Chapter 55

Before leaving, Grandma Li was afraid that Zhang Defu, the scoundrel, might take advantage of her absence to come to the house and bully Guihua, so she called the three children over and repeatedly warned them: “You three are not allowed to go out together these days. If something happens, take turns going out, and there must always be two people at home. Did you hear me?”

Mingxi quickly responded, “Grandma, don’t worry. I guarantee I won’t go out. If Zhang Defu dares to come, even if he brings ten people, they won’t be my match.”

Looking at her second grandson’s hard and solid muscles on his chest and arms, Grandma Li nodded in satisfaction, but she didn’t forget to encourage him: “If he dares to come and cause trouble at our house, just give it your all and beat him.” Turning, Grandma Li grabbed Zhenzhen and looked a bit conflicted: “Zhenzhen, when the fight breaks out, let your brother go. You stay behind and hide. If you go up and kill someone, it will be a big deal, and you’ll have to go to jail.”

Zhenzhen looked at Grandma Li with a face full of black lines: “Grandma, I know. Besides, I’m not that violent. Zhang Hongyun’s tooth got knocked out by him, not by me. I can’t even reach that high.” Grandma Li chuckled awkwardly, rubbing Zhenzhen’s head, feeling that her granddaughter was drifting further and further from the path of being a gentle and demure lady.

After giving all her instructions, Grandma Li was about to leave but suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly turned back, calling over Li Mingzhong and Tianhu, who were lying in the yard, basking in the sun: “You two watch the house properly, got it? Don’t go running around these days, just stay in the yard. If anyone comes to cause trouble, bite them out.”

Li Mingzhong immediately barked, wagging his tail, while Tianhu tilted his head, glanced at Li Mingzhong, and opened his mouth, letting out a long tongue. Grandma Li looked at Tianhu and sighed: “Hongzhong, you teach Tianhu more. Just look at him, he’s acting like a fool.”

Mingbei laughed and pushed Grandma Li out: “This big fool has been like this for a long time. You should hurry and leave, or you’ll miss the train.”

Grandma Li jumped a little and, as she walked out, gave the three children a stern look: “Stay home and behave.” When she saw that the three grandsons all obediently nodded, she finally left at ease. However, what Grandma Li didn’t expect was that the three grandchildren were all very obedient, but only Zhenzhen sneakily walked to the door, stretched her little head out to watch Li Mu Wu and his group drive the big cart further and further away, and immediately ran back a few steps, hugging Guihua’s arm and coquettishly said: “Sister-in-law, I’m going out to play today, and I won’t come back for lunch.”

Guihua smiled and tapped her on the head: “You didn’t dare to tell Grandma when she was here, but now you’re happy to go out, right?”

Zhenzhen chuckled: “I want to go to the hydrolysis plant to find my friends to play. I won’t trouble you with it.”

When Guihua thought about the fact that walking to the hydrolysis plant was indeed not close, she went inside and took out two dimes and two liang of food tickets, handing them to Zhenzhen: “If you’re not coming back for lunch, then buy something to eat. Don’t go hungry.”

Zhenzhen quickly pushed the money back: “Sister-in-law, I still haven’t spent the money and the food tickets Grandma gave me. I don’t need yours.” She then kissed the small face of Meat Bun: “When Auntie comes back, I’ll buy you some pastries to eat.”

Meat Bun’s big eyes immediately lit up. He nodded and waved at Zhenzhen: “Goodbye, Auntie.”

Zhenzhen giggled, walked inside to grab a water bottle, and then dashed off without a trace. Mingbei, who was standing at the door, watched as Zhenzhen ran further and further and couldn’t help but sigh. Mingnan, smiling, squatted next to him and bumped his shoulder, teasing him by raising his eyebrows: “Are you thinking about that girl with the long braid?”

Mingbei felt a little embarrassed, scratching his head and humming softly: “Nowadays, all the girls have long braids.”

“Not necessarily,” Mingxi said, squatting next to Li Mingzhong and patting its head. “In Ice City, many female students have cut their hair short, and they look quite heroic.” Mingbei thought about Yu Wanqiu’s short hair and immediately thought it looked good, unable to stop smiling like a lovestruck fool.

Mingnan, unable to look directly at him, covered his eyes. He patted Mingbei’s shoulder and stood up, saying: “When I go to take the hydrolysis plant exam, you can come along. You might run into that girl.”

Mingbei had just grinned when his smile faded, and he frowned: “Why hasn’t the hydrolysis plant sent out the admission letters yet? I won’t have failed, will I?” He stood up and looked at Mingxi and Mingnan, feeling guilty, and tentatively asked: “Should I go to the school to ask?”

Mingxi shook his head with a smile, taking out two bills from his pocket and handing them to him: “Go ahead, go ahead. Don’t worry about it at home.”

Mingbei was overjoyed and immediately jumped up. He ran outside, but just after taking a few steps, Mingnan, who had grabbed a basin and was about to pick some tomatoes from the garden, saw Mingbei rushing back: “What’s up? Not going?”

“No, I’m changing clothes. This vest is full of holes.” Mingbei ran inside, rummaged through the cabinets, and put on an old military shirt that was too small for Mingxi. He looked at his reflection in the clean water in the big basin, feeling quite handsome, and grinned.

Mingnan bit into a tomato and came over, advising Mingbei: “Go to the factory and ask if they’re still recruiting workers this fall. If not, I’ll sign up at the forest station.”

Mingxi, who had been smiling faintly, suddenly lost his smile. He looked at Mingbei’s military uniform, and his voice carried a hint of bitterness: “If they’re recruiting, find out what the conditions are. I want to sign up too.”

—

Meanwhile, Zhenzhen ran outside, found a secluded spot, and quickly entered the Space. She used the tunnel to teleport twice, finally arriving in the Imperial Capital.(Beijing)

Zhenzhen had only visited the Imperial Capital twice in her past life, so although she was somewhat familiar with the city, it still felt strange to her. Unlike the bustling metropolises of later times, many old buildings were still preserved here.

The Imperial Capital was the seat of the emperor, where every movement was at the forefront of the country. Zhenzhen saw the city was bustling with all kinds of students and the elite guards, so she didn’t dare reveal herself easily. After searching for a while, she finally found a secluded spot and quietly appeared by a lake.

This seemed to be a wild lake on the outskirts, with not many people around. Zhenzhen didn’t plan to stay long. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly saw an old man sitting on a chair by the lake. He had a head injury, and his white shirt was stained with blood, looking very disheveled.

The old man’s eyes were filled with anger and despair as he stared at the lake, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, a soft and sweet voice rang out next to him: “Grandpa, would you like some water?”

The elderly man snapped out of his thoughts. He looked down at the military water bottle in front of him, then followed the chubby little hand and turned to look at the little girl who had somehow sat next to him. Seeing the innocent look in her eyes, a warm current flowed into the old man’s sorrowful heart. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a grim smile, and said, “I won’t drink, Grandpa is sick, and it might dirty your water bottle.”

Zhenzhen persuaded him two more times, but seeing the elderly man stubbornly refusing to drink, she stood up and ran off. The elderly man watched Zhenzhen’s retreating figure and mistakenly thought the child had been scared off by him.

Looking at the shimmering lake water in front of him, the elderly man finally made up his mind. He stood up and began walking toward the water. Zhenzhen had just returned with some wild fruits in her hands when she saw the old man already stepping into the lake. She immediately used her spatial movement ability to appear behind him, grabbing his arm, her voice trembling with anxiety, “Grandpa, the water is cold, come up and eat fruits with me, okay?”

The elderly man stiffened and slowly turned his head. He saw the little girl holding his hand, trembling with fear, but still firmly not letting go. He sighed quietly, then pulled Zhenzhen’s hand and walked back onto the shore.

Zhenzhen and the elderly man sat side by side on the shore. She placed the fruits she had gathered in her clothes onto his lap, “Grandpa, try these fruits, are they sweet?”

Seeing that the elderly man didn’t move, Zhenzhen picked one up and placed it in his hand. She then picked one herself and bit into it with a crunch, asking with a mumbled voice, “Grandpa, my name is Zhenzhen, what’s your name?”

Looking at Zhenzhen, a warmth appeared in the elderly man’s eyes. He spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, “My name is Wang Wo.”

“Pff!” Zhenzhen spat out the wild fruit she had just bitten, not swallowing any of it.

Wow, this old man is actually Wang Wo, one of the most renowned literary figures in modern China. It’s a pity that he committed suicide by jumping into the lake during the movement, or he might have been China’s first Nobel laureate. Zhenzhen looked at Wang Wo, her face flushed with excitement. She quickly threw the fruit on her clothes to wipe her hands, then seriously held Wang Wo’s hand, “Grandpa, I really love your works.”

Wang Wo was stunned for a moment, then he smiled bitterly, looking at the lake, “I never thought I would meet someone who likes my articles before I die.” He held Zhenzhen’s hand and smiled kindly at her, “Listen to Grandpa, finish the fruits and hurry back home. The outside world is chaotic, don’t wander around.”

Zhenzhen didn’t feel like eating the wild fruits anymore. She quickly thought about how to save this elderly man. From the current situation, if she left, this literary figure would surely follow the history books and end his life by jumping into the lake. But if she took him away, she would inevitably expose some of her own secrets.

Zhenzhen hesitated, then looked at Wang Wo and asked, “Grandpa, if we leave this place and go somewhere where there’s no one, where you can’t see any friends or relatives, would you come with me?”

Wang Wo smiled bitterly. He reached out his withered hand and gently stroked Zhenzhen’s soft hair, “Silly child, I can’t go with you. I would drag your family down.”

“No, you won’t.” Zhenzhen looked at him seriously, her chubby little face full of determination, “I know who you are, I’ve read your works, and I understand why you’re sitting here. Just come with me.”

Zhenzhen reached out and took off Wang Wo’s glasses, rummaged through her shoulder bag for a while, and finally pulled out a silk scarf. “Grandpa, I have to cover your eyes.”

Wang Wo thought this was just a child’s game, and before he could even shake his head, Zhenzhen had already covered his eyes with the scarf. Zhenzhen’s soft little hands pulled him, “Grandpa, come with me.”

Wang Wo wasn’t scared. He no longer feared death. What concerned him was that he might bring trouble to this kind-hearted child’s family. However, hearing Zhenzhen’s serious tone, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He sighed inwardly and thought, “Let’s just treat it as playing a game with her.”

Zhenzhen led Wang Wo to a secluded place. She originally planned to take a longer route, but since Wang Wo’s legs were somewhat crippled, he started shivering after walking only a short distance. Not wanting to tire him out, Zhenzhen quickly stopped, opened a portal, and led Wang Wo into the newly unused space on the west side.

With a wave of her hand, green grass covered the black earth, and tall trees grew out of the ground. Zhenzhen helped Wang Wo sit down on the grass. “Grandpa, rest here for a bit, but don’t take off the silk scarf, okay?”

“Alright, are you going to hide? How many numbers should I count?” Wang Wo’s voice was warm as he raised the corner of his mouth, showing a smile.

“Count to a thousand,” Zhenzhen said with a playful laugh, and quickly ran off.

Wang Wo’s eyes were covered by the silk scarf, unable to see anything. He could only feel the gentle breeze on his face, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers. Suddenly, a series of crisp bird calls rang out from his ears, gradually fading away. Wang Wo imagined the scene in his mind, and his stiff and sore body began to relax with the sound of birds and the scent of flowers.

Zhenzhen had already moved the antiques from the five villas into one place. She chose the villa with the most books, controlling the portal to move them from the east side to the west side. Zhenzhen walked around the villa once. The flowerbeds immediately grew beautiful tulips, and two short apple trees were planted on one side of the villa, with large, round apples growing on them.

Beauty alone wasn’t enough. Everyone still needed to eat, so Zhenzhen went to the back of the villa, waved her hand, and a patch of fresh green vegetables appeared. As for grains, which needed to be hulled and ground, Zhenzhen thought that this elderly man, nearly seventy and frail, wouldn’t be able to do this heavy work. Fortunately, there was plenty of food stored in the villas, and she could bring more from home after they finished eating.

After finishing everything, Zhenzhen ran in front of Wang Wo. Seeing that he was still asleep on the ground, curled up, she noticed that despite being asleep, his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were having a nightmare.

Zhenzhen could control everything in the space, including the people within it. She waved her hand, and the window of the master bedroom on the second floor opened. Wang Wo’s body floated up and drifted through the window, landing gently on the soft mattress.

Zhenzhen stood downstairs, looking around with some hesitation. The place was surrounded by light screens, and unless she brought someone, they couldn’t leave. She didn’t want Wang Wo to realize that something was wrong with this place. After thinking for a moment, Zhenzhen waved her hand, and mountains rose up, surrounding the area in a circle. Only a narrow hidden cave remained at the entrance, which would be hard to find unless someone looked very carefully.

After working all morning, Zhenzhen was also hungry. She went to get the pot of tomato beef she had discovered earlier and boiled some noodles for herself.

She took a beautiful porcelain bowl, placed a few chopsticks of noodles in it, and poured two spoonfuls of the brightly colored tomato beef over the noodles. The vibrant colors immediately whetted her appetite.

Smelling the fragrance of the beef, Zhenzhen picked up a chopstick of noodles and slurped it down. The noodles tasted like meat, with the sweet and sour flavor of tomatoes. While chewing the noodles, Zhenzhen eagerly took a bite of the beef. The beef, made from half tendon and half meat, was cut into chunks and simmered slowly over low heat. Zhenzhen placed a piece of tender, fatty beef into her mouth. It was soft, fragrant, and melted in her mouth. Combined with the chewy noodles, it was an incredibly rare and delicious taste.

Zhenzhen finished a large bowl of noodles, rubbing her stomach and letting out a satisfied burp. After washing the bowl, she went upstairs to check on Wang Wo. Seeing that he was still sound asleep, she quietly tiptoed downstairs again.

Zhenzhen returned to another space, lying on the bed and closing her eyes. She released her consciousness. It was only when she saved Wang Wo that she remembered that over the past few days, there had been more than just him being criticized. In fact, there were at least twenty or thirty people, including many famous scholars and artists.

Her consciousness arrived at the Confucian Temple, where these twenty or thirty people stood holding signs in the yard, with piles of books in front of them that looked like mountains, seemingly ready to be burned. Zhenzhen was so angry that her face turned red. She looked at the group of female guards and wished she could create a gust of wind to throw them all into the river. Unfortunately, outside the space, neither wind nor rain obeyed her control, and she could only enjoy the sensation within the space.

Just as a female guard raised a whip to strike a Peking opera master, Zhenzhen quickly manipulated the ground beneath her feet to create a mound, causing the female guard to trip and fall.

Taking advantage of her getting up, Zhenzhen hurriedly gathered all the nearby birds. Fortunately, in the capital, there were many birds, especially crows in large groups.

As the female guards began to whip again and swing their sticks, the dense flock of birds descended like dark clouds. They ferociously pecked at the guards’ faces and hands while nimbly dodging their whip strikes.

The birds protected the scholars about to be criticized, using their sharp beaks and claws to drive the guards away, pushing them all the way to the outside of the Confucian Temple. The guards, with blood oozing from their faces and hands from being pecked, were furious but helpless against the birds hovering around them. None of them dared to approach.

“Why hasn’t Wang Wo come today? Didn’t we call him to report today?” one of the female guards raised her arm. “Let’s go grab him!”

It seemed to be an excuse, and the group immediately turned around and went to Wang Wo’s house. However, Mrs. Wang Wo said in confusion that he had left early in the morning and had not returned. The group searched the house but found no one, so they left cursing. The next day, someone claimed to have seen Wang Wo heading towards the wild lake. The female guards specially went to look for him, and an old man who was feeding ducks said he had seen such a person but soon lost sight of him, probably because he had jumped into the lake.

Unable to find Wang Wo and unable to reach the people in the Confucian Temple, the female guards became anxious. Later, someone suggested using guns to shoot the birds. While guns were restricted at this time, there were still a few available. Only the leader of the combat team had one, and she hurriedly retrieved it from home. She aimed it at the leading crow and pulled the safety catch. Zhenzhen hid nearby and quickly controlled several pieces of metal to rapidly fly into the gun’s barrel.

“Bang!” A dull sound came from the gun, but the bullet didn’t fire. Instead, the gun exploded, and the female guard’s hand was covered in blood.

Naturally, someone who was injured rushed to the hospital. Watching the cawing crows in the sky, the female guards felt uneasy, thinking the whole thing seemed sinister. However, no one dared to speak up, and under the pretext of going to the hospital, everyone scattered.

The people in the Confucian Temple looked at each other and smiled cheerfully. Even a Peking opera master sang a couple of lines joyfully.

A female writer quickly pulled him aside, lowered her voice, and advised, “Don’t let anyone hear you, or we’ll get into more trouble.” She looked around at the others and asked, “Should we leave now?”

An elderly writer, with his disheveled hair from being shaved, walked to the door and looked outside. Seeing that the female guards had left, he quickly called to the others, “Now that they’re gone, let’s hurry and leave.”

Looking at the books on the ground, the others felt distressed, unsure of what to do. “What about these? These are precious books and cultural artifacts.”

“Can we move them?” one of them asked. “If they’re found, it’ll be new evidence against us. In the end, they’ll just be burned anyway. We can’t save these books. Let’s go!” The group sighed, took one last look at the treasured books, and left in a dispirited manner.

Once everyone had left, Zhenzhen quickly teleported over, waved her hand, and gathered all the items on the ground into the space before heading to the next library.

—

Wang Wo slept until four in the afternoon. He opened his eyes, looked at the white ceiling, and then turned his head to see the exquisite decorations around him. For a moment, he was confused. He found his glasses beside the pillow, put them on, got out of bed, and walked to the window. Looking outside, he saw a land filled with birds singing and flowers blooming. In the distance, there were tall mountains as a barrier, making it seem like a paradise.

Wang Wo guessed that this must be the home of the young girl named Zhenzhen. She must have been worried that his arrival would affect her family, so he quickly opened the door and asked, “Is anyone here?” But the house was silent, with only an echo responding.

Wang Wo walked down the stairs to the living room and saw a piece of white paper on the coffee table. He quickly picked it up, and in childish handwriting, it read: “Grandfather Wang Wo, there are noodles and tomato beef in the kitchen. Heat them up when you wake up. There is hot water in the bathroom for bathing. There are clean clothes in the wardrobe of the master bedroom. The study has paper, pens, and books for your leisure. In short, this place is very safe, and no one can enter. You can rest here without worry. However, there is no electricity, so you’ll have to make do with oil lamps. — Zhenzhen.”

After reading the note, Wang Wo didn’t rush to the kitchen. He stepped outside and looked around. Everywhere he looked, there were mountains surrounding the place, enclosing the area like a ring. Wang Wo didn’t approach to inspect closely, but based on a glance, he couldn’t find an entry or exit.

Looking at the birds perched on the apple trees, the rabbits running on the grass, and the flowers in front of the house, everything here made Wang Wo feel very comfortable. He turned around, went back inside, and ate the leftover noodles from the pot, slurping them up happily. Wang Wo leaned back in the chair with a contented smile on his face.

Zhenzhen had been busy all day, and by now it was probably close to five. She hurriedly bought some medicine for external injuries and returned to the space. She had to admit that Wang Wo loved books so much. Even though he was injured, once he saw the books in the study, he couldn’t move away. He picked one up and sat down at the table to read.

Zhenzhen knocked on the door, and when Wang Wo saw her, he quickly stood up and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Zhenzhen, for saving my life.”

“No, no, no!” Zhenzhen hurriedly dodged, feeling a little embarrassed as she scratched her head. “You are a respected literary master, how can you bow to me?”

Wang Wo shook his head and smiled bitterly but didn’t say much. Instead, he asked the question on his mind. “Zhenzhen, where is this? I was at the lake, but looking around here, it seems like there’s no way in or out. How could there be a Western-style house here?”

“Oh!” Zhenzhen blinked innocently and smiled. “I don’t know what this place is called. One time, I was chasing a wild rabbit and came here. I was curious, so I went inside and found a letter. The letter said the owner was leaving for another place and had decided to gift this place to anyone fated to find it. I thought you were hurt and might want a quiet place to recover, so I brought you here. Since it’s a bit far, when I went back to get my father, you were already asleep. My father hurriedly brought us here with a big cart and even carried you upstairs.” Zhenzhen looked at Wang Wo and hesitated before asking, “Do you want to go home? But I think it might not be safe for you to go back right now.”

“You’re right,” Wang Wo said, looking at Zhenzhen. He suddenly asked seriously, “Zhenzhen, may I stay here? I may not have money, but I have a wealth of knowledge. If you don’t mind, I’d be willing to be your teacher.”

Zhenzhen nodded vigorously, her little face lighting up with joy. “Yes, yes, I would love that! I would love it!”