Song Xiuyan shook his head. “I don’t know. I once asked my grandfather. He said we should let go of the past; he only wanted us to live simple and happy lives…”
He paused, collecting his thoughts before saying, “I don’t know what my ancestors did or what enemies they may have made. Perhaps my great-grandfather might have told my grandfather, but he certainly did not mention anything to my father or me. Grandfather probably felt we were safe enough living out of the way in the Song family village, but he’s wrong. Even if we hid away from the world, the world would inevitably draw us back; we can’t hide forever.”
Ding Yao listened and vaguely sensed this was why Song Xiuyan believed someone wanted to harm the family. Still, there was one thing she could not wrap her mind around. If she were the enemy and learned of Song Xiuyan and his siblings, Ding Yao would have struck swiftly, dealing with them in one fell swoop instead of picking on them while they had their guard up. In her opinion, Song Xiuyan was overthinking things.
Song Xiuyan did not continue explaining his train of thought because there were many things he could not understand. Fortunately, Ding Yao was highly capable and could provide him with ample support. She possessed considerable ability in her expertise and showed she was a fast learner. Whether it was learning to write or learning martial arts, the speed with which she picked things up impressed him.
Ding Yao was the smartest girl he had ever seen, second only to him. They were truly a match made in heaven.
The days flew by, and soon a month passed. They received the first month’s bonus of 20,000 yuan from Steward Xu. “The first month’s bonus isn’t as much because we just established our partnership. Things should settle from next month onwards,” Steward Xu explained.
Ding Yao expressed her understanding. She felt a little dizzy as she held the money. The days ahead looked much better if money continued filling their coffers like this.
On this day, the principal of Linxi High School, Chen Xuefeng, sent a message inviting Song Xiuyan for a meeting. When Song Xiuyan returned, his mood was complicated. He met the people left behind by General Long Zhanyuan at principal Chen Xuefeng’s home.
During this month, they followed all the clues, but they still could not find the culprit who set a poisonous snake on Song Yang. However, what they did find out was just as disturbing. Something was amiss with Ding Yao’s cheap uncle, Lin Hu.
Lin Hu brought three bodyguards with him when he visited the countryside but only returned to the capital with one. The other two seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Song Xiuyan guessed that the woman who had seduced Zhao Caiyuan was most likely one of Lin Hu’s bodyguards. Someone had seen Lin Hu in Spirit Creek Town that day. It was too much of a coincidence for Lin Hu to appear in the vicinity where Zhao Caiyun was poisoned, probably by one of his said guards. Lin Hu must have extracted a promise from Zhao Caiyun in a bid to bring Ding Yao to the capital.
The investigations in the capital did not turn up anything wrong with Lin Hu. Still, it was best to be safe than sorry. General Long suggested that Ding Yao should make a trip to the capital to see what Lin Hu wanted; if anything, it would throw off any suspicions he might have had.
Song Xiuyan was worried about letting Ding Yao go to the capital alone, but he could not leave his younger siblings behind to go with Ding Yao. This put him in a difficult position. General Long’s subordinates saw through Song Xiuyan’s concerns. They told him that if Ding Yao decided to go to the capital, they would escort her the entire way and guarantee her safety.
Song Xiuyan told Ding Yao what General Long had in mind. Ding Yao considered the proposition and decided to wait and see. If Lin Hu did not make any more moves, she would not take the initiative to see him. However, if he decided to play more tricks, she would not take another step back and would meet him head-on.
With another month and a half of treatment, Song Yi could probably stand on his two legs again. He was so happy that he finally resembled a child again. Song Yi’s former boss, Cheng Guanren, received song Yi’s letter and came to see him. When he saw Song Yi walking hesitantly on his two feet, Cheng Guanren laughed. “That’s fantastic! Your sister-in-law is a marvellous doctor!’
Song Yi told Cheng Guanren he would be able to return to work in a few days. Song Xiuyan did not object to his younger brother’s decision. He merely reminded him to be careful. Song Yi’s accident reminded him too much of Song Yang’s set-up.
Song Yi followed Cheng Guanren everywhere he went, so he was aware of the dangers of Jianghu. However, he also knew he could not stay under his big brother’s protection for the rest of his life.
“Big Brother, don’t worry. After what happened last time, I’ve learned to be more careful! Big Sister Ding Yao taught us the thirty-six escape strategies. If it’s someone we can’t beat, we should run away. There’s no need to worry about firewood if the forests still stand. Even if we can’t win, we’re strong enough to escape,” he assured his older brother.