Free Web NovelChapter 94: Chapter 94: Foreign Language
Unwilling to continue the strange conversation, Su Li quickly changed the subject.
"This drill... is it important to you?" she asked, shifting gears.
"Why?" Wu Sheng asked.
"I... I heard those men say they’re going to rescue themselves tonight, and... they also said the documents they’re transporting are fake."
Su Li said, hesitating for a moment.
Wu Sheng’s brow furrowed. "Them? You mean my colleagues? When did they say this?"
"When you went to get the clothes." Su Li had been debating whether to say anything, but ultimately decided she had to.
’He was kind enough to take me home. My conscience wouldn’t be clear if I heard something and didn’t tell him.’
"Why were you the only one who heard it?" Wu Sheng asked. He wasn’t there, but his two subordinates were, and their eyes and ears were sharp.
"Er... your two subordinates heard it too, but I don’t think they understood."
Su Li pressed her lips together. "They were speaking D-language."
With a screech of tires, the motorcycle lurched to a halt.
Wu Sheng whipped his head around to look at Su Li. "You understand D-language?"
’A village girl making it to high school is already incredibly rare. Who would’ve thought... she’d also know D-language.’
’Though, from the moment they met, Wu Sheng could tell Su Li wasn’t like other village girls.’
’But in such a short time, this cattle-herding girl had provided far too many surprises.’
Wu Sheng didn’t suspect her of being a plant from the Blue Team or anything like that. He just found it incredible.
Facing Wu Sheng’s blazing eyes, Su Li managed a difficult nod. "I happen to know a little."
Wu Sheng stared at Su Li, his gaze so bright it was a little frightening.
"Was I not supposed to hear that? Or is something wrong?" Su Li asked, feeling uneasy.
"No." Wu Sheng shook his head. "This information... is a very pleasant surprise."
’This drill is a bit complicated. My colleagues are all highly skilled, and the involvement of D-language was something I anticipated.’
’Right now, people who know D-language are few and far between. Even I don’t know it.’
’I considered this and requested assistance from a professional who knows D-language, but unfortunately, the translator who was supposed to arrive yesterday still hasn’t.’
’The Blue Team must have made a move,’ Wu Sheng guessed.
’But the Blue Team could never have expected a Su Li to just drop into our laps.’
Wu Sheng started the motorcycle and continued onward, saying to Su Li, "Thank you."
"You’re welcome. I’m just glad I could help," Su Li said, waving her hands dismissively.
They rode for over an hour. By the time they stopped, the sun was already setting.
The two cows were panting, exhausted from their run, which made them unusually docile.
Wu Sheng, leading the two cows, found a small path and headed down it. "Xinghua Village is just over this mountain. Let’s go."
"Okay." Su Li had never taken this path before, but her surroundings were starting to look familiar.
"How’s your ankle? Need to hold onto me?" Wu Sheng asked Su Li.
"I’m fine." Su Li picked up a stick to use as a makeshift crutch.
As dusk settled, they finally made it back to a proper road.
"Okay, I’m almost home now. Thank you for everything," Su Li said, stopping and letting out a sigh of relief.
’Wu Sheng can’t take me all the way home. If he did, who knows what Mrs. Tang would think.’
’I really can’t be bothered to deal with her.’
"Alright, I’ll head back then."
Wu Sheng hadn’t planned on taking Su Li all the way to her door anyway. He was still in the middle of a military drill.
Wu Sheng untied the rope from the cows’ horns. "Will you be out herding again soon?"
Su Li nodded. Wu Sheng was not one to dawdle.
"Okay, see you around then. I’m off."
Su Li watched his retreating back, a pang of guilt in her heart. "Goodbye... Are you hungry?"
She couldn’t stop herself from asking.
Wu Sheng turned back. "What’s this? Planning to thank me with a meal?"
Su Li pressed her lips together and retorted, "Can’t I?"
"You can, but there’s no need. Go on home and get some rest. Don’t put any more strain on that swollen ankle."
Wu Sheng turned around again and, with his back to her, gave Su Li a wave goodbye.
A moment later, he disappeared into the woods.
Su Li gazed in the direction he had gone, mouthing a silent "thank you," then turned and herded the cows toward the Tang Family home.
Before Su Li could even get the cows back into their pen, she heard Little Tang Mo’s cry.
"Mama! Is that you, Mama?"
"It’s me." As soon as Su Li answered, she heard Little Tang Mo’s joyous shriek.
"Mama, you’re back!" He ran to Su Li, hugged her leg, then darted back into the house to tell Mrs. Tang.
"Grandma, Mama’s back! The cows are back, too!"
"As long as you’re back, that’s all that matters." Mrs. Tang let out a huge sigh of relief.
When Su Li explained that the cows had run off and she had sprained her ankle, Mrs. Tang fussed over her for a bit.
"You have to take those cows out every day. If you skip a few days, they’re bound to run wild. Thank goodness they didn’t get lost."
It was already dark by the time Su Li returned, and Little Tang Mo was hungry. Putting everything else aside, Su Li hurried to make dinner.
While Su Li cooked, Little Tang Mo clung to the corner of her shirt, chattering away and asking about this and that.
"Mama, when will my hat be dry?"
Little Tang Mo’s hat had been missing earlier because he had carefully put it away to keep it from getting wet in the rain.
Su Li had washed his dirty clothes and hat the previous night, but they weren’t completely dry yet.
"It’ll be dry by tomorrow," Su Li replied, then asked tentatively, "Little Mo, do you want to go to the county seat with Mama?"
"I do," Little Tang Mo nodded. "But we have to take care of Grandma now. We can go after her arm and leg are better."
Little Tang Mo was a sensible and filial boy; he wouldn’t feel right about leaving until Mrs. Tang’s injuries had healed.
Su Li gave a wry smile and changed the subject. "You must be starving, huh? Did you eat the banana I bought for you?"
"I’m not hungry." As Little Tang Mo answered, his eyes lit up as he remembered something. "Mama, I saved some treats for you, too!"
With that, he finally let go of Su Li’s shirt and pattered away.
A moment later, Little Tang Mo returned, his shirt pulled up to form a pouch, presenting his treasures to Su Li.
"Mama, these are all the yummy things I saved for you! This is a fruit candy Brother Gou Dan gave me, and this is sugarcane..."
The fruit candy was a little melted and sticky. Swallowing hard, Little Tang Mo placed it in Su Li’s hand.
Two small, thin, green sections of sugarcane—’nothing like the ones from the future,’ she thought—their skins a bit dry, were also placed in her hand.
"These are roasted peanuts, they smell so good..."
"This is a pastry Uncle Li brought for Grandma. It’s really good, so I saved some for Mama... Huh? Why did it change color?"
The small, oddly shaped piece of pastry had been sitting out for too long and had grown green mold.
Little Tang Mo stared at the pastry, his little brow furrowed. He glanced at Su Li, worried. "Mama, I think it went bad..."
"It’s okay. Even if it’s spoiled, it makes me happy."
Fighting back the lump in her throat, Su Li took the moldy pastry and placed it reverently on the dinner table next to the sugarcane before pulling Little Tang Mo into a tight hug.
"But you can’t eat it if it’s spoiled..." Little Tang Mo’s voice was dejected.
Hearing his sad little voice, Su Li couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears streamed down her face.
’The little fruit candy, the sugarcane, the peanuts, the moldy pastry... they were all tokens of Little Tang Mo’s sincere love for her.’
’He missed her, thought of her, even more than she thought of him.’
’Her feelings for him were deep and complex, but his for her were just as profound, if not more so.’
’No, his love was purer, deeper. He was offering his entire little heart to her, wanting only to be good to her.’
’The affection Little Tang Mo showed her in return was far greater than she had ever imagined.’ freewёbnoνel.com
’And the more sincere and selfless his love was, the more it pained her.’
’How could she possibly deserve this!’
