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墨書 Inktalez
The dim light faded as the last rays of sunlight were swallowed by the horizon.
The civilian residential area of Civilian Island appeared chaotic, with many houses constructed from mud bricks and uneven stones. From the outside, they lacked the elegance and order of the wealthy districts, and instead looked quite shabby. It was uncertain whether such houses could withstand fierce winds and heavy rains, with some buildings being even more makeshift, merely thrown together with a few pieces of canvas. These cheap and unreliable structures were abundant in this area, which was only slightly better than a slum.
Just beyond a row of these buildings lay a cluster of houses that were somewhat more presentable. Lu Fei Fan's family had two rooms situated halfway up a hill. The neighboring houses were mostly one or two stories of concrete construction, showing little distinction or competition among them. Here, practicality was the only principle that mattered.
As evening approached, the aroma of cooking wafted from various homes, filling the air with a rich sense of life in this civilian district.
Lu Fei Fan's home was no exception; warm yellow light spilled from within, mingling with the smell of cooking oil. Though it was pungent and overwhelming, it created a lively atmosphere.
In a small corner by Lu Fei Fan's door, Dali was struggling with a soft-shelled turtle that had retreated into its shell. Dali found himself at a loss for how to proceed while Hua Jun Tang stood nearby offering suggestions.
In the kitchen, A Teng skillfully chopped vegetables on the cutting board, producing an array of exquisite side dishes that rivaled those prepared by professional chefs. Ever since mastering the Pulse Breathing Technique, his control over his wrist strength and knife skills had reached an impressive level.
However, the smoke from the cooking made him tear up and sniffle uncontrollably. After finally managing to hold his breath long enough to step outside while leaning against the wall, he looked as if he had been poisoned.
"Boss, what are you cooking? It’s so pungent… Achoo!" A Teng grabbed a tissue to wipe his nose and tears.
"This is stir-fried river snails with chili, pickled bamboo shoots, scallions, and ginger..." Lu Fei Fan tossed the snails in the pan before quickly removing them from heat. Cooking was purely a hobby for him, so his culinary skills were naturally quite good.
He brought the finished dishes out to the table, which already held several plates: braised carp, spicy boneless duck feet, sweet and sour ribs, and his favorite hometown dish from his past life—spicy lemon duck.
After a while, voices could be heard from outside.
"Zhi Qing, you’re back?" It was their neighbor Su Aunty calling out to Lu Fei Fan's mother.
Without even having time to remove his apron, Lu Fei Fan rushed outside. A Teng, Dali, and Hua Jun Tang all paused their tasks to welcome Hua Feifan's Mother inside.
After several days apart, Lu Fei Fan noticed some strands of white hair when he saw his mother again. However, he didn’t dwell on it much; after all, taking care of his father was quite taxing for her.
“Mom, dinner is ready,” Lu Fei Fan said with a smile.
“Okay, your father asked the nurse to help keep an eye on things. I’ll head back after dinner,” his mother replied.
When it came to his father, the atmosphere turned a bit heavy. A Teng and Da Li playfully invited her to sit at the dining table, where a large spread of dishes awaited. Hua Feifan's Mother appeared surprisingly calm.
“Mom, just wait a moment. I’ll stir-fry a couple of vegetables and then we can eat,” Lu Fei Fan said before heading into the kitchen, where he began to clatter pots and pans. Before long, he emerged with two dishes.
Hua Jun Tang had already served rice and set out chopsticks for everyone, and A Teng and Da Li took their seats without hesitation.
“It’s been a while since our family has all sat down together for a meal like this,” Hua Feifan's Mother suddenly remarked.
“Mom, don’t worry. Everything will be alright. Dad will get better too,” Lu Fei Fan comforted her, noticing her melancholic expression.
“Yeah, Mom, it’s rare for my brother to be back. Let’s not think too much about it and just enjoy our meal,” Hua Jun Tang added, taking a bite of rice while avoiding eye contact with their mother.
She glanced at Hua Jun Tang, opening her mouth as if to ask about the big issue that had been weighing on her mind, but Lu Fei Fan quickly placed a piece of food in her bowl, effectively silencing her.
Seeing that her two sons seemed fine, she decided not to press further. She understood that they were grown up now and knew how to handle their own affairs.
Just then, voices called from outside.
“Zhi Qing!” It was an uncle from next door, an old neighbor who had previously shared drinks with Hua Feifan's Father.
“Li Shu!” Lu Fei Fan and Hua Jun Tang both stood up to greet him.
“How is your father doing? Is he feeling any better?” Li Shu asked as he placed a bundle wrapped in newspaper on the table in front of Lu Fei Fan. “This is just a little something from me. I’ll be going now.”
Lu Fei Fan turned and left.
She opened the newspaper and noticed two bundles of money. With a startled gasp, she quickly grabbed the money and rushed outside. However, as soon as she reached the door, she froze in place. A crowd had gathered outside—there were elderly people, neighbors holding or carrying children, all standing at her doorstep.
Lu Fei Fan's companions also rushed out, only to find a group of neighbors blocking their way, each holding something in their hands.
"Dear youth, these are two ducks I've raised for quite a while. Take them to make some soup for Chang Gong to help him regain his strength," Aunt Wang said with a smile, placing the two tied ducks at Hua Feifan's mother's feet.
"This is the ginseng I bought last year; I haven't used it all, and there's still quite a bit left. I think you can make good use of it," an elderly man trembled as he handed over a piece of ginseng wrapped in white cloth to Lu Fei Fan.
"Xu Grandpa, I really can't accept this ginseng..."
"Just take it. Your father always helped me fix my leaky roof every year. This little thing is nothing compared to that..."
"Yes, he even helped me repair my boat without asking for a single penny. My husband broke his leg and was bedridden for months; if it weren't for your dad, I would have lost my boat long ago."
"Exactly! My son was sick last year while my husband was out at sea. It was your dad who came with me to the hospital in the middle of the night."
"He always secretly bought rice and meat for me. Now that I'm sending a little money as a token of appreciation, what's wrong with that? Just accept it."
"This isn't fair at all. Good people don’t always get good returns. Your father needs to spend quite a bit on his illness; we can't contribute much, but the neighbors have gathered some money for you..."
Watching these kind-hearted neighbors insist on giving their offerings, even as Hua Feifan's mother tearfully tried to refuse, they remained adamant about handing things over to Lu Fei Fan's mother.
Lu Fei Fan never expected that her seemingly shabby father had done so many unrecognized good deeds behind the scenes. The gratitude expressed by these neighbors made her realize that there was still warmth and genuine kindness in the world.
With red-rimmed eyes, Hua Feifan's mother sincerely expressed her gratitude to these neighbors. Some money was quietly returned by Lu Fei Fan and Hua Jun Tang, as they felt it was inappropriate to accept it. However, they half-heartedly accepted the gifts from those who offered them.
“Excuse me, is this the home of Lu Fei Fan?” A voice called out from behind the crowd.
The people parted to create a path, revealing a middle-aged man in white, accompanied by a man and a woman. Beside them stood a middle-aged officer with a full beard, known as Captain.
“Jiang Wannian?” A Teng recognized the visitor immediately. What excited him even more was the stunning woman in professional attire following Jiang Wannian; she was none other than Li Wei, the instructor he had tried to flirt with back at Xuanwu Martial Arts School.
The villagers were unsure of the purpose of these visitors and gathered around to watch.
Jiang Wannian glanced around, taking in the scattered items on the ground, as if he understood the situation. He then respectfully introduced himself to Hua Feifan's Mother, saying, “Hello, I am Jiang Wannian, the head of Jiangnan District at Xuanwu Martial Arts School. These two are my assistants, Li Wei and Wang Chang.”
It seemed that Jiang Wannian intentionally omitted introducing the middle-aged captain in the Free Federation Army uniform. The Captain remained calm, standing with his arms crossed while stroking his beard, appearing as if he were just an onlooker.
Lu Fei Fan recognized Li Wei since they had interacted before. Li Wei nodded at Hua Feifan's Mother and handed a gift box to Jiang Wannian.
“This is a small token from Xuanwu Martial Arts School. Inside is 'Snow Sea Lotus Ginseng,' which is very helpful for repairing nerve damage in the brain. You can give it to the attending physician; he will know how to use it,” Jiang Wannian explained patiently and in detail.
Lu Fei Fan was curious about why Jiang Wannian had come here uninvited. Did he still hope to recruit her for his martial arts school after she had previously turned them down?
The crowd began to murmur among themselves about the identities of these visitors. Some had heard of Xuanwu Martial Arts School's reputation but were unaware of why they were looking for Lu Fei Fan.
“And who might this be?” Lu Fei Fan asked, intrigued by the silent middle-aged Captain.
The Captain suddenly grinned widely, revealing a set of bright white teeth. He turned to Jiang Wannian and said with a hint of embarrassment, “Looks like I won.”
Jiang Wannian shrugged his shoulders in resignation, clearly accepting defeat in whatever wager they had made before arriving here.
Lu Fei Fan had no idea what bet had taken place between the two but patiently awaited the Captain's response.
"My name is Chang Wu. I am from the Free Federation's Special Recruitment Office," the Captain introduced himself.
"Special Recruitment Office?" Lu Fei Fan was unsure what kind of organization that was.
"Yes, you are one of my candidates for evaluation," Chang Wu nodded confidently. "Only those who pass my assessment will be able to enter the Special Training Camp or be directly recommended to join the Free Federation's Ace Squad! If you don't pass, it doesn't matter how well you perform in the Practical Assessment; it will all be in vain."
His words hit like a bombshell, and everyone around looked at Lu Fei Fan in surprise. A Teng and Da Li were particularly stunned—was this a major opportunity that had just landed in their laps?
However, Lu Fei Fan naturally didn't believe that such good fortune would come so easily.
"Then how do I know if I've passed your assessment?" Lu Fei Fan squinted his eyes and smiled, trying to probe.
"Hahaha." The Captain suddenly burst into laughter, then leaned forward to sniff the delicious dishes on the table before sitting down with a flourish. "If there were a few bottles of good wine, I might just be in a good enough mood to agree to let you into the Ace Squad."
"What are the benefits of joining the Ace Squad?" A Teng exchanged glances with Da Li, who immediately dashed out to buy wine. A Teng then moved closer, determined to pry for more information.
"Of course there are benefits. For example, Hua Feifan's father can directly access national medical facilities for treatment, with an eighty percent chance of curing him. Moreover, the state will cover sixty to seventy percent of the costs," Chang Wu casually mentioned, making Lu Fei Fan's heart race.
Hua Feifan's mother looked at her son with eager anticipation, while Hua Jun Tang invited Jiang Wannian to another seat. He added a few more chairs for Li Wei and Wang Chang to sit down, knowing he couldn't afford to neglect such esteemed guests.
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