After three years, he finally embarked on the journey home. He did not know if his father’s body was still as healthy as it used to be after such a long time.
Had his mother recovered from her stomach ailment?
What about his cute little sister? How tall had she grown?
Wu Mo now wished that he could immediately fly to the countryside and have a long talk with his family.
Choo choo…
As the train sped along the tracks, Wu Mo closed his eyes and planned to rest.
He did not sleep well last night and only dozed off for a few hours in the wee hours of the morning.
However, right then, he heard the sound of a phone call behind him.
“Mm… sure, I’ll leave the disaster relief for the farmers in Lin Chang to you. I’ll be there tomorrow. I’ll hang up now.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Wu Mo frowned slightly. He subconsciously turned around and found Mayor Zhao, who was wearing a dark blue suit, sitting in the seat behind him.
“Huh?”
Zhao Lu ended the call and looked up to see Wu Mo, who was full of doubts. He exclaimed in surprise, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.
“Wu Mo, you’re on this train too?”
…
After switching seats, the mayor and Wu Mo sat together, with only a table between them.
Wu Mo did not expect to meet the mayor on the way home. He was also a little curious as to why Zhao Lu, the mayor of Shanglin City, would make a trip to Lin Chang base city.
“Wu Mo, it seems that our paths aren’t that divided. We’re actually meeting in the same carriage,” Zhao Lu put his phone back into his pocket and said with a smile.
“My hometown is in the countryside near Lin Chang. I plan to go back and visit my parents before I head to the Research Department.”
Wu Mo spoke truthfully as he looked at the plains and mountains that flew past.
“Hmm… indeed. After studying at the Divine Arms Academy for so many years, you should go back and take a look. However, the countryside is still not a suitable place to stay. If you’re willing, you can settle down in Shanglin City at any time. When the time is right, you can bring your family over. Your elders have worked hard in the countryside for half their lives. It’s time to take a break.”
Zhao Lu did not put on the airs of a mayor and once again brought up the subject of people settling down.
Wu Mo thought about it. His parents were too tired in the countryside. They had worked hard for half of their lives to support him and his sister in their studies. They had not lived a day of comfort.
It was time for them to rest.
With that in mind, Wu Mo immediately nodded and said, “Okay, since the mayor encourages it, I won’t decline.”
Hearing Wu Mo agree, Zhao Lu’s face instantly lit up with joy.
Wu Mo was a rare talent, the most promising student in the field of forging. It was enough to see why the Research Department would recruit him. Those important figures had the same thoughts as him.
If Wu Mo could settle down in Shanglin City, he would be a talent that belonged solely to Shanglin City in the future. If he could forge some era-defining Divine weapon in the future, the entire Shanglin City would be able to benefit from it.
In the future, when he asked for resources from the higher-ups, he would have more confidence!
“Alright, alright… I’ll send someone to do the needful right now!”
Looking at Mayor Zhao’s overjoyed expression, Wu Mo felt a little amused in his heart.
He was the mayor, yet he did not put on any airs in front of him. There was clearly a difference of almost twenty years between them, yet they got along like friends of the same age.
At that moment, Mayor Zhao stood up with an excited look on his face, indicating that he would excuse himself for a moment. Then, he went straight to the washroom and called the clerk to arrange for Wu Mo to settle down.
Wu Mo returned to his original seat and observed his surroundings from the carriage.
The train whistled on the road, rustling the trees under the railway tracks.
There would occasionally be calves playing on the ridges of the fields. Additionally, a few migrant workers wearing bamboo hats were chatting under the trees.
A young eagle that had just learned to fly flew up to the tallest tree in the forest and stood on the treetops, singing proudly.
Its wings were growing, and its eyes were sharp as it looked into the distance.
On the other side, dark clouds were gathering in Lin Chang’s sky.
In a village 100 kilometers away from the center of the city, many people had worried looks on their faces.
It was one of several hundred villages in Lin Chang with similar landforms. It was also the place where Wu Mo was born and raised—Changkang Village.
Changkang Village was low-lying and had about 100 households. The farmers who lived there depended on the weather to earn a living. If the weather was good and the vegetable market was in good condition, the villagers could earn some money to support their families. They could even save a portion for emergencies in the future.
If the weather was bad and there were typhoons and torrential rains, however, it would sometimes be too late to save their crops, and the entire spring harvest would go to waste.
At this time, the entire Changkang Village was in such a predicament.
The typhoons in spring were too swift and fierce, accompanied by regular showers, causing most of the corn, cabbage, and other crops planted in the farmers’ fields to be ruined.
Wu Mo’s parents were no exception…
As a result, their already poor lives became even more difficult.
Last week, they had pooled all the money in their family to make a few hundred. Despite the times, they did not hesitate to transfer all the money to their son who was studying far away in Shanglin City.
It was okay for them to be a little bitter and tired, but they could not let their son, who was studying in Shanglin City, starve.
To avoid distracting their son during the graduation season, they did not reveal anything each time they sent the money!
A blue-tiled house sat by the side of a muddy path in the countryside.
There was a wide road outside the gate, and across the road was a field that had been drowning in the rain.
In the distance, there were endless green mountains, and occasionally, saplings could be seen breaking out of the ground.
A middle-aged woman with rough and dark skin gently pushed the courtyard door open as she carried a basin of clothes back to the house.
She was Wu Mo’s mother, Fang Huilan.
She was a woman who had worked on the farm for half her life. Managing the house and things outside had made her lose her youth. She had become one of the thousands of ordinary farm women.
The house with a green-tiled roof occupied an area of 80 square meters. It was quite spacious for a family of four.
However, the facilities inside were pitifully few. The only television in the corner of the hall had not been turned on for many years.
“Mom, didn’t you say that you’ll rest today and that I’ll wash the clothes?”
A 12- or 13-year-old girl ran out of her room and helplessly took the red basin.
The girl was wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, while her hair was tied in a short ponytail. Although her palm-sized face was a little green, she already looked very beautiful.
She was wearing a plaid apron at the moment, and she seemed so mature that it made one’s heart ache.
“There’s nothing to do, Yan Yan. I have time now.”
“Sigh… I’m at home, so just leave it to me. Come and eat when the food is ready.”
Yan Yan put the basin away and immediately pulled her mother toward the living room.
At that moment, they heard the sound of footsteps outside. A middle-aged man with short, thick hair and a weathered face walked in.