Jiang Dahai saw that there were already many figures moving around in the courtyard of the Revolutionary Committee. He wondered if everyone had arrived, and hurried over with his son in his arms.
"Why did you take so long to come? Do you know how long we have been waiting for you?" It was the same man from noon, with a bulging belly, looking at Jiang Dahai with an unhappy face.
Jiang Dahai did not argue with him, but kept saying nice things. He put the child down, did not look closely at the people in the yard, turned around and walked towards the office with the man, as there were still some documents he needed to take back to the village.
Jiang Yilu looked around the yard, but didn't see the figure he remembered. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. As expected, he didn't have that luck. Come to think of it, it was such a coincidence that Ruan Jingguo was transferred to their place like this. When he was interviewed before, he had never heard of such an experience he had.
It was only a temporary discouragement. Jiang Yilu quickly regained his confidence. Relying on others is always temporary. He knew so much about the future development of his life. Was he still afraid that he would not be able to create a career of his own?
Jiang Yilu had great psychological adaptability. He quickly adjusted his mindset and began to look at the men standing in the yard.
There were three people sent down for reform this time.
One of them was very thin and small, wearing a pair of glasses, but the frame seemed to have a problem, so it was wrapped with white tape, which was very obvious on the gold-rimmed frame. The man was a little hunched, which made him look even thinner. He was wearing a gray and white suit with many patches on it. Even though the clothes were worn out, they were still clean without any stains. It was obvious that the owner was definitely an old man who loved cleanliness.
The man felt Jiang Yilu's gaze, turned his eyes and gave him a kind smile.
Jiang Yilu admired the other party's open-minded attitude. They must have suffered a lot before being sent to labor reform. Under such circumstances, they can still have such a mentality, which is definitely not an ordinary person.
Jiang Yilu also smiled back at him, harmless.
The man was startled by his laughter. No one had smiled at him like that for a long time since then. Bai Fangqiu sighed in his heart, thinking that the other party was still a child and might not know anything. However, after all, because of this long-lost smile, he developed a lot of good feelings towards the strange child.
Standing next to the thin man was a very tall and strong middle-aged man, who looked to be about 40 years old, with a pair of tiger eyes and a fierce look. Looking into his eyes, one could feel a strong deterrent force that made people dare not underestimate him.
Jiang Yilu felt from him a feeling of a special forces soldier who had participated in wars in the United States. The man in front of him must have killed many Japanese devils to accumulate such murderous aura, but this man had a very upright look in his eyes and was a righteous man.
It just seems that he has gained some weight now, and his belly is terribly big.
Jiang Yilu complained about the other person's bulging belly, labeled the person opposite him as someone who was not easy to mess with in his mind, and then turned his attention to the last person.
The last old man was about fifty or sixty years old. Jiang Yilu felt that he was the Grandpa Ruan that his grandfather had mentioned almost at the first sight of him.
He looked about 1.75 meters tall, with a straight back. Even the hardships of many days did not bend his spine. His gray hair and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and forehead told of the hardships he had suffered these days. But there was no anger in his eyes. Instead, as my grandfather said, they were full of wisdom and open-mindedness.
Jiang Yilu thought in his heart that even if the person opposite him was not Ruan Jingguo, he was definitely not an ordinary person. If he could survive these years, with his character and his resume, he would be able to redress his wrongdoing and soar to the sky.
Jiang Yiliu looked at the three people present and finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the people sent to their village this time were quite good and there were no real troublemakers. This made him feel a little relieved. Among them, the old leader of his grandfather must have put in a lot of effort.
Jiang Dahai quickly handed over the documents. The leader of the Revolutionary Committee pointed at the three people in the yard and said disdainfully: "These people must write a letter of repentance every month. Also, they are going to labor reform. They must be made aware of their mistakes through labor. You can't indulge these stinking old nines. You must make them thoroughly understand their mistakes. Do you understand?"
The man said to Jiang Dahai, thinking in his heart, Qingshan Village is the most shabby and farthest place in the surrounding area. I don't know who these people have offended, but they actually sent people to the remote Qingshan Village. I don't know how much suffering they will have to endure.
He was gloating in his heart, but he had no sympathy for the three people in front of him. He stamped his hands and feet. Now it was night and the weather was getting colder. The man didn't want to stay in the yard and blow the cold wind. He ignored the people in the yard and walked straight into the house.
"Hurry up and get on the cart!" Jiang Dahai urged the three men to get on the donkey cart quickly. He carried his son to the corner of the cart and carefully covered him with a quilt. After everyone was seated, he drove the donkey cart away in a hurry.
After the donkey cart left the county town and reached a quiet section of the road, Jiang Dahai looked around and didn't see any people. Then he smiled and greeted the three people in the carriage.
"My name is Jiang Dahai, and I'm Jiang Cheng's son. I don't know which one is Uncle Ruan. My father has been talking about him for a long time at home." Jiang Dahai smiled naively, looking at the three people in front of him, feeling a little unsure for a moment.
"You are Dacheng's son. You really look like your father. So this is your son, but he doesn't look much like you."
The person who spoke was the one Jiang Yilu had just guessed, and he answered with a smile.
Jiang Dahai touched his head and smiled proudly: "My son looks like his uncle, so handsome. If he looked like me, wouldn't he be a rough guy?"
In Jiang Dahai's view, this is also a symbol of his son's intelligence. Since he even knows how to choose a good-looking one, his brain must not be too bad.
Everyone couldn't help laughing. The gloom of the past few days was dispelled a lot. Looking at Jiang Dahai's honest appearance, they were a little more looking forward to the future life.
Long before he was demoted, the old leader sent people to investigate the situation in Qingshan Village and the Jiang family.
Ruan Yuanjiang looked carefully at the child who was curled up in the quilt with a red face.
He and the old leader both knew the temper of their old buddy. Although he was a good person and a man of integrity, he was biased towards boys and would not listen no matter how much they tried to persuade him. However, this was the Jiang family's family affair after all, and they, as good comrades, could not force him to change.
If it was five years ago, before the eldest son of the Jiang family had a son, they probably would not have chosen Qingshan Village as the place of relocation, because according to their investigation, the second son of the Jiang family and his family were not good people. If you live with such people, there is no guarantee that something will not happen in the future.
Although the old friend is good, no one dares to bet on who he will choose if he is put between his precious grandson and his old comrade.
The eldest wife of the Jiang family was different. From their investigation, the couple were honest and kind, and the children in the family were obedient and sensible. What was even more precious was the five-year-old child in front of them. Although he was loved by everyone, he did not develop the arrogant temper of his cousins. He was also very friendly to his sisters and was a good child.
When Ruan Yuanjiang received the investigation report, he had a good impression of the child. Of course, Jiang Yilu knew nothing at the moment and just sat aside and listened to them talk.
"Let me introduce you. This is the former director of the Capital People's Hospital, Mr. Bai Fangqiu." Ruan Yuanjiang said, pointing at the thin old man.
Jiang Dahai and Jiang Yilu were both shocked. Jiang Dahai was surprised by the other party's identity. He was the director of the capital's hospital. Wasn't that the imperial physician of that year? With such a person coming to their village, the villagers would not have to go to the county town if they had a headache or fever in the future.
Jiang Yilu was also very shocked. He didn't expect that such a big shot would be demoted.
"This is my old subordinate Huo Wu, a Sanda champion in the army." Ruan Yuanjiang only introduced their identities but did not tell Jiang Dahai the reason for their demotion.
Jiang Yilu's heart moved when he heard the other party's resume. Hasn't he always disliked his weak body? With such a good teacher by his side, he didn't ask to fight ten people alone, but just wanted to strengthen his muscles and bones, and he would be satisfied with that.
Thinking of this, the look in his eyes when he looked at Huo Wu became more and more fiery, which made Huo Wu feel embarrassed.
"Gurgle--" I don't know whose stomach is hungry. In the quiet forest path, the sound of the stomach growling becomes louder and louder.
Jiang Yilu turned her gaze to Huo Wu's belly. The bulging belly suddenly began to move, and a furry little head popped out from the thick coat. The little head had yellowish hair and a crooked bow on it. She looked sleepily at the little boy opposite who was staring at her. Her little face blushed and she went back into the coat.
"Who is this?" Jiang Dahai was startled by the little girl who suddenly appeared, and asked them in surprise. The superiors said that three adults were sent over, but did not mention that there was also a little girl of four or five years old.
Ruan Yuanchao's face looked a little ugly, and no one knew what he was thinking about, but when his eyes turned to the little girl, he became extremely gentle.
He laughed at himself, but didn't intend to hide it. "This is my granddaughter, her name is Ruan Ruan, her father is my eldest son, but unfortunately, both husband and wife died in the Vietnam War, leaving only a little girl like her to live with an old man like me. Don't be afraid of you laughing at me, but after this happened, my other two sons and two daughters severed ties with me. Originally, according to Ruan Ruan's status as the child of the martyr, she didn't need to suffer this pain with me, but this child is too stubborn and insisted on coming with me."
Ruan Yuanjiang complained, but there was still a hint of joy in his eyes.
Jiang Yilu understood clearly that if an old man who had been deserted by his friends and betrayed by his closest relatives lost the company of his little granddaughter, even the strongest person would not be able to withstand the blow.
It was probably this little girl whose stomach was growling just now. Jiang Yilu looked at her and recalled how Meiling looked when she was just sent to him. She was so timid, as if the louder the sound, the more it made would scare people away.
Thinking of his niece in his previous life, Jiang Yilu felt a little melancholy. In this life, since he planned to change his eldest sister's future, did that mean Meiling no longer existed?
Looking at the little girl in front of him and thinking of her miserable life experience, Jiang Yilu couldn't help but feel pity for her.
"Here are some pastries. It'll be some time before we get back to the village, so let's eat something to fill our stomachs first." Jiang Yilu took out the pastries that Qu Ying had given him from the package. In addition to the packaged ones, there were also quite a few loose pastries.
They were all sent down to the countryside for reform. Apart from a few steamed breads before departure, they had not eaten anything since they boarded the train. Even the children could not stand it, let alone the adults. When they saw the cakes in front of them, their stomachs couldn't help but growl.
Jiang Dahai patted his head, he couldn't think of such a thing, he was not as smart as his son, so he quickly followed suit.
"It will take another hour or two to get to our village from here. Uncle, you guys should eat some cakes and pastries first. When we get home, I'll let my mom cook some hot meals."
Jiang Yiliu looked at the little girl curled up in Huo Wu's coat, opened his own quilt, and patted the seat next to him for her to sit over. It was still uncomfortable to nestle in someone else's coat, and it was not as warm as a quilt.
Ruan Ruan first looked at her grandfather, and after seeing his encouraging eyes, she mustered up the courage to crawl towards Jiang Yilu.
Jiang Yilu carefully covered her with the quilt, and the two children huddled together in the quilt to keep warm. Now they were only four or five years old, so it didn't matter.
"Here, this is peach pastry. It's delicious."
Jiang Yilu carefully broke the peach pastry into small pieces and put them in a handkerchief, so that she could eat it without worrying about choking.
Ruan Ruan took the handkerchief, smiled at the kind little brother, said thank you sweetly. When she smiled, she had two dimples and curved eyebrows, and she looked as cute as the little Fuwa in the New Year pictures.
Ruan Yuanjiang sat aside eating cakes, his eyes always on the two little people beside him, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was originally a little worried that his granddaughter, who had never suffered any hardship, would not be able to get used to coming to such a rural place. Moreover, Ruan Ruan was born timid, and usually got along with her cousins. She would not say a word even when she was bullied. He was really afraid that the child would become more and more bored after coming to Qingshan Village without playmates.
Now it seems that maybe he has come to the right place.
Ruan Ruan was obviously very hungry and ate a little too fast. The peach cakes were a little dry and she choked easily.
Seeing this, Jiang Yilu quickly took out the small water bottle he carried with him, wiped the spout, handed it to her, and helped her smooth her back. Raising a niece from childhood and taking care of a little girl was a piece of cake.
From then on, he didn't dare to let Ruan Ruan eat like that, so he simply took the handkerchief and handed her the peach cakes one piece at a time. After she finished eating, he handed her another piece, for fear that she would choke again.
"Thank you, little brother." Ruan Ruan's eyes were sparkling as she looked at the little brother in front of her who was taking good care of her. She felt that this little brother was simply amazing and much better than her brothers and sisters at home.
Little Ruan Ruan couldn't think of any adjective to describe him, anyway, he was very good, as good as grandpa and Uncle Da Wu.
"It's getting late, let's set off quickly, Uncle Bai, Uncle Ruan, Brother Huo, please sit tight."
The mountain road to Qingshan Village is very bumpy. Fortunately, when we set out today, Old Lady Miao padded the cart with a thick layer of mattress, especially Jiang Yilu's small seat, which was so soft that he almost wanted to sink into it.
During the long journey, a group of people chatted to pass the time. Ruan Yuanjiang and Bai Fangqiu asked Jiang Dahai about the situation in Qingshan Village. Huo Wu sat aside with his eyes closed. Even when sitting in the carriage, he kept his back straight, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, alert to the situation around him.
Jiang Yilu and Ruan Ruan huddled in a corner, chatting in low voices.
After all, she had more than ten years of parenting experience, so dealing with a little girl was easy for her. In just a short while, Jiang Yilu coaxed the little girl into a daze and emptied her family assets.
The Ruan family was a prominent family in Suzhou. They moved to Haicheng during the war. Grandpa Ruan had two brothers, and he was the youngest. In order to protect the Ruan family's property, when the situation was the most difficult, Grandpa Ruan's eldest brother took the whole family and one-third of the property to the United States, and the second brother took one-third of the property to Hong Kong. At that time, Ruan Yuanjiang felt deeply about the national crisis, and in order to protect the Ruan family's ancestral property, he chose to stay and donated all the family assets to the cause of fighting foreign enemies.
Jiang Yilu understood that having overseas connections at this time would be a very troublesome thing.
Huo Wu was a retainer of the Ruan family. He was sold to the Ruan family by his family and was said to be a servant. Ruan Yuanjiang treated him as his own son and gave him the same education as his own son since childhood.
During the Vietnam War, Ruan Ruan's parents died on the battlefield, and it was Huo Wu who risked his life to bring their bodies back.
Jiang Yilu glanced at the man who was standing upright, and Huo Wu's tightly closed eyes opened and looked straight at him, his eyes so sharp that they pierced his heart.
Jiang Yilu's heart tightened, but after all, he had so many years of experience, so he did not avoid his gaze. Instead, he looked at him calmly.
Huo Wu looked at him expressionlessly for a while, then closed his eyes again. Jiang Yiliu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's quite a capable boy." Huo Wu thought as he closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, without the initial coldness.
Unfortunately, Jiang Yilu didn't notice this scene. He was still thinking about finding out more about what was happening outside from Ruan Ruan.
In order to prevent his intention to pry out information from being too obvious, Jiang Yiliu also brought up many interesting stories about village life when chatting with her, which made Ruan Ruan's eyes light up. After knowing that he had four sisters who were very close to each other, she was very envious. After all, although she had many brothers and sisters, no one liked to play with her.
Ruan Ruan carefully peeked at the little brother next to her. When Jiang Yilu's gaze moved over, she shyly turned her head away, but she was happy in her heart. Brother Yilu was so good, and his sister was definitely a good person too.
She held tightly in her hands the little doll in her chest pocket; it was the last gift her mother gave her. She smelled the fragrance of the green grass in the mountains and felt extremely at peace.
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