Chapter 58: Childish Words Are Innocent

Gu Yan’an remembered that he would be going to Xinjiang in a few days and might not return for a month. As the weather was turning cold, he needed to pack more clothes for the trip.

So he bought two jin of meat and went home. As soon as he entered, he sensed something strange about the atmosphere at home. His mom and dad were sitting on the sofa, staring at each other.

Gu Yan’an gently placed the meat he was carrying on the table. Seeing his son return, Gu Wenlin immediately stood up.

“Yan’an is back!”

“Dad, Mom, what are you two doing?”

Gu Wenlin sighed and said, “Your younger sister went boating on the lake with Yanni today, but Yanni pushed her into the water.”

“Ah, how is little sister? Let me go see her…”

“She’s resting in bed. Don’t disturb her now. Let her sleep and warm up first.”

Gu Yan’an asked, “Yanni has always been well-behaved. Why would she push Tingting into the water?”

“I went to ask Yanni specifically. She said something pricked her back, and she was startled, accidentally bumping Tingting into the water.”

“Who pricked her?”

“Both Yanni and Tingting suspect it was Bai Wei. It was also Bai Wei who suggested going boating on the lake.”

Gu Yan’an didn’t understand why Bai Wei would do such a thing. Could it be because he rejected her confession, so she was taking revenge on his family?

“Dad, let’s go confront Bai Wei now! We can’t let her get away with this.”

Gu Wenlin grabbed Gu Yan’an’s hand and said, “Yan’an, do you still want her to keep bothering you? Do you know why I’m not going to confront her?

Because there’s no evidence at all to prove that Bai Wei pricked Yanni. Moreover, Bai Wei even jumped into the lake to save your younger sister and nearly drowned. If Yandong hadn’t arrived in time, your sister would have had a death on her conscience.”

“But that’s not little sister’s fault. She’s the victim!”

“Even if I didn’t kill someone, they died because of me. Although she didn’t manage to save your sister, she did jump into the water to try. There were other people by the lake who saw it.

And when she tried to save your sister, she used the wrong method and ended up choking her. Your sister struggled and kicked her, causing her to sink. Now do you understand why I don’t want you to confront her?”

“Dad, do you think she planned all this?”

“What do you think?”

“Probably.”

Gu Yan’an knew that when someone secretly does something bad, but you have no direct evidence to prove it was them, and they openly do something good, forcing you to owe them a favor—this feeling was truly infuriating!

From now on, he would tell his sister to stay away from her. This woman was not only malicious but also foolish.

After figuring this out, Gu Yan’an said to Pan Huijuan, “You should also avoid dealing with that Bai Wei in the future. Her mind isn’t clear, and if she drags you down one day, no one will know how they’ll end up.”

“Understood. I was originally planning to confront her, but your dad said that as long as Bai Wei’s family doesn’t come to us, we don’t need to seek them out. After all, Tingting climbed out of the water herself, so Bai Wei can’t be considered her savior.

As for whether she was the one who did it, we have no evidence now, and she won’t admit it. Tingting said she checked all her pockets thoroughly and found nothing.

Tingting also suspects her and doesn’t plan to play with her anymore. She’s going to pack all the little trinkets Bai Wei gave her into a box and return them to her in person another day.”

Gu Yan’an had never opposed his younger sister making friends, nor would he interfere in her private life. This time, he felt his little sister had done the right thing—if they couldn’t remain friends, it was better to make a clean break.

People often said that only someone with water in their brain would do foolish things, but unexpectedly, after soaking in water for a while, his little sister’s mind had become even clearer. This was a good sign, and he ought to reward her properly tonight.

Gu Yan’an pointed to the chunk of meat on the table and said to Pan Huijuan, “Mom, go ahead and cook all the meat on the table. Let my sister nourish herself properly!”

“Got it. Will you stay for dinner tonight before leaving?”

“Yes, I came back specifically to get some warm clothes. The day after tomorrow, I’ll return to work, and in a few days, I’ll be heading to Xinjiang.”

Hearing that her son was rushing back to work so soon, Pan Huijuan began to worry about his health. After all, he was her own son.

“Yan’an, how is your leg? Don’t you still have leave? Why are you going back to work so quickly?”

“Mom, my superiors have asked me to lead a team to Xinjiang to purchase cotton. This year’s cotton harvest is abundant, and we need to bring back as much as we can.”

Gu Wenlin also expressed concern, “Yan’an, Xinjiang is so far away, and your leg hasn’t fully recovered yet. Can you handle it? The round trip will take at least a month, won’t it?”

“Dad, don’t worry! I’m just going there to negotiate the cotton purchase. I won’t have to handle anything else personally.”

He might not have to handle other tasks personally, but the potential troubles he might face were far from trivial. Otherwise, the higher-ups wouldn’t have specifically requested him to go.

If he completed this mission perfectly, his position as deputy director would be firmly secured.

During this era, freight trains moved very slowly, frequently stopping and starting. Whenever they halted, people would risk their lives to climb aboard and steal supplies.

Which of the essential goods—grain, coal, or cotton—hadn’t been stolen before? Even timber was targeted. Countless people had lost their lives in such incidents while attempting to board moving trains.

Seeing that his son had already made up his mind, Gu Wenlin didn’t try to stop him. “Alright then. This winter might be particularly cold, so do your best to secure as much cotton as possible. If you need help with train arrangements or scheduling stops, remember to call home for advice.”

No matter what, this was his son’s first mission after demobilization. As long as it didn’t violate any principles, he would certainly offer whatever help he could.

Just as Gu Yan’an was preparing for his long journey, Lan Mo unexpectedly found herself in a similar situation.

As the largest and best hospital in the city, Haishi First People’s Hospital sent several doctors to the countryside every year to support local clinics.

This year, the hospital planned to support more remote townships. Each department—Internal Medicine, Surgery, Gynecology, and Pediatrics—would send one doctor. This year, the Hospital Director specifically requested that the Orthopedics Department also send a doctor to the countryside.

Lan Mo, now a full-fledged doctor and a promising young graduate, was assigned this task by Director Qin.

The thought of spending three months in the countryside made Lan Mo’s head spin.

“Momo, you’re back? What’s wrong? You look exhausted.”

“Mom, next week our hospital is sending a group of doctors to the countryside to support local clinics.”

“Advanced units helping those lagging behind—many organizations do this sort of thing. Don’t tell me you’re among that group of doctors?”

Lan Mo nodded. “Yes…”

“Momo, going to the countryside to support them is a good thing. It’ll be recorded in your file.”

“Mom, I know, I’ll go work hard, but I won’t be able to come back even once a month. I’ll miss you all.”

“Is it far away?”

“We don’t know yet which township clinic we’ll be assigned to. Even if there’s a holiday, I probably won’t be able to come back.”

“The weather is starting to get cold, so take more clothes with you. It’s best to bring a quilt too. I’ll ask your Elder Brother to take a day off to see you off.”

Lan Jiangli suddenly ran over, hugging Lan Mo’s leg and asking, “Auntie, where are you going? I want to go with you!”

Lan Mo pinched Xiao Li’er’s chubby little cheek and asked, “Why do you want to go with Auntie?”

“Because I’ll miss you if I can’t see you! Auntie, I miss you so much…”

The little one’s mouth was so sweet. Lan Mo deliberately teased Xiao Li’er, saying, “Oh, you miss me so much you could die? I thought you wanted me dead!”

Hearing that Auntie might die, Xiao Li’er suddenly remembered the little flower Grandmother had raised. He said sadly, “I don’t want Auntie to die! Waaah… If Auntie really dies, I’ll bury Auntie in the yard. When I miss Auntie, I can dig her up to see…”

Oh, damn, this really is her good nephew! This taught Lan Mo a lesson: never tease children under three years old—you’ll end up suffering in the end.

Pah, pah, pah! Childhood innocence! Good luck and great fortune! Live a long life! She’s perfectly fine…