After returning to the hospital after the meal, An Moxue gained a new level of understanding of the warmth and hospitality of the people from the North.
An Moxue thought that it was enough that the enthusiastic older women had spontaneously organized to find the hospital and the police, but she didn't expect that soon after she returned to the ward, waves of people kept coming over, mostly to thank her for the candy and bring her their return gifts. Some brought eggs, some brought fruit, some brought a handful of candy, some brought canned goods, and some brought money. You couldn't refuse them; you weren't allowed to refuse.
The chorus of food deliveries continued from afternoon until evening. You might think it would end after dinner, but no, it was just the beginning. The constant stream of food deliveries truly gave her a taste of sweet trouble.
She didn't know their names, and they didn't give her their names either, as if it were just an ordinary thing, not worth mentioning, and that it was only right to do so.
An Moxue felt as if she were surrounded by warm sunshine. It was at this moment that a rudimentary idea sprouted in her mind: if the situation improved in the future, she wanted to do something for these people and this land, to pass on this sincerity, just like her ancestors, who were willing to give their lives to protect this land.
The torch is passed down from generation to generation, and life continues endlessly.
The next day, An Moxue bought a lot of food—short cakes, baked cakes, and fried dough twists—just in time for the supply and marketing cooperative to open. She carried them back to the hospital as return gifts, because food was so precious these days, and she couldn't just take it for granted.
Today is the fourth day of her hospitalization. At mealtimes, people still bring her food. An Moxue tries her best to remember what they look like and then gives them a return gift.
"If you don't want mine, I won't want yours either." Helpless, the person delivering the gifts had no choice but to leave with the gifts from An Moxue.
In the morning, An Moxue was getting an injection and chatting with the family member in the bed opposite her when she looked up and saw Director Li and a soldier walking in. The soldier was carrying something in his hand.
She quickly stood up and greeted the two men, "Hello, Director Li, Uncle Zhang, what brings you here?"
"Mo Xue, sit down quickly, be careful not to heal too much," Zhang Jing said as he saw her stand up.
Director Li also said, "No need to get up, sit down quickly." The two walked to An Moxue's bedside as they talked.
Zhang Jing put down his things with one hand and pressed An Moxue down with the other, saying, "Sit down. How are your injuries? You made it sound so casual on the phone, I actually believed you." Then he sat down next to An Moxue and gestured for Director Li to sit on the stool next to him.
"Uncle Zhang, it's much better now. It's just superficial wounds, nothing serious."
“This is how children of soldiers should be. I reported your situation to the commander, and he was very worried, so he sent me here to assist with this case.”
"Uncle Zhang, please be sure to tell the leader that I'm fine and don't need to worry. The people here are also very kind; they've all given me a lot of help."
"How much longer do you have to play? Let's find a quiet place to have a proper talk."
"Only the contents of the bottle are left; it will be ready in a few minutes."
"Let's talk about what happens after we get here."
"Uncle Zhang, so many interesting things have happened since I got here. Let me tell you slowly. I didn't realize how vast the mountains were, and how abundant the produce was. I even picked a lot of mountain goods, some of which are still drying. I plan to mail them to you after they're dry. Now that you're here, you can take them with you when you leave, so I can save on postage. Please help me distribute them to everyone when you get back. I also experienced firsthand how hard farming is, and I even discovered enemy agents and a radio station." An Moxue lowered her voice considerably as she said this, covering her mouth with her hand and leaning slightly towards Zhang Jing. "Uncle Zhang, aren't I amazing? My parents will be so proud of me. Don't you think so?"
"Yes," Zhang Jing answered with unusual firmness.
An Moxue glanced at the medicine bottle, told the family member in the opposite bed, and asked her to call the nurse to remove the needle. The nurse arrived quickly, removed the needle, and An Moxue put away the things Zhang Jing had brought. The three of them walked out of the hospital together and went to the county guesthouse.
In a guest room at the county guesthouse, Director Li reported on the case's progress: "Currently, Wang Hai, Li Dong, and Yu Hui all agree that Jiang Shi gave them the order, and they know nothing else. Furthermore, the investigation hasn't revealed anything unusual about the three. Jiang Shi hasn't been caught yet, but we have leads. The compensation you mentioned for the three has already been paid—two hundred each. Considering the large amount, you can collect it from the bureau after you're discharged from the hospital. Jiang Shi's family denies it; we'll have to wait until Jiang Shi is caught. So far, we haven't caught Jiang Shi and we don't know why they're arresting you. The film studio hasn't found anything obvious; they might have been misled by their statements."
"Mo Xue, after you told me about the human traffickers at the train station, I checked and found that these two people are missing. They went to a reclamation farm on the edge of the Great Northern Wilderness and disappeared. The farm said that the people encountered wild wolves while clearing the land and were torn apart by the wolves. But that area is adjacent to primeval forests, and going there would cross the border. This still needs further investigation. I'm sure these two people are not simple. You must be more careful in the future."
"Do you have anything to add?" Zhang Jing asked.
"Yes, Uncle Zhang, there were two people I felt were suspicious in Kyoto. Back then, I mentioned being targeted by six or seven young men, and two of them were the most suspicious. One was a bespectacled, well-mannered high school graduate with glasses and a pen, and the other was a burly, square-faced man over 1.8 meters tall—the kind of man everyone wants for a son-in-law these days, like they were made just for me. During that time, I would inevitably run into them whenever I went out, and I never spoke to them. I would quickly avoid them whenever I saw them, but the neighbors thought I knew them well. Some even asked if I was dating someone. I had no choice but to go to the countryside. Not long after I went to the countryside, I saw them in the county..." I saw him again in the county town a while ago; he was with a fellow educated youth from our village named Qu Bing. They went to the home of a man who worked at a film studio. A few days later, our village went to see a movie, and I was arrested. I asked the village head, and he said that usually the village would search several times before showing movies in the countryside, and the time was always later. This time, the film studio went to the village to inquire, which is the biggest suspicious point. My biggest question is why they arrested me. Back in Beijing, I thought these people were after my family's house, but now it seems that's not the case. But my parents never talk about work when they come home, and I can't think of anything else.”
“Indeed, the most difficult thing is not knowing the reason. For now, you can only be more careful,” Zhang Jing said.
"Director Li, do you have any ideas?" An Moxue asked.
“Both Wang Hai and Jiang Shi are retired personnel, which could potentially involve active-duty military personnel. But we haven’t caught him and we don’t have any other leads. I will reinvestigate the film studio lead.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com