Although Hu Jia and Lu Qingqing found Yue Gu's actions somewhat unreliable, they didn't say much, as the priority was to resolve the issue of Yu Xin's resurrection.
However, Yue Gu claimed it was easy, just a misunderstanding.
"Such a simple explanation?" Lü Qingqing stifled a laugh.
"Then what should I do? Should I say she's come back from the dead?" Yue Gu could only resort to defiance. "Don't care if they believe it or not, as long as I believe it's enough."
Fine!
Your family, your rules.
Meanwhile, Li Han was also frustrated. Was Captain Ouyang unfamiliar with climbing mountains? His feet hadn't stopped.
They finished one peak and moved to the next, seeing little of the scenery but covering their good shoes in mud.
"Captain Wen, I really can't climb anymore. Can we go back?" Li Han admitted defeat.
Ouyang Wen chuckled, "Kid, your stamina isn't good."
Saying this, Ouyang Wen pointed to a slope, gesturing for them to sit.
"Look, those mountains ahead, one after another, they stretch endlessly, forming the vast expanse we see now."
Li Han forced himself to look up, but his expression remained listless.
Ouyang Wen ignored him and continued, "And look at the trees and flowers on those mountains. They all depend on these mountains to live."
Li Han perfunctorily replied, "Yes, without these mountains, they would have no space to survive."
"Therefore, these mountains cannot collapse. If they were to crumble, these trees might be broken in half, or buried under soil. Even if they miraculously survived, they would have to compete with other plants and trees for limited living space in the cracks. They would never stand majestically on the mountain peaks again."
Li Han listened, biting his lip, as if he was starting to grasp Ouyang Wen's meaning.
Ouyang Wen looked at him. "Our country is like these mountains. It gives us space to survive, allowing us to feel the wind's freedom, the rain's grace, and the thunder's ferocity. These trees are rooted here. While they enjoy what the mountains provide, they also embed their roots into its soil, preventing erosion and rockslides. They complement each other, fulfilling each other, and depending on each other."
"However, not everything in the world is beautiful. There are always external forces that want to disrupt this peace, like earthquakes, mudslides, collapses, and landslides. Once each tree can no longer hold on, it gives up. It will tumble from the peak to the valley with these geological disasters. Without their guardianship, the mountain will collapse."
"We are those trees. And you, if you were facing a mudslide now, would you want to dig your roots deeply into the soil to survive, or would you give up the struggle and be buried in dust?"
Li Han's body trembled. He knew this was Ouyang Wen's way of admonishing him.
He was supposed to defend this territory, but now the Daoren organization had infiltrated. Should he stand firm or give up?
"Captain Wen, I..." Li Han managed only a few words before he couldn't continue.
He didn't know how to start.
Say I've betrayed? Say my roots have already rotted?
Ouyang Wen patted his shoulder. "There are many paths in life, and many choices to make. But when we make each choice, we must consider if it is correct. If we accidentally stray, it's alright. We can turn back, and you'll find that many people are still smiling at you from behind."
This was the purpose of Ouyang Wen's outing today. He knew Li Han would follow, and he wanted to tell Li Han that he still had a chance to turn back.
Li Han listened, silent for a long time, gazing at the mountain ranges, lost in thought.
...
Tong Meng had been itching for a while. She was perplexed. These two were not usually so talkative.
Finally, the three of them left. Only then did she notice that Lü Qingqing was carrying a cloth bag.
Sensing Tong Meng's gaze, Lü Qingqing deliberately opened the cloth bag, took out a pack of candy, unwrapped one, and fed it to Hu Jia.
"Here, open your mouth, ah..."
Hu Jia, with candy in his mouth, smiled sweetly.
"This is a little gift from Yue Gu, she said it's very sweet and perfect for couples to share." Saying this, Lü Qingqing put the candy back in the bag and looked at Tong Meng. "This meaning is too special, so it's not convenient to give it to you."
Tong Meng was so angry she turned and walked away quickly.
Eat your sister, I don't want your stuff.
Seeing Tong Meng's angry back, Lü Qingqing's eyes curved into crescents.
Hu Jia flicked her nose. "You are really good at annoying people."
"Of course. If I don't annoy her, it would be a waste of this trip."
As she spoke, Lü Qingqing patted the cloth bag. "The item is secured. We can study it later."
"What are you doing? Are you blind?" From a distance, Tong Meng's shout could be heard.
Hu Jia and Lü Qingqing exchanged a look. It seemed she was starting to throw a tantrum again.
"Sorry, sorry." The man, seeing that Tong Meng was a young girl, didn't mind her rudeness, as he had been running too fast and bumped into her.
Most people in the town knew each other. Seeing the man running in such a panic, they asked him what was wrong. The man then seemed to recall something. "Quickly, go find the police, someone's dead."
Another death?
Hu Jia and Lü Qingqing would have ignored it if they hadn't heard it. But now that it was in their ears, how could they pretend nothing happened?
The two of them stepped forward and asked a few simple questions. The man told them that a male corpse had been found in a well in town.
The man was a stranger, not a local.
At first, everyone thought someone had slipped or committed suicide. But when they pulled the body out of the well, they discovered a large knife wound on the man's back, indicating he had been stabbed through the chest with a sharp object.
Clearly, he had been murdered.
Upon hearing the man's account, the small town erupted.
It spread like a gust of wind to every corner.
Everyone was talking about how strange it was that the man had not only died in the well but was also wearing a phoenix crown and wedding robes.
A grown man in wedding attire?
Was he getting married?
Strange, very strange.
Hu Jia and Lü Qingqing were immediately drawn to the peculiar case. Just as they were about to step forward to ask for more details, a woman squeezed through. "What did you say? The deceased man was wearing wedding clothes?"
It was Yue Gu!
"Yes, isn't it strange?"
"And he was stabbed to death?"
"Yes, there's a wound. One on the back, one on the chest, probably a clean through-and-through."
"How is that possible?"
"How could it not be possible?"
The man glanced at Yue Gu. "Do you know him?"
Yue Gu waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no. As a respectable woman, where would I know anyone?"
Hu Jia glanced at Yue Gu, thinking that after so many years, this sister had also developed a penchant for gossip.
Perhaps she was bored from being a widow for too long.
"Let's go, we should go take a look too." Lü Qingqing pulled Hu Jia, and Tong Meng, after a couple of calls, reluctantly followed.
The well was only one street away. By the time Hu Jia and his companions arrived, a crowd had already gathered around it.
Lü Qingqing examined the male corpse. The situation was largely the same as what the reporting man had described; it was likely that he had died elsewhere and his body had been dumped into the well.
And there was indeed a wound on his chest. Judging by the nature of the wound, it appeared to have been stabbed from the back and exited through the chest.
"Move aside, move aside!" A local police officer pushed through the crowd. Seeing Lü Qingqing leaning over the corpse, his expression darkened, and he scolded, "What are you doing? How can you touch the body so casually?"
Then, he raised his hand. "You have tampered with the body. I suspect you are intentionally destroying the evidence. Someone, take her away!"