Chapter 70 The Zhao Family's Thoughts

The sun was quite scorching at noon, turning the dirt road in the family compound white.

The half-human-height, heavy canvas package was still standing in the shade in front of Shen Lingning's house, like a silent declaration.

The crowd of onlookers dispersed, but those inquiring eyes were still glued to her door with envy.

Shen Lingning closed the courtyard door, isolating himself from the outside world, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. A small area of ​​his clothes on his back was soaked with sweat, and it felt cold against his skin.

She walked over to the package, running her fingers over the thick, rough canvas surface, feeling the sharp edges of the hard objects and the bulge of the soft package. She picked up the mailing slip, and the sender's address clearly read "No. XX, XX Road, Chang'an City," signed by "Zhao Changhe."

Although he had some guesses in his mind, Shen Lingning was still stunned when he actually saw the name.

She was grateful to this godfather she met halfway through.

Back then on the train, it was this majestic and kind old leader who extended a helping hand and gave her and Fubao a rare shelter.

But besides gratitude, there is also a hint of strangeness.

After all, they had been together for too short a time, and this sudden and "heavy" care made her feel warm but also a heavy pressure.

She found a pair of scissors, carefully cut the tightly bound hemp rope, and lifted a corner of the canvas -

A mixture of the starch smell of brand new fabric, the oily aroma of military compressed rations, the unique sweet and milky aroma of malted milk, and the faint salty aroma of bacon hits you in the face!

It was just as I saw outside: brand new dark blue work clothes, thick military cotton coats, bags of compressed dry food, several cans of malted milk printed with the red words "Shanghai Guanshengyuan", and square snacks wrapped tightly in thick oil paper.

There were even two heavy pieces of bacon tied with oil paper and thick straw rope!

The things were neatly stacked, with a thick manila envelope on top.

Shen Lingning's heartbeat quickened a bit.

She quickly glanced at these supplies, which were considered "luxury" in the 1970s, but did not look through them immediately. Instead, she covered the most conspicuous malted milk, snacks and bacon with the removed canvas.

Don't show off your wealth, especially in this compound that has just experienced turmoil and has complicated people's hearts.

She left her relatively "low-key" work clothes, cotton coat and compressed dry food outside, intending to sort them out together after Zhou Weiguo came back.

She picked up the thick envelope, which felt heavy in her hand. It seemed that there was more than one letter inside.

In the evening, Zhou Weiguo returned smelling of dust from the training ground, and the bandage on his left arm was still clean.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw things piled in the corner and the letter in Shen Lingning's hand.

"Are you back? The things were sent by Mr. Zhao from Chang'an."

Shen Lingning handed him the letter and briefly explained the contents of the package.

Zhou Weiguo took the letter but didn't rush to open it. His eyes swept over the things and then fell on Shen Lingning's face.

In the past two days, he heard from Shen Lingning intermittently about everything that happened in the past year - the shock in Shanghai, the oppression in Majiaji, the journey of thousands of miles with Fubao to find her husband, the difficulty of getting a foothold in Songtaogou, and even how she fought against the strong and sent her mother and eldest brother's family to the cowshed... Every one of them was like a knife engraved on his heart.

He felt sorry for his woman and children who had suffered so much, but he would never hesitate to take action when necessary.

He walked silently to the water tank, scooped up a bucket of cold water, and gulped it down. The cold water slid down his throat and suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

Putting down the water scoop, he looked at Shen Lingning, his voice low but firm: "Lingning, you have suffered. Over at Majiaji... you did well. A mother and a big brother like that are not worthy of mercy."

He paused, his voice a soldier's straightforwardness mixed with a subtle hint of hardness. "I've already called the old Party branch secretary and asked him to look after my mother and my eldest brother's family, but to keep them under strict supervision. Lingning, don't worry. I won't forgive anyone who has bullied you."

Shen Lingning lowered his eyes slightly, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of the letter.

She knew what Zhou Weiguo meant by "care" - no deliberate abuse, but no way of making it easy.

This was the most "kindness" he could do, and it was the most consistent with his status and principles.

She couldn't say she felt happy, but she didn't have any regrets either. She only felt a sense of calmness that everything had settled.

"Mr. Zhao..."

Zhou Weiguo picked up the thick envelope and opened it. "Is he the leader of Chang'an now? He really cares about you, his goddaughter."

There was emotion and a hint of respect in his tone.

He pulled out a thick stack of letter paper, with Mr. Zhao's vigorous and powerful handwriting on top.

Shen Lingning also came over to take a look.

Mr. Zhao's letter was very long, and the words revealed the concern and majesty of an elder. In addition to reminding her to take care of her health and take good care of Fubao, he also asked in detail about life in Songtaogou and Zhou Weiguo's situation.

At the end of the letter, he mentioned that he admired her idea of ​​contracting a tea plantation and encouraged her to be bold and write to him if she encountered any difficulties.

What really surprised Shen Lingning were the other letters in the envelope.

"This is……?"

Zhou Weiguo pulled out the following pages of paper.

A letter with beautiful handwriting, signed by "Godmother Wang Xiulan".

The letter contained warm greetings and love for Fubao. It also contained a small black-and-white photo of the old Zhao couple and their two young sons.

The other two letters, one of which was written in a sharp handwriting, was signed "Big Brother Zhao Xiangdong".

The letterhead was printed with "Chang'an Daily." The concise letter, revealing a journalist's acumen, included greetings, along with mentioning that Songtaogou had unique scenery and that tea plantation reclamation was a good thing. He asked if she was interested in writing about her experiences.

The last letter was written in strong handwriting that showed through the back of the paper. It was signed "Second Brother Zhao Xiangbei" and was written on manuscript paper used exclusively by the army.

The content was even more brief and direct: "Sister Weiguo, I'm glad to hear from you. I heard from my father that you are a real man! I am in the Xth Regiment of the Xth Division in the Southwest. If you have time, I will bring Fubao to Chang'an. There is room for him to stay at home.

Come and see who my sister's man is like!"

Shen Lingning looked at these letters with mixed feelings.

The warmth of the godmother, the professional invitation and potential media resources of the eldest brother (Zhao Xiangdong), the straightforward military-style invitation of the second brother (Zhao Xiangbei)...

The Zhao family, the "home" she met halfway, opened its doors to her in a sincere and powerful way that exceeded her expectations.

"Xiangdong is at the newspaper office, Xiangbei is in the army...both are good units."

Zhou Weiguo put down the letter, his eyes filled with surprise and a hint of understanding. He understood why Mr. Zhao could send such a large package. "Did they invite you to Chang'an?"

Shen Lingning carefully put the letter away, along with the small black and white photo.

She walked over to the large package, lifted a corner of the canvas, and looked at the contents with clear and calm eyes:

"Chang'an... I'll definitely go and get to know the gate later. But not now."

She glanced at the malted milk and snacks. "Right now, I've just arrived at the base and want to contract a tea plantation. Fubao is still young and can't sit in the car for a long time. Besides, these things..."