Gu Mingyue clutched the letter, the hope that had just begun to rise in her heart instantly dissipated by worry.
Wanwan is Lu Lin's younger sister. She was pampered in her hometown since she was a child and had never even left the city of Beijing on her own.
Nowadays, to get from Beijing to the island, you first have to take a train, then transfer to a boat for half a day, a journey that takes four or five days in total.
What if she, a young girl, loses her food rations, gets lost, or gets hurt on the road?
Gu Mingyue became increasingly flustered as she thought about it, and her grip on the letter tightened unconsciously.
Thinking of this, she handed over the letter, her voice urgent: "Look at Wanwan's letter. She said she wants to come to the island. It's such a long way, how can she go alone!"
After scanning the letter, Lu Lin's brows furrowed. He knew his sister's personality better than anyone else; she seemed naive and innocent, but was actually very stubborn, and once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her.
"Don't worry, I'll go to the communications unit right now and call her hometown to ask when she left and how much stuff she took with her."
He grabbed the military cap and turned back to instruct, "Go find He Binglin. He's familiar with Old Zhou from the logistics department. Ask Old Zhou to help contact the stations along the route, say hello to the passenger service staff, and keep an eye out for Wanwan's appearance."
Gu Mingyue nodded and ran towards Xia Qinghe's house without stopping.
As soon as I reached the courtyard gate, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Qinghe! Is Qinghe home?"
Xia Qinghe was squatting by the stove chopping wood when he saw her sweating profusely. He quickly put down his axe and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Wanwan is coming to the island from Beijing and will be traveling alone. I would like Comrade He to help ask the logistics department to contact the stations along the way and keep an eye out for her."
He Binglin came out after hearing the commotion, "This is simple!"
“Old Zhou’s son-in-law works on the railway. I’ll go call him now. You wait for Lu Lin’s news. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.”
Gu Mingyue thanked him and hurried off to the communications unit.
As soon as they reached the door, Lu Lin's expression softened slightly: "We found out. Wanwan left early the day before yesterday, taking money and food coupons with her, and also carrying a photocopy of my military officer's ID card, saying that she should find the police at the station if she encountered any difficulties. Her family has already asked someone to inquire at the Beijing Railway Station, and they said she boarded a train to the dock and should be arriving at the ship station soon."
Just then, He Binglin came running over, panting: "The logistics department has replied. They've informed several major stations along the route. The passenger service staff will keep an eye on Lu Wanwan and will send a telegram to the military camp as soon as they hear anything."
Gu Mingyue's heart finally felt a little relieved. She gripped Lu Lin's arm and looked at the road leading to the dock outside the military camp: "Starting tomorrow, let's go to the dock to wait for her whenever we have time. What if she arrives early?"
Lu Lin nodded and patted her on the back: "Don't worry, Wanwan is clever, she'll definitely come safely."
When Gu Mingyue had nothing to do, she would ride her bicycle to the dock to wait. It was windy at the dock, so she would wrap her scarf tightly, but her eyes were always fixed on the distant sea, afraid of missing the shadow of the ship.
She went there for two days in a row, and the comrades on duty there all knew her.
Seeing that she was waiting there without greeting anyone, I casually asked her what was going on. I learned that she was waiting for her younger sister who was coming from home, but she didn't know the exact time.
“Our boat runs sooner or later, and we don’t know when it will arrive. If we delay any longer, it will take a long time, and you’ll suffer if you wait here. Here’s what we’ll do: leave your contact information, and I’ll call you when the person arrives.”
This suited Gu Mingyue's taste perfectly, and she quickly thanked him. She didn't have anything to thank him with, only some snacks.
"Thank you, comrade. I made this myself. Thank you for your help."
"It's nothing, don't mention it."
After waiting for two more days, Gu Mingyue finally received a call from the dock comrade. The moment she received the news, she rushed to the military camp to find Lu Lin.
"Wanwan has arrived and is waiting for us at the dock."
Upon hearing this, Lu Lin immediately returned to the military camp to ask for leave and applied for permission to leave.
Lu Wanwan felt incredibly unlucky; she had almost lost her money and nearly encountered a kidnapper.
Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, and she finally arrived at the island. She couldn't wait to tell her sister-in-law all her troubles.
As evening approached, the setting sun painted the sea a golden-red hue, and finally, the sound of ship horns could be heard in the distance.
Lu Lin quickly pulled Gu Mingyue toward the pier, and the two of them stood on tiptoe to look up at the deck.
As the boat slowly approached the shore and passengers descended the stairs, Gu Mingyue suddenly tugged at Lu Lin's arm: "Look! Isn't that Wanwan in the floral shirt?"
Lu Lin squinted and immediately waved his hand, calling out, "Wanwan! Over here!"
Upon hearing the voice, the other person looked up abruptly, her twin ponytails swaying – it was Lu Wanwan.
She ignored the bundle in her hands and ran outside, calling out as she ran, "Brother! Sister-in-law!"
When Wanwan ran down, Lu Lin pulled her over and looked her up and down: "Did anything happen on the way? Did you lose anything?"
Lu Wanwan laughed breathlessly, but her eyes were red: "I'm not lost, I'm fine, I just feel seasick."
Gu Mingyue quickly took the bundle from her back, touched her hands, which were icy cold, and immediately took off her own scarf and wrapped it around her: "Quickly wrap the scarf up, it's windy at the dock, don't get cold."
Wanwan clutched the gauze scarf, smelling the familiar scent of soapberry on it, and felt a warmth in her heart.
"Sister-in-law, I miss you so much, waaaaaah!" Lu Wanwan sobbed uncontrollably.
Gu Mingyue smiled and ruffled Wanwan's hair: "Silly girl, come on, let's go home and I'll make you some hot noodles to warm you up."
Lu Lin carried the bundle and walked ahead, with the two sisters-in-law following behind. Lu Wanwan chattered to Gu Mingyue about what happened on the way.
As soon as he entered the house, Lu Lin went straight into the kitchen and cooked a bowl of hot noodle soup with a poached egg for Wanwan.
Gu Mingyue carried Wanwan's bundle into the west room. "You'll stay here tonight. If you need to go anywhere, just tell me. The bathhouse is just ahead."
"Do you want to eat first, or take a shower first?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a gurgling sound came from inside the room.
Lu Wanwan smiled shyly and touched her stomach. "Let's eat first."
After Lu Wanwan held the scalding bowl of noodles and slurped it down with gusto, eating a full bowl, she finally felt her energy return.
After watching her finish eating, Lu Lin sat down at the table, his face darkening. "Lu Wanwan, tell me yourself, was what you did right this time?"
Lu Wanwan paused, knowing her brother was about to scold her, and lowered her head to mutter softly, "I just don't want to listen to Mom's arrangements."
“If you don’t want to hear it, you can talk to me properly. How could you just run out without saying a word?” Lu Lin raised his voice. “It’s such a long way from Beijing to the island. If something really happens to you on the way, how will your family live? Your sister-in-law has been going to the dock every day these past few days and can’t sleep well at night.”
Seeing that Wanwan's eyes were red, Gu Mingyue quickly tugged at Lu Lin's arm and poured Wanwan a cup of sugar water: "Your brother is just worried about you, he doesn't really mean to scold you. Think about it, Mom must be so anxious at home that she's crying."
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