Chapter 40. Going abroad.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! The Jianghe Daily has published a new article."

Early in the morning, Ning Yao and Ning Yiwen walked to school. There were far fewer vendors on both sides of the street than usual, and naturally, there were fewer people.

As a result, the once bustling streets became much quieter, and the newspaper boy's clear voice became the main attraction.

Upon hearing this, Ning Yao's heart skipped a beat. She tugged at Ning Yiwen's sleeve and asked, "Brother Ning, shall we buy one?"

Ning Yiwen tilted his head to look at her, "Buy it if you want."

Both of them knew perfectly well who was behind the Jianghe Daily. But since Ning Yao was interested, Ning Yiwen usually wouldn't go against her wishes.

Ning Yao smiled and walked over to the newsboy. "Young man, how much is one?"

The newspaper vendor was a twelve-year-old boy, wearing overalls and a small yellow straw hat. He looked up at her, grinned, and said, "20 coins a day."

Ning Yao held up two fingers and said, "Give me two servings."

As he spoke, he took out 40 coins from his pocket and handed them to the newspaper boy.

The transaction was completed. Ning Yao received two newspapers and handed one to Ning Yiwen. Then she began to flip through the newspaper to see what new articles were in it.

"Marx's *The Communist Manifesto*?" She frowned, looked up at Ning Yiwen, "Brother Ning, who is this? I don't think I've ever heard of him."

Ning Yiwen smiled but remained silent.

Ning Yao then read on herself. It wasn't long, only about a thousand words: "Bourgeoisie and proletarians...class struggle..."

Walking and reading, Ning Yao quickly finished reading the thousand or so words, feeling somewhat unsatisfied. She felt that the viewpoints raised in the text were novel, but the text was too short, and many points were not explained clearly. She couldn't help but say to Ning Yiwen, "Why is it so short?"

"We have to take it slow. You can't get fat overnight," Ning Yiwen said, looking down at her, half-keeping her in suspense.

"Take your time?" Are you still keeping me in suspense?

Ning Yao glanced down at the newspaper in her hand, thinking about the article, and said sensitively, "But whether it's fast or slow, I think this article will attract a lot of attention."

Ning Yao was right. The Jianghe Daily had already published the article in its Beijing and Nanjing editions yesterday, and after a day of discussion, it had attracted a lot of attention.

The reaction was strongest in Beijing. By noon, an order was issued to confiscate all copies of the Jianghe Daily published in the morning, and anyone attempting to sell them was to be arrested.

Many people secretly hid the newspapers and circulated them privately.

The same uproar has occurred in Nanjing, but there have been no arrests of newspaper vendors yet. However, given the current escalation, it's only a matter of time.

Sure enough, upon arriving at school, Ning Yao saw many people holding newspapers, gesturing excitedly, and discussing animatedly in the short distance between the school gate and the classroom.

You can still hear similar things from time to time.

"Why haven't you looked yet?"

"Here, I have some, you can borrow it to look at first."

"I heard there will be a second one tomorrow. I'm going to buy it first thing tomorrow morning!"

"That's definitely something we'll buy."

"..."

In the following days, the second and third articles were published in the newspapers one after another, attracting even more readers. Although not everyone could understand their meaning, many intelligent and educated people had begun to ponder the content of this manifesto.

Ning Yao also participated in the discussion, but she only had a vague understanding of it; the revolution was still a distant concept for her.

Summer in Shanghai is hot and humid. The plum rains of June have barely dampened the windowsills before the sweltering heat of July sweeps in with its own humidity. It's not until the first autumn breeze of September sweeps across the Huangpu River and osmanthus blossoms adorn the branches, their fragrance spreading for miles, that we realize summer in Shanghai is already over.

Just when Ning Yao thought that life would continue like this, Ning Yiwen suddenly told her that he wanted to send her abroad.

Why go abroad?

At that time, Ning Yao, as usual, came home from school and was having dinner with Ning Yiwen in the yard. Upon hearing that she was to be sent abroad, Ning Yao's brow twitched, her intuition telling her that Ning-ge's role as the founder of the Jianghe Daily had been exposed.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yiwen shook his head and said, "Things might get chaotic from here on out, so I think I should send you away first."

"Just me? Aren't you leaving?"

After receiving Ning Yiwen's affirmation, Ning Yao shook her head abruptly, put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands, and with a "bang," the bottom of the bowl collided with the stone table, making a crisp sound.

"I'm not leaving," Ning Yao refused. "You haven't left, so why should I?"

Ning Yiwen had grown accustomed to Ning Yao's rejections over the past few days, and said calmly, "Ning Yao, listen to me, don't be willful. The situation is turbulent, and I hope you'll be alright."

As he spoke, he put down his chopsticks and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Don't you like photography and journalism? There are many similar courses abroad. You can go and continue your studies."

Ning Yao was furious. She stared at the folded paper in his hand and didn't reach out to take it for a long time.

"Ning Yao?" Ning Yiwen extended his long fingers forward again. "Take a look."

Ning Yao shook her head again, "I don't want to go. And I don't want to go alone."

At this point, she was already panicking.

Over the years, she had never successfully disobeyed Ning Yiwen, whether it was their marriage a few years ago, her studies, or her recent role as a war correspondent. Never once had she followed her wishes. This trip abroad might… be no exception.

But she really didn't want to leave.

“Of course I won’t leave you alone,” Ning Yiwen said. Seeing that Ning Yao really wouldn’t take the paper, he didn’t force her. He simply put the paper on the table and continued to eat slowly and methodically. “I’ve arranged for two friends to accompany you. When you go to England, they will take care of you.”

Hearing this, Ning Yao's heart sank. So, he had everything prepared and was just informing her.

"Do I have to go whether I agree or not?" Ning Yao looked up and asked, disheartened.

"Hmm." Ning Yiwen nodded, without even blinking.

This was nothing short of a cruel judgment in Ning Yao's eyes, and her heart immediately turned cold.

She pushed aside the half-eaten bowl of rice on the table and said coldly, "Since that's how it is, I'll do whatever you say. I'm full."

Without looking at Ning Yiwen again, she turned around and went back to her room.

But as she turned to the side, out of Ning Yiwen's sight, a tear suddenly slid down her cheek and silently fell into the mud in the yard.

The next morning, a boat ticket had quietly appeared on the table in her room. Underneath the ticket was the piece of paper she hadn't taken from him the day before.

Ning Yao picked up the boat ticket and glanced at the date on it: September 28th.

Today is September 25th.

It's a date three days from now.

Ning Yao's nose tingled, and her eyes filled with tears again. She bit her lower lip, trying hard to suppress the urge to cry out loud.

"Crying won't help, Ning Yao." She sniffed, telling herself, and wiped away her tears. She took a deep breath, looked out the window; the sun was shining brightly, a beautiful time of day. It was time for her to say goodbye to her school friends.

After school, at the same coffee shop behind the school, in the same small private room, Ning Yao took out a pre-packaged red gift box, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Wan Hongye, saying, "This is a wedding gift for you."

Looking at the beautifully wrapped gift box on the table, Wan Hongye said in bewilderment, "My wedding is still a while away, why are they sending me this now?"

Ning Yao smiled bitterly, "I didn't want to either, but I'm going abroad."

The people present were startled. Bu Shuli frowned, "Why so suddenly?"

Ning Yao shook her head silently. "I only found out yesterday. I'm leaving in three days, so I might only have these classes for a few more days." As she spoke, her nose started to sting again, and she could only purse her lips tightly to hold it back.

Having known each other for many years, the group could naturally see that Ning Yao was extremely unwilling, so they didn't want to bring up the question of whether she could not go.

Wan Hongye sighed and pulled the gift box over. "I didn't expect that I, who said I was leaving, would still be here, but you will be leaving a few months before me."

Bu Shuli sat next to Ning Yao, put her hand on Ning Yao's shoulder, and continued to comfort her, "It's okay, it's just going abroad. Maybe we can meet again when we come back in a few years."

Lou Yu nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, we can meet again when we come back. And you can tell us about the customs and culture abroad."

They shouldn't have said anything, because once they started talking, Ning Yao couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She burst into tears and turned to hug Bu Shuli, saying, "But I don't want to leave."

Tears quickly soaked Bu Shuli's clothes.

Ning Yao sobbed, "It's always like this. He does whatever he says, never considering my wishes, never!"

Thinking of this, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Bu Shuli and the others looked at each other, knowing who the "he" she was talking about was, but none of them could offer her any comfort.

“Who says otherwise? My dad said I have to get married, so I have to get married. Even though I’ve only met that person once. I haven’t even spoken to him…” Wan Hongye also felt sad.

But before he could finish speaking, Bu Shuli slapped him, stopping him, "Don't come and make things worse."

Then, Bu Shuli placed her hand on Ning Yao's back and said earnestly, "Your brother Ning is actually doing this for your own good. Some things... well, they have their reasons. As long as the outcome is right, just let go of the process, the process... the process."

"Can you really accept it?" Ning Yao murmured, looking up at Bu Shuli. "Shuli, do you know? I really want to experience what it's like to be a war correspondent. I want to personally take photos and preserve those images forever, so that everyone, no matter what era, can see the cruelty of war. I really want to do this myself. But you all tell me it's not possible. You say it's unnecessary."

As she finished speaking, Ning Yao's voice gradually lowered.

Bu Shuli's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't give in: "It is indeed a bit dangerous for a girl like you to do this."

Lou Yu, whose presence was the least noticeable, spoke in a weak voice, "Gender is inanimate, but people are alive. It's not right to say someone is incompatible just because of their gender, is it?"

Ning Yao, however, seemed to have found a kindred spirit. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Lou Yu and nodded, saying, "Yes, that's what I think too."

Unexpectedly, Lou Yu changed the subject at the end, "But I think the profession of war correspondent might not be very good. Why don't you reconsider?"

Ning Yao: "..."

The group chatted and joked, their lively conversation dispelling much of the melancholy that was about to end.

After that came dropping out of school, packing her luggage, and the routine of being busy, but this couldn't stop the growing sense of frustration in Ning Yao's heart, and she spent more and more time staring out the window in a daze.

Today is her last day in Shanghai.

Outside the window, the sky was blue with white clouds, and the weather was clear for miles, but even the best weather couldn't soothe the restlessness in her heart.

"Never mind, I'll just clean up the photos on the camera," Ning Yao muttered to herself.

She picked up her camera and went to the study, where she developed the photos she had taken one by one.

The scenery is mostly summer, with the osmanthus tree in the courtyard and a few red roses in the corner.

This is… Ning Yao paused for a moment, then leaned closer to look. The environment in the photo was a study. The photo wasn't in focus, so the overall lines had a slightly blurry, misaligned feel. And the person in the photo was Ning Yiwen.

She remembered that one day, she came to the study with her camera to secretly take pictures, only to stumble upon Ning Yiwen finding the love letter she had written on his behalf on the floor.

And so, the photo was forgotten, so fresh and beautiful.

Looking at it now, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Ning Yao raised her hand to touch the photo. The person in the photo had sharp features, thin lips pressed into a straight line, and a clearly defined jawline. The whole person appeared extremely cold and aloof. It was a look she had never seen before.

So this is the real Ning Ge, Ning Yao thought to herself.

She might never have truly understood this person. But... looking into her heart, Ning Yao pressed the photo to her chest and had to admit that, regardless of who he was, she liked him.

She's beautiful, smart, and has always been so good to me—who wouldn't like her?

But no matter how much she liked him, Ning Yao would still grit her teeth in anger whenever she thought about him sending her abroad alone.

With these conflicting feelings, Ning Yao sat down at her desk, intending to write a letter to record all her current emotions.

He picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.

As the birdsong suddenly broke the silence outside the window, Ning Yao wrote down all her feelings for Ning Yiwen. But as she wrote, tears streamed down her face, blurring a few words.

At that moment, she finally understood the saying, "Years will pass, and all the beautiful moments will be in vain."

The letter was written quickly, in one go.

Ning Yao was holding her breath, unwilling to hand him the letter that revealed her true feelings. After thinking for a moment, she decided to fold it into a paper crane.

Fold it in half, fold it in half again, and fold it in half again.

With skillful hands, the paper was cleverly folded into a pure white paper crane, with all the words hidden inside. From the outside, it looked like just an ordinary paper crane.

She pulled out a thread, threaded the paper crane through it, and hung it on her pen holder.

She used a brush to add two small black dots to the head of the paper crane, which served as its eyes.

She reached out and pointed the paper crane's eyes at Ning Yiwen's desk across from her. "From now on, you'll watch over him for me."

Ning Yao pursed her lips, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace.

As night fell, Ning Yiwen returned from school.

Ning Yao hid her worries and came out to greet him, "Brother Ning, you're back..."

To her surprise, she saw Ning Yiwen carrying a suitcase. Half surprised and half delighted, she asked, "Hey, Brother Ning, are you... coming with me?"

Ning Yiwen shook his head and casually placed the box on the wall by the door. "No, I just packed some things from school."

Ning Yao could sense a hint of fatigue in his expression, but Ning Yiwen didn't give her a chance to ask. He twitched his nose and asked, "Did you cook?"

Ning Yao's attention was immediately diverted. "Yes, I was thinking that I'm leaving tomorrow morning, so I should at least have a meal today..."

She didn't want to say the word "farewell".

Ning Yiwen sighed, stepped forward, and reached out to pat her fluffy head. "Don't be sad. We'll meet again. Soon." He had everything arranged.

Ning Yao silently felt the gentle touch on her head. She didn't know where she got the courage, but she suddenly lunged forward and kissed him on the lips.

Their lips touched, then parted in an instant.

The man, however, persisted, wrapping one arm around her waist and pressing the other against the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

A tingling, numb sensation traveled throughout her body, finally reaching the top of her head.

*

The next morning, the bright red sun rose from the east and shone on the Huangpu River, where a huge ship was docked at the shore.

Ning Yiwen helped Ning Yao carry her suitcase, and there were two other people beside him, both of whom were unfamiliar faces that Ning Yao had never seen before.

The man in the black shirt, with his delicate features and slender build, is Chen Yun, the grandson of Mr. Chen from Yumin Public School, who just turned eighteen this year.

The other was a middle-aged man named Wen Changhua. He had a square face and a somewhat fierce appearance, but he spoke very softly, and you could tell he was always speaking in a low voice, afraid of startling people.

Ning Yiwen was still reminding Ning Yao, "After you go to England, you need to listen to Changhua and try not to wander around on your own, okay?..."

He had said these words many times in the past few days, but he still patiently repeated them again and again.

Ning Yao pouted, gripping Ning Yiwen's hand tightly. "Brother Ning, I really don't want to leave. I don't want to be with strangers, I..."

Ning Yiwen pressed his index finger to her lips and said gently, "Don't say that, be good. Study hard in England, and I'll come find you later."

Then, he took out a small cloth bag from his body and placed it in her palm. "Keep this safe. The pounds are in the box. This is something I specially prepared for you. There are silver dollars and gold. Don't lose it."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of them both," Wen Changhua promised, then turned to Ning Yao, "We should go."

Despite her reluctance, Ning Yao was pushed into the ship by Ning Yiwen.

As the crowd grew, the deck filled with people waving, and Ning Yao was among them.

She leaned on the railing, watching Ning Yiwen's back as he walked away without turning back, and tears streamed down her face like a broken dam.

The ship sailed further and further away from the shore.

Wen Changhua led the two of them into the ship's cabin. Their accommodation was one of the few superior rooms on the ship. The room was divided into two sections, and Wen Changhua gave the inner section to Ning Yao.

He said gently, "Ning Yao, do you mind if I call you that? Our ship will stop in Beijing for half a day, and then head straight to England. You can come to me if you need anything during this time."

Ning Yao nodded blankly, "Thank you, Brother Changhua." Then she carried her luggage into the inner room.

The room was very small, with just a bed, a small cabinet next to the bed, and a small window on the wall, about the size of her head. There was nothing else.

She sat on the edge of the bed, a sense of loneliness welling up inside her.

I'll be alone now.

A sigh echoed in the small room.

After some time, Wen Changhua knocked on the door. "Ning Yao, the ship has docked in Beijing. Do you want to come out and take a look?"

Ning Yao snapped out of her daze and replied, "Okay, Brother Changhua."

She composed herself, let out a long sigh, and made sure to take the small cloth bag that Ning Yiwen had given her with her when she left.

The docks in Beijing are much larger than those in Shanghai, and there are also many more people.

Led by Wen Changhua, she and Chen Yun went up to the deck, watching new people pouring onto the ship and the reluctance of those below to leave.

Suddenly, Ning Yao overheard people discussing the Jianghe Daily.

She listened intently.

"Hey, have you heard? The entire Jianghe Daily office has been emptied out."

"Yes. I heard the printing was done in a factory in the suburbs, but when the police went there, it was all empty. Thank goodness they weren't caught."

"Fortunately, I heard that the founder is in Shanghai and has already sent people there."

"No way! You really found it?"

"..."

Ning Yao couldn't hear anything more; her mind was in complete turmoil.

Jianghe Daily, Brother Ning, going abroad, and... She looked up at Chen Yun beside her.

In an instant, she understood everything.

When Ning came to Beijing, he was covered for by people from the school, which means that there must have been someone in the school who cooperated with Ning.

That person… Chen Lao’s serious face flashed through her mind.

Chen Yun is also Old Master Chen's grandson...

So, Brother Ning is in danger!

Thinking about this, Ning Yao couldn't sit still any longer.

She...she wants to get off the ship!

-----------------------

Author's note: Going abroad? Impossible. Hehe.

The two chapters, one for Sunday and one for Monday, are combined into one.