Rong Zhaonan booked a room at the Yongjiang Hotel, a hotel on the banks of the Yongjiang River that specializes in receiving VIPs.
After a simple dinner, night fell, and a gentle breeze from the river dispelled the daytime heat.
Rong Zhaonan held Ning Yuan's hand and they strolled slowly along the riverbank of the Yongjiang River.
The riverside was bustling with activity, with various night market stalls lined up one after another, and the aroma of food filled the air.
There are vendors selling barbecue, sweet soups, and all sorts of trinkets.
Ning Yuan smelled an enticing aroma of fried food and followed the scent to a small stall selling fried quail.
"Mmm, it smells so good."
Golden and crispy quail sizzles in the oil, sprinkled with chili powder and cumin, emitting an irresistible aroma.
Rong Zhaonan followed her gaze and asked, "Want some?"
"Mm." Ning Yuan nodded.
Rong Zhaonan then pulled her over and said, "Boss, two skewers of fried quail, please."
The stall owner was a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her forties. She was dressed simply, with most of her hair turned white, and her face showed signs of weariness and vicissitudes from the hardships of life. She was busy with her work with her head down.
For some reason, Ning Yuan felt that this woman looked somewhat familiar.
Hearing the voice, she replied without looking up, "Okay, just a moment."
She deftly scooped out the fried quail to drain the oil, sprinkled it with seasoning, skewered it with bamboo sticks, and handed it over.
Rong Zhaonan wrapped the bamboo skewer in paper and handed it to Ning Yuan: "Ning Yuan, be careful, it's hot."
She heard Rong Zhaonan call out the name "Ning Yuan".
The woman, who had been busy with her work, paused, slowly raised her head, and looked at Ning Yuan with her old, cloudy eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Ning Yuan was suddenly stunned!
Although he looked much older and more haggard, his facial features were still vaguely recognizable.
It's Ning Meimei!
Ning Meimei stared in disbelief at the woman in front of her, who was dressed smartly, had an elegant demeanor, and still looked bright and young. Her eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
Immediately, as if she had been burned, she turned around abruptly.
With his back to them, he pretended to be tidying up his stall, his voice hoarse as he urged, "Take...take it away..."
Ning Yuan took the fried quail from Rong Zhaonan and looked at Ning Meimei's hunched and flustered back. She felt a mix of emotions.
When she took Jiajia and Rong Zhaonan back to Shenzhen to hold Tang Lao's funeral, she had dinner with Da Bai'e, who had told her about her adoptive parents' family.
After Ning Jinyun was killed, Ning Zhuliu, who had fallen into the water and was injured, escaped back to Ningnan City and lived in hiding, barely surviving.
But justice prevailed, and he was arrested by the public security authorities in 1982.
He colluded with spies, and his kidnapping crimes were exposed. Just then, a crackdown was launched, and he was sentenced to death by firing squad.
Ning Meimei and Ning Weibing were implicated in the repeated investigations because of Ning Zhuliu and Ning Jinyun's affairs.
One lost his job in the performing arts troupe, and the other was fired from the textile factory.
Ning Weibing was never a good person; he was lazy and gluttonous. After losing his job, he became even more degenerate and was eventually arrested and sent to a labor camp for ten years for stealing cables.
Ning Meimei, on the other hand, later married an honest, ordinary worker who had enough to eat and had several children.
I never expected that we would meet again here, in this way.
Rong Zhaonan noticed her unusual behavior and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Ning Yuan shook her head and said softly, "It's nothing, let's go."
The two continued their walk along the riverbank, carrying fried quail in their hands.
A river breeze blew by, carrying a slight chill.
Ning Yuan gazed at the shimmering river, her heart filled with mixed emotions, and could only let out a sigh.
Rong Zhaonan held her hand and walked slowly along the riverbank. He didn't turn around, but simply asked, "Thinking about the past?"
Ning Yuan absentmindedly hummed in agreement, her mind still lingering on Ning Meimei's weathered face.
Rong Zhaonan's tone remained calm and even: "Li Yan was promoted to deputy director of the provincial forestry department a few years ago. Although he is divorced and now lives alone, he is a down-to-earth and honest cadre who protects national assets. However, his vision and perspective are still limited. He has reached his limit at this position and can't go any higher."
Ning Yuan was startled and looked at Rong Zhaonan with a blank expression.
"In this lifetime... he actually got promoted?"
Li Yan? She didn't even remember him!
The ex-husband who caused her half a lifetime of depression in her past life is now just a stranger to her; she has almost forgotten his existence.
But as soon as she spoke, she met Rong Zhaonan's seemingly amused yet deep and cold gaze.
Ning Yuan: "..."
This man! At his age, he still gets jealous for no reason!
Ning Yuan said helplessly, "I was just thinking about Ning Meimei and her family! I only replied because you suddenly mentioned Li Yan."
Rong Zhaonan chuckled lightly: "Really? What a coincidence. As soon as I mentioned it, you responded so naturally."
Looking at his mature and handsome face, which now carried a scrutinizing expression that seemed to say, "You'd better tell the truth," Ning Yuan felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
Why are you still acting like a little kid, so jealous!
She stopped walking, suddenly stood on tiptoe, and right there on the bustling, brightly lit Yongjiang River, oblivious to everyone around her, planted a kiss on his thin lips!
"Ugh—" Rong Zhaonan was clearly not expected her to do this, his body froze instantly, and even his breathing stopped for a moment.
A few low gasps and good-natured chuckles could be faintly heard from the surroundings.
After all, it was 1998. Although the social atmosphere had become much more open, it was still quite eye-catching for people of their age and with such an extraordinary demeanor to kiss in the street.
Ning Yuan, however, paid no attention to the stares of others and said bluntly, "Comrade Rong Zhaonan! What are you being so jealous about? The only man I can think about is you! Look to the future!"
Having weathered countless storms, Rong Zhaonan had long since developed the composure to remain unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before him.
But at this moment, his ears were tinged with a thin blush.
What a high-ranking official! He was forcibly kissed by his own wife on the street and then publicly "reprimanded"!
He coughed awkwardly, but his eyes instantly turned deep and burning. He held her slender waist and pulled her forward, saying, "Alright, that's outrageous! But this time in America, you're not allowed to see that guy surnamed Sheng! Do you hear me?"
Ning Yuan smiled and smiled slightly, her eyebrows curving upwards: "Yes, sir!"
Rong Zhaonan smiled with deep eyes and embraced his lover tightly.
On the river, the long, drawn-out sound of a ship's horn pierced through the night mist.
Bathed in moonlight and illuminated by the lights on both banks, the river rippled with gentle, shimmering light, reflecting their inseparable figures, entwined and bound together, transcending the vast expanse of time, past and present. (The End)
If there are any side stories after the series ends, I'll most likely post them on Weibo.
...
As I compile my family history, I dare not forget it. This book blends the prototypes of my clan's figures with past history, and for me, it is truly a collection of old family records. Although there are fictional elements, I wish to use it as a way to remember and honor my elders—those who devoted themselves to the cause during the war-torn years, even unto death. Whenever I think of the nurturing grace of my kind maternal grandmother and father, as well as my maternal grandfather, uncles, maternal uncles, aunts, and other relatives, I am overcome with sorrow and cannot contain myself. Their voices and smiles often linger in my dreams; may they rest in peace in the afterlife.
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