Chapter 8: Special Operation
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“There are unpredictable storms in the sky, and fortune and misfortune come and go in a man’s life. No matter how great his ambitions, in the end he is still just an ordinary person. An ordinary person who overexerts his mind for too long always faces the sudden risk of dying from a stroke.”
“No matter what, I have to try. If it was just a normal death, then I’ll let it go. But if it wasn’t, then I’ll make them understand what it means… to face the Long Night!”
Even as her voice lingered in the air, Long Night stepped off the edge of the building. In the next instant, she vanished completely.
Number 88 gazed up at the sky, then too stepped off the edge of the building, disappearing a moment later.
No one knew that, in the darkness of the night, two inhuman figures crossed the muddy peddler’s ten-mile forest and entered Phoenix City.
Under the same starlit sky, Lin Xiaosu sat by the window, looking out at the little river.
He could swear before the heavens that he was neither Second Uncle nor Li Fugui—he truly had no interest in peeping. But his eyesight was simply too sharp; what could he do about that?
The real trouble was that Anna loved to bathe in the river.
She used to bathe in the morning, which was fine—Lin Xiaosu usually slept till late morning, perfectly missing her bath time. But today’s events had unsettled her—or rather, unsettled her husband. Her husband was adamant that she not bathe in the mornings anymore, so she changed her routine to the evenings.
She bathed in the river while her husband, Lin Jian, stood guard on the bank with a thick wooden pole, eyes and ears alert to the slightest disturbance, ready to chase off any intruder.
Unfortunately, no matter how long his pole, it couldn’t reach the window half a mile away. No matter how vigilant he was, he could never imagine that half a mile away, a pair of eyes could pierce the darkness…
Thankfully, those eyes only glanced once before turning away.
As Tiger Girl would say: Lin Xiaosu was not a lecher.
Strictly speaking, that wasn’t entirely true.
Even Confucius once said, “Food and sex are part of human nature!”
Men are naturally drawn to beauty; it’s in their blood. Any normal man is.
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But a gentleman appreciates beauty in the proper way. If you were to pull that woman out of the crystal coffin and have her bathe in the river, would I look? I’d stare until my eyes fell out…
Anna, though, is out of the question. She’s Brother Jian’s wife, found with great hardship from a distant land.
It wasn’t easy for him.
Modern Daxia women have all been spoiled—houses, cars, and dowries beyond imagination, leaving ordinary men unable to find a decent local wife. Only then do they look abroad. As a fellow villager and kinsman, how could I stoop so low?
The door knocked: “Su’er, are you asleep?”
“Mom!” Lin Xiaosu opened the door.
His mother brought in a bowl, fragrant with hot noodles. Her gaze swept over the books on his desk. With a gentle smile, she said, “Studying is hard. Have some noodles.”
“Mom, you shouldn’t do this. If you keep making me midnight snacks every night, I’ll feel terrible if I don’t pass the exam.”
His mother tapped his forehead, “Nonsense! Of course you’ll pass! I even prayed for you today.”
“To whom? I didn’t know we had such well-connected relatives.”
“Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.”
“…You went to Qingyuan Temple today, Mom?”
“Yes, I went with Widow Feng.”
“Huh? What did Widow Feng pray for this time? That no one peeps when she bathes?”
His mother shot him a look, “If you dare speak so carelessly in front of her, just wait for San Lengzi to deal with you! She was praying for her son’s marriage.”
“San Lengzi, huh? There’s probably no one on earth who can solve his marriage problems. He really does need to pray to the heavens…”
“You’re one to talk. What about you?” his mother said. “It’s not easy to find a wife these days. Before you know it, you’re left behind, especially for folks in the countryside. Do you know the requirements Widow Feng set for her son’s wife? Three things: female, alive, and smart enough to come home when it rains.”
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Lin Xiaosu laughed. “She’s so busy setting standards for others, why don’t you ask if she’s ready herself? Thirty thousand for the dowry, forty thousand for an apartment in town, twenty thousand for a car, another twenty thousand for all sorts of wedding gifts…”
His mother fell silent for a long moment before sighing, “You rascal, don’t think I can’t tell when you’re hinting at something! You’re trying to shut me up so I won’t nag you about matchmaking.”
“Mom, you’re too sensitive. But… it’s the truth. So please, stop introducing me to every daughter of your cousins and aunts. The moment they open their mouths it reeks of money, not to mention some of them are close relatives. Marry within the family and you’ll end up with a child even dafter than San Lengzi—do you want your future grandson to be like that?”
His mother let out a long sigh. “That’s why, son, you really have to work hard for the civil service exam this time. If you pass and become a public servant, with a solid job, only then will decent families consider you. Otherwise, relying on us, I’m afraid we don’t have the means to find you a wife.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. Even if I don’t make it, isn’t there still my brother? He’ll keep the Lin family line going… By the way, isn’t he about to retire from the army?”
“Ah…” His mother sighed again. “We spoke on the phone last month. He planned to retire next year, but a few days ago he called again—the army received orders to head to the southwest front. There might be fighting there, so his retirement will have to wait.”
“War? Surely not? We haven’t had a war in decades.”
“Who can say with the military? And we ordinary folks can’t possibly know what’s really happening out there… All right, you get some rest. You can study during the day—don’t stay up all night.” She gathered the dishes and went downstairs.
The next morning, when Lin Xiaosu got up, the kitchen was warm with food—his mother had already gone out.
She had gone to the county to sell vegetables.
For villagers near the county, this was the one advantage—they could sell produce in town. Carrying a load of vegetables for more than ten miles only earned her a few dozen yuan, but in the countryside, what other job could bring in even that much a day?
When Lin Xiaosu first came home and saw how hard his mother worked, he enthusiastically got up early to help her carry produce to the market. But his good intentions never earned her approval—she scolded him fiercely: “Don’t think that helping your mother with chores will make me proud or happy! Your real job is to pass the civil service exam. If you go sell vegetables, it means you’re useless, it means you disgrace the Lin ancestors!”
Although Lin Xiaosu couldn’t recall any illustrious ancestors, he was so thoroughly scolded that he never dared bring it up again.
After eating the meal his mother left, washing the dishes, Lin Xiaosu walked to the gate—just in time to see a black sedan speeding toward him.