The Song Family.

“Too much, way too much…”

“Niece of the Qiao family, this old man doesn’t even know how to thank you.”

Old Master Song looked at the piles of grain given by Qiao Jiuru, overwhelmed with gratitude and at a loss for words.

Beside him, Grandma Song wiped tears nonstop, equally moved and deeply thankful to Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan.

Heaven has eyes — at this desperate moment, their family met the Qiao family.

“Uncle Song, it’s really not much, just three hundred jin of coarse grain and two hundred jin of fine grain. These two jin of brown sugar and a few dozen eggs are to help the children build up their health.”

Besides these, Qiao Jiuru also gave the Song family three sea fish, two pieces of cured meat, three jin of pork, two jin of pork fat, and two jin of salt.

“It’s best to prepare the pork and pork fat at midnight. If you don’t finish it, you can smoke it for preservation. Also, here’s the key to the neighboring house. You can store the grain and supplies there—just be careful coming and going, and there won’t be any problems.”

Qiao Jiuru not only gave them so many provisions but also handed over the keys to the next courtyard.

To truly help someone is to go all the way.

“Niece, these days I’m in the capital and don’t have anything good to give you. But back home in Henan province, I still have two courtyards with some valuables I couldn’t bring to the capital back then. If there’s a chance later, I’ll dig them up and send them to you.”

Old Master Song thought it over; aside from their old home, there wasn’t much valuable left.

If he could go back to get those items, he intended to give all of them to Qiao Jiuru.

This was a tremendous kindness that the Song family must repay.

“Uncle Song, please take care of your health, live well, hold on a little longer. Maybe in a few years, better days will come for all of us.”

Qiao Jiuru didn’t plan to keep the Song family’s provisions.

The Qiao and Su families had plenty of good things too.

Helping the Song family wasn’t about expecting anything in return.

At that moment, someone in the neighboring room woke up.

Hearing the movement in Grandpa and Grandma’s room, Xiao Luo, Xiao Nian, and Xiao Shu quickly got up and came over.

“Aunt Qiao, Uncle Su, you’re here so early?!”

The three children were both surprised and overjoyed to see them.

Seeing all the supplies on the ground, their eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Xiao Luo, Xiao Shu, when you get to the train station, find Su Huazhu. Uncle Su and I have classes and can’t come see you off. Someone will be there to look after you on the way. Don’t trust strangers—there are many human traffickers outside who target little girls. Be cautious wherever you go. Even when you go to the restroom, you three must stick together.”

Qiao Jiuru seriously and solemnly warned Xiao Luo and Xiao Shu, really worried since she couldn’t escort them personally.

Xiao Luo and Xiao Shu were sobered by her words, nodding earnestly.

They would keep it in their hearts to never be taken away.

It was almost six o’clock. Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan had to leave.

They still planned to visit the black market on the way home to buy as much as they could.

In less than half an hour, the couple wrapped themselves warmly and appeared at the black market, buying another two hundred jin of grain, eggs, tickets, and whatever else they thought useful.

They arrived home around seven in the morning. Su Ze and Zhou Wanwan had almost finished preparing breakfast.

“Everyone, eat more today, and eat well.”

Qiao Jiuru took twelve meat buns and boiled eggs from a cloth bag and placed them on the table, calling the family to breakfast.

Zhou Wanwan hadn’t slept well all night, worried about her two sons who were sent to another home. Her heart was always uneasy.

Seeing the breakfast, she didn’t think much, assuming it was bought fresh from a state-run restaurant. Either way, she just focused on eating.

After breakfast, before going to class, Qiao Jiuru put Su Huaiyuan’s two favorite watches back in their original drawer spot and placed over a thousand yuan in cash inside.

She carefully returned all the valuables she had previously taken away.

Then, with a composed expression, she went off to school.

Those people would arrive soon.

…

8:30 AM, Train Station.

Su Huazhu was very downcast, her eyes red-rimmed.

She carried a backpack, a large suitcase, and a bag holding a lunchbox, water bottle, washbasin, and other small items.

About half a meter behind her stood a tall, upright young man with a crew cut and bright eyes.

He kept watch over the surroundings, mostly focused on the young girl in front of him.

This young man was the nephew from Guangsheng’s wife’s family.

Early that morning, he and his cousin-in-law had arrived at the hospital’s family compound, picked up Su Huazhu, and headed to the train station.

The station was crowded today.

Many young people were heading to rural areas by different trains to support countryside development nationwide.

“Comrade, are you Su Huazhu?!”

The brother and sister, Xiao Luo and Xiao Shu, also carrying luggage and supplies, squeezed through the crowd to Su Huazhu’s side and asked immediately.

Su Huazhu: “…”

Who were these kids?

How did they know her? But she didn’t recognize them.

“Huazhu sister, I’m Song Luoshu, this is my older brother Song Luoyun. We’re going to the countryside together with you. You don’t look much like Uncle Su, but you do look a bit like Aunt Qiao. We think you’re the Su Huazhu we’re looking for.”

Xiao Shu was very happy to meet the young lady from Aunt Qiao’s family because they were close in age, and Su sister seemed easy to get along with, so she quickly introduced themselves.

“Xiao Shu is right. You do look more like Qiao niece. I am Grandpa Song, your grandfather and I were classmates in our youth. The places Xiao Luo and Xiao Shu are going to were told to us by your mother, so you can look out for each other in the countryside.”

Old Master Song had also come to see off his two grandchildren.

Once the children left, it might be years before they met again.

He couldn’t let them go alone; he wanted to escort them as far as he could.

Besides, he wanted to meet Qiao niece’s daughter, hoping these three children, all in similar hardships, could live peacefully and grow up safely in the countryside and return home unharmed.

Before this, Old Master Song hadn’t realized the Su family was about to face disaster.

Only when Qiao Jiuru asked about the committee director did he have a vague suspicion.

“Hello Grandpa Song, hello both of you, I am Su Huazhu. Grandpa Song, we will look after each other.”

Su Huazhu immediately recalled what her mother told her last night — these must be the two people.

“Good, good.”

Old Master Song nodded with relief, unwilling to part with the three children.

Finally, his gaze landed on the young man not far away, silently nodding to him.

Lin Aiguo returned the nod to the old man.

The group hadn’t gathered long before the train they were to take arrived. Everyone hurried to board and find their seats.