NFBE Chapter 1934 Dragons move with shadows, tigers move with the wind
Chapter 1934 Dragons move with shadows, tigers move with the wind
Under Li Xiangnan's instructions, Guo Qian led Wei Jingfei and other police officers away in a hurry, their footsteps echoing rapidly on the blue bricks of the courtyard.
The side room fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional soft crackling of the coal stove and the bubbling sound of the hot water in the copper kettle as it was about to boil.
Li Dequan, who had been leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) as if he were detached from the matter, slowly put down the chess manual that he hadn't turned a page in a long time.
The old man's clear face was etched with deep wrinkles in the evening firelight. He looked at his grandson, Li Xiangnan, and his eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, revealed clear approval.
"You've shown good judgment in both advancing and retreating, and you've demonstrated a good balance in both tension and relaxation. Xiang Nan, your arrangements today are quite impressive!"
The brief compliment surprised Wang Defa and Song Ziming, who were tidying up the table nearby.
The old man was reserved and serious, and rarely praised people to their faces, especially his grandchildren.
Li Xiangnan felt a warmth in his heart and bowed slightly. "Grandpa, it's all thanks to everyone's collective wisdom and efforts. I was just following the clues forward! Not to mention that Captain Guo has his own ideas, even Defa's remarks today have made everyone's thinking more active!"
"Hey, you little brat, you're trying to mess with me, aren't you?" Wang Defa glared at him.
Laughter filled the room, and even Zhang Long and Zhao Hu's serious faces relaxed slightly.
"To push forward, you need direction, courage, and the wisdom to bring things to a close!" Li Dequan slowly sat up straight. "The Mu family's affairs are not so easy to trace!"
The group exchanged glances and nodded noncommittally.
At this moment, Li Dequan slightly stretched out his hand, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Long and Zhao Hu who were standing to the side. His expression was relaxed, and his face showed sincere gratitude.
"This time, I also owe a lot to Brother Xingyue for sending the two of you to Xiangnan's side. With you two protecting him, I, an old man, can finally let my grandson venture into that dangerous place with peace of mind!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Long quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute, his face honest but his tone solemn: "Grandpa, you flatter me! Master Du instructed us to protect Young Master Li and assist in finding out the truth, which is our duty! Moreover, Young Master Li is quick-witted, decisive, bold and meticulous. We are just doing our part and can hardly be considered to have made any great contribution!"
Zhao Hu nodded secretly. Although he didn't say anything, his casual expression made everyone understand.
Li Dequan smiled and waved his hand: "No need to be so modest! If it weren't for you protecting him in the deserted temple, Xiang Nan might not have been able to bring back those ephedra grass evidences intact!"
"If it weren't for your support and vigilance outside the temple, Xiao Gan and Xiao Liu wouldn't have been able to find the clues to the blueprints so quickly! The Li family will remember your kindness!"
The old man paused, a hint of reminiscence and emotion flashing in his eyes.
“I remember back in Yanjing, Xingyue and I relied on each other in the same way to get through countless life-or-death situations! I never imagined that decades later, this friendship would protect our grandchildren! The world turns, and cause and effect never cease!”
The old man's sentiments added a touch of warmth and solemnity to the atmosphere in the room.
Zhang Long and Zhao Hu bowed respectfully and silently withdrew from the room, leaving the family alone.
Wang Defa chuckled and rubbed his hands together, saying, "Grandpa, don't worry! The Li family and Xiang Nan are both well protected now! Little Li is very capable, and his mind is more meticulous than a hair's breadth! With us here, we're guaranteed to find all those demons and monsters hiding in the temple!"
Song Ziming nodded, his tone filled with high praise for Li Xiangnan. "That analysis and plan just now was layered and progressive, with both overt and covert approaches. It not only locked onto Yuanda as the target but also left everyone room to deal with unforeseen circumstances. It was truly comprehensive! Grandpa, this is probably the key reason why my grandfather wanted me to follow Brother Nan to learn and grow! I have indeed learned to reflect on myself in every crisis!"
Li Dequan smiled and ruffled Song Ziming's hair: "You're just like your grandfather. Qiankun, Cijiu, and you, three generations of your Song family have all been outstanding in their dealings with the world! Your grandfather was with me back then... just like you are with Xiang Nan now. Study hard, kid!"
"I know, Grandpa!" Upon hearing that he was matched with his grandfather, Song Qiankun, Song Ziming's voice immediately became excited.
Li Dequan nodded slightly, said no more, leaned back on the kang (a heated brick bed), picked up the chess manual, closed his eyes, and seemed to be recalling and deducing the chess moves he had learned that afternoon.
Looking at his grandfather's peaceful profile, Li Xiangnan felt a little more relaxed. He gave the two of them a wink, and the three of them quietly left the side room.
I took Defa and Zimo out for dinner. Dusk had fallen in the courtyard, and warm yellow light shone from the windows of each household. The smoke from cooking fires and the aroma of food wafted through the cold air, creating a real sense of everyday life.
The door to the main hall was open, letting in orange light.
The three entered the room and saw Qin Ruobai holding Xiao Xitang, leaning against the headboard, humming the Yilan Love Story as a lullaby.
Little Xitang's cheeks were rosy, enough to melt anyone's heart.
Zhu Qiuju sat on a small stool to the side, sewing a small, palm-sized bib with fine stitches.
Tang Qingshuang was peeling walnut kernels with a needle under the kerosene lamp by the window, clearly preparing to nourish Ruobai's body.
Lan Cuihua hadn't left yet; she was squatting by the stove in the corner of the room, carefully watching over the pot of chicken soup simmering on it, the rich aroma filling the entire house.
"Oh, the three of you are out?"
Zhu Qiuju smiled when she saw her three sons: "Sit down quickly. Cui Xingjian brought a hen and made chicken soup, which I've kept warm for you! I thought you were going to stay up very late for dinner again... Xiaolan is taking care of you here and won't leave no matter what I say. She says you've been busy these past few days, often not eating on time, and it's been mentally and physically exhausting..."
Several people looked at each other and felt a little moved.
Hearing Zhu Qiuju's words, Lan Cuihua quickly waved her hand, her face flushed with embarrassment; "Aunt Zhu, please don't say that, I'm just looking after things, I'll be fine when I get back, my father is already asleep..."
A warm feeling washed over Li Xiangnan and the other two, and they said, "Miss Cuihua, thank you for your hard work! You've been helping to take care of Ruobai these past few days, thank you so much!"
"I'm not tired at all, not tired at all!" Lan Cuihua quickly waved her hand and deftly served soup to the three of them.
"Is everything going smoothly?"
Qin Ruobai placed the baby in the cradle and strolled over. Li Xiangnan quickly closed the door to prevent the wind from blowing her away.
"Yes, there's progress!" Li Xiangnan gently grasped her hand. "The progress is going very smoothly! I believe it won't be long before..."
Trample, tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp!
Before Li Xiangnan could finish speaking, he heard hurried and loud footsteps coming from the courtyard.
"Dr. Li! Dr. Li!"
Then a panicked, desperate, and extremely urgent voice came from the direction of the backyard, following the footsteps.
The bowls of Li Xiangnan and the other two had just been placed on the table, and before they could even take a sip, they trembled and stood up, looking towards the door.
Xu Damao rushed in, his face pale and his steps faltering, tripping over the threshold and falling to the ground. Ignoring the pain, he frantically pointed towards the backyard, crying, "Cuilian, Cuilian, Cuilian, she..."
"What's up with her?"
Li Xiangnan's heart skipped a beat, and the other person's expression made his scalp tingle...