Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets

Chapter 1155: Chapter 1155: Want to Carry You Forever

"I wonder if Zaozao and Chenchen will start fussing about looking for their mom once they wake up?"

"Will they blame me for leaving without saying a word?"

As soon as Tang Yue got in the car, she began thinking about the two little ones. Sitting in the passenger seat, she felt a vague unease, unwilling to leave.

"Don’t worry. They’ll understand you’re going to see your uncle. They won’t blame you." Si Yu, dressed casually today, seemed less serious and solemn, his smile adding a touch of warmth. He added, "Besides, Zaozao and Chenchen adore you the most. How could they bear to blame you?"

Si Yu glanced sideways with a smile, feeling quite cheerful. If only the journey ahead was just the two of them.

"Xiao Yan, over here." Tang Yue waved toward Jin Yan.

Jin Yan got in the car with a small backpack, saying, "Sis, luckily I arrived a few minutes early. Otherwise, I’d have kept you waiting."

"No worries. Do Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin know you’re heading to Changshui Village?" Tang Yue asked with a bit of concern.

With a sly smile, Jin Yan replied, "Sis, I told my parents I’m going with you to seek inspiration. They were delighted and didn’t mind where I’d be going."

In the Jin Family, everyone loved Tang Yue the most, even more so than Jin Yan, their own daughter.

Tang Yue was that proverbial perfect daughter, admirable in every way.

"Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin really seem to trust you." Tang Yue chuckled at her, reminding her, "Xiao Yan, Changshui Village is quite remote and the conditions are poor. You’re really okay with going there?"

"I am."

Jin Yan nodded without hesitation, worried Tang Yue might mistake her intention for seeing Lian Qingyang. She said, "I’m Qingyang’s fiancée, and no matter what, Xiao Jun is also our family. With Xiao Jun’s eye condition, as family I should be there to care for him, right?"

"Right."

Tang Yue’s eyes gleamed with amusement, choosing not to mention Jin Yan’s eagerness to see Lian Qingyang. Although they weren’t newlyweds in their honeymoon phase, they were indeed at that sweet stage, where longing after half a month apart was only natural.

If not for the yearning, then Tang Yue would really be worried.

It’s said that a day apart feels like three years. Back then...

Tang Yue secretly glanced at Si Yu, who was concentrating on driving. Back then, didn’t she also think of him wildly after not seeing him for just a day?

"Si Yu, are we going just the three of us?"

Tang Yue inquired.

"And Ding Ling." Si Yu drove the car around to the Siheyuan to pick up Ding Ling.

"Should we bring anything else?" Tang Yue felt there might be something more they should carry.

Si Yu glanced over and said, "Xiao Yue, the mountain roads are difficult. We don’t need extra things. I’ve arranged for someone to send in groceries and vegetables separately, so we’re traveling light."

"No worries. I deliberately changed into sneakers."

Tang Yue looked down at her shoes. Knowing the mountain paths ahead, she had specially chosen a pair of sneakers.

"Same here." Jin Yan had also swapped her high heels for sneakers, ideal for walking.

Upon arriving in town, Si Yu took the three women off the car and bought some buns and tea eggs. After getting some water, he asked, "Do you want to take a break?"

Tang Yue naturally didn’t want to rest. It was already past nine in the morning, and further delays would mean not reaching Changshui Village by the afternoon.

"No need to rest." Jin Yan shook her head, the first to express.

"Nor do I."

Growing up in a training base, Ding Ling was unfazed, able to traverse the toughest trails with agility.

Tang Yue also shook her head and said, "Let’s start moving then."

"Alright, do you need to buy more snacks?" Si Yu checked.

"No need." Jin Yan patted her bag. This trip she packed besides clothes, just snacks.

Jin Yan always loved snacking, no matter the time.

And Ding Ling needed no explanation. Tang Yue didn’t even need to look to know Ding Ling’s backpack was surely filled with snacks: chocolate, cookies, candies—all the treats the kids adored were Ding Ling’s favorites.

"Ding Ling, are you and Sister Qing alike? Fond of snacking?" Tang Yue once asked Ding Ling.

In the past, Bai Qing had a penchant for chocolates, seemingly never running out in her pockets.

Wu Xin tempered this a bit, but Ding Ling’s habits astounded Tang Yue.

"Yes." Ding Ling nodded affirmatively: "Since childhood, we stayed close to Sister Qing. When feeling down or tired, eating sweet treats made us so happy."

Her love for sweets stemmed from her time with Bai Qing.

During grueling, near-death training sessions, these snacks were her lifeline, the sole motivation propelling her forward.

Three hours passed.

"How much further?" Jin Yan, physically the weakest, had persevered for three hours. It was her limit, panting heavily with her water drained. "Why is the mountain path so challenging?"

"Let’s take a break."

Tang Yue handed a tissue to Jin Yan, suggesting, "Why not wipe off your sweat?"

Accepting the tissue, Jin Yan wiped her forehead, too tired for words.

"Sis, aren’t you exhausted?" Jin Yan normally joined school hikes, but only casual ones where fatigue dictated frequent rests.

Nothing like now, devoid of scenery, just enduring the path.

"It’s manageable."

With regular exercise, Tang Yue withstood it better than Jin Yan. She sipped some water and inquired, "How far have we walked?"

Si Yu stood before Tang Yue, hesitating to tell her they had covered only a fifth of the distance.

This stage should have seen them a third of the way, but Tang Yue and Jin Yan moved too slowly.

"How much longer do we have to walk?" A sudden sinking feeling led Tang Yue to ask stealthily.

Si Yu glanced at the sun overhead, saying, "We should arrive by sunset."

"..."

Looking at the endless, rolling mountains, Tang Yue couldn’t help but ask, "How does Xiao Jun, with impaired sight, manage to leave the mountains and return?"

Si Yu squatted beside Tang Yue, explaining, "Xiao Jun usually trains well, with great stamina. As long as someone helps him with direction, he can move even faster than you."

Tang Yue: "..."

"Want me to carry you?" Si Yu crouched ahead of Tang Yue, beckoning her onto his back.

"No need."

Without a second’s thought, Tang Yue refused. Yet, half an hour later, with blisters forming and breath increasingly labored, she looked up only to see Ding Ling carrying Jin Yan, moving faster than her.

That kind of stung.