Zhu Jiabao still said, "There's nothing wrong at the military academy, everything is normal, you can learn a lot there, and you can apply to the military academy for university."
Zhu Fanfan refused outright: "I don't want to go to school."
Zhu Jiabao didn't press the matter and asked gently, "Fanfan, do you remember when your grandmother got sick and applied for a pass that was valid nationwide without needing a letter of introduction?"
Zhu Fanfan lowered her head, somewhat disappointed, but still nodded. She and her grandmother could have had a wonderful memory, but it was ruined. Thinking of this, she wished she could kill all the traitors, leaving none alive.
Zhu Jiabao said, "I specifically asked the relevant departments today, and they said that the pass is still valid. Why don't you travel all over the country and see the scenery of our great nation?"
Zhu Fanfan said expressionlessly, "Grandpa, just tell me what you want me to do. We don't need to be so hypocritical with each other."
She clearly wants something from him. She studied Sun Tzu's Art of War, not her grandfather's. Why is she putting on airs with her?
Zhu Jiabao took out the papers in his hand and said, "Look at these addresses. They are the places where my grandfather's comrades were sent down. I can't show up in person, so go and see if there is anyone there who needs help. Go and lend a hand, but do it secretly and don't show up."
He recuperated for a few months, but unexpectedly, during those few months, several of his old comrades were criticized and demoted. It was all because they were too straightforward and easily offended people. Now they were being retaliated against. They were too straightforward and didn't know how to speak softly. They even argued with others and didn't win the argument. Now they lost control of their emotions and said things they shouldn't have. People used this as a pretext to demote them. One family's children were so heartless that they published a notice in the newspaper severing ties with them. They were ungrateful wretches.
So far, Fanfan is the most suitable person to visit his grandmother. He can fulfill her last wish of traveling across the beautiful country and have a legitimate reason to do so. Even if he is investigated, he can cover it up. There are many people who oppose this movement, and they will cover for her if he asks. Now, some people are too good at deceiving their superiors and subordinates. The Chairman has been deceived, so this movement to prevent the restoration of capitalism will still have a long way to go. Now, many self-organized Little Red Guards have even appeared on the streets. They are all students and young people, and their behavior is relatively extreme. They say that this is not a good thing for the old folks.
Zhu Fanfan looked at the paper and frowned: "When did this happen?"
She had seen half of the names on the paper before. As far as she knew, they were all from the Political Department. When the grandfathers took her to pay New Year's visits, they gave her a big red envelope. They were all very kind grandfathers, completely different from her own grandfather in temperament. She was curious about how they became a family and whether her grandfather always bullied her.
Zhu Jiabao sighed: "When I was recuperating, you could only find out that entrepreneurs and teachers were being criticized and denounced. You couldn't get in touch with them, and you didn't go back to the compound, so you didn't have any sources of information. I only found out after I came back that they had been criticized and denounced, labeled as anti-Party members, and their whole families had been sent down to the countryside. Some of them were not even with their children yet. Some of their children didn't want to be sent down and had already published notices in the newspapers to sever ties. I had a hard time finding out their addresses."
A group of old comrades, all in their fifties and sixties, were no longer physically strong enough to keep up, yet they still had to undergo labor reform. Wasn't that going to kill them? If their children were around, at least they would have someone to help them. But if their children weren't around, they were truly not far from death. He never imagined that after fighting the revolution his whole life, he would be wrongly accused of being a reactionary in his old age. He couldn't stop feeling frustrated just hearing about it, let alone the old comrades who had actually experienced it.
Zhu Fanfan thought for a moment and said, "This place isn't far from Grandpa's. I'll go to Grandpa's house first, and then go there. When I get there, should I call you or send a telegram?"
Nowadays, telephones are not secure at all, as they can be tapped. Telegraphs are even more direct, laying everything out in the open and leaving no privacy whatsoever. Neither of them are good methods of communication. Writing letters is too slow. Grandpa must want to know how his old friends are doing. If only we had mobile phones, he could get real-time updates.
Zhu Jiabao thought for a moment and said, "We'll agree on some code words, and we'll keep them to ourselves."
Zhu Fanfan said, "If everything is fine, we'll say the weather is sunny; if things aren't, we'll say it's cloudy. We'll use the weather as a substitute?"
Anyway, it doesn't matter if someone hears us. Is it illegal for a father and son to discuss the weather?
Zhu Jiabao agreed: "If you're injured, just say it was raining. If the injury is more serious, say it was hail. Let's discuss some details. You haven't forgotten my office phone number, have you? It's the same number. During the day, call my office, and at night, call your home. I don't have any holidays now; I'm working all day."
Now he dares not rest, for fear that if he rests for just one day, he will miss the chance to rescue the person. He has to be alert and outwit those people.
After agreeing on the details, Zhu Jiabao urged Zhu Fanfan to go to Shanghai to see his maternal grandparents as soon as possible. Zhu Fanfan wanted to give him the middle finger; he was too realistic.
Zhu Jiabao wasn't truly unconcerned about his granddaughter: "They say that bad people come from poor and remote areas, so you must take good care of yourself. If it were before, I wouldn't worry about you. You know medicine, and no one could cause trouble under your nose. But now that you've lost your medical skills, especially since you're a girl, I'm worried that you'll be taken advantage of. You must be extremely careful when you're out there."
The more Zhu Jiabao talked about it, the more he felt that his granddaughter might be in danger. Suddenly, he had the thought that they were other people's grandparents, other people's family, so why should Fanfan take care of them? This thought made him feel sorry for Fanfan, because this should not have been her responsibility in the first place.
Zhu Fanfan found it amusing: "Grandpa, although I've forgotten my medical skills, I can still fight, and I still have mental strength. Besides, I still have a few of the potions and pills I refined before, and they all have their names and effects marked on them, so I can use them well."
Not only that, she also studied psychology, so she could handle anyone who wasn't scheming. Even her grandfather started to become fussy and nagging.
Zhu Jiabao was still struggling with his inner conflict, but Zhu Fanfan had already told him to hurry up and get his things ready: "I need to pack my things, so hurry up and book the tickets for me. I have things to do at my grandparents' house!"
She suddenly remembered that she had also partnered with Master Xin to run a black market, but she had forgotten about it because of her grandmother's situation. Then, with her grandfather's accident, she forgot about it even more completely. She wondered how the Shanghai black market was doing now, and as the boss, she had to show her face.
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