Chapter 134: Reciprocity

At 5:30 AM, the train pulled into the small station of her hometown county. Dong Yanyan followed Wang Haitian off the train, a gust of cold wind making her shiver uncontrollably; having just emerged from the warm carriage, she struggled to adapt to the drastic temperature drop. There were few people on the platform, and the harsh light from the duty room cast a shimmering golden hue over the light, drifting snow in the air. As she crossed the tracks and descended the stairs, every step felt hauntingly familiar, as if from a lifetime ago.

Stepping into the waiting room with the lingering chill still clinging to her, Wang Haitian helped her place her luggage on a bench next to the duty room before waving goodbye. The waiting room was sparse, quiet, and cold, with the heating barely functioning. After waiting for about ten minutes, her Fourth Uncle came rushing through the entrance.

In past years, when returning home for the holidays, she usually stayed in a small restaurant near the station until dawn, simply because she did not want to inconvenience anyone. But this time, she had called her Fourth Uncle in advance to ask him to pick her up. The experiences of the past decade had taught her a lesson: her own uncle was not a stranger.

She greeted him happily and gave him a big hug.

"After being away for so long, Yanyan has really grown tall!" Fourth Uncle said, picking up her luggage with a warm, affectionate smile. "Let's go home."

The two of them hailed a three-wheeled taxi at the entrance and returned to his house. Since her Fourth Aunt was still sleeping, they moved as quietly as possible, piling her belongings in the living room. Dong Yanyan curled up with her teddy bear and slept until well into the morning.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw sunlight filtering through the gaps in the curtains, warm and bright. The feeling of being home was truly wonderful.

From the living room, she could hear her aunt and uncle whispering to each other, debating whether to wake her for a meal or let her sleep a little longer. It was only then that Dong Yanyan realized the warm, comforting scent she had caught earlier was the smell of food. She opened the door and walked out, wrapping her arms around her aunt’s arm with a sweet smile. "Fourth Aunt, I’ve missed you so much." She glanced briefly at her aunt’s abdomen; the pregnancy wasn't very noticeable yet. Counting the time, it should be less than four months.

"Yanyan’s awake! Go wash your face. Let’s eat," her aunt said, stroking her messy hair with a smile.

Because the New Year had just passed, the table was laden with food. After months of eating cafeteria meals at school, Dong Yanyan felt incredibly blessed to be eating such delicious food again. Because there was an extra person at the table, her aunt and uncle were beaming with joy, and the atmosphere was unusually wonderful.

"Yanyan, don't leave today. Stay for a couple of days before going home," her aunt suggested.

"I really have to go today. My dad is probably already waiting for me in town. Besides, I have a two-month break; I’ll come visit you whenever I miss you," Dong Yanyan said with a smile, placing a piece of braised fish onto her aunt’s plate. She knew that every holiday, her uncle would take her aunt to visit her maternal family for a couple of days, and she didn't want to be an inconvenience.

"Then have your Fourth Uncle drive you back later," her aunt insisted.

"No need, he can just drop me off at the bus station in a bit. Oh, and Fourth Aunt, I bought you a trench coat. Try it on later to see if it fits," Dong Yanyan said.

When her aunt put on the beige coat, her uncle’s expression shifted slightly. "Yanyan, this must have cost several hundred, right?" He could estimate the price just by looking at the label and the style. In this day and age, a coat costing several hundred yuan was certainly not cheap.

"As long as it looks good on Fourth Aunt, that's what matters. I didn't spend any money from home; I bought this with my writing fees. I’m doing part-time work off-campus and earning several hundred a month. Your niece is pretty capable, right?" Dong Yanyan said proudly.

Her aunt beamed in front of the mirror, looking radiant. "Yanyan is becoming more and more successful."

"Don't just think about earning money; you need to focus on your studies, too. It hasn't been easy for your parents to support you. Did you buy anything for them?" her uncle asked with a smile.

"Don't worry, I bought them gifts, too," she replied.

After chatting for a while, seeing that it was nearly noon, Dong Yanyan prepared to leave. Her aunt gave her uncle a look, and he ran to the kitchen, returning with a box of hairtail fish and a crate of beer. "The company gave us these. Take them back to your dad," he said.

"That's not necessary. I already have two luggage bags; I won't be able to get off the bus if I add these," she said, sounding troubled. During her four years away at school, her biggest headache was carrying things. No matter which relative she visited, they would always insist on giving her two boxes of goods to take home, and she could never carry them all.

"It's fine, I'll help you onto the bus, and your dad will be there to pick you up on the other end." Her uncle picked up the items and started walking. When her aunt tried to help her with her bags, Dong Yanyan quickly snatched them back, saying, "You shouldn't be carrying such heavy things. You don't need to see me off; it's cold and the roads are slippery outside. I'll come see you again when I have time."

Her uncle walked her downstairs, and they hailed another taxi to the bus station. The bus to town ran every fifteen minutes. Dong Yanyan boarded and found a seat.

"Yanyan, take this, and don't tell your parents," her uncle said, pressing two hundred yuan into her hand before turning to leave.

Only then did Dong Yanyan remember why she hadn't visited them often in the past—it was for this very reason. Her aunt and uncle would always give her money, sometimes even hiding it from each other. Back then, she had been naive, thinking it was wrong to take their money, not realizing that keeping her distance would only make them grow apart. Nannan was different; with such generous aunt and uncle, she never turned anything down. Throughout her three years of high school, she had lived quite comfortably, often dropping by for meals or fruit, and as a result, she was actually closer to them than Dong Yanyan was. Perhaps when it came to family, there wasn't always a logical explanation for everything.

After a bus ride of nearly an hour, she arrived in town. Her parents were already waiting at the station, and they looked quite surprised when they saw her hauling so many things.

"These two boxes are from Fourth Uncle for you," Dong Yanyan said, clutching her teddy bear and gesturing with some difficulty toward the beer and fish.

Her father happily loaded the items onto their tractor, while her mother frowned slightly and asked, "When you went to your Fourth Uncle's place, did you take them anything?"

"I did, I bought my Fourth Aunt a coat," Dong Yanyan smiled.

"You are quite thoughtful," her mother said, relieved. Dong Yanyan knew her mother was stubborn and hated owing anyone any favors—a trait she had learned from her mother years ago. That was why she had no intention of mentioning the two hundred yuan. To her Fourth Uncle, that bit of pocket money was nothing, but if her mother found out, she knew she would never hear the end of it for the next two months.

"Yanyan, you and your mom wait here for a bit. I’m going to buy a few more things before we head back," her father said.

"Dad! I'm coming with you!" Dong Yanyan said cheerfully.