"Sister Xuehua, if you can come to terms with it, that’s great; otherwise, I’d feel really guilty," Xia Xiao was truly relieved at that moment, and she swore never to play matchmaker again.
"Let’s go, what’s the use in thinking too much about it?" Yang Xuehua stood up, ready to return.
Suddenly, Ning Hui ran over quickly, "Yang Xuehua."
Seeing Ning Hui so anxious and calling out, Xia Xiao asked, "Ning Hui, what do you want with Sister Xuehua?"
It wasn’t strange that Xia Xiao was on guard; she was simply worried that Ning Hui might see Yang Xuehua as a rival and create trouble.
"I’m not looking for you," Ning Hui took a breath, told Xia Xiao and then said, "Yang Xuehua, you’re in trouble."
A chill ran down Xia Xiao’s spine as Yang Xuehua asked, "What trouble am I in?" Yang Xuehua was a bit puzzled at that time.
"People from above are here. When I went over just now, I heard that your parents might have fled the country. They want you to go over for an investigation."
As soon as Ning Hui finished speaking, Yang Xuehua’s face turned pale, and her lips quivered as she asked, "Fled, what do you mean by fled?"
"It means they’ve fled the country," Ning Hui said.
Xia Xiao’s heart also raced with anxiety. At a time , she didn’t know how to help Yang Xuehua. Yang Xuehua’s parents had rushed to leave the country when the situation was tense, but Yang Xuehua was still in the country—she didn’t know if Yang Xuehua would get implicated.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before someone came to look for Yang Xuehua. Both Xia Xiao and Ning Hui hurriedly followed.
When they arrived at the team headquarters, Yang Xuehua began to be interrogated. Xia Xiao had Shitou keep an eye out and saw that Yang Xuehua was not being physically punished, just questioned, which offered her some relief.
The team’s Secretary Li and the captain had already coordinated with the authorities, and although Yang Xuehua was still in the same dormitory as them, she was obviously under surveillance. However, there were no struggles, only re-education.
This was a relatively good outcome, yet Xia Xiao felt uneasy watching Yang Xuehua, silent and clearly shaken.
Wang Aihua and Sun Yuhua were at a loss for words, ultimately unsure of what to say.
"Sister Xuehua, don’t overthink it. If there’s work, we do it; if there’s food, we eat it. Living well is what’s most important," Xia Xiao could only offer these words of consolation to Yang Xuehua. If Yang Xuehua couldn’t see it that way, there was nothing more Xia Xiao could do.
Moreover, Yang Xuehua’s records had been changed, and her treatment was now different from Xia Xiao’s. Thankfully, they were in the Guangming Production Team, and since Yang Xuehua had a good nature and everyone knew her, the locals were still quite sincere.
"You should be thankful for such an outcome," Ning Hui said. "If you can’t see that, then there’s nothing we can do."
Yang Xuehua’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, feeling utterly despondent. She hadn’t expected her parents to just leave like that, yet a part of her was also relieved they were gone.
"Thank you all for your concern. I’m okay," Yang Xuehua shook her head and wiped away her tears, her voice hoarse.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; being able to accept the situation was good.
The next day, Xia Xiao went to the Gao family’s house, and Zheng Xianghong asked about Yang Xuehua, "How is she doing?"
Xia Xiao nodded, "Much better."
Zheng Xianghong said, "She’s a good girl; it’s a pity her parents have dragged her down, and her future marriage prospects might be complicated."
At that moment, Xia Xiao was grateful to Wang Aihua and Sun Yuhua, and even to Ning Hui and Xu Mei. They had not kicked Yang Xuehua while she was down and had treated her the same as before, which was already very kind.
And though there were a few in the production team who spoke ill of Yang Xuehua, Ning Hui had firmly shut down those comments. Considering people’s respect for Ning Hui in the production team, Yang Xuehua had it a bit easier.
Yet with what happened to Yang Xuehua, everyone felt down and scared for their own safety.
Wang Aihua and Sun Yuhua were both anxious as they waited for news from home, leaving just the two of them in the dormitory.
"Has your family not sent any letters?" Wang Aihua asked.
Sun Yuhua shook her head, then asked Wang Aihua, "What about your family?"
Wang Aihua also shook her head, "Nothing."
In a hushed voice, Sun Yuhua said, "Ai Hua, I’m really scared."
"I’m scared too," Wang Aihua replied.
With the example of Yang Xuehua before them, everyone was extremely uneasy, fearing what might happen to them if it were to happen to them.
Sun Yuhua paused, her thoughts turning to Gao Jiazhi; her decision to date Gao Jiazhi initially had, to some extent, been influenced by these very concerns.