Back To The 80s-Chapter 550 - 542: Shock_1

Shen Heng lowered his head in silence, speaking after a while, "The situation this time is more serious than you think, and your military has also sent people to assist in the investigation. I can only say that much. As for Sister Xuerong, rest assured, I promise, as long as I’m alive, she won’t be in danger."

Lu Zhanguo remained silent, promises were the most useless commitments in the world. After a while, he spoke, "I don’t have much to say either, I only tell you this, if anyone dares to hurt my family, even if it means giving up my military uniform, I will kill them!"

Shen Heng sighed, irked as he lit a cigarette, saying somewhat helplessly, "I didn’t have many choices either, you know I had no other options."

"Is there anything I can help with?" Lu Zhanguo asked.

Shen Heng shook his head, "Not at the moment, but I’ve heard that the military is going to send a very capable person to assist us. I wonder who could be more capable than you, Lu Zhanguo."

Lu Zhanguo raised an eyebrow, wondering why that would be strange, hasn’t it always been that succeeding waves push the preceding ones?

......

For the few days that Lu Zhanguo was home, Gu Xiaobei would go to the store every day on time, allowing Qin Li to rest.

Gu Xiaobei sat in the shop watching Xiao Hong, who was light-footed and smiling. Teasingly he asked, "Is there something to celebrate?"

Xiao Hong, with a smile curving her lips, spoke, "My mother agreed to me and Chen Zhao. When the New Year comes, I’ll go to his place."

"That’s great news. So, are you and him planning to deal with things and then go, or go to Chen Zhao’s home first and then deal with things afterwards?" Gu Xiaobei asked with a smile.

"According to my mom, we’ll take care of things here during the holidays, otherwise, if I go to Chen Zhao’s house first, what would the neighbors think?" Xiao Hong laughed.

Gu Xiaobei knew that many people nowadays were having actual marriages, conducting a marriage banquet first, and then obtaining a marriage certificate later.

"That’s also a good plan. During the holidays this year, you both should leave earlier, spend a few more days back home."

Xiao Hong waved her hand, "No need, my mom said it’s best to go for just ten or eight days. If I stay too long, I might not get along with my mother-in-law. My mother even asked Chen Zhao for one thousand yuan as a betrothal gift. When did my mother become so money-minded?" Xiao Hong finished, looking a bit upset.

Gu Xiaobei comforted her, "Don’t think like that, your mother perhaps wanted to ask for more so as to give you more dowry."

Xiao Hong sighed, "My mother still thinks Chen Zhao is a country bumpkin. In our area, when girls get married, the betrothal gifts are usually three hundred, five hundred, at most six hundred sixty, my mother asking for more is just a way for her to save face."

Gu Xiaobei figured this was a local custom, and didn’t know what else to say.

Xiao Hong said to herself, "Chen Zhao sent his money home to build a house, I secretly gave him five hundred from my savings. This should be enough to make it up to a thousand."

Gu Xiaobei was so surprised that he was left wide-mouthed. He wanted to say, silly girl, you shouldn’t contribute the money, you’d rather let Chen Zhao borrow it and repay it after marriage. But then he thought, what if Xiao Hong gets a little impulsive and tells Chen Zhao everything once he says it? Then he would come across as unsympathetic. He concluded, the IQ of a woman in love really isn’t something people would get.

......

When it was time to close up shop after work, Ou Ruoshui came around.

Ou Ruoshui helped Gu Xiaobei shut the door, laughing as she said, "Let’s continue our talk while we walk."

Gu Xiaobei thought Ou Ruoshui was mentioning the time Shen Heng went to her house. Following Lu Zhanguo’s instructions, she thought if Ou Ruoshui was here to speak on Shen Heng’s behalf, she definitely couldn’t agree right away and had to discuss it with Lu Zhanguo first when she got home.

Unexpectedly, the first thing Ou Ruoshui said was, "I’m planning to marry Ou Tiannan!"

"What!" Gu Xiaobei was so surprised that she almost lost control of her bicycle, "Sister Xuerong, do you like him?"

Ou Ruoshui smiled and said, "I want you to help persuade Jiujiu for me."

Gu Xiaobei shook her head, "I’m not sure how to persuade her, Sister Xuerong, tell me, are you doing this willingly?" Gu Xiaobei asked again.

Ou Ruoshui nodded, "We are getting engaged on October 1st, and will get married on May 1st next year."

"Why May next year?" Gu Xiaobei was entirely perplexed.

Ou Ruoshui laughingly said, "Since there are no auspicious days before the year ends, we decided that May 1st next year would be good, the weather would be warmer too."

Gu Xiaobei thought for a moment and asked, "You’re not doing this to help Shen Heng with something, are you?"

"Don’t worry, I’m not. I didn’t agree to what Shen Heng asked of me. Right now, I just want to give Jiujiu a complete family. I think Ou Tiannan will be a good father." Ou Ruoshui spoke, her eyes gazing forward, deep and distant.

Gu Xiaobei did not fully believe Ou Ruoshui’s explanation, but couldn’t help wondering if it had anything to do with her factory.

Ou Ruoshui turned around and laughed while looking at Gu Xiaobei, "You’re thinking too much. I’m just asking you to help me convince Jiujiu. I told her yesterday and it seemed like she couldn’t accept it."

Gu Xiaobei nodded absent-mindedly. She knew that in Jiujiu’s heart, though she had never met Jin Jiadong, the heroic image of Jin Jiadong was deeply ingrained, irreplaceable by anyone else.

When Gu Xiaobei got home, she didn’t even have time to change her shoes as she ran to the couch and said to Lu Zhanguo, "Sister Xuerong is going to marry Ou Tiannan, you don’t think there’s something going on, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhanguo’s brow furrowed, why would Shen Heng and the others take this step?

"I’ve met Ou Tiannan. I think he’s very calculating. If Sister Xuerong really wants to marry him, they’ve been together for over a decade and haven’t got married. Why suddenly now?" Gu Xiaobei puzzledly asked.

Lu Zhanguo regained his calm, patting Gu Xiaobei’s head, "Okay, don’t think about it. Maybe Sister Xuerong felt more at ease after finding her relatives and wanted to marry Ou Tiannan because of that. Besides, all things considered, O Tiannan has been good to Sister Xuerong for all these years."

Gu Xiaobei sighed, "I hope it’s not because of some obligation or condition that she agreed to it, or her life will be ruined."

"Did Sister Xuerong say when they’ll get married?"

Gu Xiaobei leaned back onto the couch, "She said next May Day."

Lu Zhanguo calculated in his heart, by that time, it would probably be the key period for cracking the case.

Mo Wang ran over to bring Gu Xiaobei’s slippers, cutely saying, "Mama, change your shoes."

Gu Xiaobei’s gloom instantly evaporated at her son’s words. Sitting up, she hugged Mo Wang and kissed him, "How can my son be so good?"

Xiaopang also ran over, "Xiaopang is also good, Mama, kiss."

Gu Xiaobei could only hold her daughter tight and shower her with kisses.

Looking at the three of them laughing and playing, Lu Zhanguo began to ponder, just what kind of case required both Shen Heng’s men and the military’s assistance. Smuggling, espionage, and drugs, it could only be one of these.

In terms of drugs, the Miao region in South Xinjiang has been rife with drug trafficking lately. Going south, the Golden Triangle is a lawless land where drug dealers have established their own small kingdoms.