Thinking of Li Jingyu's schooling, Ye Shuning turned to ask her mother-in-law, "Mom, has Jingyu's school been arranged?"
Yang Jinping nodded and said, "It's already been arranged. After this winter break, you can go back to school and continue to the fourth grade."
Li Jianye was very happy to see his youngest son and daughter-in-law back home. "Did everything go smoothly on your journey?"
Li Shaozhong poured his father a cup of tea and said, "The logo on our car is unusual. It belongs to the army. No one dares to take advantage of it."
Li Jianye nodded and said, "That's good. Are you going to take the supplies you got from Nangang to the northwest?"
Li Shaozhong nodded and said, "These are all things I might need after I go to the northwest."
Li Jianye sat on the sofa, took a few sips of tea, and said, "The higher-ups are very concerned about your trip to the northwest. It should be said that they are very concerned about Xiao Ning. I hope Xiao Ning can really produce results. The higher-ups will also give you some support."
Soon Li Shaoting also came back from get off work, and he was relieved to see his younger brother and sister-in-law back.
During the meal, Li Shaoting asked, "Shaozhong, wouldn't it be unsafe for you and Xiaoning to go to the northwest alone? You know, the people in the northwest are tough, the land is vast, the population is sparse, and the area is very poor. What if you're robbed while pulling a cart full of supplies?"
Yang Jinping immediately became worried when Li Shaoting said this. "Yeah, what if you get robbed in a deserted place? Wouldn't that be very dangerous?"
Li Jianye said, "I think you should take a few people with you. It will be safer this way."
Ye Shuning had a secret, and it would be inconvenient if someone else followed her. "Dad, can we apply to bring weapons? This time, Zhong Ge and I don't know where we will build the test base, so it's better if no one else follows us. It will be more convenient for Zhong Ge and me. I can drive, so we can take turns driving. If we really encounter a robbery, we will not show any mercy."
His wife kept emphasizing that it was just the two of them going to the Northwest. Li Shaozhong felt that his wife must have a reason to say, and he had to stand up and support her.
"Dad, it's just Xiao Ning and I. If we make a big fuss and nothing comes of it, it'll be bad. The two of us are self-sufficient, so we don't have to worry about others when making decisions. Plus, it's more convenient for us to work together as a couple."
We usually take the main roads. If we go to a desolate place, we will seek cooperation from the local authorities. Don't worry, I won't take any risks with Xiao Ning here."
Li Shaoting looked at his brother and his wife thoughtfully, "Dad, just listen to them and apply for weapons for them to use for self-defense. I think the higher-ups will agree."
Li Shaozhong and his wife spent the New Year in Kyoto. They stayed at home until the eighth day of the first lunar month and then said goodbye to their family and prepared to leave.
These days in Kyoto, Li Shaozhong and his team also bought some supplies to take with them. Li Jianye also prepared a lot of national coupons for them. As for money, there was no need for it. No one here was as rich as Ye Shuning.
A mother worries about her son even when he is thousands of miles away. Yang Jinping, with tears in her eyes, held the hands of her youngest son and daughter-in-law and said, "Be careful on the road and don't go to desolate places. If anything happens, please contact your family in time. Protect Xiao Ning."
Li Shaozhong nodded and said, "Mom, don't worry."
Li Jianye took out a small black bag and handed it to his youngest son, saying, "This is what you've been allowed to bring with you. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary. If you really find yourself in a critical moment, don't be soft-hearted and protect Xiao Ning. There's also a letter of introduction inside for you, which you'll need to stay in a hotel or guesthouse. Try to stay in a reputable guesthouse or hotel. Pay attention to your personal safety, as well as the safety of your belongings."
Li Shaozhong knew what was in the bag at a glance. He took the bag and said, "Dad, we will be careful."
Li Shaozhong had practiced with this thing with his second brother before and could use it very skillfully, so Li Jianye handed it to his youngest son with confidence.
Li Shaoting also took leave to stay home to see his younger brother and his wife off.
Li Shaozhong and Ye Shuning drove away in a large truck as their families watched them go.
It is already February now. Although it is still very cold in the north, the temperature has started to rise slowly after the New Year.
Li Shaozhong was driving the truck, and Ye Shuning sat beside him. The cab of the truck was quite large. Besides the driver's seat, the seats beside it were large enough for a person to lie down. For someone of Ye Shuning's height, it was no problem to lie sideways in the seat with her legs curled up. However, Li Shaozhong had a harder time.
Ye Shuning had already stored the boxes of Juncao seedlings at the research institute. Now, in the back of the truck, a sealed box with the same appearance was placed, but inside it was something else. Ye Shuning was worried that the delicate seedlings would freeze.
There were two thermos bottles under the seat on Ye Shuning's side of the cab, so that Li Shaozhong and the others could have some hot water to drink while driving.
The car quickly drove out of Kyoto and headed northwest.
The car didn't have a heater, so the cab was still cold. Ye Shuning and Li Shaozhong were both wearing thick cotton coats.
Li Shaozhong looked at his wife and said, "Xiao Ning, are you cold?"
Ye Shuning raised the hot water bag in her hand and said, "I have a hot water bag stuffed in my clothes and holding it in my hand. I'm not cold at all."
Li Shaozhong was worried that his wife would get cold, so he said, "Drink more hot water, it will warm you up."
Ye Shuning shook her head and said, "I don't dare drink too much water. It's not convenient for me."
Li Shaozhong laughed when he heard that. "There's no one else in the wild, and I'm here to watch over you. Don't worry."
Ye Shuning shrugged. "I don't want to bother. I'll drink water when I'm thirsty."
As she spoke, Ye Shuning took out a small walkman tape recorder that she had bought from Nangang. This one used batteries and could play songs by inserting a tape.
Ye Shuning also bought a few tapes from Nangang to play songs to relieve boredom on the road.
Ye Shuning took out a tape, put it into the tape recorder and started playing a song. The car's cab was immediately filled with the sound of cheerful music.
Seeing that his young wife seemed to enjoy herself, Li Shaozhong also started listening to music while driving.
It's good to have some snacks while listening to music. Ye Shuning took out two pieces of White Rabbit candy, wrapped one and put it into Li Shaozhong's mouth.
Li Shaozhong felt sweet in his mouth and heart when he ate the candy.
Ye Shuning also wrapped a piece of candy for herself and ate it happily.
"Brother Zhong, let's just think of this as our honeymoon. If you think of it that way, even if it's a little bit tough, it won't feel so hard anymore."
Hearing his wife's words, Li Shaozhong smiled and said, "This is truly a honeymoon trip with special meaning. I'm really looking forward to it. So, can we say this is finding joy in misery?"
Ye Shuning smiled and said, "Let's just treat this as a self-driving tour to enjoy the beautiful scenery of our motherland. That's for now. Once the policy is liberalized, I guess we won't have time to play anymore."
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