Since Yang Guo was playing by the rules, I didn't try to trick him. He released Old Huang and his wife, and I immediately gave him the remaining fragments of the ancient Shu jade tablet.

Yang Guo took the plastic bag and glanced at it. Seeing that these fragments could indeed be pieced together, he smiled with satisfaction and said, "Alright, little brother, you're a straightforward guy! We've dealt with each other twice. You messed up my big score with the authorities, and I had Xiao Ming scheme against you, almost killing you underground. You give and I take; we're even now, owing nothing to each other."

I nodded, acknowledging his statement.

Yang Guo continued, "I must have this ancient Shu jade tablet. This is a task assigned to me by Ren Yan. My mother-in-law is in his hands. If I don't find the ancient Shu jade tablet for him, my mother-in-law's life will be in danger. Please forgive me for any offense caused!"

After saying this, he winked at the two brothers beside him and ordered, "Let's go."

Mengzi and another lackey carried their weapons and escorted Yang Guo to the SUV.

The SUV hadn't been turned off, ensuring it could flee at any moment. As soon as Yang Guo and his two brothers got into the car, the SUV roared its engine and sped down the mountain.

My and Hu Wazi's phones had been confiscated by those two earlier, so there was no way to inform Jiang Yongguang and the others. Whether Xiaolingwei could catch Yang Guo and his gang was now up to fate.

At this moment, Old Huang, who had been released, tore off the duct tape from his mouth and helped his wife tear off the duct tape from her mouth. The couple embraced each other and cried bitterly, crying like children.

Hu Wazi and I stood beside them, not knowing what to say.

I had indeed set Old Huang up this time, and I felt incredibly guilty whenever I thought about it.

It took a long time before Old Huang and his wife stopped crying. I walked over to Old Huang and said, "Old Huang, I'm sorry. I harmed you two. You can hit me or scold me, and I'll take it."

Old Huang looked up at me. Surprisingly, he wasn't particularly angry. He wiped his tears and said magnanimously, "You did trick me, but you also saved me in the end. You spared no expense to save us, right? Forget it, let's just call it even. No one owes anyone."

Hearing him say this, I felt even worse, especially looking at his broken leg. My heart felt like it was being cut with a knife.

I patted him on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. I'll carry you down the mountain and take you to the hospital first."

Old Huang said, "No need. My wife can help me walk."

After speaking, he hobbled over to his wife and had her support him. The elderly couple, both skinny and small, half-buried in the earth, slowly walked down the mountain.

Watching their backs, I just felt a little choked up. Hu Wazi and I didn't disturb them, only following them from a distance.

When we returned the way we came, the two thugs who had searched us earlier were gone. Mine and Hu Wazi's phones were placed on the roadside stone, intact.

I picked up my phone and dialed Jiang Yongguang's number, telling him the direction Yang Guo and his gang had fled, urging them to hurry and pursue them.

But it was already too late to take action at this point. Jiang Yongguang said that the hope of catching them wasn't very high.

In the end, they really didn't catch Yang Guo, and he escaped again.

Jiang Yongguang sent a car to take Old Huang and his wife to a nearby hospital for examination and treatment overnight.

That night, I stayed at the hospital. Around dawn, Uncle Mei also arrived.

The first thing Uncle Mei asked when he saw me was whether Old Huang and his wife were alright. I said that Old Huang's leg was broken and that he might be crippled.

Uncle Mei frowned upon hearing this, constantly saying that we had harmed Old Huang.

If we hadn't gotten too close to Old Huang, he wouldn't have been targeted by Yang Guo's gang.

I thought so too. I also felt that I was responsible for Old Huang's crippling.

Finally, outside the ward, I said to Uncle Mei in a low voice, "Uncle, I want to do something. I don't know if you'll agree."

Uncle Mei asked, "What do you want to do?"

I said, "Don't we have 230,000 in savings? I want to take out 200,000 as compensation for Old Huang, leaving 30,000 on hand, which should be enough for us two to find Little Mei."

Uncle Mei was surprised to hear this and asked me, "Rongsheng, are you really willing to give Old Huang 200,000?"

I nodded and said, "I keep saying that I'm sorry to Old Huang for causing his leg to be broken, but saying sorry is just lip service. It doesn't mean anything. If I really want to apologize to Old Huang, giving him money is the most sincere way."

I was young at that time and acted entirely on impulse. Maybe if I were thirty or forty years old, I wouldn't have done it.

But at that time, I didn't hesitate at all. I slapped my thigh and wanted to go get the money for Old Huang.

But before I could get the money, Uncle Mei had to agree.

After all, 200,000 was no small amount. Uncle Mei considered it and said to me seriously, "Rongsheng, have you thought about it? Once this 200,000 is given away, it won't come back. With our small family, we may never earn this 200,000 in our lifetime."

I said, "Uncle, I've thought about it. I'm sorry to Old Huang. I should pay this money."

Uncle Mei nodded and said, "Okay, if you've thought it through, go get the money. Since I've entrusted you with managing this money, it's all up to you."

I waited until the bank opened the next day and made an appointment to withdraw the money. 200,000 was a large sum at that time, and you had to give a day's notice to move it.

Two days later, I deposited this 200,000 into another passbook and secretly handed it to Old Huang's wife. The moment Old Huang's wife saw the passbook, she was dumbfounded and waved her hands repeatedly, saying no, no, she couldn't take this money.

In the end, I forced the passbook into her hand, telling her to take Old Huang and use the money to move and buy a house elsewhere to live out their days.

The ancient Shu jade tablet I gave Yang Guo was a fake. I could hide it for a while, but not forever. I was afraid that if Old Huang and his wife didn't move, Yang Guo would still retaliate against them in the future.

In the end, Old Huang's wife couldn't resist me and finally accepted the passbook. She said that when Old Huang was discharged from the hospital and they moved to a new home, they would call me.

I smiled wryly and shook my head, saying, "Don't contact me. I'm just a jinx. Nothing good comes from being around me. I've already caused you two enough trouble. As long as you can live in peace, I'll be satisfied."

Old Huang's wife held my hand and cried, saying that she had never blamed me. There were bad people everywhere in society, and the real ones to blame were Yang Guo and those bad people, not me and Jiang Yongguang and the others.

From then on, I never saw Old Huang again, nor did I see Old Huang's wife. Our relationship ended there.

Even today, when I think back to this, I miss Old Huang's wife's signature Sichuan cuisine, which was truly the best and most authentic Sichuan cuisine I had ever eaten.

I don't know where the couple has moved to now, whether they are living well, and how Old Huang's leg has recovered.

I wish them both a lifetime of peace.