Chapter 444: Chapter 443: Return to Beijing
Before returning to Beijing, there was still a lot of preparation to do.
The village school wouldn’t start winter break for another week. Lin Nianhe had set the final exam questions and left holiday howork. For the remaining week, Principal Wu would replace her;
She had to reassure the children and guarantee that she would definitely return in two months;
When the villagers heard that she was returning to Beijing, they brought over their stored goods for her to take back ho. Lin Nianhe exchanged so with sugar and cloth tickets, and refused any more by saying she couldn’t carry them;
She had to reassure the villagers and guarantee that she would definitely return in two months;
After the textile factory sent the first batch of goods to the provincial city, they sold out in half a day. Director Zhai didn’t need to be persuaded this ti, he ca by himself and signed a one-year supply contract, increasing it to fifty thousand head flowers each month. Lin Nianhe left the new designs for the head flowers for the next two months with the factory and confird the details of the samples with them;
She had to reassure the leaders and guarantee that she would definitely return in two months…
Lin Nianhe’s sleeper ticket back to Beijing was not bought by Mr. Lin, but was arranged by Wong Xiao.
On the day she left Ten Miles Team, the villagers ca early in the morning to see her off. Wang Shui and Wen Lan woke up early to make dumplings for her and also boiled ten eggs for her to eat on the road.
Sie Yufei took up the task of taking Lin Nianhe to the station. He rode his bike pulling the sled inspired by Lin Nianhe’s skiing accident and used for transporting matches, dragging her luggage all the way to the train.
“Xiao He, be careful on your own, keep an eye on your things. I just gave the conductor two boxes of cigarettes, if anything happens, go to him, don’t talk to strangers, and don’t forget to call once you reach ho…”
Sie Yufei leaned outside the train window, incessantly instructing Lin Nianhe.
“Okay, let know in advance when you and Sister Qingqing are coming back, I’ll pick you up.” Lin Nianhe waved to him, “Go back now, there are not many people in this carriage, it’s fine.”
“Just be extra cautious… Rember to call!”
“Okay!”
The train slowly started moving, Sie Yufei followed for a while, then ran until he reached the end of the platform, where he had to stop.
It wasn’t yet the ti when large numbers of educated youths were returning ho for the new year, so the train wasn’t very crowded, even less so in the sleeper cars.
Sie Yufei’s two boxes of cigarettes played a significant role, the conductor looked after Lin Nianhe very well, frequently coming to check on her.
After three days on the train, Lin Nianhe was almost shaken apart.
“Comrade Lin, we’ll be in Beijing in another ten minutes, let help you with your luggage!”
The conductor ca over to help Lin Nianhe with her luggage.
Lin Nianhe’s luggage was still too much; she couldn’t handle it all by herself. But it wasn’t a big problem, Sie Yufei helped her when boarding, and Mr. Lin would pick her up when getting off.
Lin Nianhe smiled and thanked the conductor. As the train began to slow down to enter the station, she opened the window to look for Mr. Lin.
Lin Nianhe hadn’t spotted Comrade Old Lin yet; Mr. Lin and Aunt Lin were already waving at her from afar: “Daughter! Daughter!”
Lin Nianhe quickly stretched her hand out to wave back: “Dad! Mom!”
As soon as the train stopped, Lin Nianhe started passing her large and small bags through the window.
Mr. Lin had anticipated Lin Nianhe’s heavy luggage and brought bodyguards with him. The two of them passed the bags down in perfect harmony.
After getting all her luggage out, Lin Nianhe did one last check of her bunk to ensure nothing was left behind, then hurriedly ran down the train.
Stepping off the last stair, she was imdiately embraced by Aunt Lin.
“Oh dear, you’ve finally co back!” Aunt Lin pinched Lin Nianhe’s cheek and examined her with a frown, saying distressedly, “You’ve lost weight!”
This ti, Lin Nianhe had indeed lost weight; rocking on the train for three days, she couldn’t eat or sleep well, reading made her dizzy and not reading was boring.
Anyway, I just feel uncomfortable all over.
Nianhe stepped on the ground, her steps still a bit wobbly, always feeling like she hadn’t stepped on solid ground.
Mr. Lin and the security guard ca with both backpacks and bags, “Let’s go, head ho, the car is parked outside!”
Upon hearing the word “car,” Nianhe instinctively felt nauseous.
Aunt Lin saw her pale face and reached out to touch her forehead, “What’s wrong? Feeling unwell? Should we go to the hospital instead?”
“It’s nothing, Mom,” Nianhe shook her head, “I just didn’t sleep well in the car, I’ll be fine once I rest at ho.”
“Alright then, let’s go ho first.” Aunt Lin draped an arm around her shoulders, helping her walk out.
Mr. Lin’s jeep was parked outside the train station; they loaded the luggage into the trunk, and Aunt Lin pulled Nianhe into the car.
Aunt Lin held Nianhe’s hand and examined it closely, feeling the slight calluses, her eyes reddening: “My daughter has suffered…” Before she could finish, tears fell onto the palm of Nianhe.
Grasping her fingers, Nianhe smiled and said, “Exactly, Mom, I could never have imagined how tiring being a teacher could be… Look at my hands, all these calluses are from grading students’ howork, oh, and from writing on the chalkboard, it’s exhausting… I deeply reflect on how I never understood the hardships teachers faced before.”
As Nianhe spoke, she snuggled softly into Aunt Lin’s arms, acting coquettishly.
Aunt Lin knew her daughter was just comforting her; holding back her tears, she stroked her daughter’s head and said, “No matter how tiring, you must teach your students well; being a teacher, you can’t slack off, you have responsibilities.”
“I know…” Nianhe cleverly changed the subject, “Where’s my brother? When is he coming ho?”
Aunt Lin’s expression stiffened, and her brow furrowed slightly, she held Nianhe’s hand and said softly, “He’s already at ho.”
“Huh? He’s already back?” Nianhe was quite surprised.
“Yes.” Aunt Lin nodded, her eyes growing redder.
Seeing her expression, Nianhe knew sothing must have happened to Huaizhou; she was about to ask when Mr. Lin and the security guard got into the car.
“My dear, you must be tired. Dad bought you quite a few snacks; we’ll have dinner as soon as we get ho! Rest at ho for a few days, we’ve got movie tickets, you can go watch so if you’re bored, and in a couple of days, let your mom rest and she can go shopping with you…”
Seeing Aunt Lin’s mood was down, Nianhe didn’t pry further and started chatting along with Mr. Lin.
The train station was not far from ho, a ten-minute drive.
The Lin family lived in a two-story house; the first floor housed the kitchen, living room, and dining room, Mr. and Aunt Lin’s bedroom was also on this floor, and the second floor had two rooms for the siblings, plus a study.
Nianhe stood at the doorstep, instinctively glancing towards the Su family next door.
Brother Yuncheng had been gone for over twenty days; he should be back soon, right?
As she was thinking, Aunt Lin took her hand and led her inside, “Don’t just stand there, co inside, let your dad handle the luggage.”
As she spoke, she opened the front door.
Nianhe imdiately saw Huaizhou.
It might be Huaizhou.
His left face was covered with gauze, his neck was also wrapped in gauze, his left arm was in a plaster cast, suspended by gauze around his neck, his right leg was also wrapped in gauze, with a trace of red seeping out. The areas not covered by the gauze were bruised and purple, with so shallow scrapes that had been treated with dicine and left unbandaged. He was thinner and paler than Nianhe had ever rembered, his lips were colorless, and the exposed right side of his face even had so traces of frostbite.
Nianhe didn’t even dare recognize him for a mont.
In such a state, he still managed a smile: “Xiao He, you’re back.”
Nianhe was dumbstruck, her voice trembling slightly, “Brother, what… what did you do?”
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