Chapter 196 This is clearly asking too much!

Wang Laowu paused slightly. He was about to take the lantern from Jiang Lianzhu's hand, but he didn't expect Jiang Lianzhu to hand him her hand. The cold and soft little hand placed in his palm seemed to light a fire in his heart.

He didn't correct her, but held her little hand tightly and walked hand in hand.

The road was filled with shadows, and darkness surrounded them from all sides. Before, Jiang Lianzhu was fully alert, but now, because Wang Laowu was by her side, her pressure suddenly decreased. The man beside her had an inexplicable power, and his presence made her feel a lot more at ease.

No matter who he was, her intuition told her that he had no ill will towards her now.

In the past, he seemed to be wary of her and tested her everywhere, but now he tolerates her in everything. She scolded him, gave him a cold look, and embarrassed him, but he didn't take it to heart.

It was as if with him there, she didn't need to rush to the front and was protected by him.

This was the first time in her two lifetimes that anyone had given her a sense of security.

Suddenly, Jiang Lianzhu reflected on whether she had been too harsh on Wang Laowu. If he was willing to tell her the truth, should she consider giving him a chance?

Well, when Jiang Lianzhu's mind was drifting away, Wang Laowu had already brought her to a stop.

This was at the corner of a mixed forest. Wang Laowu pointed to the weeds under the tree ahead and said, "Move the light over there and shine it over. Does it look like anyone has been squatting here just now?"

Jiang Lianzhu did as she was told immediately.

The weeds under the tree were trampled into a mess, as if they had just been trampled. There were several large footprints with mud on them.

"Yes! Judging from these footprints, they should be from an adult male, not short in stature... Could they be refugees passing by?"

Wang Laowu's handsome face looked a bit solemn in the darkness. "Would refugees pass through here in the middle of the night? Generally speaking, it's impossible."

Jiang Lianzhu thought about it and realized that it was true.

It is very cold in the second half of the night. The refugees will find a place to shelter from the wind and rain. It is impossible for them to hang out in the wilderness.

However, this long winter, or the Duan family, are somewhat suspicious.

These footprints were not very conspicuous and disappeared after following them for a distance.

If they had brought Xue Da and the others out, perhaps they could have tracked them for a distance. However, they didn't bring them. The wolf howling made everyone in the town nervous, so they asked them to stay at home and not go anywhere to avoid suspicion.

Jiang Lianzhu looked at the dark sky and suggested, "Let's go to the Duan family and see what's going on."

"Let's go."

The two returned home together.

After returning to the town and walking on the familiar bluestone road, Wang Laowu still had no intention of letting go of Jiang Lianzhu's hand.

At this time, the patrol officers from the town government came over with torches in hand. Seeing this scene, they coughed and said, "Gentlemen, have you found any clues?"

Jiang Lianzhu quickly pulled her hand out of Wang Laowu's palm, her face flushed. Fortunately, it was dark and she couldn't see clearly.

Wang Laowu remained calm and said, "No, it's probably an unknown wild wolf that passed through our Shili Town and has gone far away now. My Lords, there's no need to worry."

Several patrol officers nodded. "I think it's just the same thing. It was the same last time. We were nervous for several days, but nothing happened. I guess they were just passing by our town and saying hello. It's the middle of the night, and they're freezing."

"Let's go, let's go. We've patrolled the town from front to back, inside and out, but we haven't seen a single dog, let alone a wolf. Let's go, let's go. The dogs are all sleeping in their kennels. Let's go and tell the Lord Chief Clerk. Let's go."

Wang Laowu watched them go and said, "Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen."

Jiang Lianzhu turned her head to the side and looked at Wang Laowu with a playful smile on her lips.

Wang Laowu felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her, "What are you looking at?"

Jiang Lianzhu asked, "Do you escorts often interact with government officials? Why are you speaking to the officials so casually, neither servile nor overbearing, as if you're used to it?"

Wang Laowu replied shamelessly, "I guess so. We often come into contact. Wife, let's go to Xinghuaxiang..."

Business is important.

Jiang Lianzhu didn't say much to him.

Jiang Lianzhu and Wang Laowu had never seen Duan Changdong before. They had only heard about him from Erbao and the others. He almost kidnapped Erbao in the middle of the night right under their noses. No matter what, this guy was not a kind person.

Others lent him money, and he would drag them to accompany him in taking risks.

This is not something that a person who often deals with people and carefully reads other people's faces in order to survive can do.

This is clearly asking too much!

He took advantage of Erbao's honesty and righteousness to do something to him.

When we arrived at Xinghua Lane, we saw many houses with lights on. The house in the front was where the fat boy lived, and almost even the yard was lit up.

Lamp oil is expensive, so everyone is careful with it. Some families are so stingy that they don't even light the lamp when they get up at night.

Except in special circumstances, like now.

The more lights are lit, the richer the family is.

Some families were still comforting their crying children who were awakened by the fright.

What a mess.

Jiang Lianzhu and the others came to the end of the alley, which was farther away from the front street and had not been disturbed yet, so it was quiet.

When I arrived outside Duan Changdong's house, it was dark inside and there was no sound of anyone.

If Erbao and the little fat boy knew how to lie, Jiang Lianzhu would have suspected that they had found the wrong person or the wrong place.

Jiang Lianzhu knocked on the courtyard door outside.

"Duan Changdong."

It was quiet inside.

I called out several times, but no one responded.

Jiang Lianzhu was about to use more force, but Wang Laowu held her hand back. "Duan Changdong isn't home. There are two adults breathing and a child breathing inside. There are only three people..."

The two adults are Duan Fugui and his wife, and the little one is their mentally retarded son.

Jiang Lianzhu secretly exclaimed, Wang Laowu is awesome, his kung fu is so good that he can even hear the breathing of the people in the room.

She hasn't reached that level yet.

Duan Fugui was sleeping at home, and was in a deep sleep, so the footprints outside the town were unlikely to be his.

"Where did Duan Changdong go? Did he really go to Wuli Town?"

Wang Laowu made an objective analysis, "It shouldn't be. We just checked that path and there were no child's footprints. Maybe they were afraid we'd find them, so they hid somewhere."

Jiang Lianzhu thought about it and it made sense.

He must be afraid that his parents would find out and he would get beaten.

***

Second floor, room.

The two brothers Dabao and Erbao sat on the edge of the bed.

Erbao's hands were red and swollen, caused by Dabao beating him with a ruler. At this moment, Dabao was applying medicine to him.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts." Erbao said obediently.