delicious oranges to eat every year."
Zhao Pandi gathered all the orange seeds from everyone’s hands and carefully wrapped them in her handkerchief. The handkerchief was old, but it was exceptionally clean. Zhao Wendong didn’t try to persuade her further. Instead, he glanced at Zhao Pandi, then smiled and started talking to his grandparents about Guan Yongguang. To his surprise, the two of them actually knew Guan Yongguang’s grandfather, Guan Xiangying.
"That boy’s grandfather was a fine, upstanding man. Such a pity. Are you saying you want to marry Pandi off to him?"
At these words, Zhao Pandi’s face immediately turned red. Zhao Laidi’s eyes, however, darted back and forth, looking from her sister to Zhao Wendong.
"Not exactly. For two people to get together, they first need to see if there’s a spark. We can let them meet and see what happens. If they take a liking to each other, we can consider the next step. If not, we’ll just pretend it never happened."
"Mhm, that’ll work. Our dear grandson always knows how to handle things."
Ye Qingmei happily patted Zhao Wendong. Wendong then brought up the matter of the worker position. He wanted to ask for Pandi’s and his grandparents’ opinions. If Pandi wanted to go, he’d let her go. After all, he had just been thinking, even if things worked out with Guan Yongguang, it would be in two or three years. They could decide then. Hearing that there was a chance to become a worker in the county, Zhao Chuanhe and Ye Qingmei slapped their thighs in delight.
"This is great! Pandi, what do you think?"
Zhao Pandi kept her head down, not daring to make a sound. Lin Zhiyin put an arm around her and encouraged her in a low voice.
"It’s okay, Pandi. Brother San and I are here. Just be brave and tell us what you think."
"I... I don’t want to go."
After Zhao Pandi mustered the courage to speak, Zhao Wendong was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to refuse. He raised his eyebrows at Lin Zhiyin, who nodded and gently guided Zhao Pandi.
"Then, Pandi, why don’t you want to go?"
"I... I don’t want to leave home. I don’t want to leave Grandpa and Grandma."
After she finished, Zhao Pandi looked worriedly at Zhao Chuanhe and Ye Qingmei. The two elders had been so happy about this opportunity for her, and now she was going against their wishes. She was afraid her grandparents would be upset. Instead, what she saw were encouraging smiles from Zhao Chuanhe and Ye Qingmei.
"Pandi is a good, filial girl. She knows to stay home and take care of her grandpa and grandma."
"Yes, it’s good to stay home."
Hearing her grandparents’ words, Zhao Pandi’s eyes instantly reddened, and she felt the urge to cry. ’So if I bravely express my own thoughts instead of always blindly obeying my elders, I can still get their support.’ At that moment, she felt as if she had suddenly become stronger.
"Alright then. If Pandi doesn’t want to go, I’ll give the spot to Baozhu’s Sister. It was hard to get this opportunity, so we can’t let it go to waste."
"Brother San, let me go, okay?"
Zhao Laidi suddenly spoke up, looking at Zhao Wendong with anticipation.
"Forget it. How old will you even be after the New Year? Fourteen? Fifteen?"
"Fifteen! I can go, Brother San. I’m an adult now."
Zhao Wendong thought about it seriously, but in the end, he still shook his head.
𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"No, you’re too young. You wouldn’t be able to take care of yourself out there. Besides, what makes you think going to the city is so great? You’ll still go hungry there. Just stay in the village and keep Grandpa and Grandma company. I promise that in two or three years, I’ll make sure our lives here are even more comfortable than in the city."
"Really?"
"What, you don’t believe your Brother San?"
"I do, I do! Hehe, then I won’t go either. I’ll wait for Brother San to give us a good life."
Seeing Zhao Laidi’s mischievous and lively expression, Zhao Wendong felt an inexplicable fondness for her. ’Maybe it’s because birds of a feather flock together.’ Compared to Zhao Pandi, he subconsciously preferred this chatty cousin who never seemed to stop talking.
Zhao Wendong had also wanted to tell his grandparents that he planned to go pick up his Second Aunt after the New Year, and maybe even bring Third Aunt back for his wedding. But he was afraid that if he told them now, the two elders would worry so much they wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep well. So, he decided to just bring them back then and give his grandparents a surprise.