Chapter 99 Unexpected Person

The newlywed life was sweet and intoxicating, but this beautiful time was always short-lived. In the blink of an eye, it was the third day, and Lu Zheng had to go to the provincial capital.

Number 8 displayed force at their wedding, so Lu Zheng naturally dared not disobey him. After all, he was now married with a wife and children to protect, so he could only temporarily submit.

After that day, Lu Zheng met with Peng Fei and others to discuss countermeasures.

Number 8, wielding a gun, was a force to be reckoned with. A few days ago, the Revolutionary Committee of the provincial capital launched a counterattack, hoping to regain lost ground. However, Number 8 somehow acquired a cannon, which routed the Revolutionary Committee's forces.

Now, the Revolutionary Committee members have not only lost their territory in the provincial capital, but have also had to flee to the south city in a sorry state, where they continue to maneuver against the No. 8 command post by relying on the power of the south city.

Lu Zheng didn't want to be cannon fodder for Number 8, so he delayed calling out to Number 8 as long as possible. Now that he couldn't delay any longer, Lu Zheng told his brothers that they would only go through the motions and not exert any effort, and that they should just protect themselves.

Lu Zheng gently held Xia Qianqian's hand, his gaze tender yet firm, and said affectionately, "Qianqian, you stay at home with Mom and the two children. I will write back to you as soon as I get to the provincial capital."

Seeing Lu Zheng about to leave, Xia Qianqian felt reluctant to part with him. Moreover, she knew that Number 8 was domineering and tyrannical, and if Lu Zheng did not obey his orders, Number 8 would definitely not let it go easily.

She said worriedly, "You must be careful in everything you do after you go. If you encounter a crisis, we'll quit and go back to Xiangyang Village."

While Xia Qianqian said this, she was planning in her heart: if Lu Zheng really ran into trouble, she would just take her family and hide in Peach Blossom Spring.

Yesterday, while Lu Zheng was discussing matters with his brothers, Xia Qianqian took some time to visit Peach Blossom Spring.

Inside, Zhang San had already set up a simple shack and was boiling tea eggs in a small pot. When Xia Qianqian arrived, he quickly scooped out a few tea eggs and handed them to her so she could try them.

After a few days apart, Zhang San's face had become noticeably rounder. Perhaps noticing Xia Qianqian's surprised gaze, Zhang San scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and grinned, "Fairy, life here is better than that of a god! When I was out with my brother, we could barely fill our stomachs. Unlike here, we can eat chicken, duck, fish, and meat as we please. I never dared to dream of such a blessing before."

Xia Qianqian never expected that Zhang San's life in the black market would be so difficult.

Upon closer reflection, she understood the reason. Although the black market could generate some profit, those high-ranking officials and nobles would not easily let go of this lucrative opportunity; they would siphon off the majority of the profits.

Moreover, maintaining the black market requires considerable expenses, so even though they control the black market, they don't have much cash on hand.

Xia Qianqian's heart stirred, and she asked, "Would your brothers be willing to live in Peach Blossom Spring?"

Right now, what she lacks most is manpower. If she can recruit a group of people, she will definitely be able to build this paradise even better.

Upon hearing this, Zhang San was overjoyed: "Fairy, are you really willing to let my brothers come too? You can rest assured and leave this to me! After spending these past few years with them, I know them very well. We all come from humble backgrounds and just want to live a better life. Fairy, as long as they can have enough to eat, they will definitely be loyal to you and work their lives for you!"

After hearing Zhang San's words, Xia Qianqian had an idea and decided to go to the black market again at a suitable time.

After seeing Lu Zheng off, Xia Qianqian composed herself and prepared to go to work in the village. The production team leader had given her a few days off for her wedding, and now that Lu Zheng was on his way, it was time for her to return to the sanitation team. They were all in the same production team; she couldn't let people gossip about her behind her back.

She finished getting ready and was about to leave when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Xia Qianqian instinctively peeked out and saw Lu Zheng striding towards her.

"Why are you back?" Xia Qianqian was both surprised and delighted, and quickly ran out, thinking that Lu Zheng had forgotten to take something.

Lu Zheng said, "I'm afraid I don't need to go to the provincial capital for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Xia Qianqian's eyes were filled with surprise. She stared at Lu Zheng, waiting for him to continue.

Lu Zheng continued, "The people from the South City Revolutionary Committee were just driven out by the command post, and some of them ran to our Xiangyang Village. The production team leader vacated the village office for them to use and asked each household to prepare some bedding, food, and other things. I came back to tell you that all the able-bodied men in the village need to gather together to prepare for a counterattack."

"Is war about to break out?" Xia Qianqian's heart tightened.

Lu Zheng rubbed her head and comforted her, "Don't worry, the Revolutionary Committee people just arrived and haven't settled in yet. We just heard the news, and we don't know when the command headquarters will arrive. Let's take it one step at a time."

Xia Qianqian nodded after hearing this; this was the only way to deal with such a situation.

Lu's mother and the others hurriedly found a set of unused bedding at home, and also took out a small half-bag of grain. These things were just the right amount in the village, and Lu Zheng looked at them and reached out to take them.

He had just lifted his foot to leave when suddenly, several people appeared from around the corner. One of them saw Xia Qianqian and waved, saying, "Comrade Xia, I really didn't expect to run into you here!"

Xia Qianqian looked closely and saw that it was the leader of the Nancheng Revolutionary Committee, with two cadres following behind him.

Xia Qianqian never expected that she would run into an acquaintance here by such a coincidence.

The leader turned to the cadres behind him and said, "This is Comrade Xia, whom I mentioned to you. She was the one who donated gold bars to us back then; she was a great help!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the cadre with thick eyebrows and big eyes strode forward and said enthusiastically in a loud voice, "So, Comrade Xia is one of our Revolutionary Committee members!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Xia Qianqian's hand, and without further ado, the group pulled Xia Qianqian and Lu Zheng toward the village office.

The office had been reorganized according to the director's instructions. One room had been designated as the office area, where many Revolutionary Committee staff members were currently working busily.

A woman was diligently recording the supplies donated by her fellow villagers in a notebook. When she looked up and her eyes fell on Lu Zheng, her eyes widened instantly, and the pen in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

Lu Zheng's attention was completely drawn to the words of the Revolutionary Committee leader, and he did not notice the woman's loss of composure at all.

After hearing the introduction, the leaders of the Revolutionary Committee assigned tasks to Lu Zheng and Xia Qianqian. Knowing that Xia Qianqian was an educated student, they said, "Comrade Xia, you are responsible for copying the big-character posters."

Then he turned to Lu Zheng and said, "You're Comrade Xia's lover? Then you can be Comrade Xia's assistant."

Upon hearing this, the woman quickly looked at the two of them.