Chapter 17

Jiang Suihan glanced at Jiang Weiyu’s tightly clasped hands and asked, “Why are you saying this? Do you know something?”

She quickly tried to understand why Jiang Weiyu was there. Could it be that she had overheard Huang Qiujuan’s plans and didn’t want to be complicit, so she had come secretly to warn her?

Or was it a scheme by her aunt and uncle to gain her trust, only to lower her guard and execute their plan later?

Seeing Jiang Suihan appear lost in thought and unresponsive, Jiang Weiyu urgently said, “I’m telling the truth. You need to leave immediately, or it will be too late.”

She was very familiar with her second brother. She recalled an incident from fourth grade when her brother’s classmate injured another student’s leg and had to pay a lot of money. One day, when she was sick and went home early, she overheard her brother and the injured classmate dividing the money, discovering that her brother had set up the classmate to get the money.

Since then, she had been afraid of her brother and avoided provoking him. The injured classmate’s father had helped their family before, and her brother had grown up with him. After the incident, her brother acted as if nothing had happened and continued to joke and laugh as before. The classmate was still in the dark, thinking of her brother as a good friend.

Jiang Suihan smiled awkwardly, realizing she might have overthought things. She believed that a girl in her teens wouldn’t have such intricate schemes.

She looked at Jiang Weiyu with a mix of doubt and concern. “Alright, I believe you. Can you tell me how you found out about the threat against me?”

Jiang Weiyu was too embarrassed to explain. She turned red and fumbled, unable to provide a clear answer.

Jiang Suihan, not wanting to press her further, said, “It’s fine. I can guess. It’s probably your mother and the others, right? They’re likely scheming to benefit from me right now.”

The young girl was still of school age, and besides her classmates and family, she probably had little contact with others. Judging by her wide-eyed expression, there was no need for further guessing.

Jiang Suihan asked, “Did you come to see me without telling your family?”

“Yes, I came alone.” Seeing that Jiang Suihan didn’t press further, Jiang Weiyu let out a silent sigh of relief.

Jiang Suihan was right; she had guessed correctly. Jiang Suihan touched the top of the girl’s head. Even though she was sixteen, she looked only thirteen or fourteen. Considering her Aunt’s favoritism and the girl’s quiet nature, it was easy to imagine the life she must have endured at home.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning.”

With the urgency of the situation, Jiang Weiyu was reassured. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she said, “I should go now. I have classes tomorrow morning, so I won’t see you off.”

As Jiang Weiyu turned to leave, Jiang Suihan called out to her, “Wait a moment.”

Xu Zhao hadn’t left yet. He was helping to clean up the house and planning to take some items that couldn’t be taken to Grandma Lin’s to see if she wanted them.

Jiang Suihan asked him for the address of the military camp and wrote it down on a piece of paper, which Jiang Leiyun had provided by tearing a sheet from his notebook.

“What’s this?” Jiang Weiyu asked, looking at the unfamiliar address on the paper.

“This is where we’ll be living in the future. If you ever find yourself in trouble and need to leave home, you can come find us,” Jiang Suihan said, handing Jiang Weiyu a handful of milk candies.

She was grateful for Jiang Weiyu’s concern. With the city becoming increasingly chaotic in the coming years—teachers being purged, schools closing, and students not studying—if Jiang Weiyu found herself with no other options, this would be a way out.

Jiang Weiyu looked at Jiang Suihan with a touched expression, pouting and suddenly hugging Jiang Suihan. “Thank you, Sister Suihan. Please take care.”

Leave this sorrowful place and live well.

Taken aback, Jiang Suihan felt awkward. The girl was so moved. She couldn’t just push her away. After a moment of silence, she gently patted the girl’s back.

“Alright, it’s not like we’re parting forever. Once you graduate, if you have time, you can come visit me. Try to stay away from trouble. Students should focus on their studies, go home after class, and stand up for their rights if necessary. Otherwise, people might think you’re an easy target.”

Jiang Weiyu, still blushing, said shyly, “I need to go home for dinner now.”

She released Jiang Suihan, clenched her fists, and nodded firmly. “I’ll work hard. If anyone bullies me, I’ll fight back.”

“You don’t have to be so aggressive,” Jiang Suihan said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

Feeling she might be setting a bad example, she felt a bit guilty.

Xu Zhao picked up the luggage and led the way out.

Before leaving, Jiang Suihan glanced back at the dilapidated house with no hint of regret. “Let’s go.”

The previous day, the three of them had visited Jiang’s parents’ graves, an idea proposed by Xu Zhao. Jiang Suihan almost forgot that she should bring her new husband to pay respects to her parents. Since her father chose this husband himself, he should be pleased.

With Xu Zhao as their support, Jiang Suihan and her brother only needed to carry a small bag and follow along with ease.

At the train station, with more than half an hour before departure, it wasn’t very crowded yet. Xu Zhao, being sharp-eyed, found an empty corner through the crowd.

He placed the luggage on the ground and checked his watch. “There’s still plenty of time. Let’s rest a bit.”

Since there was no direct transport from home to the train station, they had to switch cars three times to get there. Having woken up at around five in the morning and not yet boarded the train, Jiang Suihan was already exhausted. She took out a water bottle and asked Jiang Leyun, “Do you want some water?”

It was filled with boiled water, freshly prepared that morning.

Jiang Leyun licked his dry lips and nodded.

Jiang Suihan unscrewed the bottle and handed it to him. “Don’t drink too much. It’s inconvenient to use the restroom on the train.”

She had never traveled by train before, but she could imagine that conditions would be poor.

Jiang Leyun took a few sips and, feeling bored while waiting, lay on the luggage and asked Xu Zhao, “Brother-in-law, is LiProvince very far from here?”

At first, Jiang Suihan felt uncomfortable hearing Jiang Leyun call Xu Zhao “brother-in-law,” but she got used to it over the past few days, noticing that the child adapted faster than she did.

Xu Zhao stood upright and looked down at the child. “We’ll spend two nights on the train. We’ll arrive in Li Province around five in the morning the day after tomorrow. Then we’ll need to take a vehicle to the military camp in Shouyun County. Altogether, it will take about forty to fifty hours.”

Jiang Leyun’s mouth fell open in amazement. “More than forty hours? That’s over two days! It’s so far!”

Having never left Mingjiang City before, this was his first trip out of the province, and he was excited just thinking about it.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but frown, contemplating turning back. The long journey made her wonder if she could handle it physically.

As a true southerner, she felt uneasy about not taking a bath for a day, let alone on a train. The thought alone made her skin crawl.

As people disembarked, others boarded, making the train station very crowded, especially at the entrance where people were packed tightly.

Xu Zhao forged ahead, clearing the way. Jiang Suihan held Jiang Leyun’s hand tightly and, after much effort, managed to get on the train. Besides Xu Zhao, the siblings looked somewhat disheveled. The child, being small, had been stepped on a couple of times in the commotion, leaving two black footprints on his shoes, perfectly aligned.

Jiang Leyun’s lips were turned down in displeasure. His best pair of shoes had been dirtied. He regretted wearing them.

Getting sleeper tickets was challenging, but Xu Zhao had managed to get three with the help of a contact at the police station—one middle berth and two lower berths.

He placed the luggage under the bed. “You’ll take the middle berth. Leyun and I will take the lower berths. It will be more convenient.”

He sleeps below, so he can handle any issues promptly and also take care of the child.

Jiang Suihan sighed slowly. The smell in the train was unpleasant, a mix of odors that was irritating to her senses. She looked exhausted, sitting on the bed and resting against the wall.

Seeing Xu Zhao bustling around alone, she felt a bit guilty and quickly said, “Let me help.”

Xu Zhao declined her offer, saying, “It’s fine. You don’t look well. Rest for a while.”

Seeing that Jiang Suihan looked wilted as if sun-dried like a withered plant, Xu Zhao thought she probably wasn’t used to train rides and might be feeling unwell.

Jiang Suihan’s eyes lit up as she looked at the oranges Xu Zhao was holding. “Where did you get these?”

She eagerly took an orange, peeled it, and a burst of fresh orange fragrance filled the air. Though the skin was slightly wrinkled, the fruit was still juicy and sweet, very delicious.

“Have some. There are a few more in the bag,” Xu Zhao said, shaking his head to decline.

Yesterday, on the way back to the guesthouse, Xu Zhao had seen someone carrying a tightly wrapped basket in a narrow alley. Curious, he followed and discovered it was a makeshift black market. The place was small, and everyone involved, whether sellers or buyers, avoided talking and left immediately after transactions.

Seeing oranges for sale, which looked quite fresh, he bought a few, thinking Jiang Suihan would like them.

Grateful for the kindness, Jiang Suihan held out two pieces of orange and offered them to Xu Zhao’s mouth. “Open up.”

Xu Zhao paused for a moment, looked at her, and then opened his mouth to bite the orange piece.

“It’s very sweet.”

Sweeter than any oranges he had eaten before.

Jiang Suihan realized that this act seemed a bit intimate. Other passengers in the train compartment were casting curious and somewhat embarrassed glances at her and Xu Zhao.

Her face turned red in an instant. She tried to stay calm and said, “Yes, it is quite sweet.”

Jiang Leyun raised his little head, looked at his sister, then at his brother-in-law, and with his hands covering his mouth, he grinned.

Jiang Suihan gave the child a glare, pried his hands away, and stuffed a piece of orange into his mouth.

“What are you staring at? There’s food, so keep your mouth busy.”

**