Chapter 233: Inquiring
Departing this afternoon, will the snow melt in five or six days?
Her brows furrowed slightly with some worry in her heart, but Su Ning didn’t say it aloud and only said, “I got it, Older Brother Jiang. When the time comes, I’ll have Brother Zhang pick you up. Be careful on the road.”
“Sis~”
“Awei?!”
“It’s me, sister. I miss you so much!”
The slightly furrowed brows were instantly smoothed by this sentence, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curve up. “Sister misses our Little Copper Coin too. You have to listen to Older Brother and Elder Sister when you’re out, got it?”
“Sis, I’m already a little man who can take care of myself, so rest assured. Oh right, I prepared a gift that sister will definitely like!”
“What to do? Sister’s going to be tossing and turning, completely sleepless starting today.”
“Huh? Well, no need to be that excited…”
“Hahaha~”
……
After hanging up the phone, the warm smile in Su Ning’s eyes didn’t fade for a good while.
Listening and watching, it didn’t seem like any bad things; instead, it was a happy event. Su Qingshan on the side quickly let go of his worries too.
It was just that now, whenever he got a phone call looking for Su Ning, he couldn’t help his heart from pounding, afraid that something major had happened again.
“What happy event made our Ning Ning so happy?”
“Old man, my younger brother is coming over!”
“Oh? That’s something to be happy about. Looks like this New Year’s, Ning Ning’s family is getting bigger and bigger!”
Lively is good. More people is always better than this child being all alone during the big New Year’s.
Su Qingshan was genuinely happy for her from the bottom of his heart. The customs here were that you didn’t go to other households until New Year’s Eve, and before and after the family reunion dinner, you had to pay respects to your own ancestors to comfort the deceased loved ones.
Even if he didn’t care about those things, with her personality, she probably wouldn’t celebrate New Year’s with their family either.
“Oh right, old man, ten days from now is me and Yan Bei’s engagement banquet. Because of the special situation with the Yan Family right now, we’re not planning a big flashy event, so we’re just inviting close elders and friends for a private two tables.
You and the old woman come over for a meal together then? Just Uncle and Aunt, brothers and sisters…”
“Engaged to Yan Bei? Great, great, great! Wonderful, a big wonderful thing!”
Upon first hearing this news, Su Qingshan couldn’t help clapping his hands and laughing out loud. Although the young man’s identity had issues now, he had always thought Yan Bei was a very good young fellow.
Besides, after being Brigade Leader for so many years, who could clearly distinguish these so-called good people and bad people just by their identities? Everyone had their own scale in their heart to weigh themselves.
It was just… their family’s Ning Ning was somewhat wronged.
Such a big happy event, yet it couldn’t be properly held. But special circumstances called for special treatment.
“Me and your old woman knowing is enough. As for the other kids, Ning Ning, you don’t worry about them. If that bunch all swarmed over, it would be known to everyone.”
“Thank you, old man. Though we can’t provide a meal, the wedding candy won’t be lacking. Let the young man and them eat their fill.”
“Hahahaha, that bunch of little rascals will be jumping for joy!”
Because she knew early on that her younger brother and them were coming, that’s why she planned the engagement banquet for after they arrived.
It was just this sudden heavy snow and mountain closure that caught people off guard.
Glancing out the window at the snowflakes drifting a bit less than at night, “Old man, how long will this snow last? If the mountain is closed, can people still come in?”
“How long? No telling, depends on the heavens. Looking at this, it’ll probably go on for a few more days. As for whether people from outside the sealed mountain can get in…”
Afraid the room was small and the smoke smell would bother her, Su Qingshan didn’t light his pipe, just smacked the mouthpiece a few times to satisfy the craving.
Once that wave of nicotine craving passed, he continued answering her question.
The county towns around Gu City were mostly small mountain cities, like their village in the mountain hollow taking up the majority.
Usually it was fine, but with mountain floods or blizzards, it was trouble.
Once a blizzard hit, sealing the mountain was routine, all because of those two major disasters before.
After the blizzard, everywhere was thick accumulated snow. The mountain roads were already rugged and dangerous; not to mention driving an ox cart, something would definitely happen.
Even just relying on walking on two legs, if you weren’t extremely familiar with the road conditions, it was easy to slip and tumble down if not careful.
Falling into a ditch was still okay, at worst a painful bruise, but if you fell straight off a cliff, there’d be no body left to find!
Not to mention the sheer cliffs right next to it; once the snow thickened, huge slabs would collapse down in sheets. No need to be buried, they’d be smashed gone.
“That’s way too dangerous!”
“Who says it isn’t? Back when the village hadn’t been changed into production brigades.
A group of over twenty big and small from Tongluo Village went to the county town for New Year’s goods, ignoring the village elders’ warnings, insisting they knew the road and it was no problem. In the end, not one came back.”
“All… gone?”
“Gone, all gone.”
“So Ning Ning, you mustn’t do anything rash!”
So it was waiting for her here. Su Ning suddenly felt both amused and exasperated. In the elders’ hearts, she had always been obedient and well-behaved.
When had she ever taken a detour or gone astray in the old man’s mind?
In this situation, she wouldn’t joke with her younger brother’s or Older Brother Jiang’s and their lives.
“Mm?”
The single word with a heavy nasal tone ended with a high pitch, and Su Qingshan gave her a sideways glance.
Understanding the meaning, Su Ning gathered her thoughts and immediately raised her hand. “Old man, I guarantee I won’t run off recklessly.”
“Mm, that’s the good girl! Be obedient; if there’s anything, you must come find the old man first.”
“Okay, okay, okay. I guarantee I’ll listen to you.”
“Oh right, old man, I almost forgot to ask, how are Wang the Cripple and them?”
Mentioning Wang the Cripple, Su Qingshan’s old face couldn’t help drooping. That damn thing was infuriating just thinking about it.
They finally got to the county town hospital, and the doctor said to prioritize saving the seriously injured first since there weren’t enough staff on duty.
But he insisted on clamoring that his injury was the worst, not caring at all that his daughter-in-law had just escaped death, half a foot in the gates of hell.
It pissed Granny Wang off so much that even her wilted vegetable-like self rarely toughened up.
This woman who had followed father at home, husband after marriage, son after husband’s death, upholding women’s virtues for most of her life with bound feet, actually stood up for her daughter-in-law!
“Then Wang the Cripple’s wife…”
“The doctor said you saved her very well and timely. After surgery, she’s not in any major danger now, but she still needs to stay in the hospital for half a month. Probably spending this New Year’s in the hospital.”
Once he knew his wife was fine and his leg was reconnected, Wang the Cripple started making a fuss again about going back with everyone.
Just one night in the hospital cost a lot, and with his stingy nature, how could he bear to use the work points the whole family saved all year.
Su Qingshan didn’t indulge him, directly put it on account at the payment desk with the official seal, and brought the people back in the dark.
“Mentioning that infuriating thing just pisses me off. Not a decent person at all!”
Seeing him slam the pipe stem in his hand with loud bangs, Su Ning was about to advise a couple words when the urgent phone bell rang.
Glancing at her, Su Qingshan steadied his breath and picked up the earpiece. “Hello? This is Hongqi Commune Team One.”
Hearing what the person on the other end of the earpiece said, Su Qingshan looked up quickly at Su Ning across the table, said a few words of agreement, and hung up.
“What is it, old man?”
Why did that look seem a bit odd?
“Cough, uh, it’s Yan Bei’s teacher Tong Ding, saying to have him call back.”
Old Master Tong?
Could it be…
Su Ning abruptly stood up and turned to run outside. “Old man, I’ll go help call him right now!”
“Hey, Ning Ning, slow down, don’t fall!”
“Got it!”
Her eyes shining brightly, a brilliant smile on her face, she wanted to run back at the fastest speed.
When she panted past her home gate, her feet paused, gave up running toward the foot of the mountain, and instead went straight to the courtyard gate, pushing open the ajar door.
“Ning Ning? Why are you back at this time?”
“Aunt!”
The big and small who had been having a snowball fight in the yard both put down their snowballs in sync and turned their heads together at the sound of the gate.
“Big brother, is Yan Bei here?”
“Yan Bei? That kid came over this morning and went out with Fu Jiaming, saying something about moving back the firewood from that day.”
Patting the snow off his hands, Brother Zhang quickly stepped forward and picked up the excited little one playing. “Xiao Qiu, go find Granny to warm by the fire. Uncle will play with you later.”
“Okay~!”
Seeing the adults seemed to have business, even though not fully satisfied with playing, Xiao Qiu didn’t fuss and nodded very obediently.
Once she toddled her little legs toward the kitchen, Brother Zhang strode forward. “Looking for him for something?”
“Mm, how long have they been gone?”
“About one or two hours, probably coming back soon.”
