PFC Chapter 286 Return
Chapter 286 Return
On the morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, fine snowflakes drifted through the sky over Beijing, and a thin layer of frost accumulated on the eaves of the courtyard houses.
Yuan Bao stood in the courtyard wrapped in a cotton-padded coat, his breath dissipating in the cold air.
Today is their last day in Beijing; the whole family will be heading back home early tomorrow morning.
"Baby, what's the plan for today?" Aunt Yuan asked as she came out of the kitchen, rubbing her hands together and carrying a bowl of steaming soy milk.
Yuan Bao took the bowl, the warmth spreading from her fingertips. She smiled and said, "Mom, let's split up today. You, Auntie, Auntie, and Auntie-in-law can go shopping and buy some local specialties from Beijing to take back."
As she spoke, she took an envelope from her pocket and stuffed it into Aunt Yuan's hand, saying, "Here's some money. You and your aunts can spend it as you please, don't be stingy."
Aunt Yuan squeezed the envelope; its thickness surprised her. "You child, where did you get so much money?"
"Of course it was earned by your precious daughter, Mom. You take your women out for a good look around, and I'll have a tour guide with you."
Yuan Bao blinked, without mentioning that some of them were taken from her spatial storage.
When Yuan's mother tried to decline, Yuan Bao had already turned around to make arrangements for the others.
"Brother, take Pingping and Xiaoshan to Qianmen Street to eat snacks, like douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste), and lvdagun (glutinous rice roll)... let them try them all," Yuan Bao said to his older brother, who was tying his scarf.
"No problem!" Bao Guo readily agreed, then turned to the two children and said, "What do you want to eat today? It's on me!"
"I want to eat candied hawthorn!" Xiaoshan shouted, jumping up and down.
"I want to try that...that spinning sugar figurine!" Pingping said loudly, her face flushed.
Yuan Bao smiled and patted their heads, then turned to her maternal grandparents: "Grandpa, Grandma, you two should stay home and rest today. If you get bored, you can go for a walk in the nearby park, but don't go too far."
Grandma waved her hand: "Our old bones are strong; we were really tired from climbing the Great Wall yesterday. It's fine for us to just soak up the sun in the yard today."
Grandpa, puffing on his pipe, nodded: "You young people go have fun, don't worry about us."
As for Yuan's father, uncle, and aunt's husband, Yuan Bao simply said, "Dad, you and your uncle and aunt's husband can do whatever you want, go wherever you want."
The uncle scratched his head: "Then...shall we go to Panjiayuan? I heard you can find a lot of old items there."
“Sure!” My uncle-in-law exclaimed, intrigued. “I’ve been wanting to see those antiques for ages.”
Father Yuan chuckled and patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "Then let's go together, the three of us brothers."
Yuan Bao quickly reminded him, "Wait a minute, Brother Lin is coming over, let him take you there."
At nine o'clock in the morning, a black sedan stopped at the entrance of the courtyard house.
Grandpa Chen came to pick up Yuan Bao in person.
"Grandpa Chen!" Yuan Bao quickly went to greet him.
Today, Mr. Chen wore a dark gray Zhongshan suit and looked exceptionally energetic.
He chuckled and said, "Girl, are you ready? Let's go meet that old leader."
"Ready!" Yuan Bao took a deep breath and got into the car.
The car drove along Chang'an Avenue and finally stopped in front of a quiet courtyard house.
A middle-aged man in military uniform stood at the entrance of the courtyard. Upon seeing Old Master Chen, he immediately saluted and said, "Hello, Old Master Chen!"
Old Master Chen waved his hand: "Young Zhang, is the old leader here?"
"Yes, Mr. Chen, please come in."
Stepping into the courtyard, Yuan Bao discovered that it was much larger than the traditional courtyard house she lived in. Several plum trees were planted in the courtyard, and at that moment, they were in full bloom with pale pink flowers, which looked particularly elegant in the snow.
The curtain in the main room was lifted, and the old leader I remembered walked out.
After taking her cell-restoring medicine and receiving continuous treatment, the former leader now stands tall with a straight back and has bright, piercing eyes.
"Old Chen, you're here!" the old man greeted with a smile, then his gaze fell on Yuan Bao. "Yuan Bao, long time no see!"
Yuan Bao quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Commander!"
The old man smiled kindly: "Don't be so formal, come in and sit down."
The room was simply furnished but tidy, with several open books and a pair of reading glasses on a mahogany desk. The old man gestured for Yuan Bao to sit down and personally poured her a cup of tea.
"I heard you're coming to Peking University to study in September?" the old man asked.
Yuan Bao accepted the teacup with both hands and nodded: "Yes, sir."
"Great, great!" the old man said with satisfaction. "The country needs young people like you right now. You're studying medicine?"
“I had a stroke of luck and learned some traditional Chinese medicine. I haven’t decided on a specific major for university yet, but I will definitely be studying at Peking University,” Yuan Bao replied.
The old man's eyes lit up: "Traditional Chinese medicine? Excellent! We mustn't lose the wisdom of our ancestors. Some people nowadays blindly worship foreign things, thinking that Western medicine is the only scientific approach—that's wrong. Combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine is the right way."
Yuan Bao listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
"I heard about your rescue on the Great Wall," the old man continued. "You remained calm in the face of danger, made an accurate diagnosis, and administered precise medication. Excellent!"
Vice President Lin is a renowned TCM expert in Beijing. Even he praised you, which shows you truly have real skills.
Yuan Bao's face flushed slightly: "You flatter me, sir."
The old man shook his head: "It's good for young people to be humble, but they also need to have confidence. With your abilities, you must contribute more to the country in the future."
As he spoke, the old man took a small wooden box from the drawer and handed it to Yuan Bao: "This is for you, consider it a New Year's gift."
Yuan Bao took it with both hands, opened it, and found a set of exquisite silver needles inside, with fine patterns engraved on the needle handles.
"This...is too valuable!" Yuan Bao exclaimed in surprise.
"Please accept this," the old man said with a smile. "I had someone specially help me find this set of needles. I no longer need them, so I'm giving it to someone who is destined to receive it. I hope you will use it to save more people."
Yuan Bao nodded solemnly: "I will certainly not let the leader down."
As he left, the old man saw him all the way to the gate of the courtyard. Before parting, he patted Yuan Bao on the shoulder and said, "Study hard. If you have any difficulties, you can ask Old Chen, or you can come directly to me."
On the way back, Yuan Bao held the box of silver needles in his hands, his heart pounding with emotion.
Grandpa Chen looked at her, smiling but saying nothing.
In the evening, the whole family returned to the courtyard house one after another, each carrying large and small bags of their haul.
Aunt Yuan and her aunts bought a lot of fabric and Beijing specialties;
When Baoguo returned with the two little ones, Pingping and Xiaoshan were each holding a sugar figurine and a windmill, and their faces were still covered in sugar stains.
Yuan's father, uncle, and aunt's husband brought back several boxes containing "antiques," although Yuan Bao suspected that most of them were fakes.
Dinner was noodles with gravy made by my aunt. The whole family sat around the big round table, eating and sharing their experiences of the day.
"Bao'er, how did it go when you met that old leader today?" Grandpa asked.
Yuan Bao took out the box of silver needles to show everyone and recounted the events of their meeting.
The whole family was both surprised and proud when they heard this.
"This is an incredible opportunity!" Uncle exclaimed. "That old leader is very influential in Beijing. For him to take a liking to our precious girl is truly a wonderful thing."
Aunt Yuan wiped her eyes and said, "My precious girl is really promising."
After the meal, Yuan Bao and his mother called his aunt into the inner room, and his younger aunt followed them in.
"Auntie," Yuan Bao said earnestly, holding her aunt's hand, "Are you really determined to go back and ask your uncle for a divorce?"
The aunt nodded, her eyes resolute: "This trip to Beijing has made me see things clearly. Your whole family is moving forward, while I'm still stuck in that quagmire. I don't want to be their slave anymore."
My aunt frowned and said, "But eldest sister, my brother-in-law's family... I'm worried he won't agree easily."
Aunt Yuan was also worried: "Yes, their whole family depends on you for work, how can they let you go so easily?"
Yuan Bao thought for a moment and said, "Auntie, don't rush to bring up divorce when you get back. I have an idea..."
She whispered her plan, and her aunt's eyes gradually lit up after hearing it.
"Bao'er, that's a great idea!" Auntie exclaimed, slapping her thigh. "Let's do it that way!"
Auntie smiled too: "Bao'er is so clever. Big sister, don't worry, your little sister and I will help you when the time comes."
Mother Yuan held her sister's hand: "If we sisters work together, we'll definitely get you out of that hellhole."
Early on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the whole family packed their luggage and boarded the minibus arranged by Mr. Chen to go to the train station.
For their return trip, it was thanks to Boss Chen's connections that they were able to buy sleeper tickets, and they were even seated together – comfortable and convenient.
On the platform, Yuan Bao watched his family members board the train one after another, feeling both reluctant to part and expectant.
This trip to Beijing brought the whole family closer together and gave everyone new plans for the future.
My maternal grandparents were sitting on the lower bunk by the window, quietly discussing when to move to Beijing.
My uncle and aunt were discussing what business to do after arriving in Beijing;
My aunt's eyes were firm; she had clearly made up her mind.
Bao Guo was engrossed in reading the Peking University brochure.
Even Pingping and Xiaoshan were leaning against the car window, vowing that they would definitely get into Beijing in the future.
Yuan Bao took one last look at the sky over Beijing, took a deep breath, and waved goodbye to Boss Chen and Brother Lin who were seeing him off.
She knew that this separation was only temporary.
In September, she and her elder brother Baoguo will officially become students at Peking University, and their family members will also gradually arrive in this city full of opportunities.
A new life awaits her and her whole family.
The train slowly started moving, and the scenery of Beijing gradually faded into the distance.
Yuan Bao leaned against the window, a smile playing on her lips. She touched the box of precious silver needles in her pocket, silently making a promise in her heart:
"I will definitely make sure my family lives a good life, and I will definitely use what I've learned to give back to this land."