The one who probably least wanted to leave was Ma Liu. Jiang Qiao and Qiao Jie both wanted to go back and check on things, since they didn't know what was going on with Gu Hanting and the others. Qiao'er hadn't left that much food, and no one expected that they would be gone for more than half a year. The two of them were worried that the three of them would starve to death.
Ma Liu wanted to stay here longer and grab some good deals. Now was the perfect opportunity. Things that used to be very valuable could now be bought for just a few cents or dollars. It was practically free.
When the three of them met, Qiao Jie and Jiang Qiao were not too keen on him staying.
"Big brother, Jiang Qiao, I won't stay too long. I need to have a good look around here. I'm afraid I might miss this opportunity. Don't worry, I'll stay here. If anything happens, Erping and the others will take care of me. Besides, I'm planning to train those kids. If I leave, it would be good for them to help me pack up."
However, girl, you still need to lend a hand—"
Jiang Qiao said helplessly, "Support is no problem, Grandpa Liu, but you've thought it through. This place isn't what it used to be like when you were at your peak. Be careful and don't be too greedy. There are plenty of good things in the world. You should give others a chance. Just stay here for a while and have some fun."
Jiang Qiao not only gave Ma Liu a stack of money, but also a stack of remittance certificates. Upon seeing this, Ma Liu immediately beamed with joy, "You little rascal, you actually have this stuff. You're really good at shrewd business."
Jiang Qiao sighed, "There's nothing I can do. I have a capable friend, so I can still benefit from his influence."
Grandpa Liu, you should understand how to spend this money. Remember what I just said, and come back soon.
Ma Liu nodded. "Girl, don't worry. I've lived to this age, how could I not understand? You can go on your way without worry. I'll go back in a few days."
Jiang Qiao called Lu Zhiyuan to tell him she was leaving. Lu Zhiyuan told Jiang Qiao to go to the train station to find him, as he had already made arrangements.
Lu Zhiyuan put down the phone, feeling a little melancholy. He had heard about what Jiang Qiao had done for those children and veterans. The child was a good child, but it was a pity that since the child came, he and his wife hadn't been able to treat the child to a proper meal. It was always the child who treated them to meals.
Feeling uneasy, she immediately made a phone call to Gu Zhengfeng.
Hearing his second brother's nagging, Gu Zhengfeng could only laugh helplessly on the other end of the phone.
"Comrade Lu, you're being too polite. The child calls you 'Uncle,' which means she doesn't consider you outsiders. Besides, she's just following her heart. We adults can just watch from the sidelines. As long as the child doesn't go astray, everything else is negotiable. If you feel bad, just treat the child to a nice meal next time, and everything will be fine..."
There were some things Lu Zhiyuan couldn't say over the phone. He only mentioned the things he felt bad about, then hung up and wrote a letter to his second brother.
Gu Zhengfeng never dreamed that his daughter would do something so significant in the capital.
Knowing that their daughter had gone back, they quickly told their wife that they really didn't want their child to stay in that place any longer, because they were worried that she might accidentally offend someone she shouldn't have, and it would be better for her to leave.
When Wen Jingwan heard that her daughter had gone back, she felt relieved. "It's good that she went back. Qiao'er should go to school now, otherwise her studies will be neglected. Children should focus on their studies now. I'll send her some money later. After going around in circles, I guess my pockets are empty. I need to mail her some things."
Watching his wife busy herself, Gu Zhengfeng shook his head helplessly. There were some things he really couldn't tell his wife.
He estimated that his daughter had plenty of food and clothing, and as for money, he thought she probably didn't lack it either. However, this was a token of their love as parents, and by sending it, their daughter would have a better excuse for doing things in the future.
"Hey, remember to mail all of my brother's clothes. I wonder how he's doing over there. Sigh, I'm starting to worry about him."
He had spent ten years in prison, cut off from the outside world for ten years, and he worried that Gu Zhengkai would not be able to integrate into society.
Thinking about the condition of the crops in the fields today, Gu Zhengfeng couldn't help but sigh again.
As Wen Jingwan packed her clothes, she looked up and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you sighing?"
Gu Zhengfeng gave a wry smile. "Does your clinic still have hawthorn pills?"
Wen Jingwan paused, lowered her head and sighed, "It's gone, it's long gone. We've already applied, but it hasn't arrived yet. We're probably all short of it. The children are counting on this to supplement their nutrition. I heard the situation is even worse for the families. It seems there's no hope for the autumn harvest. I hope other crops will be plentiful, otherwise, how are we all supposed to survive?"
Not only in the family quarters, but even in their own home, the food that Jiang Qiao left for them was taken by Gu Zhengfeng to make meals for the sick.
They, the adults, could manage, but what about the children? Even Wen Jingwan was starting to worry.
"Zhengfeng, do you think Dad and the children can hold on? If I had known this would happen, I would have left some for Dad and the children and mailed it to them."
Gu Zhengfeng was uncertain. His father's letters had always said things were fine, but his child had been gone for so long that he didn't have much stock left, let alone his father's.
He hopes his daughter can quickly replenish the family's food supplies when she gets back. The old man is getting on in years, and his two nephews are still young and need nutrition. He really doesn't want to see anything else happen to the family.
"Let's hope so. There's nothing we can do for now. You saw what's being sold in the store—"
Wen Jingwan was well aware that the food was usually empty. Even if there was some, it was food substitutes, made from the leaves, stalks, and roots of rice, wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, corn husks, corn cobs, rice husks, and the leaves, stems, and roots of tuber crops. Even so, it was limited.
Those things, at best, just make you feel full; they don't offer any nutritional value whatsoever.
She was worried precisely because she knew this; in reality, their situation wasn't much better than the one outside.
Gu Zhengfeng looked at his wife's sallow face with her brows furrowed and her eyes sunken. He felt a little guilty. If he hadn't emptied the house of everything, his wife might have been able to eat better. After all, the baby was well taken care of.
"Jingwan, will you resent me?"
Wen Jingwan looked up at her husband, then smiled gently, "What do I resent you for? I also took out the red dates from home. We are both soldiers, and our hearts are the same. I can't bear to see those patients lose their lives because of this."
Don't feel guilty, just hurry up and mail my things.
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