Chapter 129 The in-laws finally had time to see Xie Zhiyan

"Let's all cooperate a bit. Let's rest for one day, adjust our condition, and come back full of energy tomorrow. Otherwise, it's not a solution to keep wasting time here. Overcoming difficulties doesn't mean we have to stay in the base all the time. Let's go to other places and maybe we'll find other breakthroughs."

The couple has been here for nearly 20 years, and their presence can be seen in every corner of the research base.

After hearing what Huang Meiling had said, no one pressed the matter further.

The logistics supervisor, Gao Xiangrong, came over with a beaming smile: "You're finally willing to take a break. I didn't know when we would give you your labor insurance. You were all so busy during the last statutory holiday that I didn't want to bother you by bringing people over. So today we'll make up for it. Including this holiday, everyone will get three. Everyone, line up here to collect them."

The base's wages aren't very high, but the benefits are decent, and there's basically no pressure to support a family.

Gao Xiangrong waved his hand, and a group of people behind him put the things on the ground.

Most of them were fruits, and he was hawking them through a megaphone.

"These fruits were transported from our border region. The pears and grapes are still fresh, but we heard that the watermelons are newly cultivated. Everyone should put down what they are doing and come over to taste them. We can also give our scientists who cultivated these watermelons some feedback."

Because it's a new variety of watermelon, there aren't many available, and each person can only get a small piece.

"In addition, there are some eggs and milk rolls here. This was specifically instructed to be distributed to everyone, saying that the nutrition of researchers must be adequate. Everyone should register here to receive them."

Gao Xiangrong took a sip of water, and soon a long line formed over there, with everyone orderly taking their work protective gear.

Each person received a bag of pears and two bunches of grapes, and the rest were daily necessities such as laundry detergent, soap, and towels.

Huang Meiling took a small piece of watermelon and sat down on the ground nearby.

Xie Wenyuan also sat down next to her.

She took a small bite, and the new variety of watermelon was indeed different from the old one; it had fewer seeds and more juice.

"I remember when Zhiyan was little, his favorite food was watermelon. Every summer, his family would specially plant some. I don't know if it's because he hasn't eaten it for a long time, but this watermelon seems to be sweeter than before."

Xie Wenyuan took a big bite, the sandy flesh of the melon was so tempting with juice that it made one swallow hard.

“Yes, back then you always couldn’t bear to eat the first watermelon that ripened at home. We’ve been here with the project for almost a year now, and we don’t know how the child is doing. We haven’t heard from Zhiyan at all. This child has never made us so worried.”

Xie Zhiyan was sensible from a young age. Compared to Xie Wanying, who would still act coquettishly in their arms even after she grew up, Xie Zhiyan was more mature and composed.

Even though he's the younger brother, he plans everything in advance, whether it's going to school, getting a job, or getting married, so his parents don't have to worry about him too much.

“This child has always been opinionated. When he was working from home, you wouldn’t let me interfere. Now he’s been sent to jail, but I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. I’ve been having nightmares these past few days, dreaming about Zhiyan when he was little…”

Huang Meiling fell silent as she spoke. She took a big bite of watermelon to cover her sobs. If only her family could be together, they could share some of the watermelon with the children.

Over the years, whenever they had time, they would take the initiative to contact and communicate with the military. Huang Meiling was unwilling to believe that Xie Zhiyan had disappeared.

A mother's intuition told her time and again that her son was safe and sound.

Over the years, the couple has been working at the base, and due to the secrecy involved, many things are not very convenient. They can only entrust Xie Wanying to deliver some things to Shu Ying's family during holidays.

Xie Wenyuan gently patted her shoulder with one hand: "The children will be alright. Don't you know Zhiyan's abilities? I just don't know how Shuying is doing. Wanying hasn't written to us recently either. We have always owed the children too much."

Fortunately, his two children are both well-behaved and obedient.

However, they couldn't get in touch with Shu Ying, and having heard about the recent crackdown on capitalists, Xie Wenyuan couldn't help but feel worried.

To maintain secrecy, they were not allowed to write letters or make phone calls until a certain phase of the project was completed.

Huang Meiling's eyes reddened, but she shook her head in the end: "When we retire, we can spend more time with our children. But I don't know if we'll be able to put down these machines by then."

They care deeply about their own families, but they also cannot let go of the development of their motherland.

Everyone here has their own family. Only when millions of people come together can we build the future of our motherland.

There will always be some who have to sacrifice, but they are fortunate enough to be part of that sacrifice.

But whenever Huang Meiling thinks of her child, it feels like a knife is twisting in her heart.

“I am not a good mother. I am never there for my children when they need me the most.”

She felt guilty.

She also thought that she couldn't offer Shuying any help either. In an ordinary family, she could at least cook and do laundry for her daughter-in-law.

However, they never saw their daughter-in-law again after Xie Zhiyan got married.

Xie Wenyuan carefully collected the watermelon rinds on the ground and put them in a bag: "Alright, let's not think about these sad things anymore. Things will get better in the future. We're being sentimental here now, but who knows, maybe the children will be healthy and well."

He threw the trash into the trash can, reached out a hand, and pulled Huang Meiling up from the ground.

"I'll go wash my hands first, you rest a bit more, and then we'll go together to contact the military again. What if we get news about the children this time?"

Huang Meiling took a deep breath: "Go."

As Xie Wenyuan emerged from the restroom, he shook the water off his hands and his gaze was drawn to a newspaper that someone had casually placed on the bulletin board.

Crack down on capitalist practices and liberate farmers!

The eye-catching headline in the newspaper made Xie Wenyuan frown.

"I didn't expect the situation outside to be so severe now. The Shu family will inevitably be affected. We need to contact Shu Ying as soon as possible to find out about her situation."