A courtyard in Anhe County is brightly lit.
Zhao Honghui and Ye Xingchang sat down at the table for dinner.
Ye Xingchang raised his glass to invite him to drink, saying, "I've received a new mission to track down the whereabouts of that treasure, so I won't be returning to Beijing for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Honghui's heart sank, but his face remained expressionless: "Are there any clues on the black market?"
"Not yet. Could you help me find out who passed by that road on the night the treasure disappeared?" Ye Xingchang shook his head. Since there were no clues in the cave where the treasure was hidden, they would start from elsewhere.
"Okay." Zhao Honghui agreed verbally, but in his heart he was thinking about how to fade Yao Yao's image.
But there's something more urgent right now. "I'd like to borrow your pistol. The winter hunting team from Qingshan Village hasn't returned from the mountains for twenty days. Something might have happened to them. There are wild beasts in the deep mountains; it'll be safer to have a gun for self-defense."
Thanks to the treatment with spiritual spring water, medicinal wine, and pills, Zhao Honghui's leg injury, though occasionally flaring up, was mild and much better than before. Therefore, instead of taking leave early to hibernate at home, he endured the discomfort and persisted in working.
With the winter hunting team failing to return for the past few days, he had a bad feeling and prepared to go up the mountain. He specifically went to the county town to borrow a pistol from Ye Xingchang.
"You're going to do a search and rescue? What if your leg injury flares up?" Ye Xingchang frowned, disapproving.
Knowing about his health issues, Zhao Honghui looked distressed: "There's nothing I can do. Qingshantun doesn't have any professional search and rescue personnel. My second brother is also in the winter hunting team, and his wife is pregnant and will give birth in another month."
"Here's what I'll do. I'll send three people into the mountains to help you search. You just stay home and wait," Ye Xingchang suggested.
But Zhao Honghui was still worried, "They are not familiar with Daqingshan, and accidents could easily happen."
Ye Xingchang blurted out, "Then let's find a guide."
“If it were any other time, it wouldn’t matter, but now that my brother is in trouble, I can’t sit still.” Once Zhao Honghui has made up his mind, it’s hard for him to change it.
Ye Xingchang understood. He wanted to accompany him up the mountain in person, but he had a mission to complete and couldn't make contact once they were deep in the mountains, so he could only send his subordinates.
He pulled out his pistol and handed it to Zhao Honghui, saying, "I'll send three men to Qingshantun to find you first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thank you!" Zhao Honghui chuckled, raised his glass to clink glasses, his gratitude evident in words.
*
Unbeknownst to Zhao Honghui, his family was also talking about him at that moment.
When dinner was almost ready, Yang Chunhua went to the brigade headquarters and helped her third daughter-in-law, Huang Qiufen, who had calmed down, back home.
Along the way, she weakly tried to comfort him: "Hongfei will be alright, don't worry."
As a mother, Yang Chunhua was just as worried. But her daughter-in-law was pregnant, so she could only swallow her bitterness and take care of her.
"Mom, please go to my parents' home and ask my eldest brother to come up the mountain with us for the search and rescue," Huang Qiufen pleaded. Many hands make light work, and now she could only rely on her husband's family and her own family.
Yang Chunhua naturally disagreed: "There are still quite a few people in our Qingshan Village. We don't need your older brother. Just have Honglin go with us tomorrow."
These days, her second son, Zhao Honglin, has been going up the mountain early in the morning and returning late at night to meet her. Tomorrow they are going deep into the mountains, and Yang Chunhua plans to send him along as well.
Although the captain did not select search and rescue personnel from the families of the winter hunting team, Yang Chunhua knew that there would be quite a few families of the winter hunting team who would spontaneously join.
The prevailing sentiment now is that strength lies in numbers, and every household is thriving. Even if families have separated, brothers still help each other out. In the face of such a major event, anyone with the manpower wouldn't sit at home waiting for others to rescue their family.
Back home, Zhao Laoda and the others, who had been waiting for a long time, comforted Huang Qiufen for a few words before they started eating.
Huang Qiufen struggled to eat the mixed grain steamed bun, listening to her mother-in-law say, "Honglin, you'll go with the search and rescue team to look for your brother tomorrow."
"Okay." Zhao Honglin agreed without thinking.
His wife, Wen Xiumei, said worriedly, "Mom, his hands and feet have been frostbitten these past few days. He still has to spend the night on the mountain. What if he gets seriously injured from the cold?"
Zhao, the eldest brother, spoke up: "Bring your blankets, wear more warm clothes, and stay close to the rescue team."
Seeing her father-in-law say this, Wen Xiumei knew that her husband had no choice but to go. She tried to persuade him, "Dad, Honglin's cotton-padded coat has been worn for several years and is no longer warm. Do you think we could borrow a few clothes from my older brother and return them to him when we get back?"
Given his brother-in-law's style, he definitely won't take it back.
Huang Qiufen clearly understood Wen Xiumei's intentions and couldn't help but purse her lips, but since her husband was still waiting for Zhao Honglin to rescue him, she didn't say anything to argue.
“Okay, I’ll mention it to Honghui when he gets back,” Zhao Laoda readily agreed.
He would have let his eldest son go if his leg injury hadn't flared up again. Now, a few pieces of clothing are nothing to him.
Huang Qiufen had an idea, her eyes lighting up: "Dad, why don't we let my eldest brother go on the search and rescue mission too? He must have learned tracking skills in the army, so he'll be more reliable than the others."
She didn't notice at all that her words made Zhao Honglin and Wen Xiumei's faces darken.
"No way! You know he can't stay in the snow for long." Yang Chunhua immediately objected. Zhao Honghui had finally recovered to this point, and he couldn't afford to get cold again.
Zhao Laoda also said, "Everyone knows about Honghui's leg injury; he can't go."
“But Hongfei is very likely seriously injured and is hiding in some corner waiting for him to save his life!” Huang Qiufen thought it was possible, and pleaded in a panic, “Dad, Mom, my eldest brother can lead the way to find Hongfei the fastest. Please, please call my eldest brother.”
Both were equally dear to him, and Zhao Laoda and Yang Chunhua looked at each other, hesitant and undecided.
Zhao Hongqin, who had been listening silently, couldn't help but speak up: "What if Third Brother is fine, but Eldest Brother's old injury flares up again?"
“Honghui is injured. If he loses a leg because of this, Huang Qiufen, can you take responsibility?” Zhao Chunling retorted.
She had always disapproved of Huang Qiufen taking advantage of her pregnancy to act arrogantly, and now she was pressuring her elder brother and sister-in-law, completely disregarding Honghui's health.
Old Mrs. Zhao also shouted, "Eldest son, Yang Chunhua, have you parents forgotten about my eldest grandson's injuries?! You still dare to think about sending him to spend the night in the mountains!"
"Mom, we haven't forgotten," Zhao Laoda quickly reassured his mother.
Yang Chunhua suddenly realized: "Honghui can't go! Qiufen, you just stay home and take care of yourself and the baby in your belly. Your dad will handle the rescue, so don't worry about it."
"Third brother's wife, listen to your mother and wait for your third brother to come back at home," Zhao the eldest brother also made a decision.
Seeing that everyone was against it, Huang Qiufen was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder. It seemed that only Zhao Honghui was their family!
Her eyes were bloodshot with anger as she began to berate each of those who opposed her, starting with Old Mrs. Zhao: "Fine! I don't care anymore. But don't forget, Zhao Hongfei isn't just my man, he's also your grandson, nephew, son, and brother! If you don't care whether he lives or dies, he can only accept his fate!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
