An 80s female translator was spoiled rotten by a rough and jealous man.

Chapter 106 An ordinary bottle?

The train rolled forward for two long days and two nights.

During this time, Meng Youyou truly felt countless times what it means for science and technology to be the primary productive force! If this happened thirty years later, she would never have to sit in a hard seat for such a long time.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, he finally arrived at his destination, Lianshui City, a coastal city in the north.

Huo Qingshan and Meng Youyou helped the elderly man out of the train station, one on each side.

In the dead of winter, snowflakes drifted down gently.

In front of the station, several tall pine and cypress trees had their branches drooping under the weight of the snow, with thick clumps of snow on their needles, as if they were about to break their backs under the weight at any moment.

A few pedestrians, wrapped in thick cotton-padded coats, stood sparsely under the bus stop not far away, the snow under their feet compacted and shiny.

An old-fashioned bus belching black smoke slowly drove towards them and then gradually disappeared from their sight.

Tears welled up in the old man's eyes. Who would know how many years it had been since he had seen such heavy snowfall?

The unfamiliar yet overwhelmingly familiar scenes before his eyes awakened the longing hidden deep within him, which surged forth uncontrollably.

Tears streamed down his face as he kept repeating two simple words: "So good!...So good!"

Meng Youyou heard a faint whisper, but the cold wind howled, and she couldn't make it out, so she leaned her head closer... "Is it really nice?"

Is it saying how well our motherland has been built? Or is it saying how good it is to be home?
Huo Qingshan's gaze swept methodically across the area outside the station square. Before long, he precisely locked onto a black Shanghai-plated sedan not far to his right. His eyes moved down to the license plate number: Liaoning B-00216.

The doors on both sides of the car were quickly opened, and two men dressed in dark gray Zhongshan-style cotton-padded jackets stepped out. The buttons on their collars were neatly fastened, and although the cotton-padded jackets were thick, they still did not hide their capable demeanor.

The two strode towards Huo Qingshan and the other two.

The man at the front was around forty years old, with neatly parted short hair, his hair was jet black and shiny, and he had a square face with well-defined features. Even when he was walking, there was a perfectly appropriate smile on his lips.

He quickly walked up to the group, bowed slightly, and asked in a steady and gentle voice, "Are you veteran Yang Jianze and Battalion Commander Huo Qingshan?"
Hello, I am Liu Jianhong from the Preferential Treatment and Resettlement Section of the Lianshui Civil Affairs Bureau, and I am specifically responsible for handling this preferential treatment and resettlement matter.

Upon learning of Mr. Yang's situation, we quickly began preparations to locate his family. We will do our utmost to help you find your loved ones and finalize all the necessary arrangements.

After saying that, he extended his hands and warmly shook hands with the old man.

After some necessary pleasantries, Liu Jianhong promptly suggested, "Let's not keep talking in the wind. It's cold outside. Let's get in the car first."

……

The car arrived at the Lianshui State-run Hotel. Liu Jianhong quickly got out of the car and rushed over to help Huo Qingshan open the door. While holding the car door, he explained with a smile, "The heating system in the Ministry of Civil Affairs Guesthouse has been malfunctioning these past few days, and it is currently undergoing emergency repairs and a comprehensive upgrade."

"It's too cold inside, and we were worried you'd all get chilly, so we've arranged for you to stay in a better state-run hotel. The heating here is excellent, so you'll be warm and comfortable."

Huo Qingshan said politely, "Section Chief Liu, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

"No, this is what we should do."

Huo Qingshan told Meng Youyou to take the old man back to his room first, and then he pulled Liu Jianhong to a corner of the hall by himself.

He didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "Could you please tell me the current progress of the matter, Section Chief Liu?"

“Um…” Liu Jianhong looked embarrassed, hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: “Actually, we found out the whereabouts of Mr. Yang’s parents yesterday. They have both passed away.”

Huo Qingshan was not surprised by this result. Judging from their ages, the two elders were over ninety years old and it was normal for them to have passed away. He continued to ask, "What about Elder Yang's younger brother and sister?"

"His younger brother also joined the army after he grew up, and later went to the Korean War battlefield, and never came back."

As for his sister, we found out that after she got married, she apparently went to Guangzhou to work with her husband a few years later. She last returned to Lianshui City more than ten years ago when her father passed away, and we haven't heard from her since. However, we are still making inquiries and trying to contact her.

More than forty years have passed, and upon his return, he remains utterly alone, completely isolated. Nothing could be more poignant than this: things have changed, and people are no longer the same.

It doesn't seem to be like, youth swim.

Unable to bear the weight of so much sorrow, tears flow before words can be spoken.

On the other side, Meng Youyou helped the elderly Yang Jianze slowly walk up the stairs. Their room was arranged on the third floor of the state-run hotel, which would take some time to walk up.

The two reached the platform at the top of the stairs on the second floor. Meng Youyou suggested that they rest for a while before continuing upstairs, and the old man agreed.

While they were resting at the top of the stairs on the second floor, a middle-aged woman led a little boy down the stairs directly opposite them.

Just as the two were about to pass each other, a black cylindrical object that the little boy was holding seemed to have slipped from his grasp and suddenly fell to the ground with a thud, rolling several meters across the carpet.

Before Meng Youyou could react, she felt the thin arm she was holding suddenly break free and rush straight toward the black, unidentified object rolling on the ground.

Meng Youyou was shocked and immediately squatted down to grab the elderly man who was losing his balance and was about to tumble down the stairs.

She managed to stop him, but Meng Youyou was still shaken and felt a wave of fear.

An elderly man and a young boy standing nearby were also stunned by the scene before them.

The little boy burst into tears on the spot.

After realizing what had happened, the middle-aged woman started cursing, "Are you sick? You scared my precious grandson! Haven't you ever seen a hand warmer before? Why are you so agitated?"

Meng Youyou looked at the old man lying on the ground in front of her, still trying to cover the black thermos bottle with his body parts, and her nose suddenly felt sore.

In those days, people would often find a sturdy salt water bottle in winter, fill it with hot water, and then put a homemade woolen cover over the bottle. This became the most common winter hand warmer for every household.

But did Meng Youyou know what Grandpa Yang thought the thing under him was?
……

Huo Qingshan knocked on Meng Youyou's door.

The door was opened from the inside, and a wave of hot air rushed out.

"Are you ready to eat?" Meng Youyou asked.

"Not yet. Shall I come in?"

"Huh?" Meng Youyou peeked out of the corridor and looked back and forth a couple of times, her expression hesitant. "Isn't this inconvenient? What if someone sees us and thinks we're on a paid trip? That wouldn't look good."

Huo Qingshan laughed: "I'm here to talk to you about serious matters, what have you been thinking about?"

She then added, "Why don't you come out with me? We can talk in the lobby."

The smile that hadn't faded from the corner of the man's eyes still held a hint of amusement.

What a fine gentleman's act you've got! Huh?!
You'd better keep doing this.

Learn from you.

Meng Youyou flung the door open, turned and walked into the room, leaving behind the words, "Please come in!"

The room is heated, and it's perfectly fine to stay inside; she doesn't want to go out!
Huo Qingshan followed him into the room.

Meng Youyou straightened the chair and gestured with her hand: "Commander Huo, please sit down."

Happy New Year everyone!

May 2025 bring you all the best, peace, and joy!