Chapter 116 We Won

Lu Zheng couldn't sit still any longer; he wished he could sprout wings and fly back to find a doctor immediately. He asked urgently, "Shouldn't those people outside... disperse by now?"

Xia Qianqian couldn't help but smile as she watched him pacing anxiously.

"Sit a little longer," Xia Qianqian said, pressing down his restless hand. "Time moves faster here than outside. Drink your porridge first, and we'll talk after you're done."

As she spoke, she handed the bowl to Lu Zheng.

"Oh, right," Xia Qianqian called out the window, "Zhang San! Fill two baskets with eggs, and catch four of the fattest speckled chickens!"

"Okay!" Zhang San replied from outside.

Xia Qianqian then turned to Lu Zheng and explained, "Peng Fei and the others were a great help this time, so these things are a good reward for the brothers. Just say... they were supplies that were found at the command post."

Although Peng Fei's brother is reliable, there is no guarantee that he won't accidentally let something slip. If it gets back to the Revolutionary Committee or No. 8, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Lu Zheng understood what she meant, nodded emphatically, and grasped her hand: "We'll do it your way."

As he spoke, he tilted his head back and drank the entire bowl clean, with a little rice oil still stuck to the corner of his mouth.

Xia Qianqian was amused by him, reached out to wipe the corner of his mouth, and then raised her wrist to look at her watch.

"That's about it."

She stood up and picked up the bamboo basket Zhang San had brought, placing it at her feet. Inside, the eggs were wrapped tightly in straw, and the speckled chickens, their feet bound with hemp rope, were clucking and flapping about. Xia Qianqian took a deep breath, gripped Lu Zheng's hand tightly, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes. "Hold on tight."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Zheng felt a blur of light and shadow before his eyes, as if he were enveloped in warm water. The bamboo house, the vegetable patch, the bamboo forest in the distance... all the scenery began to distort and fade.

He instinctively hugged Xia Qianqian tighter, and when he opened his eyes again, the two of them were already standing at the edge of the square.

Just as Xia Qianqian had predicted, the fighting in the square had already subsided, leaving only a mess on the ground—broken wooden sticks, scattered cloth shoes, and dark red bloodstains mixed with dust, gleaming dazzlingly in the moonlight. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, making one's stomach churn.

Seeing this scene, although the Revolutionary Committee and his brothers had made thorough preparations before setting off, Lu Zheng was still afraid, afraid to see familiar faces lying in pools of blood.

He pulled Xia Qianqian behind a partially collapsed earthen wall, where she could see the entire square and was well hidden.

"Stay here and don't move. I'm going to find Peng Fei. Remember, if anything seems amiss, immediately hide in Peach Blossom Spring and don't come out!"

Xia Qianqian nodded vigorously and reached out to straighten his collar, which had been ruffled by the wind: "I know, take care of yourself."

Lu Zheng didn't say anything more, but squeezed her hand tightly, then turned and disappeared into the night.

Lu Zheng crouched low and crept to the nearest house. When he climbed over the wall and entered the yard, the chickens in the coop started scattering. The light in the main room was still on. He knocked on the window frame and lowered his voice, "Hey, can I borrow a light?"

The man who opened the door was middle-aged. Seeing Lu Zheng covered in mud and dust, with a bulging waist, he initially shrank back warily. Lu Zheng pulled out four eggs and handed them to him.

These were just some eggs I grabbed in Peach Blossom Spring, and they've come in handy now. The man accepted the eggs and listened as he inquired about the square, then launched into a long, animated explanation.

"What happened in the square? Wow! That's bizarre! Number 8 was furious and had all the homemade cannons hidden in the warehouse brought out! Who knew—"

He suddenly slapped his thigh, "That gunner had already been bribed by Number 3! With a 'click,' the cannon muzzle turned and was aimed directly at Number 8's men!"

Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and quickly continued to ask questions.

"Number 8 is cunning; he ran away long ago," the man said, his face beaming. "The rest of them lost their leader; how could they dare to move? Number 3's men grabbed their guns and shouted, and they all surrendered!"

"Where are they now?" Lu Zheng pressed.

The man pouted and said, "They've all been taken to the Revolutionary Committee by Number 3!"

Having received confirmation, Lu Zheng strode towards the Revolutionary Committee. He moved with incredible speed, arriving at his destination in just five minutes.

In the darkness, the brick building of the Revolutionary Committee was brightly lit, and the sounds of people playing drinking games and urging each other to drink could be heard even through the door.

Number 3 never expected to win so easily. He was beaming as he hugged the gunner and poured him drinks, his voice louder than firecrackers: "That was great! Today's victory celebration is a drinking contest, no one is allowed to leave until they're passed out!"

In contrast, Peng Fei and his companions in the corner all looked worried. The wine cups on the table remained untouched. They had searched the square and surrounding streets and alleys, but had not even found Lu Zheng and his sister-in-law. They felt as if a stone was pressing on their hearts.

"No, I have to go look again!" Peng Fei felt like he had a nail in his butt, and he suddenly stood up, grabbed his coat, and was about to rush out.

"What are you looking for? I'm back now."

A familiar voice suddenly came from the doorway. Peng Fei froze and turned around abruptly.

Under the moonlight, Lu Zheng stood on the steps, his shoulders still covered in mud and dust, but a smile played on his lips.

"Brother Lu!" Peng Fei's eyes widened instantly. He rushed over, grabbed Lu Zheng, and looked him up and down. Seeing that Lu Zheng was all right, his voice trembled with excitement, "You're fucking alright?!"

Before he could finish speaking, he gave Lu Zheng a hard bear hug, almost choking him: "Where's my sister-in-law? Is she alright?!"

"Get out of here!" Lu Zheng laughed and pushed him away. "Your sister-in-law and I are doing just fine."

His gaze swept over his brothers in the room, and seeing that although they all looked tired, their eyes were bright, he finally felt relieved.

"How are you guys? Are you all alright?"

"Hey! Brother Lu, what could possibly happen to the soldiers you trained?" Peng Fei grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "They just got a few scrapes and bled a little while fighting those bastards, nothing serious!"

Lu Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something more, he heard a hearty laugh from behind him.

"Brother Lu! It's so good to see you!" Number 3 walked over with a swagger, holding a wine glass, his face flushed, clearly having drunk quite a bit.

"You've done a fantastic job this time! If you hadn't found out about the warehouse where cannon number 8 was stored beforehand, how could we have won so decisively?" He raised his glass and shoved it into Lu Zheng's hand. "Here, this is for you!"

Lu Zheng lightly touched the rim of his glass, when Number 3 suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, where did you and your sister-in-law go? I thought you two..."

Before he finished speaking, his probing gaze was already quite evident.

Peng Fei also chimed in, craning his neck almost like a goose: "Yeah, Brother Lu, where did you guys go? I looked for you for ages and couldn't find you!"

Lu Zheng was prepared and said, "Commander, I figured that since the 8th had occupied the South City for so long, there might be some good stuff in the command post that they hadn't had time to move. So I dragged Qianqian along and sneaked into the command post in the chaos, but unfortunately we only found some food."

Upon hearing this, Number 3 first narrowed his eyes to examine Lu Zheng. Seeing his calm expression and the genuine smile lines at the corners of his eyes, he burst into laughter: "You little rascal, you're quite shrewd!"

He patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder, his breath reeking of alcohol, "I thought you guys were injured by stray bullets, but it turns out you went to find supplies for the brothers! Good! Well done!"

With his doubts dispelled, Number 3 felt even more that Lu Zheng was a promising talent, and insisted on drinking three more cups with him. Seeing that he had been fooled, Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and tilted his head back to drink the wine in his cup in one gulp.