On the return trip in the jeep, the atmosphere was even more somber than on the way there.
Jiang Feng focused on driving, his cold profile revealing little emotion, but his fingers gripped the steering wheel with more force than usual.
Howard held the heavy stack of books, feeling their weight as if he were holding a bright but uncertain future and unpredictable risks.
Mingzhao continued to quietly watch the scenery rushing past the window, but her clear eyes seemed to hold a deeper meaning than when she arrived.
It was already afternoon when the car stopped at the entrance of the residential compound.
As the sun began to set, it cast long shadows from the earthen-yellow courtyard walls, and the air was filled with the aroma of cooking as families prepared their evening meals.
"Commander Huo, Comrade Mingzhao, I'll see you off here."
Jiang Feng didn't get out of the car. He spoke through the window, his gaze lingering on Ming Zhao for a moment, "Please take Professor Liu's words to heart. See you next week." His tone carried a heavy, entrustment that only Howard could understand.
"Understood, Captain Jiang, thank you for your hard work." Huo Hua nodded and got out of the car with Ming Zhao.
The jeep kicked up a cloud of dust and quickly disappeared at the end of the dirt road.
Howard, carrying his books, walked home side by side with Mingzhao.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the two people.
The family compound was quiet, with only the distant sounds of children playing and women calling for meals.
"The books are heavy, can you give me some?" Howard asked Mingzhao, turning his head to the side.
Mingzhao shook her head, stubbornly pointing to the top book, "Fundamentals of Aerodynamics," in Howard's arm, then to herself. Her meaning was clear: she wanted to keep that book herself.
Howard had no choice but to pull out the thinner book on top and hand it to her.
Mingzhao immediately took it with both hands, as if holding some rare treasure, and hugged it tightly to her chest, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rough cover.
The two had just walked to an old elm tree a dozen meters from their doorstep when a dry whirlwind, characteristic of the Great Northern Wilderness and carrying sand and dust, swept over them without warning!
"Ugh!" Mingzhao gasped softly as the whirlwind, as if it had eyes, suddenly blasted sand and dust into her slightly widened eyes! The intense stinging sensation made her close her eyes instantly, and tears welled up.
She subconsciously raised her hand to rub her eyes, and the book she was holding suddenly lost its grip and fell to the dusty ground with a thud.
Several sheets of draft paper, which she had tucked between the pages of a book and scribbled down some symbols and formulas, were blown out by the wind and scattered in a whirl!
"Don't rub!" Howard reacted quickly, holding the book in his arms tightly with one hand, and gently grabbing Mingzhao's wrist as he tried to rub his eyes with the other.
Ignoring the fallen book, he immediately bent down and brought his face close to Mingzhao's. "Open your eyes a little wider, I'll blow on them for you!"
Mingzhao was in great pain from the stinging sensation, and obediently tilted her head back slightly, trying to open her stinging, tearful eyes.
Howard carefully pried open her eyelids with his fingertips, leaned close, and gently blew a few short breaths into her reddened eyes.
A gentle breeze, carrying Howard's body heat, brushed past my eyes, slightly relieving the burning pain and the feeling of something stuck in them.
Mingzhao's tears flowed even more fiercely, but she was still able to open her eyes a crack.
"Are you feeling better?" Howard's voice was right next to my ear, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Mingzhao blinked her still sore and tearful eyes, nodded, and said in a slightly nasal voice, "...Mm."
Howard breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up. Only then did he notice the books that had fallen to the ground and the scattered draft papers.
He first sheltered Mingzhao on the leeward side of the old elm tree, letting her rest against the trunk, before bending down to pick up the books and scattered papers.
He quickly picked up most of the draft papers and put them back in the book. He was meticulous; he checked everything carefully to make sure nothing was missed.
But one thing is missing: the futuristic hang glider structure diagram that Mingzhao drew on Liu Wenjun's desk!
Because that drawing was done on a whim, using ordinary white paper, it wasn't tucked inside a book, but placed separately on top so that it would fly the farthest when the wind blew!
Howard's heart tightened, and his sharp eyes immediately swept around.
As dusk fell, the light in the family compound became somewhat dim.
A white piece of paper was caught in the whirlwind and floated into the dense, overgrown locust bushes behind the old elm tree, where it got stuck between several sharp branches.
Howard strode over, parted the thorny branches, and was about to reach out and grab it.
Just then, on the other side of the bushes, on a secluded path leading to the back gate of the residential compound, a small figure in dark blue overalls was hurrying past, pushing an empty cart.
He seemed startled by the commotion in the bushes and instinctively glanced in Howard's direction.
Howard's hand had already touched the edge of the drawing!
The thin worker's gaze fell precisely on the piece of white paper wedged between the branches!
His gaze quickly and casually returned to his original position, as if he had only glanced around unintentionally.
The moment Howard looked up, he had already looked down again, continued pushing the cart, turned into a narrower alley, and disappeared into the twilight.
Only the creaking of the cartwheels rolling over the dirt road remained, and soon it was no longer audible.
Howard's heart sank slightly; the long training had instantly raised his vigilance to its highest level!
He yanked the drawing from the tree branch, folded it quickly, and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his uniform, his movements so fast they created a whooshing sound.
He walked back to Mingzhao's side, his face as cold and stern as iron.
"It's alright now. Sand and dust getting in your eyes is common." He tried to keep his voice steady as he shoved the book he had picked up back into Mingzhao's arms. "We've retrieved the blueprints too. Let's go home."
Mingzhao rubbed her still slightly uncomfortable eyes, glanced at Howard's taut jawline and his hand instinctively protecting his inner pocket, and then looked at the empty path outside the bushes.
She didn't speak, but simply held the book and nodded quietly.
Howard protected her and they walked quickly home.
The moment he closed the courtyard gate, he leaned against the cold wooden door, listening to the ordinary sounds of Li Xiaocao calling for dinner coming from Wang Aiguo's house next door, and all around was peaceful.
The next morning, before dawn, the residential compound was still shrouded in a thin, silent mist.
Howard had just started the fire in the stove, preparing to cook some millet porridge for Mingzhao.
A rapid, heavy knocking came from outside the gate, accompanied by the guard Xiao Li's deliberately low but barely concealed anxious voice: "Commander! Commander Huo! Emergency! We need to go on a mission immediately!"
Howard's heart skipped a beat. He immediately put down the fire tongs and quickly walked over to open the courtyard gate.
Xiao Li stood outside the door, his face more solemn than ever before, his breathing a little rapid, holding a folded telegram stamped with a bright red "Top Secret Urgent" seal in his hand!
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