Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 353 - 352: The Whereabouts of Sun Yafei

Chapter 353: Chapter 352: The Whereabouts of Sun Yafei

"What did you say? Where are you sending her? To the Great Northern Wilderness Corps? Wasn’t it agreed that she would stay with the Ten Miles Team? How can you go back on your words just like that? Is there no trust between people anymore?"

The little cadre from the commune took three steps back after seeing Lin Nianhe waving his arms furiously, before finally turning to Li Dahe: "Captain Li, is this educated youth from your team..."

He said, circling his temple with his finger.

Is he out of his mind?

Beside them, Sie Yufei watched Lin Nianhe with a bewildered expression.

Where’s the calm and steady demeanor he just observed? She lost it on the second day?

Right now, Lin Nianhe really couldn’t keep her cool. She glanced at Sun Yafei, whose face was as pale as death, and frowned as she took her hand.

Sun Yafei’s hand was terribly cold and still trembling slightly.

She really wanted to stay with the Ten Miles Team. To achieve this goal, she worked hard every day, striving to make everyone like her... She thought once her family affairs were settled, she could finally have the right to choose, but in the end, she still couldn’t escape the fate others had arranged for her...

Li Dahe didn’t pay attention to the little cadre’s remark. After furrowing his brows, he tried to speak in as steady a voice as possible: "Look what you’ve stirred up here. We previously intended to cultivate comrade Sun Yafei as an example of ’properly educated children.’ It’s not appropriate to suddenly take her away like this."

The cadre adjusted his glasses and said, "Captain Li, I’m just the messenger. No matter what you tell me, it’s not up to me to decide."

Li Dahe had hit a soft spot and his brows furrowed even tighter.

All he could manage to say was, "The autumn harvest is almost over; what can she do at the battalion?"

"Our autumn harvest here is nearly done, but the Great Northern Wilderness still has countless soybeans not yet harvested. Besides, the battalion is willing to take her. What does she have to be dissatisfied with?" The little cadre glanced at Sun Yafei indifferently.

To many people, earning a wage in the battalion is much better than earning points in a production team. What they don’t consider is that some people don’t want money, they just want a bit of warmth from home.

"This is too much..."

"Captain."

Li Dahe still wanted to fight for Sun Yafei, but she interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

Sun Yafei gently shook off Lin Nianhe’s hand, stepped forward, and her eyes were calm as water.

She looked at Li Dahe, at Wang Hong, at Principal Wu... looking at the villagers who had come asking questions, she smiled.

"Thank you all very much for taking care of me during this time, but since the commune said I should join the battalion, then I will go. Captain, please don’t trouble yourself over my affairs anymore."

She could fight no more; she would obey.

Her expression was very calm, but it made others watching feel all the more heart-wrenched.

This girl’s experience was truly pitiable. She was like a wild rose in the mountains, clearly deserving of great care, yet forced to endure harsh wind and rain.

Upon hearing her acquiesce, the cadre immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, if you agree, then pack your bags and come with me."

Wang Hong glared at him with red eyes: "What now, do we have to rush to catch a train today?"

The cadre was intimidated by Wang Hong, took two steps back, and shook his head: "The, the train tomorrow."

"Then why the rush to take her away? Doesn’t packing up take time?" Wang Hong pulled Sun Yafei behind her, like a hen protecting its chick. "What time is the train tomorrow? I’ll send her over then."

The cadre pulled a long face: "Director Wang, things aren’t done like this, I must bring her to the commune today..."

"And you think I’d lose her somehow?" Wang Hong was not letting up, stepping forward aggressively, "You want to take her to the commune now, where will she stay tonight? Sleeping on the floor at your place? You don’t even have bedding, do you want the girl to freeze to death?"

The cadre, at a loss for words, could only submit and nod repeatedly: "Then you’ll have to call the commune to explain the situation, otherwise, I won’t be able to explain myself when I return."

"You don’t need to worry about this; I’ll explain the situation to the leaders," Li Dahe said impatiently, waving his hand. "Alright, go back to wherever you came from."

The clerk wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and didn’t say another word before turning around and running off.

This job was getting tougher and tougher!

Although the clerk had left, the atmosphere didn’t relax.

Sun Yafei rubbed her eyes and stepped forward to bow to the villagers.

"Come on now, no need for that," Wang Hong said with teary eyes and, before Yafei could speak, she hurriedly pulled her up by the arm and then said to Li Dahe, "Brother Li, you go call the commune. I’ll take the kids back and pack up."

Li Dahe took pulls from his cigarette in silence and nodded: "Alright."

Wang Hong pulled Sun Yafei along and left.

Once the door to the home was closed, Wang Hong dug out an old cloth bundle from the corner of the kang cabinet and unfolded it, revealing some clothing.

As she sorted through old clothes, she rambled: "Just take the bedding you’re using now with you. I’ll find you a set of old bed sheets to change into; don’t mind that they are old... Daxi still has a few outfits he can’t wear. I think they should fit you. Wait, let me find them for you..."

Sun Yafei stood by, tears plopping down one by one. She reached out to stop Wang Hong’s hands and said softly, "Aunt Wang, please don’t grab anything for me. I’ve already received so much care from you all, I can’t take anything more from you..."

Wang Hong scowled at her: "What, so you really think my things are too old and tattered, huh?"

"No, it’s not that..."

"If it’s not that, then take it," Wang Hong said as she pushed her hand away and continued to rummage for clothes. "When has a kid ever left home without bringing anything along? You don’t know what it’ll be like there; better to bring and not need it, than to need and not have it."

She said this while holding up a piece of clothing against Sun Yafei’s body to gauge the fit.

With her lips pursed, Sun Yafei let the tears fall without making a sound.

"Hongzi, I’m coming in."

In the middle of the conversation, Aunt Li came in, followed by Widow Zhao and several other village aunties.

They all brought something in their hands, some brought old clothes, others brought eggs.

"This girl didn’t bring much over when she came here, and now she’s leaving – we’ve gotta cobble together some clothes for her," Aunt Li said. She put a small padded jacket on the kang edge and then took Sun Yafei’s hand, "Make sure you remember the Ten Miles Team’s phone number. We’re closer to your home; call if there’s anything."

The other aunties put their eggs and vegetables down and said to Wang Hong, "Hongzi, boil two eggs for the girl to take with her tomorrow morning. The road is long; don’t let her go hungry."

"I still have some white flour at home. I’ll make some dumplings for the child tomorrow morning. You leave the house with dumplings and enter with noodles; you can’t forget that tradition."

"These are my eldest daughter’s clothes, you take them and wear them..."

"If you have a leave for family visits in the future, and you pass by here, come and visit; next time you come, you won’t need to do any work."

Sun Yafei, looking at one familiar face after another, could no longer hold it in and burst into tears with a "waah".

"Oh dear..."

Aunt Li wrapped her arms around her, patting her back and wiping her tears while sighing softly, "Such a good girl, yet she has suffered so much..."

The others also began to tear up. The young Wang Lele, not yet understanding what was happening, cried along with the others.

Just then, the door was pushed open again, and Lin Nianhe’s little head peeked inside.

She cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly: "Um, what’s going on? Why is everyone crying?"