Chapter 69.2

Qin Qingman waited for Chuchu to finish saying goodbye to the last child before picking him up and heading back home.

The torches, which had been gathered at the entrance of the village, had now dispersed in all directions, dotting the landscape like stars—very beautiful.

Chuchu, sitting on Qin Qingman’s back, held a torch high to light their way.

The sky was particularly dark tonight, and the torchlight helped illuminate the path beneath their feet.

The siblings had originally planned to get home before dark, so they hadn’t brought a flashlight. But after the unexpected event, they were fortunate that the torches around the yard had been plentiful. They simply grabbed one and used it for light.

“Sis, you’re hungry, right?”

Chuchu, being obedient, carefully asked while lying on Qin Qingman’s back, “Sis, are you hungry?”

At lunch, he had eaten a single bun. When Big Sister was about to eat, she was first interrupted by the annoying uncle, then things started happening one after another, and eventually, there was no time left to eat any more. It was only now that Chuchu asked.

It wasn’t that Chuchu asked, but once he did, Qin Qingman realized just how hungry she was.

Lately, she had been eating regularly, and had gotten used to scheduled meals. The fact that she hadn’t eaten well at lunch was indeed affecting her now. “Let’s hurry home and cook something,” she said.

“Sis, there’s still a bun in the lunchbox.” Chuchu had kept his lunchbox safe.

“Okay, we’ll cook some dumplings later. I remember there are dumplings wrapped at home.” Qin Qingman was also considering what to make for dinner.

“Let’s cook some bean sprouts too.” Chuchu had some good ideas about food.

“Alright, we’ll cook some bean sprouts too.” Qin Qingman agreed with Chuchu’s menu suggestions.

As they chatted, the siblings soon saw their house. Since Wei Ling wasn’t home, their house wasn’t lit, but the surrounding houses had their lights on, so theirs didn’t feel lonely.

Once inside, Qin Qingman immediately set Chuchu down and went to light the lamps and tend to the stove.

The stove had been sealed for the entire day, and she wasn’t sure if it had burned out completely.

Fortunately, the coal quality in this era was quite good. With the fire sealed well, and after adding more coal and firewood, the heat began to rise quickly, and the room, which had felt a bit cold, started to warm up.

“Chuchu, don’t take off your clothes yet, it’s still cold inside. Wash your hands first, and we’ll make something to eat. By the time we’re done eating, the room should be warm enough.” Qin Qingman carried the kettle and poured water into the basin. The water in the kettle had been kept warm on the stove and was still hot.

“Sis, I’ll feed Da Bai and Xiao Bai first.”

Chuchu was busy cutting radishes for the two geese.

The food they had left for the geese before leaving had already been eaten. Now it was time to add more and also clean up the mess the geese had left behind.

Qin Qingman looked at Chuchu carefully. At that moment, Chuchu seemed just as he always had, and she wasn’t sure whether the death of Wu Weimin had affected him.

But Qin Qingman couldn’t ask him directly.

It was better not to ask about such things. Perhaps the child wouldn’t remember, and by asking, it could bring up memories that would be better left undisturbed.

When they returned home, the brother and sister were busy with their tasks. Finally, when the scent of food spread throughout the house, they were able to sit down and relax.

“Sis, the dumplings are delicious.”

Chuchu stuffed a dumpling dipped in vinegar into his mouth, savoring it with satisfaction.

“Weren’t you saying that buns are delicious before?” Qin Qingman asked playfully, biting into the bun she hadn’t finished at lunch.

Chuchu paused for a moment, then quickly responded, “Buns are delicious, dumplings are also delicious. As long as Big Sister makes them, they’re all delicious.” He said this with a smile, looking at Qin Qingman, not sure where he had learned this flattery.

Qin Qingman couldn’t help but laugh at the child, reaching out to gently pat his head.

Chuchu’s head was round and smooth, his hair soft, and it felt particularly nice to touch.

“By the way, our cured ribs are ready. Next time, let’s try them,” Qin Qingman said, continuing the conversation about food.

Chuchu’s smile deepened, but he hesitated for a moment before saying, “Sis, let’s wait until Brother-in-law comes back before we eat them.” Whenever there was something delicious, the child would always think of Wei Ling, who was so kind to him.

Qin Qingman was momentarily taken aback, then responded, “Alright, let’s wait until Ah Ling comes back to eat.”

“Mm-hmm, I think we still have a lot of good things to eat. As long as Big Sister makes them, I think they’re even better,” Chuchu added, continuing to flatter her. Whether it was in his nature or because he had a good eye, he didn’t know.

After eating and drinking their fill, the brother and sister rested for a while before beginning to take off their winter clothes.

Both stoves were burning, and the temperatures in both the living room and the west room had risen. By now, their winter clothes had become too hot, and if they didn’t take them off, they would be drenched in sweat.

Their meal had been simple, and there weren’t many dishes to wash, but the brother and sister still worked together to clean up.

After washing the dishes, they wandered around the house for a while before deciding to take a bath.

They had been out in the cold all day, and having encountered such bad luck with the dead body, it was necessary to wash off.

Qin Qingman stoked the coal stove in the west room to make it burn hotter before she brought in the bathtub, filled it with water, and then called Chuchu to take a bath.

The water was enough for the child to have a nice, long soak.

After the child finished tidying up, Qin Qingman began to take care of herself. She washed from head to toe, and only after she had finished did she realize that Chuchu had already fallen asleep on the kang.

Qin Qingman glanced at the time and figured it was probably around 9 p.m., which was the time the child usually went to bed.

She touched her still-damp hair, but instead of going to bed, she began washing the clothes for both herself and Chuchu. The outer garments were about to be discarded, so she didn’t bother washing them, only the inner clothes. The inner clothes were light, and she didn’t need much water to get them clean.

After finishing the laundry, she hung the clothes on the drying rack. She glanced at the tub of water. 

There was only a shallow layer of water left.

Since it was so late, she decided not to go to the well for more water. Instead, she closed the doors and windows and sealed up the stove in the living room before returning to the west room.

The kerosene lamp in the west room was lit, and the kang was warm and cozy. Chuchu was sleeping soundly, peacefully.

Seeing the child like this, Qin Qingman let out a sigh of relief.

But she didn’t go to bed right away. Instead, she took out the unfinished sweater and sat by the stove, continuing to knit. She also used the time to dry her hair, as it was long, and she had to wait for it to be completely dry before going to sleep, or else she’d end up with a headache.

The kerosene lamp’s light was turned up to its brightest, and Qin Qingman began knitting quickly.

While knitting, her mind wandered back over the events of the day.

She retraced everything from the moment she left in the morning, making sure not to miss a single detail. After replaying the entire day in her mind, she felt satisfied with her handling of things. The only unexpected part was Wei Ling’s arrival.

Especially Wei Ling’s public hug.

Qin Qingman could feel the envious gazes of everyone around her.

Thinking of Wei Ling, Qin Qingman’s heart felt sweet.

The sweater she was knitting seemed to be even warmer, and it felt like Wei Ling was right there beside her, watching her.

She touched her flushed face, then quickened the pace of her knitting.

Half an hour later, her hands stopped.

Qin Qingman picked up the unfinished sweater and measured it with her hands. Although she had knitted for a short time today, her efficiency was high. Most of the body of the sweater had already been completed. She estimated that in three more days, the body would be finished, and then the sleeves could be done much more quickly.

Wei Ling would probably be able to wear the new sweater in about a week.

Qin Qingman ran her fingers through her hair; it was dry now, with no trace of dampness. She yawned, then began putting away the unfinished sweater and yarn, before closing the stove.

Before getting into bed, Qin Qingman glanced at Chuchu. The child was sleeping with his face flushed red.

He was deeply asleep, and nothing seemed amiss, so Qin Qingman felt reassured and climbed into bed.

Worried that the child might wake up in the middle of the night, Qin Qingman didn’t blow out the lamp but turned the light down to its lowest setting.

The kang had been heated earlier, and it was warm and cozy. After removing her clothes, Qin Qingman lay under the covers, feeling a sense of peace from the familiar scent of Wei Ling. This sense of security made her close her eyes and fall asleep.

She didn’t wait for Wei Ling; he was on a mission, and no one knew when it would be completed.

While the Qin siblings had already drifted into sleep, at Hongqi Farm, the atmosphere was far from peaceful.

In fact, it wasn’t so much lively as it was chaotic—only the Wu family was in an uproar. Every other household had already extinguished their lights and fallen into darkness, but the Wu family’s house was still lit up. Wei Ling was leading people through the house, carefully inventorying the Wu family’s belongings.

Outside the canteen, the Wu family had already been gathered into the back of trucks.

The truck beds had tarps to protect from rain and snow, though they didn’t do much to keep out the cold.

All three truck beds were packed with people.

Wei Ling was somewhat merciful and had ordered bedding to be brought from the Wu family’s house so that they wouldn’t freeze to death in the night. The group of Wu family members tightly wrapped themselves in the blankets, their heads drooping, listless and exhausted.

Having had no dinner, this group of people, who had long been accustomed to good living, was now feeling hunger for the first time in many years.

They huddled together, clutching their stomachs and leaning against one another, each enduring their own discomfort.

Fear, anxiety, hunger, cold…

This was the most profound feeling of the Wu family at that moment.

A mix of emotions intertwined, and apart from the occasional coughing, the truck bed was eerily silent. But as time passed, and with the military guards standing vigil, the Wu family began to panic.

They had no idea why they were being escorted by soldiers.

The nature of being escorted by soldiers was completely different from being escorted by militia. A militia escort meant you had committed an offense, violating some rule or discipline. But being escorted by soldiers meant you were considered a criminal, one who had committed a crime punishable by death.

Though the Wu family had relied on Wu Yuanming’s influence to act with some authority, they had never dared commit a crime deserving of the death penalty.

If they hadn’t committed a capital offense, then it must mean…

All the eyes of the Wu family members turned toward Wu Yuanming.

Wu Yuanming, along with Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo, wasn’t being escorted separately. He was kept with the rest of the Wu family, the only difference being that the three of them were bound with ropes and guarded by soldiers with guns.

A slightly older Wu family member cautiously glanced at the soldier guarding Wu Yuanming and asked, “Yuanming, what exactly did you do? Why are all of us Wu family members being arrested?”

He had been afraid ever since they were handed over to the soldiers.

What had happened to the Wu family?

After holding it in for a long time, he couldn’t help but ask.

And if the Wu family really had done something wrong, it must have been because of Wu Yuanming.

Wu Yuanming, who was caught off guard by the question, was equally confused. He was just the manager of a farm, and while he occasionally took advantage of his position to steal a bit, eat a bit, or drink a bit, he had never done anything seriously illegal.

To put it bluntly, he probably hadn’t done anything worse than his son Wu Weimin.

So, Wu Yuanming was bewildered by the question.

Faced with the gazes of all the Wu family members, Wu Yuanming could only turn his eyes to the side, where Jin Yuanchao was sitting, his mouth full of bitterness. “Was it you who caused all this?” That was the only thing he could think of.

Jin Yuanchao didn’t respond to Wu Yuanming; instead, he closed his eyes.

From the moment he was captured, he had tried every possible way to escape, but the guards were too strict, and he was bound so thoroughly that he couldn’t do anything.

“Answer me! Did you commit some big crime or not?!”

Wu Yuanming, seeing that Jin Yuanchao wasn’t responding, became more anxious. He couldn’t help himself and forcefully bumped into Jin Yuanchao with his body.

“Get off me.”

Jin Yuanchao, who was shoved, opened his eyes and coldly glared at Wu Yuanming.

The look was unfamiliar—gone was the usual cautiousness and timidity when facing Wu Yuanming.

Wu Yuanming understood; he might have been led into this mess by this person. The promises he had made to this kid were just a death sentence. “You damn useless piece of trash, you dare to set me up? I’ll make you regret it!” 

Wu Yuanming, throwing caution to the wind, violently charged at Jin Yuanchao.

“Everyone better behave. If anyone moves again, I’ll shoot.” A sharp sound of a gun being cocked followed. The soldiers guarding Jin Yuanchao in the truck and the ones on alert outside all aimed their guns at the truck.

Everyone in the truck stiffened and dared not move.

Even Wu Yuanming and Jin Yuanchao quieted down.

When it comes to life, everyone fears death.

For the Wu family, this night was one of torment and extreme fear. With only an hour left before dawn, the truck finally started. The convoy of trucks, under the guidance of the jeep, left the farm.

The people who had been watching the situation at the farm finally sighed in relief.

Wei Ling’s convoy, escorting the Wu family to the labor camp, had to pass through Kaoshan Village. Not only did they pass through Kaoshan Village, but they also had to go by the XXX Division’s headquarters.

When they saw Kaoshan Village in the distance, bathed in darkness, Wei Ling had to hold back for quite a while, trying to control the hand gripping the steering wheel. Eventually, he led the convoy off the road, heading toward the labor camp. Despite the snow, the usual drive would take just a few hours, but this time, they spent the entire day getting the people to the camp.

Wei Ling handed over the Wu family members to a military officer of a higher rank than Wang Chengping.

After the handover, Wei Ling didn’t stay long. He immediately led the convoy back in the direction they had come.

Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo were the individuals that the division had received orders to assist in capturing. As for what crimes the two had committed, the division didn’t know; they were just following orders.

“Is that the Wei family’s kid who voluntarily went to guard the border?”

Major General Song asked his companion.

“Yes, that’s him, his name is Wei Ling,” the person beside him replied.