Chapter 87 Big Brother, they’ve caught up to us

What a pity—such remarkable skill, and yet he does not take patients. What a waste, truly a waste.

Then a thought flickered in Elder Ge’s mind, and he turned it over. “If you do not want to go to the central hospital, would you be willing to teach medicine at the academy?”

As he said it, his heart was uneasy. He knew full well that teachers did not enjoy a high standing these days, and they still wore the bitter stigma of being despised intellectuals.

He feared Lin Xu might look down on the position. Sure enough, he saw her shake her head.

“I’m too young to command respect. As for whether I might become a proper teacher later, we can talk about that another time.”

Lin Xu did not close the door on teaching altogether, because she felt it might not be such a bad path after all.

For one thing, there were two long vacations every year, and those were not something to sneeze at.

And if all that was required was to show up for class hours while the rest of the time remained free, she ought to be able to manage it.

Still, she understood perfectly well that nothing in this world was that easy. Teachers had more troubles than just the classroom.

When her strength reached a certain level, she would be able to avoid such annoyances. For now, she could not.

Since she could not avoid them, she might as well stay in the countryside. When the college entrance examinations were restored, she would go to university and play around for a few years.

In any case, she had no intention of living her life so bitterly. She would take it easy however she could.

Elder Ge, unaware of her thoughts, saw that she had not refused outright and thought there was still room to revisit the matter later, so he let it rest for now.

Seeing that they had finished discussing business, Si Zhan raised the bowl of soup in his hands as a toast. Others toasted with tea; he toasted with soup.

It was still a tonic soup, at that.

After lying in bed for more than two years, no matter how well Qi Min and Si Han had cared for him, his body still bore plenty of damage.

Now that he had awakened, he needed to build himself back up.

Thinking of how Lin Xu and the others only had five days’ leave and had to catch the train home the day after tomorrow, Qi Min felt reluctant to part with them, and a little guilty as well.

“Auntie, Tongtong, and Linlin, I’m truly sorry. You finally came all this way, and I haven’t had the time to take you anywhere.

How about tomorrow we go into the city and have a proper look around, do a little shopping?”

Granny Zheng had no particular longing to go out sightseeing. She glanced at Yu Tong, then at Lin Xu, and asked, “Would that be convenient?”

Qi Min nodded and was just about to say it would be, when Lin Xu shook her head.

“Shopping these next few days may not be convenient.”

“Why not?” Qi Min asked in confusion. Elder Ge and the others also looked at her with curiosity, while only Si Han remained calm.

“These days, the authorities will probably be busy arresting spies, enemy agents, and turncoats. It’s likely to be very unsettled outside, so unless it’s necessary, it’s safest to stay at home.”

After speaking, Lin Xu blinked, feeling that it was still not quite precise enough, and added, “It’s best to keep the doors and windows locked, and not open the door to strangers.”

Elder Ge’s eyelids twitched at her words. His instincts told him that something major was about to happen.

Granny Zheng exchanged a look with Yu Tong. With her rich combat experience, she asked, “How much do you know?”

“Not much. But the one who made a move against Uncle Si today has a very formidable background.”

Lin Xu spread her hands with an innocent expression. Even if she knew a great deal, she could not say it.

“Will this affect our train trip the day after tomorrow?” Yu Tong asked, then added, “If there’s any chance it will, we’ll have to call back and explain the situation, and ask for more leave.”

Yu Tong felt that things were fine on her side; with Old Zheng holding down the fort, the unit would not be in a position to refuse easily. Lin Xu, however, had only gone to the countryside a few days ago.

If extended leave would cause trouble, then if it had to be done, it needed to be handled cleanly, with the impact minimized.

Lin Xu shook her head. Whether this would affect their travel, she did not know either. That depended on whether Guo An and his people were capable enough.

If they could get the situation under control within a day, then there should be no problem.

But that would probably be difficult. The Ji family was an old and established clan that had held sway in the Northeast for more than a century.

And with so many masters at their disposal, they would be even harder to deal with.

After the meal, Elder Ge was sent home by Qi Yue, and then the three of them—Lin Xu, Granny Zheng, and the others—were sent back to the guesthouse.

Time flew by. Soon night had fallen. Lin Xu pushed open the window of her room and leaned out to look at the night sky.

Beneath that dark expanse, several figures were racing swiftly through the streets, punctuated by the crack of gunfire.

Lin Xu saw the lights of countless homes, which had still been shining a moment ago, suddenly go dark by more than half. Only a few people, like her, leaned out to look.

Just then there was a knock at her door, and Yu Tong’s voice came from outside.

“Linlin, are you asleep?”

“Not yet.” Lin Xu hurried over and opened the door, noticing Yu Tong supporting Granny Zheng, both of them standing there with worried expressions.

“Linlin, did we frighten you?” Granny Zheng asked, gripping Lin Xu’s hand. “I’m afraid tonight will not be peaceful. Why don’t you come stay in our room?”

“Granny Zheng, you needn’t worry about me.” Lin Xu patted her hand. “You know what I’m capable of, don’t you? They always say medicine and martial arts are intertwined. My medical skills are so formidable, my martial arts naturally aren’t poor either. You can rest easy.”

As she spoke, Lin Xu glanced at Yu Tong’s face and, seeing a healthy flush rather than any sign of misfortune, said, “Don’t worry about me. I can look after myself. You must look after yourselves too. Lock the door tightly tonight, and no matter who knocks after dark, do not open it—unless it is me knocking from outside.”

Her words were firm and certain, carrying a steadiness that inspired confidence. Granny Zheng and Yu Tong could not help but believe her.

After some persuasion, Lin Xu sent them back to their room. Only then did she return, shut her own door, and stand once more by the window.

She studied the scene for a while and found that the guesthouse’s security measures were quite good. There were guards downstairs, and people posted on the roof as well.

It would not be easy to slip in quietly. By the same token, it would not be easy to slip out either.

Fortunately, none of that posed a problem for Lin Xu.

She affixed an invisibility talisman to herself, then added a talisman for swiftness and one for lightness of body before carefully climbing out through the window and leaving the guesthouse.

Standing at the crossroads, Lin Xu bent her fingers and calculated. Her fortune lay to the north, so she sped off in that direction.

After running for more than five li, she paused and was about to calculate again when hurried, disorderly footsteps came from her left.

Lin Xu darted to the roadside. Not long after, more than a dozen people burst out of an alley. The one in front was a bald man with a thick, fleshy face.

One look at him was enough to tell he was no good. He ran while cursing, and the filth pouring from his mouth was almost unbearable to hear.

He swore like a fishwife.

“Big Brother, they’re catching up. What do we do?”

“What do we do? What else can we do? You take two men and stay behind to cover our retreat. After it’s done, meet at the old place.”

The bald man flung out the words irritably without breaking stride, his stream of curses never ceasing. The more one looked at him, the more he seemed like a man who never stopped talking.

The man who had asked the question darkened at once, but he had no choice but to stop, point out two underlings, and find cover.

Lin Xu looked at the men covering the retreat, then at the bald man hurrying away. After a moment’s hesitation, she gave chase after the bald man.

Her instincts told her he was a big fish. Letting him slip away would be a great pity.