Nine Star Burden - Chapter 111
Chapter 111: 702
Jiannan Village had already been sealed on Earth.
There were people from all walks of life outside Jiannan Village.
There were some who were there to watch a show, while others were reporters, volunteers, and family members of the students.
In the past ten-odd days, the students of Jiangbin High School had subsequently walked out of Jiannan Village, giving them a feast for the eyes.
Due to the fact that the route chosen by the students was the safest, most of them managed to come out safely under the escort of the team of guardians.
However, there were other practitioners training in other regions in the snowfield.
Whenever someone left the snowfield, they would be checked thoroughly according to strict regulations. After they left Jiannan Village, they would be surrounded by numerous curious onlookers too.
Some would cry, some would smile, while others would throw tantrums and kick up a ruckus.
There were four people in a team, so their family members gathered together. However, only two appeared and the other two never came back.
The extreme emotions were displayed on everyone’s faces.
It made everyone feel emotional.
People often say that members of Chinese society were humane and kind.
Very few disagreed.
But this time, the military seemed to have given them a stern order.
Even Xia Shanhai, who had once been a Wasteland Reclaimer, could not enter Jiannan Village before. Hence, he had no choice but to wait outside obediently.
Xia Shanhai noticed a familiar figure.
He met the parents of his daughter’s classmates and also noticed how they had burst into tears and left with their still shocked children.
The parents left subsequently, and at last, Xia Shanhai caught sight of a parent who was waiting alone for their child who had yet to return.
It was someone from… the Li Family.
In the past month or so, Mr. Li did not show up, probably because he was on a mission.
However, Mrs. Li, who was a civil servant of Jiangbin City, had been waiting there for a long time.
Even though she looked haggard and depressed, she was a strong-willed mother who had never once cried while waiting for a miracle to appear in the company of her loved ones.
There was a girl who had burst into tears and caused her eyes to turn red and swollen. As the days passed, she seemed to be on the verge of breaking down in despair.
Xia Shanhai knew who she was. Although he did not communicate much with his daughter, Xia Yan, he was very concerned about her.
He had run a thorough check on the members of her team, as well as their respective families.
The girl who was crying uncontrollably was named Li Qingmei.
Xia Shanhai knew that she was Li Weiyi’s childhood sweetheart and was there to wait for his return, together with her parents. However, after a few days, her father decided to take her home forcefully out of concern for her health.
However, after just a few days, she returned again and waited foolishly.
Li Qingmei’s parents took turns to look after their daughter and no longer forced her to go home. They also helped her apply for a leave of absence from school. However, they were heartbroken to see how haggard she had become.
If Li Weiyi made it out safely, Li Qingmei’s parents would probably do everything they could to intervene with his future career.
As an Awakened who had voluntarily decided to go to the snowfield to gain more experience, it was inevitable for Li Weiyi to get hurt or even die.
It was a society where the Awakened were rampant. Hence, there were some special laws for Awakened.
Before the snowfield training even began, Jiangbin High School had already started preparing for it. There were also relevant legal regulations to minimize their liability.
However, the school would definitely not wish for that to happen.
Xia Shanhai was considered to be part of the circle, so he could understand the dangers that the Awakened had to face.
However, he was still as worried and heartbroken because his wife had lost a significant amount of weight, but was still keeping her hopes up until they received official news.
Regardless of whether the news was good or bad, Xia Shanhai knew that once his wife stopped feeling so stressed, she would definitely fall seriously ill.
Among the noisy and chaotic crowd, there was a man dressed in ordinary clothes.
He was just like an ordinary citizen that was trying to see what was going on. He had an average face and his hair was center-parted. Standing at 1.8 meters and clad in an old, tattered brown-colored jacket, he seemed rather unnoticeable.
All of a sudden, the man’s eyes lit up as he saw the people slowly walking out of Jiannan Village.
Everyone was flabbergasted.
The volunteer team was the loudest, cheering and whistling while waving small Chinese flags. It was as if they were welcoming the country’s compatriots who had returned safely from overseas.
Some of the family members of the people who had gone to the snowfield were sad while some were overjoyed.
They were either rejoicing or bursting into tears.
As the people reunited with their families, the volunteers forcefully pushed the reporters who were shoving their microphones into the faces of the Awakened away.
The volunteers surrounded the Awakened who had yet to reunite with their families and gave them some clothing and food before driving them home or to the hospital.
Every person that walked out was a huge blow to Li Qingmei.
Great expectations often lead to greater disappointment.
She still did not see Li Weiyi.
Feeling flustered, she swayed unsteadily and fell into her mother’s embrace.
Li Qingmei’s mother and Li Weiyi’s mother were colleagues. Although they were also in low spirits, the only thing they could do was hold onto her.
Just as Li Qingmei felt like the world was leaving her behind, a few familiar voices sounded in her ears and a few people appeared again.
Li Qingmei felt like there was a ray of light in front of her. She placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder and painstakingly tried to stand up. She then noticed a familiar figure standing amongst the crowd.
Absolutely dumbfounded, Li Qingmei stood rooted to the ground in shock.
Li Weiyi’s mother placed a hand on her mouth and burst into tears, unable to contain her emotions any longer.
Li Weiyi spread his arms open and sprinted towards the crowd.
Xia Yan also saw her parents being worried about her, after which she scurried towards them.
Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue looked at each other in dismay, feeling complicated about the situation.
Jiang Xiao did not expect to see a bunch of strangers surrounding them and greeting them warmly. Although they felt a little touched, they also felt dumbfounded.
“Xiaopi! Xiaopi!” Xia Yan shrieked while Jiang Xiao frantically looked over, only to see that Xia Yan was hugging a middle-aged woman who had passed out.
Without hesitation, Jiang Xiao gave her a Blessing.
“Here, Xiaopi!” Li Weiyi exclaimed. Jiang Xiao looked over and saw that Li Weiyi was hugging Li Qingmei, who was on the verge of getting a fit because she was crying miserably, as well as his mother.
On the other hand, Li Qingmei’s mother, who was also Li Weiyi’s future Mother-in-law, held onto Li Weiyi’s arm with tears in her eyes.
We’re pitiful enough and yet you’re showing off your happiness?
However, Jiang Xiao nonetheless gave Li Qingmei a Blessing.
Li Qingmei moaned in pleasure with a nasal voice that made Jiang Xiao feel like the world was at peace.
…
The man clad in a brown jacket put on a smile and turned around to leave.
As the man got into a cab, the driver remarked, “I really hope our people can stay safe and sound. They’re really pitiful.”
“Yeah.”
The driver asked, “Where do you want to go?”
The man answered, “Dongcheng District, Huayuan Estate.”
Before Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue were arranged to board the bus home, the man in the brown leather jacket already arrived at Huayuan Estate. He boarded the elevator and went straight to the seventh floor.
The man stepped out of the elevator and looked at Apartment 701 where Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue lived in. He turned around, took out his key, and opened the door of Apartment 702.
