Returning to the old place

  It took three hours to get from Guiyang to Wengan. Wengan used to be a small county town, and Qin Village was located 50 kilometers outside the county seat. When I was young, my uncle sent me to live with Granny Qin in Qin Village. Whenever there was a market day, I would follow Uncle Qin's son, Big Uncle Qin, into town. At that time, Qin Village was poor and had no roads, so we would set out before dawn and walk for four hours along the mountain paths to get to town.

  Uncle Qin, entrusted by Grandma Qin, took the eggs laid by their family's hen to the market. The aunties from the city rushed forward and snatched them all up in an instant. I crouched beside Uncle Qin, watching the city people wearing new clothes, watching the little girls from the city wearing beautiful hair clips on their heads, thinking when can I also earn my own money to buy one.

  Uncle Qin took me on a tour around the city after selling eggs, my first time in the city, I took in all the things I liked with my eyes, passing by a stall selling small ornaments, staring at a red hair clip...

  That evening, Aunt Qin and the other village women who had gone to the market together walked back home. That night, Uncle Qin put a red hair clip in my hand, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep all night, it was Uncle Qin who used the money from selling eggs to buy me a hair clip.

  From then on, I didn't blame Uncle Qin for frying the fish he had caught to exchange for me. Instead, I was delighted to catch fish with my childhood friend Dazhu and specially reserve them for Uncle Qin.

  That's still a childhood memory!

  Got off the car with Uncle He, ten years without seeing each other, the county town of Weng An had already changed its appearance, although it was not very prosperous, at least it had a 21st century city look.

  I pointed to the construction worker by the roadside and said, "Uncle, look at that place. I strolled around there with Uncle Qin before, it was just a small courtyard back then, now they're starting to build houses."

  After finishing speaking with a smile, I don't know if it's because of pride for having been here before or feeling proud as a former resident of Wengan.

  The uncle didn't pay attention to me and walked forward.

  As I passed by the entrance of a primary school, memories of the past came flooding back. I still remember that Uncle Qin bought me a bowl of fried potatoes at a place, and it was the first time I had something so delicious. After moving to Shanghai, I never had anything that tasted like that again.

  Looking left and right, blocking Uncle's way again and again.

  "Uncle asked me, 'What are you looking for?'"

  Just as I was about to ask if the aunt who used to sell fried dough sticks was still around, I saw a plump aunt wearing a yellow jacket and an apron sitting in front of a pushcart, so I excitedly ran over.

  Fat Aunt saw that there were guests coming, got up and smiled with her eyes narrowed into a slit, she said, "How many bowls do you want, miss?"

  When I turned around, Uncle was already behind me.

  I held up two fingers, "Two bowls."

  "Uncle spoke in a light tone, 'I don't like this thing.'"

  I pulled Uncle's sleeve, "Try it, Uncle, you've never had it before, so you don't know the taste." Turning back to Auntie, I said, "Just two bowls."

  Fat Aunt possibly saw that we were outsiders, and a mouthful of dialect floated out, "My family's fried potatoes are the best, can't be compared to others, it's famous in this city."

  After finishing speaking, she still didn't forget to skillfully stir us up. Her movements made me think of that aunt in her thirties ten years ago, only now, after not seeing her for ten years, she had gotten even fatter.

  Uncle reluctantly took the potatoes I handed over and paid for them. He asked, "Excuse me, sister, how do I get to Ximen River?"

  Auntie's originally smiling face stiffened for a moment, and her whole face immediately turned gloomy, I didn't understand what was going on.

  She looked us up and down, hesitated for a long time before saying, "What are you doing going to Ximen River?"

  What's wrong with Ximen River? Why did Auntie Huang react so strongly after hearing about it?