Braised fish, roast duck, Kung Pao chicken, steamed egg custard, stir-fried cabbage, hot and sour shredded potatoes, egg drop soup, rice, and steamed white buns.
Six adults and two children filled the table, just enough for everyone to sit.
“Oh, what a special day today?! This is too extravagant?!”
Lu Baoguo was not visiting the Su family for the first time, and the food was more abundant than any previous visit, so he didn't think much of it.
“Lu Dage, aren’t we asking for a favor? Of course, we have to treat you well.”
Qiao Jiuru smiled meaningfully, teasing him, then gestured for everyone to eat.
“Eat, eat. We can talk after we finish. Xiao Bao and Xiao Bao should also eat more and quickly get healthy.”
Besides Su Huaiyuan and Qiao Jiuru, only Zhang Hong knew some of the details. While serving food to the two little ones, he also greeted Lu Baoguo.
Lu Baoguo was not a fool; he also sensed something was up. There must be something he didn't know, but he didn't say anything.
The meal didn't take long; they finished in less than an hour. While Qiao Jiuru and Zhou Wanwan cleared the table and washed dishes, the men had already settled into the study.
“Wanwan, you take Xiao Bao and Xiao Bao to play in the living room and turn on the radio for them. We have something to discuss.”
“Mom, I understand.”
Zhou Wanwan knew without her mother-in-law saying much that the two uncles visiting probably had something important to discuss, and turning on the radio was to prevent others from overhearing. She was cautious and sensible, not asking a single extra question.
Qiao Jiuru closed the door as soon as she entered the study, and the men who had been chatting immediately stopped talking.
“Xiao Ru, Xiao Feng’s matter has been arranged. The employment notice was issued this afternoon and should be received within three days. When will you have Xiao Feng come back and tell him about this?!”
Zhang Hong directly stated the matter that had been handled today in front of Lu Baoguo and Su Ze. Their old friends in the military were indeed capable and efficient. When he received the news, he felt a great sense of relief.
“Mom, what happened to Xiao Feng?! What employment notice?! Is he going to Uncle Zhang’s Hospital for an internship?!”
Su Ze, confused, asked questions. However, he knew that his parents and Uncle Zhang had always wanted his younger brother to work at Uncle Zhang’s Hospital after graduation, but his younger brother still had a year and a half before graduating.
“Lao Da, your father, Uncle Zhang, and I plan to have your younger brother start an internship early. We’ve arranged for him to go to the military Hospital on the island. If things go quickly, we’ll probably have him report in a few days.”
Although Qiao Jiuru was speaking to her eldest son, her eyes also looked at Lu Baoguo, who was listening thoughtfully on the side.
“Xiao Ru, is something happening at home?! You suddenly made arrangements for Xiao Feng, could it be…?”
Lu Baoguo looked at Qiao Jiuru with sharp eyes, his mind racing as he spoke. As he thought, cold sweat broke out on his back.
Su Ze was listening intently, and at this moment, he seemed to have realized something, immediately shuddering and looking at his mother with shock and alarm.
“Last night, in the middle of the night, someone slipped a note into our ward saying we had been reported.”
Even about her past life, Qiao Jiuru could only tell Su Huaiyuan that she had a very terrifying and realistic dream. So, to Zhang Hong, Lu Baoguo, and her eldest son, she could only use this excuse.
“Xiao Ze, our family has an overseas background; your paternal uncle and his family are all abroad. We cannot rely on luck. It’s better to be safe than sorry. So, I asked Uncle Zhang to send Xiao Feng away first. Next will be arranging Hua Zhu.”
“That’s why we asked Uncle Zhang and Uncle Lu to come tonight, to discuss that if we are truly sent down, we must not be sent to the harshest places. It doesn’t matter where your father and I go, but Xiao Bao and Xiao Bao are still young; they cannot be in danger.”
Speaking of her family, her greatest concern was her two grandchildren, her youngest son and youngest daughter, and then her eldest son and daughter-in-law.
“Mom…”
“Xiao Ru, if the person who tipped you off is telling the truth, why haven’t those people made a move yet?!”
Su Ze now knew that his parents already had a plan, and his heart finally settled down a bit.
Lu Baoguo frowned, somewhat puzzled. As far as he knew, Su Huaiyuan and Qiao Jiuru not only had good relationships at school but also with their neighbors, and they had old friends like themselves backing them. How could they be reported?
“Lao Su and I have analyzed it. They are probably waiting for the right moment to act. Also, those people are definitely coveting the wealth of the Su family and the Qiao family. I think whoever slipped us the note is likely telling the truth.”
“It’s better to believe it than not, and not fight unprepared battles. The Zhou family is an example. Moreover, the Zhou family are all adults, but our family has two such young children. If they really go to those places, do you think they can survive?!”
By the end of Qiao Jiuru’s words, her voice was choked, almost unable to speak. In her previous life, her two children truly died.
Now that she had been reborn, she absolutely could not let such a thing happen again.
If, if she still couldn't change her fate from her previous life, then at worst, she would put all the children into her space. As long as they were alive, it was better than losing their lives.
However, this was a last resort. Until the very last step, she didn't want her children to live that kind of isolated life.
“How about letting Hua Zhu go to the island with Xiao Feng? It’s far away, and the island is safer than the outside.”
Zhang Hong never doubted Qiao Jiuru’s words. Such things were too common now; who could guard against them?!
Just as Xiao Ru said, it didn't matter if the adults suffered, but Xiao Bao and Xiao Bao were still so young. How could they survive in those places?!
“We can also have Hua Zhu take Xiao Bao and Xiao Bao to the island and arrange for them to go to the countryside there.”
Lu Baoguo also felt that the island was safer and the best place to go, and he strongly agreed with this arrangement.
“Then tomorrow, Lao Lu and I will inquire with our old friends in the military to see if we can arrange for Hua Zhu to go to the countryside there.”
Zhang Hong made the final decision. This way, the siblings could look after each other on the island, which would put them more at ease.
“Zhang Dage, Lu Dage, if Hua Zhu cannot be sent to the island, then she can go to the countryside in Ji Province. The villages of Baigou Village, Baishan Village, and Baisha Village in Mentou Township, Hua County, Tong City, Ji Province, have all received kindness and help from the Qiao family. Hua Zhu going to the countryside in these villages will ensure greater safety.”
“Alright, Huaiyuan, Xiao Ru, Lao Lu and I will arrange Hua Zhu’s matter tomorrow.”