Bai Jiu looked at him. Seeing no particular expression on his face, she turned her head away in disappointment.
"If you can’t say it, forget it." Bai Jiu was a little unhappy—inexplicably so. She didn’t know what was wrong with her.
Gao Zhijun quickly put down the work in his hands and came to her side. "What are you thinking about? Can you tell me?"
Bai Jiu took a deep breath and voiced the doubt in her heart. "Are you a high-ranking official? How did you get assigned such a big house? It’d be one thing if it were somewhere else, but this is Beijing City. Even though I’ve never been there, I know how scarce housing is."
Hearing her words, Gao Zhijun looked proud and smug. His wife was just that smart.
Smiling dotingly, he squeezed her hand. "Not that high. I haven’t officially taken up the post yet, so I don’t know what my future position will be. However, because of my last mission, it won’t be a low one." These things he could tell her. But he couldn’t reveal the specifics.
"Don’t worry about the house. Everything is in accordance with the regulations." His teacher was someone who valued rules the most; there was no way he would break the principles he had upheld his entire life just for Gao Zhijun’s sake.
"Alright then." Since it was within the regulations, what more could she say?
"But we still have to wait until we get there to choose a house." She hadn’t even seen it yet, so she couldn’t make a decision now.
"Mm, I’ll listen to you."
That was exactly what he had told his teacher on the phone. They would finalize it after they arrived in person. The logistics department would agree to it anyway.
"By the way, you told Aiguo to study—did you hear some news?" Bai Jiu put down the paper and suddenly met his eyes, asking nervously. If she remembered correctly, they were getting closer and closer to that turning point.
Now Gao Zhijun was truly surprised. His wife was even smarter than he had imagined.
"Mm, there is some news." He didn’t plan to hide this from her, especially since she had been worrying about the people next door lately. With this news, she would probably feel at ease leaving with him.
Actually, Gao Zhijun was wrong. Whether they left or not, she wouldn’t worry too much about the neighbors, because she knew exactly what was coming. By the second half of the year at the latest, there would definitely be movement next door. It was only a matter of time. She wasn’t worried; at most, she would leave them with plenty of food when she departed.
"Tell me." Bai Jiu was a little excited.
"The higher-ups intend to transfer some people back from various places to resume work."
"That’s it?" Bai Jiu was a bit disappointed. While speaking, she kept most of her attention on the outside, afraid that someone might overhear. This place was remote. Even if there were changes, it would take a few months to reach them; it couldn’t happen that fast.
"What about Elder Wu and the others?" Bai Jiu asked happily. Although she knew the history, who knew if this timeline would differ from the world she came from? Until things were set in stone, she would remain anxious.
"Mm, they all have a chance." Gao Zhijun smiled. He was happy for them too. After suffering for so many years, they had finally lived to see the dawn.
"I need to tell them the good news," Bai Jiu said, about to get up.
But Gao Zhijun pressed her back down.
"You can’t. At most, we can tell them right before we leave. You can never be too careful." If it were just him, giving them a heads-up wouldn’t matter. But he had her and the children; he didn’t dare take any risks. After all, the official notice hadn’t been issued yet, so they couldn’t say anything.
Bai Jiu frowned deeply. She hadn’t expected him to be even more cautious than she was.
"You’re right, I was being hasty." She really was rushing things. Although they had spent a long time together and she had a good impression of the four next door, when it came to the lives and safety of her own family, she couldn’t be a saint. She was ultimately a selfish person.
"You’re not being hasty; you’re just kind-hearted." Gao Zhijun gave a doting smile and kissed the back of her hand. "There’s no rush for this. Let’s talk about it when we leave."
Now that she felt reassured, Bai Jiu stopped dwelling on the matter.
"By the way, when are we going to Beijing City? How much leave do you have left?" If he was short on time, they should head over earlier.
"No rush, my leave is still quite long. We can go stay at your mother’s place for a few days." The transfer order wouldn’t arrive for another two or three days. He needed to have it in hand before he could take her and the children to Beijing City.
Hearing that she could go stay with her parents, Bai Jiu was thrilled.
"That sounds wonderful." Staying at her maiden home was much more comfortable than staying in the village.
It would also give her a chance to take some books out of her spatial dimension. She needed to start preparing too, as time was running out. Although she was a surgeon, she didn’t plan to walk that path in this life. She wanted to study traditional Chinese medicine pathology. She wanted to do pharmaceutical research. Therefore, pharmaceutical research would become her lifelong career.
After wrapping up their affairs in the village, Bai Jiu and Gao Zhijun packed up all their belongings and took the children to the Bai Family in town. Once Mother Bai and Father Bai learned of their departure date, they grew even more reluctant to part with Bai Jiu.
Before leaving, Gao Zhijun and Bai Jiu made a trip back to the village, but they didn’t tell anyone.
When Elder Wu and the others heard the news Gao Zhijun brought, hopeful smiles appeared on all their faces.
"As long as the country needs me, I will definitely give my all and serve until my dying breath." The old man wasn’t afraid of suffering; he was only afraid of being abandoned by the country. Now that the country was reaching out to them, they were absolutely invigorated.
"You’re a good kid. Learn well from your teacher, and in the future, the student will surely surpass the master." Old Li smiled, patting Gao Zhijun on the shoulder.
"However, this matter hasn’t been finalized yet. I’m afraid we’ll still have to wait a few more days. Don’t be anxious; we must stay steady." Seeing them so happy and full of resolve, Gao Zhijun felt happy too.
Not to mention Bai Jiu. The spirit of dedication in this era was unmatched by any other period in Blue Country.
Perhaps infected by their enthusiasm, a smile also graced Bai Jiu’s face.
"We’ve endured for so many years; what’s another few months of waiting?" Elder Wu said with a smile. Indeed, they had suffered through so many years; they didn’t mind waiting a few more months. As long as there was hope, it was enough. Their greatest fear was trudging through the dark night, causing them to lose their direction without any hope to cling to.
This time, the couple brought a good amount of grain and oil. Since many things couldn’t be kept for long in the summer, they didn’t bring too much perishable food. It was only for a few months. Bai Jiu believed they wouldn’t mind.
"By the way, when you go to Beijing City, you must keep a close eye on the children on the road." Zhou Lan held Bai Jiu’s hand tightly. At the thought of parting soon, she felt deeply reluctant to see Bai Jiu go and began to give her worried instructions.
"Aunt Lan, don’t worry. I’ll definitely keep a close eye on the two children."
"Mm. If there’s a chance, let’s meet in Beijing City." Zhou Lan and her husband were originally from the Capital City, but they had moved elsewhere later for work. Although she didn’t blame the country, she didn’t want to live in fear anymore, so she would return to the Capital City.
"Aunt Lan, do you mean you’ll go back to Beijing City in the future?" If that were the case, Bai Jiu would be quite happy.
"Mm. I don’t have as high a level of political awareness as Uncle Wu and the others. I just want to spend the rest of my days in peace." Having experienced too much, her heart had long since died.
Bai Jiu didn’t feel it was her place to persuade her otherwise. She knew better than to preach forgiveness without having endured their hardships. She still had that much self-awareness, so she wouldn’t try to change her mind.
"That’s good too," Bai Jiu replied. She never asked about their family matters. Given that they had been sent here and no one had checked on them for years, their families might have... Among the four, it was likely that only Elder Wu still had relatives who cared about him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to pull out such a large sum of money. She still remembered how surprised she had been when Elder Wu handed her that cash and those coupons.
After saying their goodbyes, the two left Gaocun Village feeling a sense of relief. They might never return for the rest of their lives.
Gao Zhijun wouldn’t miss this place either. The people he cared about were all by his side now. The remains of that ill-fated woman had long been lost, and there was no way for him to search for them. He could only wish her a life of peace and joy in her next incarnation.