Chapter 48: Going Their Separate Ways
After walking for about a week, Mu Ren and his group crossed a desert and were heading towards an even more desolate place.
The further you go, the rarer the human settlements become; you only occasionally come across one or two households that can be used for supplies.
Fortunately, Abu and his group had a large number of people and were familiar with the route.
So there are no other problems, it's just that the journey is a bit tough.
With this in mind, Mu Ren became even more concerned about his father's feelings.
Every time it was time to eat or rest, I would make sure my father lay down to rest, but eventually he was forced to get on the camel's back.
Due to his physical condition, he was almost half-tied to the camel's back.
Fortunately, Mu Ren rode with him on the same horse, so he could keep an eye on him at all times.
It wasn't that no one in the group was paying attention, but they only glanced over with curious eyes.
Seeing that no one seemed to be acting strangely, and with Captain Abu's order, few people approached them.
My older cousin was quite relaxed the whole way, only getting a little bored when he was focused on getting there.
But it's much better than doing things at home, especially since you can listen to them chat and joke around when you rest on the road, which is the most interesting part.
Later, someone heard that Mu Ren had been to the capital, so they pulled him aside and told him about the past.
Then Bart joined them and told them about his hunting experiences when he first joined the White Horses.
Most of the people in the camel shop were fellow Tibetans. After several days of getting to know them, I learned that they were going to Tanggula to find a lama master.
He immediately called out the name of Lama Tsering Phuntsok.
And he only praised them for their good taste, saying that this was a very famous master craftsman in the area.
Mu Ren immediately asked many questions, and some kind-hearted people told them what they knew, especially pointing out details that outsiders might not pay attention to, to make sure they didn't violate any of their taboos.
Mu Ren benefited greatly from the experience and shared some of the dried meat he had brought with them that very day as a token of his gratitude.
Afterwards, the group continued their journey and finally arrived in Gansu Province.
Then, you only need to continue along the national highway for about half a month to reach your destination.
As an outsider, entering a bustling town.
Everyone was very excited, and the local people didn't react much to the sight of a group of people riding camels.
It seems like she already likes it, yet it also seems like she doesn't care at all.
Muren followed the group to a place to stop, and Abu instructed his men to disperse and get to work.
Some people went to contact the supply points below, some were responsible for livestock feed, and the rest seized the time to replenish food and fodder.
Bart, unusually, asked to try a bowl of local ramen.
The group greeted Abu, found a small shop, and ordered a bowl of clear soup noodles. When they ate it, they were amazed by how delicious it was.
"It's delicious, Dad, you should try it, it's really delicious."
Bart tasted it and nodded in approval.
......
"When can I leave? I want to go back!"
The boy stopped Hosen and made a direct request.
Hosen had just taken a short break when he saw him lingering around him and refused, saying, "You can't leave yet."
"Why? That's not what you said back then. You said I could leave anytime after handing over the things, and that I needed to go back to take care of my uncle."
Hossen ignored him, pretending not to notice his complaint.
“Your uncle is doing well. Those ancient medical prescriptions have indeed been submitted, but they still need to be verified and reviewed, so you cannot leave at the moment.”
Young Gyatso's eyes widened, as if he had never seen such a shameless person before, and he looked at him with considerable disdain.
"Then find me another place; I need to cultivate."
He is currently living in Hosen's own residence. Although the environment is quite nice, it faces the main street, and people coming and going will always interrupt him.
"Sure, please let me know if you have any other requests."
The boy shook his head, then nodded.
"I want to leave as soon as possible and go home."
"Okay, I understand. I'll let my superiors know."
After seeing the boy off, Huo Sen's drowsiness vanished, and he went downstairs to make a phone call.
He quickly figured out the current progress and realized he wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon.
Hosen sighed, closed his eyes, and recalled what had happened.
"It's true, watch your surroundings, someone has already hit you."
"Investigating me? Or rather, investigating the people around me, Ganda Gyatso? But what does he have on him? Tibetan medicine prescriptions or ancient scriptures? These shouldn't be enough to warrant this." Huo Sen suddenly felt that everything around him was a mess, and he really didn't know what was going on.
Moreover, he didn't have anything major to deal with, so he was just sitting around watching the boy.
Hosen vaguely felt that he was being taken along, but he could never quite grasp the thread, which undoubtedly made him somewhat irritable.
His thoughts seemed less important at this moment.
Inside a large courtyard with red walls in the capital, a half-blind old man is playing chess with someone.
The person opposite him lowered his head in deep thought, considering how to capture his piece.
The blind old man nodded with a profound and inscrutable expression.
He made some calculations with his right hand and suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
"Oh dear, this is really strange."
"Blind Chen, what strange thing are you doing now? Are you deliberately making a commotion because you're about to lose?"
Old Qin said with a look that said, "I see right through him."
"Hey, hey, hey, what nonsense are you talking about? I didn't think that way at all."
"Old Qin, you're talking about twins, how come one is so powerful while the other is so weak? Could it be that they are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining?"
"What kind of time is this? You're still promoting feudal superstition. Let me tell you, Blind Chen, if you don't want to die a violent death, you'd better not cause any trouble."
If Luo Yin were here, she would definitely be surprised that Ani's good friend, Grandpa Qin, actually knew that old man who ran the stall.
But she certainly didn't know that at the time.
"No, no, it's just fate that brought us together. Seeing two similar faces in such remote places, one in the south and one in the north, how could it not make people curious?" Especially one of them, whom he couldn't understand, yet whose fate was strangely bizarre.
He immediately took it to heart and kept an eye out for information, not wanting to alarm Old Qin.
They then cleverly managed to get information about the girl from him.
"That girl is my friend's daughter. Although it's the first time we've met, you better put your mind at ease and don't do anything messy."
Seeing that he looked deep in thought, Lao Qin was afraid of dragging Luo Yin into it.
How am I going to explain this to the Maui brothers?
"I know, I know, stop nagging and hurry up with the next step, or I'll win this round."
"Tsk tsk, you've got a good idea. I knew you weren't up to any good."
Luo Yin was unaware that someone had inquired about her background more than a dozen times, and that she was even being watched by eyes.
If she weren't spending most of her time at school, something might actually have been exposed.
Time flies, and May has arrived.
As temperatures gradually rise, all things come to life.
Not long ago, I received a call from my second brother, informing me that everyone at home was safe and sound and had arrived safely at their destination after a long journey.
It took quite a bit of time to find Tsering Lama's temple, and we ended up staying there.
According to the doctor, it will take several more months of treatment.
So after discussion, the family quickly went to town again, and the mother and she even went to the city to transfer some money to the second brother's savings account.
Tell them that everything is fine at home, and that they must get well soon and not to worry.
After settling things at home, Luo Yin also learned the latest news from her homeroom teacher.
The county's No. 1 Middle School indicated that they could discuss skipping a grade, but she would need to personally come to the school to take the exam.
If she passes the exam and achieves excellent results in the high school entrance exam, not only will her subsequent tuition and fees be waived, but she will also be given as much autonomy as possible and continue to enjoy the greatest convenience.
Luo Yin agreed, and one day in May, she took leave and went to the county high school with Teacher Chen.
They were received by Mr. Liu, the director of the admissions office.
After greeting them one by one, Teacher Liu quickly led them to a classroom.
The teacher was already waiting in the classroom, and there were stacks of exam papers on the podium.
"You're Luo Yin, right? These are exam papers. Just finish them within the allotted time. The order of the papers doesn't matter."
Luo Yin nodded to her homeroom teacher and then buried herself in her work.
Once she calmed down, she forgot the time. Luo Yin wrote one page after another, and soon filled in the contents.
When she realized she was hungry, she only had two subjects left to complete.
She glanced at the time and realized it was lunchtime. She quickly checked all the test papers in front of her and, after confirming there were no errors, raised her hand to submit them.
"Okay, those that are fine can be handed in. We'll do the rest after lunch."
Luo Yin nodded and followed the teacher out of the classroom, watching him take the blank exam paper away.
After having a meal at the county high school cafeteria with her homeroom teacher and resting for a while, she started taking the exam again.
By the end of the day, when she finally put down her pen, her fingers were cramping.
"Finally finished!"
"Teacher, I'm handing in my paper."
After a long day of running around until school was over, Chen Lan took her away from the county high school and rode her bicycle towards the town.
When the two arrived at the school, thinking there would be no food, they turned around and went to a nearby state-run school. Luo Yin patted her chest and said that she would treat them to this meal.
"Okay, then you can do it."
After eating and drinking their fill, the two hurried back to their evening self-study session.
After that day, the relationship between the teacher and student became even more harmonious.
A few days later, the county's results came out, and Chen Lanxi called Luo Yin to her office early in the morning.
Luo Yin, who was praising and complimenting her, almost turned around and ran away on the spot.
"Hahaha, this is a sure thing. You should spend the next month reviewing and consolidating your knowledge. You'll definitely be fine."
"Okay, thank you, teacher. I understand."
"Go ahead, keep a positive attitude, and be careful."
When Luo Yin returned home, she told her family what had happened, and Urina and Ani were very happy for her.
Who doesn't like a child who loves learning, especially one who is so good at studying?
Not to mention the town, even on their own Xizhumuqin Grassland, Luo Yin is probably a unique existence.
"Great! If you can study until the end, all your tuition and fees will be waived, and even your meals will be free. Huahua should really tell your father. He will be very happy to know."
"Hehe, right? I think so too."
Ani patted his clothes and beckoned her over.
Upon seeing this, Loin noticed that Ani had tossed her a string of beads.
"Ani, what is this?"
She held it to her nose and sniffed; it had a light, pleasant woody scent.
"Here you go, take good care of it, it's good for your health."
"Ah, hehe, thank you, Annie. I'll definitely keep it safe."
Luo Yin didn't ask any more questions, but showed off her bracelet to her mother. Her mother's eyes lit up and she said, "Hua Hua, when you finish your exams, come with me to your older brother's place. I wonder how Orgel is doing now, and whether he's easy to take care of."
Luo Yin's tone was filled with joy as she thought of her little nephew.
"Yes, it feels like it's been so long. The little guy must have grown up to be chubby and healthy."
Urina smiled kindly, "But it's far away, and I don't know if your older brother and sister-in-law are too busy to come over. It would be better if it were closer."
Urina still missed them very much. Ani, who was listening nearby, tapped her eyelid.
"Ahem, I'll find an opportunity to go along sometime."
"ah?"
The mother and daughter looked at Ani, seemingly not expecting her to say that.
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under those two gazes, Ani quickly walked away with brisk steps.
The two people left behind exchanged a smile.
Hahaha~
At the end of May, someone approached Comrade Xia Mingjiang of the research institute.
Xia Mingjiang was writing a report at the time and was taken aback when he heard that someone from the Organization Department was looking for him.
When Xia Mingjiang entered the office and met the team leader, he was dumbfounded after being introduced to both sides!
"What relationship? My relationship with Comrade Luo Yin is completely innocent. We are just fellow countrymen helping each other. There is nothing wrong with it at all."
"Comrade leader, has something gone wrong?"
Xia looked at the newcomer with a serious expression, but her mind was filled with memories of everything related to Luo Yin.
What happened? Could something have gone wrong?
"Comrade Xia Mingjiang, the organization is investigating. Please answer the questions calmly and truthfully. We will handle the matter properly."
Xia, who had been glared at by the team leader several times, sat obediently below and was questioned for more than an hour before being released.
Even after the team leader saw the person off, he still didn't understand what had happened.
"Alright, finish what you're doing quickly. I'll give you a day off to lay low for a while."
"No, who are these people, team leader and others? How did they find me?"
The team leader glanced at him and, because of Elder Xia's connection, explained a few things to him.
"Alright, they're just here to gather information. Since they didn't tell you, it means you can't listen to them. Stop asking around and get out of here."
Xia Mingjiang was unwilling to give up, always feeling that something was keeping him hanging on, making him itchy inside.
While busy with my current tasks, I thought about the people around me and realized that Huo Sen seemed to be the most suitable. Entrusting the matter to him would prevent any leaks and I could also use my connections to inquire about it.
As for the people in his family, none of them are involved in this area.
"Brother, what's wrong with me? Could it be that that girl caused some trouble? But I don't think so. It sounds like someone is watching her closely, trying to find out everything about her. Cough cough, that girl doesn't seem to have anything special about her. What's going on? Can you analyze this for me?"
Huo Sen, who had a cold and indifferent expression, finally understood what he meant when he heard this.
"So you said it was someone from the Organization Department surnamed Liu who came to see you."
"Yes, that's what they said. They just dragged me in from outside and asked me a lot of questions. Even though I said some things about the project were confidential, they still pulled out slips of paper and made me answer them. They have a lot of power!"
He told his grandfather about it, and his grandfather told him to keep his mouth shut and not spread it around, but why did he not say a word?
Unable to find a way in, he turned to Hosen.
Hosen nodded, and after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly realized what was happening.
"If I'm not mistaken, it was done from up there," Hosen said cryptically, then lowered his voice.
"Oh, what? You know what the situation is?"
Hossen nodded. "I don't know if you've heard of Project Zero."
"What is this? I've never heard of it." Xia Mingjiang shook his head directly, but repeated it several times before suddenly slamming his hand on the table. "Hey, why does this sound so familiar?"
Hosen's face changed from its usual expression, becoming inscrutable.
"Well, it's said to be based on a zero-character plan proposed by a foreign research institution, which aims to discover various special groups of people across the country, monitor and test them, and gather them together to serve the country."
"Do these people really exist? So..."
Hosen's expression was complicated, his eyes filled with a deep darkness.
"I have also heard rumors that this plan was proposed in the 1950s, but it was shelved for various reasons and was not restarted until twenty years later."
Perhaps due to the combined influence of domestic and international factors, they were able to identify more than a dozen exceptional talents.
They are now secretly placed in various locations across different sectors.
"If I'm not mistaken, that girl is currently in the reserves, and she probably contacted us for further investigation."
After listening to him, Xia Mingjiang clicked his tongue in amazement.
"I can't believe it! I really can't believe it! How did they select me? I didn't show any change in that regard. Could it be that they didn't discover my talent?"
Seeing that he had gone off-topic, Hosen quickly changed the subject.
"I heard you've been working hard lately, what have you been busy with?"
"By the way, speaking of which, I have to tell you something. Do you know about underwater shipwrecks? I've heard a lot of news lately, and I heard that there's a lot of gold buried in the shipwrecks in the south."
"Where did you get this news from? Who told you this?" Huo Sen immediately recognized it as a rumor. If this news were true, wouldn't the government send people to rescue them? In this day and age, the whole nation is tightening its belts to focus on construction; how could they miss out on such a good opportunity?
“Really, really, I put in a lot of effort. I not only went to the National Museum every day, but also went to the National Library. It has clear records of G Province’s maritime trade, down to how much cargo was transported each year, how much silver and treasures were brought back, and even the distribution of shipwrecks.”
Huo Sen frowned more and more as he listened, and he gave him a look first.
Xia Mingjiang was taken aback and subconsciously shut his mouth.
"What's wrong?"
Hosen looked around but didn't notice anyone following him.
He lowered his voice and said, "From now on, don't say these things as soon as you think of them. Be careful."
"That's why I'm telling you," he said, glancing outside at me as well. "Do you think someone's eavesdropping?"
"Does anyone else know about this?" He didn't answer, but asked instead.
"Nobody else knows. I mentioned it to my grandfather, but no one else knows."
"Keep this a secret, don't tell anyone else, and keep those documents safe, don't leave them out in the open."
"What's wrong? Is there some trouble?"
Xia Mingjiang noticed his nervousness; he was somewhat nervous for some reason.
Thinking about it, these past few days have really been a turbulent time, and my mood has inexplicably plummeted.
The major events in the capital at the beginning of the year, as well as recent rumors, have made the political atmosphere in the capital very tense.
The elders in the family had repeatedly told them to keep their heads down and stay put, and after considering the situation, Xia Mingjiang's gaze involuntarily swept towards him.
Hosen nodded. "I don't know yet, but you should behave yourself recently. The surrounding area will definitely take advantage of the situation. If you don't want trouble, just stay quiet."
As if knowing his plans, she said, "If possible, try to go out of the capital. Don't stay in the capital for the last year."
Thinking of his father's expression, Huo Sen couldn't help but remind him a few things.
"Oh no, are they here to settle scores with us again?"
Xia Mingjiang thought with a headache, "Who told them to have such unusual backgrounds?"
Although having the title of overseas Chinese makes many things easier for them than for ordinary people, there are always times when things get inexplicably difficult. If it weren't for the reputation their family has built up abroad, who knows what they might have encountered.
"Okay, okay, I'll go back and talk to my family, and ask Grandpa to get me out of here as soon as possible."
"What about you? What are you going to do? I heard that the boy is still staying with you. Are you not going to leave?"
"If you're leaving, I'm leaving too. Don't worry."
The two had a meal, each carrying their own worries, and then left.
With the high school entrance exam approaching, the day Luo Yin had been waiting for finally arrived.
From the day she moved her luggage, she waited patiently. After resting for two days, her mother, Ani, personally took her to the examination hall.
For this reason, Urina specially stayed with her in town for two days.
After finishing the last exam, Luo Yin let out a deep breath.
Turning around, she saw Urina waving at her, holding a bottle of soda in her hand.
"Here you go, it's just been chilled."
Touching the slightly cool glass bottle, Luo Yin looked at the beads of sweat on Urina's forehead.
She went over and wiped it off for her. "Don't you have any? Then let's drink together."
"If your mother doesn't want to drink it, you can drink it yourself."
"No, if you don't drink it, I won't drink it either."
Urina dipped her finger in the water, and then was fed a bite by the woman herself before she was satisfied.
When will the results come out? Should we wait before going to see your older brother?
"No need, go ahead. It'll take at least half a month. Let's go find our older brother first."
After discussing it, the mother and daughter quickly bought a large bag of things and went home.
After telling Ani the time, the three of them started packing their things, since they were all going there this time, so their homes needed to be prepared in advance.
There couldn't be no one at home, so I originally planned to ask Ani's relatives for help, but when I went to contact them, they said something had happened at home and they couldn't come.
In the end, there was no other option but to leave one person at home.
Ani was naturally the one who stayed behind, and Urina thought that next time she would definitely let Ani go with them first.
The mother and daughter quickly packed their luggage, as they had brought more things for them.
They didn't plan to stay permanently, and only left one set of clothes for changing.
The next morning, the two drove their newly made cart past the elder brother's house.
The road was very peaceful, and after passing through the small path, one would reach the wide mainland.
Along the way, we encountered many farmers working in the fields. We nodded to each other and then went about our own business.
They arrived in town around mid-afternoon and parked at the north gate of the town as usual.
“Mom, we’ll reach my sister-in-law’s school if we walk one more step.”
Luo Yin recalled her previous memories and reminded Urina.
"Is school over now?"
Luo Yin glanced at the sky. "The lower grades should be out of school by now. My sister-in-law teaches fourth grade, so she should have one more class. Shall we go to school first?"
Urina looked down and said, "Let's put the things at home first. I have a key."
Luo Yin thought about it and agreed, so she turned the car around and headed towards the alley.
After walking through the streets and turning several corners, I finally found the small courtyard.
The old men and women at the alley entrance had already been watching them intently.
Some of them, immediately on guard, began to whisper among themselves.
However, some sharp-eyed people noticed that it was a mother and daughter, and judging from their attire and the items in the car, they couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
Urina gestured for her to stop and quickly got out of the car.
“We are relatives of this family, and we came to visit the children.”
“Oh, I remember you. Didn’t you come here a few years ago when you first moved?” An elderly woman with a good memory pointed at them.
"Yes, yes, I've been here once before."
Luo Yin stood to the side and smiled, watching her mother deal with the elders.
She discovered that her usually calm and dignified mother seemed quite adept at social interaction.
I wonder if it was the long-term repression and lack of conversation that made her want to talk to someone.
"This is your child. This girl is quite tall and very pretty."
The elders in this area prefer tall and slender children, regardless of gender, as long as they are tall.
Luo Yin smiled shyly and nodded from time to time to show that she had listened.
"Yes, yes, just like her older brother, she's quite tall."
"Dear uncles and aunts, my husband and I don't have any elders around, so we'd really appreciate your help." She handed the keys to Luo Yin and then turned to come out carrying another bag.
There were milk tablets she was preparing to distribute to them.
"Hua Hua, hurry up and take the car there."
"Okay!"
Luo Yin had been itching to stay any longer, and upon hearing the instruction, she hurriedly opened the door and went inside.
Children had already gathered around, and some of the bolder ones even approached the tall horse.
"Hey, hey, watch out! I'm going to crack the whip, don't come any closer!"
"You worthless bastards, let's see who dares to go over there, aren't they afraid of kicking you to pieces!"
"Hurry up and get over here, what are you going to do with all of you?"
"Don't make me beat you up, get over here right now."
One after another, the angry roars of the old lady and the old man could be heard.
Seeing this, Urina first handed a few milk tablets to the two children closest to her.
"It's made of milk, so it's delicious!"
The child sniffed and stuck out his tongue to lick it.
"tasty!"
"You good-for-nothing, don't you know how to say thank you?"
"Girl, you're too kind. One for each of you is enough, no need for more."
"Yes, yes, please sit down. Your young couple hasn't gotten off work yet. Let's sit down and have a chat."
The hospitable and generous old ladies chatted with her, and some were even thinking about sending her something back.
Urina still distributed the milk tablets she had, giving a few to each child.
Looking at the elderly ladies and gentlemen beside him, his expression became even more amiable.
Although they were cursing and angry, they were still their own juniors. Since the other party had given it to them, they accepted it. Even if they couldn't return it later, they would still take good care of the young couple living there.
"Your grandson is much more famous than your son and daughter-in-law."
"Yes, yes, you don't know how fat this kid is, he's the strongest kid I've ever seen."
"Haha, it's probably too heavy to hold now."
Seeing that Urina's smile grew wider, everyone started talking about things they encountered in their daily lives.
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