Chapter 698 - 602: Stealing from a Military Truck
Chapter 698: Chapter 602: Stealing from a Military Truck
Although most of them were from the countryside, every region has its own unique landscape and culture. Besides, Ping County and Fengling County were separated by another large county, so their customs were different and their accents varied so much that you had to listen carefully just to understand. Ping County didn’t have any ethnic minorities either. The group was quickly captivated by the beautiful Miao Ling Yao Village and its unique, fascinating ethnic culture, and they had the time of their lives. In order to attend a grand ethnic festival and watch traditional performances, they extended their stay by two days. All in all, they ended up spending five days in Fengling County.
After a reluctant farewell to Lin Liuping, the adorable little baby, and their friends from the Zhao Family, the group started examining their "spoils of war" in their seats. The local tourist spots were still undeveloped, and not many villagers had thought to set up stalls to sell things. However, the recent festival had featured many exquisite, beautiful, and practical handmade ethnic crafts. The girls were drawn to embroidery, silver ornaments, and wooden bead bracelets, while the boys had their eyes on things like Miao and Yao knives, slingshots, and spinning tops. The Miao and Yao knives were the real deal, no fakes. There were newly forged blades, and some people even sold heirloom knives that had been passed down through their families for generations. Some came with sheaths, while others were bare-bladed, gleaming with a cold, dangerous light—sharp and deadly. Perhaps in another two or three years these weapons would be regulated, but for now, they could be bought and sold freely.
The boys—Da Zhi, Mo Zhiyuan, Guan Er, and the others—had almost all bought a knife of one size or another. Teacher Yu strongly disapproved. It was understandable; teenagers carrying knives, no matter how you looked at it, seemed to have a violent streak. Da Zhi and the others quickly assured her, "We just like them, that’s all. We’ll keep them hidden at home to admire. We’ll never take them out and cause trouble."
Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Shuixia had each bought a few handicrafts. Mo Linghui and Chen Deming had been inseparable for the past few days. Even though they were with the main group, they were in a world of their own. Judging by their bulging backpacks, they must have had a good haul as well.
The minibus Chen Deming had arranged belonged to his work unit. Teacher Yu, worried that keeping it for too long might cause trouble, had asked him if they should send the vehicle back first. Chen Deming had called his office and assured her it was fine. This type of vehicle was typically used for large conferences or group inspections. Since everyone was preparing for the New Year, the minibus would just sit idle in the garage if they returned it. They were allowed to use it for a few more days, as long as they guaranteed there wouldn’t be any accidents.
This way, they could get a direct ride back to Gongdao Village, saving them the trouble of having to take the public bus.
This set Teacher Yu’s mind at ease. Even though she was no longer a teacher, she couldn’t help but worry about the group of youngsters under her watch. The thought of not having to herd them through bus transfers and instead getting them delivered straight to their homes was a huge relief, and she was more than happy about it.
But the happiest person of all was actually Chen Deming: he now had an excuse to go to Mo Linghui’s home and meet her parents!
Mo Linghui hadn’t wanted him to visit her home so soon. It wasn’t that she was unhappy with him; she just thought her family’s house—with its black-tiled roof and yellow earthen walls—was a bit of an eyesore. She had hoped to wait until they built a new house next year before bringing him over. But life had other plans, and now he was going to see just how shabby her old home was.
Mo Linghui felt conflicted and resentful. When the group stopped midway to eat and stretch their legs, she grabbed Xiao Man and the others to complain endlessly. Xiao Man was merely amused, but Guan Ailan and Mo Shuixia decided to tease her mercilessly. They loudly schemed about how they’d have to go home and tell their families to hurry up and build new houses, so they wouldn’t be embarrassed if they brought a boyfriend home to a shabby old place. This drove Mo Linghui up the wall, but the three friends found it hilarious. ’This girl’s been blinded by a little vanity. Chen Deming only grew up in a small county town; there are still plenty of old-fashioned, earthen-walled houses near the town, and even inside it. It’s not like he’s never seen one before. If he was the type to look down on a country house for being poor and run-down, why would he even be dating a girl from the countryside? If he were really that kind of person, he wouldn’t be worth liking anyway!’
To save themselves an extra trip, Teacher Yu and Mao Mao decided to go directly to Gongdao Village with the group. That way, they could also stop by her parents’ home at the mine before taking the minibus back to the county seat.
As it turned out, Mo Linghui had been worrying for nothing. Chen Deming didn’t show the slightest disdain for her family’s old house. He cheerfully accepted an invitation from her parents, older brother, and sister-in-law, and stayed for a meal. Afterwards, Mo Linghui’s parents escorted him to Xiao Man’s house, where he regrouped with the driver, Teacher Yu, and her son for the trip back to the county seat.
Since they would be driving at night, the elders fussed over them endlessly with warnings. The driver, who had a family of his own, was anxious to get home and had no desire to spend another night away. He had to keep promising to drive slowly and repeatedly assure them that the journey would be perfectly safe before they were finally allowed to leave.
Grandma had already prepared an assortment of dried fruits, pickled vegetables, sauces, and fresh vegetables that Teacher Yu and Mao Mao enjoyed. Seeing that the minibus made transport easy, she also threw in a generous amount of cured meat and some live chickens and ducks. Of course, there was a share for Chen Deming and the driver as well. Everything was packed up into separate bundles, and Grandma had Da Zhi and the others load it all onto the vehicle. Teacher Yu could then hand everything out once they got back to the county seat.
Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Shuixia thanked Chen Deming and the driver. They knew the two men wouldn’t accept any money for gas or the fare—and might even get offended—so they didn’t mention it. ’Best to just owe them a favor for now,’ they figured. ’We’ll see how things go with Chen Deming and Mo Linghui. If they work out, great. If not, we’ll deal with it then.’
Da Zhi, Dapeng, and Qiuyan all declared that the trip had been incredibly fun and exciting. Once they got home, however, they were completely wiped out. The next day, they all slept in until the sun was high in the sky.
Xiao Man and Gu Shaoqin, however, woke up early. Without leaving their rooms, they each sat in meditation, calming their minds and focusing on their Cultivation. The past few days of group living had been lively, but inconvenient. Gu Shaoqin and Xiao Man had to make excuses to slip away to deserted places in the countryside to cultivate for an hour or two before rejoining the others. Disappearing for too long, however, always led to a barrage of questions, which inevitably unsettled their minds. Now that they were home with the privacy of their own rooms, they naturally needed to re-center themselves. Gu Shaoqin also had to sort through his rolls of film. He planned to take them to the photo studio at the village market to get them developed.
Around nine o’clock, a sudden clamor erupted from outside the courtyard gate downstairs, accompanied by shrieks and wails. Xiao Man extended her Divine Sense to investigate, then got up and headed downstairs.
The living room was empty. A basin of charcoal burned brightly, making the air warm and slightly dry. Xiao Man picked up the fire tongs and buried the coals with a bit of white ash. Dusting off her hands, she was about to head for the front door when Grandma came in from outside, grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward the kitchen. "Hurry and wash up, then eat breakfast. Don’t go out to the gate. Let your Aunt Jia Bao handle it. She’s the matriarch of this family now; it’s her duty to take care of matters big and small."
Upstairs, Xiao Man had already used her Divine Sense and knew it was Mo Xiaosu wailing outside the gate. After the new house was built, Gu Shaojun had found the time to return and lay down a Protective Array around the entire courtyard. At Xiao Man’s request, he had also placed a specific ward on the main gate. People like Wu Qin and Liu Fengying couldn’t enter, and Mo Xiaosu was, of course, on the list of people who were blocked. Xiao Man wasn’t worried about her barging in during a fit of madness; she was just curious why Mo Xiaosu was at their gate so early in the morning, causing such a scene.
Grandma snorted. "What good could it be? That couple, Mo Xiaosu and Huang Baoshan, spends all day with a gang of thugs, getting into all sorts of petty crime. The police have come to the village looking for them more than once. Well, this time, they’ve really done it. Last night on the back mountain road, Huang Baoshan and his cronies were caught red-handed climbing onto a vehicle to steal its cargo. And do you know what kind of vehicle it was? A military truck! I hear they’ll lock you up for life for something like that. So now, here comes Mo Xiaosu, dragging her big pregnant belly over here to wail and scream, saying her child can’t grow up without a father. She’s demanding that your Grandpa go and pull strings with the higher-ups to get Huang Baoshan released! Hah! Forget the fact that your Grandpa doesn’t have that kind of pull. Even if he were a god, he couldn’t save a scoundrel like that!"