After Ji Guiyu left, Zhao Yongkang was arrested shortly afterward.
Zhao Yongkang’s son stormed over in a rage, only to find that the house had already changed owners.
He was beaten up by the new occupants and thrown out.
Looking around, he no longer had a home. In the end, like a beggar, he couldn’t stay in the city and had to slink back to his hometown in disgrace.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen, along with Little Boss, set off once again on their journey to the Northwest.
Although they had been delayed for a few days, it didn’t have much impact on them.
However, Little Boss had grown another round.
Animals grow really fast. When they’re always by your side, you don’t notice it, but when you suddenly take a closer look, you realize that Little Boss had grown significantly in just half a month.
Still, he remained as chubby as ever.
They once again had sleeper tickets, and it took them two more days to reach their destination.
After getting off the train, they inquired about the bus to their final destination and endured a bumpy ride.
Even someone as tough as Song Wei felt worn out.
It was exhausting, both physically and mentally.
Little Boss also seemed listless and dispirited.
The bus arrived at a small town. The town was large, but sparsely populated.
The area was vast and sparsely inhabited, even more backward than the small town near Ping’an Brigade.
After some twists and turns, they found a donkey cart. The cart was loaded with hay, and they sat at the back, enduring a three-hour ride to Nankang Brigade.
“Uncle, do you know where Yu Wei lives?”
The old man driving the donkey cart was from Nankang Brigade. He puffed on his cigarette.
“What do you want him for?”
Good, he knew him.
Lin Zhen: “We’re distant relatives of Uncle Yu Wei. We’re here to visit him.”
The old man turned his head, but the haystack was a bit too high, so he couldn’t see them clearly.
“So you’re relatives of team Leader Yu. I’ll take you directly to him then.”
The two thanked him profusely, and Lin Zhen even handed over a cigarette and a handful of candies.
The old man, holding the cigarette and candies, was so delighted that the wrinkles on his face bunched up, and he became even more enthusiastic.
“I was wondering why you young folks would come all the way to this remote place to visit relatives.”
Lin Zhen replied, “Well, my fiancée and I are about to get married. We haven’t been in touch for a while, so we thought we’d come and share the good news.”
The old man exclaimed, “That’s wonderful! You and your fiancée look like a perfect match, very much like city folks.”
“But I haven’t heard Yu Wei mention having relatives like you.”
Lin Zhen had already prepared an explanation: “We’re very distant relatives. We had almost lost touch, but when I joined the army, I ran into Uncle Yu Wei again. After reconnecting, our relationship improved. Plus, I owe a lot to Uncle Yu Wei for his help during my time in the army, so we decided to visit.”
“Young man, you were in the army! No wonder you look so sharp. Soldiers are the best!”
“I was discharged last year due to a leg injury.”
“That’s such a pity…”
The old man and Lin Zhen chatted back and forth. Song Wei sat beside Lin Zhen, leaning against him, cuddling the chubby little puppy in her arms. She felt quite content looking at the vast, open wilderness.
Although the donkey cart was bumpy, the fresh air was invigorating.
“We’re here.”
As soon as the donkey cart arrived, the old man tied it up and called out toward the earthen house.
“Yu Wei, Yu Wei, are you home? You’ve got relatives visiting.”
In response to his call, Yu Wei didn’t come out, but a woman wearing an apron did.
“What’s up?”
The old man pointed at Lin Zhen and Song Wei: “Your relatives are here. I happened to run into them in town and brought them over.”
The woman scrutinized Lin Zhen and Song Wei for a moment, then asked, “Who are you?”
Lin Zhen stepped forward: “Auntie, hello. I’m Uncle Yu Wei’s distant nephew and also his comrade, Lin Zhen.”
As soon as she heard “comrade Lin Zhen,” the woman immediately recognized him and warmly invited them in.
“So it’s Nephew Lin! Come in, come in, have a seat. Thank you, Old man.”
The old man waved his hand: “No need to be so polite.”
Seeing that his job was done, the old man led his donkey away, puffing on his cigarette.
Inside the house, the woman brought them some water.
“Auntie, there’s no need to trouble yourself. We can help ourselves.”
The woman said, “My surname is Li. You can call me Auntie Li.”
Lin Zhen and Song Wei obediently called her “Auntie Li.”
“Sit down and have some water. I’ll go fetch your Uncle Yu Wei.”
With that, Auntie Li hurried out.
It didn’t take long before she returned with a middle-aged man in tow.
Lin Zhen immediately stood up and gave the man a crisp military salute.
“Old Squad Leader!”
That’s right, Yu Wei was not only Lin Zhen’s comrade but also the squad leader of their unit back then.
Yu Wei, looking at Lin Zhen’s tall and sturdy frame, returned the salute with red-rimmed eyes.
“Good, good. I never expected you to come find me.”
He stepped forward and patted Lin Zhen’s shoulder.
“How’s your leg doing?”
Yu Wei felt a pang of regret. Back then, Lin Zhen was the most daring and relentless, and also the most talented.
He hadn’t been Lin Zhen’s squad leader for long. The young man was so talented and fearless that he was quickly selected for special assignments.
He was the best soldier Yu Wei had ever led.
But such a promising young man had to retire due to injury.
“I can walk fine in daily life, but I can’t handle intense training anymore.”
“What a pity, such a pity.”
He could have gone so much further, had such a bright future.
For soldiers, as long as they can advance and stay in the army, no one wants to retire.
Lin Zhen said, “It’s not a pity. Even if I’m not in the army, I can still live a good life. By the way, Old Squad Leader, let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, Song Wei. We’re getting married at the end of this year.”
Song Wei nodded at Yu Wei: “Hello, Uncle.”
“Good, good… You’ve done well, kid. You’ve found such a wonderful wife.”
Yu Wei was clearly pleased.
Auntie Li went to prepare a meal, and Song Wei naturally offered to help.
However, she didn’t know how to cook, so she could only assist with minor tasks.
Little Boss, arriving in a new place, began exploring his surroundings. He didn’t make a fuss, just wagged his tail and followed people around.
Auntie Li found him quite endearing.
“This little dog is so cute.”
Song Wei had heard this many times before, and she nodded in agreement.
But there were even cuter ones at home.
Local dogs generally have a simple, honest appearance, though some can be quite handsome.
But in terms of cuteness, few can compare to pet dogs.
At this time, pet dogs were rare, probably only found in big cities, so a foreign breed like Little Boss was quite a novelty.
“His name is Little Boss. We might need to trouble you to look after him in the future.”
Song Wei explained honestly to Auntie Li: “This dog is a herding dog we specifically got for my uncle. We received a letter from you saying that my uncle often takes large herds of sheep and cattle to distant pastures for grazing. Herding dogs have a natural instinct for this.
I thought it could help my uncle and ease his burden. Of course, before we leave, we’ll train him to hunt on his own, so you won’t have to worry too much about feeding him.”
Auntie Li looked at the little dog in amazement: “Such a small thing can herd sheep?”
A herding dog—just the name alone made it sound like it was born for the task.
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