Chapter 297 Events
The doctor was cleaning Yue Ning's wound. Cai Zhiyuan was the first to get the news and rushed over immediately. When he saw the wound on her arm, he felt dizzy and quickly turned his back.
"Brother Zhiyuan, are you afraid of blood?" Yue Ning asked with a smile.
Hearing her laughter, Cai Zhiyuan, who was originally frightened, was not so scared anymore. He turned around and said, "You always think you are very powerful, right?"
"Always." Yue Ning admitted frankly.
The doctor who stitched her up couldn't help laughing.
"Doctor, please don't laugh. If the stitches are crooked, it won't look good." Yue Ning reminded him, then looked up at Cai Zhiyuan and said, "Brother, I'm fine. This wound is nothing compared to the one I got when I was bitten by a wolf. Don't make a fuss."*
Professor Ma looked at her guiltily: "This..."
"Teacher, there is always a chance of being hit by a car when you go out. This time the danger is much less than when I broke into the Kowloon Walled City. It was really an accident." Yue Ning sighed slightly, "After such an incident, I am afraid that the public's negative emotions towards the Vietnamese boat people will be even higher."
The doctor paused with the tweezers in his hand. "I treated a wound of a Vietnamese lady before, and she thanked me profusely. But there was also a young man who overturned the examination table because I was a little slow in treating him. People in Hong Kong call them 'ungrateful wolves', and they call people in Hong Kong 'heartless'. In fact, neither side is completely right or wrong, and both sides have made mistakes."
Yue Ning remained silent, recalling what was written in a book in his previous life: the refugee problem had lasted for more than twenty years. Physical wounds are easy to heal, but the trauma of the world is difficult to heal!
"Ningning." Qiao Junxian walked in hurriedly.
As soon as she saw Qiao Junxian, Yue Ning's face changed instantly. She stretched out her right hand with a crying voice, and Qiao Junxian hurriedly held her hand.
Looking at the bloodstains on her body, it hurts just to think about it. Qiao Junxian held Yue Ning in his arms, let her lean on his waist, gently stroked her hair, and comforted her: "It doesn't hurt, it will be fine soon."
Yue Ning responded obediently: "Yeah."
Cai Zhiyuan, who was a little scared at first, couldn't help but twitch his lips when he saw this scene. He said to his cousin, "This little injury is nothing to her."
"That's easy to say, why don't you try it?" Qiao Junxian said.
Cai Zhiyuan stopped talking to this "silly brother". Even though Yue Ning was obviously a tiger, he was just a cat in his eyes.
After the doctor bandaged Yue Ning, several people walked out of the hospital together. Reporters who heard the news were already waiting at the door. Countless microphones almost poked Yue Ning's face, and questions came one after another:
"Ms. Yue, I heard that you were attacked by refugees?"
“What do you think of the Hong Kong government’s refugee policy?”
Yue Ning smiled faintly and said, "If you have watched HTV's live report, you will know that this was not an attack, but an accident. The iron shed was not strong enough to withstand the pushing and shoving, but fortunately, the iron shed was not strong enough and no one else was injured. It can be regarded as a blessing in disguise."
"But the grocery store owner said someone was stealing things!" Some reporters still did not give up.
Yue Ning pondered for a moment and said, "How should I put it? There are good people and bad people in the camp, just like there are law-abiding citizens and robbers in Hong Kong. Please don't impose individual behaviors on all refugees. It's not fair."
"Ms. Yue, do you sympathize with the refugees?"
This is another extremely tricky question. Yue Ning paused, the wound under the gauze aching slightly: "Of course I sympathize. However, many criminal cases in Hong Kong in recent years are indeed related to refugees. In addition to serious cases, there are more trivial matters that have caused a lot of trouble to Hong Kong citizens. Just like the old man's cans were smashed today, there are often reports that the vegetables grown and the chickens and ducks raised by the grandpas and grandmas in the village were stolen. If you want to calculate the money, it is actually not much, but if you put yourself in the perspective of the grandpas and grandmas, how can they not feel distressed?"
"So what do you think should be done?"
Yue Ning looked at Professor Ma and said, "This is a topic that the teacher asked us to study. It allows us to look at the problem from both sides' perspectives and think about how to strike a balance between humanitarianism and the interests of local residents."
She turned around and said to the reporter: "I am still learning. If you are interested in this topic, you can interview my teacher, who is a scholar studying this field. Thank you!"
The reporters then turned to interview Professor Ma, who said: "The Hong Kong government must reassess the current situation. How many people can the existing resources support? Can the management capacity keep up? If the answer is no, the policy should be adjusted instead of just holding on and letting local residents pay for it. In addition, the international community should fulfill its promises, especially the British government. They should once again urge the countries and regions that have promised to accept refugees to take away the refugees stranded in Hong Kong as soon as possible. The small city of Hong Kong really cannot accommodate so many refugees..."
When the reporters were interviewing Professor Ma, Yue Ning saw Uncle Awei and his grandfather coming over. The expression on his grandfather's face made her heart tighten.
Yue Ning knew clearly that his grandfather loved to daydream, and he was his life. If something happened to him, he would probably really want to jump into the sea.
She rushed forward, raised her arm and said, "Grandpa, it's just a scratch! It's really nothing serious."
"Master, did you see that? Ningning is fine."
Yue Baohua was relieved to see that she could still laugh, but he still felt distressed when he saw the bloodstains on her body: "You still call this okay?"
"Let's go, let's go! Let's go home." Yue Ning pushed his grandfather and waved goodbye to Professor Ma.
After returning home, Yue Ning yelled that she wanted to take a shower. Qiao Junxian said, "You have wounds on your body, so you can't get wet."
"Just wrap it with plastic wrap." Yue Ning went to the kitchen, got a roll of plastic wrap and handed it to him.
After Qiao Junxian helped her wrap herself up, Yue Ning went back to her room to take a shower. After washing, she came out with a towel, wiping her hair, and extended her hand to Qiao Junxian.
Qiao Junxian helped her remove the plastic wrap, and she looked very proud and boasted, "It's not wet at all, right?"
Qiao Junxian smiled, took the towel from her hand, and motioned for her to sit down.
After Yue Ning sat down, he took off the towel on his head and said, "My hair is short, so there's no need to wipe it. It will dry immediately."
"It's really rough." Qiao Junxian asked, "Where's the hair dryer?"
"In the bathroom of my room, in the first drawer." Yue Ning replied.
"Shall I go in and get it?"
"I've told you where it is, go quickly!" Yue Ning stared at the TV. HTV was reporting that after she was injured, she covered her arm and asked everyone to quickly rescue the person trapped under the iron shed.
Qiao Junxian walked towards her room. This was the first time he entered her room.
The room was in the style she always liked, with simple wooden lines outlining a Chinese style. There was a scroll of fine-brush painting framed on the head of the bed. Qiao Junxian recognized it as a painting of a flock of sheep under the afterglow of the northwest sunset.
He was about to pass the TV counter when he saw that next to the TV, on one side was a pair of Wuxi Dafu glasses that he had given her when they were shopping in the Overseas Chinese Store, and on the other side was a frame with a photo of the two of them in Kyoto.
In the photo, she was smiling sweetly, with her head leaning on his shoulder. Qiao Junxian lowered his head and smiled. At this time, he heard a voice from outside: "Qiao Junxian, my hair is almost dry."
"I'll be right there." Qiao Junxian went into the bathroom and came out with a hair dryer and a comb.
At this time, the news was broadcasting a picture of a grocery store owner holding up a broken can to complain, and the subtitles read "Refugee violence escalates."
Seeing Qiao Junxian coming to the living room, Yue Ning sighed: "Such reports will only intensify the conflict."
"It's time to put some pressure on the government. Oftentimes, it's because the Hong Kong government doesn't dare to challenge the British. Only when the conflict continues to intensify can they be forced to turn to the British." Qiao Junxian said as he blew Yue Ning's hair, "It will have some effect."
"I hope so!"
*
Yue Ning's injury completely ignited the emotions of the people. Residents of Tuen Mun blocked the refugee camp with banners reading "Reject Refugees", and some even threw rotten vegetable leaves into the barbed wire.
The positions of various radio stations and newspapers varied. Some newspapers published photos of the plight of refugee camps with the caption “We are all descendants of the Yellow Emperor. How can we bear to fight each other across the sea?”
Some newspapers even cursed: "Hong Kong City has not even solved the housing problem for locals, how can it support them?"
The protest group in Tuen Mun grew larger and larger. Some held banners with obscenities written on them, and more radical people even tried to lock the gate of the refugee camp with iron chains.
More serious news came from Southeast Asia. Malaysia announced the closure of all ports, and the Coast Guard used high-pressure water cannons to drive away refugee boats; Indonesia placed refugees in fully enclosed camps on offshore islands, with barbed wire and electricity; the President of the Philippines said at a press conference: "We can't even feed our own people." Singapore officially announced that the number of people it can accommodate is limited to 1,000. Once this number is exceeded, the refugee boat will be towed to the high seas.
The protesters demanded that the Hong Kong government follow the measures of Southeast Asian countries and refuse the endless influx of refugees into Hong Kong Island.
Yue Ning was assigned by Professor Ma to sort out the documents these days. The documents detailed the resource carrying capacity of the port city and the evidence that Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries "made promises on the surface but refused to accept them in reality." Professor Ma said that he would submit the documents, but he himself was not sure whether they would be useful.
Fortunately, four days later, the news suddenly reported: "The British Foreign Secretary will visit Hong Kong urgently to discuss the refugee diversion plan."
Yue Ning breathed a sigh of relief. This should be considered good news!
It was almost the end of the year, and the Cai family was going to hold a New Year's Eve dinner. Yue Ning specially selected He Yunbang, who had just returned from studying in France, to lead a team to the Cai family to prepare the banquet.
He Yunbang went out for further studies for half a year, and his temperament has improved a lot. At this time, he was wearing a chef's uniform and busy in the Cai family's kitchen. His every move was full of chef style. Although French chefs can't flip the pot, turn the spoon, or cut tofu thinner than a hair, they are not only particular about cooking, but also about the movements when cooking.
Temperament can indeed change a person's appearance. Yue Ning still remembers his father saying that the one with two peppers hanging from his lips is Uncle Bang. Now Uncle Bang's thick lips, like Chef Valere's big nose, are not abrupt at all, but have become a memorable feature.
The Cai family’s ancestral home is Chaoshan, so a hot pot dish is naturally indispensable for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
At this moment, He Yunbang was arranging the dishes on the hot pot: "I'm here! Just eat your meal in peace."
"I know."
"Ningning, Aunt Baoer is here and is looking for you!" Qiao Junxian came in to find her.
"I'll be there right away." Yue Ning responded and walked out.
Cai Baoer and Cai Meiyue sat intimately on the sofa. They were both aunt and niece, and master and apprentice, and their relationship was like that of mother and daughter.
"Aunt, aunt." Yue Ning walked forward.
Cai Meiyue patted the seat next to her and said, "Sit here."
As soon as Yue Ning sat down, Cai Meiyue smiled and pinched her face: "Little girl, you are quite capable. You caused such a big commotion that the Minister of Foreign Affairs even made an emergency visit to Hong Kong."
"Grandma, is there any follow-up news?"
"Yes, the British government will use diplomatic channels to get refugee recipients to accept refugees as soon as possible. The government will discuss the details of the 'humane deterrent policy'." Aunt Meiyue smiled, "In fact, it means setting up a 'closed refugee camp' that is not open to the public. All Vietnamese refugees must live in the closed refugee camp and are not allowed to go out to work."
Yue Ning wanted to ask more details when his eldest uncle, third uncle, and aunt’s families all arrived.
The eldest aunt is the great aunt of the Cai family, and the mother of the eldest uncle is the old aunt of the Cai family. Anyway, the relationships between the families are complicated, and Yue Ning is too lazy to figure out the specific relationship between them. He will never go wrong just following Qiao Junxian's way of addressing them.
The kitchen brought out three pots of hot pot, which were placed on the charcoal stove. After being heated by the charcoal fire, the aroma of abalone sauce soon spread.
"Come on, everyone, take a seat."
Cai Yunheng, the old man of the Cai family, greeted everyone and said, "Brother Qiming, Yingzhang, come and sit with Jiahong."
Yue Ning was being talked to by Ye Yunxian, and suddenly heard her uncle say, "Ningning, you and Junxian come over and sit down. Tell me about your uncle and your aunt."
Yue Ning and Qiao Junxian went over to sit down with the elders. The eldest uncle also called the eldest cousin over. The old man of the Cai family shouted, "Zhiyuan, come here."
Cai Zhiyuan had no choice but to come over when his grandfather called him. He was very tactful and stood up to pour wine for the elders. His uncle didn't drink, so Old Lady Qiao recommended him, "Jiahong, Yinglan, this fresh taro and purple rice juice is Ningning's recipe. It's very comfortable to drink in winter. You should try it."
The hot pot was bubbling on the charcoal stove, and the rich aroma of abalone sauce wafted throughout the restaurant. The old man of the Cai family raised his glass with a smile: "Come on, everyone, let's have a drink first!"
Everyone raised their glasses, and the crisp sound of clinking glasses rang out one after another.
The uncle picked up a piece of roast goose and asked about Zhuang Baoru and Mo Weiwen, especially how Mo Weiwen's leg was.
"With the care of my grandmother, I think my uncle's legs have gotten much better. There is basically no abnormality. But without the two sisters around, they have to work even harder day and night."
"Send them a telegram tomorrow and ask them to have a good rest during the New Year," said my uncle Yu Jiahong.
Ye Yunxian noticed something wrong with Yue Ning's arm at this time: "Ningning, what's wrong with your hand?"
"She! She became a hero again." Cai Zhiyuan recounted in detail the story of Yue Ning's visit to the refugee camp.
Old Master Cai said: "Because of this, the British Foreign Secretary made a special trip to visit Hong Kong. Now they have to build a 'confinement refugee camp'. This is also a helpless move! Hong Kong really can't bear so many refugees."
Yu Jiahong looked at Qiao Qiming and said helplessly: "For the refugee issue, I went to lobby the Singapore government, but the government rejected my proposal. They are still unwilling to accept more Vietnamese refugees."
He paused and continued, "Back then, if we hadn't received help from overseas Chinese in Vietnam, how could we have transported the Soviet-aided arms into the country under the siege of the Japanese army? Because they were afraid that the large ships would be inspected, the Chinese in Vietnam rowed small wooden boats and transported them out of Haiphong Port under the cover of night and under the gunfire."
Yue Ning listened to his uncle talking about their experience of fighting the war together with the Vietnamese Chinese. After the fall of Yuecheng, the goods from the port city could not enter the mainland and could only be shipped from Vietnam, which was still a French colony at the time. There were many Chinese in Hanoi at the time, and it was thanks to these Chinese who used their local connections to coordinate the entry of goods into the mainland.
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