Countdown... Last day.
Countdown... Last day.
Right after work, Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan rushed from Jing University to the train station.
Lu Baoguo and Su Feng had bought train tickets for a departure at 5:35 PM. By the time the couple arrived at the station, it was just time for ticket checks and boarding.
Their youngest son, Su Feng, was anxiously peering towards the entrance of the train station at the ticket gate, his face filled with worry.
Only when he saw his parents appear did he relax and let out a sigh of relief. Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan quickly ran towards their youngest son after seeing him, then bought platform tickets together.
“Xiao Feng, make sure to keep your employment notice safe. Your parents won’t be by your side, so you must take good care of yourself from now on. Mom also prepared some ancestral Qiao family medicine for you; only you can use it, and it must not be leaked, or it will bring disaster.”
“Your luggage has been sent off by your father and me, so don’t worry about us. Once we arrive there, we’ll have your sister write to you. If you write, write to Hua Zhu, and be careful with your words and actions from now on.”
Qiao Jiuru placed the medicine she had prepared for her youngest son and the food for the journey into his arms, giving him her final instructions and farewells.
Su Feng’s eyes were red, and he kept nodding, his nose tingling. Besides nodding, he was too upset to speak.
At this moment, Lu Baoguo and the others had already brought everyone’s luggage into their carriage.
“Xiao Ru, Huaiyuan, don’t worry, I will take good care of Xiao Feng on the way.”
Lu Baoguo looked at the sad and emotional family of three, feeling a pang in his heart. He could only promise the couple that he would safely bring their son to the South.
“Lu Dage, Xiao Feng will be a bother to you all.”
The train was about to depart, and Qiao Jiuru could only thank Lu Baoguo, having nothing else to say.
“No need for formalities among ourselves. Xiao Feng isn’t a little child. You two should hurry back.”
Lu Baoguo impatiently waved at the couple, then took Su Feng to escort Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan off the train.
The four of them stood like this, inside and outside the train, looking at each other, until the train doors closed and it slowly started to move, gradually pulling away into the distance, until it disappeared from their sight.
...
In the evening, Su Huazhu returned with her luggage and books.
“Hua Zhu, why are you back?!”
“Today isn’t Sunday, and it’s not time for the holiday yet, is it?”
“Huh, that’s not right, Hua Zhu, why did you even bring your luggage back?!”
“What happened?! Hua Zhu?! Why are you back?!”
“What happened?! Were you expelled?!”
“Expelled from what?! Hua Zhu’s grades are excellent; your son would be expelled before she ever would.”
“How dare you speak like that?! I’m just asking out of good intentions, do you need to be so aggressive!?”
“Are these good intentions?! I think you’re just gloating and can’t stand to see the Su family doing well.”
“Crazy, I’m too lazy to argue with you.”
“You’re crazy, your whole family is crazy.”
...
Su Huazhu: “...”
She hadn’t even reached home with her luggage and books yet, and everyone in the family compound who saw her started arguing.
“Hello, Aunts, hello, Sisters-in-law. I signed up to go to the countryside the day before yesterday, and I’m leaving tomorrow. Today, I just finished my high school graduation exam at school, which is why I came back late.”
Her mother hadn’t said not to tell anyone, only that she had signed up to go to the countryside herself, so Su Huazhu directly told the people in the family compound.
Anyway, these people would surely find out later, it was just a matter of a day earlier or later.
“What?! Hua Zhu, you signed up to go to the countryside?!”
“Are you silly, girl?! Everyone else doesn’t want to go to the countryside, so why did you volunteer to sign up?!”
“Hua Zhu, does your mother know about this?! You’re going to infuriate your mother.”
“Young people are truly ignorant, acting purely on impulse. What kind of good place is the countryside?! The living conditions aren’t as good as in the city, the food isn’t as good as in the city, you work from dawn till dusk in the fields, do you think land is that easy to cultivate?!”
“Exactly, except for when it snows and you don’t have to work in the fields, which day don’t you have to go to the fields?! Unless you’re seriously ill.”
“Right, it’s not like there aren’t children from our compound who went to the countryside. They either write letters complaining and asking for money, or they cry and scream to come back.”
“Hua Zhu, you’re too foolish.”
“Even if she’s foolish, there’s nothing that can be done. Getting angry is useless. Didn’t you hear Hua Zhu say she’s leaving tomorrow? This is a case of acting first and reporting later.”
“Leaving tomorrow?! That fast?! Will there be enough time to prepare?!”
“Stop talking, let Hua Zhu go back quickly. Prepare as much as possible now. If not, Teacher Qiao can always buy things and send them to the child tomorrow.”
...
Everyone was chattering, on one hand saying Su Huazhu was too foolish, on the other hand feeling a bit of schadenfreude, and also a little sympathy for Qiao Jiuru having a foolish daughter.
Seeing this, Su Huazhu said nothing, obediently listening to everyone and heading home.
Such a big commotion and loud voices outside were equivalent to talking right at the doorstep, so the Su family naturally heard everything, which greatly astonished Zhou Wanwan, who had just finished setting the dishes on the table.
Is her sister-in-law’s brain addled?! Or was she instigated by classmates to sign up?!
“Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, I’m back.”
Su Huazhu entered the living room with her luggage and books, smiling and politely greeting her parents, brother, and sister-in-law.
“You’re back, let’s eat. Later, your parents will take you to Uncle Zhang’s house. Da Bao and Xiao Bao are there, so it’ll be easier for them not to cause trouble when you’re there.”
“You’re going to the countryside tomorrow, so you’ll depart directly from Uncle Zhang’s place. A Comrade from the team will pick you up then, and he will take care of you on the way.”
Qiao Jiuru had already thought everything through and arranged it clearly, not getting angry as the people outside had speculated.
Zhou Wanwan was very shocked, looking at her in-laws and sister-in-law, unable to speak: “...”
Su Huazhu nodded, washed her hands, then sat down and recounted the details of today’s exam to her parents while eating.
“As long as you took the graduation exam, it’s fine. Later, we’ll have Uncle Zhang or Uncle Lu get your high school diploma for you.”
Qiao Jiuru nodded, feeling mostly relieved about her daughter’s affairs.
The family quickly finished their meal, then left Zhou Wanwan to clean up. Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan helped their daughter pack her luggage again; whatever needed to be sent would be taken to Zhang Hong’s place later, and they would have to trouble him to help send it tomorrow.
“Xiao Ze, Wanwan, we’re taking Hua Zhu to Uncle Zhang’s place. You two should rest early.”
Before leaving, Qiao Jiuru instructed her eldest son and daughter-in-law, then she and Su Huaiyuan pushed their bicycle, taking their youngest daughter and two large bags of luggage, and set off.
At this hour, everyone in the family compound was busy eating, and there were few people outside, so the family of three left smoothly.
Only after they were far away from the family compound did Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan breathe a sigh of relief.
“Hua Zhu, when you’re away from home, never trust anyone. You must keep the money your parents gave you safe. It’s not safe for you to carry too much money alone; your parents will find an opportunity to give you more in a few days when we arrive. Don’t eat anything given by strangers, and don’t pay attention to any strangers. The big brother escorting you this time is from the team; tell him if you feel unwell at all.”
“Oh, and your parents also found two companions going to the countryside with you. They are the grandchildren of your maternal grandfather’s childhood classmate, and they are good people. You can stay with them and look out for each other.”
“Hua Zhu, here are five pills. They are for strengthening the body. Take one first. Also, Mom has prepared various medicines for you. Don’t tough it out if you feel unwell; rest when you need to, and work when you need to.”
Qiao Jiuru continuously instructed her daughter along the way. As they neared Zhang Hong’s house, she took out several useful pills for her daughter from her ink bracelet space, telling her to take what was needed.
Su Huazhu quickly took the pills from her mother’s hand. Before she could even look at them, one was popped into her mouth.
“You must secretly keep these Chinese medicine pills safe. These are ancestral secret recipe pills from the Qiao family, specially made by your great-maternal-grandfather and maternal grandfather. This is the detoxification pill, which detoxifies various poisons. And this is a special cold medicine; one pill is enough.”
“Hua Zhu, these medicines are very precious, one could say they are on the verge of being lost. Besides your great-maternal-grandfather and maternal grandfather, no one else can make them. An innocent man is guilty because of his treasure. Mom hopes you won’t let anyone know, and especially not give them to others. These medicines are one less with each one taken. Besides giving them to you, Mom also gave some to your younger brother, and there isn’t much left now.”
“From now on, you must be strong, brave, independent, and most importantly, know how to protect yourself. Finally, don’t give up easily. We will definitely have a day when we return to the city. You must persevere. At that time, we will go home together.”
Qiao Jiuru felt nothing but deep worry for her youngest daughter, as girls are different from boys.
Su Huazhu nodded silently, tears continuously falling. She wasn’t a child anymore. She knew about her sister-in-law’s family’s misfortunes, and similar things had happened to her classmates’ families; she saw it often.
Therefore, she wouldn’t be naive, nor would she easily trust others. She knew what she was about to face, and she would be scared and at a loss. But her mother said they would be living not far away in a few days, which reassured Su Huazhu quite a bit.
Time was too tight, and Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan had no choice. After they dropped Su Huazhu off at Zhang Hong’s house, they only stayed for half an hour before hurriedly leaving.
They first went to find Xiao Lei, asking him to help order two thousand catties of grain, both coarse and fine, two hundred eggs, over thirty cured sea fish, ten cured meats, half a pig, thirty catties of pork fat, five live chickens, twenty catties of brown sugar, fifty catties of toilet paper, and even twenty catties of salt.
The agreed delivery time was still 5 AM, and the delivery address was still the original one, which was next to the Song family’s house.
Afterward, the couple rushed to Guangsheng’s house, asking Guangsheng’s wife’s nephew to go to the Hospital family quarters to find Zhang Hong’s house tomorrow. They forcefully handed Guangsheng twenty yuan to give to his nephew and then quickly left.
“Huaiyuan, I suddenly realized we missed a very critical and serious problem.”