A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1021 Transferring Supplies

Gui'er then realized that these people had come to receive supplies.

She tiptoed back to bed and continued sleeping.

The next day, Gui'er got up very early and went out of her room to find that everyone else had also gotten up early.

But she didn't see Deng Jun.

Grandpa Zhang prepared porridge for everyone's breakfast and said, "Last night, it was said that your comrades from Guangxi came and took away the supplies that were being transported to Guangxi. Comrade Deng saw them off through the city and said that he would arrange for the supplies to be sent to Jiangcheng to enter the city when he returned."

"Did Mr. Deng say which location in the city he would arrange for me to go? I can go and scout it out first," Zheng Huaichang said.

"He didn't say that, he just told you to stay here and wait for him to come back."

“Okay, then let’s wait for him to come back here,” Wu Mingqiang said with a smile.

After everyone finished breakfast, they strolled around in the courtyard. Grandpa Zhang forbade them to go outside, lest they attract the attention of the traitors passing through the village.

Wu Mingqiang and Zheng Huaichang then went to the top floor and, from their vantage point, observed the surrounding terrain. This courtyard was arguably the most impressive in the village, situated next to the main road at the village entrance. Anyone entering the village could be observed from afar through the top floor or through a small hole in the high wall.

Around 10 a.m., a few more people arrived, and everyone became nervous. Fortunately, one of the comrades left behind by Deng Jun knew the team's code and gave the signal to the other party that they had come to collect supplies. They were given their share, and Grandpa Zhang found a few strong men in the village to help them transport the goods out of the village.

Wu Mingqiang said, "I've looked at the order list, and now only the Jiangcheng portion is left."

Among the people who came from Jiangcheng to receive the supplies was Sha Yanxiao. Gui'er was a little nervous at the thought of seeing him soon, both looking forward to it and afraid that something might happen to him on the way.

It was already four or five o'clock in the afternoon, and Deng Jun still hadn't appeared. Everyone was starting to panic. Wu Mingqiang asked the comrades who had been left behind, "Has Comrade Deng said when he'll be back? We don't have any definite news. We're afraid that when the people from Jiangcheng come to pick up the goods, they won't see us and will think something has happened."

Those colleagues were all relatively young, between their teens and early twenties. They were also unsure of what to do, and stammered, "They usually come back in two hours. I don't know why they took so long this time."

Upon hearing this, Wu Mingqiang's expression darkened immediately. He said to Master Zhang, "Mr. Zhang, I have a bad feeling. I'm afraid something has happened. If something happens to them and they are tracked down here, it will be troublesome. I have some connections in Guangzhou. Why don't I go and make some inquiries to see if they are still around? If they are, we can transfer this shipment out first to avoid implicating us here. When Comrade Deng returns, you can tell him our address."

Grandpa Zhang thought about it for a moment and agreed, saying, "Alright then, I hope you go and come back soon. The situation in Guangzhou is complicated right now, so you must be careful. By the way, I have a bicycle here, you can ride it there, it will be faster."

Wu Mingqiang was overjoyed. He thanked Master Zhang and instructed A Si to protect Gui'er before riding away on his bicycle.

Those who remained were all somewhat worried. At noon, Grandpa Zhang instructed his family to bring out the cured meat prepared for the New Year to treat everyone. However, no one had much of an appetite. Grandpa Zhang sighed and said, "Aren't you all wondering why you call me Grandpa? It's said that during the Taiping Rebellion, when the Qing army came here, our clan had long been dissatisfied with the oppression of the Qing government, so we fought against them. As a result, the entire clan was massacred. Only the clan leader's youngest son, because he was young, was ordered by his family to lead his nephews and nieces to hide in the nearby mountains, and he survived. Therefore, our family's seniority is several times higher than others, so everyone calls me Grandpa. After my eldest son went missing, I often thought, what is the purpose of life? Isn't it just to live well and make our loved ones live more comfortably? The Qing dynasty oppressed us, and we resisted. Now the Japanese devils are invading us, and we must resist them too. Anyway, we live one day at a time. If we die, so be it. Come on, eat."

Zheng Huaichang was the first to pick up his chopsticks and said, "Sir, you are so generous! Everyone, please eat quickly. That way, even if the Japanese come, we will have the strength to fight them to the death."

Everyone gradually started to eat heartily.

Just after we finished eating, Grandpa Zhang's servant came running up in a panic and said, "He's back, he's back."

Everyone quickly asked, "Who's back?"

"Mr. Wu," the servant said breathlessly. Master Zhang personally went up to the roof to check, and only after confirming that Wu Mingqiang was alone did he order someone to open the door.

Wu Mingqiang quickly rode his bicycle back, and as soon as he entered the house, he said, "I've already made the arrangements, and the supplies can be transported there now. If Comrade Deng returns, please ask Grandpa Zhang to pass on the address."

Grandpa Zhang hesitated for a moment and said, "Can they be trusted? Although many people support the resistance against Japan, there are also quite a few lackeys."

Wu Mingqiang smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have a plan. I know where his whole family lives. I'll have my brother deliver a gift to his house later, and I'll say a few words to him. If he's truly committed to resisting the Japanese, he'll be overjoyed. If he wants to betray me, he'll have to think twice about the lives of his entire family."

Grandpa Zhang was stunned. Gui'er knew this was the way the underworld operated, but in the current situation, it was an effective way to ensure everyone's safety.

She stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Brother Wu, since they're willing to help us, we shouldn't scare them. We should just say that one of our brothers is injured, and we'll go stay at their house for a couple of days. We'll also prepare a gift. That would be more appropriate."

Wu Mingqiang smiled and said, "Miss's thinking is indeed more thorough."

After that, Wu Mingqiang asked everyone to organize the goods and prepare to move them out.

About an hour later, a delivery truck arrived at the village entrance.

Wu Mingqiang glanced at the man from the rooftop and said, "That's him. Everyone, move the goods out. I told him not to come into the village to avoid attracting attention."

Everyone quickly worked together to load the goods onto the truck at the village entrance using handcarts and on their backs.

Gui'er was about to help when Wu Mingqiang grabbed her and said to A Si, "Keep an eye on Miss. I'll wave to you later before we go over."

Gui'er and A'si stood anxiously inside the house, while Grandpa Zhang said with a smile, "This Mr. Wu is a cautious man; he's still afraid there might be a trap involved."

Soon after the goods were almost moved, Wu Mingqiang ran back, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Grandpa Zhang, and said, "Grandpa Zhang, thank you for your help these past two days. If Comrade Deng comes back, please tell him to go to the Aiqun Building and find the lobby manager, Mr. Liu. The code is: 'Guests from our hometown have arrived and want to see you. There are five people in total, three adults and two children.'"