Chapter 307
“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s quickly wash up and go to bed,” Aunt Guo said hastily.
“You go ahead and wash first. I need to head into the mountains for a bit; I’ll be back soon,” Jiang Yexun replied. He went to his room, grabbed the blue-and-white porcelain bowl, and prepared to leave.
Aunt Guo quickly interjected, “They’re probably still dividing the wolf meat right now. If you go, you might run into them.”
“I’m not going to the front mountain. I’m heading to the one in the back,” Jiang Yexun replied casually as he walked out.
The back mountain? Isn’t everything from our family buried in the front mountain? So, has this kid picked a new location? Aunt Guo thought, a bit surprised. But considering how long those things had been buried in the same place, she wasn’t comfortable leaving them there any longer. Knowing that the kid had learned to have multiple hideouts, she felt a bit more at ease.
Since they were leaving early the next day, they didn’t take long to wash up. Each of them took less than twenty minutes to finish. Su Xiaoxiao sat by the charcoal stove, drying her hair. It didn’t take long for her hair to dry, but Jiang Yexun hadn’t returned yet. She was wide awake, listening intently for any sounds from outside.
After about another half hour, as the time neared 4 a.m., she finally heard movement in the courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao’s sleepy eyes suddenly lit up. She was just about to get up and check when she heard sounds from the neighboring room—her brother’s voice, low and quiet, speaking to Jiang Yexun. Afraid of getting scolded by her brother, Su Xiaoxiao quickly lay back down. As long as Jiang Yexun was back safe, she could rest easy.
—
Because they had to catch the train, they woke up at eight the next morning. With just half an hour to get ready, there wasn’t much time to prepare a proper meal, so they quickly had some milk and wheat milk, along with a few biscuits, just enough to stave off hunger.
Just as they finished packing their things, there was a knock at the door.
“Coming, coming,” Aunt Guo hurriedly called as she rushed to open the door.
Standing outside were not only He Xingzhi and Old Wang but also Zhang Tiewa, Tao Junlan, and Qian Siyu.
“Xiaoxiao, we made some egg cakes last night. They might not be as good as the ones sold outside, but they should do. You can eat them on the train if you get hungry,” Qian Siyu said as she handed Su Xiaoxiao a large mesh bag.
“Thank you,” Su Xiaoxiao replied with a sweet smile, not hesitating to accept the gift. The bag was heavy, easily weighing about three pounds. How did they make so much? Flour, eggs, sugar—none of these were easy to come by. With a sense of appreciation, Su Xiaoxiao’s smile grew even brighter. “When I come back from Shanghai, I’ll be sure to bring you all some gifts.”
“Great!” Tao Junlan responded with a laugh.
Seeing that Jiang Yexun and Su Hongchen were already carrying loads of luggage on their shoulder poles, they didn’t want to delay Su Xiaoxiao any longer. They reluctantly said their goodbyes, “We’ll head back to the educated youth dormitory now. You all be careful on the road. It’s close to the New Year, and there are a lot of pickpockets out there. And watch out for those flower sellers too. Just be cautious and don’t let your guard down.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything on my own,” Su Xiaoxiao assured them earnestly, seeing how concerned they were.
Once Qian Siyu and Tao Junlan left, their luggage was loaded onto the ox cart. He Xingzhi’s father, who had been watching his son get ready to board the cart, frowned and said, “You’re always getting involved in things. It’s just the two of us at home for the New Year. How am I supposed to spend it alone if you’re not here?”
“How is finding my own sister getting involved in things?” He Xingzhi retorted, clearly unhappy with his father’s attitude.
He Xingzhi’s father pursed his lips, realizing that his son wasn’t going to change his mind. Desperately, he added, “If you do find your sister, check secretly first. If she’s been sold to the city or is doing well with another family, maybe we shouldn’t bring her back. If she comes back here to the countryside, she’ll just suffer.”
Su Xiaoxiao, who had been trying to stay out of their family business, couldn’t hold back any longer.
“How can you say that, Uncle He? Xingzhi isn’t lacking in anything. If he cares so much about his sister, how could he let her suffer? Besides, a child not raised by their biological parents isn’t the same. There’s bound to be favoritism.”
Uncle He felt irritated and wanted to scold Su Xiaoxiao for meddling, but when his gaze met the cold, unfriendly expressions of Jiang Yexun and Su Hongchen, he swallowed his words.
Zhang Tiewa let out a cold snort and then turned to Jiang Yexun with a smile, “Brother Ye, I’ll make sure to handle those pelts properly. I’ll have my mom sew them into rugs so that they’re smooth and comfortable underfoot.”
Jiang Yexun nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you. I appreciate you and your mom taking care of that. And from today on, you can stay here. Just use my room.”
“Alright, Brother Ye. Don’t worry! I’ll take good care of your home,” Zhang Tiewa replied with a wave as he watched Old Wang drive the ox cart away, taking them with him.
Having slept for only four hours and with the gentle swaying of the ox cart, they were all too drowsy to talk. They quickly fell asleep and didn’t wake until they arrived in the city around 11:30 a.m.
The ox cart stopped in front of the state-owned restaurant. However, Old Wang didn’t stay for lunch. After Jiang Yexun bought him six large meat buns, he left for home.
Jiang Yexun told the others to wait in the restaurant while he went to the recycling station to pick up his sister. He returned about half an hour later, bringing Jiang Xinyue and Hua Shoucheng with him.