Chronicle of the 70s-Chapter 382 - 359: What Comes Next

In December, Li Xianglu had her elderly and young family members head back to the capital early to avoid a repeat of last year’s incident.

This time, Gu Niannian couldn’t make the trip as the New Year was approaching, and if he went, he would only be able to return after the New Year. The children would turn three years old in the new year, which made Li Xianglu feel considerably more at ease.

The bank had slightly expanded due to an increase in business volume, adding a dedicated window for public services. And Li Xianglu, for her outstanding performance, had received several awards.

Once the old folks and children left, the courtyard became much quieter. In mid-December, Chen Zhong’s household received a phone call, and the first call was to Li Xianglu, informing her that the factory has been completed and was planning to start operation after the New Year. Li Xianglu was also very happy to hear this. Chen Zhong was talented, meticulous, and daring to try new things, and she believed that not long in the future, their village might become a well-known, prosperous village far and wide.

Li Xianglu’s work at the bank was not very busy, but a new female employee from another place named Chou Xue had arrived. She was a woman with delicate features and about the same height as Li Xianglu. She was very quiet and learned things quickly.

Especially in foreign languages, she was surprisingly proficient, which caught Li Xianglu off guard since it was quite rare for someone so young to be good at foreign languages at that time.

Chairman Xu was also delighted to discover this and valued it highly. He even discussed with Li Xianglu their plans to make good use of her after an assessment in the first half of the year. Li Xianglu also thought this girl was quite talented.

At the end of December, just before New Year’s Day, Huai County experienced heavy snowfall. It coincidentally was a Friday, and the weekend was coming up. Qin Xi had gone to the province for a meeting and had already called to say he might only return in the evening.

Li Xianglu was on duty at night. After checking the doors and windows, she watched the security guard lock the iron gate from the inside before she waved goodbye.

After winter set in, most of the time either Qin Xi or Hu Zi would pick Li Xianglu up. Recently, to rush work overnight at the factory, both Hu Zi and Leng Qing only came back to change clothes occasionally, and all three meals were eaten at the factory. Since the factory was not close to where they lived, Li Xianglu simply let them take the car for convenience. In Qin Xi’s absence, she walked to and from work.

This also served as exercise. Huai County was bordered by mountains in the east and a big river in the west, and Li Xianglu’s home was located right in the middle. She finished work early today and craved the pig’s head meat from a shop near the dam on the west side, which was known for its soy-flavored fragrance. Her grandfather and Su Yan also liked it. Li Xianglu had recently been getting a lot, usually spending seventy to eighty yuan on it, eating a little bit and then storing the rest in a Storage Ring to save for the New Year.

The snow started to intensify. When Li Xianglu arrived at the shop near the West River Dam, to her disappointment, she found the doors shut. She remembered this family lived right behind the shop, so she went around to the back to check, only to find the courtyard gate was locked.

Sighing, Li Xianglu wrapped her coat tighter around herself, ready to head back, but then she faintly heard cries for help, getting louder from a distance.

Li Xianglu stood still, listening intently. With a gust of wind passing by, she could indeed hear a woman’s cries for help, and it seemed not too far away.

Li Xianglu stepped back, the family’s courtyard was just behind the ice-sealed river. Squinting her eyes towards the river surface,

She then saw a red shadow in the middle of the river.

Stunned for a moment, Li Xianglu moved forward a few steps and saw the red figure calling for help while waving towards the shore.

Li Xianglu hesitated, standing still, when a man in military coat riding by stopped his bicycle, left it by the roadside, and ran towards the center of the river channel.

Li Xianglu then took a few steps towards the river, and the figure in red seemed to be stuck by the foot. The man quickly freed her, then held her as they walked towards the shore.

Li Xianglu saw this and was about to walk away when she heard the woman who had reached the shore call out, "Is that Director Li?"

Li Xianglu paused before turning around, and there was Chou Xue in a red outfit; what a coincidence.

Li Xianglu asked in surprise, "Chou Xue, what are you doing here?"

Chou Xue looked extremely disheveled at the moment, with her red coat all covered in mud, and she was hobbling forward with her left foot raised. Upon hearing the two knew each other, the man said to Li Xianglu, "You know each other? That’s great. This comrade’s foot got stuck in an ice hole. Could you help her back? I need to get going."

With that, he hurriedly handed over Chou Xue’s arm to Li Xianglu.

Li Xianglu had no choice but to steady her, and upon checking Chou Xue’s foot, noticed it was soaked with icy water mixed with blood, looking very grim.

Li Xianglu asked, "Chou Xue, where were you headed to end up like this?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Chou Xue pursed her lips, looking like she was about to cry, "Director Li, I lost my keys, and I wanted to cross the river to get a spare from my aunt’s. I intended to take a shortcut, but then I fell into an ice hole used for fishing."

Li Xianglu uttered an "Oh" and suggested, "How about I take you to the guest house? You probably can’t make it to your aunt’s in this state."

Upon hearing this, Chou Xue nodded and said, "That would be great, but I don’t have an introduction letter. How can I stay there?"

Li Xianglu laughed, "It’s okay. I know the manager of the guest house, no introduction letter needed. Once we get there, I’ll ask for more hot water for you; you’ll warm up soon."

Chou Xue breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you so much, Director Li. I really don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t found me. What brings you to West River Dam?"

As Li Xianglu supported her walking, she replied, "I like the pig’s head meat from this place, came to buy some, but to my surprise, they were closed."

Chou Xue nodded, and the two chatted off and on as they walked towards the guest house. Thankfully, the county town wasn’t very big, and they arrived after just one street. Having settled Chou Xue in, Li Xianglu had a brief chat with Sister Zhu.

Gu Niannian’s mother happened to be the manager of this guest house, so having an introduction letter or not was just a matter of saying the word.

After going downstairs, Li Xianglu and Sister Zhu walked to the entrance. Li Xianglu looked around before saying, "Sister Zhu, this woman is a new colleague at our workplace. Coincidentally, I ran into her on the way to buy pig’s head meat and brought her here to stay."

Sister Zhu was smart and nodded understandingly upon hearing Li Xianglu’s explanation, "Is there anything in particular you want me to look out for?"

Li Xianglu smiled and said, "Don’t approach intentionally. Just see who comes to visit. And don’t reveal the relationship between our two families."

Sister Zhu nodded again, "Alright, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ve got the night shift today; I’ll keep an eye on things."

The two didn’t chat much more. Li Xianglu then wrapped her scarf tightly and braved the snow and wind towards home. After crossing the street, Li Xianglu suddenly looked back up at the second-floor window only to see the shadow that had been standing there dart away.