Chapter 52: After the Turmoil, a Joyous Reunion on Little New Year's Eve

Chen Zhiguo rubbed his brow and nodded toward Zhao Tiezhu and Zhao Yongnian.

"Village chief, Comrade Tiezhu, please escort these three people to the village office first; I'll go inform the town's Comrades to come and take them away."

His voice left no room for doubt, and the police badge on his leather cap glimmered coldly in the oil lamp.

Zhao Yongnian quickly answered, ordering the militia captain and Tiezhu to lift the three people, including the groaning Ma Liu, off the ground, while repeatedly bowing and nodding to Chen Zhiguo.

Liu Fugui, though still shaken by Ma Liu's scare, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the people would be taken away, and hurriedly helped push open the door for them to leave.

Lu Qingshan casually grabbed Fugui, gave him a quick instruction, and said he would go to the village entrance later to retrieve his bundle.

Liu Fugui responded, turned back and tugged Zhao Lao San and Zhao Lao Wu out of the house.

After everyone had left, Chen Zhiguo turned to Lu Qingshan, his gaze steady and deep.

He took two steps closer and lowered his voice.

"Brother Qing Shan, I came to you about the matter last time. The clue you gave truly sped up our case progress."

"Today, after capturing the suspects from the old forest farm and heading back to the county, we passed Shanwan Village and stopped by to thank you."

Lu Qingshan was briefly startled, then suddenly realized.

Chen Zhiguo was referring to the rumor Lu Qingshan had deliberately spread earlier about strange traces in the mountains.

"I only heard some rumors, all jokes among hunters; if the case truly got solved, that's thanks to Officer Chen, your merit; I didn't really help at all."

Lu Qingshan shook his head, his eyes carrying cautious probing.

Chen Zhiguo, with an air of composure, nodded and smiled, paying no mind to his reply, and whispered to Lu Qingshan, "You must understand that in places like ours, ordinary families are inevitably bullied."

"But you are different—"

His gaze swept up and down, laden with meaning.

"You are now a 'person of interest' to us. If you encounter trouble later, you can come to me."

These words, to Lu Qingshan's ears, were clearly a veiled official protection.

He nodded calmly, yet his heart roiled with stormy waves.

The shift in situation was faster than he had imagined!

As Chen Zhiguo was about to leave, he stopped at the doorway, turned back to glance at Lu Qingshan, and said, "Remember, if anything stirs, you can contact me at any time."

As soon as the hall door shut, Lin Yue'e could no longer hold back.

"Woo—"

A long-suppressed sob burst from her throat, like a dam exploding.

She lunged at Lu Qingshan, clutched his lapel tightly, buried her face deep into his chest, and her shoulders trembled violently.

"Qing Shan... Qing Shan... woo..."

Her voice choked, tears instantly soaked Lu Qingshan's cotton jacket, "I'm so scared... so scared..."

Lu Qingshan felt his chest tighten, his throat as if something were lodged there.

He carefully lifted his hand, gently cradling his wife's trembling shoulder, patting it repeatedly.

Unsure how to comfort her, he tightened his arms, awkwardly rubbing her back as if kneading dough.

"It's okay, it's okay..."

His throat rasped, his voice low and strong, "As long as I'm alive, no one will dare hurt you again."

Xiao Xue, seeing her mother weeping so sorrowfully, let out a wailing cry, her tiny body tumbling off the heated brick bed onto the cold floor, tears streaming as she rushed to Lu Qingshan's leg and clutched his knee.

"Dad! Dad!"

She lifted her little face, tears flowing freely, yet tried to force a smile, "Dad's really awesome! Beat the bad guys!"

Lu Qingshan bent down, scooped his daughter up, and the three of them huddled tightly together.

On this cold winter night, in this humble earthen house, they finally found each other and the true warmth of home.

"Alright, alright, stop crying."

Lu Qingshan cooed softly, wiping Xiao Xue's tears with his rough fingers, "Dad promises, we'll never let the bad guys bully us again."

Lin Yue'e gradually calmed, still nestled against his chest, her voice muffled, "Why did you suddenly come back?"

Lu Qingshan was startled; the Mountain Wild Heart's sensation resurfaced in his mind.

He whispered, "Something feels off, so I hurried back."

Lin Yue'e lifted her tear‑blurred face, her gaze filled with complexity.

The man who once drove her to despair now appeared like a deity, shielding her and her daughter from all danger.

"Qing Shan, thank..."

Lu Qingshan quickly pressed his finger to her lips and gently shook his head.

"Don't say that. Protecting you is my duty."

"Creak—"

The door was pushed open again, and Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui returned, their hands red from the cold, with Fugui carrying the bundle Lu Qingshan had hastily thrown at the village entrance.

"Brother Qing Shan! That damn Ma Liu is such a coward; as soon as he reached the village office he fell to his knees begging for mercy, saying his leg was broken and he'd give up his life!"

Tiezhu, still indignant, then saw the scene inside, scratched his head awkwardly, "Oops, did I disturb you?"

Liu Fugui, sharp-eyed, spotted Jin Hu cowering by the firewood pile, handed the bundle to Lu Qingshan, and hurried forward: "Lu Qingshan, Jin Hu, is the dog alright?"

Only then did Lu Qingshan remember; he hurriedly handed Xiao Xue to Lin Yue'e, walked a few steps, and carefully lifted Jin Hu.

The little creature curled up, its hind leg still limp and hanging, and upon seeing Lu Qingshan, it whined plaintively, nudging his palm with its wet nose.

After a check, it was fine—only a bruised leg, no fracture.

Lu Qingshan patted its head tenderly, "Good dog, brave Jin Hu, you protected Mom and Xiao Xue."

Jin Hu seemed to understand, wagging its tail lightly, its eyes showing a hint of eased pain.

"Tiezhu, Fugui, thanks to you both."

Lu Qingshan stood up, his gaze sincere, "If you hadn't noticed something was wrong tonight and returned in time, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Brother Qing Shan! This is nothing, we're brothers!"

Zhao Tiezhu grinned naively, "Besides, when I arrived I hadn't accomplished anything, but you—wow! That kick made Ma Liu cry out for his dad and mom, that was truly satisfying!"

Liu Fugui also nodded, admiration filling his eyes: "Qing—Qing Shan brother, teach us how you're so powerful…"

The house was tidied up until the middle of the night.

Although there was still some mess, the feeling of home gradually returned.

Lin Yue'e's forehead was slightly damp, but her eyes showed a long‑missed calm and steadiness.

Xiao Xue had long been fast asleep, her small hand still clutching Lu Qingshan's sleeve as if fearing he would leave again.

Lu Qingshan glanced outside; the sky was probably about to brighten.

"We're all tired, let's sleep for a while."

He said softly, "Tomorrow is the Little New Year; we need to prepare something."

Lin Yue'e nodded, hesitatingly glancing at Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui, who were reluctant to leave.

"How about… you spend the night in the outer room? It's freezing outside."

The two were flattered and startled, hurriedly waving their hands to indicate that their families were still waiting, so they'd return home first.

After they left, Lin Yue'e hurried to tidy the remaining clutter; Lu Qingshan carefully tugged the new quilt that Xiao Xue had kicked off, while Jin Hu nestled on an old cotton coat beside the firewood pile, sleeping soundly.

The house finally fell silent, only Jin Hu's occasional whimper and the crackle of the stove breaking the quiet.

Lu Qingshan looked at the silhouettes of his sleeping daughter and wife, his heart a mixture of many emotions.

In his previous life he had been such a scoundrel, making his wife endure too much.

Reborn, he only wished for his wife and daughter's safety and happiness, yet he never expected to nearly ruin everything again.

His heart was filled with guilt and aching love.

The night gradually faded, and the east glowed with a pale dawn.

A heavy snowfall fell silently, as if to wash away all the filth and unease of the previous night.

At daybreak, Lu Qingshan pushed open the door, his eyes met a world clad in silver.

Xiao Xue poked her head out from behind, instantly exclaiming, "Snowing! Snowing!"

"Today is the Little New Year," Lu Qingshan turned back, saying to Lin Yue'e, "Let's make dumplings."

Lin Yue'e was startled, a hint of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

In previous years at this time, Lu Qingshan would already be drunk unconscious in a gambling den, never thinking about the Little New Year.

"We only have a little Corn Flour at home," she whispered.

"I bought ten jin of White Flour in the town two days ago."

Lu Qingshan laughed, patting his shoulder where no snowflakes existed, "Boil water quickly; I'll call Zhao Tiezhu and the others to get some meat to trade for Large Cabbage."

Half an hour later, Lu Qingshan, with Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui, carrying a slab of prime pork lard, knocked on Zhào Wénwǔ's door.

Zhào Wénwǔ saw them and a flash of surprise and awe crossed his eyes.

Ma Liu's incident had spread throughout the village; Lu Qingshan's name changed overnight—it was no longer the "Lu Lazi" but a tough guy who could make the county police personally "look after" him.

"Hey, Brother Qing Shan! Come in quickly and sit!"

Zhào Wénwǔ hurriedly stepped aside at the doorway; though uneasy inside, his face was full of smiles.

"Brother Zhao, you have plenty of cabbage, right? I'd like to trade a few heads for dumplings," Lu Qingshan said bluntly.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhào Wénwǔ nodded repeatedly, glancing at the pork lard in Lu Qingshan's hand, swallowing, "This… is too valuable!"

"We're all fellow villagers, no need for formalities," Lu Qingshan waved, "Your cabbage is famously good."

Zhào Wénwǔ laughed so hard his mouth couldn't close, hurriedly pulling out the best Large Cabbage he had stored all winter: "Take it, take it, is it enough? If not, take more!"

On the way home, several passing villagers who saw Lu Qingshan greeted him from afar, their eyes full of fresh respect.

The mocking, contemptuous gazes of the past vanished overnight, replaced by a subtle awe.

Lu Qingshan merely gave a faint nod, though an indescribable feeling stirred within him.

In his previous life, how had he gradually become the village's laughingstock, and how had he, in despair, walked toward self‑destruction?

Now, a single wild game and a legitimate self‑defense have made the villagers look at him anew.

The family gathered around the warm kang, busily folding dumplings.

Lin Yue'e rolled the skins, while Lu Qingshan clumsily packed them, producing odd shapes.

"Dad's dumplings look like ears!" Xiao Xue giggled, pointing at the crooked dumplings in Lu Qingshan's hands.

"Exactly ears!" Lu Qingshan deliberately held the dumpling up to her ear, "to see if Xiao Xue is missing dad!"

Lin Yue'e, amused by the father‑daughter antics, covered her mouth and laughed, the warmth in her eyes shining like stars.

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui, while packing, exaggeratedly praised Lu Qingshan's skill, causing continuous laughter throughout the house.

In the corner, Jin Hu lifted his head; though his leg was still unsteady, he wagged his tail and whined, seeming to want to join the celebration.

Lu Qingshan specially ladled a small bowl of meat broth, patting Jin Hu's head and gently coaxing him to drink.

Jin Hu's eyes glittered in the warm kang light, as if a sky of stars had fallen into the little room.

After the dumplings were finished, Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui cheerfully said goodbye, each taking a bag of dumplings home to eat.

Steaming hot dumplings came out of the pot, white, plump, and round, filling several large plates on the kang table.

The aroma spread throughout the house, dispelling last night's gloom.

Lu Qingshan watched the smiles on his wife and daughter's faces, feeling this hard‑won peace and warmth, and suddenly his nose tinged with sourness.

In his previous life of over forty years, he had never truly tasted the flavor of "home."

And now, in this modest house, on this snow‑filled Little New Year night, he finally reclaimed his original dream—

to protect this family, to safeguard this hard‑won warmth.

"Eat more." He picked up the roundest dumpling and placed it in Lin Yue'e's bowl, his voice low and warm, "From now on, our family will have dumplings every year."

Lin Yue'e froze, lifting her face to look at him, her eyes glistening with moisture.

She nodded lightly, as if making some silent promise and anticipation.

Outside the window, the snow fell heavier and heavier, as if it wanted to bury all past shame and pain deep underground.

Inside the house, laughter and chatter continued, warm air rose, and Jin Hu occasionally let out two whimpers, as if reminding everyone that it too was part of this family.

Lu Qingshan gazed at all this, and suddenly a feeling of unprecedented steadiness and resolve welled up in his heart.

No matter how difficult the road ahead, he would give everything to protect this hard-won happiness.