NCCnovel Chapter 235 Salvation, Zhaoxi Ancient Town
Chapter 235 Salvation, Zhaoxi Ancient Town
The light of spiritual energy grew brighter and brighter, completely enveloping the seventeen students.
Their expressions gradually calmed and relaxed, finally revealing long-lost, innocent smiles.
Wang Jia bowed deeply to Shen Yu: "Thank you, thank you for clearing our name."
The other students also bowed and whispered their thanks.
Then, hand in hand, they slowly transformed into transparent specks of light amidst the golden spiritual light, gradually dissipating into the air.
There was no resentment, no bitterness, only the peace of liberation.
As the last point of light disappeared, a gap suddenly appeared in the leaden-gray clouds.
Warm sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the playground, dispelling all the cold and darkness.
Just then, the person in charge's phone rang.
He answered the phone, listened for a few moments, and then a smile of excitement spread across his face. He shouted to Shen Yu:
"Mr. Shen! News from the hospital! All the students who were unconscious, including Lu Yutong, have woken up! Their memories have been fully restored!"
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted outside the isolation zone, and many people couldn't help but shed tears of emotion.
Sunlight shone on everyone's faces and on the seventeen coffins, as if the students were responding to the warmth of the world.
Two weeks later, on a sunny weekend, the sunlight streamed in through the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm dappled light on the carpet.
Niannian and Guigui were lying on the carpet building Lego, the two little ones huddled together, chattering excitedly about building a castle.
The doorbell rang suddenly.
"I'll go open the door!" Gui Gui immediately dropped the building blocks in her hand and ran over to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, Lu Mingyu and his sister Lu Yutong stood in the doorway, carrying large and small bags.
Lu Yutong had cut her hair short to shoulder length and was wearing a beige down jacket. Her face had a rosy smile typical of young girls, and her eyes were bright. There was no trace of her previous unconsciousness and amnesia.
Jiang Xinlan took the things from Lu Mingyu's hands and said reproachfully, "You came all this way, why did you bring so much stuff? You're being too polite."
"These are all local specialties from Yunshui County. They're not anything valuable; they're just a small token of our appreciation."
Lu Mingyu smiled sheepishly, "Yutong insisted on coming to thank Mr. Shen and Miss Jiang in person."
"Mr. Shen, Ms. Jiang," Lu Yutong said earnestly, bowing deeply to the two of them.
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I might still be lying in the hospital, and those senior students who died wouldn't have had their names cleared."
"Get up, don't be so polite." Jiang Xinlan quickly helped her up and pulled her to sit on the sofa. "Have you fully recovered? Are there any aftereffects?"
"It's all done!" Lu Yutong nodded, her eyes sparkling.
"The doctor said I recovered exceptionally well, with no aftereffects whatsoever. I've transferred to a top-tier high school in the city, and I even ranked fifth in my grade in the recent midterm exams!"
"That's amazing," Jiang Xinlan praised with a smile.
The group sat in the living room chatting, and Lu Mingyu talked about the follow-up developments in the case.
Li Shufen has been executed, Zhao Defa's suspended death sentence has been approved, and Wang Jianguo and other involved persons are serving their sentences in prison.
Yu Ying High School has a new principal, and the school atmosphere is excellent now, allowing students to focus on their studies.
Lu Mingyu and his sister sat there all afternoon, only saying goodbye and leaving near dinnertime.
After seeing them off, Jiang Xinlan tidied up the fruit bowl on the coffee table and casually remarked:
"Winter break is just around the corner, and the kids are constantly nagging to go out and play. They've been behaving really well this semester, so how about we take them on a trip?"
Shen Yu thought for a moment and nodded, "That's fine. I don't have much to do lately, so I'll take you guys out for a walk. Where would you like to go?"
"I don't know either, just not too far, it's inconvenient with two kids," Jiang Xinlan said.
"Ideally, it would be a place with hot springs. Soaking in hot springs in winter is so relaxing, and the kids can have fun too."
Shen Yu pondered for a moment, then said:
"Then let's go to Zhaoxi Town. It's only a little over three hours' drive from Beijing. It's an ancient town nestled against the mountains and by the water, with hot springs and nearby snow-capped mountains for skiing. It's a great place to take the kids."
"Zhaoxi Town? Sounds good." Jiang Xinlan's eyes lit up.
"I think I've heard people say before that the ancient town is really beautiful and has lots of delicious food. Okay, that's settled then. I'll book the hotel tomorrow."
When the two children heard they were going on a trip, they jumped for joy and started packing their luggage that very night, stuffing all their favorite toys and picture books into their suitcases.
Three days later, the school officially started its winter break.
Shen Yu drove his family towards Zhaoxi Town.
The winter sun is lovely, its warmth feels wonderful on my skin.
The two children sat in the back row, chattering incessantly, sometimes pointing at the snow-capped mountains outside the window and cheering, and sometimes clamoring for snacks.
Jiang Xinlan sat in the passenger seat, occasionally turning back to remind them to stop fooling around, but a smile always played on her lips.
More than three hours later, the car entered Zhaoxi Town.
This is an ancient town nestled among the mountains. The town is small, with rows of white-walled, black-tiled ancient buildings lining the streets paved with bluestone slabs, and red lanterns hanging under the eaves.
The river flows slowly through the middle of the town, with a light mist floating on its surface, making it look like a traditional Chinese ink painting from afar.
Behind the town are continuous snow-capped mountains, and at the foot of the mountains are several natural hot springs, which attract many tourists in winter.
Shen Yu booked a hot spring guesthouse on the edge of town. It was a private house with its own courtyard and a private hot spring pool, making it quiet and convenient.
After putting down their luggage, the family first went for a stroll in the ancient town.
The streets of the ancient town were bustling, lined with all sorts of stalls, selling sugar paintings, dough figurines, and local snacks, leaving the two children dazzled by the variety.
Niannian bought a sugar painting shaped like a rabbit, and Guigui bought a clay figurine of Sun Wukong. The two little ones held it tightly in their hands, treasuring it dearly.
They walked along the riverbank, where the water was crystal clear and they could see the pebbles at the bottom.
A covered boat glides across the river, and the boatmen sing local folk songs in a melodious voice.
On the stone steps by the river, many women were washing clothes, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
In the evening, the family soaked in the hot spring in the courtyard.
The warm spring water enveloped my body, dispelling the winter chill.
The two children, wearing swimming rings, splashed around in the water, laughing happily. Jiang Xinlan leaned against the poolside, watching the father and his two sons play, her face full of a happy smile.
After soaking in the hot spring, Niannian and Guigui leaned against Shen Yu's chest, listening to him tell stories about the stars, and soon fell asleep.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Niannian and Guigui woke up.
The two little ones, dressed in their pajamas, ran to Shen Yu and Jiang Xinlan's room, climbed onto the bed, and each of them lay on one side of Shen Yu, chattering and clamoring to go ride the awning boat.