Yang Xuehua and Xia Jing had just returned from outside when they heard that Ning Hui was leaving; they were equally shocked.
"Is it really impossible between you and Secretary Li?" Xia Xiao asked again, unwilling to let go. She still hoped they would end up together, and since Li Zhenchuan was at the Red Star Production Team, had Ning Hui married Li Zhenchuan, both of them would continue to work there. If Li Zhenchuan were transferred later, that would be a different matter, but right now, Xia Xiao was very reluctant to see Ning Hui leave.
Ning Hui shook her head, unwilling to talk more about Li Zhenchuan.
Once her luggage was packed, Ning Hui was ready to depart. Xia Xiao and Yang Xuehua saw her off. Along the way, they didn’t see Li Zhenchuan show up. Xia Xiao sighed—could it be that these two were just not destined to be together?
After Ning Hui left, Xia Xiao and Yang Xuehua imdiately went to look for Li Zhenchuan at the team’s headquarters but didn’t find him there. They even checked his residence and still no sign of him.
"Where on earth is Secretary Li?" Xia Xiao wondered aloud.
Yang Xuehua suggested, "Maybe he’s at one of the team mbers’ houses, or perhaps he went up the mountain?"
"Let’s keep looking. I just feel so terrible letting Ning Hui go back all alone."
At the Gao family, Gao Jiaxing’s return brought joy to Zheng Xianghong, "Son, why have you co back at this ti without telling us in advance? I could have asked your elder brother to pick you up from the station."
Gao Guoqiang and Gao Jiazhi were both at ho, so they were surprised and glad to see Gao Jiaxing return.
Gao Jiazhi slapped Gao Jiaxing on the shoulder and said, "Not bad, military service really tempers a person. I almost didn’t recognize you, brother."
Gao Jiaxing laughed and said, "Coming back simplifies things." Then he asked, "How are my sister-in-law and niece?"
Zheng Xianghong replied, "Your sister-in-law and little niece went over to Wang Aihua’s place." Then she turned to Gao Jiazhi, "Go call Yuhua to bring Weilin back."
"Alright, I’ll go now." Gao Jiazhi prepared to leave, and Zheng Xianghong added, "Jiazhi, check if Xia Xiao is there too, tell her that Jiaxing is back."
Gao Jiazhi acknowledged and left, and then Gao Guoqiang said to Gao Jiaxing, "You’ve beco a platoon leader."
"That’s good." Gao Guoqiang was visibly excited, proud of his son’s achievent.
Zheng Xianghong was happy yet conflicted, but her son becoming a platoon leader was certainly a cause for celebration. She said, "Then you must work hard and not let down your leaders’ expectations."
"I ca back this ti to propose to Xia Xiao," Gao Jiaxing said. If it hadn’t been for his family’s presence, the first person he would have wanted to visit would have been Xia Xiao at her dormitory.
Upon hearing this, Gao Guoqiang and Zheng Xianghong nodded earnestly, both having been eager for Gao Jiaxing to get married.
And Gao Jiazhi, having looked for Sun Yuhua at Wang Aihua’s ho and then gone to inform Xia Xiao at her dormitory, didn’t find Xia Xiao either and could only return ho with Sun Yuhua and the child.
Xia Xiao and Yang Xuehua had gone to find Li Zhenchuan, so when Gao Jiazhi ca looking, Xia Jing was left to go find Xia Xiao.
Sun Yuhua and Gao Jiazhi got back ho and were struck by the change in Gao Jiaxing.
Little Weilin, not a shy child, was placed by Gao Jiazhi into Gao Jiaxing’s arms. She didn’t cry but curiously examined Gao Jiaxing, contentedly lying in his embrace.
Gao Jiaxing, a tough man, had never held a child before. So, when Gao Jiazhi handed him a few months old baby, his body imdiately stiffened, and he dared not move.
The Gao family watched Gao Jiaxing’s reaction and couldn’t help but laugh.
Gao Jiazhi said, "Get used to it. When you have your own children, you’ll have experience." Then he added, "I didn’t see Xia Xiao. I heard from her sister that Ning Hui has gone ho, and Xia Xiao along with Yang Xuehua went to look for Secretary Li."
Upon hearing this, Gao Guoqiang expressed his surprise, "Hasn’t Secretary Li already gone ho?"
"You didn’t say anything, though," Zheng Xianghong reproached. "Ning Hui ca to bid farewell, and you said nothing."
"What was I supposed to say? We shouldn’t ddle in her and Secretary Li’s affairs," Gao Guoqiang said.
"You, you’re such a blockhead," Zheng Xianghong said, frustrated. Everyone knew about Ning Hui and Li Zhenchuan’s situation. She then asked Gao Guoqiang, "So, Secretary Li left first?"
Gao Guoqiang nodded, and Zheng Xianghong pondered, "Who knows what’s going on with them? They’re not getting any younger. They could have already been married with kids running around. I don’t know what they are waiting for."
"Mom, you rest for now. I’ll go check on Xia Xiao," Gao Jiaxing said.
Zheng Xianghong, taking little Weilin into her arms, said, "Go ahead."
Just as Gao Jiaxing was about to leave, Zheng Xianghong added, "Jiaxing, there’s sothing else you might not be aware of—Ge Lai from the Red Star Production Team, he got into trouble."
Gao Jiaxing paused and asked, "What happened to him?"
"They say he was speculating and even stealing grain from the production team. It was Liu Haihua who reported it. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know, but stay out of it," Zheng Xianghong advised seriously, knowing her son was close to Ge Lai and worried that if soone told Gao Jiaxing about Ge Lai’s trouble, he might impulsively co to Ge Lai’s defense and get into trouble himself.
Gao Guoqiang nodded, "You really shouldn’t get involved in this; it won’t do any good even if you did."
When Gao Jiazhi heard that Gao Jiaxing had beco a platoon leader, he also warned, "Yeah, Jiaxing, don’t be rash."
The Gao family did not wish for Gao Jiaxing to intervene on Ge Lai’s behalf. The situation seed simple, but it involved too many complications, and it was easy to beco a target by just poking one’s head out.
The situation was no joke; both Gao Guoqiang, Zheng Xianghong, and Gao Jiazhi looked sternly at Gao Jiaxing.
Gao Jiaxing assured them, "I understand," and then he left.
Dressed in military uniform, Gao Jiaxing was greeted by people from the production team who chatted with him as he passed by.
Gao Jiaxing also casually inquired about Ge Lai’s situation. Ge Lai, who had been raised by the generosity of many, had a special bond with the Red Star Production Team. Without Red Star Production Team and Liu Jiefang, Ge Lai might not have survived to this day.
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