Chapter 127: 127: Heading to Border City

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Heading to Border City

Gu Qianqian’s eyes were sharp, and she exclaimed, “That’s Brother Luo Fan’s car.”

Gu Qiaoqiao took a careful look, and it really was…

She had merely mentioned the date of her departure, and Luo Fan had actually come directly.

Luo Fan got out of the car, exchanged a few words with Gu Tianfeng and Lian Yuhong, and without entering the house, he immediately put Gu Qiaoqiao’s travel bag into the back of his car.

Standing at the door, he said to Gu Tianfeng, “Don’t worry, I guarantee to deliver Qiaoqiao safely to the train.”

“You see, I’m really sorry, coming to your home and having to leave without even a drink of water.”

...

Lian Yuhong said apologetically.

Luo Fan, with a smile on his face, replied, “Don’t be in a hurry, ah. Once I’m done with my stuff in a few days, I’m going to fish with Uncle Gu. By then, Aunt Gu, you have to make Sauce Small Fish for me to eat.”

“Sure, sure, Auntie will definitely make it for you,” Lian Yuhong readily agreed.

“And I also want to eat pancakes made from golden-yellow cornmeal,” Luo Fan continued to make requests without any reservations.

“Are you ordering dishes?” Gu Qiaoqiao teased.

“Can I order dishes?” Luo Fan continued, “Then I also want to eat big steamed dumplings with potato flour…”

Everybody started to laugh.

Gu Zishu got excited as well, “Brother Luo Fan, when the water gets warmer, I’ll go down to the river to catch some loaches for you. My mom’s tofu-stewed loaches are to die for.”

“You’re making my mouth water,” Luo Fan joked, then opened the car door, “I have to go now; otherwise, if we keep talking, I won’t want to leave.”

Gu Tianfeng smiled, genuinely fond of Luo Fan’s personality.

Lian Yuhong promised, “Don’t worry, next time you come, I will definitely make something delicious for you, and it will be something you’ve never had before…”

Luo Fan was clearly even happier.

Gu Qiaoqiao felt that any slight sadness from parting had mysteriously vanished at this moment.

Gu Zishu, clutching his sister’s arm, urged with concern, “Sister, you must remember to have brother-in-law call me, okay?”

“Okay, but you have to behave, and just like these past few days, go to and from school with Qianqian, do you hear me?”

“Yeah, Sister, don’t worry, I will definitely protect little sister,” Gu Zishu nodded vigorously.

“Sister, you can rest assured too, I will definitely look after little brother,” Gu Qianqian also assured.

Luo Fan had felt something was amiss during his previous visits, wondering why the twins referred to each other as “little brother” and “little sister.”

So finally, Luo Fan voiced the question that had been on his mind.

Gu Tianfeng, smiling helplessly, explained, “At the time, the two kids were born just two minutes apart. We never imagined there would be twins, so even the midwife was flustered, and we forgot which one came out first. We thought of making Zishu the older brother, but then one day Qianqian got wind of it and refused to call him brother anymore, always calling him little brother, and that’s how we ended up with the current situation.”

Luo Fan found it quite festive, glancing at Gu Qianqian and asked with feigned confusion, “Little girl, wouldn’t it be nice to have a big brother?”

Gu Qianqian’s eyes twinkled, she chuckled, “But having a little brother is quite nice too, I can discipline him in the name of a big sister, just like how big sister manages us.”

Luo Fan nodded slightly, actually finding Gu Qianqian’s reasoning quite sensible.

So he laughed as well.

Chang Qing too, watched these people and laughed along. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t envious, but he felt himself more fortunate, to be cared for by such a family.

Even Brother Luo Fan was very kind to him.

Gu Qiaoqiao had not expected the farewell to be so relaxed and cheerful.

Finally, she got in the car, watching her family, who were all standing at the Gu Family’s doorstep, seeing her off with earnest gazes.

How wonderful this scene was!

The family was all there, not a single one missing, and smiles covered every face, including Chang Qing’s; they were all her family.

She thought she would remember this scene for a lifetime!

Ever since Qiaoqiao had spoken those words that day, visits to the Kang Shan family had become less frequent, and they were of no concern to her.

Qiaoqiao had this much confidence.

Soon, the car left Stone Town and drove towards the highway leading to the city.

On the way, Luo Fan told Qiaoqiao that he had already gotten hold of a small cutting machine for her. It was a prototype of a newly produced model and had been mailed to the place she was heading to.

Qiaoqiao hadn’t expected Luo Fan’s efficiency to be so swift. After thanking him, she asked how much it cost.

“I’ve told you it’s a prototype. It’s free,” Luo Fan said, indifferent.

Free?

Qiaoqiao didn’t know how much it should cost, but she didn’t insist either.

Moreover, she knew that being too polite might actually waste Luo Fan’s good intentions.

Soon, they arrived at the provincial capital. Li Dazhi had already bought the train ticket for her; it was a sleeper ticket.

After picking up the train ticket at the base compound, Qiaoqiao talked with Li Dazhi for a while, mentioned her family matters, and then thanked him before following Luo Fan to the hotel.

After all, it was still somewhat inconvenient at the base.

The train was scheduled to depart in the evening and would arrive on the third morning, taking more than thirty hours in total.

Since it was a sleeper car, and given that the temperature was warming up, the journey wasn’t too hard to endure.

The train traveled through the vast sea of forest, and now it was the morning of the third day.

It would be another two hours before the train reached the station.

Then there would be another two-hour car ride to the base.

Qiaoqiao looked out of the window at the trees with their fresh green leaves, pondering the events she had experienced here in her past life, and suddenly felt as if worlds had changed.

She shook her head, banishing the unpleasant memories. Strictly speaking, there was still a lot to recall here.

At the very least, the verdant mountains and clear waters here possessed a pure, impurity-free beauty that was vast and magnificent.

Different from the still rivers of the south, Qiaoqiao remembered the strength and sound of the river water’s flow were enough to shake one’s courage, yet it also inspired an inexplicable reverence for nature.

Lost in her thoughts, Qiaoqiao unexpectedly arrived at the train station in no time.

The station wasn’t large.

The exit was clearly visible.

Qiaoqiao, with her shoulder bag, stood on the ground and took a deep breath of the fresh air tinged with the scent of pine.

Gripping her travel bag tightly, she looked up at the high and azure sky, wondering what kind of situation this life would present.

Then, Qiaoqiao, unconcerned, curled the corners of her mouth and walked towards the exit.

Just at the bottom of the steps, the base’s military green jeep was parked there.

And on the open ground outside the exit, a young man dressed in the uniform of the guard unit was holding a sign and looking around.

Unsurprisingly, Qin Yize hadn’t come.

Even if Li Dazhi hadn’t mentioned beforehand that Qin Yize was busy these days, Qiaoqiao wouldn’t have minded.

It was enough that someone was there to meet her.

After all, there was some distance from here to the base.

Qiaoqiao walked up to the young man, who glanced at her briefly before shifting his gaze back to the crowd behind.

Qiaoqiao looked at the name written on the sign seriously. No mistake, it was Qiaoqiao.