Chapter 2097

"Alright, I won't trouble you anymore, uncle." Zhao Desan said, waving his hand in disappointment.

"So we're not looking anymore?" Seeing Zhao Desan look a bit disappointed, Lan Mei asked, "Should we ask around a bit more?"

Prompted by Lan Mei, Zhao Desan suddenly seemed to think of something. He quickly took two steps forward, called out to the villager, and added, "Uncle, it's like this: the 'Big Wild Ox' I mentioned only returned to the village a couple of days ago. He's been working at construction sites outside. Do you have any impression of him?" In Zhao Desan's view, there were so few people in this small mountain village that there couldn't be many young, able-bodied men like Big Wild Ox. Once he put it this way, the villager would surely be able to think of who he meant.

Sure enough, after Zhao Desan added this reminder, the villager's brows twitched, and he said, "Then you might be talking about the son of the old Wang family at the head of the village. He's been working outside and just came back a couple of days ago."

Hearing the villager say this, the spark of hope was reignited in Zhao Desan's heart. He asked excitedly, "Uncle, where is that old Wang family?"

"There, at that end." The villager pointed to the last house in the village and said.

"Alright, thank you, uncle." Zhao Desan excitedly patted the villager on the shoulder. He glanced at Lan Mei, suddenly thinking that if he asked Big Wild Ox about things Lan Mei shouldn't know—especially the relationship that had occurred between him and Li Fang—and Lan Mei found out, wouldn't his good image in the eyes of this exquisite young lady be greatly diminished? So, he became vigilant and said to Lan Mei, "Sister Lan, you go home and wait for me first. That Big Wild Ox is a desperate man; I'm afraid that if he's pushed too hard, he might do something reckless. You go home and wait for me."

Hearing Zhao Desan say this, Lan Mei was even less willing to go home alone. She looked at Zhao Desan with a very worried expression and said, "I'd better go with you. Two people together are better than one."

"Sister Lan, you'd better go back first. I know you're definitely worried about me, but don't worry. In a one-on-one fight, Big Wild Ox is definitely no match for me. After all, I, Comrade Xiao Zhao, have a few tricks up my sleeve, as you know, Sister Lan. If you follow me, I'll have to protect you instead, right?" Zhao Desan gestured with a few moves while winking and making faces.

Lan Mei thought about what Zhao Desan said and realized it was true. This guy's physical fitness was exceptionally good; with his muscular build, agility, and quick wit, he never came out on the losing end in fights. If she were to tag along, she would be a burden and his weak point. So, Lan Mei smiled warmly, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "Fine, you're amazing, alright? I know you have skills. I won't hold you back then. Be careful, and come back early after you're done. I'll be a little scared at home alone, okay?"

Seeing Lan Mei agree, Zhao Desan smiled proudly. He took two steps forward, unhesitatingly placed his hand on Lan Mei's fragrant shoulder, nodded, and said with a cheeky grin, "Don't you worry, I'll be back very soon. Once I finish this matter, we still have our own business to attend to."

From Zhao Desan's wicked expression and this playful remark, Lan Mei had already grasped his meaning. She rolled her eyes at him with a hint of shyness, pouted, and said, "You're incorrigible. I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm leaving." Saying this, she pushed Zhao Desan away and then walked toward the village, swaying her ample bosom and hips.

Watching Lan Mei's graceful and voluptuous back, although her outfit looked much more casual than when she was at work, in this small mountain village, the appearance of a woman with such a figure, face, and temperament—and a white-collar professional at that—was truly extraordinary, giving one the feeling of having discovered a new continent. Watching Lan Mei's back, Zhao Desan smiled wickedly, then followed the direction the villager had pointed, lit a cigarette, and walked over.

At dusk, every household in the village was lighting fires to cook. Under the shroud of mountain mist, Zhao Desan felt as if he had walked into a mysterious land of drifting fog. He arrived in the village and walked to the gate of the old Wang family the villager had mentioned. The simple wooden gate was already closed from the inside. Just as he stepped forward to knock, he suddenly heard Big Wild Ox's voice, sounding extremely irritable: "Dad, you talk too much! I'll go to the city to work whenever I want, you can't control me!"

Damn! This Big Wild Ox was actually so rude to his own father! Hearing Big Wild Ox's disrespectful attitude toward his father, Zhao Desan thought to himself, reached out, grabbed the door knocker, and rapped on Big Wild Ox's gate.

"Who is it?" Hearing someone knocking, Big Wild Ox's vigilant questioning voice came immediately.

"It's... it's... it's me!" Being asked by Big Wild Ox like that, Zhao Desan was momentarily tongue-tied and didn't know how to answer.

Just after Zhao Desan answered, Big Wild Ox associated it with the situation he had seen across the river that afternoon. He immediately felt something was wrong, whispered a few words to his father while winking, and then panicked and hid in the courtyard's latrine.

"Who are you?" After Big Wild Ox's instructions, his father, old Wang, asked toward the outside of the gate.

"It's me... I'm Comrade Xiao Zhao from the next village, Uncle Wang." Zhao Desan had a flash of inspiration and bluffed.

Because the two villages were separated by a river and the mountain roads were rugged, travel was inconvenient, and the people from the two villages didn't interact much. Hearing it was from the next village, old Wang got up, walked to the gate, opened the latch, and opened a crack to look. Seeing a young man he didn't recognize, he looked at Zhao Desan with a strange expression and asked, "Whose son from the next village are you? Why don't I recognize you?"

"Uncle Wang, you definitely wouldn't know me. I went to school with Big Wild Ox. I heard he was back, so I came over to have a chat with him." Zhao Desan accompanied his words with a smile, continuing to bluff old Wang.