Chapter 46 Explanation

The corridors of the inpatient department are always quieter. Even when going up several stairs, you can only hear the rhythmic footsteps of two people.

Qi Huaiwen couldn't help but glance at Lin Qiao, "Who was that just now?"

Actually, he had met Ji Duo once. That was when Li Xiaoqiu's mother came to visit Li Xiaoqiu and Ji Duo helped Lin Qiao deliver liquid soap to the school.

It was just that Ji Duo didn't get out of the car at that time, and he was far away. It was only when they were downstairs that they met face to face for the first time.

To be honest, his aura is very strong, even without the epaulettes, you can tell that he is of high rank. Compared to his aura, his equally superior appearance is not so noticeable. Instead, Lin Qiao's attitude towards him seems very friendly, and he calls him "Captain Ji".

Lin Qiao turned his head when he heard the voice and found that the young man was looking at the ground with his peach blossom eyes coldly, as if he was just asking casually.

But he had been very silent all this time. The last word and this sentence were the two rare times he took the initiative to speak.

Lin Qiao also knew that he was going to meet Vice Principal Qi, so he must be upset. He simply followed his words and said something else to him, "That's your master's wife."

The title of "Master's Wife" probably has nothing to do with Ji Duo.

Qi Huaiwen paused for a moment. "Why is he here? Is someone in your family sick?"

This sentence did reveal some concern, but he still didn't look at Lin Qiao. Lin Qiao just smiled and said, "Who knows? I'll ask him when I get back."

Doesn’t the teacher know?

This time the boy finally turned his gaze away, his eyes filled with surprise.

Lin Qiao, relying on the fact that he was on a higher step, reached out and patted his head, "Okay, we're almost there, talk nicely later, no one is asking you to forgive him."

This obvious gesture of an elder comforting a younger person made the boy stop talking. He lowered his head and turned into the corridor with her.

Vice Principal Qi was staying in a common ward, with four beds placed side by side in one room. He was in the middle bed, on the outer side, with elderly people older than him on both sides. An older sister who came to take care of him filled a bottle of water for him and placed it next to the bedside table. "Where are your family members? Why are you hospitalized by yourself?"

Vice Principal Qi smiled gently and thanked the other party. "It was just transferred to another hospital for examination. It was nothing serious, so I didn't tell my family."

After he finished speaking, he saw Lin Qiao and Qi Huaiwen at the door and was stunned.

After not seeing each other for a few days, both the father and son had become thinner. Although they were facing each other across half of the ward, it seemed as if there was an infinite invisible distance between them.

One of them was worried and guilty, not knowing how to say something, while the other was so stubborn that he didn't even want to say it, and they were speechless. Lin Qiao looked normal, and walked in with a smile, "I heard that you were transferred to the military headquarters, so Qi Huaiwen and I came to see you."

There were so many people in the ward that some things were difficult to say. Vice Principal Qi quickly responded, "I'm fine, I just came for a checkup."

As he spoke, his eyes couldn't stop looking at Qi Huaiwen.

Lin Qiao saw this and said, "Then I'll go borrow a wheelchair and push you out to get some fresh air. I think the weather outside is pretty good."

"No, I can walk by myself." Vice Principal Qi was about to get out of bed, but Qi Huaiwen had already turned around and left. "I'll go borrow some."

Soon a wheelchair was borrowed from the nurses' station. Lin Qiao helped the man onto it, but she did not follow. After sending the father and son out of the ward, she stopped and said, "I'll ask the doctor if there are any more tests to be done."

Qi Huaiwen looked at her, and she gave him an encouraging and soothing smile in return. The boy then lowered his eyes and pushed the wheelchair in front of him.

After a while, the sound of wheels rolling over the ground finally stopped by the window at the end of the corridor.

As dusk fell, the lights in the hospital corridor were turned on, reflecting the two figures on the window glass. In the dim light, they seemed very similar, yet there seemed to be some differences.

Vice Principal Qi didn't look back, "I am sorry for you and your mother."

"It was Teacher Lin who asked me to come back."

The father and son spoke almost at the same time, and when their eyes met on the window glass, they fell into a longer silence.

On the other hand, Lin Qiao actually went to ask about Vice Principal Qi's situation.

In the end, I just couldn't let go of my worries and couldn't sleep for night after night. A normal person couldn't stand it, let alone a heart patient.

But things have developed to this point today, and Vice President Qi must bear full responsibility. There is no way Lin Qiao can persuade Qi Huaiwen for him.

After asking the question, I just came out of the office and saw a familiar figure standing at the nurse's station.

This is strange. It can't be such a coincidence that Captain Ji is also going to this floor, right?

Lin Qiao stood there without moving, and heard the man ask the nurse: "Just now there was a female comrade, so tall, with a small mole at the end of her eye, do you know which ward she went to?"

He actually came to find her?

Ji Duo had just come down from the stairs. After sending Su Zheng to Mr. Gu's ward, he immediately came to find Lin Qiao.

Although Su Zheng was a bit exaggerated, saying "you're done" as soon as he opened his mouth, he was right in one point. He left in a hurry and didn't tell Lin Qiao many things in detail. After returning, he didn't go home first, and was suddenly bumped into by Lin Qiao here.

Yes, it is easy to be misunderstood.

Although judging from Lin Qiao's expression just now, it seemed that he had not misunderstood anything, it was not his habit to drag his feet. Now that he had encountered this, he would make things clear.

Besides, Lin Qiao showed up in the hospital at this time, and no one knew what had happened, so it would be better to come and ask.

If Ji Duo had said something else, the nurse might not have remembered it, but Lin Qiao's mole was so recognizable that she quickly remembered, "I just entered the doctor's office."

He thanked the other party, and when he turned around, he found Lin Qiao standing at the door of the office that the nurse pointed to, looking at him with a pair of squinting eyes.

For some reason, Ji Duo's mind flashed with a sentence: "Ji Duo, you are finished."

This made him frown slightly, but he quickly pushed it out of his mind, walked over and asked Lin Qiao in a low voice: "Who is in the hospital?"

It turned out to be because of this. Lin Qiao understood, "The vice-principal of our school, who is also the parent of a student in our class, has just been transferred to another hospital. I brought the student over to see him."

Ji Duo also remembered that there was a student next to her just now, so he didn't ask again, "Come with me."

What's going on?

Lin Qiao was a little confused, but she followed him to the stairwell next to her. As soon as she stood there, she heard the man say, "I have an elder who is in the hospital upstairs."

There is not even any padding, it is so direct.

But when they met downstairs just now, he was asking about the doctor's condition. Even if he didn't tell her, Lin Qiao could guess about 70% of it. But he was always a man of sharp words and rarely talked nonsense. He came downstairs to talk to her about this, so there must be something else.

Lin Qiao didn't say anything else to him, and asked directly: "Are you short of money? I don't have much on me, do you want me to go back and get it for you?"

This was a completely unexpected direction of problem for Ji Duo. Ji Duo felt as if he was stuck by something, with an indescribable feeling.

After a pause, he said, "No, the medical expenses can be reimbursed, so I don't have to pay for it."

Why did he come down to talk to her about this? He couldn't have come to explain it to her because he was afraid she would misunderstand him, right?

It was possible. After all, the two of them had a meeting last month to discuss the issue of trust. The man kept saying that he didn't trust him enough and needed to talk. Lin Qiao simply gave him a reassurance, "Don't worry, I don't doubt that you came to the obstetrics and gynecology department."

This is not because the male protagonists in Jinjiang are all clean, but mainly because she knows where these men use their strength, and she is always very passionate when she needs to be passionate.

But this reassurance pill seemed to be a bit choking, and Ji Duo couldn't help but think of the day he left. She was like this too, only asking what she needed to do, not asking the reason.

It was clearly a sign of great trust, but for some reason, it was even more frustrating than Su Zheng's unclear explanation.

Ji Duo felt the irritation again and got straight to the point. "Su Zheng and I had a childhood friend. His parents passed away early, leaving only a sister who was six years younger than him. She got lost when his grandfather was sent down to the countryside in 1967. The reason I went out this time was because I received news that the person might have been abducted abroad, so I accompanied his grandfather to identify him."

When Lin Qiao heard that someone was missing, he became more concerned and asked, "Did he get lost on his own?"

"I don't know." Ji Duo's brows actually showed some murderousness, "Anyway, so many years have passed, and no one has seen the living or dead."

He was always calm and restrained, but he showed his emotions. This kind of murderous behavior was the first time Lin Qiao saw him. Obviously there was something else going on, otherwise why didn't his childhood friend accompany his granddaughter instead of him?

I guess the reason he was in such a bad mood the day he left was related to this incident. But given the relationship between the two of them now, asking further would obviously be asking too many questions.

Lin Qiao was silent for a moment, "Is that elder okay?"

"Not very good." Ji Duo said, "I rushed over with him and found out that the person was fake. On the way back, he had a heart attack."

Lin Qiao could understand this feeling. In the past life, those parents who had been searching for their abducted children had experienced the cycle of hope and disappointment, and experienced both joy and sorrow.

She said something comforting, "As long as we haven't seen the body, there is hope that we can find it, right?"

Although it was of no help in finding the person, Ji Duo still felt the tenderness in her words, and the anger that had been stuck in his heart all the way suddenly dissipated a lot.

Ji Duo lowered his eyes and looked at her. "Do you want to go up and take a look?" He was about to ask, but suddenly a light young voice came from behind him, "Teacher Lin, I'm done."

It was the student who was following Lin Qiao downstairs just now. He had some impression of him.

His appearance is another matter. As for his eyes, he never flinched or avoided looking at people, and there was a sense of coldness and arrogance. With his many years of experience in leading troops, he could tell at first glance that he was a difficult and troublesome person.

The troublemaker was quite well behaved in front of Lin Qiao. When Lin Qiao asked him, "Didn't you quarrel?" he just glanced at him and said, "No."

This look clearly showed that there was something he couldn't say in front of him. Lin Qiao saw it and immediately asked him, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Ji Duo dared to guarantee that she was definitely chasing people away.

The inexplicable feeling of being stuck surged up again, but Lin Qiao seemed unaware of it. He and the student looked at each other with a pair of peony eyes and a pair of peach blossom eyes, waiting for his answer.

Ji Duo paused and said, "Wait for me downstairs when you're done, and we'll go back together."

He has a car, so it would definitely be more convenient for him to go back. Lin Qiao did not refuse. As soon as he left, he called Qi Huaiwen aside.

This time the boy did not hesitate, "He apologized to me." His expression was very calm, but under his half-closed eyelids there was a lot of complexity.

There was no need to ask for details at this time. Lin Qiao only asked him: "Can you go back to class now?"

She didn't ask, and the boy really relaxed a lot. He just pursed his lips and hesitated, "I still want to take a few days off, so that he won't really torture himself to death."

After all, they are father and son. No matter how much grudge they have, it is impossible for them to just leave the person in the hospital and do nothing.

Lin Qiao readily agreed, "I'll approve your leave. But you have to make up the lessons you learned in the next few days."

"Yeah." This time the boy was silent for a longer time, and suddenly raised his eyelids and said seriously: "Teacher Lin, I don't forgive him."

Lin Qiao's answer was equally serious, "You don't need to forgive him, you just need to live your own life well."

On the other hand, Ji Duo still felt a little tired until he returned to Gao Gan's ward, especially when he remembered Lin Qiao's words "Do you have anything else to do?"

Su Zheng just came out of the ward and lowered his voice when he saw him, "Mr. Gu is asleep."

The person had a nanny to take care of him, and he finally fell asleep, so Ji Duo didn't go in to disturb him, "Then I'll come another day."

The two walked back along the corridor, and Su Zheng was still sighing: "Next time there is news like this, don't let anyone follow. What if it is false again? How many more lives will Mr. Gu have to live?" Then he thought of Ji Duo, "You just went downstairs to explain to your wife?"

Ji Duo did not admit it, but he did not deny it either.

"So soon?" Su Zheng was a little surprised. "You left without explaining clearly, and she ran into you here again. Will she give you a good political lesson?"

Lin Qiao is a teacher, and like the political commissar of their army, he is best at giving people political lessons.

He couldn't help but hold Ji Duo, "Come on, tell me what she said, I always feel that something is wrong here."

Ji Duo frowned and didn't really want to talk to him about the couple's affairs.

"No, this is really wrong. Think about it from another perspective. If she suddenly had to go on a long trip without telling you clearly, and you ran into her in the hospital, would you be angry?"

If it was Lin Qiao...

Ji Duo felt that he was not angry, but he was definitely concerned. Last time they had discussed the issue of trust between husband and wife.

This made his expression freeze, and Su Zheng saw it immediately, "Right," Even if Aunt Xu encountered such a thing, she would have to nag you a few times, not to mention your wife. She doesn't say anything now, there is only one possibility, that is, it is not easy to say it outside, and she is waiting for you to come back. "

Su Zheng is obviously very experienced in this regard. "My mother is like this. The calmer and more cheerful she is at the time, the more severe the reckoning will be later."

The Su family is a typical family where the woman is strong and the man is weak. Mother Su is not only successful in her career, but also very strong at home.

Su's father didn't think there was anything wrong with it, as he had been enjoying it for so many years. But Su Zheng couldn't stand it, and this was also the reason why he didn't want to get married.

Ji Duo only heard one sentence: "Even if Aunt Xu encountered such a thing, she would still nag you a few times."

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, as if all the points that had concerned him before were connected by these words and became clear.

Yes, even his mother, who was so good-tempered, would sometimes nag him. She complained that his father didn't know how to buy things, that he was too arrogant, that he didn't like to explain things, and that he didn't come home often. But Lin Qiao never said anything to him, as if she didn't have any requirements for him.

Not really. She still had requirements on certain things, such as requiring him to wear military uniform and not leave marks in conspicuous places.

But it was only limited to that kind of thing. Normally, when the two of them lived together, Lin Qiao would go buy whatever fruit she wanted to eat...

Ji Duo

He took another step forward, with no change in his expression, but Su Zheng felt that something was wrong with him, and subconsciously kept his mouth shut.

The two of them walked in silence all the way to the inpatient department building, and Lin Qiao was already waiting there. Under the streetlight, her figure was slender, and her shadow was elongated. Because she was looking down at the floor tiles in front of her, her eyebrows and eyes were coated with a warm color by the light, but it was really hard to tell that she was angry.

Hearing the noise, she raised her head and immediately thanked Su Zheng, "I'm sorry to bother you again this time. I've already found the person, so you don't have to worry about it. I'll treat you to a meal later to thank you."

"Forget about treating us, I'm not helping much." Su Zheng waved his hands, then he remembered that he hadn't told Ji Duo about this, so he quickly explained.

"I asked Xiaoze for the phone number," Lin Qiao said. "Xiaoze's friend also helped find the person at a construction site."

These were all news that Ji Duo didn't know.

Ji Duo said nothing and opened the passenger door for Su Zheng. "Let Xiao Fang take you home first."

The couple hadn't seen each other for many days, so they must have something to talk about. How could Su Zheng take his car? "Forget about giving you a ride, we're not going the same way."

However, he left on his own, and the two people in the car didn't say anything. Only Lin Qiao mentioned: "Two days ago, Xiaoze wanted to see you about something, and called Liang, the brigade commander next door. I answered the call and asked him for Su Zheng's phone number. If you have time, call him back."

Ji Duo said "hmm" and was very frugal with his words. It was obvious that he had no interest in talking, so Lin Qiao didn't say anything else.

When they got home, Ji Duo got out of the car first, but he stood by the car without moving, and instead glanced at Xiao Fang. Lin Qiao guessed that he had something to do, so she went in first.

Xiao Fang also noticed that he was busy. Seeing that he was looking at Lin Qiao's back, he whispered, "During the days you were away, my sister-in-law didn't call me to ask for a car."

Ji Duo didn't want to ask that. He opened the passenger door and got in. "I remember you have five brothers. Are they all married?"

Xiao Fang became even more nervous and a little flattered.

Ji Duo is not the kind of leader who smiles and is approachable. He usually gives money, tickets and vacations, but rarely chats with his subordinates. When asked about these things suddenly, he thought about whether he had made any mistakes recently, and then said, "It's all settled. It was all settled the year I left."

"How are you doing?"

"It's not bad. Every family has a bunch of kids. Last month my dad wrote to me and told me that my eldest brother's son is going to junior high school."

"Is there anyone who can handle everything without asking any questions or making any demands on you?"

"This..." Xiao Fang hesitated. "He can handle everything without asking too many questions or making any requests. He must be a subordinate, right?"

Yes, Xiao Fang knew that she was a subordinate, not his wife. But he and Lin Qiao had always lived this way. When they first got married, he even thought that this way of getting along was good, comfortable, and worry-free. He also thought that Lin Qiao was easier to get along with and easier to take care of than any other woman.

However, Lin Qiao might not even want him to take care of her.

Lin Qiao has brains, abilities, and even a heart that doesn't need to rely on others. The only thing she lacks is a hand to pull her out of the quagmire.

Ji Duo was silent for a long time, then stood up and got out of the car, "You can go back."

Although Xiao Fang was confused, he drove away obediently. This is why Ji Duo chose to ask him instead of Su Zheng.

The early autumn still had a lingering heat of summer, and summer cicadas were chirping in the trees, seizing the last moment to do so. Ji Duo stood outside the courtyard gate and lit a cigarette for himself.

Now the problem is very clear. When Lin Qiao talked about cooperation, it was really just cooperation. The two of them lived together. When he promised the old man that he would get married, it was just marriage. They had always been getting along without interfering with each other, but recently he inexplicably didn't want to do that anymore.

So will he go a step further and try to get changes from Lin Qiao, or will he go along with Lin Qiao's wishes and return to his previous comfort and peace of mind?

After days of long journeys and then rushing back to take someone to the hospital, Ji Duo did not get the answer from this cigarette.

Knowing that he was physically and mentally exhausted from this trip, and estimated that he would not be able to perform to his full potential if he took up arms in battle, Lin Qiao was in no hurry to find him for a bite of meat.

The couple reunited after a short separation, but they spent the whole night in peace, covering themselves with quilts without chatting. The next day, one went to the barracks and the other went to school.

After the morning reading began, Lin Qiao habitually went to the back door of Class 4 and took a look around. After everyone had gone in, she remembered that Qi Huaiwen had been found.

Just as he was about to leave, Junzi followed him out secretly, "Why didn't Teacher Qi Huaiwen come? Did he get upset and run away again?"

These students really care about him. Lin Qiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "He didn't run away. He came back as soon as Principal Qi was discharged from the hospital."

After hearing her say this, Junzi felt relieved. He trotted back to the classroom and shared the news with several students in the back row who were craning their heads to read.

"Study well in the morning." Lin Qiao said at the door. Seeing that everyone stopped whispering, he returned to the office.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the office, Team Leader Gao informed her that all teachers and students had to attend the physical exercises today because the school had an announcement.

"What's the matter? And it needs to be announced during the break?" Before Lin Qiao could ask, the head teacher of Class 3 asked curiously.

As a result, Team Leader Gao didn’t know either. “Principal Zeng didn’t tell me. He just asked me to notify them.”

If Vice Principal Qi was here, everyone could still find a way to ask around. Many people in Principal Zeng's office were unfamiliar to him, and he was also very cautious in his work. No one asked, and went back to inform the class that there was no need to keep anyone in the classroom to clean up during the break, and everyone went down.

Not only class teachers like Lin Qiao, but also subject teachers like Group Leader Gao went there, standing in a row behind the students. Principal Zeng was still guessing in a low voice before he went on stage.

"Hello, hello." The gray-haired Principal Zeng first tried the school's radio loudspeaker before taking out the script and preparing to start reading.

Lin Qiao heard a few troublemakers in the back row start whispering to each other.

"Here we go again. Every time he speaks it's like he's reciting a sutra. It's so long."

"It's all just nonsense. You haven't gotten to the point in a long time..."

Lin Qiao walked over and patted someone on the back of the head. Several students shrank their necks and immediately fell silent.

At this moment, the voice of Principal Zeng was heard from the loudspeaker:

"Last semester, based on her own teaching experience, our teacher Lin Qiao wrote to the leaders' mailbox and suggested opening a laboratory. The leaders praised her and her letter was published in the newspaper. Recently, this suggestion has been discussed and officially approved."

Passed?

Does this mean that the government will allocate funds to middle schools to build laboratories?

Not to mention the two classes that Lin Qiao taught, even in the classes that Lin Qiao didn't teach, students pricked up their ears and secretly turned their heads to look at her.

Then everyone heard the next sentence from Principal Zeng, "After active efforts and unremitting efforts, our school will be one of the first schools in the country to open a laboratory as a pilot."