Over the next three days, Xiao Jiu shuttled back and forth between the military hospital, the People's Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital, and the Cancer Hospital.
Even Zhou Shengnan couldn't find her. Finally, in the middle of the night on the third day, she ended her responsibilities and obligations for this trip.
On the fourth day, I went back to the military hospital to pack up before the end of the trip. By the time I left the hospital, it was already dark.
But she only went back to her dormitory once, and when she came out again, there was an unlicensed Jeep.
Although driving at night would be tough, she didn't hesitate and drove onto the national highway with a map in hand.
Even in 1980, the national highways were not connected throughout the entire province, and the provincial capital was built in sections, and streetlights could not be kept on all night.
That night, she drove slowly, stopping frequently. Especially since it was close to the Qingming Festival and there was a lot of rain, it was better on the national highway. But once she left the national highway, it was all bumpy, muddy roads. Luckily, her Jeep was sturdy. The only downside was that the shock absorption wasn't very good, and the bumps made her throw up all the food she had eaten during the day.
Fortunately, after driving for three or four hours, she finally arrived at Donghua Town, where they lived.
She put the car into her spatial storage and checked the time; it was already past midnight. Taking advantage of the double time in the space, she rested for almost ten hours.
Just as dawn was breaking, they abandoned the mud-covered jeep and drove out in a truck with a dump bed.
It's still a jeep, but it has a dump bed in the back and two rows of seats in the front, seating three to five people. It's a popular jeep on farms abroad.
The car she got was brand new; the prominent markings had already been melted down before it was even used.
This vehicle is perfect for driving in rural areas; it can be used to transport agricultural products.
Unfortunately, no one in their family farms anymore, so they can't give the crops away.
The reason she chose this type of vehicle was because she had filled the truck bed with gifts to distribute to the villagers.
One of the gifts given to the elderly was 200 jin of millet, which is good for the stomach.
The children received two large boxes of fruit hard candy, weighing a full 100 pounds.
Loose cigarettes that have been rolled by the cigarette factory but haven't been boxed yet.
However, this stuff shouldn't be kept in excess, otherwise it will lose its value.
So even though it's only ten jin, the quantity is still quite astonishing.
There was also a box of silk scarves in various colors and styles; she had no idea how many there were.
Finally, there were six boxes of labor protection supplies, such as straw hats, raincoats, rubber shoes, towels, and cotton gloves, which were donated to the production team.
Not only did these things fill up the rear tipper, but she also specially used tarpaulins and ropes to tie them up and cover them up.
I haven't been back for many years, and I didn't expect that a state-run restaurant had opened in the town, one of which even sells mutton soup.
Xiao Jiu sat down with great interest and ordered a bowl of mutton soup and a plate of shredded flatbread, which cost only three mao (0.3 yuan) in total, plus two liang (0.5 liters) of meat coupons and two liang (0.5 liters) of grain coupons.
Not content with just eating and drinking his own fill, he also brought his parents a bowl of mutton offal soup worth one yuan, plus a pound of meat and two pounds of shredded flatbread.
She served it directly from a brand new pot, which still surprised the diners at the mutton soup restaurant, even though there weren't many people there in the morning.
Only after watching her get into the car did he say with an envious look on his face.
"This must be food for the road. I never expected someone who looks so young and beautiful to be a truck driver."
The car she drives doesn't seem to be common around here. Could she have come from the south?
It has to be said, truck drivers are really well-treated. Look at them, driving every day, yet they're so well-maintained.
Once in the car, Xiao Jiu moved the food to a storage space to prevent it from spilling on the way.
Around six or seven o'clock, the hardworking farmers were already up, some sweeping the streets, some going out for a stroll, and some cooking.
Only when they heard the sound of a car engine outside did they curiously run out of their homes or stand still to watch.
After entering the village, Xiaojiu drove relatively slowly. She wasn't familiar with the people from other teams, but as soon as she turned into a street corner she knew, she would stop the car with a smile and greet them.
Although time has left its mark on everyone's face, it is easy to match the face with the one in your memory.
In those days, people with ten thousand yuan had not yet appeared, but she, a fair-skinned and beautiful young woman, drove into the village and greeted everyone she knew with a smile.
"Good morning, Aunt Cao," Xiao Jiu said, peeking out when she saw the other woman staring at her blankly.
"Auntie, look, it's me, Xiao Jiu, I'm back!"
The woman named Aunt Cao was strolling around the doorway with her grandson in her arms. She was a little confused when she heard Xiao Jiu's greeting. After she introduced herself, her expressive face made Xiao Jiu both laugh and cry. Her loud voice, which she remembered, suddenly rang out in the street.
"Oh my god, are you the youngest daughter of the Tao family? You're back!"
As he spoke, he looked at her car with a face full of envy.
"You've made something of yourself, Xiao Jiu! I knew you couldn't possibly abandon your parents. Such a promising child, entrusted to the country, would never do something so worthless. So, where have you been all these years? Why haven't you contacted your family? Are you married? Do you have children?"
Xiao Jiu smiled politely as he listened to Aunt Cao's barrage of questions.
"We got married during the Chinese New Year. In previous years, I was on a mission and couldn't come back."
Although she wasn't wearing her military uniform today, her words and actions radiated an indescribable brilliance, making it easy for people to believe her words.
"Auntie, I'm going home now. Come visit sometime. I drove all night and my legs are a little numb, so I won't get out of the car yet."
It's not that she doesn't want to get off the bus, it's that she's afraid that if she gets off, she'll never reach the end of the road. If someone greets you, can you not respond?
She only chatted briefly with a few talkative and friendly-looking people, while driving past those who had no connection with her family without even glancing at them.
Tao Changyi was sweeping the ground at the gate when he saw his daughter driving into the village from afar, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"This little rabbit girl is back to show off," they said, so that those jealous bastards wouldn't gossip about them behind their backs every day.
Damn it, they're not afraid of getting sores on their mouths, they're rotten-hearted bastards, they just can't stand you living a better life than them.
When Xiao Jiu parked the car steadily on the side of the road between the Tao family's house and the Tang family's house in the front residence, quite a few people had already followed to watch the excitement.
However, Tao Changyi simply looked up at Tao Tao calmly and asked, "Finished with work?"
"Yes, I'm done with work. But your son-in-law went on a business trip south and won't be coming back to the Northeast with me this time. I booked a flight for the day after tomorrow."
The father and daughter's conversation prompted an old man nearby to chime in.
"Old Tao, your youngest daughter is married? How come I didn't tell you? You two are really good at keeping this a secret!"
Tao Changyi couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"What secret? You're just like me, the peppercorn expert. Your daughter's already married, and you didn't even invite us?"
"Isn't that right?" A voice suddenly rang out, and Xiao Jiu's gaze sharpened as she looked over.
Wow, the third branch of the Zhou family!
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