Chapter 619

Li Long stopped for a moment when he drove the jeep to Beiting City.

There are two roads to the Red Flag Farm; one can go northeast from here in Beiting, bypassing Wucheng, or one can go east from Wucheng.

Li Long had never traveled this way, so after arriving here, he had to inquire clearly.

In Beiting, besides Director Qian, the only people Li Long was familiar with were the driver, Xiao Si.

Li Long then parked the jeep near the State Supply and Marketing Cooperative, let Sister Yang and Han Fang stay in the car, and went to find Xiao Si.

Li Long drove fast along the way, and it was not yet twelve o'clock, so it wasn't time to get off work yet. There were people coming in and out of the entrance of the State Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Li Long showed the identification Director Qian had given him, and the guard let him in directly, while curiously looking him over.

He had never seen such a person before? But the identification was real.

After entering, Li Long inquired about the vehicle team and found Xiao Si.

Xiao Si was maintaining a car in the garage. There were people playing cards in the garage next door, but he didn't participate, appearing a bit of a maverick.

When Li Long greeted him, Xiao Si was a bit surprised.

"I need to go to the Red Flag Farm of the Sixth Agricultural Division to handle some business. I've never been that way, so I'm asking you for directions."

Actually, one could ask for directions anywhere outside, but asking Xiao Si was safer.

"Going to the Three Eastern Counties?" Xiao Si was a bit surprised. "Is it urgent? If not, wait until this Sunday and I'll take you there."

"It's urgent, I have to go today. A relative of mine came from our hometown, and their family is there. They haven't been able to make contact, and they are very anxious."

"Alright then, I'll tell you the route. You've never been there, right?"

"Right." Li Long nodded honestly. "It's best to be detailed. It's the middle of winter, and there are few people over in the Three Eastern Counties. It would be troublesome if I got lost."

"That's true. Later, I'll give you two fuel coupons. Go fill up the tank, and it's best to bring two extra barrels." Xiao Si joked, "If you really get lost, having gasoline means you can start a fire in the wild. By the way, bring a lighter."

Although Xiao Si was joking, Li Long remembered a popular novel at the time, "The Soldier Deep in the Tianshan Mountains," where people who got lost used human bones dipped in gasoline to start a fire, which felt quite ominous.

Nothing bad would happen, would it?

Xiao Si might joke, but he was very serious about getting things done.

He put away his car maintenance tools, took Li Long to his dormitory, and first gave Li Long a few fuel coupons.

Li Long took one look and saw that these fuel coupons were the same as the last time—the kind that allowed for direct refueling without needing money. He hurriedly declined:

"Xiao Si, don't. I have some with me."

"What you have is yours. It's not easy for me to be able to help you once." Xiao Si joked, "It's not easy to return a favor to you. Take them."

"Come, I'll draw the map for you. Actually, both roads are fine, but to be honest, it's easier to travel from the Wucheng side."

As he spoke, Xiao Si took out paper and a pen and drew a simple route for Li Long, marking where the forks were, how many kilometers to drive before needing to turn, and which way to go at major intersections.

With this map, Li Long felt much more at ease.

"Let's go, I'll get you two more fuel barrels," Xiao Si said. "By the way, do you want to see the Director?"

"I won't see him. To be honest, this matter is really urgent. My relative came from our hometown and has been looking for their family for over half a year. Now that there is news, they are extremely anxious. I must get them there as soon as possible."

"Please tell the Director for me, I'm sorry about this."

"Alright, then I'll report it to the Director this afternoon." Xiao Si said, "If there's anything, call here. Our Supply and Marketing Cooperative also collects goods from that side. Although the relationship is average, it's still a public unit, so it's easier to talk to than private ones."

Li Long went with Xiao Si to get the fuel barrels. Xiao Si said there was no need to return them, as they were easy for them to requisition, so Li Long didn't stand on ceremony anymore.

After leaving the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and getting into the jeep, Li Long explained the situation to Sister Yang and then started the car to go get fuel.

The treatment for a jeep going to the fuel depot was truly different; the people were very polite, and Li Long was even more polite. Two twenty-five-liter fuel barrels were filled and placed in the trunk, and then they drove toward Wucheng.

Taking a long-distance bus to Wucheng felt completely different from driving into Wucheng oneself.

Although there weren't that many exits from west to east into Wucheng at the moment, passing by the Eighth Steel Plant still felt a bit familiar, but driving further in was a bit confusing. Fortunately, what Xiao Si wrote was quite clear—how to drive after entering Wucheng and where to turn off.

Li Long slowed down after driving the jeep into Wucheng. While driving, he said to Sister Yang in the back:

"Sister Yang, it's this time of day, let's find a place in Wucheng to have lunch. Next, we have to pass through Miquan and Fukang before reaching Jimsar, and find the Red Flag Farm there."

"The road ahead won't be very easy to travel. Let's eat here, and then drive straight through to the end. How about that?"

"That... Uncle Li, I'll listen to you." Although Sister Yang couldn't eat a thing right now and was full of trepidation, she knew that even if she didn't eat, Li Long and her daughter Han Fang couldn't go without.

Since she was already in the car, she would listen to Li Long.

Li Long drove while looking around, found a cafeteria steaming with heat by the roadside, parked the jeep on the side, and got out of the car with the two of them.

The jeep was locked, and he wasn't afraid of it being stolen—this wasn't the nineties; anyone who dared to steal a jeep would truly be shot, and no one had the guts.

Li Long also deliberately chose a seat by the window so he could see outside.

He ordered three bowls of mixed noodles and also asked for extra noodles for two of them. Sister Yang and he could eat the extra noodles, and Han Fang could barely finish one bowl.

In any case, they had to be full for this meal. Once full, they could hold out for the rest of the day.

Although Han Fang had a premonition, she was a child after all, and once the food arrived, she began to eat in large mouthfuls.

Sister Yang had things on her mind, but she also knew she had to eat her fill now, otherwise there would be a long road ahead, and she didn't know if she could find Han Fang's father today.

As Li Long said, if the road ahead was difficult, she didn't know where the next meal would be, so she might as well eat.

Li Long ate the fastest, finishing the extra noodles, drinking a bowl of hot soup, and then burped with satisfaction.

Wiping his mouth, Li Long told Sister Yang and Han Fang to eat slowly, saying he was going out for a moment.

After going out, Li Long went to a nearby retail store, took out money, and bought three kilograms of sesame cakes to keep on hand. In case they really got lost, this would be emergency rations.

There was nothing to drink, and although the Garden Milk Factory had already been established by this time, it hadn't been sold here yet. Fortunately, in this icy world, the one thing they weren't short of was snow, so they wouldn't go thirsty.

By the time Sister Yang and Han Fang finished eating, Li Long had already started the car and driven it to the entrance of the cafeteria.

After the mother and daughter got into the car, Li Long pressed down on the accelerator and headed east.

After leaving Wucheng, the whole way was covered in ice and snow. The terrain wasn't flat, with occasional hills and occasional low mountains. Actually, Wucheng itself was built among mountains; Carp Mountain, Demon Mountain, Red Mountain, etc., were all familiar to the locals.

Walking east meant walking along the edge of the basin, so occasional mountains were normal.

The road conditions were indeed not as good as the Wuyi Highway, but it was at least the highway leading to the Four Eastern Counties (the original Three Eastern Counties plus Fukang). There were cars passing by, and it was pressed quite flat, making it easier to identify the direction by following the road.

It felt like the snow here was even heavier than in Maxian. On both sides of the road, there were occasional neat farmlands covered in snow, but more often it was Gobi desert with sparse shrubs. Li Long even saw small groups of yellow sheep or antelopes in the distance; if he were to get out of the car and use his own gun, he could probably hit one.

However, he didn't slow down and continued to drive fast.

Now was not the time for hunting; reaching the destination quickly was what mattered.

Compared to both sides of the Wuyi Highway, there were significantly fewer vehicles and people on this road, and the road was narrower. It was rare to see houses on either side of the road—except when passing through small villages or townships.

Following the map Xiao Si drew, Li Long drove past Miquan—which hadn't yet become the Midong District of Wucheng—and then to Fukang. Driving further ahead was the territory of Jimsar.

After starting work in the afternoon, Xiao Si went to Director Qian's office to report that Li Long had come.

"A relative?" Director Qian frowned. "This Xiao Li still doesn't treat our State Supply and Marketing Cooperative as his own unit. As for the Red Flag Farm matter, our State Supply and Marketing Cooperative could find out with just a phone call—well, since he wants to go himself, he probably has his own ideas."

"If he calls you, try your best to help handle it. If you can't solve it, come find me."

Xiao Si left, and Director Qian thought for a moment before putting the matter aside.

He naturally understood Li Long's considerations; if he could solve small matters himself, he certainly didn't want to trouble his superiors.

Director Qian was at a critical moment right now, and at this time, that "tiger skin" was still playing a huge role. He still felt very good about Li Long.

If he could help, he would.

Of course, he felt that with Li Long's ability, solving small matters shouldn't take much effort.

Xiao Si did well.

Perhaps Li Long could bring him surprises in the future. The Corps' Red Flag Farm was north of Jmse County, and the area it occupied almost spanned the county territory, with Qitai to the east and Fukang to the west.

It was mainly because these counties in Beiting were mostly long and narrow from north to south, and not wide from east to west.

The road to the Red Flag Farm was the old National Highway 216, so there was no need to pass through Jmse County.

When they reached the Red Flag Farm, the sun had already slanted west for a long time, and it felt like it would set in another two or three hours.

The road was a bit more difficult to travel than imagined.

Fortunately, they finally arrived.

The farm headquarters of the Red Flag Farm was equivalent to a small township, and the people here were also a bit surprised to see a jeep.

The farm director was qualified to ride in this kind of car, but that jeep was even more dilapidated than this one, and the engine sound was different. Was this another leader coming over?

Compared to the roads outside, the snow on the roads inside the farm was swept clean. Although the road was a bit narrow and the farm headquarters wasn't large, it looked quite neatly planned.

Upon entering the farm, Sister Yang's expression became serious and nervous. She clutched her bundle tightly, not knowing what she would face next.

Having arrived at the place, Li Long felt relieved instead. Having found the destination, whatever was good or bad, he would just have to face it.

Before, he didn't know where to start looking, but now there was finally going to be an ending. Whether good or bad, it had to be accepted.

This work was uploaded by 【User】~~

Hopefully, it's good.

There were announcements posted on the walls on both sides of the farm headquarters. When Li Long parked the jeep to the side, he glanced at them, and then he got out of the car.

Although there was no guard, one had to be polite when going inside, and it wasn't good to drive the jeep directly into the courtyard—the courtyard wasn't large either.

Sister Yang followed him out of the car, and Han Fang got out from the other side—she already knew how to open the door from the inside.

After getting out of the car, she held her mother's hand tightly. It wasn't that Han Fang was nervous, but she discovered that after her mother arrived at this Red Flag Farm, her mouth was tightly pursed and her body was tense. She was holding her mother to give her strength.

"Comrade, who are you looking for?" When Li Long's jeep drove outside the courtyard, people in the courtyard had already noticed him. He entered the courtyard, and someone came over to ask.

"Hello, I'm from the Beiting State Supply and Marketing Cooperative," Li Long took out his work identification, "I'm here to find someone."

At this time, the Beiting State work identification still had some use. Although the Corps and the local area were not subordinate to each other at this time, it could at least prove that Li Long was a legitimate person.

And that jeep also endorsed him.

"Comrade Li Long, hello." The middle-aged man with a side-parted hairstyle and shaved temples looked at the work identification, smiled, and handed it back to Li Long, saying, "Come, let's go inside and sit. By the way, who in our unit are you looking for?"

"Han Bin, I'm looking for Han Bin." Li Long glanced back and discovered that Sister Yang was staring fixedly at the wall outside the courtyard, her face abnormally pale.

What's wrong, is Sister Yang sick?

"This... what are you to Han Bin?" The man's expression changed when he heard Li Long was looking for Han Bin, and he asked.

"They are..." Li Long turned his head to look at Sister Yang. He discovered that Sister Yang had sat directly on the ground, and Han Fang was trying hard to pull her mother up.

Li Long hurriedly ran back, came to Sister Yang's side, and asked with concern:

"Sister Yang, what's wrong with you?"

Then, he saw the tears on Sister Yang's face.

"Uncle..." Han Fang also said with a crying voice, pointing at the wall, "Uncle, look..."

Li Long turned his head to look; there were quite a few announcements posted on the wall.

There was one that was more eye-catching, though it was already a bit torn. The words on it were clearly "Notice on Learning from Martyr Han Bin"...

Martyr?

Li Long's brain also went blank for a moment. Martyr? Does this mean...

He turned his head to look at the comrade who had followed them over.

"Yes, Han Bin was a transport worker in our unit's transport company. However, in the autumn, while transporting supplies, he encountered a startled horse. In order to save the passing masses, he hit his head on a stone while trying to stop the startled horse, and sacrificed himself in the line of duty..."

Li Long sighed.

Sister Yang's suppressed crying sounded:

"Ah—..."

"Who are these two?" The comrade was a bit puzzled.

"These two are Comrade Han Bin's wife and child." Li Long said, "They came to Northern Xinjiang a long time ago to find Han Bin, but because their bag was stolen at the Wucheng train station, the address was lost, and they didn't remember it, so they found us over there..."

"That shouldn't be?" The comrade said in surprise, "As soon as Comrade Han Bin sacrificed himself, we sent a telegram to his hometown, sent the pension and Comrade Han Bin's belongings, and also sent money there every month..."

"They came over last year and have been here for over a year." Li Long shook his head, "The matter is quite complicated."

"Then let's go into the office first." The expression on that person's face was a bit complicated, and he pointed inside, saying:

"It's quite cold outside."

Li Long supported the crying Sister Yang and the somewhat sad but still ignorant Han Fang as they walked into the office together.

Entering the office, they felt a wave of warmth; the stove inside was burning quite hot. That person led the three of them into a conference room, and after pouring water for the three, said:

"I'll go find our leaders, you wait for a moment."

After saying that, he left.

Li Long immediately felt that this didn't conform to the norm.

Under normal circumstances, even if they didn't care much about the families of martyrs, someone should be accompanying them.

His brain turned quickly, and after recalling the situation just now, he immediately said to Sister Yang:

"Sister, do you have anything that can prove your identity?"

Sister Yang wiped her face, untied the bundle she had been clutching tightly, and took out several letters from inside.

"This... is a letter from the village party secretary, and this is a few letters written by my mother-in-law..."

"Good." Li Long breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good to have these. Sister Yang, now that this has happened, none of us wanted it. However, what's important now is to see how to proceed..."

This matter arose suddenly, and Li Long didn't know how to comfort people either.

Her husband was dead, and he couldn't just say that death is death. Moreover, Han Bin died to save the lives of the masses, he was a martyr.

Martyrs cannot be commented on casually, Li Long knew this point.

It's just that for what came next, he was also a bit at a loss.

What to do?

Li Long wasn't allowed to continue thinking, as footsteps came from outside the conference room.

The comrade from before entered first, followed by two people behind him.

"Comrade Li Long, come, let me introduce you. This is Section Chief Xu from our farm's propaganda section, and this is Deputy Section Chief Zheng from our farm's security section. Two section chiefs, this is Comrade Li Long from the Beiting State Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and these two are... they say they are Han Bin's family."

After this comrade finished introducing them, he stood to the side.

Li Long first stepped forward to take the initiative to shake hands with the two section chiefs—it was fine for the propaganda section chief to come, but if the deputy security section chief came, Li Long could guess the situation.

Sister Yang wiped away her tears and looked at the two section chiefs.

Han Fang was also a bit nervous.

"Sit down first." Section Chief Xu pointed to the chairs and said, "I heard that Comrade Han Bin's family had come, so I came to take a look. Han Bin was an excellent employee of our farm, and we are proud to have produced such an excellent employee. This is..."

"Sister Yang, Yang Xiulan, Comrade Han Bin's wife." Li Long introduced, "This is his daughter, Han Fang."

Section Chief Xu turned his head to glance at Deputy Section Chief Zheng. Deputy Section Chief Zheng had a notebook in his hand, opened it to look, and nodded.

Section Chief Xu was a bit surprised, and then said:

"Comrade Han Bin had an accident, and we are also very heartbroken. After the incident, we sent a telegram to his hometown. Didn't you receive it?"

Li Long completely understood; his guess was correct. This farm was still quite rigorous, and they probably felt that since Han Bin's incident had happened so long ago, money had been sent to his hometown, and things had been sent, why did they still come looking? And it seemed they didn't even know Han Bin had an accident?

Fortunately, they weren't unprepared here. Li Long handed over the letters and said:

"The matter is a bit complicated. I think Section Chief Xu will understand after reading these letters. Although it's said that family shame shouldn't be aired, we also know that identity needs to be proven... take a look." (End of chapter)