The next day, instead of setting off immediately, the group waited until the post office opened and made a phone call.
He Liping called his wife, and the two talked for a long time, apparently discussing some family matters.
When he came out, He Liping seemed to be in a good mood.
It goes without saying that his wife must have already agreed to come and join him in Nanping.
Huo Bai then made two phone calls.
One call was to Deputy Commander Lü, and the other was to his comrades in the Jiannan Military Region.
Neither phone call lasted long, but both matters were resolved.
While the two were on the phone, He Lixue ran to the largest state-run restaurant nearby and bought some breakfast.
After that, they didn't linger and went straight to the provincial capital.
Upon arriving in the provincial capital, they parted ways with Shen Feiyi.
Shen Feiyi had to return to his unit, while the others would take the train directly from the provincial capital back to Nanping.
With Huo Bai's credentials and Uncle Shen's help, they successfully purchased a sleeper compartment.
The others had no choice but to sit in hard seats.
Nanping is located at the southernmost part of the country, and there are no direct buses from the provincial capital to it.
Even so, they would have to sit on this train for two days and two nights.
Fortunately, there was a sleeper compartment, so the group could take turns resting, making the journey less unbearable.
Moreover, on the bus, Shiyue could take out the food from the small house and share it with everyone.
When it comes to daily life at home, especially with two elderly people in the family, it's understandable to keep some fine food on hand.
So even though the things Shiyue brought out were a bit too good, Huo Bai was just pleasantly surprised and kept saying that this business trip was the most comfortable one he had ever taken.
I didn't have much doubts.
But life wasn't so easy after I got off that train.
The main problem is that it's been several days already. Even if Shiyue says she has prepared a lot of food, it's impossible for her to eat for this long!
So later they really could only eat dry rations.
Not only were they eating dry rations, but there were also no trains running for the rest of the journey. They had to switch to long-distance buses.
Long-distance buses in this era were mostly enclosed boxcars.
Not only is the car slow, but it's also not well-ventilated.
Although there are windows, they are usually not opened because the roads outside are all dirt roads and the wind and sand are too strong, so the smell inside the car is extremely unpleasant.
In addition, the further south you go, the hotter it gets, and the more irritable you become.
Add to that the bumpy journey, and your stomach feels like it's all churning from the constant shaking...
After traveling for another day and night, when Shiyue got off the bus again, she felt like she was floating and everything looked blurry.
The others weren't much better off than her.
Almost everyone, except Huo Bai, had a deathly pale face.
But on this very day, they finally met Liang Yueming, who had arrived earlier than them, and her daughter Jiajia with He Liping.
The mother and daughter arrived a night earlier than them. By the time the group reached the military guesthouse where they had arranged to meet, the mother and daughter had already rested for a night and were much better recovered.
At least the two of them looked clean and tidy, unlike them who looked so disheveled.
As soon as Jiajia saw her father, she rushed over and hugged He Liping's neck tightly.
Upon seeing her grandparents and her uncle whom she hadn't seen in a long time, she jumped for joy!
When He Lixue left home, the little girl was still young and had little memory of her second uncle.
But she couldn't help but steal glances at He Lixue.
Finally, she went over and tugged at his sleeve, asking softly, "Second Uncle, will you leave again? You won't leave again, right?"
He Lixue felt a lump in his throat as he spoke frankly, overwhelmed with guilt.
He never imagined that his departure back then would cause such great harm to his family!
Jiajia was only five years old and had no memory of her uncle.
The reason they would ask this question must be because they have heard adults talking about them, or seen their family members sad because of them.
He bent down, picked up his little niece, kissed her cheek, and said in a hoarse voice, "Uncle won't leave anymore, Uncle will never leave again."
This was Liang Yueming's first meeting with Shiyue.
But thanks to Bai Qian's mother, she had a very deep impression of Shi Yue, her new sister-in-law!
She was a little uneasy on the way here, afraid that Shiyue would be difficult to talk to and difficult to get along with.
After all, this is the kind of person who can get my uncle to marry into the family!
Moreover, judging from the words of her husband and the officer who had previously come to pick her and her daughter up from their home, the people they were going to seek refuge with this time were Shiyue's relatives.
After meeting Shiyue, Liang Yueming finally felt relieved.
She thought everything Bai Qian's mother said was utter nonsense!
Don't believe a single word they say!
What a wonderful girl she is!
She is cheerful and generous.
She has two small dimples when she smiles.
Standing next to her uncle, they looked incredibly well-matched!
When Shiyue and her group arrived at this transit station in the morning, they originally thought they would just rest there for a while before continuing their journey.
I never expected that this rest would last for two whole days!
Two days later, Huo Bai led them onto a ship.
Of the ten people in the group, only Huo Bai and the He family couple had seen the sea before; the others had never seen it.
While the adults remained somewhat reserved, Jiajia exclaimed excitedly the moment she saw the sea.
The child was overjoyed and jumped up and down with all his might while holding his mother's hand!
It seems that otherwise, one cannot express the joy in one's heart at this moment.
None of the adults stopped her; they all looked at Jiajia with smiles.
They all seem to want to express their joy through their children.
This was Shiyue's first time on a boat, and it was such a large one.
Although there were seats on the ship, she couldn't help but run to the deck and gaze into the distance as soon as the ship set sail.
Looking at the boundless, azure sea, she felt that it was all too real, like a dream.
If this really is a dream—
Shiyue silently prayed in her heart that she wouldn't wake up too early.
Almost everyone who disembarked from the ship was walking unsteadily.
After the initial excitement of boarding the ship faded, all that remained for everyone was exhaustion.
Jiajia was already asleep, being carried on her father's back.
Shiyue wanted to put all the heavy things in the package back into the hut, but she still just wanted to throw away the bundle she was carrying!
I was extremely tired.
At that moment, Huo Bai finally said something that everyone had been waiting for.
He said, "We've arrived in Nanping! The car sent by the military region to pick us up is already at the door. Just hang in there a little longer, and we'll be home soon."
I'm home.
These three words resonated deeply with everyone.
Are they really going to get home?
Will they be able to have a new home again?
Everyone immediately perked up again!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com