Chapter 135: Militia Investigating People

After Shen Lingning waited in the car for a while, Xiao Zhang came back with a more serious expression.

But there was a hint of excitement in his eyes: "Director Shen, I've contacted the commander! The situation has been reported, and the commander is taking it very seriously. Emergency coordination and deployment have been carried out, and the troops may take action soon!

The commander ordered us to immediately escort you and the medicine back to Mr. Chen in Xinghua Village to ensure his absolute safety!"

The jeep started again, but did not drive directly to Xinghua Village. Instead, under Xiao Zhang's command, it went around to an inconspicuous threshing ground outside the town.

In the yard, there was another jeep with a military license plate parked. Two soldiers with capable expressions, dressed in casual clothes but with standard movements got out of the car and quickly met Xiao Zhang.

One of them saluted Shen Lingning and whispered, "Comrade Shen Lingning, to ensure any eventuality, we need to change vehicles and split up. Please come with us."

An operation to round up the tomb-robbing gang in Yaowang Valley has quietly begun, and Shen Lingning's return journey has also been included in more thorough protection.

We changed to a new jeep, and besides Xiao Zhang, the two stern-faced plainclothes soldiers also joined us.

The car did not take the main road, but chose a more remote and bumpy simple road, and drove towards Xinghuagou under the cover of night.

The atmosphere in the car was solemn, and apart from necessary communication about road conditions, almost no one spoke.

Shen Lingning could feel that a tense atmosphere before a war was spreading.

This was the tension she didn't feel in the tea mountains and Chang'an, and the throbbing she didn't experience in her peaceful years.

What she did today also reflects the awareness she should have as a military family member.

She held the backpack tightly in her arms, feeling the heavy hope, and remained silent in cooperating with all the changes around her.

She knew that the incident she had inadvertently been involved in might be far more complicated than she had imagined.

Now, her most important task is to deliver the medicine safely and wake Fubao up. This is her top priority.

The night is dark and the mountain road is rugged.

The headlights were like two sharp swords, cutting through the thick darkness and illuminating the bumpy road ahead.

The mountains in the distance were dark blue and silent. Only the sound of the jeep's engine echoed in the empty mountains. The trees and mountains on both sides kept receding.

When approaching Xinghuagou, the car stopped again.

A plainclothes soldier got off the car first, as if blending into the night, and went to investigate the situation at the village entrance.

After a while, he returned and reported in a low voice: "The village is very quiet, but there are a few unfamiliar faces hanging around Mr. Chen's house. They don't look like ordinary villagers."

Xiao Zhang and another soldier looked at each other with serious expressions.

"It seems the other party is not simple. Maybe he has noticed something. We can't just go in directly."

They made a decisive decision to abandon their vehicles and sneak into Xinghua Village on foot from a small path.

Shen Lingning, supported by Xiao Zhang, followed behind, taking one step forward and one step back.

The night became their best cover. Like ghosts, they quietly walked around the village entrance, followed the bank of an icy stream, and reached the backyard wall of Mr. Chen's house.

Xiao Zhang signaled Shen Lingning and another soldier to wait. He and his reconnaissance comrade climbed over the low earthen wall like civet cats and sneaked into the yard.

After a while, the small wooden door in the backyard was gently opened, and Mr. Chen's wrinkled face poked out. When he saw Shen Lingning, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes, and he quickly waved for them to go in.

In the courtyard, Wang Xiulan was waiting anxiously. Seeing Shen Lingning return safely, she hugged her.

Tears started to flow: "Lingning! You're finally back! Fubao... Fubao just had another convulsion, it scared me to death!"

Shen Lingning's heart sank suddenly. Without saying anything more, he immediately handed the beehive in the backpack and the cloth bag containing the live fish to Mr. Chen: "Old man, the medicine has been found! Please save the child quickly!"

Mr. Chen took the item and examined it carefully, especially when he saw the small black-backed silverfish still jumping in the cloth bag.

His eyes lit up with surprise. "Great! Great! Excellent quality! Come in quickly! I'll prepare the medicine right away!"

However, just as they were about to enter the house, there was a sudden burst of noisy footsteps and rough knocking on the door from the front yard!

A arrogant voice shouted, "Old Chen! Open the door! The commune militia is conducting a night patrol! I heard that an unidentified outsider has come to your house? Open the door immediately and let them in!"

Everyone's expressions changed instantly! They came too quickly! And in the name of the militia company! This was definitely more than just a night patrol!

Mr. Chen’s face darkened, and he quickly pushed Shen Lingning and Wang Xiulan into the inner room.

He whispered, "Don't make a sound!"

Then he signaled Xiao Zhang and another soldier to hide behind the door and in the shadows beside the stove.

He straightened his clothes and walked slowly towards the front yard, responding as he walked: "I'm coming, it's the middle of the night, what are you looking for..."

Outside the door, the light and shadow of the torches had already shone through the crack in the door, and there were many figures, obviously a lot of people had come.

Shen Lingning hid behind the door of the inner room, holding his breath, his palms full of cold sweat - could it be that after all the hard work to find the medicine, he would fail at the last moment?

The knocks on the door in the front yard became more and more urgent, and the light and shadow of the torch flickered on the window paper.

A gleam of light flashed in Mr. Chen's turbid eyes. He signaled Shen Lingning and others to be absolutely quiet, while he bent his waist, deliberately increased his pace, and walked over slowly.

He walked while coughing and complaining: "Here it comes! It's the dead of night. Who is this ghost? I, an old man, can't even sleep peacefully..."

He opened the door a little, but not completely, revealing half of his face, and looked at the militia company commander Wang Laosi, who was leading the group outside the door. He was wearing an old military uniform and a red armband, and the five or six militiamen behind him who were holding old-fashioned rifles or red tasseled guns.

Wang Laosi had a slick look on his face, pretending to be serious.

"Why haven't you opened the door for so long? What are you doing?"

Mr. Chen asked in a hoarse voice.

"Captain Wang? What's going on? Why such a big fuss?"

Wang Laosi tried to look into the yard, but Mr. Chen blocked his view with his body: "Nothing serious, we just received a report from the locals that a stranger had come to your house, someone from another place?

These days, we have to be vigilant to prevent bad elements from roaming around. Let us go in and take a look and register.

Mr. Chen knew clearly in his mind that Wang Laosi was probably in cahoots with the group of people in the mountains. He came here to cause trouble but really wanted to find out the truth or even arrest people.

His face was filled with sorrow. "Hey, Captain Wang, don't believe everything you hear. There's no stranger there. It's just a distant niece of mine. She brought her baby to see a doctor. The baby is seriously ill and caught a cold on the way. She just got some medicine and went to bed. I don't dare disturb her.

Poor kid, he's so feverish that he's talking nonsense..."

Captain Wang subconsciously squeezed in through the door...