Jiang Zhiyuan originally intended for He Bingqian to rest for the night so that they could set off the next day, since the journey back was 300 li and not an easy one.
But how could Ho Ping-chien possibly sleep?
He pulled Jiang Zhiyuan aside and asked about the current situation in Beijing, his former colleagues and friends, and his family.
Finally, they asked what the project he was asked to go back to lead was.
I kept asking questions until almost midnight before I finally ran out of energy.
Jiang Zhiyuan forcibly made her fall asleep.
After He Bingqian fell asleep, Jiang Zhiyuan couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in bed for a long time before finally getting up.
The door was opened gently, and outside, the three soldiers had already changed shifts once.
Seeing Jiang Zhiyuan come out, they looked over warily.
Jiang Zhiyuan gave him a word of advice, telling him to stay vigilant, and then said he was going to meet someone before disappearing into the night.
In the thatched shed behind.
Gu Yong was still awake, with a small oil lamp lit, listening intently to the sounds outside.
I've been waiting since nightfall, and apart from the chirping of insects and birds, and the distant howling of wolves, I can't hear any other sounds.
His heart sank.
He looked at the dim oil lamp with a disappointed expression and gave a bitter smile.
What is he still hoping for? And what right does he have to hope for anything?
Just as he was about to blow out the oil lamp, he heard familiar footsteps coming from outside.
Unable to contain her surprise, she stood up abruptly. "Is it...is it Zhiyuan?"
The footsteps outside stopped at the door, and then the voice he had been waiting for rang out: "It's me."
Gu Yong wanted to open the door, and his hand even touched the edge of the door, but then he didn't dare to open it.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "You, you shouldn't have come—"
Jiang Zhiyuan calmly retorted, "You've been waiting until now, isn't it just for me to come?"
Gu Yong was speechless for a long time before finally managing to say, "Is everything alright at home? Your mother—"
Jiang Zhiyuan replied calmly, "My family has always been doing well, but your Gu family probably isn't doing so well! As for my mother, she's been doing very well since she left you!"
Gu Yong's eyes flickered twice, and he asked with difficulty, "Dajun and the others, they—"
"Oh, Gu Dajun went to a military court, was sentenced, and is now undergoing reform! Gu Daikui made a mistake and was transferred to the security department of the honeycomb briquette factory, earning thirty-six yuan a month. Together with Zhang Yanan, he has to support a family of more than ten people, and Zhang Yanan wants to divorce him."
After saying that, he thought for a moment and added, "I heard that Fang Dani is also asking around to find her a new husband, and I heard she's been on dates with quite a few old men—"
"You—" Gu Yong clutched his chest, wanting to curse his unfilial son, but the words stuck in his throat.
He took several deep breaths to calm himself down: "You, you're deliberately trying to upset my mother?"
Jiang Zhiyuan's voice was completely flat: "You're overthinking it. I didn't know you were undergoing reform here! But now that I've seen you, even though we're no longer father and son, it's only right that I come and see you. After all, seeing how you're doing, I should go back and tell my mother so she can be happy."
"When did you become like your wife, so sharp-tongued and unforgiving?" Gu Yong clutched his heart and said fiercely.
Jiang Zhiyuan's voice carried a hint of amusement: "Hmm, isn't this a case of the wife singing in unison? After all, Yan Yan once said that people who sleep in the same bed can't be two different people!"
Gu Yong was furious and wanted to lose his temper, but he quickly restrained himself.
I took another deep breath, adjusted my mindset, and decided to change the subject.
"What are you doing here? Is there some mission? Or has the policy changed?" Gu Yong wasn't stupid. Although he had been sent down here and had been cut off from all kinds of information, he didn't know what changes had occurred outside.
But since before the Lunar New Year, when he was trying to save the farm's assets and his sheep suffered frostbite on their legs, the farm has relaxed its guard on him and his treatment has improved.
He was also humble and got along quite well with the security personnel at the farm.
Occasionally, I can see some recent newspapers, and from them, I can vaguely sense that the policies seem to have changed.
Seeing Jiang Zhiyuan today only fueled his suspicions.
I've been staying up until now, but what I really want to ask are these questions.
Jiang Zhiyuan had long seen through Gu Yong. He knew that although Gu Yong had asked questions earlier, what he really wanted to know was the policies outside the capital, the situation in Beijing, and whether Gu Yong could possibly leave.
He laughed and said, "I came to see you. In the eyes of outsiders, I've done my best to be kind to you, my estranged father. As for the rest, don't forget, given the nature of my job, secrecy is the first thing I must learn!"
He took some money out of his pocket, placed it at the door, and weighed it down with a stone: "I left some money at your door. Buy something if you need anything! Take care!" After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.
As the footsteps outside faded into the distance, Gu Yong finally couldn't resist opening the door. He only saw a figure quickly disappear into the darkness and be gone from sight.
Looking down, in the dim light of the room, I saw what was being pressed down by the stone.
He removed the stones, held the money in his hand for a long time, and then went inside and closed the door.
Under the lamp, I counted the banknotes one by one: ten yuan, five yuan, one yuan...
Something dripped onto the banknotes, wetting the writing, only to be covered by another banknote...
The next morning, just as dawn broke.
Jiang Zhiyuan and his group ate breakfast, bought a few freshly steamed buns and some pickled vegetables, filled their car with hot water, and set off.
He Bingqian's tense back finally relaxed and he leaned back in his chair after leaving Mahe Farm and leaving the farm far behind and out of sight.
He finally left this place, hoping he would never come back in this lifetime!
The way back was not the same as the way we came, so for safety reasons, we took another route.
It was more winding, rugged, and bumpy.
As expected, He Bingqian got carsick, vomited bile, and felt dizzy.
Seeing his posture, Jiang Zhiyuan was afraid that something unexpected might happen, so he originally planned to find a commune to rest along the way.
But He Bingqian flatly refused!
He still feels uneasy. He hasn't left the Northwest, hasn't boarded the train back to Beijing, and hasn't set foot on Beijing's soil yet. He has this illusion that he will return to the farm.
He always felt that someone was chasing them, trying to take him back to the farm.
So he kept urging Jiang Zhiyuan not to worry about his health and to hurry back to the Northwest Military Region.
In the Northwest Military Region, I doubt anyone could take him away.
They rushed as fast as they could, and except for one night's lodging in a small production brigade, they finally arrived at the Northwest Military Region at noon on the third day.
He Bingqian finally relaxed, and then fainted.
After a flurry of activity, He Bingqian was taken to a military hospital, where he was diagnosed with malnutrition, various chronic diseases, and shocking physical damage.
Jiang Zhiyuan could only call the capital and ask to stay a little longer so that He Bingqian's condition could stabilize before returning to the capital.
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