"Uncle Li, Chengyan is still at the front line. I probably won't be able to come over for New Year's this year. Would you and your wife like to come to Yancheng with me?"
As soon as Cheng You said this, Madam Li quickly replied, "We won't go. The weather is so cold, and traveling back and forth is troublesome. If we don't come back this year, we'll come back next year. We're not in a hurry. Besides, there's summer vacation. Next summer vacation, it will be Wen Yu's college entrance exam, and we'll all go to see him off."
Since she said that, Cheng You didn't insist.
There would be many more days, and this one occasion wasn't that crucial.
"Grandma, I can't stay here for too long. Please take care of yourselves, Grandma and Uncle Li. I mentioned it to Sister Yunru last time and asked her to help find a bigger house. I'll ask her tomorrow, and then I'll find a reliable live-in nanny for you."
Madam Li felt extremely comforted.
Although Uncle Li had no children, his two young disciples were more considerate than each other.
"Why waste money? It's fine here. You've already found us a nanny to cook, and it's very good now."
Cheng You helped her sit down, "How is it a waste of money? I don't lack this little money. My annual income is quite a lot. A live-in nanny not only cooks for you but also cleans, heats bathwater, and can keep you company. Zhenzhen also needs a nanny to take her to school safely."
She nagged on and on, and Cheng You was almost acting like a housewife.
Li Qin saw all of this.
Cheng You had met many people here, but her true family were only Cheng Tianhua and Cheng Wenyu.
On the contrary, these people, with whom she had no blood relation, seemed more like her family.
"Comrade Li, thank you for your hard work today. Rest early. I might need to go to a few more places tomorrow."
Li Qin nodded, "It's fine, this is nothing to me."
The next day, Cheng You went to the pharmaceutical factory.
She explained her purpose to Director Yang.
Director Yang knew there was no room for negotiation with Wujing Village and didn't make things difficult for her.
Fortunately, Qili Village had expanded its planting area, so the pharmaceutical factory wouldn't be too short of medicinal herbs even without those from Wujing Village.
Hearing this, Cheng You felt much more at ease.
To buy a house for Uncle Li, Cheng You stayed there for a few more days.
After the house transfer was completed and a reliable nanny was hired, she took a bus back to Yancheng.
When she returned to Yancheng, the snow had stopped.
Red lanterns were hung along the roadside, looking extremely festive.
Li Qin looked at the red outside and felt a touch of joy.
"It's New Year's."
Cheng You smiled and asked, "Will Comrade Li be celebrating New Year's in Yancheng?"
Li Qin nodded, "My parents are gone, and my wife and children are all here."
Cheng You looked out the window. Everything was quiet. The people who should have returned had not.
"Comrade Cheng You, Commander Qi will return safely."
Cheng You chuckled softly, "I know."
Back home, Cheng You felt a little tired. She went in, took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and her hair was only lightly towel-dried, not yet dry.
It was already the twenty-eighth of the lunar month.
Her first New Year alone felt so desolate.
Cheng You sighed faintly, wondering how things were on the border.
She fell asleep in a daze, and her hair had already been dried by the warm air in the room.
Urgent knocking came from outside.
"Cheng You!"
Cheng You felt a headache coming on. She pressed her temples a few times and, wearing a coat, walked outside.
When she opened the door, she saw Chen Qin.
"Brother Chen, how did you find this place?"
Chen Qin let out a long sigh of relief, "It's good that you're back. Do you still have any Tai Chi Pills?"
"Is the pharmacy out?"
"Yes, everyone was given one a while ago, and they've all been distributed."
They had just finished distributing them.
Coupled with the New Year holiday, everyone was off, so the pharmacy had no stock.
Cheng You quickly went inside to get the medicine.
"Why the rush? Did something happen to someone?"
Chen Qin hurriedly put the Tai Chi Pills into his pocket, "It's Han Shaohua's grandmother! She's waiting at the hospital right now. I'm heading over first!"
Cheng You said urgently, "I'll go with you to take a look."
She valued talent, and Han Shaohua was a promising young man.
In the future, she wanted to send him for further studies, preferably to college.
Although the Tai Chi Pills were effective, they were not miracle cures.
The old lady's illness was a matter of the heart. No matter how effective the medicine, it couldn't cure it completely.
"Find the person the elder misses, and maybe the illness will be cured," Cheng You said softly.
Han Shaohua drooped his head and said nothing.
If he could find that person, he would have done so long ago.
Seeing that Cheng You still wanted to say more, Chen Qin pulled her aside.
"Don't say it."
Cheng You followed him to the side and asked, "What's going on?"
Chen Qin said in a low voice, "The person his grandmother misses has been sent down to the countryside."
What could those sent down to the countryside do to come back?
In the past two years, there had been some rehabilitations, but no one from his family had returned.
It was estimated that they wouldn't be able to come back.
Cheng You thought for a moment, perhaps she could ask Qi Shengwen.
"Shaohua, what is your grandfather's name, and where was he sent? I'll have someone investigate and see if it can be rehabilitated."
Han Shaohua's eyes lit up, "My grandfather can come back? My parents and brother were also sent down, can they come back together?"
He had escaped the disaster because he had been fostered with his maternal grandmother since he was young.
Later, when the family ran into trouble and his living expenses were cut off, his grandmother sent him to his paternal grandmother's place, and they lived together.
Cheng You said, "I'm not sure, but I can have someone check for you."
Han Shaohua's eyes welled up with tears, "Sister Cheng You, my grandfather's name is Xu Qingyi, my father's name is Xu Shiqun, my mother's name is Han, and I have an older brother named Xu Nanxi. Please find them all for me!"
It was like a bolt from the blue, striking Cheng You directly on the head.
Was Yancheng too small?
"You took your mother's surname?"
Han Shaohua sniffled, "My father's unit only allowed one child. Later, my mother became pregnant with me and couldn't bear to abort it, so she secretly gave birth to me and sent me to my maternal grandmother's."
He actually didn't have much affection for his family, except for his grandmother with whom he lived.
But he knew that as long as his grandfather and the others returned, his grandmother's illness would improve.
Cheng You didn't know how to tell him that his grandfather and parents had already passed away.
"Shaohua, you have a younger uncle, Xu Boyan, right?"
Han Shaohua was surprised, "How did you know?"
Cheng You remained silent. It was better to let Xu Boyan tell him this cruel truth.
"Because I've met him. I'll contact your uncle first and ask him to come and see your grandmother."
Han Shaohua stood up excitedly. He had a lot of questions to ask, but then he saw the emergency room door open.
Cheng You patted his shoulder, "You go quickly. I'll go find your uncle first."
She didn't know where Xu Boyan lived, so she would have to ask Qi Yang.