Chapter 257: Northwest

Chapter 257 Northwest

"There's no danger. Although the northwest region is a bit chaotic, it's not a battlefield. Brother Lu can handle himself, so he'll be fine. It's just really rough out there."

Shang Qing had heard a few things, but not much.

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded. "Alright, thank you."

Shang Qing quickly said, "No problem," and asked where she was going and if she needed any help.

"I've finished all my things and am going to see Grandpa and Grandma at the Lu family."

"Oh, right..." Although Shang Qing didn’t know why Ye Xiaoxiao had returned early, he could understand her visiting the Lu family.

It showed that this lovely sister-in-law still had a stable relationship with his Brother Lu, which reassured him.

He had previously heard that many people who went abroad were unwilling to return.

When he learned that Ye Xiaoxiao had gone abroad, he figured they might split up. Now, it seemed Brother Lu really had it together.

Ye Xiaoxiao drove away, first stopping at a mall to buy some things before heading to the Lu family.

She'd picked up some gifts overseas, but since she couldn’t carry them all, she'd had them shipped back. They would probably take about a month to arrive.

When Ye Xiaoxiao arrived at the Lu family, what a coincidence—it wasn't just Grandpa and Grandma there; Lu Hanchuan’s mother was also present.

Yun Chengxiu had been watering the flowers in the yard and thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she spotted Ye Xiaoxiao.

"Xiao Xiao, my dear, you're back early, aren't you?"

Yun Chengxiu had mentioned to the family a few days ago that Ye Xiaoxiao would be returning soon, but she hadn’t expected it to be this early.

Ye Xiaoxiao walked into the yard carrying the things she'd bought. "Auntie, I had some matters to attend to, so I came back earlier than planned."

Yun Chengxiu took the things from her hands. "Is everything okay back home?" she said.

If there was an issue, she would definitely help.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "No, no, my school called me back early. I’ve been at the hospital for the past few days and only now have time to visit."

As the two spoke in the yard, Old Master Lu, who had been watching TV inside, peered out.

Then he whispered, "Granny, Xiao Xiao seems to be back."

Grandma Lu was putting flowers in a vase in the kitchen. "Really? Let me go see," she said.

"Take it easy now."

Old Master Lu also stood up and walked outside.

"Xiao Xiao!"

The old lady exclaimed from the doorway.

"Grandma, I’m back!"

Worried the old woman might take a spill from walking too quickly, Ye Xiaoxiao hurried over to support her.

Yun Chengxiu carried the bags inside. "Come on inside," she said.

Once inside, Grandpa Lu was also waiting at the door.

"Grandpa."

"Ah, I knew it was Xiao Xiao's voice right away."

Grandpa Lu beamed, proving his hearing was still sharp.

"Grandpa is amazing."

Ye Xiaoxiao played along with enthusiasm.

Seeing how happy the two elders were, Yun Chengxiu let Xiao Xiao sit with them for a while while she went to ask the housekeeper to whip up a few dishes.

"Xiao Xiao, are you back for good this time?"

Grandma Lu had missed her terribly.

To her, this child was like her own granddaughter. Not seeing her for two years had left her feeling empty.

"Grandma, I’m not leaving. Other than my internship, I’m free this time."

Grandma Lu said, "We can set up your internship right here in Beijing. No need to go anywhere else."

Ye Xiaoxiao had originally planned to stay in the capital, but after hearing from Shang Qing that Lu Hanchuan was in the northwest, she started having second thoughts.

"Grandma, I’m not in a rush with my internship."

"Alright, let’s not talk about this for now. Tell me all about your time abroad."

Though Grandma Lu had never been abroad, she had attended state banquets in her youth.

Back then, she had hosted foreign guests and always thought they all looked alike—either dark-skinned or pale.

Ye Xiaoxiao shared some interesting stories.

At first, many people looked down on exchange students like them.

But during a group discussion class, she used acupuncture on a foreign classmate, giving them a taste of the wonders of traditional Chinese medicine.

The classmate, unable to speak due to the acupoint stimulation, thought they’d been hit with some "Eastern voodoo" and panicked so badly they started crying.

Only after Ye Xiaoxiao removed the needles did their tongue return to normal after half an hour.

After that incident, no one messed with them after that.

Foreign professors also tended to skip over Chinese students, and some even deliberately gave them low grades.

Being an exchange student was no walk in the park, though there were a few open-minded professors who treated them fairly.

After three months, Ye Xiaoxiao kept a straight-A record, slowly shifting some people’s views.

But that was the most she could do.

Prejudice doesn’t just disappear overnight.

Yun Chengxiu came back after sorting out dinner and jumped into the conversation.

"Xiao Xiao is back, but that troublemaker Lu Hanchuan is still holed up in god-knows-where."

Grandma Lu: "Otherwise, let's think of a way to bring him home early."

Yun Chengxiu: "Mom, this isn't something to joke about."

Grandpa Lu also said: "He's on official duty. We can't be a burden to the country. Besides, it's not like he's not coming back—it's just not time yet."

Grandma Lu was very disappointed.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I heard the conditions there are extremely tough."

Grandma Lu: "You bet, it's a godforsaken place."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Are they short on doctors there? I could go for my internship."

Hearing this, Yun Chengxiu thought the suggestion was good but immediately refused.

"Xiao Xiao, you mustn't go. They sure need doctors there, but the conditions and environment are terrible—it's even worse than what you experienced abroad. Let's just stay in the capital. Lu Hanchuan will be back in a few months anyway."

Grandma Lu looked at her daughter-in-law, then at Xiao Xiao, and finally said, "Yes, let's not go."

"I've thought it through seriously. Since I need to find an internship anyway, going there would kill two birds with one stone. Isn't Lu Hanchuan unable to return for a while?"

Ye Xiaoxiao wasn't acting impulsively. The northwest must be dirt poor right now, and she was prepared to tough it out.

Going there would not only allow her to see Lu Hanchuan but also better sharpen her medical skills.

Yun Chengxiu: "Well, he'll have to come back eventually. If he doesn't, we'll break his legs and carry him back."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "My internship is only a few months—it'll be over before you know it. Besides, if we don't see each other for so long, our relationship could go south."

Hearing this, Grandma Lu immediately said, "If he dares to change his mind, Grandma will beat him up for you."

Seeing Ye Xiaoxiao was serious, Yun Chengxiu said, "Then I'll look into the situation there... Arranging for you to go would be easy, but I just can't bear to let you go."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Thank you, Auntie. But please don't tell Lu Hanchuan. I'm sure he won't let me go."

Yun Chengxiu thought this was tricky. She knew her son well—he definitely wouldn't allow Xiao Xiao to go.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Auntie, even if you don't help me, I can find someone else to assist me."

Yun Chengxiu had to agree in the end.

This couldn't even be considered pulling strings—who would pull strings to send someone to such a place?