Two children were initially stunned, somewhat disbelieving, but quickly reacted, their eyes reddening, and they bowed repeatedly to Gu Jia Ning in gratitude.
With long-term cooperation, they would no longer have to travel to the distant county town for Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the prices would not be suppressed so low.
Moreover, this older sister before them was from the Military Region, a military wife. People have extremely positive feelings towards military personnel and their wives.
"By the way, do you need coupons? Do you want to convert some money into coupons?" Gu Jia Ning asked.
These days, having only money and no coupons means many things are unavailable.
"Yes, yes."
So, Gu Jia Ning gave them the calculated money and coupons.
Qin Tian and Qin Qing had never received so much money and coupons before. Looking at the abundance of money and coupons, they felt that the upcoming heavy snow sealing the mountains shouldn't be too difficult.
"Sister, then we'll go back."
"Wait."
Just as the two people were about to say goodbye to Gu Jia Ning and go buy grain, Gu Jia Ning stopped them.
The two children immediately stopped, somewhat nervous, afraid that something bad might happen.
Gu Jia Ning turned to the man selling mutton soup and said, "Sir, pack three more for me."
The man looked at Gu Jia Ning as if she were a god of wealth, "Okay."
Quickly, they were neatly packaged.
Then, Gu Jia Ning handed two of them to Qin Tian and Qin Qing, "Here, for you."
She had just seen the two children glancing at the fragrant and steaming mutton stall while talking to her, their little noses sniffing hard.
To give, to them?
Two servings of mutton soup, so expensive!
"No, no, we can't accept them."
Saying this, Qin Tian pulled his sister and tried to leave; it was too precious; they couldn't accept it.
The people around also gasped when they saw Gu Jia Ning's actions. This young woman is really rich; she just gave away two servings of mutton soup.
Gu Jia Ning's gifts weren't something anyone could refuse.
She forcefully stuffed them into their arms, "Take them. Consider it making friends, and we'll have long-term cooperation."
"Alright, that's it, see you next time."
Saying this, Gu Jia Ning carried the other serving of mutton soup intended for Sheng Ze Xi, asked the person pushing the cart to place several bags of herbal medicine on the cart, and left, heading to the place she had agreed to meet Zhang Shuwan and Sister-in-law Yu.
Time was almost up.
So, Grandma Qin at home, after taking her medicine and waiting, saw her two children enter with red eyes.
She thought they had been bullied.
Then she saw them take out the purchased grain, the remaining money and coupons, and the two servings of mutton soup.
After hearing their story, she learned that the two servings of mutton soup were given to them by the kind young woman who bought their herbal medicine.
Not only that, but she also planned to cooperate with them long-term; as long as they had herbal medicine, she would send someone to collect it once a week from the Northwest Military Region.
"Good, good, this way you don't have to go to the county town in such cold weather," Grandma Qin nodded repeatedly. It's too far and too cold, and the two children are so young; she worried at home too.
The Northwest Military Region is different; it's closer and safer.
Upon learning that Gu Jia Ning had forcefully given them the mutton soup, Grandma Qin's impression of her improved even further.
She was a very kind young woman.
"If you have the chance, you must repay that older sister well, understand?" Grandma Qin instructed.
"Yes, Grandma, we understand."
"Grandma, let's eat mutton together."
"No, you eat it; Grandma doesn't like it."
All year round, she hadn't been able to let the two children eat meat. Since a kind person gave them mutton soup, how could she take it?
She is old; eating this is useless; it's more important to let the children eat it so they can grow.
"No, Grandma, if you don't eat, Xiao Tian won't eat either."
"Yes, Grandma should eat it; only after Grandma eats will Qingqing eat."
"Yes, Grandma's health is not good; if she's sick, she needs to eat meat to recover."
The two children were very stubborn. They knew Grandma didn't dislike eating meat, but just wanted to give it to them.
But how could they accept it with peace of mind?
Grandma Qin also knew her grandchildren's temperaments, sighed, and said, "Okay, then the three of us will eat together."
So, in this dilapidated and cold little house, the three generations ate warm mutton and mutton soup together, feeling that this winter didn't seem so cold.
During this time, the children's voices were chattering about the grain they bought, how long it would last, and how they should go to the mountain to look for more herbal medicine before the heavy snow seals the mountains…
Grandma Qin ate the mutton soup and listened to her grandson's chatter, feeling that her body and spirit had improved a lot.
She just needs to endure it a little longer.
At least, at least until her children's parents return.
It's just that they've waited for 8 years, and they don't know how much longer they have to wait.
She didn't even know the life or death of her son and daughter-in-law.
At this time, in a remote mountainous area in the southeast, no one knew that a special national weapons research base was located here.
At this moment, a couple and their team had just successfully completed a project they were working on, and everyone was very happy.
The aerospace project that they had been researching for years finally made progress. This progress had cost them several years, but with this step forward, future progress would be faster.
However, during their rest, thinking of their elderly mother and two children in their Northwest hometown, longing filled their hearts, and the couple's eyes reddened.
The man hugged his wife and comforted her, "Wait a little longer, it's almost done. In two years at most, or one year at least, we can go home."
"Mm."
They hadn't seen each other for 8 years, and they couldn't send any messages back, nor could any messages get through.
Eight years, not long, not short.
They didn't know how their loved ones were doing.
What they didn't know was that 8 years was enough to change a lot.
Enough to make a healthy mother become old and frail, and enough to allow children who could only walk unsteadily and could barely speak to become self-reliant, self-sufficient, and able to help care for a sick grandmother.
However, even if he knew, perhaps his choice would still be the same.
Nation, family, great love, small love, are always difficult to choose between.
But someone has to sacrifice small love to achieve great love. Only when everyone is better off can the countless small families protected by everyone be better off.
-
"You actually bought so many things?"
When Gu Jia Ning arrived at the appointed place with the cart, Zhang Shuwan and Sister-in-law Yu saw the cart full of things and couldn't help but exclaim.
Gu Jia Ning smiled somewhat embarrassedly. She also knew that she seemed to have gone overboard and bought too much.
"