Chapter 52
Liao Song and his sister lived in the family compound for a week.
During this week, Yu Yao communicated with them every day, either studying the methods of making various pickles together or teaching them how to package. She also promised to send the contract to them after they returned home and discussed the matter. Yu Yao would then send them the sales tips and the contract together.
Soon, the aunts around couldn't help it anymore.
Normally, there would be some fragrance coming from Yu Yao's house from time to time, but it has never been as strong as in the past few days. They no longer feel jealous or dissatisfied, but just want to know what Yu Yao did and why she smells so good?
"Auntie Liu, you must have misunderstood. This fragrance is not from my house. I can't fall asleep every day because of this strong fragrance."
It was noon again, and finally an auntie couldn't help but knock on Yu Yao's door.
The other party was the mother of Captain Liu of the neighboring regiment. She came here to take care of her daughter-in-law during her confinement. She and Yu Yao didn't have much communication on a normal basis, and they were just acquaintances when they met. So when the other party came to her, Yu Yao's attitude was quite good.
"Auntie Liu, smell it, is this the smell?"
Aunt Liu sniffed softly, "Isn't it? This is not your house?"
"No, Aunt Liu, please wait for me." Yu Yao said and went into the house.
Except for the first day when they cooked in Yu Yao's house, they cooked in Liao Zhu's house in the following days. After all, they couldn't always use Yu Yao's ingredients for their experiments.
But probably because Yu Yao often cooked delicious food, everyone took it for granted that such a delicious smell must be coming from Yu Yao's house. The chimneys of the two houses were close to each other, so they really didn't notice anything wrong, as they were in the same direction anyway.
Yu Yao took out a bottle of bacon and mushroom sauce with the most meat from the house and even prepared a spoon for it.
"Auntie Liu, try it, is this what it tastes like?"
Aunt Liu was not a person who liked to take advantage of others. She wanted to refuse, but Yu Yao's spoon was almost stuffing into her mouth, so she simply took it and tasted it. Immediately, her mouth was filled with the aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of various mushrooms, which made her fall instantly.
"Well, was this made by you, sister A'yao?" No wonder it smells so good. Only Gu Qing's wife could afford to use so much oil and meat.
She was just thinking about asking awkwardly, but Yu Yao shook her head and denied it. "No, this is the sauce produced in the factory of Liao's hometown. I smelled it, so I exchanged a few bottles with them. It tastes good whether it is for cooking, eating with rice, or mixing with noodles. Isn't Gu Qing on a mission? It's really convenient for me to use this."
These words immediately hit the other person's heart.
When I go back home later, my daughter-in-law has to take care of the children and do housework, and my son is often not at home. It takes a lot of time to cook every meal, and the meals are always a mess. She will definitely be happy if she can use this thing to secretly slack off occasionally. But she originally wanted to ask how it was made. Now that she knows it is something from someone else's factory, she definitely can't ask directly how it is made.
"This is meat and mushrooms, I'm afraid it's not cheap, right?"
Yu Yao nodded. "It's not cheap, 80 cents a bottle, but with so much meat, if it's fried in a dish or mixed with noodles, it can last for several days. It's acceptable to eat it occasionally."
When she heard the price of 80 cents, Aunt Liu was really surprised. Who would spend so much money to buy a bottle of pickles these days? 80 cents could buy a pound of pork.
But Yu Yao continued, "And there's more than just this one. There's also pickled cabbage minced meat and pickled pepper beef. They cost 40 cents, 50 cents, 60 cents, and 70 cents. They've already negotiated with the supply and marketing cooperative, so we can go directly to the cooperative to buy them. This factory in Liaojia Village is really well run."
"Really? There are still 40-50 cents?"
When Aunt Liu heard this, her eyes lit up.
The reason why she came here shamelessly today was not because she was greedy, but because her daughter-in-law wanted to eat it every day when she smelled it.
As the month progresses, the pregnant woman has a better appetite. She cannot let her daughter-in-law down. Now that she has tasted the meat sauce, she is also satisfied.
If it's 40 or 50 cents, it doesn't seem unacceptable. 60 cents is also fine if it tastes good.
"Of course, why would I lie to you, auntie? Do you want to change now?"
This person is also very strange. In fact, 450 or 60 cents is considered expensive for a bottle of pickles, but when he first heard the price of 80 cents, he naturally felt that 450 or 60 cents was nothing, as if he had gotten a good deal. However, he forgot that no matter what the item is, you get what you pay for.
"I want to see first. My daughter-in-law is pregnant. I want to exchange some for her to nourish her body."
Yu Yao suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Pregnant women need to take more supplements. They seem to be developing new flavors now. Let's go and have a look. Maybe we can come across something tastier."
As he spoke, Yu Yao called out "Sister-in-law Liao" twice in a loud voice.
Yu Yao had been talking earlier, and Liao Zhu and the other two had actually heard what she said a long time ago, but Yu Yao had told them that they should not rush forward in such a situation, so they didn't say anything.
Hearing Yu Yao calling for help, Liao Zhu hurriedly came out of the house.
"Ah Yao, what's wrong?" Liao Zhu pretended to have just discovered Aunt Liu was here, and she greeted, "Aunt Liu."
"Sister Liao, Sister Liu is pregnant now, and Aunt Liu wants to buy something to nourish her. Just now, I let Aunt Liu taste your sauce, and she wants to try other flavors. You can take Aunt Liu to have a look. You are trying new dishes, so let Aunt Liu help you try some as well."
Liao Zhu nodded repeatedly, "Okay, it's ready now. Ah Yao, you can try it too. Today we're making black fungus and pork sauce."
"Then I won't be polite."
Aunt Liu was a little embarrassed at first, but when she heard that Yu Yao was not going to be polite, she followed the two of them into Liao Zhu's house without any hesitation.
The closer they got to the kitchen, the stronger the smell became. Aunt Liu had already started drooling, but she forced herself to hold it back so that no one would notice anything unusual.
"It smells so good." Even Yu Yao couldn't help but exclaim.
The Liao family is quite talented. The three siblings are all great cooks. Yu Yao only gave them a rough idea and they adjusted the amounts of various seasonings themselves, and the taste was just right.
Liao Zhu took out two white flour steamed buns and handed them to the two people, "Put it between the steamed buns and eat it. Try it."
"How can this be so embarrassing?" Without waiting for Yu Yao to say anything, Aunt Liu couldn't help but refuse first.
This is a white flour steamed bun, how can she take advantage of it?
"It's okay. Auntie is here to taste the food for us. We'll need her opinion later." Liao Song began to use his eloquence again.
Aunt Liu was a little embarrassed. "It doesn't take that much. Sister Yao and I can each take half." She really couldn't do such a thing of taking advantage of others for nothing.
Yu Yao advised, "Auntie, don't you want to try other flavors? How about half a steamed bun? If you like it, why don't you help promote it next time? Don't you know that their factory is almost going bankrupt because of its remote location and high transportation costs? If someone can help promote it, that would be great."
"It's so delicious, how can it be closed?" Aunt Liu could never have imagined that it would be like this, and the steamed bun in her hand became even hotter.
"Don't think too much, Auntie. Now that the supply and marketing cooperative is willing to cooperate with us and the factory has orders, we won't be able to close for the time being. Anyway, we have tried our best. Even if the time comes... I have nothing to say. Just enjoy it now." Liao Song personally scooped a large spoonful of meat sauce for Auntie Liu and slowly said, "That's enough."
Originally I just came to ask about the recipe, but who knew that Aunt Liu would be so full after just a sample.
Aunt Liu was already at this age, but her face turned red with embarrassment. She didn't care whether the things were expensive or not, she just asked for a bottle of each flavor. Now they couldn't buy privately, especially when they were involved in collective industries, they couldn't ask for money, so they could only exchange some food with Aunt Liu in their personal name.
"Auntie, there's no need to exchange so much. Our supply and marketing cooperative will have it soon. If you like, just buy fresh ones. It's best to eat them within ten days after opening the lid, unless you have an ice cellar to freeze them. Our factory packages them and they can be kept for two months. When we return, we can deliver the goods in half a month."
Everyone who does business hopes that she will buy more. It was the first time that Aunt Liu saw someone advise her not to exchange so much.
Finally, Auntie Liu took away three bottles of already packed sauce and also packed a bottle of wood ear meat sauce.
Soon after she returned, she brought back a lot of white flour and cornmeal, and also gave away a lot of cabbage and her own pickled radishes, and even Yu Yao got some.
"Sister Yu Yao, your method of tasting is really useful." Liao Song just realized that Aunt Liu was not that interested at first, but in the end she wanted to change a bottle of each one because she had tried them all.
Yu Yao nodded, "This method is indeed useful, but it is best to do it when you promote it yourself, rather than doing it in a supply and marketing cooperative."
She didn't explain, but Liao Song understood that there were all kinds of monsters in the supply and marketing cooperatives nowadays. If they opened the door for tasting, it might not be enough for the salesmen to eat.
"The method just mentioned can only be used on people who are not greedy for small profits. You must prescribe the right medicine when selling. It is best to understand the customer in advance. But if it is a customer you have never met before, being generous will definitely be more effective than being stingy. When promoting, you must be as generous as possible while still making sure you break even. But breaking even is the bottom line. You must not do business at a loss. You must know that you are not only working for yourself, but also for the many workers in the factory."
"Yes, Sister Yu Yao, we understand."
Yu Yao has been teaching them these things whenever he has the chance these days. In fact, Yu Yao can see that these people are all people worth making friends with, but Yu Yao still retains his final vigilance.
If they don't arrange the follow-up matters according to the conditions agreed upon at that time after they go back, and don't give her the benefits that she should have, then Yu Yao will no longer give them the subsequent things according to her previous ideas, and they will miss much more than they gain.
And this was not only because Yu Yao was on guard against Liao Song and the other person, but also because she was on guard against the people in the Liaojia Village factory and even in the commune. After all, she got along with the brother and sister, but not with those people.
Her attitude towards Liao Song and the other two was, as she said, to be as generous as possible without losing money.
It seems that she has suffered a loss now, but in fact, she has also learned the process of running a factory and the production process of various products. She herself is also growing, so even if this cooperation fails, she will not suffer a loss.
As expected, within two days, many people came to the neighbor's house to inquire about meat sauce. Everyone knew that the fragrance in the family courtyard in the past few days came from Captain Qi's house. Captain Qi's wife had a meat sauce factory in the village, and now the meat sauce had to be sold to the supply and marketing cooperative next to them.
Everyone was curious about what kind of meat sauce was so fragrant.
Some people came to try their luck and some came to exchange things for something. No matter which kind of people they were, the Liao family welcomed them warmly. It was not only to promote their pickles, but also to gain good relationships for Liao Zhuji.
The brother and sister had a fruitful trip, and Yu Yao saw them off on their way back, giving them some brined meat she had made herself and some wild delicacies she had picked from the mountains that were not available in the south.
They came with such a big bag, so she must reciprocate.
The two of them couldn't refuse, so they naturally accepted it.
"Sister Yu Yao, go back and wait for my letter. I will definitely get things done for you." Liao Song had already made up his mind. He and his third sister would not say anything when they returned. They would just say that they had tasted the pickles made by Yu Yao, and that Yu Yao had helped them negotiate a deal here. If they didn't get the contract done, then all the things they had learned would go rotten in their stomachs. Anyway, the contract with the supply and marketing cooperative did not have the official seal and could not take effect.
In the past few years, Liao Song has been traveling around for sales, and society has already taught him how to behave. He knows very well that things are only real when they are in his own hands, and he should never believe in other people's verbal promises.
Sister Yu Yao is kind-hearted and doesn't treat them as outsiders. That's because she met them. If she met someone else, I'm afraid they would run away with what they learned.
I must remind Sister Yu Yao next time I write a letter.
Yu Yao didn't know that her little brother was worried about her. She was also worried about the two of them, so she told them, "Don't be alone on the road. Don't believe anything anyone says in the car. Xiaosong, you have to protect your sister."
After she finished speaking, she realized that she seemed to have said something that the other person's sister had said, and she looked at Liao Zhu a little embarrassedly.
However, these words were indeed what Liao Zhu wanted to say, but she hadn't spoken to her brother and sister-in-law like this for a long time. In fact, she really didn't know how to start. Yu Yao's words really saved her. She quickly followed Yu Yao's words and said, "Did you hear what Sister Yu Yao said?"
"I heard you, sis."
Soon, the two were sent away, and Yu Yao and his partner returned to their family compound.
Before Yu Yao could return to her busy schedule, she received her first mission at Candle Dragon.
The first mission is usually very simple. The missions that can be handed over to Candle Dragon are very important. However, no matter how important the mission is, there are also simple and difficult missions.
Originally, Yu Yao's first mission was supposed to be scheduled for the beginning of next year, but such a simple mission is rare, and Yu Yao studies very hard and has good learning results, so Zhang Wei gave this mission to her.
Her mission was to escort an old comrade named Zhu Guoming from the neighboring provincial capital to Shanghai. The old comrade was originally a botanist, but was demoted to the countryside of Xia Province for special reasons. Now the person who framed the old comrade has been brought to justice, so colleagues in Shanghai asked this side to send someone to escort Mr. Zhu back safely.
Since the enemies who wanted to harm Mr. Zhu were gone, this mission was simple. The only difficulty might be that the old man had not lived well in Xia Province in recent years, so his health might not be that good. Yu Yao happened to be studying medicine, so he would not be completely blind.
"Here is your temporary work permit and letter of introduction. Here is also the money you will need on the road. Don't worry when you arrive. It is best to find out the situation before contacting the relevant departments in the city to pick you up. Don't cause trouble, keep a low profile, and remember what your first mission is."
Yu Yao nodded. She still had this awareness, that the elderly were the most important thing for her.
"After you send the person off, you can rest in Shanghai for two days before coming back. You don't have to rush after completing the mission, but don't come back after the Chinese New Year either."
Zhang Wei occasionally blurts out a joke that always catches Yu Yao off guard. It's not funny at all, okay?
"Also, take a look at this." Zhang Weichen handed Yu Yao a photo.
"This man is Shao Liyang, he is from Hong Kong City, and he is also the target of Gu Qing's mission this time. The reason why Gu Qing and his team haven't returned yet is because they haven't found this man yet. Remember his appearance and keep an eye out for him on the road, but the focus is on your mission, understand?"
Yu Yao looked at the photo a few more times. Photos from this era were really not very clear, and everyone's black and white photos looked almost the same. However, the look in the photo was quite recognizable, and the temperament was quite prominent. He must be from a wealthy family in Hong Kong, otherwise he wouldn't have cultivated such temperament.
Zhang Wei gave Yu Yao some more instructions before letting her leave.
Before leaving, Yu Yao went to write a new letter of introduction because, ostensibly, she was going to study in the neighboring provincial capital. No one knew what Gu Qing's mission was, so no one knew that Gu Qing's destination was Xia Province, and it was impossible to connect the two of them together.
But when Yu Yaokai returned with the introduction letter, he saw Chen Chen standing in front of his door.
Chen Chen lowered his head, not knowing what he was thinking about. His little leather shoes kicked the stones under his feet, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
"Comrade Chen Chen."
"Yu Yao, it's been a long time since we last met. I finally saw you."
Yu Yao smiled and said, "What's wrong? What do you want to talk to me about?"
When Chen Chen came to see her some time ago, she found opportunities to avoid him or pretended to be asleep at home.
It's not that she dislikes each other, but mainly because Yu Yao is worried that she will reveal herself in front of Chen Chen. In this world, many things have traces. As long as she stays with Chen Chen for a long time, she will find out one day. The best way is to stay away from him.
But the other party seemed to be dependent on her and often came to see her. Fortunately, her feet were almost healed. Although she could not dance yet, it was necessary for her to go to the art troupe to warm up every day.
She thought she had already shown it clearly, but she didn't expect Chen Chen to come to see her anyway.
"I'm sorry to bother you even though I know you're busy, but I... I really can't find anyone..."
Seeing her looking so pitiful, Yu Yao was speechless. Who could say it wasn't true?
I was worried about letting her know my secret, and she didn't dare to let others know her secret.
Yu Yao opened the gate and said, "Let's talk inside."
As soon as he stepped into the house, Chen Chen's eyes turned red.
Yu Yao sighed in her heart. After all, she had been through so many things, so why was she still acting like a little girl?
It is not difficult to understand. Even though she has lived two lives, she has been cared for by her family in both lives. If it were not for You Ling's madness in her previous life, she might still be that naive little girl now. But how can a person never encounter setbacks?
She didn't know how to comfort her, so she just made her a cup of hot maltose and then sat beside her quietly.
After a while, Chen Chen began to sob softly.
I don’t know if something happened to her. If it’s still because of the pain she’s experienced in the past, I’m afraid she will never be able to get over it.
Yu Yao thought about it again and couldn't think of any way to help her. Acting in a comedy?
"Yu Yao, I don't know what to do. It seems like we are back on the old path again."
It's all her fault. If she hadn't fallen on the stage that time, she and Su Lin wouldn't have had so many interactions.
Yu Yao heard about their story. It was said that since Chen Chen sprained her foot, Su Lin often visited her. After a few visits, Su Lin fell in love with her and wanted to be with her, but Chen Chen refused.
This is different from what You Ling said, who said that the two of them quickly confirmed their relationship.
I think Chen Chen's refusal is related to what she said before. The relationship between two lifetimes will only be stronger than before, so it's not that she doesn't love him anymore, she just doesn't dare to be with Su Lin.
"So you have decided that you don't want to have anything to do with Su Lin anymore?" Yu Yao asked, "Even if you see him get married and have children, it doesn't matter to you?"
She doesn't approve of anyone punishing themselves for the mistakes of others.
To put it bluntly, in the previous life, Su Lin and Chen Chen were both envied by You Ling. If it was just Chen Chen, You Ling would not have taken action, so the consequences should be borne by both of them.
But now Su Lin is kept in the dark about everything, and Chen Chen plans to bear it all alone.
Yu Yao didn't know for a moment whether she should lament the fickleness of fate or feel sympathy for the two of them, as they clearly did nothing wrong.
"Yes." Chen Chen's eyes were almost swollen from crying. Yu Yao could see that she was in pain, but she still made a painful choice.
"I think you should think about it carefully. Now that you can walk, why don't you go to the countryside?" This was the first time Yu Yao gave Chen Chen clear advice.
Regarding such matters, Yu Yao has always believed in respecting the fate of others. It is hard to say about love, as one move can affect the entire body. She doesn't know what the result will be after she persuades Chen Chen, but Yu Yao still wants to help Chen Chen. For her kindness and trust, Yu Yao can't just ignore it.
Nowadays, art troupes organize actors to go to the countryside to perform for farmers. Although their lives seem glamorous, they are actually very hard-working. They have to travel everywhere for training, which is not at all as easy as it is here.
But going out more often would allow Chen Chen to see a lot of the world that she had never seen before. It would also keep her busy, allowing her to do more meaningful things and forget the pain of the past.
Chen Chen was stunned for a moment and looked at Yu Yao with some confusion.
Tears were welling up in her eyes, which made people feel pity for her.
"You still have a long life ahead of you. Besides love, you can experience many things you have never experienced before. You should also give yourself some space and time to think about your future with Su Lin. Of course, you should also think clearly. If you leave now, he may not wait for you. Maybe when you come back, he will have already found a blind date, or even be married and have children."
This is a path Chen Chen had never thought of.
Her teacher once told her that the significance of the existence of the arts soldiers is not so much to realize their own performing arts dreams, but to give strength to the soldiers and the masses.
No one has ever advised her to go to the countryside, because everyone knows that it is hard work, and she has talent, she just needs to train well and shine at various evening parties, but Yu Yao now lets her experience a different life.
What's so good about living in the countryside? Isn't it just poverty?
But she felt that Yu Yao would not lie to her and that Yu Yao was sincerely giving her advice.
"What if I can't hold on?"
Chen Chen is clear about her abilities. She can sing and dance, but she is definitely not capable of doing hard work.
There is an old saying popular in the art troupe, "After going to the countryside, female soldiers are used like male soldiers, and male soldiers are used like animals." How can her strength compare to that of male soldiers?
Yu Yao handed her a handkerchief, motioning her to wipe her tears, and then said, "Then you can think about it, why can others do it but you can't?"
"Relatively speaking, the safety of people from the cultural troupe going to the countryside is guaranteed. Of course, it will be very hard, but it depends on you."
The reason why Yu Yao persuaded her to go to the countryside was because she wanted her to see that there are many lives in this world that are made of bitter water.
The experience of the original family was not much better than hers.
"Do you know why I married Gu Qing? And why I let Xu Ying join the army? She can't join your art troupe. Her hard work may be several times more than working in the fields."
When Chen Chen heard that Yu Yao was going to talk about her own story, she slowly suppressed her sadness and began to listen to Yu Yao's story carefully.
When Chen Chen finally learned about the situation of Yu Yao's family, he became excited, "Is that your second uncle? He is an enemy, right? And the two brothers of the Yu family are too pitiful."
Although the matter cannot be entirely blamed on Uncle Yu, he is really shameless for still plotting against the Yu family even in such a situation.
"Because I discovered that Liu Yang was not right, I got away in time and got married to Gu Qing. How did I know that he was not right? Because I saw a lot of such things in the countryside."
"Also, the reason I brought Xu Ying here is because Xu Ying was going to be sold by her parents to a fool as a daughter-in-law."
Looking at Chen Chen's wide eyes, Yu Yao continued to tell Chen Chen about how the idiot father and son had abused the girl.
Chen Chen couldn't believe it, his face turned red with anger, "How...how can there be such an evil person in this world?"
Yu Yao nodded, "Yes, you are a good person, but you can't expect everyone in the world to be good. When you are still grieving over the past, someone may have started to plot against you in new ways. You can't live on others forever, not to mention that you want to push away the person who protects you. No matter what, you should grow up and learn to protect yourself."
Such sincere words made Chen Chen no longer have any doubts.
She didn't know how she walked out of Yu Yao's house. She was in a daze during this period. Even her roommate said that if she continued like this, there would be problems, but she didn't know how to adjust.
Now Yu Yao has given her a way, it depends on how she chooses.
She walked and walked until she reached the outside of the dormitory and saw Su Lin standing in the yard. He came here frequently during this period, always in the name of visiting Chen Chenjiao.
If this continues, even if the two of them have nothing, they will still have something.
After two lifetimes, Chen Chen still didn't know he was so shameless.
Su Lin only told her that he was attracted to her from the first moment he saw her, but he never said what he would do if she rejected him. Is he going to keep clinging to her like this?
Chen Chen felt sad and slowly walked towards Su Lin.
Su Lin had already seen her. He had a very mature face, but when facing her, his face was filled with youthfulness, which made Chen Chen's heart brighten along with his smile.
"Captain Su."
"You're back. Are you feeling better today?" The concern in Su Lin's tone didn't sound fake. He also stood at a distance from Chen Chen and was very polite.
But they both knew what he was thinking.
In fact, after so much time has passed, her feet would have healed long ago as long as she didn't move too vigorously.
"Okay, look." Chen Chen said and turned around twice.
Su Lin smiled and said, "Be careful, don't fall again." He himself didn't know what was going on, and didn't know why he was attracted to Chen Chen.
In fact, he saw Chen Chen with a sad look on her face many times, but nothing happened to her.
What Su Lin used to dislike most was girls who cried and were lifeless, but he was still attracted to Chen Chen, and there was a voice in his heart telling him that this shouldn't be the case, and he had to make Chen Chen happy.
Today, Chen Chen's attitude seems a little different.
"Captain Su, I plan to go to the countryside."
Su Lin's expression changed, and he immediately understood what she meant, "You are hiding from me."
Chen Chen has been avoiding him these days.
Su Lin had lived for more than 20 years and had been pursued by countless men, but he had never felt it before. The first time he truly cared about a girl, this was the result.
Su Lin didn't know what was wrong with him to make her treat him like this. He thought he was in good condition and was more patient than ever towards Chen Chen. But she was going to suffer just to avoid him. With her delicate appearance, could she endure such hardship?
"You don't have to do this. Your leg is healed now. Don't worry, I won't bother you anymore. I apologize for the trouble I caused you before. I'm sorry."
Seeing Su Lin bowing to him, Chen Chen became a little panicked.
"No!" she said excitedly.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered what Yu Yao had asked her: Would it be okay even if Su Lin married another girl and had children?
How could it be okay? Chen Chen's heart ached, but she...
"I'm sorry, I..." Chen Chen wanted to be selfish again, but she couldn't get over it in her heart.
In Su Lin's eyes, her hesitation seemed like he was forcing her. Su Lin turned around to leave but Chen Chen grabbed his arm.
"Can you give me a moment to think about this?"
Her tone was almost pleading, and this was the first time Chen Chen took the initiative. How could Su Lin bear to refuse?
"Okay, then be careful when you go to the countryside. You can't try to reason with many people in the countryside. Don't be too kind and fall into their trap. Try not to be alone."
When Chen Chen heard his words, she couldn't stop crying again. Just as Yu Yao said, she should grow up on her own instead of always making others worry about her.
If...if I could grow up earlier, would that thing not have happened?
Chen Chen: "I understand. I will take good care of myself. You take care of yourself too."
Su Lin finally smiled again, "Okay."
Yu Yao could guess some of the entanglement between the two people, but she did not intend to interfere. Everyone has their own choices, and emotional matters are the last thing that should be interfered with, especially a relationship as complicated as theirs.
Yu Yao packed up her things and went to Yu Sheng's place to help him cook dinner. While they were having dinner together, Yu Yao mentioned that she was going out to study the next day.
"Studying, are you going alone?" Yu Sheng was still very worried about Yu Yao. His third sister was so pretty, how could anyone feel at ease letting her go out alone, especially to such a faraway place as Xia Province.
In his heart, he somewhat resented Doctor Li for ordering a young girl to go out, but at the same time he was well aware that this was a sign of the other party's high regard for Ah Yao, otherwise such an opportunity might not have been available to Ah Yao.
"I'm alone, but don't worry, second brother. I've already made arrangements along the way, and I'll be careful too. I value my life."
Hearing this, Yu Sheng couldn't help but laugh, "It's not a bad thing to know how to cherish your life."
"Well, second brother, how is your work going recently?"
At first, Yu Yao would occasionally go to pick up Yu Sheng from get off work, and it seemed like there was no problem with it. But recently, she's been busy and hasn't been going there much.
Moreover, she had figured out that her second brother was the kind of person who only reported good news and not worries. He thought that everything was fine and there was no need to worry about anything.
Yu Sheng avoided his gaze for a moment, and Yu Yao saw it clearly. It turned out that no matter where you work, it is impossible to be completely smooth.
"It's nothing. Just do your own thing and be safe. Have you prepared the dry food for the journey?"
He didn't say anything, and Yu Yao didn't ask any more questions. She said, "I didn't bring any dry food, but the health center reimbursed my meals. Don't worry, second brother."
In this case, this job is indeed good, and his sister is indeed valued. Yu Sheng is indeed relieved. Although there are few people in this health center, it is really a good place to learn real skills.
After dinner, Yu Sheng urged Yu Yao to go home and rest without waiting for her to wash the dishes. He even insisted on sending Yu Yao home, but when Yu Yao refused, he used the excuse that Gu Qing and Yu Yao had sent him home before, that he could digest the food after the meal.
Yu Yao had no choice but to follow him for a walk back home.
After returning home, Yu Yao was not idle. She immediately washed her hands and started making snacks. She made some egg cakes and took them to Cao Lu's house.
By this time, every household had already eaten dinner and everyone was used to going to bed early. There were not many people on the street. Aunt Zheng came to open the door and was stunned when she saw Yu Yao.
"Ah Yao, come in quickly, why are you here at this time? Have you eaten?"
Yu Yao entered the house and found that there was another person in Cao Lu's house today, and they were having dinner.
"I've eaten. I'm sorry to bother you so late at night." But since she had already bothered him, she could only bite the bullet and continue, "I have something to ask Cao Lu. This is the egg cake I made. Auntie, you guys can try it."
"You kid..." Aunt Zheng was helpless, because every time Yu Yao came, she would bring some food with her. It wasn't something very good, and not much either, so it was impossible to refuse it.
But Yu Yao hadn't come since Gu Qing left for his mission. If he said he had something to do today, then it must be something. "You kid, you're here, what are you bringing?"
When Cao Lu saw that it was her, he hurriedly said, "Ah Yao, come here quickly. Let me introduce you. This is my little daughter, Cao Ailing. This is the wife of that kid Gu Qing I told you about."
"Hello, I'm Cao Ailing."
Cao Ailing stood up and shook hands with Yu Yao. Her aura showed that she was from the military camp. Gu Qing had heard about this before. They had participated in missions together. He said that Cao Ailing looked young, but was decisive in killing. She was the one who most represented the young Cao Brigade.
"Hello." Yu Yao stepped forward to shake her hand, but he smelled a faint smell of blood. Cao Ailing's face looked pale, and she must have been injured.
"I heard that you are going out to study tomorrow? Are you ready? Be sure to be safe when you go out alone." Cao Lu knew Yu Yao's mission, and he said this now, which meant that he would keep it secret from his family. "If you have anything to say, please talk in the study. After that, you can go back and rest early."
When Auntie Zheng heard that she was going out to study alone, she frowned and said, "You're going out to study right after you start working. But it's good. It's better to have a chance to learn than to work alone."
Although Aunt Zheng is now devoted to taking care of the family and looks like other housewives in the family compound, she once fought side by side with Brigade Commander Cao, but later retired due to injury. She has a very high level of ideological awareness.
People in their line of work use their bodies to protect the country's security, especially in today's world, but they can contribute their own strength to the country, and they have no regrets.
Aunt Zheng gave Yu Yao a few more instructions before letting Yu Yao and Cao Lu enter the study.
"What's wrong? What's the matter?"
Seeing Cao Lu's serious expression, Yu Yao felt a little embarrassed.
I disturbed the family reunion and caused Cao Lu to worry. It was really wrong.
But thinking of her second brother, Yu Yao gritted her teeth and said, "It's not a big deal, I just want to ask Cao Lu to help keep an eye on my second brother. This is the first time for my second brother to go out and deal with so many people. No matter what happens, he likes to keep it to himself. I'm worried about my second brother..."
Maybe others would say that she is making a big deal out of nothing. After all, Yu Sheng is already an adult and he shouldn’t let others worry about everything for him. Even Yu Yao herself knows that if she encounters any problems, her second brother can solve them.
But her second brother's way of solving the problem is to swallow his anger. In the long run, his heart will only become more closed. Yu Yao doesn't want to see that happen.
She hoped that at least her second brother would not be easily wronged.
"If it's my second brother who is incompetent or has made some mistakes, then so be it. I'm just worried that my second brother will say nothing when Gu Qing and I are wronged." This is definitely something her second brother would do.
Cao Lu thought for a while and said with a smile: "You are a person who protects his shortcomings. Okay, just focus on your mission and leave this matter to me."
Since they've found him here, something must have happened.
After hearing what Cao Lu said, Yu Yao did not stay any longer. He just listened to some more instructions and then left.
After the people left, he said to his little daughter, "You are bored, don't you? Go to the Propaganda Department tomorrow to report and help our military region with publicity work."
Cao Ailing: "Are you kidding me?"
Cao Lu gave her a look, snorted coldly and said nothing more.
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