freenovelworld Chapter 1998 Heading South, Long Time No See!
Chapter 1998 Heading South, Long Time No See!
The snow began to melt away slowly.
Standing under the eaves of the main house in the courtyard, Li Xiangnan watched the busy people in the yard, and the unease in his heart grew tighter and tighter like vines.
The courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and large red lanterns were hung up. The warm red light reflected the falling snowflakes, creating a festive and peaceful scene.
But Li Xiangnan felt that something was wrong.
It went so well!
He won that tough battle too easily this morning.
Since those members of the Shangguan family who were pretending to be ordinary citizens were taken away, no more trouble has come knocking.
From noon until now, as dusk approaches, nothing else has happened.
He enjoyed this tranquility, but the contrast made him somewhat uneasy.
And every now and then, a name and a figure would pop into my mind.
Shangguan Wanqing.
Li Xiangnan could name all the "commoners" blocking the alleyway and tell them their shameful past.
That was the brilliant plan from Shangguan Wanqing's brocade pouch!
Last night she braved the wind and snow to come and deliver a message, casually handing him the notebook!
He thought it was just a notebook that Wanqing used to pass the time when she was bored. It wasn't until the group of people left in the morning that he realized how clever Wanqing was. She probably had already guessed her father's plan!
Thinking of her, Li Xiangnan's heart tightened again.
He looked up towards the direction of the Western Hills. Although he couldn't see anything due to the wind and snow that stretched for dozens of miles, he could almost see the girl. She was wearing a plain white cotton-padded jacket, her hair was covered in snowflakes, and her eyes were shining as if they were about to burst into flames.
“Li Xiangnan, something bad is going to happen at the full moon celebration. My father is going to deal with you. I overheard some things outside the study…”
The first thing Shangguan Wanqing said after beckoning me over under the streetlights last night.
Li Xiangnan frowned, his thoughts racing. Only then did he belatedly realize that the area under her coat was covered in mud, her hair, which was wrapped in a scarf, was disheveled, the sleeve of her cotton-padded jacket was torn, and her skin under her eyes was red from the cold.
He couldn't imagine how such a girl could travel dozens of miles to the city in the freezing cold!
Clearly, her panic told him that she had sneaked out to deliver a message!
In that instant, Li Xiangnan saw too much in her eyes.
Passionate, stubborn, reckless, and with a certain emotion he dared not delve into.
After saying that, she walked away.
This spirited and radiant girl seemed to arrive suddenly, and then depart just as suddenly.
Li Xiangnan held the pages of paper, still warm from his body, and stood in the wind and snow for a long time.
Now, the day is about to end.
Using the information brought by Song Yi and the news provided by Shangguan Wanqing, he successfully resolved all the crises.
But this smooth sailing made him somewhat uneasy.
Shangguan Wuji is no fool.
Today, all four groups of people have been wiped out here. Given his naturally suspicious nature, he will definitely become suspicious.
The documents on fire safety, sanitation, and cultural relics were prepared too thoroughly, and the local people's backgrounds were also thoroughly understood.
This doesn't seem like a temporary measure, but rather something that was premeditated.
Although Li Xiangnan had indeed been filling in the gaps in his knowledge...
If Shangguan Wuji follows the clues, he will definitely find out that Shangguan Wanqing went out last night.
Li Xiangnan dared not think any further.
"Xiang Nan, what are you daydreaming about?"
A similarly bright voice pulled him back to reality.
Song Yi walked over carrying a lantern, a smile on her face: "The lanterns are all hung up, do you think they're okay?"
Li Xiangnan looked up and around.
Red lanterns were everywhere in the courtyard, under the eaves, and along the porch, illuminating the entire courtyard. Snow that fell on them melted quickly, leaving streaks of water.
"Very good!" he said with satisfaction. "Thank you for your hard work!"
"What's so tiring!" Song Yi finished scraping the lantern and dusted off her hands. "But you, you've been distracted since this afternoon, still worrying about tomorrow?"
Li Xiangnan did not deny it.
"If you ask me, we've prepared everything we need to. We'll just have to deal with whatever comes our way!" Song Yi leaned closer and whispered, "I heard from my second uncle that the Yu family will be sending people too, and it seems like Grandma Jiang's family will be coming as well! They're all here to congratulate Xiao Xitang! Look at how much influence you have!"
The Yu family! The Jiang family!
Yu Jiali Xiangnan was not surprised.
After all, he saved Yu Haoran, and this old man is a very important figure. He has done a great favor for the Yu family!
But the Jiang family...
The Jiang family is alright!
After all, Jiang Guiying is Qin Ruobai's biological grandmother, so he has to come to the full moon celebration of the Qin family's daughter!
If that's the case, then of the five families—Shangguan, Yu, Jiang, Mu, and Song—three have come at once. Li Xiangnan's reputation is greatly enhanced!
The Shangguan family would naturally not come; they are an enemy force.
The Mu family is unlikely to come; they are still hiding and lying in wait.
"Come on, come on, don't worry! So many people support you, you should be happy!" Song Yi said with a smile, pulling his arm into the room.
Inside the main room, preparations were underway for a celebratory dinner.
Jiang Qitao and Ding Yuqiu were chattering away about how to cook fish, while Zhu Qiuju and Tang Qingshuang were laughing so hard they bent over.
Lin Muyu squatted on the ground picking vegetables, Lin Chuqiao was wearing an apron and helping Zhu Qiuju stir-fry, while Lin Youwei was holding Xiao Xitang and playing with building blocks with the two children, Duoduo and Lele.
On the other side, a large table of people was already seated, and more than a dozen people were standing around.
Li Dequan and Song Cijiu sat in the center, surrounded by friends and colleagues such as Wang Defa, Song Ziming, Cui Xingjian, Yang Weidong, Zhang Jingyang, and Lei Jin, as well as neighbors from the courtyard of He Dashuang, Xu Damao, and Yuan Zhencheng, and some familiar faces from the Song family.
The Qin family doesn't need to help; they are the most important guests tomorrow, so they will participate in decision-making, but all the arrangements can be handled by the Li family.
"...Old man, let's agree on this for tomorrow. The staff for the reception, waiters, and helpers will follow this list!" Song Cijiu pointed to the list and handed Li Dequan a cigarette.
Li Dequan smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Cijiu!"
Song Cijiu chuckled, "Grandpa, you're too kind. This is our own business! Well then, Xiao Wang will be with me the whole time tomorrow, and everyone else, take your places!"
"Good!" The crowd responded in unison, bursting into laughter, which caused the snow on the roof to fall softly into the courtyard.
Song Cijiu, smoking a cigarette, looked up and saw Li Xiangnan standing outside the crowd. He paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "You're so happy you're dizzy today, only coming over at this hour! Come, come, sit here. Let me give you a report and see if there are any problems with my procedures!"
Li Xiangnan scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "Second Uncle, you're too kind. I'll do whatever you say, no problem at all!"
For someone like Uncle Song to be in charge of his wedding banquet in full is an incredible honor!
With his abilities, such a banquet can only be considered a small affair!
"You little rascal!" Amidst the laughter, Song Cijiu grinned.
Zhu Qiuju told Hu Yinglong to close the door and said, "Then everyone, sit down and have some drinks. If our table isn't enough, I'll ask the people next door to clear out another table..."
Everyone said they'd had enough. They said they had to get up early the next day and that they couldn't drink alcohol, so they just wanted to have a meal and make do. The important thing was tomorrow. If there were no chairs, they would eat standing up.
Li Xiangnan was deeply moved, but felt even more pressure.
So many people have been busy preparing for this full moon celebration, so many favors have been made, so many expectations have been placed on him, he couldn't let them down.
It was completely dark.
The snow gradually stopped, and everyone discussed going to poke and tidy up the snow on the pergola later.
Everyone was eating, laughing, and joking when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
Very composed and powerful.
In an instant, all the sounds of chopsticks, wine glasses, and conversation inside the room ceased.
Li Xiangnan's heart skipped a beat.
Who would come at this time?
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he stood up, walked to the door, and pulled open the latch.
A man was standing outside the door.
He was in his forties, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit with a military overcoat over it, and a felt hat with snow covering the brim.
He was carrying a cloth bag, which was also covered with snowflakes.
The man raised his head, revealing a sharply defined face with bright, eagle-like eyes, but deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, conveying a sense of vicissitude and weariness.
Li Xiangnan stood there, stunned.
He knew that face all too well.
So familiar with each other that every time I think of it, I think of the days we fought side by side in the Sanduhe Brigade, the passion of discussing medical plans all night, the hardship of eating cornbread and drinking cold water together, and the regret that the other person later rose through the ranks and entered Zhongnanhai, making it difficult to see each other again.
“Uncle Shen!” he said with difficulty.
The man nodded, a faint smile appearing on his lips, his breath standing out clearly in the cold night.
"Xiang Nan, it's been a long time!"