Chapter 71: A Woman's Heart

In the living room of Liugongguan, Liu Rusi poured freshly ground coffee powder into a filter paper and slowly poured in hot water.

Zhao Ying put the coffee Liu Rusi handed her under her nose and sniffed it, her voice slightly choked, "Xiao Si, why are you so good to me? But the errand you gave me, I messed it up this time."

As she spoke, tears fell.

Liu Rusi patted her back, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "Xiao Ying, this matter is not your fault. I know you did your best. If heaven wants to rain, or a mother wants to remarry, let it be!"

Zhao Ying wiped her tears with a handkerchief and hugged Liu Rusi, "Those people in Nanjing are sick. If they want Doctor Liu to work, they could just kidnap him, right? Why insist on forcing him to be willing? Where do all these twists and turns come from?"

"We are all small fish and shrimp, unable to control our own fate!" Liu Rusi looked dejected, as if lost in thought.

Zhao Ying leaned back into the sofa, her expression mocking, "Liu Xiaohua is followed every time he goes out to eat. I think what we are doing is already counterproductive. He won't help this time! If things are done well, it's the superiors' credit; if not, they say he's a good-for-nothing."

Liu Rusi picked up her coffee cup to cover the corner of her mouth, a flash of embarrassment crossing her eyes: "The way you say that, it sounds like you're implying something about me."

"Don't overthink it! I think letting Zhuzi try is also a way, but I always feel this kid's hands aren't clean," Zhao Ying said.

Liu Rusi had just taken a sip of coffee and nearly choked upon hearing this.

"That shouldn't be, he is just a child!"

"Is the land deed you asked my father to sell really obtained through legitimate means?" Zhao Ying said.

"He said it was exchanged for saving someone," Liu Rusi said.

"You want to get Zhuzi involved? He is so rich, why would he work with us!" Zhao Ying said.

Liu Rusi rested her chin on her fingertips and pondered for a moment: "I am under great pressure; he is my only straw to clutch at."

Zhao Ying shook her head and curled her lip: "He has a restaurant running now, he doesn't lack food or clothing. I don't think he will get mixed up with us."

These words struck Liu Rusi's heart; she sighed softly: "You really asked me a question. Actually, I can't even say what I'm aiming for myself."

"I worked for the Military Statistics Bureau back then to fight the little Japanese. But now? Those officials are busy grabbing territory and lining their pockets. I am very disappointed. The day we ate, Liu Xiaohua said you couldn't see the situation clearly; that was his true opinion. He is very dissatisfied with those people's behavior!"

"But this mission is my father's order, I cannot not do it." Liu Rusi pinched the bridge of her nose, her tone carrying a sense of helplessness.

Zhao Ying patted her hand, "If I were you, I would be good to him! This child eats soft but not hard. If you are good to him by one point, he will remember it for a lifetime."

Liu Rusi nodded: "You are right to remind me."

"But I bet that even if Zhuzi helps persuade Liu Xiaohua, he won't give in. That guy is as shrewd as a monkey; he must be waiting for the situation to become clear before picking a side."

"You are analyzing things so logically today, did your father tell you this?"

"My father is a top student from Cambridge. He told me that based on the current situation, the probability of the Communist Party winning has risen to 43%!"

Liu Rusi's expression changed abruptly, and she hurriedly reached out to cover her mouth: "Are you crazy? You dare to say such things! If something really happens, I won't be able to protect you."

Zhao Ying pushed her hand away and muttered softly: "Am I that stupid? I'm only saying this to you."

On the other side, He Yuzhu faced the mirror, sticking on a fake beard until it was smooth, and added two strokes to his eyebrows to make them look coarser.

Once tidied up, he tucked his money bag away and headed straight for Xuanwumen to find the residence of the thug Ma Qian.

"Dong, dong, dong—" When the knocking sounded, Ma Qian was still groggy from sleep. He rubbed his eyes to open the door, and upon seeing a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes wearing a beard standing outside, his expression immediately darkened, his tone sinister: "Who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me, does Mr. Ma Qian live here?" He Yuzhu deliberately lowered his voice to make it sound raspier.

"That's me." Ma Qian looked him up and down, his eyes full of vigilance, "What do you want?"

"I was entrusted by someone to inquire about a person," He Yuzhu said calmly, "His name is Li Zhangchun. I heard you went to his house to collect a debt before. After you left, he hasn't been home for a long time, and his family is very worried."

Ma Qian stared at him for a long time. Seeing that he was dressed decently and was also young, not looking like someone here to pick a fight, he relaxed his vigilance slightly and sneered: "Li Zhangchun? He owed us over three hundred Big Ocean, couldn't pay it back, so we sold him to Mentougou to dig coal. With his physique, I reckon he'll never get out in this lifetime."

"I'll give you money, can you make an exception and take me to see him?" He Yuzhu said. Actually, he wanted to confirm if Li Zhangchun was still alive.

"See him?" Ma Qian rolled his eyes, "Pay back the money, and I'll take you right now. Just looking without paying? No way!"

"Paying is fine, but I must first confirm he is still alive. I can't just give you the money and find out he's long gone; how would I explain that to his family?" He Yuzhu said unhurriedly.

"Don't worry, our boss is a person of status, he doesn't kill people easily, at most he sends them to dig coal," Ma Qian boasted.

"May I ask who your boss is?"

"Have you heard of Zheng De! That is our boss behind the scenes; the one in the front is the anti-Japanese hero Zhao Datou."

He Yuzhu was immediately excited; today was not a wasted trip.

He took three hundred Big Ocean out of his backpack, waved them in front of him, and quickly put them away: "I have the money. You take me to see Li Zhangchun, and I'll give you the money when we get back."

Ma Qian's eyes lit up instantly, and he smiled until his face wrinkled, "Young Master, the way you talk! Everything is negotiable, everything is negotiable! That kid Li Zhangchun is really lucky to have met you."

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not here to get him out. He's a gambler; if he doesn't suffer a bit, he won't change his bad habits. You take me to see him once, confirm he's alive, and I'll give you eighty Big Ocean. Also, you guys look after him and don't let him suffer too much in the mine."

"Eighty? That's too little!" Ma Qian immediately frowned, "I have to grease palms up and down, at least one hundred!"

"Eighty, that's it," He Yuzhu said firmly, "If you think it's okay, we leave now; if not, I'll ask someone else."

Ma Qian hesitated for a moment, looked at the money bag in He Yuzhu's hand, and finally relented: "Fine! Seeing as you're a straightforward person, eighty it is, let's go now!"

The two hired a carriage and bumped all the way to the coal mine in Mentougou.

When the coal miners were eating, He Yuzhu saw Li Zhangchun from afar—he was so thin he was nothing but bones, his cheekbones were high and protruding, his eye sockets were sunken, but his eyes were much clearer than before, without the blurriness of drunkenness.

Confirming the person was still alive, He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief and hurried back.

By the time he returned to Si Jiu Cheng, it was almost dark. He gave the eighty Big Ocean to Ma Qian.

Ma Qian tucked the money away and smiled even more obsequiously: "Young Master, if you have nothing to do, why not come to our casino to play a few rounds someday? We are absolutely fair there, we never cheat anyone!"

He Yuzhu sneered in his heart; it was truly a case of someone sending a pillow just as he wanted to sleep. On the surface, he pretended to be uninterested: "It's too late today, I'll definitely go another day! Give me the address."

Ma Qian immediately reported the casino's address and repeatedly urged him to come.

He Yuzhu agreed and turned to leave, a plan already forming in his mind—since killing Zheng De openly was too risky, it would be better to cut off his money supply first. Without money, let's see who would still follow him.

He Yuzhu headed straight for Liugongguan. Just as he entered the door, he bumped into Zhao Ying, so he didn't rush to talk about business and just sat in the living room drinking tea.

Zhao Ying leaned close to Liu Rusi and whispered: "Your little lover is here, hurry up and go upstairs!"

Liu Rusi rolled her eyes and said to He Yuzhu: "Come upstairs with me."