Chapter 222: The Cabbage Was Rooted by a Pig

Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning and wrote on the paper: "Thank you."

Gu Ning looked at it and said, "Do you still remember the time you were injured?"

Li Xuewu frowned and shook his head. He really couldn't remember.

After such a long recovery, Li Xuewu could remember everything from his predecessor's life and could clearly remember his own life in the later generation, but he just couldn't remember the time of the intersection.

Li Xuewu guessed himself that it might be the physical and mental pain that caused memory loss.

Seeing Li Xuewu write "Say..." on the paper again, Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu with some amusement.

The symbol at the back wasn't a typo by Li Xuewu; it meant repeating the previous word. He had no strength in his hand and was too lazy to write it.

Gu Ning moved her hands and said, "That was my third day on the front line. You were sent over in the afternoon. From the moment you entered the tent, I saw you with your eyes tightly closed, shouting in pain. I saw the wound on your face, but fearing you had other injuries, I asked you where it hurt, but you didn't answer, just kept shouting in pain."

Seeing Li Xuewu lower his head in embarrassment, Gu Ning said angrily, "Your comrades were even worse than you. After the two of them carried you in, they just cried. I was so anxious I had to examine you myself."

Li Xuewu raised his head in surprise, stared at Gu Ning's eyes, and drew a question mark on the paper.

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu and said, "I'm a doctor."

"Fortunately, you had no external or bone injuries. I breathed a sigh of relief and went to check your face. I don't know how you bumped it, but blood and mud were mixed and pasted on the wound. I could only rinse your wound with saline..."

Speaking of this, Gu Ning paused, lowered her head to look at her hands, as if remembering something terrifying.

Li Xuewu raised his right hand and poked Gu Ning's knee, making Gu Ning look up at him.

From Gu Ning's eyes, Li Xuewu saw the relief of surviving a disaster and the fear of that past event. He didn't know what had happened at the time, so he frowned and signaled for Gu Ning to continue.

Gu Ning nodded and said, "The moment the saline touched the wound on your face, you opened your eyes and grabbed my neck with your hand."

Speaking of this, Gu Ning paused again, then continued, "If it weren't for the fact that I couldn't hold the saline bottle in my hand and the saline was spilling everywhere, and some saline dripped into your eyes, you might have strangled me to death."

Li Xuewu stared in disbelief at Gu Ning, having absolutely no memory of such a segment. No wonder his comrades were hesitant when he asked them afterward. Looking at Gu Ning with her head lowered, Li Xuewu hurriedly wrote the three words "I'm sorry" on the paper.

Gu Ning felt Li Xuewu poking her again, signaled for her to look at the paper with a wink, and seeing Li Xuewu's words and expression, she raised her hand with a smile.

"I know, I don't blame you, and I don't hold any resentment. Your eyes were red at the time, and the look in your eyes was like..."

Speaking of this, Gu Ning's expression changed. She thought for a moment and said, "I've seen it when I was a child. When I was in elementary school, those people also had this look. They also grabbed my neck and threw me into the classroom... I was considered lucky. The explosion only buried me in the ruins for a few hours, but many of my classmates were gone. The best friend I played with was crushed right in front of my eyes."

As Gu Ning spoke, her tone became low. She wanted to touch her neck with her hand, but had to give up because her hands were wrapped in bandages.

Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning's fair neck and couldn't imagine how brutal he had been at the time.

Gu Ning put her hands down and said, "Since then, my father arranged two guards for me, a man and a woman, and I lived under their sight every day. Although this made me safe, it also brought constraints. I actually envied your freedom, especially the things you said to me at my house that day—laughing, scolding, living happily."

Li Xuewu grinned and wrote "Big heart" on the paper.

Gu Ning looked at it, smiled lightly, and helped Li Xuewu turn the page of the notebook with her bandaged hands.

"Since then, I've often had nightmares. Even after I went to college, I didn't dare to make friends. Even when I walked with the children in the courtyard, I was accompanied by guards. So gradually, they all excluded me, and my personality became more and more isolated and difficult to get along with. I know this might be a psychological illness, and this might also be the reason why I had conflicts with you in the hospital."

Li Xuewu remembered this segment. When he met Gu Ning again in the rear hospital, Li Xuewu naturally didn't have a good face for the "quack doctor" who had disfigured him. Coupled with his fear and irritability about the future, encountering Gu Ning was like lighting a fuse.

Gu Ning naturally wouldn't indulge Li Xuewu. The fear Li Xuewu gave her hooked her childhood experiences again, and her emotions became unstable.

Both of them had their own grievances. In the end, because the two of them made too much of a scene, someone reported Gu Ning, and it ended with Gu Ning receiving a not-so-small disciplinary action.

Li Xuewu touched Gu Ning's hand and blinked at her.

Gu Ning nodded, indicating understanding and forgiveness.

"I was also wrong. I shouldn't have forced you to stitch it up. But I still can't figure out what's wrong with your constitution. At the time, I clearly watched Tong Yao give you an anesthetic injection, but you just couldn't enter a state of anesthesia."

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu in confusion and said, "But this time when I performed surgery on you, my sister-in-law said she was afraid you would be awake during the surgery, so she also gave you anesthesia. You did have a waking reaction during the surgery, but the anesthetic effect was there."

Li Xuewu frowned, having already thought of a possibility, but after looking at Gu Ning, he shook his head and wrote "It's in the past" on the paper.

Gu Ning nodded. Although she still couldn't figure it out, she didn't talk to Li Xuewu about this topic again. The two chatted about things in the south, sometimes not saying anything, sometimes thinking about their own things in silence, sometimes Gu Ning said a few words, and Li Xuewu nodded or replied with a few words on the paper.

The two of them were alone until Xu Ning was discovered by Li Xuewu peering through the glass at the door, forcing Xu Ning to open the door and enter the room with a murderous look, which ended their solitude.

Xu Ning apologized to Gu Ning repeatedly, saying he had gone out for fresh air and got lost, and only just found his way back.

Gu Ning looked at Xu Ning, then at Li Xuewu, and seeing Li Xuewu staring with wide eyes and an expression of "It wasn't me," she smiled slightly and turned to leave.

After Xu Ning closed the door, he looked at Li Xuewu with a grin. Li Xuewu glared at Xu Ning and wrote on the paper: "I'm about to burst from holding my pee."

Li Xuewu hadn't written such long text with Gu Ning all night, so it seemed he was holding it quite uncomfortably.

Xu Ning served Li Xuewu to relieve himself, then went to sleep on the hospital bed to the side under Li Xuewu's urging gaze.

Xu Ning's arm hadn't healed yet, and it was also in a sling, but he insisted on serving Li Xuewu, and no one else could compete with him, so he kept at it even though he was tired. At this moment, he was snoring on the bed.

Li Xuewu was also dazed all night, sleeping and waking up from time to time. The anesthesia on his arm had worn off, and now it was really painful. Sometimes he would wake up from the pain just by turning over.

The pain in his arm wasn't the only thing; in his intermittent dreams, the figures of Dong Wenwen playing with him kept flashing by—her smiling face, crying face, coquettish anger, and other emotions. Finally, the image stopped at her desperate, ashen face when she got on the truck...

Li Xuewu, startled awake by the dream, looked out the window. It was the darkest time before dawn. He looked at Xu Ning lying on the bed to the side, and only then did he realize he was still in the hospital.

The pain in his arm wasn't a continuous ache, but rather like a pulse, throbbing with pain. This pain tortured Li Xuewu until he was covered in sweat. Having already lost too much blood, his body was very weak, and cold sweat kept pouring out.

He braced himself to take a sip of cold water from the cup on the bedside cabinet, which relieved the burning pain in his throat. Enduring the pain, he moved to the dry spot on the bed to the side, avoiding the spot soaked by his own sweat.

"Hoo~"

After such a struggle, the last bit of strength in his body was exhausted, and his eyelids closed uncontrollably, and he fell asleep amidst Xu Ning's snoring.

After Li Xuewu fell asleep in a daze, he dreamed of Lin Tingting bickering with him when they first met, her coquettish anger when teased by the Supply and Marketing Cooperative sisters, her cuteness when watching a movie with him, her smiling at him in the car, and her heart-rending figure crawling toward her mother at home...

Suddenly, the scene of him at the Lin house appeared before his eyes. Lin Tingting, who was lying on her mother's corpse, turned her head and looked at him with eyes full of sorrow, her expression full of resentment toward him.

"Hoo~ Hoo~ Hoo~ Hoo~"

"Li Kezhang, Li Kezhang."

Li Xuewu opened his eyes abruptly and saw Xu Ning standing by the bed looking at him nervously. Rapid footsteps came from the open ward door.

Following the footsteps, Li Xuewu saw Mu Hongyan running in anxiously. She walked to his bed, checked, took his pulse, checked his mouth, finally touched his pillow, and took the thermometer handed by the nurse to look at it.

"It's quite good, the fever has gone down, and it's not hot anymore. Change the pillow and quilt in a moment, they're soaked with sweat."

After giving instructions to the nurse and Xu Ning, she looked at Li Xuewu, who was still shedding tears, and asked, "Try to see if you can make a sound."

Li Xuewu opened his mouth to try. The burning sensation in his throat had lessened a lot, and he could already speak simply.

Mu Hongyan nodded and said, "Young men recover quickly. Replenish your nutrition, and you'll be fully recovered soon."

Li Xuewu said gratefully to Mu Hongyan, "Thank you, it's been hard work."

Mu Hongyan smiled at Li Xuewu and said, "It's what I should do. Rest more, try to speak less." After speaking, she nodded to Xu Ning and went out.

Li Xuewu felt his body was much better. With the help of Xu Ning and the nurse, he changed the pillow soaked with tears and sweat, and also changed the mattress and quilt soaked with sweat.

Xu Ning clumsily helped Li Xuewu wipe his body with a towel soaked in hot water. Both were young men; one wasn't used to serving others, and the other wasn't used to being served.

Furthermore, Li Xuewu's arm was injured, and Xu Ning's arm was also injured. The two "disabled" people doing this work, which was hard even for a nurse, made Li Xuewu sweat, not to mention Xu Ning, who was also covered in sweat.

When Ding Bianji came in, she saw this scene and was so angry at the clumsy appearance of the two "disabled" people that she laughed. She snatched the towel from Xu Ning's hand, soaked it in hot water, and began to wipe Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu pulled the quilt awkwardly and said in a hoarse voice, "Aunt, let him do it."

Ding Bianji swatted Li Xuewu's hand that was pulling the quilt, waved for the guard at the door to come in and help Xu Ning turn Li Xuewu over, and she herself used the towel to wipe Li Xuewu's back and legs.

"You two are really something, one is a fool, and the other is a fool's subordinate, a little fool. Two 'disabled' people are huddled together. If you struggle any longer, the wounds will burst open."

She turned Li Xuewu over, wiped his upper body, and carefully wiped the area around his wound.

"After an injury, you must maintain body hygiene, especially the hygiene around the wound. You cannot pull the wound forcefully. It hasn't grown well inside yet, be careful of dead flesh lumps."

Ding Bianji nagged while helping Li Xuewu wipe his body with the help of Xu Ning and the guard Xiao Hu, then opened the porridge she brought and began to feed Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu ate the walnut and goji berry porridge with a faint sweet taste, and tears flowed uncontrollably again.

Li Xuewu had a fierce temper. The more you fought with him, the more spirit he had to fight with you. But he had such a fierce and combative temper, yet he was a person who couldn't stand it when someone was good to him. He was a person who ate soft but not hard.

When he was a child, Li Shun hit Li Xuewu until the stick broke, and Li Xuewu didn't cry, but he would always listen when Liu Yin cried and told him something.

Ding Bianji wiped Li Xuewu's tears with a handkerchief and said, "Big young man, why are your tears so convenient? I'm not saying you and Xiao Ning are comrades-in-arms, just saying that I watched Wenxue grow up. You're like my own child. Wiping your body and feeding you, it's not worth crying over."

Li Xuewu's throat was a bit choked. He nodded to Ding Bianji in front of him. Some emotions cannot be described in words, nor can they be thanked in words.

After breakfast, Xu Ning sent Ding Bianji and the others away. When he came back, he held half a box of white-boxed cigarettes and looked at Li Xuewu with a wink.

Li Xuewu couldn't stand seeing a villain succeed, so he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Li Xuewu hadn't slept for five minutes when the door was pushed open.

"Aha! Let me see how our lovesick man is doing."

As soon as Li Xuewu opened his eyes, he saw Ji Wang Weidong walking to his hospital bed in a rush, joking while lifting the quilt below.

"Your grandfather's, it's my arm that's injured, not my 'little brother'."

Ji Wang Weidong was just messing around; he couldn't possibly really lift Li Xuewu's quilt. Even if he were young, he wouldn't be that reckless. He just thought Li Xuewu was really unlucky, losing two women in one case.

"Damn it, I heard you were crying and wailing in the hospital, I thought you had been shot in the 'little brother'."

Li Xuewu clearly remembered that it was this brat who sent him to the hospital, otherwise, he couldn't have been admitted to the military hospital. He knew exactly where he was injured, so this was completely a joke to comfort him.

"Nonsense, a man bleeds but doesn't cry." Li Xuewu's voice was still a bit hoarse. Although he had just shed tears, he couldn't admit it to Ji Wang Weidong.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Ji Wang Weidong turned to Shen Fang, who had followed him in, and said, "That's not right, is it? The look you gave me yesterday wasn't that this brat was crying there?"

Shen Fang saw Ji Wang Weidong mention that he had seen Li Xuewu crying while staring at Dong Wenwen out the window yesterday afternoon and calling Ji Wang Weidong to watch. He stared and said righteously, "That's not true. Shen Fang and Li Xuewu are good comrades. How could I let an outsider like you see our Li Ke's joke?"

Ji Wang Weidong turned to look at Li Xuewu, then at Shen Fang, and said, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm an outsider. They say people who aren't of the same family don't enter the same door. You two are really similar in style, birds of a feather."

Shen Fang handed the fruit he brought to the polite Xu Ning, took a chair, and sat on the other side of Li Xuewu's hospital bed.

"Nonsense, this is called 'heroes see things the same way'."

After retorting to Ji Wang Weidong, he said to Li Xuewu, "When I came, I asked, the doctor said your injury is nothing, you just need to rest. Your throat shouldn't be used for much talking, so you talk less, and we two will talk more."

Xu Ning was smart. Seeing the gifts brought by Ji Wang Weidong placed in the room, and then seeing them all walk out and stand at the door without coming in, he picked up the thermos and poured a glass of water for each of the three, then exited the ward, closing the door behind him.

Ji Wang Weidong looked at the ward environment, then at Li Xuewu's complexion, and said, "Don't say I'm not decent. The closest and best hospital to the incident site is this one. Besides, you have connections here, so I could only send you here."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, too lazy to explain to Ji Wang Weidong. He wouldn't believe it anyway.

"A life-saving grace, never to be forgotten."

Ji Wang Weidong waved his hand and said, "Empty talk. When you're discharged, give me something practical."

Shen Fang looked at Li Xuewu's wound and said, "It was really close. You can be considered to have picked up a life."

Li Xuewu looked at Ji Wang Weidong and said, "Lin Xuefeng is the 'Postman'."

Ji Wang Weidong nodded with his eyes half-closed and said, "After I sent you here, I went back. Lin Xuefeng confessed at the station. He was very afraid of implicating his daughter."

Li Xuewu nodded silently, looking down at his wound in a daze.

Ji Wang Weidong looked at Li Xuewu and, at Shen Fang's signal, said, "I know what you want to ask. Lin Tingting, right? She hasn't been wronged. She has already been released. Old Shen and I both investigated, and it really has nothing to do with her."

Li Xuewu nodded, indicating he knew, but didn't speak.

Ji Wang Weidong sighed and said, "She was quite concerned about you. During her detention, she asked about your situation several times. I told her the truth. When she heard you had been rescued, she stopped crying. Before her release, she asked me to bring you a message."

Shen Fang twisted his body to look out the window. In the middle of winter, outside was a gray building and a snow scene that was white in one piece and black in another, like a mangy dog's skin. The cold wind blew the bare branches outside, making a wailing sound.

This environment was really not suitable for saying sentimental words.

Ji Wang Weidong frowned, but still said the words Lin Tingting asked him to bring: "She said she doesn't hate you, she only hates that fate made you two have a connection but no future. She said don't go looking for her again. Although her parents and brother were wrong, they were her closest relatives. Seeing you, she couldn't face her own heart."

After speaking intermittently, Ji Wang Weidong frowned and said hatefully, "That's all I can remember. Old Shen, you say it."

Shen Fang looked at Li Xuewu and said, "The general meaning is just that. She was released this morning. Her emotions looked normal, and there was nothing in their family related to the case. Wei Dong and the others didn't move, and her unit wasn't notified either. It's considered protecting her life."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Thank you."

Ji Wang Weidong frowned and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "You're ugly, but your luck with women is quite prosperous. Pull yourself together. You've learned your lesson this time, right? Women only affect our draw speed. Look at me."

As he spoke, Ji Wang Weidong patted his waist and said, "I'm all alone, my gun is like a dragon, and there will never be such a messy thing as yours."

Shen Fang was ultimately a few years older than Li Xuewu and knew Li Xuewu was feeling bad, so he cleverly changed the subject, "Your factory is in a mess."

Ji Wang Weidong was like Li Xuewu, with a dog's face. Li Xuewu had years of cultivation and years of experience in dealing with things, so he smiled at everyone and earned the nickname "Smiling Tiger." Ji Wang Weidong couldn't do it. He was young, and he could get along with those who were on his side, but he wouldn't even look at those who weren't.

He didn't know how he got along with Li Xuewu. Seeing Shen Fang start a topic, he slapped Li Xuewu's hospital bed and said with schadenfreude, "Heh, you've really missed a good show."

Li Xuewu pointed to the door and said, "Xu Ning is here, he told me."

Ji Wang Weidong complained, "Damn, this brat's mouth is really fast!" Then he said, "Let me tell you what you don't know."

Li Xuewu knew what kind of temper Ji Wang Weidong had, so he raised his eyebrows to cooperate with Ji Wang Weidong, signaling him to continue.

Ji Wang Weidong smiled and said, "Such a big case happened in the factory. According to the procedure, I reported it directly to your superior unit. Talks and meetings started yesterday afternoon and kept going until past eleven at night."

As if giving Li Xuewu a lot of face, Ji Wang Weidong pointed at Li Xuewu and said, "I highlighted you quite a bit. Administrative interference in security work is enough for your Factory Director Yang to drink a pot. Plus, his office director and brother-in-law helped important suspects evade investigation. After we finish talking about this, I estimate your Discipline Inspection Commission will have to talk to him."

Li Xuewu frowned. Highlighting himself like this after the case was clear wasn't a good thing. But seeing Ji Wang Weidong's intention was also good, he didn't say anything. With Dong Wenxue there, it should be fine.

Seeing Li Xuewu frown, Shen Fang explained, "The head of your division is being investigated. The office director and the guesthouse manager are being interrogated at Wei Dong's place. Is Deputy Division Chief Dong your teacher? When we came over, he asked me to tell you to rest well and not worry about anything."

Ji Wang Weidong added, "Deputy Division Chief Dong is temporarily acting as the head of the Security Division."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows at Ji Wang Weidong and asked, "So, the case is over?"

Ji Wang Weidong nodded and said, "It's already in the process. Two or three days, and there will be results. But follow-up work still needs to be done."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, not knowing what follow-up this case could have.

This was Ji Wang Weidong's work. Neither Shen Fang nor Li Xuewu understood the procedures inside, and Ji Wang Weidong didn't go into depth, just explained it simply.

"One is Wei Shuwen's problem, she might come out tomorrow and be handed over to Old Shen and the others to manage; the second is your factory's matter, someone might come to you for mercy soon; the third is the school's matter, their guns are still being held by me. I said they were seized by you, and no one can take them without your approval slip."

Li Xuewu really believed Ji Wang Weidong when he said this. With Ji Wang Weidong's temper, the Zhongshan suit he saw in the station courtyard that day was not low in rank, but Ji Wang Weidong didn't even look at him, and he was quite arrogant when reporting work to leaders on the phone. If he said no, no one really dared to move those weapons.

Don't look at the fact that every agency department has weapons now, and there is everything in the warehouse. But having them is one thing, and if something happens outside, it's a big trouble, the kind where you lose your hat.

Li Xuewu curled his lips and said, "Spoiled, let them hang."

Ji Wang Weidong nodded and said, "Anyway, I've given you this favor. How you handle it is your business. If you turn your face, I can start the procedure at any time. It might be a bit difficult for the 8th or 9th grade, but it's easy to pull down a few 11th or 12th grade ones for you."

Li Xuewu looked at Ji Wang Weidong blowing his own horn and looked at Shen Fang with a look of disbelief.

Shen Fang also had an "MMP" expression. He was just a station chief, and a deputy one at that. Hearing a 20th-grade ear listening to the bragging of killing a 10th-grade, how could he not be excited?

He didn't know how he got along with Li Xuewu. Seeing Shen Fang start a topic, he slapped Li Xuewu's hospital bed and said with schadenfreude, "Heh, you've really missed a good show."

Ji Wang Weidong looked at Li Xuewu's look of disbelief and didn't explain. He understood Li Xuewu's character. If he didn't let him see it, and didn't put things into his pocket, he wouldn't believe it, for example, the overcoat, for example, the police dog.

He couldn't really pull down that deputy principal just to verify the reliability of his words for Li Xuewu to see.

The three of them discussed the aftermath of the case in Li Xuewu's hospital ward. It was nothing more than autumn, the peaches were ripe, and the three little monkeys were discussing how to divide and eat the peaches on the tree.

The people in green uniforms in the corridor outside the ward were bustling, but when they saw the ward at the end of the second-floor corridor, they all lowered their voices and lightened their steps.

It was too damn scary. Four or five Zhongshan suits stood on the left side of the door, scanning left and right. Two people in police uniforms stood on the right side of the door, heads held high and chests out. And there was one with his arm in a sling standing opposite, staring blankly.

People who saw it guessed who was living in the ward, but the guesses were nothing more than two: either someone who might be shot at any time, or someone who could shoot others at any time.

No matter which one, those who met them had to go around.

Hey! There were those who weren't afraid of these people.

Ding Bianji, carrying a thermos bucket with a guard, came up from the stairs and walked toward this side. First, she entered her daughter's ward next door, and when she entered, she frowned and looked at this side, which also made the Investigation Department personnel look at her.

She served her daughter soup in her daughter's ward and asked her daughter how her conversation with Li Xuewu went last night, which left Gu Ning speechless.

Unable to afford to offend her daughter, she could only walk toward Li Xuewu's ward with a belly full of gossip. As soon as she went out and saw that the people at Li Xuewu's ward door hadn't left, she frowned and walked toward that side.

The Investigation Department personnel saw a woman in military uniform walking over and alertly blocked the glass at the door.

Ding Bianji was just about to speak when she heard the voice of that clumsy brat from the other day inside the ward door.

"I say, you're also unlucky enough. You sent your ex-girlfriend in for one case, and then lost your current girlfriend. Don't say I'm not thinking of you, I have a younger sister, about the same age as you, we get along quite well. How about this, you be my brother-in-law..."

Ji Wang Weidong hadn't finished speaking when he heard the door behind him pushed open with a "clang." The aunt who had scolded him in the corridor the other day walked in angrily, her face looking very serious.

Looking at the comrades who were originally guarding the door, good fellow, they were all standing against the wall opposite Xu Ning, staring.

"I've said it for so long, don't you know his throat can't handle much talking? What kind of important work is it that has to be finished in one day? Hurry up, he needs to eat and rest. You all do whatever you need to do, don't come in the afternoon. There's no such thing as you all, go, go, hurry up and go."

Ding Bianji didn't care about the embarrassment of Ji Wang Weidong and Shen Fang. She waved her hand to drive them away. The guard at the door who made a group of people stare walked in. Looking at Shen Fang and Ji Wang Weidong, although he didn't speak, the meaning was obvious: if you don't leave, we'll take action.

Li Xuewu was also very embarrassed and wanted to explain, but Ding Bianji didn't give Li Xuewu this opportunity, especially since she found this clumsy brat particularly annoying.

It was hard to find a pig suitable for her family's cabbage, and just as she was about to raise it fat, here came someone wanting to feed the pig. Could she endure this?

Ji Wang Weidong winked and laughed at Li Xuewu, and then left the ward with Shen Fang. Having guessed the identity of this aunt that day, Ji Wang Weidong didn't dare to let out a fart now.

Li Xuewu thanked Ding Bianji politely.

"Thank you, Aunt. I was just worrying about how to drive them away. They kept talking and talking, it was so annoying."

Ding Bianji nodded and said, "I know you're an honest person, but you're too honest. If you're tired, just say it directly. Look at what time it is, they're blocking your meal time and not letting you rest."

Li Xuewu drank a mouthful of the chicken soup brought by Ding Bianji and said, "We're all working on the case together, how can I be embarrassed to open my mouth?"

Ding Bianji crumbled the steamed bun and soaked it in the chicken soup, handing it to Li Xuewu. Li Xuewu's hand was quite strong now, so he took it and ate it himself.

"If you're embarrassed, you go hungry? If you're embarrassed, you suffer? You really have your Uncle Gu's temper, daring to fight and not wanting your life, suffering and working hard without complaining. When I went back last night and told your Uncle Gu about your situation, he said, it's a pity that someone like you didn't stay in the army."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I also like the army, but my body didn't allow it at the time."

Ding Bianji didn't want Li Xuewu in the army, saying, "If you ask me, gold shines everywhere. I haven't heard of any security cadre who works as hard as you do on a case. Your Uncle Gu called Wenxue last night to ask about you, and after hanging up the phone, he praised you a lot, telling me to buy you a few more chickens to replenish your body."

Looking at Ding Bianji crumbling the steamed bun into his bowl, Li Xuewu scooped the steamed bun and chicken soup and said, "I'm flattered by Uncle Gu's love. I haven't thanked you for the guard matter yet, and now I'm troubling you to take care of me. When I'm better, I'll visit you to thank you."

Ding Bianji wiped her hands with a handkerchief and said, "Wait until you're better. Why be polite? Eat more."

Li Xuewu looked at the full bowl of chicken soup soaked with steamed bun and tried hard to fill his mouth. Ding Bianji looked at Li Xuewu with eyes that seemed to be looking at a little pig in her own pen.

"Eat slowly, if it's delicious, I'll make it again tomorrow."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Aunt, the chicken soup is fragrant, and the steamed bun is also fragrant."

Ding Bianji looked at Li Xuewu eating happily, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Whether at work or in life, be more careful. Don't make friends with just anyone. You're too honest and easily deceived by others."

Li Xuewu's hand holding the spoon paused, and he nodded, "Hmm, I know. But you also know, I..."

Ding Bianji nodded, "You eat your food."

"I know, it's hard for an honest person to be careful. If you're not sure about something in the future, go ask Wenxue. If you're still not sure, you can come home and find me. Your Uncle Gu and I both like you."

Li Xuewu nodded hurriedly and said, "Thank you, Aunt."

Ding Bianji filled Li Xuewu's bowl with soup again and said, "I said don't be polite. Also, you didn't have much of a mind to begin with, so don't hang out with that clumsy person, or you'll become a fool."

Li Xuewu's hand holding the spoon was already trembling a bit. He really couldn't help but want to laugh. He didn't know how Ji Wang Weidong had offended Ding Bianji, but the meaning of her words was simply to stay away from Ji Wang Weidong.

"Hmm, I know. I've only met him a few times, it's all just a relationship based on the case."

Seeing Li Xuewu finished the soup, Ding Bianji packed up the thermos and put it on the bedside cabinet. She tucked Li Xuewu in but didn't leave, instead sitting on the chair by the bed.

"Xuewu, it's not that Aunt loves to gossip, but that clumsy brat at the door had a loud voice, and Aunt just happened to hear it."

As soon as Li Xuewu heard this, he understood what Aunt Ding was talking about, and nodded silently.

"Still have to look forward. You're still young and have infinite possibilities. Who hasn't experienced a few setbacks in life? You can't always hide in the quilt and cry."

Clearly, Ding Bianji was talking about the pillow she changed for Li Xuewu this morning.

"Yes, this case is a bit special for me."

Ding Bianji padded the injured arm with two pillows to make Li Xuewu more comfortable.

"Hey, things in life are unsatisfactory eight or nine times out of ten. You're still a young man under 20. You still need to be cautious about finding a partner."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Young and stubborn, not knowing how to cherish, fate plays tricks on people, implicating a beauty."

Li Xuewu knew what Ding Bianji wanted to ask. Since she took care of him, he didn't hide anything and told her about the two relationships involved in this case.

Ding Bianji was also sighing after hearing it. She didn't expect Li Xuewu to have experienced so many things in such a short time.

"Sigh, things in the world are unpredictable. Your Uncle Gu and I also met and knew each other in the flames of war. Your Uncle Gu has been in the army for half his life, and I have also been displaced for half my life. Several times, our family was almost destroyed."

Speaking of the past, Ding Bianji was also somewhat emotional, saying, "Xiao Ning's older brother was sensible from a young age and basically didn't need me to worry. Only Xiao Ning, because the conditions were not good back then, was a bit malnourished. It was hard to raise her, and then we caught up with the transfer. We were attacked from behind all the way. Why did your Uncle Gu and I only want two children? Wasn't it because we were afraid we couldn't take care of them, and if there was a slip-up, we wouldn't even be able to find a place to cry?"

Li Xuewu nodded in understanding. The older generation fought for the country and really put life and death aside, but they couldn't watch their children suffer with them.

Ding Bianji collected her emotions and said, "The majestic pass is like iron, and now we are stepping over it from the beginning. Walk out as soon as possible, live well for yourself and for your family."

Li Xuewu nodded solemnly to Ding Bianji and thanked her.

Ding Bianji helped Li Xuewu lie down, tucked him in, and said, "You've digested your food, I won't keep you company. I'll come back tonight, you rest well."

Watching Li Xuewu lie on the pillow with his eyes closed, Ding Bianji left the room with the thermos.

At the door, Xiao Hu had been chatting with Xu Ning. Xu Ning was still a bit afraid of this "agile" guard.

Seeing Ding Bianji come out, Xiao Hu wanted to take the thermos, but was stopped by Ding Bianji.

"I'll go back with the driver, Xiao Wu. It's nothing. You just stay here and guard. Don't let anyone in before I come tonight. Just say I said so. If anything happens, call home."

Xiao Hu nodded and agreed, then sat on the bench by the door with Xu Ning.

Ding Bianji went to her daughter's room to check, then turned and went downstairs.

Li Xuewu was full and satisfied, and he slept soundly, but he didn't know how uncomfortable the several groups of people outside the door were.

Ji Wang Weidong was right. People really came to plead for mercy. The first group to come was Factory Yang Shuji.

This Yang Shuji was the one who drank with Li Huai De. It was a coincidence that the factory director and the secretary of the Rolling Mill were both surnamed Yang, but they had no family relationship.

Yang Shuji was entrusted by Factory Director Yang to visit Li Xuewu. After all, he was injured on duty, so the organization had an obligation to come and see him. But Yang Shuji's personal appearance still carried a special meaning and purpose.

Factory Director Yang was also forced to have no other choice. He was cleaned up for an entire afternoon yesterday, and today he was called to the ministry to be criticized. If it weren't for the big leader protecting him, he would have been removed by now.

But even if someone protected him, the procedures that should be followed still had to be followed.

Not to mention the "nonsense" Liu Wenhua said in front of so many people, just the things Huang Ping said and did in front of so many workers with Hu Zhengquan were all unexplainable. Huang Ping was thrown in by Ji Wang Weidong the first time.

The most unlucky one was Xu Sinuian. He had originally thought about playing both sides, not wanting to offend his immediate superior, nor wanting to offend the new force Li Xuewu.

But just when Li Xuewu was facing the political disaster of Mount Tai pressing down, he chose to step on him. Stepping on him wasn't enough, he even wrote "I stepped on it" and posted it up. Now the fun was big.

First, more than a dozen people rushed up to the auxiliary building. Not long after, there was a sound of "firecrackers" in the auxiliary building, and then Liu Fusheng was dragged out by his head.

What scared Xu Sinuian the most was that Liu Wenhua was in his office. Xu Sinuian saw the movement in the auxiliary building and his face turned pale with fright.

Liu Wenhua knew it was over as soon as he saw the firecrackers in the auxiliary building. His plan to shed his shell had failed; someone must have sold him out.

Soon, those dozen people, led by Xu Ning, rushed into the main building. First, the second floor was in chaos. When he saw Liu Wenhua sitting on the sofa with an ashen face, Xu Sinuian knew what had happened, and he slipped under the table.

Xu Sinuian watched from under the table as Liu Wenhua was tackled by three people, followed by a "ding-bang" beating, all to knock out the target's ability to resist. This wasn't the same routine Li Xuewu taught the Guard Team.

When Liu Wenhua was dragged up, he even looked at Xu Sinuian. The face Xu Sinuian saw was full of gray defeat.

After these people left, another group of Zhongshan suits came up from downstairs. First was Fu Bin, then Xu Sinuian. As soon as that middle-aged cadre entered the room, he asked if it was Xu Sinuian, and then asked if he had written a guarantee for Hu Zhengquan.

Just with this sentence, Xu Sinuian stared. People were carried down. When they got downstairs, they saw Huang Ping being beaten in the truck.

It wasn't that Huang Ping looked like he was meant to be beaten, but this brat was used to being arrogant. From the moment he was grabbed from the bed in the guesthouse lounge, he had been shouting "My brother-in-law is Yang Fengshan."

If the Guard Team had caught him, they might have listened to his shouting, but Ji Wang Weidong's people didn't care who Yang Fengshan was. If you dared not to cooperate, it was a "ding-bang" beating, beating Huang Ping until he cried for his father and mother.

It was just when the beating was at its fiercest that Xu Sinuian was brought out.

Originally, when Xu Sinuian was carried down, he could still support himself with his legs. As soon as he saw Huang Ping's miserable state, even his legs couldn't support him, and his whole body was like mud.

The agency personnel who heard the firecrackers all ran out to watch the fun. This kind of fun was rare in the Rolling Mill.

Good fellow, the usually arrogant Huang Ping became a stray dog, and the usually eye-rolling and high-stepping Director Xu also became a noodle. Only Fu Bin still looked like something, sitting in the car with his eyes closed, his face also looking very ugly.

Factory Director Yang didn't enjoy this treatment, but was actively sought out by the Investigation Department personnel for meetings, talks, more meetings, and more talks.

Today, before going to the ministry, he specifically found Yang Shuji and entrusted Yang Shuji to visit Li Xuewu on behalf of the organization. After all, he was injured on duty, so the organization had an obligation to come and see him. But Yang Shuji's personal appearance still carried a special meaning and purpose.

Factory Director Yang was also forced to have no other choice. The purpose of this trip was very simple: he must get Li Xuewu to speak as soon as possible, because Yang Fengshan had already asked someone to inquire, and Ji Wang Weidong, who was in charge of this case, was dead set on Li Xuewu.

Yang Shuji was also blocked in his office by Yang Fengshan and begged to his face, otherwise, he wouldn't have waded into this muddy water.

But Yang Shuji never expected that this muddy water was really hard to wade into, and the water was very deep.

Yang Shuji led people with fruit, canned food, malted milk, eggs, and other nutritional supplements to the second floor. According to the room reported by Xu Ning, he found it, but he couldn't get in even when he reached the door.

It wasn't that Yang Shuji had no temper. He was also a department-level cadre, and he had really never encountered a time when he couldn't enter the door even with gifts. This time, he had opened his eyes.

The guard's ID was flashed, directly blocking Yang Shuji's words back. He didn't even dare to speak loudly. It was Xu Ning who was afraid that the situation would look bad, so he pulled Yang Shuji aside and whispered for a while.

Yang Shuji also looked at Xu Ning in surprise. Seeing that the young man in the factory wasn't joking, and then looking at the identity of the guard at the door, good fellow, Old Yang had really kicked an iron plate this time.

He waved for the people who came with him to put the gifts on the open space at the door, took this opportunity to aim at Li Xuewu, who was sleeping soundly in the room, and didn't dare to speak loudly, pulling Xu Ning aside to ask about Li Xuewu's situation.

Xu Ning was originally a child from a poor family. He entered the Security Section by taking the opportunity of the Guard Team. The child who grew up in the alley was a human essence, and after Li Xuewu's "cultivation and influence," he was even more of a human essence among human essences.

"Secretary, our Li Kezhang's situation is not very good. The blood on his body has almost bled out. Although the rescue was timely, he just sleeps day by day now. Even short moments of clarity are dazed."

"You've seen the situation. I can barely run errands. Look, our Li Kezhang's elder has come, and this person is arranged by them. Except for using me when running errands, I have to sit outside the rest of the time, and no one can get in."

"Our Deputy Division Chief Dong came and was driven away. Ji Wang Weidong has a big face, right? He only looked through that small piece of glass. So, I advise you to go back."

Xu Ning naturally knew why Yang Shuji came. Since the Li Kezhang said to hang them, then hang them. Anyway, the Li Kezhang would cover it, no matter who came.

Yang Shuji also sighed. He didn't even see the face, and it was hard to explain when he went back. Fortunately, there were people from the factory office who came with him, and they also saw that door god, so it was still easy to explain.

"You put more heart into this side, and you must do a good job in the security work for Li Ke. All expenses can be drawn from the factory office. Don't let our cadres bleed and shed tears."

Xu Ning saluted Yang Shuji with great style and said, "Yes, guarantee to complete the mission."

Yang Shuji looked at Li Xuewu's ward unwillingly, shook his head, and went downstairs with his people.

The second group of people who came was much smarter. Not only did they bring more and better gifts, but they also brought Li Xuewu's family members.

Xu Ning already had experience. Seeing four or five people carrying things over, he knew they must be here to see his Li Kezhang. He greeted Xiao Hu at the door and welcomed them.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

The middle-aged man in the lead said very politely to Xu Ning, "We are colleagues of Li Ke's older brother, specifically here to see Li Ke."

Xu Ning listened to this roundabout relationship and said with a smile, "I'm really sorry, our Li Kezhang is still sleeping. Although he woke up briefly yesterday, he didn't say a few words before falling asleep again. He hasn't woken up yet, so it's really not convenient for you to visit. I'll accept your heart on behalf of our Li Kezhang, please understand."

Seeing Xu Ning speak politely, the visitor didn't say anything impatient, but pointed to the young woman behind him and said, "This is your Li Ke's sister-in-law, who is also very worried about Li Ke's situation. Look, can you let her go in and see?"

Xu Ning looked at this somewhat restrained woman and said, "Hello, sister-in-law. I am the temporary nurse for the Li Kezhang, Xu Ning. Our Li Kezhang was injured while performing a secret mission. According to discipline, we cannot notify family members. How did you know?"

As soon as Xu Ning finished asking, the middle-aged man beside Zhao Yafang changed his face and said gloomily, "I notified Instructor Zhao. I also heard from the comrades in the Investigation Department. Thinking that Li Ke's family members were at our school, I brought people over to see. There is no malice."

Xu Ning looked at the middle-aged man and said, "You'd better save these words for Ji Wang Weidong to explain. I will pass your words to Ji Wang Weidong later."

As soon as Xu Ning finished speaking, the middle-aged cadre's face turned pale instantly. Disaster comes from the mouth—that's what this means. Sometimes some departments really take this seriously, and the department Ji Wang Weidong is in is one of them.

The middle-aged cadre refused to believe it and bypassed Xu Ning to break into Li Xuewu's ward. Before he could even open his mouth to shout, the guard standing at the door kicked him directly in the knee. Someone who was used to sitting in an office couldn't take a kick from a "sword-wielding guard" and knelt directly on the ground with one leg.

This middle-aged cadre was a cadre of some size, and he was a person of face in his unit. He had never received this kind of treatment. Now, in front of his subordinates, all his face was stuffed back by the gun barrel in his mouth, and cold sweat fell from his forehead instantly.

"Ouch."

Before this "ouch" could be shouted from his throat, his wide-open mouth was stuffed with a black, dark Type 54 pistol.

The middle-aged man was a cadre of some size, and he was a person of face in his unit. He had never received this kind of treatment. Now, in front of his subordinates, all his face was stuffed back by the gun barrel in his mouth, and cold sweat fell from his forehead instantly.

What made the middle-aged cadre dare not speak wasn't just the kick to his knee, nor was it just the Type 54 in his mouth, but the ID placed in front of his eyes.

"I'm pulling the gun out slowly now. If you dare to make a move, I'll shoot you for assault. After I pull the gun out, go back to wherever you came from. If you dare to get within ten meters again, it won't be a warning. Do you understand?" Xiao Hu put away his ID and said, holding the Type 54.

The middle-aged man nodded carefully after hearing Xiao Hu finish speaking. Xiao Hu then slowly pulled the gun out and rubbed it on the middle-aged cadre's wool coat.

The people the middle-aged cadre brought were very smart. Seeing their director couldn't stand up, they ran up and carefully helped their leader retreat.

Xu Ning stood by Zhao Yafang's side, watching this silently. Looking at the surprised Zhao Yafang, he shook his head slightly. He didn't know how the Li Kezhang's sister-in-law could be so ignorant and have no schemes.

Xu Ning had long agreed with Xiao Hu that anyone who came to see his Li Kezhang with gifts this afternoon must be here to plead for mercy. His Li Kezhang had already said that those who came this afternoon were not their friends, and according to the Li Kezhang's meaning, they were not to be seen at all. Xiao Hu had received the same instructions, so the two hit it off.

Anyone Xu Ning took the initiative to welcome could leave their gifts and take a few looks through the small window, with Xu Ning receiving them, and Xiao Hu just had to block them.

But if it was someone Xu Ning didn't know, or someone he didn't welcome, Xiao Hu could offend them as much as he wanted—they weren't their friends.

That was how it was now. Xu Ning stood far away, letting Xiao Hu give this middle-aged cadre a lesson at the door.

Xu Ning saw Zhao Yafang looking dumbfounded. He really didn't know if this person was really the Li Kezhang's sister-in-law, but he would rather admit he was wrong than offend her.

"Sister-in-law, listen to my advice. Our Li Kezhang must have given instructions to his family earlier. Then follow the Li Kezhang's instructions. You can't hold the Li Kezhang back."

"Also, the mission our Li Kezhang is performing is really secret. You can't tell anyone, not even your family."

Zhao Yafang only came back to her senses after hearing Xu Ning's words. She looked at Xu Ning in a panic and asked, "How is my second brother?"

Xu Ning wasn't sure of Zhao Yafang's identity, so he couldn't tell the truth. He pointed to the middle-aged cadre who was being helped over there and said, "The situation is just as I said. But you are not allowed to tell anyone. Also, stay away from people like this, otherwise, when the thunder falls to strike him one day, it will easily hurt you."

Zhao Yafang saw Xu Ning speak seriously and nodded in a panic, "I won't say, I won't say. I'm going home now, going home to wait for Xuewu's news. Please take good care of my second brother."

Xu Ning also saw that Zhao Yafang really had no knowledge. According to what she said, she really might be the Li Kezhang's sister-in-law, so he whispered a few words to Zhao Yafang while avoiding those who followed, and Zhao Yafang nodded in agreement.

As soon as Xu Ning finished speaking, Zhao Yafang nodded and turned to leave, ignoring the calls of those who came with her.

Xu Ning pointed to the gifts on the ground and said, "I'll accept your good intentions. Or wait until our Li Kezhang's health is better, and when conditions allow, you can come again."

These school people usually put their emotions on their faces. They were scholarly and rarely saw such sophisticated people. Their words were seamless and polite, and their actions were tight and impenetrable.

As soon as this middle-aged cadre saw it, he knew that Xu Ning and the guard at the door were singing a red face and a white face. They were clever but were mistaken by their own cleverness, committed a taboo, and suffered from their own arrogance.

Thinking that none of the things the leader explained before going out had been done, and instead, he had caused trouble for the leader, the middle-aged cadre's heart was beating like a drum. He wanted to lick his face to get close to Xu Ning, but Xu Ning bowed slightly to the group and walked back to the ward door to sit next to the guard.

Several people had no choice but to carry their things and leave. Looking back at the end of the corridor, there was no one there. Even those who passed by were in a hurry and didn't dare to look or stop.

Good brothers~

This chapter is using writing techniques like flashback and interpolation to explain the aftermath of the story.

Please support me with monthly tickets!

Li Xuewu will be back in full health soon, killing his way back to the Rolling Mill!

Let's rush our monthly tickets into the top 100,

and I'll write something you all love to see. ===== CHAPTER 223 =====