He had just finished organizing what he hadn't finished writing the night before in the office when the red phone on his desk rang, disrupting all his plans.
"Hello, I am Li Chu."
...
"Yes, I'll prepare it now."
He put down the phone and couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly.
Damn, this is too weird. I just learned from Lou Xiao'e last night that Qin Huairu's son was transferred to the Northwest to serve his sentence, and this morning he received a call that he had a mission to go to the Northwest.
He glanced at the sky through the window, then began to tidy up everything on the table, picked up his bag and peaked cap, and headed out.
"Zhijun, I have a mission to go out."
"Director, I understand. I will take care of everything."
"Okay, let Tian Jun prepare the car."
"yes"
After speaking with Zhao Zhijun, he went to Ding Qiunan's place.
"Honey, we have a mission to go out on."
"Huh? Now?"
"Yes, I'll go home now to grab a couple of clothes and leave."
This wasn't the first or second time this had happened. Even though Ding Qiunan was extremely reluctant, there was nothing she could do, since this was her man's livelihood.
She got up and walked to her husband's side, helped him straighten the corsage on his collar, and then tiptoed to kiss his lips.
"Go ahead, I'll take care of things at home, don't worry."
"Okay, keep an eye on the boiler at home. If you need to add coal or anything, have Wenxuan come over."
"I see, isn't he the one doing all of this now?"
"Okay, then I'll be going."
Watching her husband walk out of the office, and as the office door slowly closed, Ding Qiunan slowly walked back behind her desk and plopped down in a chair.
She didn't see him off, and Li Chu didn't expect her to either; neither of them liked this kind of farewell.
Although the same thing happens often, she still feels a sense of loss.
With the departure of the male head of the household, the laughter in the courtyard seemed to have decreased significantly. The little rascal threw a tantrum for several days, crying whenever he thought of his grandfather. No one could calm him down. He would only stop crying when he was exhausted, and then he would start throwing another tantrum whenever he remembered his grandfather. It wasn't until a week later that he calmed down a bit.
Even so, I don't dare mention my grandfather in front of him, otherwise there will be another uproar.
Day after day, time flowed slowly until January 25, 1987, which was a Sunday.
Today is a day off. After lunch, the yard started getting busy.
Jiayuan also returned early this morning with her two children. Right now, she's in the kitchen with her mother and aunt, preparing things for the New Year.
There's a frying pan on this stove, used for deep-frying things. There are steaming bowls in a big pot on that stove, and stewed ribs in another pot. The aroma wafts out of the kitchen, and Jia Dong and Jia Yuan's children are almost drooling with envy.
Ding Qiunan scooped a few pieces of pork ribs out of the pot of stewed ribs, and stuffed them into the mouths of the three children without caring whether they were cooked or not. She then gave them two firecrackers before sending them off to play outside.
"Auntie, when is my uncle coming back? It'll be Chinese New Year in three days."
Ding Qiunan, who was kneading dough on the cutting board, suddenly slowed down her movements.
Yes, he's been gone for over a month, and New Year's Eve is in two days. Why hasn't he come back yet?
Li Qin, who was frying ribbonfish, patted her daughter on the back.
"You're such a grown man, why do you always bring up the most sensitive topics? Who knows exactly when your uncle will be back from his business trip? Why are you asking? Go out and get some coal."
As soon as Jia Yuan finished asking the question, she realized she had said the wrong thing. Sure enough, her mother slapped her on the back. Feeling better, she picked up the coal bucket from the ground and slipped out of the kitchen.
"Sister, it's okay. He's gotten used to it over the years. It's not like he's never spent a New Year away from home before."
"Sigh~ When will he stop disappearing like this on business trips? He could at least let his family know he's safe and sound, so we could feel more at ease."
Qiu Nan, if he retires at sixty, wouldn't there be fewer problems?
retire?
Ding Qiunan said with a wry smile, "Sister, we've actually talked about this before. In his own words, he said that retirement is out of the question, he'll never retire in his life. As long as he can still move, he could be called on for a mission at any time."
After listening to her younger brother and sister-in-law's words, Li Qin shook her head. If she had known it would turn out like this back then, she would have stopped her brother from joining that damn health care group. Wouldn't it have been better for him to be a doctor in peace and quiet?
"grandmother……"
"Hey, you're awake, you little rascal."
"Grandma, hug me."
Wang Yueyue stood at the kitchen door with her son, who had just woken up, in her arms. The little boy opened his arms and cried out for a hug.
"Qiu Nan's mom, you wash your hands and hold him, I'll knead the steamed buns."
"Okay, Wenxuan hasn't returned yet?"
"No, it seems that one of the cancer patients their research group has taken in has had some changes in his condition."
"Well, his father is still stuck in there, and now his son is in trouble too," Li Qin couldn't help but complain again.
Ding Qiunan and Wang Yueyue exchanged a smile, wondering what they could do.
“I’m telling you, Yueyue, Xingjian absolutely cannot be allowed to study medicine anymore. Our family can’t afford to ruin three generations of our family. I’ve heard Xiao Chu reciting that soup recipe to the child every day. What’s wrong with him? Does he have to throw the whole family into this before he’s satisfied?”
“Auntie, Father Chu didn’t teach Chou Bao that; he just recited it like a nursery rhyme.”
"Come on, I think he just wants to cultivate his talent from a young age."
Li Qin used a strainer to scoop the fried ribbonfish out of the pot and put them into a bowl, then started on the next batch.
"Grandma, fish~"
"Oh, you recognize this as a fish, darling? Do you want some?"
"eat"
"Okay, Grandma will peel a piece for you." Ding Qiunan picked up a piece from the fried food container, carried the child out of the kitchen, and sat down at the door.
The weather was nice today, and the sun felt warm on her skin. She carefully removed the meat, checked it carefully to make sure there were no more bones, and then put it into the child's mouth.
"Doggy, eat."
"Eat your food, you haven't eaten yet, you're already thinking about the dog."
This kid is generous; he always remembers the dogs when he has something good to eat and wants to share some with them. So whenever he eats something, the dogs like to be around him, hoping to get some treats in the process.
In the front yard, Li Qiaoyun, supported by her niece, slowly made her way over, her large pregnant belly protruding.
"Hey, what brings you here? Come sit down."
"I can't stand being indoors anymore, it's so stuffy."
"Grandma, fish!"
"Okay, sweetie, you eat."
Ding Qiunan always wants to laugh when she thinks about her grandson having an aunt who is even younger than him.
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