Chapter 198 - "It's me, Wen Rugui." (2)
The only thing that Wei Zhiguo told Tong Jiaxin was that he needed to tie up the handles and the cross bars of the bicycle with plastic straps in order to protect the paint.
After Wei Zhiguo had passed on all of his experiences, he even got a bunch of plastic straps for them.
Tong Jiaxin was grinning from ear to ear when he received the plastic straps. He thanked Wei Zhiguo and went home carrying the plastic straps with him and wrapped the bicycle with Tong Jiaming’s help after he had gotten home.
When Tong Xuelu came out of the kitchen after preparing lunch and saw the very colorful bicycle, she thought she was going to go blind.
That was beyond ugly.
She, however, did not say anything seeing how happy the two brothers were.
After lunch, the two brothers did not go take a nap. Instead, they went and practiced riding the bicycle in the alleyway.
Bicycles back then were large and heavy, and at 9 years old, Tong Jiaxin would not be able to control theirs at all.
Tong Jiaming, however, could do so if he tried hard enough.
Tong Jiaming was, after all, the future genius in business and had a steep learning curve. He was already able to ride the bicycle swaying from side to side by sunset.
***
After taking the train for two days, Wen Rugui and the others finally arrived at Capital City.
Zhong Shulan was so anxious to return that she barely slept since they had gotten onto the train.
The thought of almost being able to meet up with her husband made her unable to feel tired. Once she was certain that her father’s health was alright, the group quickly hopped onto the train and headed to the base.
Jiao Boshan received a call two days ago and knew that they would be arriving today. Unfortunately, without permission from the government, he was not allowed to set foot outside of the base at all.
Ever since he had awoken at 3 AM, he wasn’t able to sit or stand. He was in an excited state.
It had been ten years. Ten years since he had last seen his wife and daughter.
His daughter was just 10 years old when they parted. He wondered what she was like now.
Others at the base, after learning that the wife and daughter of the director of the base were coming, quickly helped them arrange for a new place to stay and also bought them a lot of food. They also sent someone to go pick them up from the train station in a car.
By noon, Wen Rugui and the others finally arrived at the base in anticipation of the others.
Zhong Shulan, not needing any assistance, was the first to get out of the car.
Jiao Boshan, waiting outside the base, saw a skinny and disheveled woman getting out of the car, and his eyes watered.
That was his wife.
He had never seen her like this before. Before she was sent to the ranch, she was bright like a rose.
Her look right now stabbed him in his heart like a dagger.
Walking up quickly, he held his wife’s hand tightly and said, “Shulan, I am finally able to see you again!”
Zhong Shulan felt equally sad when she saw how her husband looked now.
15 years ago, they returned from the other end of the Pacific Ocean in support of their own country, but 10 years ago, they were forced to part from each other.
For ten years, they had not heard from each other. When they finally met again, her husband had already gone from that very ambitious young man to an old man with white hair on both sides.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
The Jiao family were all crying, and the others at the base, who witnessed this bittersweet reunion, also dabbed their tears away.
It was after everyone had calmed down that Jiao Boshan recalled his student Wen Rugui.
“Rugui, thank you so much for your help!”
He should have been the one who went in person to pick them up, but he could not leave the base. He also did not trust anyone else with the task, but Wen Rugui kindly volunteered to pick up his family for him.
After talking to his wife for a while, he had learned that they had fallen ill during the journey, so their trip took longer than what was expected. If it wasn’t for Wen Rugui’s help, it would probably have taken them even longer.
Wen Rugui replied, “Don’t mention it, Teacher. This is my duty.”