Chapter 145: Plan
“Then you have to get better quickly for me, otherwise how can I not worry?”
“Cough cough~ cough cough cough, okay okay okay, I’ll get better, get better quickly.”
Desperately suppressing the pain and itch in his throat, Yan Changrong grinned and still coaxed his wife in a tone like coaxing a child.
He couldn’t help but sigh again in his heart at Su Ning this girl’s timely help in the snow.
He knew that without the things that child stuffed into his arms, with the injury plus high fever, he wouldn’t even make it to the destination before it took his old bones’ life.
He shook his somewhat dizzy head, and Yan Changrong took the two kinds of pills his wife handed him mixed with hot water and swallowed them down forcefully.
He had to get better quickly, couldn’t collapse; if he was gone, what would his wife who feared darkness and cold do…
Zhao Panpan gently patted and smoothed his back, and seeing that this time with water it finally went down smoothly without the previous choking incident.
Only then did she put down her hand and carefully tuck the remaining small medicine packet back into her clothes pocket, then handed him the coarse steamed bun that had been warming in her arms with her body heat.
“Old Yan, soak it in the remaining hot water, eat it while it’s hot.”
The guard had also given each of them one such rice ball mixed with husks and bran, which was not only rock-hard but also particularly scratchy on the throat.
But having something to eat was still better than letting them go hungry and tough it out.
Glancing at the trees and forests speeding by outside the train window, Zhao Panpan couldn’t help but show a trace of worry.
She didn’t know where they would be sent down to, didn’t know how her son and grandson were now, or if these two old folks could wait until the day they reunited again?
As if sensing her discomfort, Yan Changrong silently placed his hand on the back of hers.
Having gone through wind and rain for so many years, he always believed: no matter how thick the dark clouds, they couldn’t block the sun; enduring the present would surely bring clear skies.
……
Another train heading to the Northeast.
Because of Yan Ziyu’s injury, the other few people who were worried hadn’t slept the whole night.
Fortunately, the southeast and west three had all joined the military under their father’s influence, and more or less knew some first aid and nursing.
But without medicine, the longer the delay, the worse it would be for his leg, and it might even… become disabled.
Therefore, the expressions of the three siblings were uglier than the last, and Xiang Mingyu had cried until her eyes were swollen.
“What are you all with those expressions for? Rest assured, I can hold on.”
Subconsciously glancing at his own leg, Yan Ziyu showed no emotion in his eyes, still as calm and breezy as ever.
As if this was just an insignificant minor injury not worth caring about.
Sure enough, seeing him like this, the few people who had been constantly observing his condition unknowingly steadied their minds.
“Dad, once we get off the train and arrive, I’ll figure out a way to get you some medicine for injuries.”
“Good.”
“I wonder how Grandpa and Grandma, Little Uncle and Little Aunt are doing?”
Yan Xi, muttering to herself, seemed to remember something and suddenly raised her eyes to look at her father whose face was pale but who still held his back straight appearing exceptionally tall, “Dad, Uncle Fu he…”
“Xi Xi, seeing is not necessarily believing. Don’t blindly hate first.”
What did that mean?
Did Uncle Fu really have some unspeakable difficulty? What unspeakable difficulty could make him do this to the Yan Family? Why did Yan Mo Wang still believe him so much?
Recalling the past events, Uncle Fu, Aunt Ma, Jia Dan, Jiaming, and Qianqian…
Yan Xi secretly bit her lower lip: Could they really still be trusted?
If her dad really became disabled, no matter the reason, she thought she wouldn’t be able to easily choose to forgive.
……
Gu City, Public Security Bureau.
From entering the mechanical factory to being escorted here, more than half a day had already passed.
Su Ning, waiting under the shade of the tree outside the iron gate, couldn’t help but raise her hand to check her watch again, her heart sinking bit by bit.
Although she had long anticipated it, when it really came to this moment, she still couldn’t avoid feeling upset.
Among those who had been investigated and questioned with him were not only colleagues she often interacted with at work, but also that white-haired elderly man full of scholarly elegance, Yan Bei’s teacher Old Master Tong.
At four in the afternoon, the tightly closed gate finally slowly opened.
Tong Ding’s face full of righteous indignation restrained somewhat upon glimpsing that graceful figure not far away.
Walking with slightly heavy steps to her side, “Young Comrade.”
“Old Master Tong!”
Coming back to her senses, Su Ning glanced at the iron gate that had opened at some point, took two small steps forward, stood on tiptoe, and scanned inside back and forth.
“Don’t look, Xiao Bei didn’t come out.”
Tong Ding tried to calm his mood and regained the gentleness in his tone from the past, “You’re Xiao Bei’s partner Su Ning, right?”
“Old Master Tong you…”
“You don’t need to wait here anymore. While there’s time, go prepare some useful things for Xiao Bei.”
Too busy to clarify again, Su Ning hurriedly asked, “Old Master Tong, is the result out?”
“Accept re-education from poor and lower-middle peasants.”
Fortunately, Yan Bei had made quite a few contributions, and this old man still had some weight; otherwise, it really would have gone as those people wished and Yan Bei would have been truly ruined.
A trace of ugliness flashed in Tong Ding’s eyes; he didn’t know how it had suddenly come to this point.
“Old Master Tong, which place? Confirmed? When?”
“Hongqi Commune First Brigade, depart before dark.”
Good, good, it was the best outcome among the bad situations.
It seemed that this morning before going to the mechanical factory, Yan Bei had first gone to see Old Master Tong probably to plead for this matter.
Since preparations were already made, naturally it was best to be in the same place as Grandpa Yan and Grandma Yan.
Nodding in understanding, Su Ning thanked him and left first on the pretext of going to prepare things for Yan Bei.
She had to go back to explain to Aunt Gao and the others, then hurry to catch the route bus to Yong County to get to Hongqi Commune First Brigade ahead of time.
……
Nanmen Street, Su Family Small Courtyard.
“Aunt Gao, the situation is like this. I probably still need two or three days to handle it.”
Gao Fen nodded understandingly. Seeing their haggard looks from not sleeping all night and returning early in the morning, she knew it must be some tricky and urgent matter.
She was just an illiterate peasant, unable to help much.
At such a time, she naturally couldn’t add to the chaos. Thinking about it, Gao Fen spoke up, “Xiao Su, Little Lian and I will go back first. Once you’re done with your side, we can continue, how about that?”
“That works, it’s just that Little Lian has to wait a few more days.”
“Three or five days is no big deal. Xiao Su, you handle the important matters first.”
“Yes, Sister Su, the scar on my face has healed, I’m not afraid to see people anymore. The other places aren’t urgent for these few days; I can wait.”
Xiao Lian also sensibly comforted her, holding her hand and saying, “I’ll go back with Mom first. I miss my family after a few days apart; this works perfectly!”
“Right, Sister Su, how about I take Little Round Circle back for a few days too? Then it can come back with us?”
Thinking that she would be busy and temporarily unable to care for this little one, Xiao Lian shook the hand she was holding and thoughtfully proposed.
She would probably stay in Hongqi Commune for a few days; bringing Little Round Circle would be inconvenient. Better for it to go play happily with Xiao Lian at Duyan’s side than be locked alone in Peach Blossom Spring.
Therefore, Su Ning readily agreed. After each simply packed some things in their rooms, the three people and one dog left the courtyard, locked the door, and headed together to the bus station.
Two hours later.
Getting off the bus, Su Ning surveyed the Yong County before her; this was her second time coming to this small county town.
Not exactly familiar, but not so strange either.
At least she knew what was where, recognized the roads, and knew how to hitch a ride on an ox cart.
Before that, she had to prepare all the necessary things in advance first.
She first went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some daily necessities, seasonings, and pots and bowls.
Iron pots were hard to buy now, so she had to settle for two sand pots instead.
In short, she bought everything she could think of, as long as she had the tickets.
As a result, when she walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative, she immediately became the focus of this street, with passersby either casting envious and longing looks or throwing a few jealous sour remarks.
Carrying big bags and small bags, large bundles and small ones, she finally reached that three-way intersection in the town.
“Ning Ning?”
“Oh, it really is you!”
“Hm?”
“You don’t remember? Me? I’m Old Master Su’s youngest grandson Su Jianqun!”
She had some impression but not much; Su Ning showed an embarrassed yet polite smile. There were too many people when she went to Old Master Su’s for dinner that day, and she really hadn’t remembered them all.
“Young man.”
“Hey, hahaha, Ning Ning, where are you headed?”
Having always been the youngest of his generation at home, ever since meeting this distant younger sister last time, Su Jianqun had kept her in his heart; after all, he could finally count himself as a big brother.
So at this distance with just one glance, he immediately recognized her.
