The two children were stunned at first, unable to believe what they were hearing, but they quickly came to their senses, their eyes reddening as they repeatedly bowed to Gu Jianing in gratitude.
With a long-term partnership secured, they wouldn’t have to travel all the way to the county town’s traditional medicine market anymore, and they wouldn’t be forced to sell their herbs at such low prices.
Moreover, the sister in front of them was from the military district, a military wife. Everyone held soldiers and military wives in high regard.
“By the way, do you need ration tickets? Should I convert some of the money into tickets?” Gu Jianing asked.
In these times, having only money without ration tickets meant many things couldn’t be bought.
“Yes, yes, we do.”
So, Gu Jianing handed them the calculated amount of money and ration tickets.
Qin Tian and Qin Qing had never held so much money and tickets before. Looking at the full stack of money and tickets, they felt that even the impending snowstorm and mountain lockdown wouldn’t be so hard to bear.
“Sister, we’ll head back now.”
“Wait.”
Just as the two were about to bid farewell to Gu Jianing and go buy food, she called them back.
The two children immediately stopped, nervous, fearing something might go wrong.
Gu Jianing turned to the lamb soup vendor and said, “Uncle, pack three more portions for me.”
The vendor looked at Gu Jianing as if she were a god of wealth. “Sure thing.”
In no time, he had the orders packed.
Then, Gu Jianing handed two of the portions to Qin Tian and Qin Qing. “Here, these are for you.”
Earlier, she had noticed that while talking to her, the two children couldn’t help but glance at the fragrant, steaming lamb soup stall, their little noses twitching.
For, for them?
Two portions of lamb soup, and such expensive ones at that!
“No, no, we can’t accept this.”
With that, Qin Tian grabbed his sister’s hand and tried to leave. It was too generous; they couldn’t take it.
The onlookers also gasped at Gu Jianing’s actions. This girl was really wealthy, giving away two portions of lamb soup just like that.
But when Gu Jianing wanted to give something, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
She shoved the soup into their arms. “Take it. Consider it a token of our friendship, and we’ll be working together long-term anyway.”
“Alright, that’s settled. See you next time.”
With that, Gu Jianing picked up the third portion of lamb soup she had bought for Sheng Zexi, had the man pushing the cart load the bags of herbs onto it, and left for the meeting spot she had arranged with Zhang Shuwang and Sister Yu.
It was about time.
Meanwhile, back at home, after taking her medicine and waiting, Grandma Qin saw her two grandchildren come in with red eyes.
She thought they had been bullied.
But then they brought out the food they had bought, the remaining money and tickets, and the two portions of lamb soup.
After hearing their explanation, she learned that the lamb soup had been given to them by the kind girl who had bought their herbs.
Not only that, but she also wanted to establish a long-term partnership with them. From now on, as long as they had herbs, they could deliver them to her at the Northwest Military District once a week.
“Good, good. That way, you won’t have to go all the way to the county town in the cold,” Grandma Qin nodded repeatedly. It was too far and too cold, and she worried about the children, who were still so young.
The Northwest Military District was different—closer and safer.
When she learned that Gu Jianing had insisted on giving them the lamb soup, Grandma Qin’s impression of her improved even more.
She was a very kind-hearted girl.
“In the future, if you have the chance, you must repay that sister properly, understand?” Grandma Qin instructed.
“Yes, Grandma, we understand.”
“Grandma, let’s eat the lamb soup together.”
“No, you two eat it. Grandma doesn’t like it.”
All year round, the two children rarely got to eat meat. Now that a kind person had given them lamb soup, how could she take it?
She was old; eating such things wouldn’t do her much good. It was more important for the children to eat and grow.
“No, Grandma, if you don’t eat, I won’t eat either.”
“That’s right, Grandma has to eat. Only if Grandma eats will Qingqing eat.”
“Grandma is sick and needs to eat meat to get better.”
The two children were stubborn. They knew Grandma didn’t dislike meat; she just wanted to give it to them.
But how could they eat it with a clear conscience?
Grandma Qin also knew her grandchildren’s temperaments. She sighed and said, “Alright, then the three of us will eat together.”
So, in the small, cold, and dilapidated house, the three of them shared the warm lamb soup, feeling as if the winter wasn’t so harsh after all.
As they ate, the children chattered about what food they had bought, how long it would last, and how they needed to gather more herbs before the snowstorm locked the mountains…
Grandma Qin ate the lamb soup and listened to her grandchildren’s chatter, feeling both physically and mentally better.
She just had to endure a little longer.
At least, at least until the children’s parents returned.
But it had already been 8 years. She didn’t know how much longer she would have to wait.
She didn’t even know whether her son and daughter-in-law were still alive.
Meanwhile, in a remote mountainous area far to the southeast, unknown to most, lay a national weapons research base.
At that moment, a couple and their team had just successfully completed a project they had been working on, and everyone was overjoyed.
The aerospace project they had been researching for years had finally made progress. This breakthrough had taken them several years, but with this step forward, the subsequent developments would come faster.
During a break, thoughts of their elderly mother and two children back in their hometown in the northwest filled the couple’s hearts with longing, and their eyes reddened.
The man hugged his wife and comforted her, “Just a little longer. At most two years, at least one, and we’ll be able to go back.”
“Okay.”
It had been 8 years since they had seen their family, and they hadn’t been able to send any messages back, nor had they received any.
8 years wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t short either.
They had no idea how their loved ones were doing.
What they didn’t know was that 8 years was enough to change many things.
It was enough to turn a healthy mother into an elderly, frail woman. It was enough to turn children who could barely walk or speak clearly into self-reliant individuals who could take care of themselves and even look after their sick grandmother.
But even if they had known, they might have made the same choice.
Between the nation and the family, between greater love and small love, the choice was always difficult.
But someone had to sacrifice small love for the sake of greater love. Only when the nation prospered could the countless families under its protection thrive.
…
“You bought so much stuff?”
When Gu Jianing arrived at the meeting spot with the cart loaded with goods, Zhang Shuwang and Sister Yu couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
Gu Jianing smiled sheepishly. She knew she might have gone a bit overboard with her shopping.
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