Before Jiang Qiao could even refuse, Lu Zhiyuan made his decision immediately.
Jiang Qiao really couldn't refuse. Just like Lu Zhiyuan said, this was a military zone, and someone like her probably wouldn't be allowed to go into the mountains.
She hadn't thought this through, and luckily Lu Zhiyuan was resting, otherwise, she would have made a wasted trip.
“Okay, Uncle, let’s do it together. These are gifts I brought for you. You’re not allowed to refuse. My friend happened to be here and gave me some things. I just picked out some that you need.”
She had looked around Lu Zhiyuan's house. The furniture was all very ordinary, probably provided by the military. The house was quite clean, and the size of the house seemed decent. It had three bedrooms, but it couldn't compare to her large courtyard and villa, though it was probably much better than other people's houses.
As Chai Qiuxia watched Jiang Qiao take things out, she started nagging, "You child, you can just come over, why are you taking things? You're still a child yourself, why are you so particular about etiquette? Your father has sent us quite a lot before."
When Chai Qiuxia saw what Jiang Qiao brought, she was a little dumbfounded. This child was too thoughtful. How did he know that her daughter-in-law was about to give birth? He actually brought them millet.
It probably weighs about ten pounds. Besides millet, there are eggs, meat products, and a small bucket of sesame oil. She can smell the aroma even without opening the container.
Even if they have some ability, they still need to ask for favors and find ways to get these things, and there's no guarantee they can get their hands on them.
Lu Zhiyuan was quite direct, slapping his thigh happily, "Old lady, Jiang Qiao has solved all the things you were worried about before. Oh my, little girl, how come you're so lovable? Why don't you just stay and be your uncle's daughter?"
Jiang Qiao looked up and smiled. "I bet my dad will definitely come after you, Second Uncle. I want to call my dad so we can leave later. I'm afraid he'll worry about me."
Lu Zhiyuan immediately picked up the phone and called Gu Zhengfeng.
"Zhengfeng, the child has come to my place. She's so adorable, I don't want her to leave. You rascal, I'm so envious of you."
When Gu Zhengfeng heard that the child had arrived at Lu Zhiyuan's house, he was finally relieved.
"There's no use being envious. That's my daughter. Hurry up and let Jiang Qiao answer the phone."
After a long conversation between father and daughter, Gu Zhengfeng felt he had a lot to say, but he didn't know where to begin. Both father and daughter knew that it was neither safe nor convenient to say certain things over the phone.
Jiang Qiao, on the other hand, was straightforward. "Dad, I'm doing fine now. I've met all the veterans in that courtyard. Grandpa and I are staying there temporarily, so don't worry. We'll bring our own food. Grandpa Qiao is going to treat their illnesses. I came to visit the veterans and help them gather herbs for bathing. I'm just worried that if I go back this time, I might not make it in time for the exam."
Hearing his daughter's words, Gu Zhengfeng knew that the matter had been settled, but what she said made him feel a little heartache.
"Girl, don't worry. If you don't take the exam this time, we can take it again next time. Just don't forget to study. Your uncle has been transferred to work at the prison in the county town. You can go see him when you get back. You and your grandpa Qiao should take good care of yourselves and go back as soon as possible. Everything is fine here. If anything happens, write to us. Give your uncle the phone number."
Gu Zhengfeng talked to Lu Zhiyuan on the phone for a while before hanging up.
Although Jiang Qiao didn't hear what her father said, she could roughly guess what it was about—he was worried about the three of them.
"Alright, let's go."
After going up the mountain behind the military base with Lu Zhiyuan and his wife, even Jiang Qiao couldn't help but exclaim, "You've run out of wild vegetables here too?"
Chai Qiuxia gave a bitter smile. "It's all the same. Our supplies are the same as the workers'. The families have many children, and these half-grown boys are eating their fathers out of house and home. We also cook with wild vegetables mixed in, but even so, there aren't enough wild vegetables..."
There are some things that Chai Qiuxia can't usually tell anyone, but with Jiang Qiao here, it's a good time to confide in her.
Jiang Qiao never expected this place to be like this; in short, life was not easy for her.
Lu Zhiyuan turned to his wife and said, "Why are you nagging the kids about this? Everyone's life is like this. The world is what it is. Just hang in there. How hard it can be compared to when we were fighting the war?"
"Come on, girl, tell your second uncle where you got all these things. You can't buy them anymore!"
Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "You definitely can't buy it through official channels, but you can always find a way to get it elsewhere. Don't forget, I came from the south. I traded the cured meat, sausages, and oil with someone, as did the millet. And the eggs? There's a black market for them."
With just this one sentence, Lu Zhiyuan understood everything, but even though he understood, he still looked at Jiang Qiao with a worried expression.
“Girl, you can’t go to that place again. They’re cracking down hard. Remember this. If you get caught by those people, it’ll be a big problem, and you’ll have a bad reputation that will affect you for the rest of your life.”
Jiang Qiao nodded. "Second Uncle, I didn't go out. It was my grandfather and the others who went out, but I'll let them know when I get back."
Jiang Qiao then changed the subject and asked about Lu Chen's situation.
Speaking of her grandson, Chai Qiuxia became excited. "Oh dear, when our Lu Chen came back, he praised you, his little aunt, saying that you saved all the good food for him. Sigh, with your sister-in-law around, the child didn't dare to say a word. Only after he came back did he tell us that he was very hungry. He couldn't even get enough to eat at his maternal grandmother's house, and his silly mother told him to bear with it. How could he bear it? How old is he? He should be eating and growing."
"Why are you saying all that? She's the child's maternal grandmother, and she's also his biological mother. You feel sorry for him, but his biological mother hasn't said anything yet. So stop nagging. People who don't know might think you don't like your daughter-in-law."
Chai Qiuxia sighed, "Who can I talk to? I can only talk to Qiao'er. I just think our grandson is so sensible. He's such a young child. When we tell him to be patient, he doesn't say a word. It's lucky that we met Qiao'er. Otherwise, who knows how long our grandson would have gone hungry."
Jiang Qiao could understand Chai Qiuxia's feelings. It's understandable for a grandmother to dote on her grandson. Grandparents love their grandchildren more than their grandchildren, that's just how it is.
"Second Aunt, it's alright, please continue, I'm listening."
Chai Qiuxia smiled and said, "Besides, I reckon your second uncle is going to scold me. Girl, let's hurry up and catch up."
The further they went in, the more herbs they found. After Jiang Qiao taught Lu Zhiyuan and his wife which herbs they were going to collect, the three of them split up to search. However, the distance between them was not far. Lu Zhiyuan was also worried about the children. Although people often came into this forest to set traps, he had never heard of any large prey. But he was always better off not doing anything that might happen.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com