Volume One, Chapter Twelve: It Takes an Hour's Walk Along the Mountain Path to Reach the Village

“All right, you can hold her.” Lin Ranran carefully handed the baby to Ji Junyao. “Be careful.”

“Of course. What a cute baby! Sister-in-law, your child will surely be this adorable in the future,” Ji Junyao said with a bright smile.

For a while, everyone lined up, each taking a turn to hold the newborn. The little one’s rosy cheeks and lively eyes set off waves of laughter, filling the entire carriage with warmth and joy.

The train gradually slowed, finally coming to a smooth stop at the station. Outside the window, medical staff had long been waiting, ready with stretchers and an ambulance. As soon as the doors opened, they boarded in an orderly and practiced manner, swiftly transferring the mother and child onto the ambulance.

County Magistrate Huang’s eyes were slightly red as he grasped Lin Ranran’s hand tightly once more. “Sister, when the child is older, I’ll be sure to bring my wife and our child to your home, so they can recognize you as the godmother.”

Just now, in chatting with the Ji family, Magistrate Huang had learned they were educated youth being sent down to Balma Suolue. Overjoyed, he recalled hearing that higher-ups were dispatching educated youth from the capital to Balma, but he hadn’t expected to meet them himself. He felt certain that Balma’s economy would soon flourish and that prosperity for the people was just around the corner.

Lin Ranran smiled. “I’d be honored.”

“This is my phone number. No matter what trouble you run into in the countryside, you absolutely must call me!”

“All right, Brother Huang, but you have to take good care of my sister-in-law and my godson in the meantime.”

“I promise!” Magistrate Huang nodded earnestly, then hurried to catch up with the ambulance.

Watching the ambulance recede into the distance, Lin Ranran’s lips curled up unconsciously. She had just made a relative out of the county magistrate; work in the countryside would surely go much more smoothly from now on.

Perhaps this meant she had rewritten the fate of the supporting female character.

Beside her, Ji Junyao was already looking at Lin Ranran with complete admiration. “Sister-in-law, you are incredible! I never expected you could deliver babies!”

Lin Ranran replied with a playful hint of pride, “Of course. There’s a lot your sister-in-law knows how to do. I’ll teach you, little by little.”

The Ji family gathered around, each brother chiming in with compliments.

“Sister-in-law, you’re amazing.”

“Sister-in-law, you’re the best!”

“Sister-in-law, you’re practically a legend!”

“Sister-in-law, you’re unstoppable!”

Father Ji came forward as well, approval shining in his eyes. “Ranran, you did wonderfully.”

Lin Ranran, a little embarrassed by the praise, smiled shyly. “Don’t flatter me too much, or I’ll get carried away.”

“Tired?” Ji Junxiao came to her side, speaking softly.

“I’m all right. Darling, aren’t I great?” Lin Ranran looked up at him with a bright smile.

Ji Junxiao nodded indulgently. “You really are.”

She usually seemed lazy and carefree, but in critical moments she was surprisingly capable. He found himself seeing her in a new light.

“I’m exhausted. Hold me,” Lin Ranran said, leaning against him.

Ji Junxiao reacted quickly, afraid she might stumble, and wrapped his arm securely around her.

The rest of the Ji family glanced away in silent agreement, pretending not to notice the affectionate scene. In the carriage’s dim light, nothing could really be seen anyway.

Just then, a staff member from the railway department hurried in, holding a banner, led by the head of the passenger division.

With a broad smile, the division head presented the banner to Lin Ranran, saying sincerely, “Comrade Lin, this is a token of the railway department’s gratitude and respect for your heroic rescue on the train.”

“Thank you,” Lin Ranran replied, her cheeks flushed, as she gently stepped out of Ji Junxiao’s embrace and accepted the banner.

The golden words on the banner, “Upholding justice, saving lives—True compassion revealed on the rails!” shone brilliantly beneath the carriage lights.

The Ji family stood to the side, faces full of pride.

On their first day in the countryside, Lin Ranran had already won such an honor. Everyone thought this was an auspicious sign.

“Sister-in-law, you’re truly extraordinary.”

“We should all learn from you.”

Father Ji’s eyes narrowed with delight, pride written all over his face. “She’s truly worthy of being a daughter-in-law of our Ji family—she carries our family’s spirit.”

Mother Ji was so moved she forgot her aching foot, scrambling up from her bunk to hug Lin Ranran tightly. “Our Ranran is the best!”

Flushed from all the praise, Lin Ranran’s heart felt warm and full. She knew that, after today, the Ji family genuinely trusted her.

In the following two days of travel, the Ji family cherished Lin Ranran even more, treating her almost like the family darling.

Whenever Lin Ranran wanted to use the restroom, Ji Junyao trailed her closely, afraid something might happen.

Lin Ranran was deeply moved, truly feeling the kindness and warmth of the Ji family.

The train sped on, finally coming to a steady stop at Balma Station in Guangxi.

After disembarking, they transferred to a bus for another hour before finally reaching the county.

Just as they arrived in town, Captain Yang Zhengyu of the Suolue team came to meet them, leading a thin horse.

Mother Ji eyed the scrawny horse and couldn’t help but ask, “Comrade, are we going to walk from here? Isn’t there even an ox cart?”

Captain Yang chuckled, “That’s right, ma’am. Transportation here isn’t easy. There’s still an hour’s walk up the mountain to the Suolue brigade. If the pregnant ladies get tired, they can ride the horse for a while, but not the whole way—the horse has to carry supplies too, and it’s already a heavy load.”

Mother Ji looked anxiously at Lin Ranran. “My daughter-in-law has never ridden a horse before. Will she be all right?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be leading the horse. Ours is very gentle,” Captain Yang assured her.

Father Ji, surveying the situation, asked, “Is life in the Suolue brigade always this tough?”

Captain Yang nodded solemnly. “It is. I never expected the higher-ups would send people from the capital to help. From now on, the development of Suolue depends on all of you.”

Father Ji drew a deep breath, determination flickering in his eyes. “We’ll all work together. Life will definitely improve.”

Since Captain Yang still needed to purchase urgent supplies for the team, he asked the Ji family to wait for a bit.

Mother Ji looked at Lin Ranran with concern. “Ranran, do you think you can handle an hour’s walk up the mountain?”

Lin Ranran smiled. “I’m fine, Mom. But you just recovered from your foot injury—it’s you who shouldn’t walk so far.”

Ji Junxiao quickly added, “We’ll take turns carrying Mom. Don’t worry.”

“I can carry her too!” Ji Junyao declared, not to be outdone.

Ji Junyong teased, “With those skinny arms and legs, you’ll be lucky to walk by yourself, let alone carry anyone.”

Ji Junyao bristled. “Don’t underestimate me—I’m the fastest runner in my school!”

Mother Ji quickly intervened. “Enough, all of you. I can walk just fine. If Ranran gets tired, you boys take turns carrying her. If it’s too much, let her ride the horse.”

Lin Ranran shook her head. “Mom, I’m not that delicate. Let’s eat something first and get our strength up. We should also buy some meat—out in the country, it’ll be hard to come by.”

Everyone agreed, and they went off to find food.

Thanks to Lin Ranran insisting on hearty meals these past days, no one minded spending a bit more.

Lin Ranran, familiar with the Balma county market, found prices much cheaper than in the city. She had Ji Junxiao accompany her as she carefully picked out fresh meat, a laying hen, and several chicks and ducklings.

She actually had all these things in her spatial storage, but she knew it would be hard to explain pulling them out later, so she chose to buy some openly as a cover.

“Ranran, you’re so thoughtful,” Ji Junxiao praised, watching her skillfully select provisions.

Lin Ranran smiled. “I lived in the countryside before—I know what to do. You city folks aren’t used to this.”

When they returned to the meeting point, the Ji family stared wide-eyed at the bags and bundles they’d brought back.

“Xiao, since when did you get so good at managing household affairs?” Mother Ji looked stunned, and the rest of the family was just as surprised.

After all, back in the city, Mother Ji had always managed these chores—no one could’ve guessed that Ji Junxiao, who’d been in the army, would know how to shop for these things.

Ji Junxiao hurried to explain, “Ranran did all the buying—I just carried the bags.”

“Sister-in-law?” All eyes turned to Lin Ranran, even more puzzled.

After spending these months together, their impression of Lin Ranran was that, aside from enjoying life and spending money, she’d never done chores—apart from delivering a baby on the train, of course.

Lin Ranran smiled. “Don’t forget, I was born in the countryside. I’m good at these things. I just got lazy and cranky after getting pregnant, that’s all.”

So that was it.

Just then, Captain Yang returned from his shopping.

The horse’s back was already piled high with goods, and Captain Yang struggled to fit the Ji family’s purchases on as well.

The family watched as the horse was loaded almost to bursting, speechless.

There was nowhere left for the chicks and ducklings, so Captain Yang handed them a shoulder pole to carry them themselves.

“No choice—there’s simply no more room,” he said apologetically.

“Can someone even ride the horse now?” Mother Ji looked at the overburdened animal with doubt.

“Don’t worry, ma’am. This horse might look thin, but it’s used to carrying three or four hundred pounds at a time,” Captain Yang reassured her.

Mother Ji, feeling sorry for the horse, said, “Never mind. The poor thing has it rough. You boys should take turns carrying Ranran—don’t burden the horse.”

Captain Yang smiled. “There’s no need to worry. Xiao, help your wife onto the horse. If the horse gets tired, she can walk.”

Lin Ranran quickly waved her hands. “I’ve been sitting on a train for days—my backside is sore. I’d rather walk a bit. Don’t worry about me.”

Ji Junxiao looked at her gently. “Walk a while, and when you’re tired, I’ll carry you.”

“All right,” Lin Ranran agreed.

So, the group set off on the mountain road to the Suolue brigade.

Ji Junxiao and his brothers watched over Lin Ranran, while Father Ji supported Mother Ji. Ji Junyong carried the chicks and ducklings on a pole, and Ji Junyao, though not assigned a specific task, was determined to make it to the village on her own two feet.

The mountain path was winding and treacherous, full of steep slopes and sharp bends. After only ten minutes, Ji Junxiao crouched down and said to Lin Ranran, “Come on, let me carry you.”

Lin Ranran just smiled and shook her head, refusing his offer.

Another ten minutes later, seeing her slightly out of breath, he insisted again, but Lin Ranran still declined.

However, on the steepest climbs and trickiest descents, she let Ji Junxiao help steady her, and together, step by step, they pressed on.

After half an hour, everyone’s feet ached and blistered. Mother Ji, only just recovered from her injury, was sweating from pain.

Lin Ranran, too, was starting to feel exhausted. The baby in her belly seemed to weigh heavier with every step, and she worried that any more jostling might not be good for the child.

Ji Junyao, gasping for breath, couldn’t believe that a mountain path that looked so short could be more exhausting than running several kilometers at school.

Captain Yang, noticing their fatigue, called a halt. “Let’s rest a bit and let the horse eat some grass.”

The women, grateful for the reprieve, found places to sit and rest.

Father Ji took the opportunity to chat with Captain Yang. “Captain Yang, were there a lot of bandits in Balma in the past?”

Captain Yang’s face grew serious as he recalled, “There were. Just a few years ago, a gang roamed the mountains, often harassing the villages and seizing food and valuables. They knew the terrain well and were tough to deal with. Once, they targeted supplies sent to the county, and the villagers tried to resist but suffered heavy losses. Later, the army joined forces with our local militia and, after much effort, wiped them out. The fighting was fierce, with soldiers and bandits clashing in the forests and many close calls. But in the end, the bandits were eradicated, and only then could the villagers live in peace.”

Father Ji nodded with admiration. “That was no easy feat—thanks to the soldiers and the villagers’ efforts.”

Captain Yang sighed. “Yes. Though bandits are mostly gone now, this place is still poor. We’ll have to work together for any hope of development.”

After a short rest, the group felt a bit better and set out again at Captain Yang’s call.

But after just ten minutes, the three women’s legs were jelly—they couldn’t go on.

“Come on, let me carry you,” Ji Junxiao said gently.

This time, Lin Ranran didn’t refuse and obediently climbed onto her husband’s back.

She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “Thank you, darling.”

Her warm breath made Ji Junxiao’s ears turn red. He swallowed unconsciously, answering in a low, hoarse voice, “It’s no trouble.”

Lin Ranran’s smile widened, her voice coy as she added, “You’re wonderful, my love.”

With everyone around, did she really have to flaunt their affection so openly?

Yet his heart soared with happiness, blood rushing through his veins. Why did it feel like he was on top of the world?