Chapter 67

Miao Cuihua quietly approached the door of Lan Baihe's house, taking deep steps, and hid in the shadows.

Zhao Zhiqiang, however, was already sitting on the warm kang (a traditional heated bed in northern China).

Lan Baihe, not yet thirty-five, was truly a mature woman with lingering charm. In the small two-room red brick house, she wore only a tight-fitting undershirt and a thick-knit open-necked sweater, her chest rising and falling, making Zhao Zhiqiang dizzy.

"Lan Auntie, did you need something from me?"

"Come, Daqiang, sit down. Have some fruit; Auntie is grateful for saving us that day!"

"Come, Xiang, kowtow to your big brother Daqiang!"

"No, no—" Zhao Zhiqiang quickly stopped Li Bingxiang, grabbing her plump arm, feeling a bit uncomfortable, as the girl had grown up.

"Don't look down on us for being poor. This is our local Guoguang apple, picked from the orchard last autumn and stored. It's still fresh." Lan Baihe picked up a half-green, half-red thick-skinned Guoguang apple from the fruit plate and handed it to Zhao Zhiqiang.

Zhao Zhiqiang took it and placed it on the kang table, waiting for her to speak.

"Daqiang, Auntie has a favor to ask." Lan Baihe sat formally across from Zhao Zhiqiang.

Zhao Zhiqiang felt a bit uneasy. He took a few bites of the apple, chewing while trying to calm his racing heart. "Auntie, what is it?"

Looking at her clear and elegant face, which didn't look like that of a farmer, he subconsciously bit his lip.

Lan Baihe's eyes swept over him, then she cleared her throat. "Daqiang, Auntie will definitely vote for you, and support all your proposals. I just want you to help me after you take office. I'm in this situation; Uncle Li died early, but now Yadan is already fourteen and about to start junior high. I have no skills and can't earn money. I just want you to help me when the time comes for the demolition and compensation..."

As she spoke, she hugged Yadan, who had big eyes and was staring at Daqiang, and sobbed uncontrollably.

Miao Cuihua finally found a stepping stone, stood on it, and looked into the house. She widened her eyes and, through the dim window, finally saw it!

Ah!

It's Zhao Jinchai's eldest son!

Daqiang!

How could it be him?

Is it the old cow eating the young grass, or the young bull calling for spring?

Miao Cuihua felt that seeing this was more exciting than being pushed by the garlic head at the construction site! She took out her newly bought Samsung phone, fiddled with it for a while, but could only take a blurry picture.

"This time, I'll see if you still show off!" Miao Cuihua took a few pictures, feeling that they looked like Zhao Zhiqiang, but still wasn't satisfied. "Caught in the act, hehe, I'll wait for you to do something improper!"

Inside the house.

Zhao Zhiqiang wished he could leave immediately. He already regretted coming in, as the atmosphere was too strange.

"Ah, Lan Auntie, it's fine, don't worry. I'll definitely help you." He took out the remaining 5,000 yuan from his handbag and placed it on the kang. "If there's nothing else, I'll go first. We can talk about it tomorrow."

He stood up to leave.

"Ah! We can't take this money!" Lan Baihe immediately pounced, blocking Zhao Zhiqiang at the edge of the kang, preventing him from leaving. In the countryside, if a guest's buttocks left the kang, it meant they were leaving, but she hadn't finished speaking yet.

"Daqiang, Auntie has nothing else to offer..."

Zhao Zhiqiang's legs almost cramped. Heaven!

He had heard about Lan Baihe three years ago and now deeply regretted entering this house.

Outside, Miao Cuihua vaguely saw Zhao Zhiqiang take out a large amount of money and place it on the kang, her hatred rising. "Damn, he didn't even get a good deal for that much money, at least two thousand!"

Zhao Zhiqiang's mind was in turmoil, and he was too nervous to notice that someone was peeping outside.

Lan Baihe's face turned red!

He had misunderstood.

"Oh, Daqiang, don't misunderstand. Although Lan Auntie's reputation isn't good, I haven't—. What I was about to say is, I know where Zhao Guangming is hiding. I want to tell you, and if you report it, it will definitely benefit you in becoming the director. I don't want to tell anyone else!"

Oh, Zhao Zhiqiang finally calmed down.

But outside, Miao Cuihua had a different impression, as Lan Baihe had blocked Zhao Zhiqiang, one sitting and one standing, making it impossible to see what they were doing from behind!

"I'll go find people, catch them in the act!" Miao Cuihua, for some reason, was so excited that her legs trembled, and she ran madly towards the village.

Lan Baihe also knew that Zhao Zhiqiang couldn't stay at home for long. "Zhao Guangming is hiding in the cave behind Longbei Mountain. There's a deep cave there, and he has stored food, meat, and stoves. He can survive for a month without coming out. If he can't be found outside, he must be there. He plans to escape by sea with a boat."

"Ah? There's a cave there?" Zhao Zhiqiang, who grew up locally, had been to that coast dozens of times but never found a cave.

"Yes, it appeared three years ago during the earthquake, along with the hot spring. The cave is only big enough for one person, and it has to be a slim person. Cover it with a stone, and no one will notice. It's under a large rock that looks like a bald eagle." Lan Baihe's face turned redder as she spoke.

Zhao Zhiqiang was already an adult and couldn't ask more about the implications. Knowing the location, he could fill in the rest. This matter seemed difficult for her to report.

"Lan Auntie, I understand. I'll go now. Don't worry, I'll take care of your family's affairs."

"This money, Auntie can't take it..."

The two struggled from the inner room to the outer room.

Suddenly, shouts and running sounds came from outside.

"Quick, go catch that ugly, shameless slut!"

"You don't know, Zhao Laonian's bear of a son got into Lan the slut's bed!"

"I saw it with my own eyes, and he even gave her money, at least two thousand!"

"Wang Zhu's wife, you're just making it up. How old is Zhao's son? He hasn't even experienced anything yet!"

Miao Cuihua snorted, "Enough, we're almost there, be quiet—maybe they're already doing it. Catching them in the act will be so satisfying. I don't know if it's the old cow eating the young grass or the young bull mounting the old cow, ha ha!"

Ha ha!

Zhao Zhiqiang's heart tightened!

Without a word, he darted past the door, turned to the back of the house, and leaped over the small wall of the toilet, then disappeared over the big wall.

He moved faster than when he beat up Chen Liling.

Miao Cuihua led four or five women into the house, some carrying brooms!

They were full of righteous indignation.

Lan Baihe had recovered from her brief panic.

She laughed coldly, "Miao Cuihua, why aren't you at home warming your husband's feet? Why did you bring all these people to my house?"

"To catch them in the act!"

"Wow! Miao Big Buttocks, where did you hear this? How did your husband end up on my kang? Ha ha, is it because you're no good? Come, search, see where Wang Zhu is hiding! Hehe..."

She pulled Li Bingxiang aside and opened the door, mockingly watching Miao Cuihua waddle into the house.

"Oh, it turns out Miao Cuihua's own husband is missing!"

"Ha ha!"

"In that case, we've meddled in something that's none of our business... Xiao Lan, sorry, the slut said Zhao's son was in your house, so we came, hehe. If it's Wang Zhu, you can hide him!"

The group of fierce women laughed and turned to go home.

Stealing a man should have principles. Uninitiated, unmarried boys should not be stolen.

In the rural areas of Linzhou, that's called being a slut.

As for married men, if they are really stolen, half of the blame will be on the woman for not being capable enough to keep her own man, and she will be laughed at.

Miao Cuihua's actions today, if spread, would not be better than Lan Baihe's reputation.