Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang, each holding a small child in their arms and another on their backs, were followed by a long procession of elderly and young, as well as a group of women with children, walking along a mountain path.
Xu Mingxuan looked back at the long line behind them and encouraged everyone, "Let's pick up the pace! The valley isn't far ahead. Can you hear it? The sound is coming from the valley! Once we get there, there will be white flour steamed buns to eat, and plenty of them. Everyone, keep going!"
At this point, a boy around eight or nine years old darted forward and asked, "Political Commissar, are there really white flour steamed buns?"
Xu Mingxuan smiled and gently patted the boy's head, which was noticeably large due to malnutrition. He said kindly, "Goudan, Uncle is a soldier. Soldiers don't lie!"
The boy, Goudan, happily skipped forward, shouting, "Oh! Let's hurry! There are white flour steamed buns to eat!"
Then, a girl of similar age asked quietly, "Uncle, do us girls get white flour steamed buns too?"
Xu Mingxuan stroked her dry, yellowish hair with affection and said gently, "Chunni, in the valley, boys and girls eat the same. Children your age in the valley, both boys and girls, are all in school now."
Chunni quickly said, "Uncle, when I grow up, I will definitely repay you! I'm easy to feed! I don't eat much! I won't go to school, I'll work, I'll do laundry, and I'll take care of my younger siblings!"
Xu Mingxuan patted her small head again and sighed, "Chunni, children shouldn't think so much. I'll tell you again, Uncle is taking you and your siblings back to the valley not for you to repay us! Listen carefully, Chunni, your father was a great hero. I am your father's comrade-in-arms. Your father sacrificed himself on the battlefield. It is my duty to raise you. Do you understand, Chunni?"
Chunni nodded blankly and remained silent. Xu Mingxuan couldn't help but sigh again. He didn't know why he had been sighing so much lately.
He then turned back and shouted, "Everyone, hurry up! We're almost home! Uncles and aunts, please hurry!"
When everyone finally reached the mountain overlooking the valley, they saw red flags flying and heard deafening cheers. Adults and children were all shouting, "Go! Go!"
Everyone was stunned. Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang were also bewildered. What was happening in the valley?
Just as the cheering subsided, Er Zhuang shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm back! I'm back!"
The cry of "I'm back!" echoed through the valley. Those engrossed in the lively competition looked up towards the mountain. Mingzhe, with sharp eyes, saw the people on the mountain and immediately shouted, "My elder brother is back! My elder brother is back! Brother Er Zhuang is back too!"
Upon hearing this, they forgot all about the competition and ran towards the mountain, shouting, "Quick, tell auntie, tell Xiao Lan, tell Yanzi, Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang are back!"
By the time they reached them, Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang had already descended into the valley with the procession of elderly, young, and women. Seeing that each of them was carrying a child and another on their back, they knew it wasn't the time for questions. They took the children from their arms and walked into the valley together.
Mingzhe also ran over, shouting happily, "Big Brother, Brother Er Zhuang, you're back!"
Xu Mingxuan looked at Mingzhe, who had grown considerably, and smiled. "Yes, we're back! You've grown a lot these past few years, haven't you? You've become quite a young man. You must be twelve this year! I almost didn't recognize you."
At this moment, his mother, his mother-in-law, Chen Lan, Cui Mama, and the twins, a boy and a girl, who had heard the news, rushed over.
Xu Mingxuan saw them and immediately went forward, shouting, "Mom, Mother-in-law, Lan'er, Cui Mama, I'm back!"
His mother and mother-in-law, along with Cui Mama, wiped away tears of joy, saying, "It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"
Er Zhuang was also reunited with his parents. He held his sister Yanzi's hand in one hand and his mother's arm in the other. Zhang Mama also shed happy tears. Er Zhuang's father followed behind his wife and son. The family, along with the others, walked towards the main kitchen.
Seeing his mother, mother-in-law, and Cui Mama in tears, Xu Mingxuan quickly changed the subject. "Mom, Cui Mama, is there still food in the main kitchen? We've been traveling on mountain roads for almost a day, and everyone is hungry. Please have someone prepare some food for us! Preferably white flour steamed buns. I promised them that there would be white flour steamed buns when we reached the valley."
His mother-in-law immediately replied, "Yes, yes, there are white flour steamed buns. I'll go prepare them right away. It won't take long!"
With that, she turned and ran towards the main kitchen, and Cui Mama followed.
Chen Lan took the hands of the twins and said, "Jia Yao, Jia Hui, call out to Daddy. Weren't you always asking about your father? This is your father."
The six-year-old twins had long forgotten what their father looked like. Looking at the tall and thin Xu Mingxuan, they were momentarily unsure how to speak. Their mother smiled and said, "Jia Yao, Jia Hui, hurry and call out! Weren't you always talking about your dad? Why are you so shy when you see him in person?"
Xu Mingxuan smiled and said, "Mom, it's alright! It's natural for children to be shy around strangers! Let's go to the main kitchen. Dad's stomach is rumbling."
He then took each of the twins by the hand and turned to those behind him. "Uncles, aunts, sisters-in-law, younger sisters, children, we've arrived home! Let's eat first, and after we eat, I'll introduce you to everyone in the valley."
Chen Lan stepped forward and said, "Brother Mingxuan, you rest. Let me take the child you're carrying."
Xu Mingxuan unfastened the straps and placed the child from the back basket down. Chen Lan took the child, gently holding the small, thin child in her arms. The child was very well-behaved, not crying or making a fuss, and seemed to be about three years old. She was curious and asked as they walked, "Brother Mingxuan, how did this young child's mother entrust him to you? Where is his mother?"
Xu Mingxuan sighed again and said, "Alas! It's a long story, Lan'er. I'm too hungry right now to speak. I'll tell you properly later."