I was divorced because I got pregnant during the lean years, so I went back to my parents’ home and

Ji Daniu said with sobs.

"Come in!" Mrs. Lin pulled Ji Daniu into the house.

"Dad!" Shitou shouted and looked towards his father.

Dad looks much older than Mom, like he is ten years older.

In fact, mom is one year older than dad.

He felt sad in his heart, what had his father gone through over the years?

"Dad, you talk to mom first. I'm going to ask the shopkeeper for some boiled water!"

Shitou said this and slipped out of the house.

Ji Daniu pulled Lin's arm and said in a trembling voice, "Let me see, is it really you?"

Mrs. Lin cried and said, "Why didn't you send a message home in all these years? I thought you..."

"Oh! It's hard to explain. We lost the battle that year, and I was injured. I almost died in the northern border. I was a squad leader. The officers said that I was not in command and wanted to send me back. I didn't have a penny and couldn't go back, so I went to help in the kitchen. Who knew that my health would get worse day by day. I couldn't earn a penny for my family when I came back, and I had to let you support me, so I didn't want to come back..."

Ji Daniu sighed as he spoke.

"Bringing me back will cause trouble for you!"

Mrs. Lin interrupted him.

"What are you talking about? No matter what, we are a family, and you are the man of the family..."

Mrs. Lin started crying again as she spoke.

Ji Daniu was both moved and guilty, and the two of them hugged each other and cried together.

Mrs. Lin refused to stay in the inn at night.

He was making a fuss about going home.

The inn Xiaobei found costs 500 coins a night, and they want three rooms.

We have our own donkey cart and can rush back overnight. Why do we have to stay in this expensive inn?

Ji Daniu was not too surprised to see Ji Xiaobei and Shitou. After a simple greeting, he didn't say anything else.

No questions asked about the family situation.

The whole person was dull and wooden.

Ji Xiaobei asked him what was wrong with him, Ji Daniu shook his head and said, "It's okay, I feel better now that I'm back!"

Shitou fed Ma Debiao, paid the rent, and returned with his family.

When we arrived at Anzhou's home, it was already late at night.

Liang Yuyao had already gone to bed with the child.

In the side room, Caixia and her two children, Guoguo and Zhengzheng, also fell asleep.

Ji Xiaobei returned to his room, washed up briefly and went to bed.

Shitou tiptoed into the house.

Liang Yuyao asked dazedly, "Why did you come back so late? Did you pick up dad?"

"I got the call. Dad has aged a lot and doesn't talk much. He doesn't seem to be in good mental state!" Shitou said while washing his face.

"Then I'll get up and take a look. Dad is back, and I, as his daughter-in-law, am hiding in the house..."

Shitou said, "See you tomorrow. Dad must be exhausted after traveling all day. We don't have such strict rules in our family!"

"No, I'm going to the kitchen to boil some water for my parents. How can they live without hot water?"

Liang Yuyao put on her clothes and went to the kitchen.

The child on the bed burst into tears.

"You take care of the child, I'm going to the kitchen to boil some water!"

Liang Yu walked to the kitchen and saw Mrs. Lin wiping her tears as soon as she entered the room.

"Mom, what's wrong with you? Let me boil some hot water for you and Dad!" Liang Yuyao said.

"It's okay, there's no need. Your father has already lain down and fallen asleep. You go to sleep!" Mrs. Lin said blankly, sitting on the wooden bench with her head down.

"Mom, Dad is back, you should be happy, right?"

"Hey, I don't know what's wrong with your father. He's very different from before. He looks so dull, as if he can't get excited about anything. Mom doesn't know what's going on either!"

Mrs. Lin said worriedly.

"Mom, Dad is used to staying in the military camp in the northern border. Maybe he is not used to it just now. He will be fine in a few days! You go back to the room and rest. I will boil some hot water and let it dry for you. You can bring it later."

Liang Yuyao lit the fire in the stove.

In the past, she was the one who delivered it to Mrs. Lin's house.

Now that her father-in-law is back, she can no longer enter her mother-in-law's room.

"Mom, mom..." Ji Xiaobei shouted and stepped into the kitchen.

Mrs. Lin asked in a panic, "What's wrong?"

"My father, why has he been walking around the yard for several times? Can't he find the toilet in the backyard?"

Mrs. Lin ran out in a hurry.

Ji Daniu had already gone to the backyard, mumbling something.

"Ji Daniu, what are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping so late at night?"

Mrs. Lin shouted.

Unexpectedly, Ji Daniu put his hands on his head, squatted down, and shouted in fear: "Don't hit me, don't hit me..."

Everyone was stunned.

Mrs. Lin ran over crying, pulled Ji Daniu up and said, "Daniu, I am Lin. Let's go home and never go to the northern border again..."

"I'm back. Where are you back to? No, this is not Jijia Bay..."

Ji Daniu looked around with empty eyes.

"Dad..." Shitou and Liang Yuyao also ran over.

"Dad, you're back. This is our new home, the house we just bought in Anzhou..."

Shitou choked up. Dad had suffered so much outside over the years!

"Dad, when you feel better, we will go back to Jijia Bay... You can go to the house with my mother and rest first." Ji Xiaobei also advised.

Mrs. Lin helped Ji Daniu back to the house.

"Sister, is Dad sick?" asked Shi Tou.

"He must be sick. Ask Mrs. Huang to come over tomorrow to check on him..."

Ji Xiaobei said.

Liang Yuyao: "Tomorrow, let Uncle Laohei and Uncle Shugen talk to Dad. Maybe he misses his fellow villagers!"

"Well, good! You two go back and look after the kids, I'll boil some water!"

"Sister, you've been busy all day. Go and take a rest. The child is asleep. Shitou and I will boil some water for the parents."

Ji Xiaobei didn't say anything polite and got up and left.

As she walked, she thought: Could Ji Daniu be suffering from war stress disorder?

She had read similar books before. The sick people would constantly recall the traumatic events, have nightmares at night, often have anxiety and numbness, be highly alert to the surrounding environment, and become emotionally numb...

She looked towards Mrs. Lin's room worriedly.

The next day, I heard that Ji Daniu had returned.

The villagers of Jijiawan came to the door early.

"Brother Daniu, you're back. Xiaobei's mother missed you so much. Now it's good that you're finally back!"

Aunt Song saw a room full of men sitting there doing nothing, so she quickly interrupted the awkwardness with a smile.

Ji Daniu sat motionless and said nothing.

It was as if the things and people around him had nothing to do with him.

Mother Lin pulled him and said, "Daniu, Shugen and Laohei are here to see you, why don't you say anything?"

Song Laohei looked at Ji Daniu who looked haggard, stood up, rubbed his hands and said, "Brother Daniu, you must be tired. Take a rest first. We will come to see you again in a few days!"

Several men from Jijiawan came over excitedly, but seeing Ji Daniu was like being poured with a bucket of cold water.

When the men reached the door, they heard Ji Daniu mutter in the room, "I want to go back to Jijiawan!"