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On the eighth day of the new year, before dawn, Xie Jingchen had already sent his parents, little brother, and nephew off to the county town train station.
It was only after he had settled them into their compartment and ensured there were guards with them, that Xie Jingchen finally left the train.
With Fifth and the guards on the road, Xie Jingchen wasn’t too worried.
After seeing off Mr. Xie and the others, Xie Jingchen returned home with Ma Shan, where the prepared luggage was already laid out in the main hall.
This time, Xie Jingchen planned to drive to Beijing with his wife and children. Their residence in Beijing had been sorted out before the new year, and many of his old subordinates had already taken root there ahead of him.
This time, in addition to Ma Shan, Hu Zhengjie and Yan Jinchang were also heading north with him. The former was officially arranged beforehand, while the latter had invited himself along after learning that his younger sister was returning to Beijing; Yan Jinchang hastily completed his tasks and eagerly came to Qingfeng Village to join his sister and brother-in-law on their journey north.
Now that the country’s policies have improved, travel no longer requires documentation. However, old thoughts have not been completely eradicated; in many places, literacy is still scarce. The fear is encountering bandits or bullies on the road.
Upon hearing that the head was only bringing two colleagues for the trip, Yan Jinchang couldn’t feel at ease. Moreover, with two young infants by his sister’s side and another child on the way, how could he possibly be unworried?
Thus, without a word, he arrived at Qingfeng Village early in the morning on the seventh day of the year, earning an exasperated look from Xie Jingchen. The two communicated through a secret code, and without waking anyone else, Xie Jingchen settled Yan Jinchang in a nearby room, letting him sleep casually for the night. Since they were leaving tomorrow, he didn’t bother with providing clean accommodations.
For a soldier, as long as there’s a bed and bedding to keep warm, that’s enough. Xie Jingchen, in a way, deliberately made things difficult for Yan Jinchang.
The next day, Yan Jinsu was somewhat surprised to see the unfamiliar face of Yan Jinchang, but after Xie Jingchen whispered a few words in her ear, she understood his identity.
Due to Mr. Yan’s illness, the Yan Family had not visited Qingfeng Village to celebrate the new year this year. Therefore, this was Yan Jinsu’s first encounter with a Yan Family member, her nominal blood relative.
It felt alright.
Yan Jinchang’s arrival was abrupt, but fortunately, there were two jeeps, which were just enough for everyone.
The group, including the four members of Xie Jingchen’s family, along with Yan Jinchang, Hu Zhengjie, Ma Shan, and Wang Chunmei, eight people in total, took two sedans, which provided ample space.
According to the route, driving from Y county town to Beijing covers about 2,200 kilometers, requiring nearly three days’ time. Of course, this includes time for rest and meals.
The beginning was fine, being in the southern territory and near cities, they didn’t encounter any unexpected situations.
However, as they entered the northern regions, the cold weather and accumulated snow meant that their speed dropped from 40 miles per hour to around 20. [1 mile = 1.6 kilometers]
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