freenovelworld Chapter 1842 Bird Guard Lark
Chapter 1842 Bird Guard Lark
As his grandson's words reached his ears, Li Dequan's gaze fell once more on the cold corpse, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a sense of regret and sorrow that seemed to transcend time.
He gently squeezed the corpse's hand, then quietly covered the hand he hadn't held in who knows how many years, and slowly uttered a name. His voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in the silent morgue.
"Mu Zelin! His name is Mu Zelin!"
Mu Zelin?
Li Xiangnan was shocked!
Another member of the Mu family?
In addition to Mu Huanxiong and Mu Lianqiao, another member of the Mu family has emerged!
Grandpa really did recognize this male corpse!
However, a problem arises.
In Li Xiangnan's memory, his grandfather's description of the Mu family was unremarkable, even lacking in detail.
In other words, his grandfather, Li Dequan, was not close to the Mu family and never mentioned them to him. As a result, from childhood until he went to university, he basically knew nothing about his grandmother's identity and her family.
Given this background, anyone would guess that Grandpa Li Dequan had a bad relationship with the Mu family.
Moreover, in the Li family's perception, their grandfather had almost never visited the Mu family.
But he knew Mu Zelin?
What's the matter?
Before Li Xiangnan could even begin to think it over, Li Dequan gave a bitter smile, his voice carrying a distant, wistful reminiscence.
“Zelin is not a direct descendant of the Mu family. As far as I know, most of them are adopted sons, raised by the Mu family as bird guards!”
"Bird Guard?"
Guo Qian couldn't help but repeat it in a low voice. He looked around at the people and found that everyone was just as unfamiliar with the title as he was.
“Hmm,” Li Dequan nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Mu Zelin’s face. “The Mu family is deeply rooted and has its own internal system. The ‘Bird Guards’ are not responsible for personal protection; they are more like the eyes and ears and messengers of the outside world. They are responsible for transmitting messages, contacting various parties, and collecting intelligence. Their whereabouts are very secretive, and they use various birds as code names and markings.”
As he spoke, he opened his clenched hand, revealing the mark on the inside of Mu Zelin's wrist to everyone's view.
“Grandpa, what do you mean…” Li Xiangnan looked down.
“This blurry burn mark looks like an accident, but it isn’t,” Li Dequan shook his head. “It’s a brand made to mislead people. In fact, anyone inside would know at a glance that it’s engraved with ‘Lark’!”
lark?
Li Xiangnan was startled again.
Hibari, responsible for relaying messages and gathering intelligence?
So, will there be a Pelicans? Or a Falcon?
And there might be vultures?
The Mu family's internal system is quite interesting.
But how could Grandpa know about such a thing?
Did his grandmother tell him?
Seeing that his grandson was about to speak and ask a question, Li Dequan waved his hand at him, his gaze seemingly piercing through the cold wall and returning to the war-torn years of decades ago, and his tone softened considerably.
"Back then, after Huanying and I got married, we returned to Nanwan. This Mu Zelin was often sent by the Mu family to deliver letters to us. Of course, these were mainly letters and instructions from Huanying's mother, my mother-in-law, who is also your great-grandmother..."
At this point, Li Dequan's tone became incredibly gentle.
Things are people and nothing is done, and tears shed first.
His voice suddenly choked up, as if he saw his wife Mu Huanying, the old lady, and his own spirited self in Mu Zelin.
After catching his breath for a long time, he finally calmed down and said with emotion, "Back when the war was raging, the old lady was always worried about our safety."
He pulled Mu Zelin's hand up and sat him on the stainless steel table. "Back then, it was a time of war and chaos, and postal routes were blocked. Zelin always managed to deliver the letters safely from afar. It was no easy feat!"
A faint yet sincere gratitude appeared in Li Dequan's eyes.
“Every time he came, besides bringing the old lady’s letter, he would also tell Huanying many little things about the Mu family, big and small, which your grandmother loved to hear! Zelin would also always try to bring many local specialties from Yanjing City, such as Poria cocos cakes and candied fruits… Once, your grandmother was thinking about the pastries from Daoxiang Village and wrote to your great-grandmother about it. I don’t know how Zelin managed to bring her some… At that time, I took your grandmother out of the village to see a doctor, and he waited at the village entrance for seven days, even in the dead of winter…”
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangnan suddenly felt a lump in his throat, and a surge of emotion welled up in his chest, pressing against his nose. Before long, he noticed tears involuntarily streaming from the corners of his eyes.
"Your grandmother was such a proud person. She had her arm grazed by a bullet, was dragged by the hair and forced to the snow by the enemy, and had her ankle pierced by a bayonet, but she never cried in front of me! But that one time, your grandmother cried loudly..."
Li Dequan's voice was deep, yet it carried a warmth that had transcended time. He seemed to be talking about Mu Zelin, but he was not only talking about Mu Zelin.
These words constantly revealed her feelings of being both master and servant to Mu Zelin, and her longing for Mu Huanying, which made everyone around her's eyes red.
Song Yi and Song Ziming, who were behind them, were already in tears, just like Li Xiangnan.
Song Qiankun, who had experienced the war, was filled with sorrow, tears streaming down his face.
Even some of the young police officers in the team who had never experienced war were deeply moved at this moment.
"Sometimes, Zelin would bring some rare silk fabrics, saying that the old lady had secretly bought them for Huanying. He would also bring some tea from the south, mink from the north, and saffron from the west... Huanying was always very happy to see him!"
"Back then, my father-in-law, Mu Hongyi, the former patriarch of the Mu family, looked down on me, a country doctor, to the point that he wouldn't allow anyone from the Mu family to have anything to do with us. He always thought I wasn't good enough for his Mu family's daughter. Sigh, let's not talk about these things!"
"Only Huanying's mother, my mother-in-law, and servants like Zelin who often come and go, truly take care of us!"
Li Dequan sighed, a sigh that contained both nostalgia for the past and lamentation at the cruel twists of fate.
He turned to look at his grandson, Li Xiangnan, his tone carrying a hint of reminder.
"Back then, I practiced medicine in southern Anhui. After gaining some fame, I traveled all the way to Beijing. I was called 'Master Li,' but it was just the villagers' way of showing their affection; it was just an empty title. But to gain the favor of your grandmother Huanying and the recognition of the people around her made me feel that everything was worth it! This Zelin is a man of few words, reliable in his work, and he has been kind to us..."
"Grandpa, I remember!" Hearing his grandfather's story, Li Xiangnan felt as if he had returned to that era of war and turmoil.
He saw Mu Zelin, this loyal messenger, shuttling through the front lines, conveying distant warmth and concern for a marriage that was not favored by his family.
This serene yet sincere bond between master and servant was brought up again in such a tragic way decades later, leaving people deeply saddened.
However, after the sighs, even greater doubts arise.
Li Xiangnan frowned, looked at his grandfather, and asked the question that had been on everyone's mind.
"Grandpa, since Grandpa Zelin was the Mu family's bird guard, why was he in the ruins of the Mu family? And why did he die under the exploding water tower?"