Chapter 88: Guidance

Entering the room, Yang Qing saw Chen Xueru had already brewed herself some aged citrus peel tea,

He wondered why Chen Xueru had come over again.

He asked directly.

"Sister Xueru, what are you doing today?"

Chen Xueru put down her teacup, looked outside, and saw nothing unusual.

Then, in front of Yang Qing, she slipped her hand into her collar and pulled out a cloth bundle from her chest.

Seeing this, Yang Qing's heart raced and his face flushed; he could only turn his head away, pretending not to have seen.

After taking out the cloth bundle, Chen Xueru placed it on the table and pushed it toward Yang Qing.

Then she smiled, locking her gaze on his eyes, full of pressure.

"This is for you."

Yang Qing avoided her provocative gaze, looked at the cloth bundle, and asked doubtfully.

"What is this?"

Chen Xueru reached out, opened the cloth bundle, revealing a Browning M1900 pistol; although old, it looked well-maintained.

Chen Xueru shook the cloth bundle, and several dozen bullets fell out.

"I'm sending this to you for self-defense."

This was the first time Yang Qing had seen a real gun, and he was so excited he could hardly speak.

"This, for me?"

This involves great risk; if nothing happens, it's fine, but if something goes wrong, Chen Xueru will also be in trouble.

After all, the gun was given by her.

Chen Xueru nodded.

"Just in case."

"If you're captured, your chances of survival are slim."

"So, you must use every means to ensure your safety."

"A gun can not only save your life, but also serve as a warning."

"I've found some people to follow you around."

"When they hear gunfire, they'll report to the police as quickly as possible."

"That's all I can do."

Yang Qing looked at Chen Xueru and said seriously.

"Sister Xueru, why are you doing all this for me?"

"Or, what do you want to gain?"

"We haven't met many times, have we?"

"Is it worth you paying such a high price?"

Chen Xueru understood that Yang Qing wanted to know what she hoped to gain from him.

She thought for a moment, leaned in close, and whispered.

"Your parents aren't dead; they're currently on WanDao."

Upon hearing this, Yang Qing's mind went blank.

This damn thing—being on WanDao is worse than being dead.

Do you really think he hasn't considered leaving Beijing?

He's tried; once he goes far, he always runs into people checking household registers and introduction letters, who then enthusiastically escort him back home.

Now, after hearing Chen Xueru's words, he understood many things.

He realized it wasn't just because of his family; his property had suffered this treatment, and perhaps he himself was still a hostage.

This life is too tragic and too messed up.

He raised his head, looked at Chen Xueru, and thought she wanted to use him to contact WanDao.

"Sister Xueru, you might have the wrong idea."

"I'm not a traitor, and I don't want to be one."

Chen Xueru knew he had misunderstood and explained.

"Our kind of business will have completed its nature transformation by 1966."

"By then, our identities will be awkward."

"Can you understand what I mean?"

"I've seen many scenes of landlords being criticized and struggled against."

"By then, what fate will people like us face?"

"After all, by then we'll be useless, wasting social resources and unable to contribute anything."

"Our status will be very awkward."

"To avoid being left with no way out in the future, we're making preparations now—that's our goal."

Yang Qing never expected Chen Xueru to say such things; who said there aren't smart people?

Lou Bancheng perhaps didn't dare act rashly because his holdings were too large, leading him to that point.

However, after handing over most of his property, he still managed to leave via the path he had paved.

But he's quite awkward: first, he lacks the ability to pave a road; second, his current condition is not right.

He doesn't even know what his situation is now.

He is many times more complicated than Chen Xueru.

Chen Xueru might be considered a little cat or dog; if she runs away, she just runs away.

This place of mine is rather complicated.

It depends on whether others give us a chance.

"Sister Xueru, you guys want to take the WanDao route; you might as well take another way."

"Even if other routes are known, there might still be a way to live; but WanDao is absolutely a dead end—touch it and you die!"

Chen Xueru seems to have already considered this question.

"According to my investigation, your parents are not simple."

"It's possible that their road is more hopeful than other roads."

"Moreover, we don't insist on going to WanDao; any place will do."

"These things, you don't need to worry; we're just doing what we want to do."

"In the end, it's all up to heaven's will."

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate."

Yang Qing glanced at Chen Xueru, then at Browning.

Finally, he still put the gun away, then said to Chen Xueru.

"Sister Xueru, I understand your feelings, but from today on, don't come over anymore."

"Given your situation, you might be able to get through this, but if you get involved with me, I'm afraid you'll really run into trouble."

According to the plot, they eventually made it through those ten years.

Moreover, Xu Huizhen's mind is not simple; her backup plan might be even more solid.

Chen Xueru looked at Yang Qing, thought for a while, then spoke.

"See if you can get through this hurdle."

"If you can't get through, saying anything is pointless."

"If you get through, maybe your situation will change, right?"

Yang Qing nodded and smiled.

"I'll be fine; as long as you get along well with Xu Huizhen, maybe nothing will happen in the future either."

Chen Xueru frowned, astonished.

"Do you know Xu Huizhen?"

Yang Qing shook his head.

"I've heard rumors that her husband ran off with her sister."

"He left the family business to her."

"Her husband is good at passing the buck, but she's even better at taking it on."

"She turned her own decline into an advantage, becoming a hotshot figure in Jiedao."

"Married to nest neck, she was the first to support public-private partnership, the first to run a night school, actively donated steel, and every step hit the mark."

"If you just follow her, you should be able to avoid ninety percent of disasters."

"Don't, out of spite, trip her up and ruin your own future."

"Following her might yield a better outcome than taking other paths."

Chen Xueru didn't expect Yang Qing's evaluation of Xu Huizhen to be so high.

"I haven't fought her; I'm just unwilling to accept it."

"What gives her, a country bumpkin, the right to constantly suppress me?"

Yang Qing's high opinion of Xu Huizhen, yet he advised her to learn from Xu Huizhen, which made her very uncomfortable.

Yang Qing didn't want to quarrel with her here over petty women's character issues.

"Perhaps because she came from the grassroots, she understands ordinary people's thoughts better."

"If you truly won't accept it, maybe you can go to the countryside to study."

"Through training, maybe you can surpass Xu Huizhen."

"Will you go?"

Chen Xueru fell silent; she certainly didn't want to go, unless she went crazy.

She shook her head.

Yang Qing said again.

"Isn't that right? So you can benefit from others' wisdom earned through hardship; you clearly profited, so what do you have to be resentful about?"

This time, Chen Xueru gained much clarity.