Sister-in-law Wu did not say a word to her daughter when she took her child to the county town. Because she looked bad, even a few people in the car who could be considered acquaintances did not speak to her.
Zhang Jing made numerous phone calls to Yang Binbin in the car, but there was no response every time. The messages were sent one after another, and they all seemed to be lost in the sea. She knew that Yang Binbin had probably blocked her, so There has been no movement.
Hateful in her heart, so resentful that her chest seemed to be suppressed and she could hardly breathe. She did not dare to cry. Her eyes became wet again and again, and she tried to hold back the tears.
It was past nine o'clock when the bus arrived at the county seat. The sun was shining brightly, and the ground was getting a little hot, and the heat was rising.
Sister-in-law Wu called an environmentally friendly tricycle and went straight to the hospital. She did not go to the county hospital or the Women's Health Care Center, fearing that if she met an acquaintance or was seen by someone from a neighboring village, people in neighboring villages would spread the word. Zhang Jing's pregnancy became known to everyone, so she went to a private hospital.
Registered and queued for ultrasound. When she got the test sheet, Zhang Jing's face turned pale. It clearly said early pregnancy, about 8 weeks, and the fetal development was normal.
Sister-in-law Wu’s entire face was dark, and she went to the doctor to order an abortion, a painless abortion.
That kind of Zhang Jing was pushed into the operating room and lay on the cold operating table. Fear came over her like a tide, and she kept sobbing nervously.
The painless abortion only takes a few minutes to complete, and it only takes about 20 minutes including anesthesia. The operation is over quickly, and anti-inflammatory injections are given.
After the operation, Zhang Jing collapsed immediately. She was helped out of the operating room by a nurse. Sister-in-law Wu accompanied her in the infusion room with a gloomy face to give her an injection. After injecting anti-inflammatory drops, she took the medicine. Leaving the hospital without stopping.
Sister-in-law Wu was annoyed that her daughter had embarrassed her, and she was so angry that she still did not treat her daughter well. She bought something casually on the street and took it for lunch, and went straight to the station to catch the 11:30 train back to Jiudao.
When Sister-in-law Wu took Zhang Jing and waited for the eleven o'clock bus to return to her hometown, Zhou Qiufeng drove a tricycle to Shennong Mountain. She received a call from Lele in the middle of the morning. Lele said You can go out in the afternoon.
Thus, Zhou Qiufeng went home without saying a word. He made some food first, fed the piglets and chickens, and then drove to Shennong Mountain to pick up the child.
At the beginning of autumn, it is also the peak season for traveling to Shennong Mountain. There are cars and people on every route. Zhou Qiufeng picked up two confused foreign tourists on the way and drove them to Shennong Mountain. On a main road in the warehouse, let them wait for the passing tour bus.
She continued to drive by herself. At about two o'clock in the afternoon, Zhou Qiufeng arrived at the intersection where she sent Lele into the mountain yesterday. She did not stop and continued to drive forward, turning around a mountain. I saw some things piled up next to a road leading to a mountain col, and someone was looking under a tree beside the road.
Le Yun stood by the tree at the intersection, looking down from time to time. She had good eyesight. When Zhou Qiufeng came out, she could see it from a long distance away.
She waited for a while. Yesterday she went up the mountain and actually went into the mountain. It only took half a day.I climbed over a ridge and reached the mountains behind. I searched for mushrooms and herbs for a long time, then hid them in a space until I found a suitable time to go down the mountain this afternoon.
Classmate Le had chosen the place well. The road leading to the mountains led to a village where people still lived. It would not be surprising if she appeared at the intersection and was seen by others.
Emerging from the ridge, she took out all the things she had packed last night and piled them under the tree. While waiting, many people stopped and asked her if she wanted a ride, but she declined.
Seeing the new mother coming, Le Yun ran out of the shade of the tree and stood in the sun waving; Zhou Qiufeng saw her child running in the sun and drove very fast. When approaching, she hurriedly adjusted her position first. Head, get off the car again.
There are several bags placed under the tree. Two woven bags are obviously filled with watermelons, because there is a small tear in one place, and the green melon skin can be seen; there are also two woven bags and one woven bag. The bags were also bulging and round, one bag was in the form of strips, there were several large plastic food bags, all bulging, and there was only one bag that was opened to let air, and a large bag of mushrooms.
"Lele, you picked up pine nut fungus again." Zhou Qiufeng couldn't help but sweat when she saw the big bag of fresh mushrooms.
Turkey tail mushrooms are expensive, but they are not as expensive as pine nut mushrooms. Pine nut mushrooms cost 70 to 80 yuan per pound, while dried ones cost at least 5 to 6 hundred pounds.
There are many pine and oak trees in Jiudao Township and on the mountains of Shennong Mountain, and the pine cone fungus is rare in number. It is rare for someone to be lucky enough to pick it up. Some people run all over the mountains and ridges for a whole autumn. You may not be able to pick up a pound of pine nut fungi, but Lele went to the mountain several times. Including this time, he picked up pine nut fungus four times in total. If others know about it, they will be jealous.
"Yeah, I've always been very lucky. I'll have a good meal when I go home at night." Le Yun raised her head proudly. She had plug-in space in her hands. Matsutake mushrooms were mass-produced and she could have them anytime she wanted.
Little Lele's triumphant look looked like a big rooster that had won a fight. Zhou Qiufeng found it quite funny. He went to move things and get into the car. He was afraid of damaging the watermelon, so he went to the roadside to avoid people's eyes. I picked up a few handfuls of straw and put them in the truck bucket, then lifted the things up and put them securely. I also folded a few handfuls of branches and weeds to cover the surface to prevent them from being sunburned.
Le Yun climbed onto the side of the car, opened an umbrella to cover herself and the fungi, and Zhou Qiufeng drove home, beeping loudly.
Le’s father came home from get off work, leaning on crutches. He washed and cooked rice first, then fed the pigs, chickens and ducks, and washed the vegetables. It was getting dark and no one had come back. He was worried about his safety. , can’t help but feel a little anxious.
He looked around for more than a dozen times and saw that the sky was gray and numb. Finally he saw Zhou Qiufeng coming back. A mother and daughter, when the car drove to the house, he followed behind with one foot high and one foot low.
Zhou Qiufeng parked the car and moved things into the house. Leyun stuffed a bag of fungi into her father's hand, "Dad, this is the most expensive thing. I leave it to you."
Dad Le was carrying a bag weighing only three or four kilograms, and he was very blushing. He was a big man and could only do light things at a time.It's such a shame to live
He carried the bag and went to the house to get a bamboo sieve, poured the mushrooms out to dry in the sun, and then went to see what the girl had brought back.
Throwing the lightest bag to her father, Leyun twisted up a few plastic bags and placed them on the wooden bench in the living room. Then she turned around and hugged a bag of watermelons with one hand and twisted a bag of tomatoes with the other. She walked as fast as flying. The things were sent to the refrigerator room, the bags were opened, the watermelons were taken out and placed on the ground, and the tomatoes were also poured out for air circulation.
Zhou Qiufeng first moved the watermelon bag, and then moved the bag containing the strips. He also opened the bag and took the things out for ventilation.
There are only eleven watermelons, but there are quite a few tomatoes, and there are quite a few cucumbers in a bag.
"Lele, I got it from the old man again." Seeing the things that the girl brought back, Le's father wiped his face with a guilty conscience. Didn't the little cotton-padded jacket say that the old man's things were ruined, so why did he move them back? So much
"Yeah, yeah, that's right. The old man knew that I was going to Beijing to study, so he gave me most of what he grew. He only kept three watermelons for himself, and he even helped me put the things away. Send him down the mountain, oh, Dad, your little cotton-padded jacket's character has exploded."
Le's father was very embarrassed, feeling that the little cotton-padded jacket was like a robber.
Le Yun didn’t care whether her father was frightened or not. She gathered up the scattered tomatoes with a smile, “I brought three watermelons, several kilograms of tomatoes and cucumbers to Beijing, and gave two watermelons to Boss Wu. I’ll eat a few at home, and save some for when Grandma Zhou helps us look after the house.”
Le’s father and Zhou Qiufeng have no objection at all, and they can do whatever the girl wants.
After arranging the things, Le Yun took a watermelon, washed it, put it on the table, and killed the melon with a knife. The watermelon rind made a "pop" sound and cracked open, and the sweet and sweet taste came out. Floated out.
Dad Le and Zhou Qiufeng felt their throats were dry and swallowed quietly.
After cutting the watermelon into pieces with a few cuts, Le Yun first held two pieces and placed them in front of the incense tablet to offer sacrifices to her grandfather and grandma, and then gave one to her father and new mother, and one piece to herself.
Le’s dad and Zhou Qiufeng picked up the watermelon and nibbled on it. After two bites, their eyes were lit up like torches. This watermelon was so delicious, sweeter than anything they had eaten before.
The two of them ate one piece, took another piece, finished eating, wiped their mouths, and went to dinner happily.
School is about to start, and the girl has to leave home to go to other places. Le's father is particularly reluctant to let it go, and Zhou Qiufeng is also reluctant to let it go. She has just married into Le's family, and she gets along very well with her children. Now that they are about to be separated again, I feel sad just thinking about it. They had some free time, so they wanted to give the best to their children. They would kill a chicken or duck every other day, cook delicious food every day, and try to let their children eat more home-raised chickens and ducks. After all, if they want to eat local chicken in the capital, they can Difficult.
Classmate Le ate the watermelon and brought a pack of medicine into the room. The yam and lily slices were poured into a sieve and moved to the second floor for storage.
The next day is August 25th. Some students who participated in the college entrance examination that year have already set off to report in new places. The reporting time of universities in various provinces of China is not consistent. Some students registered in late August. Some wantto September.
That day was also classmate Le’s last day at home. Le’s father went to work, and Zhou Qiufeng stayed at home to dry things and see if the child needed help with packing.
Classmate Le sent away her domineering father and went upstairs to take out the yams and lilies to dry in the sun. In fact, they were half-dried during the few days they went into the mountains in the middle of the month, and now they still need to be dried again.
What makes her happiest is that she has a father and a new mother at home who don’t ask questions. Even if she gets a lot of things back, sometimes they don’t seem to make sense, and they won’t get to the bottom of it. asked.
With two parents who didn’t ask anything, Mr. Le dared to often steal food from the house, and sometimes steal medicinal materials, dry them in the sun, hide them, and replace them. Others are left in the sun, and even some medicines never seem to dry up in the sun.
Of course, these were hidden from the two adults, because Lefu and Zhou Qiufeng usually did not go upstairs unless they were drying things. It was evening or night when they went upstairs, and they did not see them.
Dry your things, organize your luggage, move everything out, and see what you need to take to the capital.
Zhou Qiufeng quietly went to get a new suitcase and a small cross-body backpack and handed them to the child. She bought them for her. She was very thoughtful and was afraid that Lele would go to the capital to study. There were too many suitcases, so she specially prepared a towbar suitcase for Lele. She knew that Lele did not have a small backpack or other bags, so she also bought a small backpack that can be used on both shoulders. , you can hold some daily necessities that you need at any time, and you can also hold books when you go to school.
Because she couldn't help, she stood aside and watched to see what Lele had brought, what else he needed to get to the capital, and calculated how much it would cost.
Classmate Le packed up clothes, including down jackets, mid-length jackets, jeans, and spring, summer, and autumn clothes. They were all bought on discounts on the street, especially summer T-shirts, many of which cost ten yuan a piece. , and the new clothes bought by Zhou Qiufeng, the clothes, shoes and necessary daily necessities filled one suitcase
The other box contained several large packages of dried yam and lily slices, as well as a package of dried yam and lily slices. Fungi, a pack of pills made last time, keep the empty space in the suitcase when you get on the train at the station, and stuff the watermelons and other things you want to take to the capital with you.
Pack it up neatly, and then stuff the toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, comb, mask, small flashlight, mobile phone, power bank, etc. that you need in the car into your backpack. In this way, your luggage for Beijing is basically determined.
When Le’s dad came home in the evening, Boss Wu grabbed him again and made an appointment to wait for him tomorrow morning; Le’s dad kept it in his heart, feeling very sad along the way, as his caring little cotton-padded jacket would be leaving for a long journey tomorrow. ah.
Le’s father originally thought that the family of three could enjoy family happiness that night. Unexpectedly, as soon as he drove home, Brother Zhou, Grandma Zhou, and Cheng Youde each brought chicken and meat. Paole's family came to have a celebratory drink.
Zhou Qiufeng originally slaughtered a chicken, but when guests came to see her child off, she felt that one chicken was not enough, so she slaughtered another chicken while busy preparing dinner.
Leyun went to take a showerA watermelon was cut into segments and brought to the table to entertain the elders of the neighborhood; Brother Zhou and the others ate the watermelon and were particularly surprised, where did Lele find the watermelon?
Zhou Qiufeng made a sumptuous dinner When entertaining the guests, everyone was sweating profusely after eating, and it was very enjoyable. When it was time to go home, Brother Zhou gave a red envelope, "I didn't buy anything for Lele, so I gave him a small red envelope, and Lele bought something to eat in the car." ."
"Brother Zhou, how embarrassing is this?" Dad Le looked at the thick red envelope and was embarrassed to accept it.
"What's the point of being embarrassed? Your girl is also my nephew, so I should give my niece a red envelope." Brother Zhou gave the red envelope to Dad Le and gave his mother a hand.
Grandma Zhou also stuffed the red envelope into Yueqing's hand, "This is for the children. I'm old and can't buy anything. It's too hot today and it's hard to bring eggs in the car. I didn't cook them either." "
"Yueqing, this is a little gift we gave Lele. This belongs to my dad. My dad was picked up by my sister a few days ago and is not at home." Cheng Youde and Sister-in-law Liu also gave one. Big red envelope.
Le’s dad received the red envelope, his eyes were hot, and he and Zhou Qiufeng saw off the guests. Le Yun ran to the refrigerator room and packed out five or six cucumbers and a few tomatoes for one family, and one watermelon for each family, and asked people to catch up with them. Take it home and eat it.
Grandma Zhou, Brother Zhou, Cheng Youde and his wife accepted the fruits and went home.
The three members of the Le family turned around, closed the door, and counted the red envelopes. Grandma Zhou gave three thousand in a thick stack, Brother Zhou gave three thousand six, Cheng Youde and his wife gave one thousand two, and Father Cheng gave six hundred.
The husband and wife write down the numbers one by one in their favor book. Others send red envelopes to share their worries. This favor must be remembered, and the friendship between neighbors must also be cherished.
The couple took out the money and gave it to the child for safekeeping together with the bonuses given by the township and village. Because the girl had to travel far the next day, Le’s father and Zhou Qiufeng were particularly reluctant to part with it. They took the child and gave them various instructions. All kinds of advice.
Then the family of three didn’t go to bed until eleven o’clock, and only slept until about four o’clock. Zhou Qiufeng and Le’s father got up and rushed to make delicious food, steamed buns, boiled eggs, pancakes, etc. Tangyuan, boiled noodles.
Le Yun got up at around five o'clock, secretly threw her bank cards and pills in her suitcase into the space, and threw the extra money into the space. She only left five or six thousand in cash with her, and then went to the refrigerator room. Pack watermelons, tomatoes, cucumbers, yams and lilies that were dried yesterday.
Pack your luggage and go eat breakfast with love.
Le’s father and Zhou Qiufeng frequently advised their children to eat more of this and that, and even boiled six eggs to take with them on the way.
After eating, they washed themselves up again, changed their clothes, picked up their luggage and set off. Zhou Qiufeng carried a backpack, loaded the children's luggage into Lejia's covered tricycle, and drove to the street to meet Boss Wu.
It was just six o'clock in time and it was already bright.
As a family of three approached the village entrance, they saw a dozen people guarding there, most of them from families who got along well with the Le family and Zhou family. There were long firecrackers lined up on both sides of the road. Village Chief Zhou and Qiba The family members had been waiting for a long time, and when they saw Lejia's Sanwa coming, they shouted with a smile.
Le Yun helped her father get out of the car and walked to a group of people. Village Chief Zhou and others came forward and stuffed a red envelope into the hands of the young champion.
"Thank you Grandpa Man, thank you Fifth Grandma, thank you Uncle Zhang" Le Yun has a good memory and writes down everyone and the order of the red envelopes.
"Let's just think about it." Everyone who stuffed the red envelopes smiled.
Le Yun knew that it was the hardest thing to repay a favor, so if she received the red envelope today, she would naturally not be able to ignore it if someone in the village asked for something in the future. However, she was willing to bear it, and if someone came to ask for it in the future, it meant that she was successful. That way Dad and Aunt Feng also have an easy life in the village, and they won't always be looked at with blank eyes.
Le’s father and Zhou Qiufeng smiled and expressed their gratitude one by one. Village Chief Zhou waved his hand, "As for mother-in-law and mother-in-law, we will wait until Lele comes back from vacation. You are in a hurry, so go ahead and have a good trip."
The farewell party asked the Le family and his daughter to get into the car, and when they walked a little further, they lit firecrackers. When the firecrackers started to sound, Zhou Qiufeng drove off and set off. The firecrackers went all the way to the street, and a whole room of red paper was spread.
The sound of a series of firecrackers also resounded throughout the village.
"Hey, what's going on in the village today?" Dad Zhang was about to go see if there was any water in the field when he heard a deafening sound and groaned in surprise.
Sister-in-law Wu was combing her hair, but when she heard her husband's words, she sneered angrily, "What else is good? It's 10% that the little bastard is going to college."
Zhang Ke As soon as he heard this, he immediately shut up. His wife had a bad relationship with the Le family. If he said something, she would make a big fuss with him. One more thing would be better than one less thing.
Village Chief Zhou and others did not know that Sister-in-law Wu was full of resentment. When the smoke cleared, they saw that the Le family's car had gone away. Xiao Lele stuck her head out and waved to them frequently, and everyone also Feeling complete
Zhou Qiufeng drove to the open-air parking lot and found Boss Wu.
Boss Wu’s car was a black domestic Citroen. He stood beside the car and saw the tricycle driven by Zhou Qiufeng approaching. He recognized it as Yueqing’s car and waved with a smile.
As soon as the car stopped, he first greeted, "Hello, my sister-in-law from the Yueqing family. Congratulations on your marriage to brother Le." Yesterday, Yueqing said that he and his wife wanted to send the girl to the provincial capital. I found out that Guangqing was married, and I was shocked.
"Thank you, Boss Wu." Zhou Qiufeng met Wu Ban twice. She used to help Lejia haul scrap wood from the workshop, so she knew the boss of Yueqing.
"Uncle Wu, good morning. I haven't seen you for more than half a year. You are getting younger and younger." Le Yun helped her father get out of the car, unscrewed the suitcases with one hand, and said naughtily to Boss Wu blinked.
"Hahaha, Xiao Lele's compliment made me happy. If you have any luggage, I will help you carry it." Boss Wu was overjoyed, with a smile on his face.
Zhou Qiufeng helped unload the luggage from the car, including two suitcases, a shopping trailer with bag pockets, and two large plastic bags.
"Uncle Wu, this is for you and Grandma Wu. Some fruits, a pack of yams and lilies, and a pack of dried mushrooms. The yams and lilies have not been completely dried. Come back."It is safer to stay in the sun for a day or two. It is better to cook porridge and eat it. Mushrooms and chicken are used to make soup for Grandma Wu to drink, which is good for the health of the elderly. These three items should be eaten at intervals, just once every three or two days. "
"My brother Le, I want to snatch your little cotton-padded jacket again. "Boss Wu took the bag handed over by the little girl in surprise. The bag was quite heavy.
"You can grab it, as long as you can. "Le's father smiled naively, dragging a box towards the car.
Zhou Qiufeng hurriedly drove the three-wheeler and parked it under the eaves of a store, locked the car, ran back quickly, and dragged the shopping cart with one hand , snatching the suitcase from Dad Le’s hand with one hand.
The two suitcases were placed in the back of the car. The contents of the shopping bags were worried about being stuffy. When it came to placing them on the front passenger seat, Boss Wu’s belongings were also placed on the other side.
The three members of the Le family sat in the back, and Boss Wu drove, not through Shishi City, but through the Shennong Mountain area, into Chang City, and from Chang City to Han City, the capital of E Province.
Detour to Changshi and take the expressway. It is more than 300 kilometers from Changshi city to Hanshi and takes about four hours. It takes more than two minutes to go from Fangxian County through Shennong Mountain District.
It’s easy to get tired when driving alone, so I took a break on the highway in the middle of the morning to eat something. Classmate Le let Boss Wu taste a tomato without leaving a trace. Boss Wu was full of energy without realizing it, and he was even more energetic when driving.
Boss Wu drove the three members of the Le family to Han City after 1:30, got off the expressway, and went straight to the train station. He served them home and sent them to a hotel in front of the train station. He also knew A family of three always had something to say, go shopping together, etc. He didn't stay. He told the couple to pick him up tomorrow, gave the child a red envelope, and drove away in the car.
Le's father took it. Holding the red envelope, my heart was filled with excitement. Good people in the world never say too many nice things, but only do practical things. Boss Wu is that kind of person.
Classmate Le made a reservation in advance. After checking in at the hotel, check in. The room is on the third floor. Take the elevator upstairs and book two rooms. Le Dad and Zhou Qiufeng also go to the girl's room first, put their luggage away, and receive a thick red envelope from the boss. A stack of six thousand six.
“Lele, don’t forget the goodness of Boss Wu in the future. "Le's father's eyes were slightly red. Boss Wu knew that his family was in trouble, so he gave his child a big red envelope. This was an indirect way of supporting his girl's schooling.
"I remember that Uncle Wu was kind to us. Therefore, the health of Uncle Wu's family will be left to me from now on. ”
Le Yun collected the money, took out her notebook, and then opened the red envelopes given by the villagers. She opened each one and wrote down her name. There were some with one hundred, some with two hundred, basically more than one hundred red envelopes. Village Chief Zhou gave the most, including 600 yuan, a total of 2,380 yuan.
Remembering the list, he gave a share to Dad. Classmate Le took the money again and the family of three washed it. , packed up and went downstairs to get tickets first, then go shopping and eat snacks.
During that trip, we visited the park, snack street, and grocery street. The family of three happily enjoyed shopping. , played until after ten o'clock in the evening, and returned home after enjoying themselves.Went for another late night snack near the station before returning to the hotel.
That night, Lele’s father and Zhou Qiufeng couldn’t sleep. They were worried. Lele was only fourteen years old. They were going to the capital alone by car. Just thinking about it made their hearts clench into balls. The couple tossed and turned. It wasn't until midnight that I became confused.
Le Yun fell asleep and didn’t wake up until dawn.
Woke up, packed up, went to have breakfast, and returned to the hotel after eating. Le classmate reorganized his luggage, put the watermelon and tomatoes into the tow bar suitcase, and gave the shopping trolley to his father to take home.
The bus she took departed from Han City at 8:30, and she had to enter the station in advance. At 7:20, Dad Le and Zhou Qiufeng took the girl into the station with her luggage.
The back-to-school season is also the peak travel period. People come and go at the station, the lobby is full of people, and the waiting rooms that require tickets to enter are full.
The three members of the Le family were waiting near the ticket gate in the lobby. Le’s father had bad feet and sat on the suitcase. After waiting for less than ten minutes, the announcement was made that passengers taking the xx high-speed rail should enter the station and Le Yun was about to leave. .
"Lele, little cotton-padded jacket, be careful in the car." Lele's father's eyes suddenly turned red. He ran to the railing on crutches and shouted while lying on his stomach. Zhou Qiufeng hurriedly supported him.
"I know, dad, new mother, you have to take care of yourselves, and I will take care of myself too." As parting was approaching, Le Yun felt sour in her heart and wanted to cry.
This is also her first time traveling far away. She used to go to school in the county town, and she could return home once a month. This time she went thousands of miles away, and it would take at least a semester before she could return home.
Father and daughter have been dependent on each other for many years. When they were separated, the feeling of loneliness and helplessness slowly emerged from their hearts, and a sour taste filled their chests.
She looked back and saw her father and new mother standing on tiptoes, craning their necks and looking up. She was afraid that her father would hurt his legs if he stood for too long. She steeled her heart, dragged her luggage, walked to the ticket gate, and passed through the ticket channel. Looking back, she saw her father and new mother still looking around. Leyun's eyes became hot and tears flowed down.
When a son travels a thousand miles, the mother is worried; Caring is hidden in the bottom of my heart, and then it is expressed in actions. I only work hard to make money to support my family, and do my best to give my children the best that I can afford.
She has no mother and has not known maternal love since she was a child. However, her father is both father and mother, assuming two identities. Over the past fourteen years, her father's love has been deeply rooted in her heart.
Seeing her father's thin figure, Le Yun felt sad, bowed her head, and entered the station firmly. Her son wanted to support her relatives, but she wanted to support her grandparents, but she died young. Fortunately, her father is still alive, and now she has a new baby. She can rest assured that her mother will take care of her, and she will work hard to move forward and become a caring little cotton-padded jacket that can bring her father pride and glory.