Chapter 212 Yellow Sands Fill the Sky, Arrival
Rumble—
A few days later, the green train finally came to a stop at the platform amidst a screeching sound of metal scraping.
As soon as the carriage door opened, a gust of wind carrying sand and gravel howled in.
Su Wantang subconsciously narrowed her eyes and raised her hand to shield her face.
The sky was a hazy yellow, the sun obscured by thick dust, leaving only a blurry outline. The air was very dry, and every breath filled the nostrils with the smell of sand.
"Sister-in-law, watch your step."
A special forces member who had come with her jumped out of the vehicle first and reached out to help her.
Lu Jingyan had already stepped in front of Su Wantang, his tall frame shielding her from most of the wind and sand. He jumped out of the car first, and after regaining his footing, he turned around and reached out his hand to her.
"Come."
His palms were large and warm. Su Wantang placed her hand on them, and he gently pulled it down.
Qin Zheng and two other team members followed closely behind. The five of them stood on the empty platform, their military green uniforms standing out against the backdrop of yellow sand.
An officer in a faded military uniform, with dark skin and appearing to be in his early thirties, strode up to greet them. He had a blade of grass dangling from his mouth and walked with a somewhat lazy gait.
"Comrade Lu Jingyan?" He looked Lu Jingyan up and down, his eyes scrutinizing him.
Lu Jingyan didn't say anything, but took out a document sealed in a brown paper bag from his pocket and handed it over.
The officer, who was also the platoon leader of the local garrison, was named Zhang Hu. He took the document, casually tore open the seal, and pulled out the secret order inside.
With just one glance, the laziness on his face vanished instantly, and the hay he was holding in his mouth fell to the ground with a "thud".
He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with horror as he stared at Lu Jingyan. The next second, he snapped to attention, gave a perfect military salute, and roared in a loud voice, "Greetings, Commander! Zhang Hu, Platoon Leader of the First Platoon, Second Company, Third Border Regiment, reporting for duty!"
This sudden change drew curious glances from the few locals who were preparing to board the train on the platform.
Lu Jingyan returned the greeting, his voice steady: "Thank you for your hard work."
Zhang Hu lowered his hand, his back still ramrod straight, his attitude utterly respectful. He dared not look at him again, but simply lowered his head and said:
"Sir, the car is ready. Please come with me! Let's go to the guesthouse and settle in first."
That secret order, personally signed by Old Master Lu and stamped with the highest-level seal, was like an imperial edict that no one dared to disobey in this remote northwest frontier.
The jeep bumped along the dusty dirt road.
The town is small; the so-called best guesthouse in town is nothing more than a two-story, gray-brown building.
The room was extremely basic, with two wooden plank beds, a table with peeling paint, and a chair. The paint on the walls was crumbling, and sand kept pouring into the cracks in the windows.
Zhang Hu rubbed his hands a little embarrassedly: "Commander, sister-in-law, the conditions here... are a bit lacking. This is already the best place around here."
Su Wantang smiled and shook her head: "It's already very good. Thank you for your help, Platoon Leader Zhang."
Zhang Hu waved his hand repeatedly, and after settling them in, he led his men to guard downstairs.
As soon as the door closed, Su Wantang took out a military water bottle and a clean towel from her canvas bag.
She unscrewed the kettle, poured out some crystal-clear water, and soaked the towel in it.
Lu Jingyan looked at her without saying a word. The water was so clear that it didn't seem like it should be in this place.
Su Wantang walked up to him, stood on tiptoe, and carefully wiped the dust off his face with a damp towel. From his forehead to the bridge of his nose, and then to his chin.
Her movements were very light and gentle.
The towel, carrying a hint of coolness, brushed away the wind, frost, and fatigue of the journey.
Lu Jingyan just stood there, letting her do as she pleased. His deep eyes reflected her focused and serious profile, and all his coldness melted away at that moment.
After wiping his face, Su Wantang unscrewed another small bottle, poured out some milky white cream, and applied it to his face with her fingertips.
"It's so dry here. If you don't take care of your skin, your face will easily get chapped," she said softly.
After doing all that, she also gave herself a quick clean-up.
Lu Jingyan pulled her hand over and frowned as he looked at her fingertips, which were slightly red from dryness.
Not long after, Zhang Hu knocked on the door from the outside.
"Sir, dinner is ready. Also, I've brought you the documents you requested."
Inside the room, Lu Jingyan spread out a simple military map, and Zhang Hu pointed to an area in the northwest corner with a solemn expression.
"Sir, this is the place you are going to."
Lu Jingyan learned from him that the area had been designated a "military restricted zone" twenty years ago after the scientific expedition team disappeared. Later, for some unknown reason, the management was transferred to a unit called the "Resources Management Bureau".
“This bureau chief is named Ma Weiguo. He’s not from our military system,” Zhang Hu said in a low voice. “But in this small area, his word carries more weight than anyone else’s. He has a bunch of people under him who are very arrogant, and we don’t want to easily get into a conflict with them.”
In a single sentence, Ma Weiguo's absolute power in the local area was clearly demonstrated.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Beijing, at the Lu family's old residence.
Meng Wan and Grandma Lu were stuffing things into a large package.
"This wool sweater is thick and warm. The temperature difference between day and night is large in the Northwest, so it's perfect for Jingyan."
"And this moisturizing cream, I had someone specially made it for me. Wan Tang's skin is delicate, so I don't want it to get damaged by the wind."
Grandma Lu sat to the side, fiddling with her prayer beads, and muttering, "Last night, I dreamt of our Yuewa'er. It was blurry, I couldn't see her face clearly, and she just kept crying, which made me feel uneasy."
Meng Wan stopped what she was doing, walked over, took her mother-in-law's hand, and gently comforted her, "Mom, don't overthink it, this is a good thing. It means Yueyue is thinking of us too. Jingyan and Wantang might really be able to bring her back."
She comforted her mother-in-law, but in her heart she gained a deeper understanding of Su Wantang's identity as "Bai Shu".
This daughter-in-law is no ordinary woman.
She can be a powerful figure outside, building her own business empire. At home, she can also cook and care for her prickly son, giving him a true "home."
Such a daughter-in-law is a blessing for the Lu family.
Even if it costs her life, Meng Wan will protect this family and these two children.
Northwest, guesthouse.
Lu Jingyan's slender fingers moved across the map, finally landing on the last coordinate point mentioned in the report.
"What's this place called?"
Zhang Hu's expression changed, and he leaned closer and said, "Sir, this place is really eerie. We locals call it 'Ghost's Bane'."
"Ghost's Bane?"
“Yes.” Zhang Hu swallowed. “That is to say, even ghosts are afraid to approach it. I heard that the scientific expedition team disappeared there twenty years ago. Later, the Administration took over and put up a wire fence several meters high, sealing off the entrance. They also assigned people to watch over it 24 hours a day, and no one was allowed to enter.”
He looked troubled as he said this: "Those people... are all Ma Weiguo's confidants, they only listen to him, and they are completely unyielding."
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier.
A forbidden zone deliberately sealed off for twenty years, a dangerous place that even locals dare not approach, a local tyrant who holds absolute power.
All the clues pointed to the bureau chief named Ma Weiguo.
Lu Jingyan's face appeared particularly cold and stern in the dim light.
He put away the map, looked out the window at the endless yellow sand, and gave the order directly:
"Tomorrow morning, let's go and meet with this Director Ma."
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