Chapter 125 Shen Rong also saw Lu Chang, he…
A light was turned on in the hall. Sheng Ruyue hurriedly brought over a first-aid kit. Her hands forcefully tore open his sleeve, and seeing the bloody wound, she was somewhat worried.
"Let's go to the hospital."
Lu Chang comforted her, "It's just a minor injury. Keep your voice down and don't wake anyone up."
Sheng Ruyue nodded, lowered her head, and tears fell.
Lu Chang reached out and caught a drop: "Why are you crying? It's me who's in pain."
Sheng Ruyue pouted: "Actually, you shouldn't have blocked it for me. I could have dodged it."
Lu Chang chuckled, "So you're saying I went to all that trouble?" He reached out his other hand and pushed her head. "You want me to watch you get hurt? If I'd known you were such a crybaby, I wouldn't have taken you next time. Didn't we agree you'd wait outside?"
Sheng Ruyue muttered softly, "I'm worried about you."
Lu Chang grinned, but his eyes caught sight of a dark figure at the top of the stairs. He immediately pulled out a weapon from his clothes and asked warily, "Who's there!"
The dark figure flipped on the light switch, illuminating the living room. Seeing it was his older brother, Lu Chang instinctively hid his injured hand and said with an awkward smile, "Brother, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Lu Lin frowned and walked in, reaching out to pull out the injured hand. After examining it carefully, he was relieved to find that it was just a flesh wound and that no tendons or veins were damaged. He then picked up the medicine and roughly bandaged the wound. Lu Chang grimaced in pain but dared not make a sound, only able to inhale and endure the pain.
"You'll only learn your lesson when it hurts next time."
Lu Lin softened his tone and turned to ask Sheng Ruyue, "Are you injured?"
Sheng Ruyue shook her head like a pendulum, obediently looking down at her toes. She was a little afraid that Lu Lin would scold her as well.
Seeing that it was almost done, Lu Lin stood up and pointed to the bloodstains on the ground: "Clean it up, don't scare your sister-in-law."
The two obediently replied in unison, "We understand."
Now they're behaving themselves. Lu Lin glanced at the two of them and went back upstairs expressionlessly.
Sheng Ruyue felt uneasy and asked Lu Chang in a low voice, "Does Big Brother know what you've done?" Otherwise, why wouldn't he ask a single question? She thought there was going to be a big storm.
Lu Lin took off his shirt, which had a missing sleeve: "Right?"
"Are you scared?" Lu Chang looked at her mockingly.
Sheng Ruyue glared at him. Wasn't he afraid? Even she didn't dare to move when her older brother exuded such an imposing aura.
Lu Chang looked up at the building. His older brother was still awake. It seemed that his actions had been monitored. Fortunately, his older brother turned a blind eye and didn't really treat him as an enemy.
He looked at Sheng Ruyue and pleaded, "Give me an excuse."
I need to come up with an explanation for my hand injury, otherwise my sister-in-law will start interrogating me again tomorrow.
Sheng Ruyue was taken aback. What should she think? Did she say that she hit him?
Lu Chang thought it was a good idea, but Sheng Ruyue raised her fist and threatened to break his other arm as well.
Fortunately, a telegram the next day diverted Shen Rong's attention, and since Lu Chang deliberately concealed it, she only felt that his arm was a little strange and did not investigate further.
"Dou Meiyun took the child abroad?" Shen Rong asked.
Lu Lin nodded. Yes, and he seemed to be in a hurry.
The telegram was sent by Dou Wenliang, saying that Dou Meiyun and her child would arrive in Shanghai soon and would be taking a cruise ship to England. He hoped that Lu Lin and his wife could help take care of them.
But why was Dou Wenliang arranging Dou Meiyun's trip abroad? What about the Yang family?
Lu Lin sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Yang Shaokang is dead."
Dead? How could that be? How did he die? Shen Rong was momentarily shocked.
Lu Lin patted her hand and sighed slightly: "I just received the news. The young marshal is currently suppressing the Communists in the Northwest. Yang Shaokang's troops have run into them head-on."
The two sides fought a battle, during which Yang Shaokang was hit by a stray bullet and delayed in the mountains. After being sent to the hospital, he encountered complications and did not survive.
Yang Shaokang was so young, full of ambition, and died in the civil war before he could even fight the Japanese. Not only was he silent, but Lu Lin also remained silent for a long time.
Dou Meiyun arrived in Shanghai three days later. Shen Rong personally picked her up. She refused to stay at the Lu family's house, so Shen Rong booked the best hotel for her.
Dou Meiyun had lost a lot of weight and was still aloof, but there was a hint of woodenness in her aloofness, as if she had lost some of her soul. When she saw Shen Rong, she just tugged at the corners of her mouth, and her smile was uglier than a cry.
Shen Rong called her name and gave her a comforting hug. Dou Meiyun's carefully constructed defenses crumbled instantly, her eyes reddened, and she let out a mournful cry.
"You still have a child. You have to look forward." Shen Rong didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only tell her to cheer up as soon as possible for the sake of her young child.
She and Yang Shaokang have a son and a daughter. The son is six years old and the daughter is only three years old. They are at the age when they need their mother, and she cannot afford to fall down.
"Sister Shen, I...I don't know, how could this happen!" She finally couldn't hold back anymore and threw herself into Shen Rong's arms, crying.
She thought she had found happiness, but she never expected it to be so short-lived.
"He once said that this war was meaningless." But unexpectedly, he died in this war where he was fighting his own people.
This is the reason why Dou Meiyun couldn't accept it. He didn't have to die. If Yang Shaokang had died fighting the Japanese, she wouldn't have so many complaints.
She had complained and cried about these things to her elder brother, but Dou Wenliang only sighed and told her to take it easy. Cao Fengyi was not in the country, so she had no one to talk to. She had kept these words in her heart for too long, and it was driving her crazy.
"Shao Kang's death was so undeserved."
Seeing their mother cry, the two children also burst into tears. Chen Rong comforted the older one and then tried to soothe the younger one.
Dou Meiyun only stayed in Shanghai for three days. Now that she is disappointed with the authorities, she doesn't want to stay in her homeland for even a moment longer. Shen Rong is a little worried about her mental state, but seeing that she takes good care of the children, she should be able to hold on. Fortunately, Cao Fengyi is in England, and she will have her sister-in-law there to comfort her, so she should be able to think more positively.
After seeing Dou Meiyun off, Shen Rong noticed that Lu Lin was acting strangely. When she pressed him for details, she learned that he was worried about Dou Wenliang's situation.
"Did he say anything to you?" Shen Rong asked.
Lu Lin shook his head; it was just his intuition.
The soldiers in the Northwest were highly war-weary, and even many generals were unwilling to fight a civil war and wanted to unite against the Japanese. However, the Jincheng government forcefully forced them to "suppress bandits".
He also gave an ultimatum, saying that if there was no improvement, he would transfer all of Dou Wenliang's troops to the south and send a new force there. This was Yao's way of marginalizing Dou Wenliang and his army.
Dou Wenliang certainly couldn't accept it; they still harbored a deep-seated resentment and were determined to fight the Japanese to the death.
Lu Lin had a vague feeling that Dou Wenliang might be preparing something based on his recent unusual behavior. He tried to probe him indirectly a few times, but to no avail. He was worried that Dou Wenliang might take a risk, and he felt uneasy.
The couple fell silent, and their unease was soon confirmed.
Something happened in the Northwest. Dou Wenliang, together with other Northwest generals, launched a military coup, detained people, and officially telegraphed the whole country to unite against Japan.
Jincheng was thrown into chaos. High-ranking government officials were divided into several factions, some advocating war and others peace.
The day after receiving the news, the Lu family had distinguished guests at their door.
Wen Wenqing's smile held a hint of bitterness as he introduced them: "This is my eldest brother, and this is my eldest sister."
"Madam, Mr. Wen, please come in." This was the first time Shen Rong had met the legendary Madam Wen.
Lu Lin led them to the study to talk. Shen Rong went in a few times under the pretense of delivering coffee and knew that they were talking about the Northwest.
Things have become somewhat complicated. In the Northwest, Dou Wenliang clearly wants to negotiate a joint resistance against Japan and will not harm the hostages for the time being. The problem now lies in Jincheng, where there is a division within the authorities. Some generals are pro-war and feel that there is no need to be threatened by the hostages. They believe that they should launch an attack regardless of the lives of the hostages.
However, Madam Wen and the Wen family were naturally pro-peace. They wanted to safely exchange the person for another. They were willing to agree to any conditions they could, as long as the person's safety was guaranteed.
Although it was her husband who was captured, Madam Wen had no say in the matter. She had no military power and feared that someone might have ulterior motives and take advantage of the situation to disregard the hostage's life and seize power.
They were at a loss and desperately needed to find someone to negotiate with the Northwest.
As for why Lu Lin was approached, it's simple. Lu Lin came from a military background and was previously Dou Wenliang's confidant. In addition, he had served as an attendant, so he could speak on both sides. Having him mediate was the best solution.
At least if he went to the Northwest, he could protect the personal safety of the hostages in Dou Wenliang's hands.
The conversation lasted all day. When the study door opened, Madam Wen's beautiful face, which had been worn down by the knocks of the past few days, now showed a hint of relief. Before leaving, she had the mood to exchange a few pleasantries with Shen Rong: "Next time, I'll have a proper talk with Mrs. Lu."
They need to find other people to help them; time is running out.
Shen Rong helped pack some of the luggage: "Will everything be alright?"
Lu Lin needs to fly to the Northwest immediately.
Lu Lin shook his head slightly, his face grim: "No." Dou Wenliang wasn't one to act recklessly; he probably just wanted a chance to sit down and talk.
He should have understood that if that person died, things would be worse, and everyone would be caught in a power struggle, making it even harder for him to achieve his goal of resisting Japan.
However, Lu Lin sighed. With Dou Wenliang making such a fuss, his own situation would be rather difficult once the matter was over.
"Be careful when you go out while I'm gone. Take extra people with you. If anyone tries to find out anything, don't say a word," he whispered to Shen Rong.
Shen Rong nodded, not wanting him to worry: "I understand."
As Lu Lin descended the stairs, he remembered something and reminded her, "Don't practice with that gun for now. We'll talk about it when I get back."
Shen Rong was reluctant. Her marksmanship was still decent; although she wasn't a sharpshooter, she could still hit the target.
Seeing Lu Lin staring at her, Shen Rong could only agree, "I know, I know."
Lu Chang rushed home after receiving the news and saw Lu Lin carrying a suitcase, and he understood what was going on.
"Brother, please be careful on your journey." He still had a worried look on his face.
Lu Lin nodded and instructed him in a deep voice, "Behave yourself while I'm away and take good care of the family."
The car had arrived, and Lu Chang helped him carry the suitcase over, leaving his elder brother and sister-in-law to exchange a few more intimate words.
As Lu Lin was about to get into the car, Lu Chang suddenly stepped forward and hugged him, saying with a grin, "Big brother, everything depends on you now."
His words had a double meaning, but Lu Lin understood them and gently patted his shoulder.
The car drove away, and Shen Rong returned to the house with a lot on her mind.
“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. My brother is just going to negotiate peace. There will be no danger for him. Our goal is simply to unite against the Japanese, which is what everyone wants,” Lu Chang comforted her.
Shen Rong nodded. She knew there would be no danger, but... this matter had come more than a year ahead of schedule. Shen Rong bit her lip, feeling somewhat uneasy.
She didn't know if it would have any impact.
Having been here for so long, she felt powerless and dared not do anything about this humiliating and tragic history. It was a path paved with blood by the sacrifice of countless martyrs. She knew that victory would eventually come, but she was still worried about unforeseen changes.
Fortunately, although the time was brought forward, it was still a good outcome. After more than half a month of negotiations, an agreement was finally reached, and the hostages have safely returned to Jincheng. However, Lu Lin has not yet returned.
Dou Wenliang was escorting people back to Jincheng when he was quickly arrested and sentenced. Lu Lin needed to stay in the Northwest to help stabilize the situation and work with Han Xiwen to keep Dou Wenliang's more than 200,000 troops in check.
As time went by and Lu Lin still hadn't returned home, Zhang Ma secretly asked Shen Rong if they were moving again.
Shen Rong didn't actually know either, nor did she know what the situation was like in the Northwest.
After his incident, Cao Fengyi rushed back to China. She stayed in Shanghai for a few days before rushing to Jincheng. Dou Wenliang had been arrested, and she had to do something about it, even if it might not be effective.
After Dou Wenliang's serious incident, she chose to return to China to be by her husband's side, which Shen Rong greatly admired.
Given the current situation, all she could say were a few empty words of comfort. Shen Rong felt a little guilty, but Cao Fengyi smiled and patted her hand. Her face was not dejected; she remained cheerful and generous: "Thank you. Tianming has done more than enough. My husband and I will remember your kindness."
If it weren't for Lu Lin's mediation, Dou Wenliang wouldn't have just been imprisoned, and the Dou family's troops wouldn't have had a smooth transition. There might have been big trouble, involving many people. She was aware of all of this.
"When Tianming comes back, please tell him thank you for us. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to meet again in the future." With that, she got into the car without looking back.
Aunt Zhang sighed and remarked, "Young Madam Dou is a remarkable woman, loyal and devoted to her family."
Since Dou Wenliang arranged for her and her child to go abroad, he didn't want them to be implicated. Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately. No one would say anything if she didn't come back, and she could live a carefree life abroad. However, Cao Fengyi chose to accompany her husband through the difficult times, choosing between her son and her husband.
He can certainly be described as loyal and devoted to his friends.
Shen Rong suddenly missed Lu Lin, wondering when he would return.
"Isn't that the Third Young Master?" On the way back, Zhang Ma suddenly pointed at the person outside the car and said.
Following the direction Zhang Ma pointed, Shen Rong also saw Lu Chang, who was chatting and laughing with Xiang Qin and several Japanese people. This scene made Shen Rong frown.
This is getting more and more outrageous.
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