Chapter 144: Finding the Address
Granny Li put her glasses back on, and the two of them focused their attention on the painting "Spring in the Garden" again.
The afterglow of the setting sun just happened to shine on the peonies, and the hidden "Zhou" code was faintly visible in the light, as if it was breathing.
"No doubt about it, this is Master's code." Granny Li's voice trembled as her bony fingers gently stroked the symbol. "Master only passed on this code to five people back then, and Wanrong was one of them. He would never use this code unless it was absolutely necessary. She's..."
Gu Qiuyue held the old woman's trembling hand and said gently, "Grandma, don't worry. Since Senior Qin is conveying information in this way, we have to find a way to figure out what she means. Just guessing won't do. We have to contact Sister Xiufen as soon as possible."
This sentence woke Granny Li up. She stood up quickly and said, "Xiu Fen's letter should have an address on it."
The old man walked quickly into the inner room and came out with an envelope in a short while. Gu Qiuyue took it and examined it carefully. The address on the envelope was indeed "Sent by Lin Xiufen from the Design Studio of the Provincial Arts and Crafts Factory". The handwriting was beautiful but a little sloppy, as if it was written in a hurry.
"It will be much easier with this address." Gu Qiuyue glanced at the sky outside the window. "I'll go to the post office tomorrow morning and call to ask. I'm afraid the post office will be closed at this time."
Although Granny Li was anxious, she could only nod and say, "We'll have to wait until tomorrow, Qiuyue. I'm really sorry to bother you."
"Don't be polite, this is all I should do." Gu Qiuyue comforted him, "I'll go there early tomorrow morning and will definitely find a way to get some information."
Gu Qiuyue chatted with Grandma Li for a while, and when she saw that the old woman's mood had calmed down a little, she stood up and said goodbye. When she returned to the family compound, it was already dark.
"Mom!" Huahua and Shuangshuang fluttered over like two little butterflies, hugging her legs on the left and right.
Mrs. Zhang came out of the house with a smile: "Qiuyue is back? The two children are so well behaved. They just finished eating the scallion pancakes I made."
Gu Qiuyue quickly thanked him: "Sister Zhang, thank you for troubling you again. Is everything going well in the workshop recently?"
"No, it's because you have a good foundation. Now the workshop is on the right track and we have received many orders." When Mrs. Zhang heard Gu Qiuyue asking about the workshop, her eyes lit up.
By the way, I just heard from Xiao Wu that your husband, Mr. Xie, called. He heard you were not at home and said he would call back later.
Gu Qiuyue felt warm in her heart. After thanking Mrs. Zhang, she took the children into the house. She absentmindedly listened to the children chattering about the interesting things that happened today, while quickly heating up the leftovers.
"Mom, have you seen Grandma Li's beautiful embroidery today?" Shuangshuang asked with her little face raised, her eyes sparkling.
Gu Qiuyue squatted down and touched her daughter's head: "I see, it's a very beautiful embroidery with little butterflies on it."
"Really? I want to watch it next time too!" Huahua interrupted excitedly.
Looking at the innocent looks of the children, Gu Qiuyue temporarily put aside her doubts, but she soon remembered the secret code again and was thinking about going to the post office tomorrow.
After dinner, Xie Shiyu called again. Gu Qiuyue briefly explained her new discovery today, but fearing her husband would worry, she simply said, "There are some unusual markings on the embroidery that Comrade Lin gave to Grandma Li. We'd like to contact her to inquire about the details."
Xie Shiyu was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "Yueyue, helping is a good thing, but be careful about the extent. After all, it involves other people's private affairs. Don't get too involved, and don't make Granny Li too excited."
"I know. I can handle it in moderation." Gu Qiuyue responded softly, but she was more certain in her heart that this matter was not simple.
The next morning, Gu Qiuyue first sent the children to kindergarten and finished their morning classes before going straight to the post office.
Gu Qiuyue dialed the provincial arts and crafts factory's switchboard. After several transfers, she was finally connected to the design office. A woman with a clear voice answered the phone. "Hello, I'm looking for Comrade Lin Xiufen."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "Xiu Fen, she's on vacation and hasn't been to work for almost a month. Who are you?"
Gu Qiuyue's heart sank. "I'm a distant relative of hers. I need to see her urgently. Do you know why she asked for leave?"
The other party's tone became cautious: "This... I'm not sure, it seems like there's something urgent going on at home."
Gu Qiuyue suddenly had an idea: "Is it because her aunt is not in good health?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then the voice lowered a little: "Since you know, I'll tell you straight away. Aunt Xiufen is very ill. She went back to her hometown to take care of her. We can't ask too much about the specifics."
"Then do you have the contact information of her hometown? An address or a phone number will do." Gu Qiuyue tried to lower her voice.
"I do have an address: No. 17, Jinbu Lane, Hongxing Street, Jiangzhou City, but I don't have a phone number." The voice on the other end of the phone was still very low.
Gu Qiuyue quickly wrote down the address, thanked him and hung up the phone. Qin Wanrong was indeed still alive, but the situation seemed very bad.
She immediately rushed to Grandma Li's house and told the old woman the news.
After hearing this, Granny Li's eyes suddenly turned red. "Wanrong is indeed still alive...but she's sick...Why didn't she come to see me? She knows where I live." She tightly grasped Gu Qiuyue's hand and said, "Qiuyue, I have to send her something and write to her to ask what's going on."
"Don't worry, take your time." Gu Qiuyue supported Granny Li's trembling body, "I'll help you."
Granny Li rummaged through boxes and drawers and found some top-quality medicinal herbs and a piece of silk that she had treasured for many years. She also took out a small cloth bag containing several dozen yuan that she had saved by living frugally.
"Use this money to buy some supplements for Wanrong..." the old man muttered to himself, his hands shaking slightly.
Gu Qiuyue felt sad and quietly added ten yuan to the letter paper she brought.
When writing the letter, Granny Li considered it over and over again, wanting to express her concern but also worried that being too direct would cause trouble for Qin Wanrong and her niece. In the end, she simply asked about their recent situation and included her address.
"Let it be. Wanrong is so smart, she will understand." Granny Li sealed the letter and sighed deeply.
Gu Qiuyue accompanied Grandma Li to the post office again and sent the letter and package. Watching the postman take away the small package full of care, Grandma Li stood at the door of the post office, reluctant to leave for a long time.
"I hope there's still time..." the old man whispered, his eyes full of worry.
In the next few days, Gu Qiuyue attended classes, took care of the children, and wrote as usual, but she was always thinking about the letter. She would pass by Grandma Li's house every day to see if there was any reply.
Three days later, in the afternoon, she was grading homework when a colleague suddenly popped in: "Teacher Gu, the principal asked you to go to the office. He said there's a call for you, and it seems to be from some department in the province."
Gu Qiuyue's heart skipped a beat. A call from the provincial government? What could it be about?
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