Before they had finished eating, the sky began to brighten. Thinking of Cheng Rui, Jian Dan didn't leave and simply waited at the clinic.
Actually, she was more worried about the wolf she wasn't confident about than Cheng Rui. She was afraid that something might happen to it along the way, and she couldn't put her mind at ease unless she kept an eye on it herself.
These people originally came to a meeting to review this year's experiences and plan for next year. However, such a big mishap has occurred, so things will naturally not go as planned.
If it really is a coal mine with exploitable potential, then they will have leverage and initiative in some matters, and they will have confidence even when dealing with external parties. However, with such a big matter, the specific details are unclear, and not all personnel are available, so naturally, they cannot continue as planned.
After breakfast, Qin Qinghuai, who was in charge of the household, led a group of leaders to visit their biggest achievement of the winter: the vegetable greenhouses.
It was almost noon, and they still hadn't returned. News had arrived from the foot of the mountain.
"They're back! They're back! The commander and the others are back!"
"Oh, I'm finally back!"
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Not only her, but also the battalion commander and platoon leader in charge of guarding the camp knew about it and were almost all on guard here at the moment.
The family members are doing alright. Although they know there was an emergency mission and the commotion the day before, these kinds of missions happen all the time, and no one dared to spread the word. They don't know the specifics, and although they are curious, they are somewhat relieved. They are not greatly affected at the moment.
Unable to sit still, Jian Dan simply followed them out to greet them.
These people had reaped a great harvest. The people in front of them were all very proud and arrogant, each carrying a tied-up "zongzi" (a type of Chinese rice dumpling). They were all covered in bruises, with black eyes and swollen faces being the least of their worries.
Moreover, they didn't hear a single groan, so they guessed it wasn't a long journey and it wasn't close either, meaning they were indeed being tortured quite badly.
I glanced at it briefly and hissed.
"It looks painful!"
The people around them also grimaced.
"They really showed no mercy! To leave someone alive—what a terrible sin that would be!"
What does "leaving a breath" mean?
“Sister-in-law, we often encounter all sorts of bad people, especially the really bad ones, the ones that are so infuriating that we wish we could just shoot them, but we can’t do it because we have to consider this and that. So when we can’t stand it, we secretly vent our anger. The kind of people we leave alive is our way of making a living.”
We didn't use torture, and the person is still alive. Even the leaders won't make a big deal out of it. Actually, let me tell you, sister-in-law, there are some people that the leaders are most furious with, but they can't lay a hand on them. They don't want to stop us from doing anything."
Jian Dan roughly understood the situation; not everything is black and white, and there are certain things they need to be careful about given their attire.
Especially since this area is close to the border, it's even more complicated. It could easily involve diplomatic relations, and sometimes it's even a matter of trying to get away with something.
"Then you guessed right, none of these are good people."
As they spoke, Jian Dan also noticed the empty-eyed people surrounded behind them. These must be the auras from the cave ahead.
They went through the handover procedures, and she greeted Cheng Rui.
"How are you? Are you alright?"
Even though only one night had passed, the child gave him the feeling of being reborn.
"Go to the clinic for a checkup."
"No need, sis, I'm fine, these are just superficial injuries."
Cheng Rui didn't want to go, but seeing Jian Dan's insistence, he didn't resist and obediently followed, sharing quietly as he went.
"Something happened up there again. They found a lot of people in that cave, and a lot, a lot of dead people."
Uncle Lin and Grandpa Lin were both furious. Also, clues were found down in the coal mine. It seemed like Uncle Lin came back specifically to talk about that matter. He left half the people to guard it, and will send more people up in a few days after arrangements are made.
"Sister, I want to go up there and do something practical."
Now, even simple things require tilting your head back to make eye contact with the child.
"Have you thought this through? Staying up in the mountains means living a life of hardship, and besides, in my condition..."
She patted her slightly protruding belly.
“I definitely can’t be up there,”
"Don't worry, sister. I didn't just do it on a whim. Xiao An and I are almost eighteen. We can't just follow Qin Guan and Qin Heng around every day and do nothing but attend classes. They are still young, but we are not."
Xiao An and I had discussed it before, but we hadn't found a suitable one.
Sister, I'm serious, I want to give it a try.
My parents are here. No matter what, no matter who says it, we can't let people say that Cheng Zhuo, who has been a leader for half his life, and my mother, the famous Dr. Tang, have a good-for-nothing son.
Besides, you, your brother-in-law, your uncle, and your older brother are all here; you're all part of the Cheng family. There's no reason why you can all do it but we can't, is there?"
She still remembers that grinning boy who used to follow her around begging for treats, saying, "Sister, I want to eat meat." In the blink of an eye, he's grown into a strong and capable young man.
"Well done, that's spirited! You're a true brother!"
but,"
Upon reaching the door of the clinic, she changed the subject.
"You shouldn't ask me that. If you want your parents to be proud, then ask them yourself."
This is a rare opportunity for a family reunion. The old man and woman also want to have a proper meeting with their in-laws. Qin Qinghuai had Qin Yi inform Cheng Zhuo in the morning, and he is already at the clinic. The only one missing from the Cheng family is Cheng Chao.
Tang Sumei didn't have time to catch up with them. After exchanging a few words, she saw the wounded soldiers and the scantily clad women over there, and immediately kicked the father and son out.
"Get out of the way quickly, don't block the way."
"Xiao Dandan, this is your territory. Do you think you could get someone to find them some clothes or something? That's all,"
Just then, Commander Lin arrived, looking gloomy.
"Dr. Tang, it's fortunate that you're here, otherwise it would be inconvenient for a male doctor to be here."
"Sister-in-law, I can't take care of things here right now, so I'll have to trouble you. I'll leave Xiao Hu with you. Just tell him what to do, and if you need anything, just ask him to run errands for you. Find some family members to come and help."
Looking her over, Jian Dan didn't refuse. This kind of thing really needed a woman to do, and as a political commissar's wife, it was neither appropriate nor feasible for her to refuse.
"Commander, I have no problem with it, but with so many people involved, there's a lot of gossip. The commotion we made just now must have been witnessed by many family members. We can't hide it anymore, and I'm worried about the rumors they'll spread."
At this time, psychological problems shouldn't be a major concern, but since a group of people were captured on the mountain and brought back together, there would definitely be a lot of rumors. Even in later generations, such things could drive people crazy. Although it was said that feudalism and the Four Olds were being eliminated at this time, people's thinking was still very conservative, and they were not very tolerant of such things. A strange look or a strange word from an outsider could become the last straw that broke them.
"They're fine now, they've had a meal and a piece of clothing, and the doctor can heal their injuries. But what about their future? Do you have a plan?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
