NFBE Chapter 1957 The ledger is in my hands
Chapter 1957 The ledger is in my hands
Ever since Li Xiangnan gave her that earth-shattering task that day, Lan Cuihua felt like a taut string that could snap at any moment!
During the day, she still went to the Li family to help out, working even harder than before to do laundry, cook, prepare postpartum meals, talk to Tang Qingshuang, play with little Xitang, help Zhu Qiuju with some housework, and try her best to maintain a calm facade.
But only Lan Cuihua herself knew the turmoil raging within her heart as she agonized over the arrival of the contact person every single second.
She both feared his arrival and longed for it.
What I fear most is that chilling gaze and the real, naked threat.
What I hope for is to complete the task entrusted to me by my benefactor, Dr. Li, as soon as possible, get rid of this feeling of a sword hanging over my head, and make myself and my father truly safe.
For three days in a row, the weather was calm.
The people coming and going in the alley were all familiar neighbors, but the man in the cotton-padded jacket and felt hat never appeared again.
Kolan Cuihua's heart was like being slowly roasted over a low flame, burning with anxiety.
She began to suspect that the person behind it all might have noticed something.
Was it because of my panic that day that the other party felt I was not suitable for the task?
Or perhaps Dr. Li's judgment was wrong, and the other party is actually not going to appear in the near future?
Every day after returning from the Li family's house, Lan Cuihua would gaze around the entrance of her alley and the surrounding area for a long time, hoping to catch a glimpse of that figure, yet she was also genuinely afraid of seeing him.
At night, I naturally couldn't sleep soundly. The slightest sound would wake me up, and I would strain my ears to listen for any noise outside, fearing that the eerie knocking would suddenly startle me.
Old Lan noticed that his daughter was restless and asked her several times. Lan Cuihua only made excuses, saying that she was worried that his health would not improve, that he could not sleep well at night, and that she did not know what to do in the future.
On the evening of the fourth day, Lan Cuihua tidied up the Li family's kitchen as usual. Before Li Xiangnan returned from Pudu Temple, she politely declined Zhu Qiuju's offer to stay for dinner and walked home with a heavy heart.
It has been winter in Yanjing for many days, but it has not snowed yet.
The sky was overcast today, with low-hanging light gray clouds that seemed to be right above the rooftops, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
Lan Cuihua, with her scarf pulled tighter around her neck, shrank back to her alley. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding in her throat.
Deep in the alley, in front of the mottled wooden door of his own house, stood a familiar figure.
The man wearing a cotton-padded jacket and a felt hat, with most of his face covered by a thick scarf, was looking this way!
coming!
He's really here!
Lan Cuihua instantly felt her hands and feet turn icy cold, and her breathing became rapid.
Instinctively, she turned around and tried to run away, to run back to the Li family, to find Doctor Li, and to get to his side!
But then Li Xiangnan's steady voice immediately echoed in her mind: "Cuihua, do you believe me?"
And then there were his clear instructions!
Yes, Dr. Li must have other plans!
I can't panic!
For my father's sake, and to repay the Li family's kindness, I must go back and complete my mission!
Lan Cuihua pinched her palm hard, the sharp pain barely managing to focus her chaotic thoughts.
After taking a few deep breaths of the cold air, he tried to make his expression look like just ordinary surprise and a hint of annoyance at being disturbed, before taking heavy steps and slowly walking towards his front door.
The man turned around at the sound of footsteps, his wary eyes peeking out from above his scarf. In the dim light, they appeared particularly sharp, scrutinizing Lan Cuihua like a hawk, as if examining her changes over the past few days and her current reaction.
Lan Cuihua resisted the urge to avoid his gaze, walked to the door, took out the key, and deliberately made her hands tremble slightly.
This wasn't entirely a pretense; she was genuinely terrified at that moment.
She lowered her head, her voice carrying just the right amount of complaint: "I'm still young... You, a man, shouldn't be standing here... If the neighbors see this, how will I get married in the future... And didn't we agree that you only come to me when you need something? What are you doing here today?"
Her words were a quick wit; she had to say them this way to show that she was an ordinary girl who was both afraid of the other person and afraid of gossip from the neighbors, her complaints tinged with timidity.
The man seemed satisfied with her reaction; at least he didn't suspect anything. He nodded towards the house, unbuttoned his coat to reveal a dagger tucked into his waistband, and said, "Let's go inside and talk!"
Lan Cuihua had no choice but to open the door, and the two of them went into the house one after the other.
The lights were off inside, and the Lan family couldn't afford electric lights, so Lan Cuihua fiddled with the stove and used a stick to start a fire to light the kerosene lamp.
During this brief moment, the man quickly walked to the wooden bed and checked Old Lan's breathing.
The man frowned slightly, a hint of disdain in his expression, at the shabby, bare walls of the house.
Knowing that Old Lantou was asleep, he quickly walked to the window and waved his hand to dispel the smell of herbs and the chilly atmosphere unique to poverty in the air.
He stood there, his tone disdainful, and asked bluntly, "What did you hear? Is there any news about Mu Huanying? Where are the account books?"
This person didn't exchange any pleasantries, and his purpose was very direct.
Lan Cuihua's heart pounded wildly. Following Li Xiangnan's repeated instructions, she had silently practiced the "script" hundreds of times. Suddenly, she lowered her head, twisting her fingers, and whispered in a tone that conveyed both a desire to prove herself useful and a fear of being reprimanded:
“These past few days… I’ve been paying extra attention… Dr. Li and the others have learned from past mistakes… They’re always very careful with their words, and there are some things they simply won’t mention in front of me…”
"However, yesterday afternoon, when Dr. Li was talking to his friend, the one surnamed Wang, and the young master of the Song family in the backyard, I happened to be delivering food to my sister-in-law... The door wasn't closed properly, and I overheard a little bit..."
"Tell me quickly!" The man's breathing suddenly became rapid.
Lan Cuihua glanced quickly at the man, and seeing that he was staring intently at her, she quickly lowered her head and said in a boastful tone, "Dr. Li said, 'Grandma still needs to be careful; try not to leave the back room...'"
brush!
The man suddenly stood up, startling Lan Cuihua.
"What...what are you doing?" Lan Cuihua asked in terror.
"You continue! Don't mind me!" The man's face looked strange, even flushed. "Keep talking!"
Lan Cuihua deliberately feigned fright, panting, "That Brother Wang seemed to ask something, and Doctor Li said, 'The account books are safest with me; no one would suspect anything'... He said it very softly, but I have sharp ears, and I heard it..."
"Really?"
The man's tone suddenly became agitated.
He suddenly grabbed Lan Cuihua's arm, his face contorted with rage and excitement, and growled, "Are you sure the ledger is in Li Xiangnan's hands?"