NOVEL NEXT Chapter 640: Stay
Early the next morning, Song Moting and the others arrived.
The moment they got their hands on the referral letter, they rushed to drive over, as Qin Ming couldn't keep taking leave.
Song Moting came along with Jin Dachuan.
This time they didn't take a sedan, but a minivan.
With three kids plus Jiang Lei and the two of them, it would be a bit cramped in a sedan. With a minivan, the kids could lay down and sleep in the back seat.
Jiang Xiaoxiao wanted to come along, but unfortunately, it was not an option.
How could Fan Xiuying and Jiang Honest allow her to take such a long journey, especially with twins in her belly?
What if something happens to a pregnant woman on the road, how could the couple possibly be at ease?
The child was finally rescued, and if Jiang Xiaoxiao went back and forth, something could go wrong.
That would be distressing.
Song Moting and Jin Dachuan brought a lot of food, as Song Moting had already guessed that Bai Yiyi's second uncle's family wouldn't be in a good situation.
Even though it was already 1981, and every rural household now contracted land, the winds of reform and opening up hadn't brought prosperity to everyone yet.
It requires time.
Many rural people were still living difficult lives.
From daily phone calls, they could tell from Jiang Lei's descriptions that Bai Yiyi's second uncle's family's life was very difficult.
When getting on the car, Jiang Xiaoxiao had him bring over five hundred pounds of white flour and two hundred pounds of rice.
These things were abundant in Bai Xiaoxiao's space, and it wasn't a problem to provide them, plus they had a car to transport it.
Of course, the origin of the rice and flour wasn't mentioned, and everyone assumed that the couple bought it.
After unloading the grain, Bai Jiefang and his wife were immensely grateful.
"Xiao Song, how could you possibly do this, bringing over so much grain? Life isn't easy for you in the city either, with the rations on your books being limited. How much money did you spend on bringing us all this?"
Bai Jiefang and his wife were honest people. Though they didn't know the exact cost, they could estimate that so much food would cost a lot of money and ration coupons.
The couple thought they were overstepping.
They hadn't provided for Song Moting and his wife in raising Bai Yiyi, yet here they were receiving things from them.
No matter the situation, they had their dignity.
They couldn't do something so shameless and felt a deep sense of shame.
Song Moting smiled and said, "Big brother, we're all family. Bai Yiyi is like my own sister. If we talk about generational hierarchy, I should call you second uncle. There's no need for such formality between us."
Bai Jiefang laughed, realizing that indeed, with generational ties getting chaotic, Jiang Xiaoxiao acknowledging Bai Yiyi as a sister made him suddenly a senior relative of Song Moting.
"Let's keep it informal, you can just call me big brother. If you call me uncle, it would make me feel old. I wouldn't even know how to address you in return."
Bai Jiefang relaxed, appreciating how down-to-earth city people could be despite the huge help they'd given.
They acted like any ordinary family relative would.
"Alright, big brother, I'll just call you big brother. I can't bring myself to call you uncle."
Song Moting went with the flow of local customs.
Bai Jiefang invited them inside to sit, planning to serve some food. However, Song Moting smiled and said it wasn't necessary.
"The family is really worried about the kids. I think we should hurry back with the children, or else their mother might not even be able to sleep."
These days, the whole family had been worried. The grandparents were told that the kids were just staying at their grandma's for a few days, but it couldn't go on indefinitely.
If one day grandma really wants to see her great-grandchildren and goes to Fan Xiuying's house, it would all be exposed.
Song Moting glanced at Bai Yiyi.
"Yiyi, are your matters done? If not, brother-in-law can wait here for a few days until you finish, and then we'll head back together."
Bai Yiyi seemed distracted.
It was only when Cui Fen nudged her that she came to her senses.
"Brother-in-law, don't wait for me. I still have some matters to attend to here. Why don't you take Tang Yuan and Baozi back first? Otherwise, my sister will be worried sick. I'll be fine here with uncle and aunt taking care of me. Once I finish up, I'll return."
Bai Yiyi had realized there was something abnormal in her mother's body. Nobody doubted Tang Yuan's words.
The secret of Tang Yuan was only known to the three kids.
The only adults who knew about it were Jiang Xiaoxiao and Song Moting. Apart from them, no one else knew about Tang Yuan's extraordinary abilities.
Bai Yiyi ultimately could not bear to just leave her mother behind, so she decided to stay and at least advise her to visit the hospital, rather than standing by and watching her condition worsen day by day.
She had studied medicine with Jiang Xiaoxiao and understood that any minor ailment, if delayed, could turn into a major illness.
Even though she was disappointed that her own mother abandoned her like that, she couldn't truly abandon such familial ties.
Song Moting looked at Bai Jiefang, "Originally, the child came back this time because her mother was released from prison. The child is still worried and wants to see her mother one more time, so you should head back first. We'll ensure the child is sent back safely without any issues."
Bai Jiefang helped explain for Bai Yiyi, and the couple was determined to ensure the child was sent back, fearing another encounter with traffickers along the way.
Otherwise, they would live with guilt as uncle and aunt for a lifetime.
Song Moting couldn't leave Bai Yiyi alone here, worried something might genuinely happen, given how much Jiang Xiaoxiao valued Bai Yiyi.
He was well aware of this, having lived with her for so long, and he truly regarded Bai Yiyi as his own sister.
Despite sometimes being exasperated with Bai Yiyi, thinking of her as a superfluous presence, in his heart, this child held an important place, no less significant than Tang Yuan and Baozi.
"How about we all stay a bit longer? A few extra days won't hurt. Since we have a car, if Bai Yiyi wants to visit her mother, I can drive her there, making it more convenient."
Song Moting was still uneasy.
Bai Yiyi became anxious.
"Brother-in-law, because of my issues, everyone has already been delayed so many days. You still need to attend school, and my sister needs care. Tang Yuan and Baozi can't stay around here for too long. If grandpa and grandma find out, it would be a disaster. They're old,
and if they get worried and something happens, I would feel really guilty. Please, rest assured, I'll be fine here on my own, with uncle and aunt taking care of me. Absolutely nothing will happen."
Seeing Bai Yiyi's anxious look, Jiang Lei spoke up.
"Brother-in-law, you should take Tang Yuan and Baozi back first. If someone needs to stay, let me. I'm Bai Yiyi's brother, so it's only right for me to take care of her. Besides, I also promised second uncle to help him with raising the Angora rabbits, and my job is flexible, nobody minds if I take leave.
It's not the same for you; you need to attend school and acquire real knowledge. You also need to look after my sister. So let's proceed as I suggest—you guys leave, and Yiyi and I will stay. When it's time to go back, I'll bring Yiyi along."
Jiang Lei made the final decision.