356: The problem of going home

Li Qinghe stayed at the bottom of the pool for a few minutes before surfacing.

He thought for a while in that tranquil environment.

Li Qinghe knew what was wrong with him; to put it simply, he was a little homesick.

If he were to go home, quite a few people would be involved.

First, he made a video call to Nguyen Thi Linh, Chau Pham Thuy Anh, and Nguyen Thi Trinh, who were in Hanoi.

They were also about to start their winter break, and he had previously mentioned to them about going back to Longguo with him for the New Year.

At that moment, Nguyen Thi Linh and the others happened to be in that house in Cau Giay District.

Upon receiving Li Qinghe's video call, all three of them seemed very surprised.

This was because, besides sending messages and chatting briefly, they were very conscious not to disturb Li Qinghe's life outside.

When Li Qinghe called tonight, all three gathered around the phone.

“A Ling, A Ying, A Trinh, have you all gotten your visas and passports ready?” Li Qinghe greeted them with a smile, looking at their three pretty faces on the phone screen.

“They've been ready for ages, Gege! We're just waiting for you to take us to Longguo,” Nguyen Thi Linh said with a smile, showing her passport and visa to the camera.

Beside her were two visas held up by the hands of Chau Pham Thuy Anh and Nguyen Thi Trinh.

“Okay, I'll be back from Singapore in a few days. Then we'll fly directly to Longguo.”

“Gege, there's something I'd like to ask your opinion on.”

Nguyen Thi Linh seemed a bit hesitant to speak on the screen.

“A Ling, we're family. Is there anything you're too shy to say?”

Nguyen Thi Linh had always been like this, first considering Li Qinghe's feelings. She would only proceed with many things after Li Qinghe's permission.

So Li Qinghe was also used to her way of doing things.

One look at Nguyen Thi Linh's expression, and he knew something was making her feel a bit awkward.

“Gege, A Shui said she also wants to go to Longguo to play,” Nguyen Thi Linh told Li Qinghe about the matter that had been bothering her for several days.

“Oh, that's what it is. No problem, tell A Shui to pack a few things and come to Hanoi to meet up.”

Li Qinghe thought for a moment. Nguyen Shi Shui was still quite young, and she might not be able to go to Hanoi by herself.

He recalled that the first time Nguyen Thi Linh traveled, an aunt from her village had brought her out.

So Li Qinghe added, “Tell A Shui to wait at home; I'll go back and pick her up.”

Li Qinghe then thought of Nguyen Tan Minh and Tran Thi Bao Anh and added, “Do Auntie and A Ming want to go to Longguo together to have a look?”

“No need, Gege. Mama said she and A Ming will celebrate the New Year in Xiangyang County. Everything is there, so she told us to go out and have fun without worry.”

Li Qinghe knew that Tran Thi Bao Anh stayed in Xiangyang County with her son so as not to affect everyone's mood for going out to play.

He heard last time that Nguyen Tan Minh had already gotten a girlfriend, and their relationship was sweet as honey. He probably wasn't keen on going out now either.

He just didn't know why Nguyen Thi Shui, who clearly had his contact information, didn't dare to speak to him directly, but instead asked Nguyen Thi Linh to make the request.

Perhaps the little girl was still a bit shy. After the millet porridge incident, she wasn't as uninhibited as before.

There were no issues with Nguyen Thi Linh. After Li Qinghe returned to Hanoi, he would drive back to Xiangyang, Nghe An Province, to pick up Nguyen Thi Shui.

Li Qinghe then turned the conversation to Chau Pham Thuy Anh: “A Ying, what about you? Is there anyone who wants to go to Longguo with us?”

“My brother and sister are already married; they won't be going out for the New Year. My father said if I go to Longguo, I can visit our ancestral home if I have time.”

Li Qinghe knew that Chau Pham Thuy Anh's family was of Longguo descent, but from what she said, her family still had contact with relatives in Longguo.

“Yes, Gege. My grandfather's generation only came to Vietnam. We still have many relatives in our old home. My father goes back every two or three years. This year he's not going, so he told me to visit if I have time…”

Chau Pham Thuy Anh recounted her family's connection with Longguo to Li Qinghe.

Her family knew she was going to her Longguo boyfriend's home for the New Year this year, so they told her to visit the ancestral land if she had time.

Her brother had already been, and her sister, being married, probably wouldn't have the chance to go in the future.

Chau Pham Thuy Anh going to Longguo was a good opportunity for her to visit the relatives in Longguo on behalf of her father.

Only by frequent interaction and visits do relationships between relatives become closer.

It also let the relatives in the old home know that the daughter of their Vietnamese Zhou family would still return to Longguo.

Since their visas allowed a 30-day stay, they had enough time to visit several major cities in Longguo before going to Yunnan Province to visit relatives.

After confirming with Chau Pham Thuy Anh that he could take her back to her ancestral land to visit relatives, Li Qinghe then asked Nguyen Thi Trinh.

Although he knew she had essentially cut ties with her family, he still asked to make her feel cared for.

Perhaps it was because she was the only one Li Qinghe had bought out from her family with money.

Nguyen Thi Trinh was heartbreakingly obedient. Thankfully, Nguyen Thi Linh was her cousin, so she had a relative by her side.

Nguyen Thi Trinh had accepted this fact long ago. Under the cold treatment of her father and brothers, she had no affection for that family. Her only emotional connection, her mother, completely listened to her father.

So she only asked Tran Thi Bao Anh to secretly bring some money to her mother when she occasionally went back to check on the newly built house.

Li Qinghe chatted with the three of them for a while, listening to the girls express their longing for him during their time apart. They also showed him some flexible movements they had learned from a yoga instructor during this period.

Pure and alluring, deeply moving.

Li Qinghe smiled and promised them to finish things in Singapore quickly and return to Vietnam.

Finally, Li Qinghe also tested the three girls' progress in learning Longguo language.

Chau Pham Thuy Anh was of Longguo descent, and her family had always maintained contact with Longguo. Her Mandarin, with a southwestern official dialect accent, was understandable.

And Nguyen Thi Trinh, the little language genius, finally showcased her excellence in this field.

She was no longer the girl who could only softly call out, “Husband, I want more.”

After several months of study, she could actually conduct daily conversations in Longguo language.

Although her tone was still a bit stiff, understanding was no problem at all; one could say it was even more standard than Chau Pham Thuy Anh's speech.

Li Qinghe praised her unreservedly, making the girl's face flush with blushes, her whole being feeling giddy.

As for Nguyen Thi Linh, she was surprisingly the slowest learner among the three, still speaking a bit haltingly.

Li Qinghe didn't blame her much, only reminded her that when she returned to Akalin Province, his mother would definitely have a lot to say to her, as she was the first daughter-in-law his mother had met.

If it weren't for Miss Wu's forceful intervention, Li Qinghe's mother's favor would definitely have tilted towards Nguyen Thi Linh.

But if communication between them was difficult, that would be a bit awkward.

It was important to know that Miss Wu's Longguo language proficiency had reached native speaker level; she was the most standard among Li Qinghe's women.

However, Miss Wu couldn't go to Longguo for the New Year this time and would only be able to find time to go back with Li Qinghe later.

He hung up the video call amidst the girls' reluctant goodbyes.

Having settled the issues of the North Vietnam First Front Army (A Ling, A Ying, A Trinh), and with no need to consider the North Vietnam Second Front Army (Miss Wu and Head Maid), Li Qinghe began contacting the Saigon Third Front Army.