"Brother, what brings you here? Shouldn't you be very busy?"
"It's nothing, I'm fine. Someone saw you just now. Are you worried about those two kids?"
Judging by the weight of her basket, she must have been carrying things for them again, so I simply changed the subject.
"Don't worry, they've gone out on patrol. They're with Xiao Wu and the others, so there's no danger."
I asked them, and they were willing. It's good for the little guy to get some exercise.
Don't spoil them too much.
The topic then shifted to the two children; Jian Dan didn't think about anything else.
"Will I be able to see them in a little while?"
Cheng Chao had no choice.
"Their class still has several hours to go, are you still waiting here?"
Waiting is probably not an option; she'll likely have to go back with the village's oxcart.
I glanced back briefly and saw that the oxcarts over there were mostly empty. Liu Jianshe was talking to the person in charge, and it would probably be over soon.
"Alright, since you're here, you can't just ignore them. This basket is full of dry food. You can heat it up or steam it later and eat it."
Leave some for the children.
Cheng Chao, carrying the basket on his back, was both amused and exasperated.
"Are you worried I'll swallow the child's food or something?"
Jian Dan wasn't in the mood for jokes either, and before leaving, she gave Cheng Chao some instructions.
"Come find me if you need anything. If not, send the child back. Got it?"
"I know, I know,"
Cheng Chao was somewhat helpless; he was so worried about him that he had to repeat himself several times.
"Don't worry, just stay home and don't worry about anything outside. I'll make time to come see you."
"Don't act impulsively no matter what happens. If it's really urgent, have Dongfang come find me; he knows how to get there."
"I,"
I was conflicted the whole way, and this scene really shocked me. My mind was in turmoil, and I was hesitant to say anything.
Seeing this, Ling Weidong seemed hesitant, but then spoke up decisively.
"Brother Chao, we need to go to the post office. You guys chat for a bit, we'll come back and meet up with Jian Dan when we're about to leave."
Cheng Chao glanced at them, nodded, and watched the three people walk away before suddenly asking a question.
"Does he have feelings for you?"
"ah?"
I was taken aback; I hadn't expected the topic to jump so far.
"No, right?"
Mingzhu and the others had told her about it before, but she hadn't paid any attention. Ling Weidong hadn't done anything out of line for so long, so she had completely forgotten about it.
Besides, she really didn't have that idea.
Cheng Chao asked her a question, and seeing that she didn't seem shy or embarrassed, he knew what was going on.
Seeing that no one was around, they then changed the subject.
"What are you thinking? What are you trying to create?"
This was probably the most straightforward thing Cheng Chao had said since the two of them had both come to realize the truth.
"Tell me, what are your thoughts?"
After a brief pause, seeing that Cheng Chao clearly didn't intend to delve into the matter, she mentally sorted things out.
"I don't have much to think about, but you don't have enough supplies here. What will you do after these few days?"
"And I heard you're recruiting again. I remember Uncle Lin mentioning last time that you don't have enough food, and that military supplies haven't arrived in a long time. What are your plans?"
It wasn't exactly a secret, and without much thought, I just asked.
"Also, what are you going to do with these people? Are you just going to keep them like this?"
It's not even Chinese New Year yet, and there's still a month until spring. With so much time, even more people might come. Are you just going to keep feeding them like this?
I just saw someone bend down to pick up a grain of rice from the ground, and I thought, what do you think he must be feeling? His parents and children are with him. Do you think he feels useless?
Cheng Chao wasn't stupid; he instantly understood the meaning of "simple." However, after thinking it over, he realized that winter in Northeast China was a time for hibernation. Even in the countryside, people were mostly doing routine chores. With the ground frozen solid, there was simply no way to stretch out their hands for other work.
"I understand what you mean, but what can we do right now?"
Let me think about it!
When asked to put it simply, Cheng Chao's first thought was that the gold mine on the mountain needed people and needed to be kept secret. However, this season was really not an option. In the coldest days of winter in Northeast China, the temperature drops to minus thirty or forty degrees Celsius, making it a difficult task even on the mountain.
"Sigh, it's just that the weather is so bad that we can't even dig the ground. Otherwise, they would really be the most suitable people."
Blinking, Jian Dan understood his implication. She wasn't in a hurry; the things were in her hands, and she could decide when and where to put them.
"I don't understand this. Whether it's safe to dig or not, you'll have to ask someone knowledgeable."
Besides, even if you were to dig, you can't just start right away; preparations take time.
In just over a month, they've been so idle, it's easy for them to get into trouble, right?
However, this is not something I should worry about; you can figure it out yourselves.
Seeing that the oxcart had finished unloading and was leaving, Ling Weidong and his group appeared over there.
"You can decide for yourself. I'm going back now. By the way, brother, I heard from Sister Mingzhu that your military region has a certain degree of autonomy here. Is that true?"
"Yes, this is a special policy for the border troops. It was specifically set up when the border was established, mainly because the area was too poor at the time, and the higher authorities couldn't provide enough resources to support its development. That's why this policy was created."
Of course, this must be done without violating national policies.
Cheng Chao's mind was also racing. These past few days, he and the others had been thinking about this issue. Since it was supposed to be self-governing, and the higher-ups were becoming increasingly perfunctory, they had no choice but to find a way to save themselves.
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