CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: CLUES

Luo Xudong publicly declared that he had defected from the battlefield and then died, but in reality, he began executing a special task that would last for several years.

This mission was of great importance, and therefore, from the moment he took on the task, he severed all contact with his family!

Due to the change in identity, in order to ensure that no one would detect anything or even suspect anything, he did it thoroughly, abandoning everything related to ’Luo Xudong’, even forcefully changing many of ’Luo Xudong’s’ habits.

Some time ago, out of necessity, he returned to Qingzhou Town. It had been almost six years since he left, and many things had changed. Although he tried hard to control himself, he once wanted to return to Kao Village to take a look.

Perhaps it was the return to his hometown that caused a slight wavering in Luo’s will. He dressed in a coarse cloth jacket and drove a donkey cart toward Kao Village.

His donkey cart moved along Dayan, gazing from afar at Kao Village below, the old small bridge, the stinking ditch under the bridge, the few old trees by the ditch. After all these years, Kaoshan Village seemed to have not changed much.

Luo Xudong struggled with himself but ultimately did not go in; there were too many people in Kao Village familiar with him, and he feared that someone might notice something.

He recalled the story of Dayu controlling the flood, passing by his house thrice without entering. At that time, it was merely a tale he listened to, but now, he tasted this sensation himself.

Longing, melancholic, complex, and filled with sentiments!

He circled Kao Village entirely and returned via the mountain path on the other side, feeling empty inside, inadvertently using too much force on the whip, which startled the donkey pulling the cart, causing it to run wildly.

It was during this time that he met Beisitian.

Wu Yuekai saw him still asking about this matter, stayed silent for a long while, finally telling him about the situation at Luo Er’s home, but he concealed Luo Anguo’s paralysis and Mrs. Qin’s blindness.

Disclosing these matters would greatly affect his emotions, and the mission was at its most critical juncture, absolutely not allowing any mishaps.

Moreover, even if not for the mission, for Luo Xudong’s own safety, Wu Yuekai felt concealment was necessary; if he experienced strong emotional fluctuations, it would be easy for opposing forces to detect something amiss, not only wasting Luo Xudong’s years of effort and restraint but also plunging himself into immense crisis.

Luo Xudong had once been his security officer; he liked this soldier very much. He felt guilty for concealing these things, yet he did not regret doing so.

When Luo Xudong heard about Luo Er’s family enduring long periods with only one meal a day, a meal of cornbread with pickled vegetables, he tightly clenched his hands together, his body trembling slightly.

The three people adjusting Luo Xudong exchanged glances, feeling somewhat helpless but unable to say anything, only becoming even more cautious, fortunately it would soon be completed.

"Who would have thought the little girl would have such abilities? If it weren’t for her sudden awakening, they’d probably still be eating cornbread with pickled vegetables," Wu Yuekai commented, sharing the information he had gathered about Beisitian with Luo Xudong, aiming to soothe his emotions, yet he spoke truthfully without any exaggeration.

The current situation for Luo Er’s family, while not the best in the village, was still among the top, and they remained very low-key.

Upon hearing this, Luo Xudong felt much better, a warm current flowing through his heart as he thought of Beisitian, with all his previous suspicions disappearing.

No matter who she was, she was his benefactor!

Without her, his family would likely still be in dire straits!

He, as a son, was truly incompetent!

Filled with guilt toward his family, Luo Xudong’s heart was burdened with shame, which made him even more grateful to Beisitian.

He must complete the mission, finish it alive, in order to quickly return home.

Since it was merely a repair, it wouldn’t leave too many traces behind; as long as he saw fewer people in the coming days, once the recovery was natural, it would be fine.

Wu Yuekai and Luo Xudong chatted deep into the night, and once the repair was completed, they each went to bed.

Early in the morning, the brigade leader who usually was an early riser slept in today, and no one dared to disturb him. After rising, Feng Yunzhang and the others briefly freshened up and prepared to depart.

On the way, Beisitian kept scrutinizing Zhou Jiren, noticing he was different from the day before.

Zhou Jiren claimed he caught a cold last night, hence wearing a hat, but Beisitian, being a head shorter than him, could see his face from this angle.

His eyebrows were different from the day before, and Beisitian could confirm he had been modified; the modification was subtle and not noticeable without close observation, but Zhou Jiren’s eyebrows appeared slightly red and swollen, showing obvious signs of tampering.

At this moment, Luo Xudong, now entirely transformed into Zhou Jiren, smiled wryly internally; Beisitian was both clever and perceptive, feeling her probing gaze the moment he appeared, knowing she must have noticed something.

He neither explained nor argued, as the more was said, the more mistakes would be made.

Beisitian did not ask further; the marks of eyebrow modification were still fresh, leading her to speculate somewhat.

The day before, Beisitian had someone send a message home, since it was hard to explain the situation with Wu Yuekai, and the writing matter was equally challenging to elucidate; moreover, it was inappropriate for a young lady to stay out overnight, so she refrained from explaining much, simply saying she stayed at Bao Niang Embroidery Workshop.

Being able to exchange experiences with Wu Yuekai, such a grand master, Beisitian benefited greatly, and the previous night Wu Yuekai openly stated that she was welcome to visit him anytime for discussion in the future.

This was Wu Yuekai’s special treatment for Beisitian, due to his appreciation for her talents, ensuring her brother’s peace of mind, knowing that should Beisitian encounter insurmountable troubles, Wu Yuekai would step in.

Of course, staying out of it was best, even though Luo Xudong had once been his security officer, the burden of battlefield defection crimes made it illogical for him to overly concern himself with Luo Xudong’s family, which could easily draw suspicion.

Upon returning home, Beisitian handed Mrs. Qin two hundred ten yuan, the salary that Zhang Baoli paid her the day before.

The fixed salary was issued monthly, and bonuses and commissions were usually paid every three months.

Never before had Mrs. Qin held so much money, her hands trembling, glancing at Luo Anguo, then spoke to Beisitian, "Little Tian’er, you are different now than before; this family, from now on, will be managed by you."

Mrs. Qin continued to manage the household after going blind simply because Beisitian was incapable; at that time, calling her useless was not an exaggeration, and the idea of entrusting her with the family was unthinkable.

Now, she was not only brave but also earning to support the family, helping members recuperate, and Mrs. Qin had long wanted to step aside.

Beisitian hesitated briefly, thought that having the money would be convenient, and since when she left, the money would be left behind for them anyway, she did not argue further.

In her view, money was always attainable, therefore, she did not intend to take much wealth when she left.