The township head said calmly, "We just received a call from the army saying that Zhang Aiguo and Cui Lin had sacrificed their lives. The army sent someone to bring their ashes back. It's been three days already, and they should arrive in about a week. Last time, Liu Maocai ran off in a panic, and I didn't even have a chance to say the rest to him."
Liu Maocai was furious. Wang Jianguo was a real scoundrel; he said everything. Why couldn't he say something that was just a matter of a word? "Mayor Wang, I have the phone number of Zhang Aiguo's unit. Can I borrow the township's phone to ask about the situation?" Liu Maocai dared not speak his anger. Wang Jianguo was a complete scoundrel, and he dared not offend him. He wasn't afraid of being dismissed, but he was afraid that Wang Jianguo might not pass on any documents to Liujiatun, and then cause trouble if problems arose.
"Let's have a meeting first. Theoretically speaking, we shouldn't take advantage of the state or collective."
Zhang Hongmei was furious. "Mayor Wang, then I won't trouble myself. Uncle San, give me the number, I'll go to the post office and call to ask. You guys go ahead with your work, I can do it myself."
Liu Maocai glanced at Wang Jianguo, this guy who acted like he owned the place, but he really couldn't leave right now. "Hongmei, why don't you wait a bit? Your Uncle Zhang and I will go to the post office with you after the meeting. There's no post office in our township; you have to go to the county. It's an hour's walk from here to the county. I'll take you there in an oxcart after the meeting. We also want to know the truth."
"Uncle, it's alright. You guys go ahead with your meeting. If I wait for you, you'll just be freezing outside. I might as well go to the post office to make a call and I'll tell you when I get back. Don't worry, I'm old enough to not get lost. Just tell me how to get to the county. If I really can't find it, I'll ask around. I still have a mouth, right? I'm sure I can find it."
"Why is this young comrade so impulsive? What I said is true, the township's phone numbers are not for you to use." Wang Jianguo was quite angry after hearing Zhang Hongmei's words; this little brat dared to talk back to him.
"Don't worry, Mayor Wang, I won't take advantage of the country. Although my parents sacrificed themselves to protect the country, I am proud of them as their daughter, and I would never trouble the country to tarnish their reputation because of my own affairs." After Zhang Hongmei finished speaking, she looked at Liu Maocai and said, "Uncle, don't worry, just give me the phone number."
Wang Jianguo was furious. Since he became the township head, no one had dared to talk back to him; everyone had said nice things to him. He was determined to find a way to deal with this little girl later.
"Liu Maocai, just give the phone number to Hongmei. I believe she will be able to find it. We'll ask her again when she gets back." Zhang Hongqi was afraid that if Zhang Hongmei continued, she would offend Wang Jianguo, that scoundrel.
Seeing Zhang Hongmei's persistence, Liu Maocai took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "Hongmei, be careful and don't wander off. Come back here and wait for us after you finish your call. The post office is right next to the county government. Just find the best red-brick and tile house, and you'll be there. Just keep walking east along the main road. You'll pass three villages along the way. If you're unsure, ask someone for directions. I'll take a bus to pick you up after our meeting." He then handed Zhang Hongmei a grain coupon and a one-yuan coin. "If you get hungry when you get to the county, go to a restaurant to eat."
Zhang Hongmei did not accept the grain coupons and money. "Uncle, I have the grain coupons and money with me, so don't worry. I'll wait for you at the county post office after I finish making the call. I won't wander off."
"Alright, don't waste everyone's time, let's get to the meeting." Wang Jianguo's words infuriated Liu Maocai, but there was nothing he could do.
"Hongmei, take your time, there's no rush. Your third uncle and I will come to pick you up." Zhang Hongqi wanted to get Hongmei to leave quickly. Wang Jianshe was a scoundrel who always knew how to make things difficult for others, so he wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.
"Uncle Zhang, don't worry, I'm off." Zhang Hongmei walked out of the township government compound, following the tire tracks and footprints on the road. She refused to believe she couldn't find her way to the county. The road was icy now. Not muddy, just snowy and slippery, so she had to walk carefully and slowly to avoid falling. Luckily, she was wearing snow boots; otherwise, those worn-out cotton shoes with exposed toes would have been a real ordeal.
There were hardly any pedestrians on the road. In such cold weather, no one was out strolling. Even the village supply and marketing cooperative was unusually quiet, and the grain station was closed. The few houses that were there also had their doors tightly shut. The only sound was the crunching of my own footsteps on the snow. I wasn't afraid, but I felt quite lonely. Even if there were passersby, I wouldn't mind if they didn't talk to me. Humans are social beings, and being alone for a long time can lead to negative emotions.
A biting wind blew against my face, stinging like tiny knives cutting into my flesh. I looked around and found no one there. I took out a large scarf from my spatial storage and wrapped myself up until only my eyes were exposed. Instantly, I felt warm.
I started sweating after walking a short distance, but I didn't dare take them off. Catching a cold would be no joke. I had no choice but to walk slowly to minimize sweating. I was wearing too many layers: thermal underwear, long johns, thermal undershirts, Xiao Hongmei's cotton coat, and a sheepskin army coat on top. This whole outfit weighed over ten pounds. Luckily, Xiao Hongmei always does manual labor; despite her slender build, walking this short distance wasn't a problem for her.
After walking through a field, she finally entered the first village. There was no one outside. Zhang Hongmei determined her direction and continued walking. This village had quite a few households; it was a large village with at least a hundred families. It took Zhang Hongmei about 30 minutes to get out of the village.
Feeling thirsty, I channeled a cup of spiritual spring water from my spatial dimension and drank it, instantly replenishing my strength. I mechanically continued walking forward. Walking against the wind was really exhausting; I hoped I'd be back by express delivery. I could vaguely see a village ahead. This village wasn't small either, only larger than the previous one, and the houses looked much better than in the previous village. It seemed there were many wealthy people in this village.
Upon entering the village, I realized it seemed quite wealthy. The village's housing was well-planned, with houses arranged in rows and wide lanes. The snow on the roads had been cleared. Although not all houses were made of red bricks and tiles, even the mud-brick and thatched houses were taller and sturdier than those in the previous village. The village leaders were quite capable, with a long-term vision.
It took more than half an hour to leave the village. Looking east, all I could see was a vast expanse of white, with no sign of another village. I took out my compass and found that I was heading in the right direction, so I lifted my leg and continued on.
It took more than half an hour to see the village. Liu Maocai told himself that it would take an hour to get to the county, but that was for him. With his short legs and the wind, he estimated it would take two hours.
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