Chapter 74 No one could have predicted that Lin Qing'an wouldn't...
Lin Qingan did not object, but hesitated for a moment before asking Chen Gengnian, "Brother Nian, although we are not some kind of saints who save people from suffering, doing one more good deed might prevent us from having too much regret if something irreversible happens in the future, right?"
Chen Gengnian paused for a moment, went over the words in his mind again, and finally understood their meaning. He pulled the man into his arms, nuzzled his forehead affectionately with his chin, and said gently, "I know what you mean, but we need to think about this again. If we don't do things right, we'll be labeled with a label we can't get rid of."
Lin Qing'an nodded, and Chen Gengnian then slowly began to analyze, "The country is in turmoil, the emperor is inactive, not only are foreign enemies invading, but those with power and influence are also recruiting soldiers everywhere. Therefore, some enemies may not be foreign enemies. In addition, our county is in a very good location. Although it is not rich, it can still produce some grain. There must be many people who have long coveted this place. If we mention this matter in advance, those hiding in the shadows will definitely not let us go."
Lin Qing'an hadn't thought it was that complicated, nor had he considered so many conspiracies and schemes. He had always naively believed that there wouldn't be much turmoil in their small town. Even if there were wars, the border and cities would be attacked first. If those places were defeated, their town would at most just change masters. However, Chen Gengnian's analysis made him feel a chill run down his spine.
Lin Qing'an's sense of righteousness was instantly extinguished.
Just then, Chen Gengnian said, "If it's really as I just analyzed, the more people run away, the more chaotic things will become, and in the end, no one will be able to escape. On the contrary, if others don't believe us, we will be arrested on the grounds of disturbing public order or other reasons."
Chen Gengnian is a part of this world. From childhood to adulthood, he experienced the destruction of his family and the famine, and he had long since seen through the nature of humanity.
They came up with some other ideas, but after careful consideration, they were all rejected one by one, leaving only the most conservative one.
That night, the two barely slept. They got up as soon as it was light. Lin Qing'an asked A Meng to wake up Lin Yanfeng and A Bao early, so that after breakfast they could go to the village head and then to Qingyun Academy to talk to Lu Wenkang about dropping out of school.
If we want to talk to Qingyun Academy about this, we can only ask the village head first. They don't dare to completely trust others, but they and Chen Gengnian trust the village head completely.
But before we had even finished our meal, Uncle Hu from Jinyun Restaurant came to our door in person.
Uncle Hu hurried into Baiweifang. Before Lin Qing'an and the others could even greet him, they saw him look around at everyone present, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Seeing this, Chen Gengnian quickly said, "Uncle Hu, please speak if you have something to say. They are all very sensible and there is no need to avoid it."
"Sigh!" Uncle Hu sighed heavily, flicked his sleeves, and said helplessly, "I came here today on the instructions of my master to tell you that things will be turbulent recently, and according to my master's wishes, he hopes you will return to the village to avoid trouble."
Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian quickly looked at each other. Just as they had thought, war might break out soon.
Lin Yanfeng and Aye weren't too surprised, because Lin Qingan had given them a heads-up beforehand.
Seeing their silence, Uncle Hu assumed they didn't want to go back, and quickly tried to persuade them: "I know your shop is newly opened and business is booming, but money can be earned anytime, but losing your life isn't worth it. Besides, you have an old person and a young child..."
“Uncle Hu, we’ll listen to you.” Lin Qing’an interrupted Uncle Hu’s persuasion in time and said gratefully, “Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Hu and the boss. We’ll pack up and go home now.”
Uncle Hu looked at Chen Gengnian and, seeing that he had no objections, nodded and then instructed the group, "Don't come out unless necessary. We will send someone to deliver some daily necessities to you every now and then. Please bear with it for a while, but things will get better later."
Lin Qing'an was deeply moved. In this chaotic world, it was truly rare to find someone willing to wholeheartedly help you. Therefore, Chen Gengnian stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Uncle Hu before declining his offer.
“Uncle Hu, we have enough to eat, wear and use for the time being, so there’s no need to trouble us.” Chen Gengnian thought for a moment before speaking to Uncle Hu again, “Uncle Hu, please tell your employer that if there is anything we can do to help in the future, please let us know as soon as possible. If there is no safe place for us, we can stay in our village for a while.”
Uncle Hu quickly reached out and helped the man up, saying, "Good boy, I will talk to the master."
Uncle Hu's voice was somewhat deep. He looked at Chen Gengnian and then at A Bao beside him, his eyes filled with emotions that no one could understand. Lin Qing'an was wondering about this when he saw Uncle Hu gently pat Chen Gengnian's shoulder, look at A Bao, and slowly say, "There will be times when you need help in the future, there definitely will be."
After he finished speaking, he took his leave. Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian both felt that something was wrong, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.
I've had this feeling several times already.
After a brief moment of surprise, Chen Gengnian said to Lin Qingan, "Let's close the shop for now and hurry back while it's still early so we can buy some necessities and then head home this afternoon."
The two of them took Abao and Lin Yanfeng to the village head's house first.
"What? Are you telling the truth?" Aunt Wang was astonished and even somewhat disbelieving when she heard what had happened.
The streets are bustling as usual, and I haven't heard of anyone sneaking in. Is it really time to move?
Wang Tingting supported her mother with one hand and patted her back with the other. Only the village head was there; he held a teacup but hesitated to put the tea into his mouth.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After a long silence, the village head put down his teacup and slowly spoke, "I believe in you."
Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he said that.
"But I'm not leaving."
"What?" Lin Qingan asked, puzzled. "Uncle Village Head, why don't you leave? Who knows what will happen if you stay here?"
Lin Qing'an hadn't thought about all the details at the moment and was getting a little anxious. Chen Gengnian quickly reassured him, "Qing'an, let's hear what the village head has to say."
As soon as Chen Gengnian finished speaking, the village head explained, "Tingting and your aunt will go with you first. I have to stay. After all, I have a job to do and can't just abandon it and leave."
"Father~" Wang Tingting was about to speak when she was interrupted by the village head.
"Besides, if I leave, wouldn't that arouse more suspicion? And if it's not as serious as we imagine, and a good official comes instead, wouldn't I be punished..."
The village head sighed heavily, "None of us could have predicted these things."
At this moment, everyone present fell silent.
Lin Qing'an's anxiety and restlessness gradually subsided, turning into a sense of helplessness.
Yes! Nobody can say for sure, so how can we make a definitive judgment?
So, after persuasion and pressure from the village head's family position, they finally convinced Wang Tingting and Aunt Wang to leave.
After Lin Qing'an made an appointment with them, the group turned around and went to Qingyun Academy.
As soon as they reached the door, someone came to greet them, as if they had been waiting there on purpose.
However, Lin Qing'an and the others didn't have time to think about it in detail, and simply followed the butler into Lu Wenkang's courtyard.
Lu Wenkang was pouring tea. When he saw the person who came, he only looked up slightly and said indifferently, "Come and try the tea I just poured."
Chen Gengnian and the other three all had seats, and when they walked up to Lu Wenkang, they all bowed.
Lin Yanfeng and A Bao even performed a formal teacher's salute before being seated.
"Dean Lu..."
"Try it first."
Chen Gengnian was interrupted by Lu Wenkang as soon as he opened his mouth. He placed the teacups in front of each of them, indicating that they should drink tea first. He looked completely relaxed and didn't seem to care about the purpose of their visit.
There was no other way but to follow the host's lead. After Chen Gengnian picked up his teacup, Lin Qingan, Lin Yanfeng, and Abao also picked up their teacups, took a small sip, and found it slightly astringent at first, but then sweet aftertaste.
Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian racked their brains for words to describe the situation, trying to come up with a slightly more sophisticated answer, but after thinking for a long time, they could only come up with one conclusion.
It's not bad, but it's not good either.
Just as the two were struggling with their dilemma, A Bao spoke up before Lin Yanfeng, saying in a very professional manner: "This tea has a refreshing taste with a faint orchid fragrance lingering on the tip of the nose. When it tastes sweet, it leaves a soft, honey-like aftertaste on the lips and teeth. The tea soup is as clear as amber. It is a rare and excellent tea."
Ah Bao shook his head and spoke in a sophisticated and elegant manner, leaving Lin Qing'an and Chen Gengnian stunned.
Lu Wenkang's face was full of smiles, which showed his satisfied approval.
But in Lin Yanfeng's eyes, there was endless pride and doting.
"Good! Well said!" Lu Wenkang praised A Bao without reservation. "Chen Langyue truly deserves to be called one of the best students in Qingyun School, and is a talented person in my heart. Whether it is academics or anything else, your achievements are remarkable!"
Ah Bao's face flushed red from the praise. His skin was fair, and the person who was previously skin and bones now looked rosy and his appearance was more radiant than before.
Abao quickly stood up, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for the praise, Dean. Langyue would never dare to be arrogant."
Lin Qing'an and Chen Gengnian were a little unaccustomed to hearing Chen Langyue being called by her name repeatedly. If it weren't for them calling her that today, they would have almost forgotten that Abao had a nice name.
After finishing his tea, Chen Gengnian felt he couldn't delay any longer, so he was about to bring up the matter of Abao and the others taking a leave of absence from school, but the dean stopped him with a single sentence.
"Brother Chen, I have a question for you. Would you mind answering it?"
Chen Gengnian and Lin Qingan were both a little confused. Although they didn't know what he wanted to ask, they still quickly answered.
“Of course it’s convenient.” Chen Gengnian cupped his hands and said, “I’m just a hunter and I don’t have any formal education. Please don’t take offense if my answer is inappropriate.”
"Hehehe..." Lu Wenkang refilled their teacups before fixing his gaze on Chen Gengnian, who looked somewhat bewildered. Lu Wenkang then asked, word by word, "I would like to ask you what your opinion is on the current war situation?"
The question caught Chen Gengnian off guard, and in fact, not only him, but Lin Qingan and Lin Yanfeng were also dumbfounded.
Chen Gengnian scratched his head, looking like an honest man being shyly brought into a brothel, and said frankly, "Director, I can't answer your question."
No, you can answer that.
Lu Wenkang's tone suddenly changed from casual to serious, and the certainty in his words left everyone feeling completely baffled.
Chen Gengnian put down his hand that was scratching his head and declined to answer the question with a serious expression. "I am grateful for the Dean's kindness. I am just a farmer. If you ask about hunting and farming, I may be able to answer a few questions. I really can't answer such profound questions. Please forgive me, Dean."
Lu Wenkang's brows furrowed more and more, and his expression as he looked at Chen Gengnian became increasingly complicated.
No one could figure out what he was thinking. He just stared at Chen Gengnian, as if investigating or interrogating him.
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