Chapter 124

Gabe muttered, "I thought she didn't want to leave because she couldn't bear to be apart from Ryan."

Henry cut him off, "Stop talking about useless things."

If they couldn't talk about useless things, then what could they talk about that was useful?

Charlie, with a furrowed brow, added, "Based on our performance since we came here, trying to get something from the local community is nearly impossible. We can't even afford a pack of cigarettes to bribe anyone, and even if we could, it might not work. We might even get a lecture from Leonardo."

Henry stayed silent, not finding this helpful either.

Gabe continued, "There are only two ways to handle this: either we rely on ourselves or on our families. But we can't rely on our families. None of us have influential parents, and our families don't have strong connections. We can't even scrape together enough for a decent gift, and even if we could, we wouldn't know how to deliver it."

Henry remained thoughtful and silent.

Charlie pondered a bit more and looked at Henry, saying, "There are two spots to return to the city. We can't be sure about anyone else, but one is definitely going to Summer. She's not only performed well since she came here but also set up a noodle stand that made a lot of money for the community. Plus, she's an only child..."

Charlie trailed off, unable to continue. But Henry and Gabe understood his point.

Gabe said, "No way. After everything that happened, she almost lost her life and still wouldn't lift a finger to help. She didn't even help Sophia when we were sent to labor camps. For her to give up her spot back to the city, the sun would have to rise in the west..."

Then something occurred to him. "Wait... We forgot about someone!"

Charlie looked at him and asked, "Who?"

Gabe replied, "Who else? Rachel! Just one word from her dad, and it's done!"

This idea seemed plausible.

Charlie blinked at Gabe and then turned to Henry, "What do you think, Henry?"

Henry didn't respond.

Since coming to the countryside, he had cut ties with Rachel. At first, Rachel kept writing to him, but he never read or replied to any of her letters. After two or three months, she stopped writing.

Just then, the work whistle blew.

Charlie and Gabe stopped talking, got up, dusted off their pants, and went back into the cornfield with Henry to work under the hot sun.

---

Gabe's suggestion stayed in Henry's mind all day.

As a man, he had his pride. After treating Rachel the way he did, it was hard to ask her for such a favor. But every time he saw the admiration and expectation in Sophia's eyes, he felt his pride becoming less important.

After all, he wasn't doing this for himself.

Doing it for himself would be selfish, and he would never be that kind of person.

After thinking about it all day, Henry made up his mind after dinner. Instead of going for a walk with Sophia, he went back to his dormitory and pulled out his travel bag.

The bag was almost empty.

He opened it and took out all the letters.

The opened letters were from his family, while the unopened ones were from Rachel.

Henry brought the oil lamp closer and sorted through Rachel's unopened letters.

He looked at the familiar handwriting and name on the envelopes for a while.

After a deep breath, he opened each letter.

The letters were neatly folded, with tidy handwriting and no corrections, showing Rachel's careful effort. They all expressed her thoughts and concern for him in a subtle way.

After reading all the letters, Henry refolded them and put them back into the envelopes, placing them back in his travel bag along with his family's letters.

He kept one letter on the table.

The next day at noon, after finishing work, he went to the local post office with the letter and sent a telegram to the address on the envelope.

"Can you help me get a spot to return to the city?"

He didn't know if Rachel had moved or if she would receive the telegram. But by the next evening, he received a reply from Rachel.

Rachel's response was just one word: "Yes."

With that one word, Henry felt a sense of relief.

During their evening walk, he held Sophia's hand and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry anymore. I've secured a spot to return to the city."

Sophia, unaware of his contact with Rachel, was stunned and took a moment to find her voice, "Really? You're not joking, right?"

Henry smiled, "Why would I joke about something like this?"

Seeing he was serious, Sophia joyfully hugged him, kissing him several times on the face, "I knew you could do it. You're amazing!"

Henry felt gratified.

After letting her kiss him, he added, "But there's only one spot. You'll return to the city first. Wait for me there, and I'll find a way to join you soon."

Sophia knew there was only one spot but still showed her sadness, "Can't we go together? I want to go with you."

Henry comforted her, "It's okay. Listen to me. You go first. Charlie and Gabe are still here. What about them if I leave? I'll join you as soon as I can."

Sophia's eyes filled with tears, "But I'll miss you."

Henry hugged her waist, "I'll miss you too. As soon as I get back, I'll come to find you."

Sophia looked at him, "You won't ignore me like you did with Rachel, right?"

Henry kissed her lips, "You're mine. How could I ignore you?"

Sophia didn't ask anymore.

She stood on her tiptoes, hugged his neck, and kissed his lips.

Henry held her waist and kissed her back passionately, his hands soon slipping under her clothes.

In the heat of the moment, Sophia opened her eyes to stop him, "Not here..."

Henry restrained himself and kissed her again, whispering, "Okay..."