Escort Agency
The golden wheat fields and snow-white cotton mountains of Kaoshan Village are gradually losing their splendor.
Instead, there was an increasingly busy scene of shipments.
The finely spun cotton cloth and yarn, like an endless stream, flowed along the winding mountain road to be sold to even more distant places.
With shipments surging, relying solely on the village's able-bodied men and Li Qingshan's organization has become insufficient.
Hiring external escorts is imperative.
The news of the selection of a security escort agency spread among several security escort companies in the county town.
The conditions deterred many people, who even secretly thought that Madam Shen was too harsh and demanding.
"Goods from the workshop in Kaoshan Village." Ling Zhan's voice was transmitted through the middleman, clear, cold, and leaving no room for negotiation.
"Only your escort agency will be responsible for the escort. All your agencies' industries, businesses, and connections in the county town or other places must be kept separate from my workshop in Kaoshan Village. Accounts must be kept independently, and personnel must not interact with each other. All information about the workshop, what you see and hear, must be top secret and not a single word may be leaked. Anyone who violates this rule will be subject to tenfold compensation and will never be employed by you again."
These almost harsh "isolation" clauses caused several powerful security escort agencies to back out.
In business, the key is to have intricate connections and mutual exchange of resources.
Such a self-imposed limitation and self-imposed constraint is truly rare.
Ultimately, the one who took on this hot potato was Qi Family Escort Agency, a company in the county that wasn't the largest but was known for its "strict and rigid" approach.
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was a man nearing fifty, with a serious and stern face like a rock.
He personally led several core bodyguards to a designated location outside Kaoshan Village to meet the legendary matriarch of the Shen family.
Qi Biao Tou had spent half his life traveling the martial arts world and had seen all sorts of people.
The young woman in front of me, dressed in a simple blue cloth dress and with a slightly thin figure, seemed unremarkable at first glance.
She is even a little too quiet.
However, when his gaze met Ling Zhan's raised eyes, his heart skipped a beat!
Those eyes!
There was neither the timidity nor the scheming of an ordinary woman, nor the ruthlessness or arrogance of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world); there was only a pure, almost ethereal tranquility.
But beneath this calm...
Qi Biaotou, however, felt an invisible, suffocating sense of oppression!
It felt as if the blood in my body had frozen instantly, as if I were being coldly stared at by a primordial beast lurking in the depths of an abyss.
"Chief Escort Qi," Ling Zhan began, "do you understand the rules?"
Qi Biao Tou's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty as he forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart.
He had never felt so eerie before. The other party had not released any killing intent or displayed any martial arts skills. Just a glance and a question were enough to make this old hand who had been living on the edge feel a deadly threat.
He had no doubt that if he harbored even the slightest ill intention or perfunctory attitude at this moment, he would face utter ruin.
"clear!"
Qi the镖头's voice carried a tension he himself was unaware of, along with a barely perceptible hint of respect.
He clasped his hands in a salute, bowing even lower than usual. "Don't worry, Madam Ling! I, Qi, guarantee with my life and the century-old reputation of the Qi Family Escort Agency that I will abide by the rules! Anything in the workshop that enters the sight or hearing of anyone in my agency is a death sentence! Absolutely no leaks! Accounts will be settled separately, down to the last penny! If there is any violation, I, Qi, will offer my head to you!"
The bodyguards behind him, sensing their leader's unusually solemn attitude and the invisible, heavy pressure in the air, also solemnly clasped their fists in greeting.
We dare not be negligent in the slightest.
"Okay." Ling Zhan replied with only one word.
His gaze shifted from Qi the镖头's face to the镖师 behind him, slowly sweeping across each of their eyes. Every镖师 whose eyes were swept over felt their hearts pound wildly, cold sweat instantly soaking their backs, as if that gaze had mercilessly pierced and scrutinized the deepest, most hidden corners of their hearts.
A sense of utter exposure and complete dread gripped them.
“You decide on the personnel. Uncle Qingshan will inform you of the route into the village and the pick-up location. Remember,” Ling Zhan’s final gaze returned to Chief Escort Qi, “you will only handle the goods, not the people, and certainly not the interior of the workshop. What you see is what you get. What you get is what you see.”
"yes!"
Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), responded in a deep voice, his back already feeling icy cold.
He understood that this seemingly ordinary woman was the true and most terrifying core of the Kaoshan Village workshop.
She doesn't need to show her muscles; a single glance is enough to chill people to the bone. What incredible mental strength that is!
The golden wave of autumn harvest has finally receded, and everything in Kaoshan Village has been arranged.
The cotton produced at home is sorted, dried, and packaged, and then transported by truckload to workshops in the county town.
It was time for the Shen family to pack their bags and prepare to return to Kaoshan County.
More than twenty children acted together, which was quite a large-scale operation.
They all helped each other, with one person guiding the other, and everything was done in an orderly manner.
Shen Yan directed the little bull to load the last few bundles of books onto the carriage, then dusted off his hands.
Looking at the busy Ling Zhan, a sly glint flashed in his eyes, as if he had done a great service.
The children behaved themselves under the new "family rules".
The workshop helpers worked with even more enthusiasm, and the school stopped causing trouble.
Shen Yan felt that he had done a pretty good job as a "father".
He cleared his throat.
He slowly walked over to Ling Zhan, who was checking whether the rope knots on the cart shaft were secure.
He spoke in a deliberately casual tone, but with a hint of self-satisfaction: "Um, um... Ling Zhan."
Ling Zhan's men didn't stop moving.
She simply tilted her head slightly and gestured to him with her eyes: Spit it out.
Shen Yan forced a smile that he thought was very friendly and reliable: "Look, the autumn harvest is over, the kids are settled, and we... can finally go back to the county town to catch our breath. I've been helping to take care of these little rascals lately, so I've done my part, haven't I?"
Ling Zhan tied the last knot, straightened up, and habitually wiped his hands on his coarse cloth apron.
She stared at him expressionlessly, waiting for him to continue.
Shen Yan felt a little uneasy under her gaze, but the die was cast.
He steeled himself and blurted out the "perk" he'd been planning for days: "Well... when we get back to the county town, you see, the county school is quite a distance from our workshop, and with the weather getting colder, getting up early to travel will be freezing..."
He paused, observing Ling Zhan's expression. Seeing that she remained unmoved, he grew bolder.
She quickened her pace: "How about... our carriage takes me and Little Bull to the county school every day? It's on the way anyway... right? After dropping us off, you can go to the workshop, perfect! It saves us from braving the wind and snow, which would really affect our mood for studying, right, Little Bull?"
He quickly pulled his son over as an ally.
The little bull was huffing and puffing as it carried a small bundle.
Upon hearing this, she immediately nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, yes! Mother! It's warm in the carriage! I can warm Father's hands!"
The little guy clearly only heard "warm" and "with Dad".
Shen Yan pressed his advantage, revealing his true intentions: "Besides! Look at this early morning, studying on an empty stomach, how inefficient that is! When our carriage passed by Old Zhang's wonton stall at the West Market, the smell... tsk tsk, it smelled amazing! His bone broth wontons have thin wrappers and generous fillings, the broth is snow-white, sprinkled with a handful of bright green scallions, and a few drops of sesame oil... eating them makes you feel so comfortable, guaranteed to keep you energized all day! Even studying will be more enjoyable!"
As he spoke, he smacked his lips.
It was as if the aroma of the wontons had already entered his nostrils, just as if his family hadn't prepared breakfast for him.
He composed himself and finally revealed his true purpose: "So...you see...taking us to school every day and then...treating us to a bowl of wontons for breakfast, isn't that a bit much? Consider it...a reward for my 'hard work' these past few days? The three of us can have a happy breakfast together, wouldn't that be great!"
He spoke with such self-righteousness, as if this demand were a matter of course, even with a touch of self-pity about how much he cares about his family.
Ling Zhan remained calm after listening to his long list of "reasonable and well-founded" demands.
She merely glanced at Shen Yan's face, which held a hint of smugness mixed with a touch of trepidation, and then looked at the little bull beside her, whose eyes were practically screaming "I want to eat wontons."
Her gaze lingered on the faces of the father and son for a fleeting moment, so quickly that it was impossible to grasp her emotions.
Then, she said nothing, neither nodding nor shaking her head, nor scolding him for "taking advantage of her kindness."
She simply turned around, deftly untied the reins from the hitching post, her voice calm and even, as if Chen You's previous words were nothing but air.
"Get in the car, let's go."
Shen Yan: "..."
All the carefully prepared arguments and persuasive reasoning he had prepared were suddenly choked up in his throat.
What's with this reaction...?
Is this the default setting?
Or are you just too lazy to pay attention to him?
He awkwardly touched his nose, his heart pounding, and pulled the little bull up onto the carriage.
Inside the train carriage, he whispered to his son, "What does your mother mean by this? Does she agree or not?"
The little bull, however, is quite optimistic.
He whispered, "Little Stone told me that Mother didn't say no! So it's okay! Dad, we can have wontons tomorrow!"
Shen Yan was skeptical.
The morning after we returned to Kaoshan County, it was still dark and the air was bitterly cold.
Shen Yan was still struggling in her warm bed, wrapped in a quilt, when she heard the clear sound of a cart being harnessed coming from the yard.
He sat up abruptly, threw on his clothes, and rushed to the window.
In the dim morning light, Ling Zhan was already dressed and ready. He put a felt hat on Xiao Shitou and saw him out of the courtyard before getting the horse harnessed.
Inside the carriage, Little Bull, wrapped in a thick late autumn coat, was gnawing on a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), with only his bright eyes showing as he excitedly waved at him.
"Father! Hurry! Mother said she's leaving!"
My weary heart skipped a beat.
He rushed out in a flurry and climbed onto the carriage.
The carriage was covered with thick cotton pads, making it warm and cozy, and warm water was also provided.
Ling Zhan sat on the carriage shaft, flicked the reins, and the carriage smoothly drove out of the alley, heading straight for the county school.
As I passed by Xishikou, I could smell the familiar, mouthwatering aroma of bone broth from afar.
Steam rose from Old Zhang's wonton stall, making it especially tempting on a cold morning.
The carriage came to a steady stop not far from the stall.
Ling Zhan didn't turn around. His voice came through the carriage curtain, still in a flat tone: "Go eat. Fifteen minutes."
"Why!"
Shen Yan responded loudly, a triumphant smile instantly spreading across his face. He grabbed Xiao Man Niu and jumped off the car, heading straight for the wonton stall. "Boss! Three bowls! No, two large bowls! Extra scallions!"
He shouted this boastfully, as if he were the one treating.
The little bull slurped his saliva and whispered, "Dad, did Mom say we don't want to eat?"
Shen Yan then realized that Ling Zhan had said "go eat," not including herself.
He looked back and saw Ling Zhan still sitting upright on the carriage shaft, her back ramrod straight, her gaze calmly fixed on the direction of the workshop ahead. The morning chill seemed to freeze around her. She was like a silent guardian, protecting this moment of warmth shared between father and son.
Shen Yan's smugness suddenly faded, replaced by a subtle, inexplicable emotion.
He quickly changed his mind to the shopkeeper: "Three bowls! One bowl to go!"
The steaming hot wontons were served, and Shen Yan and Xiao Man Niu ate them with sweat pouring down their faces, savoring the delicious taste.
While eating, Shen Yan couldn't help but steal glances through the rising steam at the motionless figure on the carriage shaft.
She really... just delivered them every day like that?
And they even tacitly approved his obviously "unreasonable" request for wontons?
After finishing her wontons, Shen Yan carefully handed the packed bowl to Ling Zhan: "Here, this is for you, while it's hot."
Ling Zhan's gaze fell on the rough porcelain bowl handed to him, the rim of which was still stained with a little oil, and the rising steam blurred her features.
She was silent for a few seconds, then didn't answer, simply saying, "I've already eaten at home. Let's go."
Chen Yan's hand froze in mid-air.
The carriage started again and headed towards the county school.
Inside the carriage, the little bull let out a satisfied burp.
Shen Yan looked at the bowl of wontons in her hand, which was gradually losing its scalding heat, and then at Ling Zhan's straight back, which seemed to be able to bear all the burdens. The wontons that had been so delicious just now suddenly seemed... not so tasty anymore.
He silently put down the bowl, stuffed a few copper coins into the little bull's hand, and whispered, "Keep it safe, tomorrow... Dad will treat you."
My heart felt like it was being steamed by the heat of that bowl of wontons; it was a little choked up, and a little...
An indescribable soreness and weakness.
------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
