Back To The 80s-Chapter 531 - 523: Confession_1

Lu Zhanguo also hoped the outcome would align with what Liu Hongbing said, people can be selfish, but they can’t lack a bottom line.

Liu Hongbing got up and walked to the window, gazing at the soldiers training in the distance. He said, "When we were in our twenties, all we thought about every day was how to run the fastest, when we could do live-fire training, and how it felt to have every cell in our body boiling with the excitement of going into battle. We were daring and willing to fight. Now, as we got older, it seems like we have to calculate for everything. As our age increases, hearts also become less innocent."

Lu Zhanguo stood up, and joined Liu Hongbing next to the window, both of them gazing at the training field.

...

When Luo Renliang’s second letter was laying on Lu Zhanguo’s desk, Lu Zhanguo was still staring at the envelope, deep in thought.

Liu Hongbing was rubbing his chin, said, "Still Lang Yuchun? It couldn’t be another money gift? I suspect this letter is fishy, open it". As he said so, he reached out to grab the letter on the table.

Lu Zhanguo quickly covered the letter with his hand, shaking his head, "Let it go, this letter won’t have any problems."

"Aren’t you curious about what’s written inside?" Liu Hongbing asked, confused.

"No curiosity."

Liu Hongbing felt confused about Lu Zhanguo’s technique, what if the other party took advantage of a loophole to pass on the message?

However, seeing Lu Zhanguo’s confident look eased his anxieties quite a bit.

Lu Zhanguo delicately traced his fingers across both sides of the envelope, not missing a single spot. Liu Hongbing thought, could Lu Zhanguo’s fingertips read? Just by touching, could he know what was written inside?

After Lu Zhanguo finished examining, he simply said, "Let it be delivered."

...

Seeing Lu Zhanguo busy for a few days, working from dawn till dusk, so tired every night that he seem not to want to speak, and could fall asleep as soon as he laid down. Gu Xiaobei, with her two children, went to the vegetable market and bought a chicken to make him soup.

Carrying a chicken in one hand, the other holding Xiaopang, and Xiaopang holding Mo Wang, the trio staggered on their way back from the vegetable market.

When they arrived at the residential compound, they saw Tong Xiaoqing, Luo Renliang’s wife, standing downstairs with other army wives, whispering and intermittently bursting into laughter.

Zhao Hongmei, with Erhu, was standing far away, playing by the cement table tennis table.

Tong Xiaoqing saw Gu Xiaobei, smiled and said, "Sis, went to the market this early?"

Gu Xiaobei nodded with a smile, looking at Tong Xiaoqing without saying a word, she felt disgusted in her heart. If it weren’t for her spreading rumors, she wouldn’t have been unjustly scolded.

Tong Xiaoqing saw Gu Xiaobei not speaking, just smiling, she quickly called out, "Sis, it’s still early. Why don’t we chat downstairs for a while and let the children play?"

Gu Xiaobei shook her head and said, "No, thanks. The sun will be out soon, and this place will heat up."

Tong Xiaoqing smiled and said, "Sis, afraid of getting dark? There is shade over there; we can just stand there."

Gu Xiaobei still shook her head, saying meaningfully, "I’m not afraid of getting dark, I’m afraid of exposure." She bit the word ’exposure’ very clearly.

Tong Xiaoqing was taken aback, said a bit uncomfortably, "Well, you go ahead with your work."

Gu Xiaobei gave a slight nod to the other army wives, greeted them, and led her children upstairs.

At night when Lu Zhanguo came back, Gu Xiaobei told him about Tong Xiaoqing.

"Their house is four or five buildings away from ours. They never used to come over, but recently, they seem to come quite often. They chat by the door of our building all day," Gu Xiaobei said, somewhat curious.

Lu Zhanguo frowned, "It is indeed abnormal, just ignore her."

"Mm, I’m so annoyed at just seeing her. But it seems that Zhao Hongmei has finally learned her lesson and stop getting close to her," Gu Xiaobei spoke, not waiting for Lu Zhanguo’s response, picked up the empty bowl, and headed to the kitchen.

...

When the third letter was once again placed on Lu Zhanguo’s office table, Luo Renliang had sent three letters in just ten days. It was clear that he was like an ant on a hot pan, desperate and helpless.

Liu Hongbing pointed at the letter, saying, "Still not going to open it?"

Lu Zhanguo shook his head and remained silent, touching the front and back of the kraft paper envelope again with his index and middle fingers.

At the envelope seal, he felt around a few more times before he finally told Liu Hongbing, "Go get some iodine from the medical team. Be sure to avoid Luo Renliang’s office. Don’t let him see you."

Seeing an opportunity, Liu Hongbing didn’t hesitate, and ran off to the medical team.

A dozen minutes later, he came back with a small pot of iodine. Lu Zhanguo gently opened the seal, unfolded it, and at the creases, delicately applied a layer of iodine.

After a few moments, a line of tiny red letters appeared.

Lu Zhanguo took a magnifying glass from his drawer and carefully scanned over each one: Exposed, rescue urgently!

Liu Hongbing quickly grabbed the magnifying glass and looked at it seriously. Once he finished looking, the colors slowly faded until they disappeared.

"It really is him!" Liu Hongbing said in disbelief. Although he had been suspicious recently, he was more hopeful that it was just a misunderstanding.

Only then did Lu Zhanguo pull out the letter, which was full of concern. It was all about how his health was, was money enough, was the child’s study going well, and if there was a problem, he must look for Zhong Zhi. After Zhong Zhi’s name, there were three exclamation points.

Lu Zhanguo handed the letter to Liu Hongbing after reading it. Liu Hongbing glanced through it quickly, and then started to rub the envelope, mimicking Lu Zhanguo’s previous action. "How did you do it? There’s nothing different at all?" he asked while rubbing.

"After writing with rice soup, the dried part is slightly harder and bulging," Lu Zhanguo explained. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Listening to this, Liu Hongbing touched it again, but it felt the same, no difference, the kraft paper was originally quite hard.

...

Gu Xiaobei could tell that Lu Zhanguo was very happy that night. Although he didn’t say it, he held their two children all night, told stories, folded paper boats, his voice and movements revealing a sense of relaxation and joy.

When the children were asleep, Gu Xiaobei couldn’t help but ask, "Did anything good happen to you? You seem really happy."

Lu Zhanguo pulled her into his arms, "You’ll know in a few days."

"It seems that something really good has happened? Did you get a promotion again?" Gu Xiaobei hadn’t finished her sentence when the man on top of her muffled her mouth.

A night of passion made Gu Xiaobei feel more keenly Lu Zhanguo’s excitement and relaxation.

...

In the east, at dawn, Luo Renliang tried to overcome another sleepless night. He got out of bed restlessly, took a box of cigarettes out of the drawer, lit one quickly, and took two big puffs. He felt as if the smoke choked into his lungs, making him uncomfortably hot.

He couldn’t bear to go on living like this, every day like a hunted bird, shaking with fear. Let’s just live in the open! At the very least, he was a man of courage!

He decided to wait for daylight, then go find Lu Zhanguo and confess everything!