Word Number：294 Author：紫凝 Translator： Release Time：2025-09-10

　　“Sir, do you live here alone?” Mu Yu stepped into the old man’s home. The room’s simple furnishings were immediately clear—beside a bed made of fired clay, there was only a table and a chair, and a stove for cooking. The place also didn’t give off the feeling of a home with a female presence.　　“Yes, my wife passed away early, and my children all work in the city. It’s just me here,” the old man said, tidying up the corner of the bed and gesturing for them to sit down.　　“I noticed that the village seems to be mostly like this. Did all the young people move to the city?” Mu Yu hadn’t seen many young people in the village when they arrived.　　“Yes, this is Hongxia Village—it’s poor. The land is barren, and we can’t grow much good crops here. How could the young folks tolerate that? The outside world is more appealing. In the city, as long as you put in some effort, you can earn money. My two sons are just like that. I don’t have the money to help them get married here, so I told them to go out and try their luck. At least it’ll be their own doing,” the old man said with a helpless shake of his head.　　“Then why don’t you go to the city with them? Why stay here alone?” Qiu Feng was puzzled. If the children had succeeded, why hadn’t they taken the old man with them?　　“I really can’t get used to the tall buildings in the city. I just like it here. I can tend to my garden and breathe in the fresh air every day