The family gathering successfully achieved its purpose, and everyone gradually left the Ning family compound in the afternoon.
Ning Liangcai watched his family members leave, then turned to Ning Zhiheng and said, "When you come back this time, you still need to visit Director Chen's house. Director Chen was very grateful to the two human traffickers you sent back last time. He mentioned them to me several times. When you return to Hangzhou, you must thank him in person. We have benefited a lot from this in the past six months, and we can't let this friendship be damaged!"
Ning Liangcai was very grateful to Chen Guangran. The two families had been very close and got along very well over the past six months, so he naturally had to remind Ning Zhiheng.
Ning Zhiheng said with a smile, "Don't worry, I will pay a visit tomorrow to thank him in person. This friendship cannot be broken. Director Chen also has connections and won't stay here for too long. Our two families will have plenty of time to keep in touch in the future."
The next day, Ning Zhiheng visited Chen Guangran, the director of the Hangzhou Public Works Bureau, with gifts. Chen Guangran was overjoyed by Ning Zhiheng's visit.
Ning Zhiheng was the savior of his only daughter. Afterwards, he even went out of his way to deliver the human traffickers who had kidnapped his daughter to him. That very night, he personally led a group of people to drown the two human traffickers in the river.
He personally greeted Ning Zhiheng and invited him into his study. The two sat down and had a long talk, finding the conversation very congenial.
During this time, Ning Zhiheng mentioned that the Ning family had moved west to Chongqing. Chen Guangran was not surprised at all. It was clear that he had been prepared for this, but he had not yet told Ning Liangcai. He did not expect that the Ning family had assessed the situation and done their work in advance, getting ahead of him.
Ning Zhiheng's daughter, Xiao Wan, also ran out to meet him. When he saw Xiao Wan again, the little girl was obviously lively and cute. It seemed that the calamity six months ago had not caused her too much harm.
Xiao Wan was quite close to Ning Zhiheng, holding his hand tightly for a long time without letting go. Ning Zhiheng then took out the gifts from Liu Datong's family, which warmed the hearts of Chen Guangran's family and moved them deeply.
After leaving Chen Guangran's house, Ning Zhiheng did not go home. Instead, he turned around several blocks and came to the entrance of an alley in the south of the city.
He gestured to Sun Jiacheng and the others behind him not to follow, and then walked into the alley carrying some gifts.
He knew the way well and arrived at a house, knocking on the door. A moment later, the door opened, and a boy of about sixteen or seventeen peeked out. Seeing Ning Zhiheng standing in the doorway, his eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Brother Zhiheng, what brings you here? Come in!"
As the boy ushered Ning Zhiheng into the courtyard, he shouted loudly into the house, "Father, Mother! It's Brother Zhiheng! Come out quickly!"
This family was another important matter for Ning Zhiheng on his trip back to Hangzhou. He had to bring his classmate and good friend Miao Yongyi's family with him; he couldn't leave them behind in the city.
This boy is Miao Yongliang, Miao Yongyi's younger brother. Ning Zhiheng often went to Miao Yongyi's house to play when he was in school, so he was very familiar with the Miao family.
Miao Yongyi's parents quickly walked out of the house. Miao Yongyi's father, Miao Jingshan, looked at Ning Zhiheng and immediately greeted him with a smile.
"It's Zhiheng. You haven't been here for half a year. What brings you here today?" Miao Jingshan said with a smile. The last time was after Ning Zhiheng joined the Military Intelligence Investigation Department. He had returned to his hometown to visit relatives and made a special trip to see him.
“I’m back this time because I have some things to take care of at home. Uncle, has Yongyi written back?” Ning Zhiheng asked. He had written a letter to Miao Yongyi some time ago, but for some reason, Miao Yongyi had not replied.
Because it was using military channels, the delivery of letters was more secure than through civilian channels, and they were unlikely to get lost. This made Ning Zhiheng a little worried, but he had been too busy lately to check.
Unexpectedly, the Japanese investigation team's actions brought forward the relocation to Chongqing. He didn't have time to contact Miao Yongyi again, so he simply went to Miao Yongyi's door this time and decided to take him away first and then contact Miao Yongyi later.
"There was only one letter from six months ago; we haven't received any other letters." Miao Jingshan was also somewhat worried about his son's safety in the army. In this day and age, who can say for sure what will happen to someone who is paid to serve in the military?
Ning Zhiheng immediately understood. He had been prepared for this. Miao Jingshan was just a carpenter from a low social class and wouldn't care about the changes in the Sino-Japanese situation. They were just ordinary people, guarding their homes and working hard to earn a living. If he directly asked them to leave Hangzhou for Chongqing, they would definitely not agree.
Ning Zhiheng then pulled a letter out of his pocket and said with a smile, "The military garrisons are frequently rotated, so it's normal that sometimes letters don't get delivered. But he wrote me a letter a while ago, let me read it to you?"
Of course, Miao Jingshan and his wife listened. They were also worried about their child. The letter in Ning Zhiheng's hand was obviously forged by him; it was just a means to trick the Miao family into going to Chongqing with him.
After Ning Zhiheng finished reading the letter, Miao Jingshan and his wife exchanged a glance and asked hesitantly, "You said Yongyi asked you to take us to Chongqing and reunite with him? How far away is that?"
“Yes, actually, the reason I’m going back to my hometown this time is because my whole family is moving to Chongqing. It’s a good opportunity to bring your family along. This is the allowance that Yongyi asked me to pass on to you. I’ve already bought your boat tickets. We’ll be leaving in six days. You’ll see Yongyi soon when we get to Chongqing. You can pack your things these next few days, and I’ll come pick you up.” Ning Zhiheng finished speaking in one breath, then took out a stack of Chinese currency and stuffed it into Miao Jingshan’s arms. It wasn’t that he was reluctant to part with pounds and dollars, but given Miao Jingshan and his wife’s limited knowledge, they didn’t recognize these foreign currencies at all, let alone know how to use them.
Seeing that Miao Yongyi and his wife were still hesitant and clearly unable to accept the news, Ning Zhiheng spent half a day persuading them to accept it.
To be honest, if the couple still didn't agree, he would have no choice but to tie them up and put them on the boat, just like his uncle's family. He did things entirely according to his own will and wouldn't hesitate for a moment!
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