Chapter 32 Past Events

But this renowned Tibetan doctor still left a mark on her heart.

Time flies, like sand slipping through your fingers.

Even if you try to hold on tight, most of it will still slip through your fingers.

Except for Bart, who was out, the rest of the Loin family continued their usual lives.

Gradually, the grass on the grassland grew taller and taller.

The plants and trees grew greener and greener, and the livestock began to grow fatter and taller.

However, more than a month has passed, and there has been no news from my father.

Just like back then, it's frustrating!

Every day, Urina would get up early and look in the direction he left.

I hope he will suddenly appear.

But reality is often not so perfect. Now that it's June and the weather is getting hot, Luo Yin got up early to wash her hair.

Seeing her mother walking outside, Luo Yin cheered herself up and took a few steps forward.

"Mom, why are you up so early?"

"Why are you up too? I couldn't sleep and was thinking of getting something to eat."

"Me too, I want to wash my hair, it's too long and too much!" She had mentioned cutting her hair several times, but her mother had always dissuaded her.

Furthermore, her mother would sometimes help her wash her hair, using special herbs mixed with scalp massage; I must say, it felt really good.

So she reluctantly gave up again!

Well, with this trick, maybe I can still catch the opportunity to massage my scalp.

But ever since her father left, she has lost the will to think about it.

It wasn't convenient at school, so she often saved up to wash at home; she would only wash at school when she couldn't stand it anymore, but she always felt that the school washing wasn't clean enough.

Perhaps it was a matter of habit, but Luo Yin stayed by the fire, waiting for the water to boil.

Urina, who was standing next to her, poured the milk into the pot and waited for it to boil as well.

Seeing that she had even forgotten to put her things away, Luo Yin looked up and saw that she was staring blankly at something.

He's clearly spacing out!

Knowing that she was worried about her father, he threw the things in, then pulled her to sit beside him and guarded the fire.

Neither of them spoke, each lost in their own emotions.

Only the occasional bursts of sparks indicated the activity nearby.

The water was ready in no time, and Luo Yin grabbed her things, found a spot, and started preparing to wash her hair.

After Urina finished her daze, she took over the rest of the tasks and started preparing breakfast.

"Are you sure you don't need my help? Or should I wash the dishes for you before you cook?"

"No need, Mom, I can manage on my own. You go ahead and cook!"

Mother agreed, and after Luo Yin had finally washed her hair and was squatting down to dry it, her second brother rushed out of a yurt.

"Oh dear, oh dear, I'm so suffocating!"

Just as Luo Yin was about to greet him, she saw him dash out.

It dashed off towards the place where the five grains were recycled.

Luo Yin looked disgusted, her expression saying "You're such a bad second brother," and quickly moved far away.

Her waist-length hair was washed and simply draped over her shoulders.

A summer morning breeze carries a faint scent of herbs.

Luo Yin, who had gotten up early, subconsciously took a few deep breaths.

It left me with a sense of satisfaction and lingering aftertaste.

That feels so good!

She found a spot on the side, leaned back in the wooden chair, rocked back and forth, and started drying her hair.

Waiting for the warm sun and summer breeze to dry her hair.

Meanwhile, in northern Xinjiang, in a mountain valley with a natural barrier of sand and gravel.

Several men dressed in old military uniforms used for solving cases gathered together.

They all looked toward the small hole above their heads.

Then, a hoarse, low male voice called out softly.

"Captain, Captain, wake up!"

"Cough cough, stop shouting. Save your energy for tonight."

"Pah, what kind of lousy ideas are these? You guys can still hold on without food or water, but I have to try to climb out."

As the man spoke, he propped up his weak and limp body and reached for the hole above his head.

However, it is clear that there is a significant gap between them.

No matter how much he jumped and leaped, or even used all his strength to climb up the slope to the side, just when he could almost reach it, he fell heavily down because of his lack of strength.

Not far from where he fell, a haggard-looking man who had fallen into a coma was the captain he had called out to several times.

Several soldiers were trapped in a natural hole that was only a few dozen square meters in size.

The captain, who was in the lead, had apparently fallen into a coma due to the accident.

Of the three, one broke his leg, another was injured and unconscious, and he was the only one who could move.

But clearly, he had no way to leave.

The body crashed heavily from a height, and the pain shot into the brain.

The pain temporarily replaced the burning hunger in my stomach.

When Xu Chang saw that he hadn't gotten up, his joking mood vanished.

With a very anxious expression, he dragged his injured leg toward them, saying, "Hey, hey, what happened to you? Did you fall and hurt your head? Please don't be hurt. If you're done for, then none of us will be able to get out!"

"Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you talking about? I'll be fine even if something happens to you." The man said as he got up to sit up.

The quick kneading motions revealed that he was not as carefree as he appeared.

He landed face down, his chin, knees, and palms slamming hard onto the ground, which brought tears to his eyes.

Luckily, only the small hole above my head was letting in light, so no one noticed that I was crying.

Otherwise his reputation would be ruined!

By then everyone will know that Liu Xiaoshan is a coward!

Liu Xiaoshan is a crybaby, so he'll have to play ball with him!

"Hey, hey, don't move around! I already said I'm fine, I just got poked by some pebbles on the ground. But do you think we can still get out of here?"

His eyes were filled with confusion and helplessness.

It seemed like she was asking him, but it also seemed like she was asking herself!

Xu Chang also looked desperate, touching his calf, which had long since lost all feeling.

He dared not imagine what would happen to him afterward, and could only hope that someone in the team would find them and come back to rescue them.

But this place is so big, and there are so many messy holes.

Can they find it?

The pitch-black environment left the people inside the hole completely bewildered.

The somber environment made their imaginations much more pessimistic.

However, it is only separated by a few mountains.

But it was another bustling, prosperous, and noisy place!

The northern market actually appeared in a narrow valley that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

It was a unique area that nurtured deep red sandstone.

A narrow strip of land stretching five kilometers in length, where every step reveals a new and changing scene; it makes every first-time visitor marvel at the wonders of nature and their own insignificance.

This is precisely why the locals have used the unique terrain to hide themselves.

Secondly, it contains numerous interconnected passageways, allowing for quick escape should any unexpected situation arise.

It is very convenient and there are special transaction situations.

The reason why Barth was asked to do so by Wang Li was precisely because of this.

The market had been operating for about half a month, and it opened one day in late May.

Countless carts, horses, sheep, yaks, and all sorts of other vehicles gather here for a two-month market trade.

During this period, everyone is responsible for whatever happens in the market.

As a tacit agreement, it has been passed down within.

At this very moment, at a stall located on the southernmost edge of the Gobi Desert, stood a strange man.

The man was dressed very casually, in the most ordinary of clothes.

Wearing a hat on his head and a cloth wrapped around his face, he was an inconspicuous figure in the crowd.

But at that moment, he was indeed the center of attention in the crowd.

Because he was being hugged by the child's leg.

"Hey, hey, hey, whose child is this? Take him away quickly, I have things to do."

People passing by would occasionally stop to glance at it, but soon they would go back to their own business, searching for what they wanted to trade.

The other stall owners nearby waved their hands, showing no intention of helping at all.

They just watched, as if they were watching a spectacle.

Seeing this, the man used his large hand to pull the child's arm away, and the child cried as if he felt the pain.

She hugged him even tighter, "Waaaaaah!"

"No, why are you crying? I'm not your father." The man was extremely anxious, but he clearly ignored him.

A crowd gradually gathered around him, all looking at him with strange eyes.

He felt as if he had been seen through, and he tried to pull the child over with both hands.

Just then, a middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere.

"Wait a minute~"

With a slightly strange accent, he spoke Mandarin and asked him to wait.

The man turned around and saw a middle-aged woman dressed in ethnic minority clothing, carrying a basket on her back, walking towards him.

It was at this moment that the child clinging to his leg gradually stopped crying.

A pair of jet-black eyes were visible beneath the black robe covering the area.

He stared straight at the woman.

The man's attention was clearly mostly on the woman, but he couldn't have missed the child's obvious movements.

Realizing they seemed to know each other, the man unusually wiped away some sweat.

She pulled the person forward and said, "Is this your child? Take him away quickly, I'm busy here."

"Yes, thank you for your help!"

Then came a few more hesitant words.

The man quickly waved his hand, seeing that she easily took the child.

The man quickly retreated a considerable distance, fearing further entanglement, and then ran away before the man could finish speaking.

Therefore, she missed the expressions on the faces of those around her when they saw her.

"Oh, so it's her child!"

"No wonder, that explains it."

"That's right, I see. I understand now."

Amidst the murmurs of conversation, the middle-aged woman, holding the child's hand, slowly left the area.

Soon another wave of people poured in, and things returned to normal.

With less than a month until the start of summer vacation, Luo Yin has been spending her days helping out at the bookstore, besides worrying about her father.

Compared to Uncle Qin's silence, Luo Yin preferred talking to Sister Lan.

It was through these days of getting to know her that she discovered that Sister Lan was no ordinary person.

These days, anyone who's finished high school is considered highly educated, and Sister Lan even attended a worker-peasant-soldier university for two years. Hearing her recount those times, Luo Yin's eyes lit up.

"Sigh, those were all things from when we were young. Now you're all fortunate to be born in such a good era. Work hard and strive to contribute to the country."

"Sister Lan, you're amazing too. I haven't even gotten into high school yet, I'm still a long way off."

"It's not too late, you still have a chance. Back then, I didn't even take the exam myself; I applied for the worker-peasant-soldier quota despite all my injuries. Luo Yin, study hard, you'll have your chance."

She was quite satisfied with Lan Jie's guidance and said that she would study hard to put Lan Jie's mind at ease.

Then, somehow the conversation turned to Uncle Qin.

These days they also talk about Uncle Qin, since the two of them got to know each other through his connections.

Although it was somewhat inappropriate for two young women to talk about their elders, gossip is a bridge connecting human relationships, and somehow one of them ended up talking about him.

Luo Yin was equally curious, and so she actually learned some things about Uncle Qin from Qin Lan.

Especially the reason why he went to the market in the north.

"Uncle Qin's life has been tough. When I told you before that we were relatives, it wasn't quite accurate. We weren't really that closely related by blood. At most, he was my great-uncle. But more than twenty years ago, he was a more powerful person in our village than I was."

Luo Yin listened intently, and when she saw Luo Yin mention herself, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

As if he had thought of something, his eyes revealed a lot of memories.

She didn't interrupt, and sure enough, he continued.

"Actually, the first college students in Qin Family Village were not me, but Uncle Qin and his fiancée."

"What?" Luo Yin covered her mouth, looking shocked.

"Yes, it was not long after the founding of the People's Republic of China that Uncle Qin and his fiancée were admitted to the university at that time. Back then, it was rare for a whole town to produce a university student, but our town had two. If everything had gone according to plan, Uncle Qin would definitely not be like he is now."

Luo Yin nodded, "Yes!"

Thinking back to Uncle Qin in my memory, his messy hair and unruly personality.

Like a middle-aged child, as if he has never grown up.

"And then what happened? Did they stop going to school? What about his fiancée?"

"They originally planned to register their marriage after graduating from university, but his fiancée mysteriously disappeared on her way back to school and has not been heard from since!"

"What? It still hasn't been found?"

Luo Yin was stunned once again; she hadn't expected things to develop this way.

So, he went north...

"Over the years, Uncle Qin has traveled to many places, staying in each place for two years, getting to know people, and then going to other places, all in order to find his fiancée. That's why he's still single."

After hearing what Sister Lan said, Luo Yin really didn't know how to judge it.

It seems that Qin Shu from past memories has also been viewed through many different lenses.

How could things have turned out this way?

Luo Yin sighed repeatedly, her face also showing a complex mix of emotions as she looked at Sister Lan opposite her.

For a moment, the room fell silent!

Perhaps she had finally come to her senses after being lost in her emotions, Sister Lan forced a smile and explained, "That's why he called me over when he was about to leave again, and told me to make sure to guard this place well."

"Yes, I hope Uncle Qin will have a safe and successful trip."

After thinking about it, Luo Yin decided to wish him well.

"Yes, whatever the outcome, I hope there will be an outcome." How many twenty-year periods does one have in a lifetime? How many more years does he have left?

Although Luo Yin outwardly thought this way, she actually held no hope in her heart.

So many years have passed, and Uncle Qin's fiancée is probably no longer alive. But even as she thought this, she still held onto a glimmer of hope. What if they were separated by some unexpected event? Perhaps that's what kept Uncle Qin going all these years in his search for her.

Luo Yin suppressed the matter, and her slightly calmed emotions gradually returned.

Besides preparing for the final exams, I also sent out a few letters during this time.

The reason, of course, is to win over those comrades who made big investments before.

Those few who were generous with their money, the others simply expressed their concern in their minds and then waited for their replies.

Luo Yin really wanted to make a call, but considering that their relationship wasn't that close, she patiently waited.

After all, they had only just met, and their relationship wasn't very good.

While she was busy thinking about this and that, her sister-in-law, who was showing signs of pregnancy, also encountered some trouble at school.

It's not a big deal, but she's being extra cautious because of her current situation.

It turns out that since Aruna came to the elementary school, she has been in charge of the math scores of two classes and also serves as the homeroom teacher of one class.

The workload wasn't that heavy to begin with; we just had to follow the schedule when the class ended.

However, a student who had recently transferred to the school was causing her considerable headaches.

He is a little boy who has just entered the third grade.

It is said that his family has some connections, and the school specifically told Aruna to keep an eye on him; but just a few days ago, this third-grade boy actually beat up an older student.

Aruna nearly fainted when she heard the news.

Luckily, she's in good health and has a strong constitution!

Despite this, she was still terrified. Her colleagues in the office were afraid something had happened to her, so they offered to contact her family and help her make arrangements, telling her to rest and not worry about it for now.

Aruna, being a responsible person, calmed down for a while and said that everything was fine.

The assistant head teacher arrived and, along with another colleague, helped her to the principal's office.

The principal's office was now packed with representatives from both sides.

A scholarly man in his fifties, seeing them like this, quickly got up to greet them.

"Oh dear, I was so anxious I forgot about your situation. Are you alright?" Principal Zhu asked with concern and sincerity.

Aruna quickly shook her head, "It's alright, Principal. What's the situation now? I'd like to know."

Seeing that they had something to say, the two quickly left!

"Sit down first, let's talk slowly!"

The principal checked her carefully and found that she was fine, which relieved him.

Then he looked seriously at the two children in the corner.

He looked at the two homeroom teachers with complicated expressions.

"First, tell me, are these two children from your class?"

A teacher who was more mature than the older sister-in-law nodded after he finished speaking.

Aruna had only recently started interacting with this senior teacher.

After Aruna heard the explanation and learned what had happened, her expression was a complex mix of red, blue, and green.

It all started because of an eraser!

It turns out that the little boy who had just transferred to their class was very popular with the other children because of his outgoing personality.

In addition, his generous and enthusiastic personality quickly made him one of the classmates.

The boys huddled together, playing all sorts of games, making it a lively and fun time. As they were walking back to the classroom after their PE class, they happened to run into the fifth-grade students who were coming down for their class.

The fifth graders were two years older than them, and naturally taller as well. Normally, when they met, the younger students would move aside, but this time, because he was there, the other kids seemed more confident and stood their ground.

The tall boys in fifth grade naturally objected.

So Yang Qi immediately stepped forward and walked up to Wang Lu.

Wang Lu was tossing an eraser around in his hand, playing with it for a while.

Yang Qi and his group were already angry. Seeing that they were not giving them any face, they immediately took the eraser and then threw it away, disappearing into the distance.

When Wang Lu saw someone snatching his things and throwing them around, he was so angry that he rushed over on the spot.

"So, that's why, Wang Lu, you agree, right?"

Aruna suppressed her temper and asked him.

Wang Lu's face turned pale, clearly frightened, but seeing the homeroom teacher's expression, he didn't dare to say a word.

Yang Qi, who was standing next to him, was also called over for questioning by his homeroom teacher.

Then came a series of cries, "I'm so sorry, Auntie, I'll never do it again, please don't tell my mom!"

"Waaaaah, I was wrong!"

"I apologize, I admit my mistake, okay? Auntie, please don't tell my mom."

Wang Lu, who had been holding on, was stunned to hear his opponent begging for mercy in pain.

"Old teacher, I was wrong too!"

"What kind of mess is this? I really didn't expect that they would cause so much trouble at such a young age."

Recalling what happened at school, Aruna poured out her grievances to Hada.

She was already very emotionally affected because she was pregnant.

Adding to the fact that the kids in her class are all unruly, she has been losing her temper frequently lately.

It scared the kids in the class into behaving much more obediently.

"After the exams are over, and during the summer vacation, I'll take you home so you can get some rest." Hada touched her cheek tenderly, noticing how thin her face looked.

"No need. What will you do if I go back? Who will keep you company?"

"I'm fine, I can manage on my own. You can stay at either of your homes for a while, it'll help you relax."

Upon hearing this, Aruna's conflicted expression finally eased.

"Okay, I'll come back to be with you when I've adjusted."

With the last book finished being graded, Aruna began recording the grades.

After finishing all the work, Aruna finally breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing her aching lower back.

Once the results are announced and homework is assigned tomorrow, we can have a holiday and rest.

Inside the office, the other teachers also had smiles on their faces.

Everyone is really looking forward to the holiday that starts tomorrow.

Compared to the official start of the summer vacation for primary school students, the start for secondary school students is a few days later.

When Luo Yin finished her last exam, it was already time to go home.

After the exam, they can leave the school.

After two days, she would return to school to pick up her report card and then have a holiday. Luo Yin packed her luggage in advance and prepared some changes of clothes.

This is inconvenient for me; I could just grab my things and leave.

She's not going to the bookstore today; instead, she's heading towards the county hospital.

Just a few days ago, when she ran into other classmates in the water room, she suddenly remembered something very important about herself.

She hasn't had her period in so long.

In her past life, she seemed to have arrived in junior high school, but now, even after all this time, there's still no sign of anything happening.

Despite having no other symptoms, Luo Yin still decided to go to the hospital for a checkup.

It's good to treat any hidden illnesses early and recover sooner.

With that thought in mind, she soon arrived at the entrance of the county hospital.

He picked up his things, hoisted them onto his shoulder, and walked inside.

I asked the nurse, waited a while, and only knocked on the door to go in after seeing that the patient in front of me had left.

She had only been inside a short while when Qiqige, who was accompanying the girl for her check-up outside the corridor, saw Aruna staring blankly ahead.

"What's wrong? What did you see?"

Aruna frowned, wanting to move forward.

Qiqige, who was behind her, stopped her. "Hey, girl, don't go! It'll be our turn soon. If we miss this call, we'll have to wait a long time. Who did you see just now?"

Aruna subconsciously concealed seeing Luo Yin, shook her head, and followed her inside.

Then we went to the pregnant women's waiting area and waited for the nurse to call our number.

As soon as Luo Yin pushed open the door, she saw a middle-aged woman sitting inside.

He was looking at her with a serious expression.

Loin felt a little awkward under her gaze, but he still explained the situation.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman glanced at her again and said, "Hold out your hand, let me see."

Luo Yin was taken aback, and stretched out her hand, only to see her taking her pulse.

His surprise faded somewhat, but he still suppressed his curiosity and took her pulse.

She quickly gestured for her to switch hands, and after a few more minutes, the middle-aged woman changed her serious demeanor and began to question her.

"There are some issues, probably caused by catching a cold when I was a child, leading to uterine coldness. Would you mind if I had a few people come and take a look?"

Luo Yin was startled by the question that followed, even though she had only heard the first part of what was said.

"Is it really not a serious illness?" Why do we need to find someone?

The middle-aged woman noticed her expression change and realized she must have been frightened.

He hurriedly explained, "It's really not a serious illness, it's just that your pulse is very typical, and I want others to take a look."

Luo Yin vaguely felt that this routine sounded familiar.

And since it posed no danger to him, he readily agreed.

Soon, four or five young doctors, also wearing white coats, rushed in.

They stood on the side like a queue, waiting for the middle-aged woman to speak.

"Come, come, we've come at a good time today. Thanks to this young friend, you can all listen to what kind of pulse it is."

Luo Yin nodded, and another half hour passed.

Because of her typical symptoms, she was given the honor of having someone specially run errands to fetch her medicine.

Even her medical bills were discounted using the doctor's price. Not only did Luo Yin become acquainted with those young doctors, but she also saved a lot on medicine costs.

Just as she successfully left and was preparing to go back...

Aruna, who had been waiting in the corner for a long time, hurriedly called out to her.

"Luo Yin, Luo Yin~"

"Sister-in-law, what are you doing here? Where is my brother?"

Luo Yin looked at her with surprise and glanced behind her.

“Your older brother didn’t come back. It’s summer vacation now, so your brother sent me to stay at my parents’ house for a few days. I’ll go home after that.”

Luo Yin nodded as she listened to her explanation, then suddenly remembered this as she clutched her stomach.

"Oh, so what brings you to the hospital? Are you here for a checkup?"

"Yes, they're here for a routine check-up, and everything is fine."

"But you, little sister, I saw you come out of there just now. Are you sick?" Her gaze swept across her face, but she didn't see any signs of illness.

Loin waved her hand to indicate that she was not sick.

"No, it's just that..." She leaned closer and whispered her concerns.

Aruna hadn't expected this, and her face flushed slightly.

But upon closer reflection, my younger sister's consideration wasn't wrong.

This is a very important matter, and we can't be careless about it just because we're embarrassed.

"The doctor inside said it's nothing serious and that I just need to rest and recover. I've already taken the medicine and will see how it goes after taking it for a while. Sister-in-law, why don't I take you home first, so you don't get jostled when it gets dark and crowded?"

Aruna sent her mother away because she was worried about having too many people around.

Upon hearing her say that, he quickly pointed to the hospital.

“My mother came with me. She just went in again. Are you going home? You can go ahead if you don’t mind. I can manage.”

When Luo Yin saw that she was being told to leave first, how could she possibly agree?

He simply said he would stay with her and wait for whoever came out before he could feel at ease.

The two talked and chatted, and soon Qiqige came out.

Upon seeing her, after another round of pleasantries and explanations, Luo Yin finally managed to say a lot before declining to have dinner at her house.

Qiqige also told her to explain things to her in-laws properly, and that she would personally send Aruna over in a few days.

Luo Yin said she would tell her mother everything without missing a word before she could successfully escape.

Shortly after she left, the mother and daughter behind her, supporting each other, also left.

At the same time, Barth, who had been on people's minds and worried about for a long time.

They were being carried on someone's back, fleeing rapidly forward.

The sound of footsteps following closely behind.

Bart gripped the shoulders of the person beneath him tightly, momentarily dazed.

"Wang Li, you little brat, you're using me as a shield, aren't you!"