Guan Wenjun originally had no intention of going to the orchard in the mountains.
But if he did not go, Comrade Xiao Qiao would probably secretly curse him for being useless in her heart.
He had not slept well last night, constantly feeling that Qiao Lanshu was comparing him to Qin Yuanzheng in her mind. Qin Yuanzheng was so capable, while he was so useless.
No wonder his former partner had abandoned him and chosen Qin Yuanzheng instead.
He deserved to be dumped!
The more Guan Wenjun thought about it, the more indignant he became.
He had to prove that he was no worse than Qin Yuanzheng!
So when he got up the next day, since Ranger Zhou happened to be heading to the supply and marketing cooperative in town for errands, he went into the mountains all by himself.
After all, Ranger Zhou had taken him wandering around the mountains yesterday, and the people from the forestry center and the production team all knew he was here on a business trip.
He figured it would not be a big deal.
As a result, just as he reached the entrance of the orchard and took a distant glance at the wooden cabin where the forest ranger lived, he heard the barking of dogs.
He initially thought there was only one dog, so there was no need to worry too much.
However, in less than a minute, four or five dogs were barking and chasing after him in his direction.
Terrified, Guan Wenjun turned around and ran.
Fortunately, he ran fast and was half a mountain away from the dogs, otherwise, he would have been tackled by them before he could even make it down the mountain.
Guan Wenjun said to Qiao Lanshu, We cannot go into that orchard. It is too dangerous. Those dogs did not look right; they were incredibly fierce.
Qiao Lanshu sat there, also feeling a bit troubled.
She wondered if Qin Yuanzheng and Si Zhemao had made any progress on their end.
Guan Wenjun sat there to catch his breath for a while, then muttered, I will have Xiao Zhou take me in again this afternoon to take a look. I do not believe it. Would those dogs bite Xiao Zhou too?
Qiao Lanshu was not very optimistic. Before seeing those dogs, she had only been somewhat suspicious.
But now, she felt that something was definitely wrong with that orchard.
Even if the forest ranger inside was not a spy, he probably was not a good person either. Otherwise, what kind of forest ranger would break the rules to keep so many wolfhounds, especially at a forestry center?
What if they bit someone to death?
Having been chased by the dogs for so long, Guan Wenjun's legs were still like jelly. He said, No, I need to catch my breath. I need to go back to the room and rest for a bit.
Qiao Lanshu was speechless.
She felt that Guan Wenjun was really too delicate. To think that someone like him had previously said he wanted to join the public security bureau.
She thought Guan Wenjun was better suited for an office job, just sitting inside, drinking tea, and reading newspapers.
Joining the public security bureau? He would probably struggle just to catch a criminal.
Guan Wenjun rested in the room for a while and drank a large glass of water. He saw Qiao Lanshu sitting on the steps outside the door, lost in thought.
He walked back out and said to her, Let us go. We should take a walk around the village.
Qiao Lanshu glanced at him and asked, Have you recovered?
Guan Wenjun said stubbornly, Recover from what? I was just thirsty and had some water. It was just being chased by dogs for a bit, wasn't it? There is nothing to recover from.
Qiao Lanshu was speechless again.
The two of them walked together towards the village.
The village was actually quite large, with plenty of children and elderly people around.
Seeing strangers arrive, they all stared at the two of them with vigilance.
Guan Wenjun took Qiao Lanshu straight to the production brigade's office to find Captain Niu from before.
The captain showed them around the village, looking at the village's grain and medicinal herbs.
Guan Wenjun brought up the orchard in the forestry center and said he wanted to go take a look.
Captain Niu said, It is no problem if you want to go to the orchard, but I need to talk to Lao Wu in advance and have him tie up the dogs beforehand. How about this, we will go there tomorrow morning.
Guan Wenjun nodded and came back to whisper to Qiao Lanshu, I do not think there is any problem with that orchard. Captain Niu knows about Lao Wu keeping dogs, so it must be out in the open. I think you are overthinking it.
Qiao Lanshu also hoped she was overthinking it.
If that person was really hiding in the forestry center, were Qin Yuanzheng and Si Zhemao heading in the wrong direction?
She and Guan Wenjun had been at the forestry center for almost two days, yet they had not seen Si Zhemao come over, and no one knew where Qin Yuanzheng was hiding.
As for the explosion, there was no telling when it would happen.
Qiao Lanshu kept her heart in her throat, remaining very silent these past few days and hardly speaking.
The two of them wandered around the village, then ate at Captain Niu's house. Finally, with Guan Wenjun carrying a bag of medicinal seedlings and Qiao Lanshu holding a notebook with ten pages of notes, they walked together toward the forestry center's dormitory.
Even though they had come under disguised identities.
The work that needed to be done still had to be completed meticulously.
After all, the letter of introduction Guan Wenjun brought when he came out was issued by the South Suburb Forestry Center in Longcheng.
The garrison troops at the South Suburb Forestry Center, specifically Battalion Commander Zhao Jiannong, had told Guan Wenjun that he must complete the work and bring back some saplings and medicinal seedlings worth researching and planting.
If Qiao Lanshu had not accompanied him to help with the record-keeping, Guan Wenjun really would not have been able to handle it alone.
On their way back, it was already three or four in the afternoon.
Guan Wenjun comforted Qiao Lanshu in a low voice, saying, You do not need to worry too much. Lao Qin's abilities are unquestionable. He will definitely be fine.
Saying that, Guan Wenjun muttered softly again, Neither of them came here. Maybe this is not the target location...
At this moment, Qiao Lanshu nudged him with her elbow and made a hushing gesture.
Guan Wenjun paused and looked ahead.
He saw a man wearing a bamboo hat and a forest ranger's vest walking toward them on the mountain path ahead.
The man was somewhat thin, slightly hunched over, and looked to be in his forties or fifties. He was carrying a load of manure on a shoulder pole, walking along the mountain path toward the forestry center.
Qiao Lanshu and Guan Wenjun exchanged a glance, and both tacitly fell silent, saying nothing more.
The man carrying the load stopped to rest at the entrance of the forestry center. Seeing Guan Wenjun and Qiao Lanshu, he took the initiative to strike up a conversation, You must be the comrades from the forestry center who came for the exchange and study this time, right?
Guan Wenjun nodded. That is me. Are you the forest ranger?
The forest ranger nodded. Yes. My dogs did not bite you this morning, did they?
Guan Wenjun was speechless.
So this man was Lao Wu, the forest ranger who kept the dogs.
Lao Wu looked quite amiable and kept apologizing to Guan Wenjun, saying that he had been working in the orchard at the time and had not noticed anyone approaching. By the time he realized it, it was too late, and the dogs were already chasing Guan Wenjun all over the mountain.
To express his apologies, he even brought over a bag of dried dates and handed it to Guan Wenjun, telling him to take it back to eat.
Guan Wenjun declined, but the man insisted on pressing it into his hands.
In the end, he came away holding a bag of dried dates, and Lao Wu carried his manure back into the mountains.
Guan Wenjun and Qiao Lanshu exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit deflated.
Guan Wenjun said in a low voice, This Lao Wu is actually quite a nice person. It seems we misunderstood him.
Qiao Lanshu nodded silently.
This Lao Wu looked just like Captain Niu and the other fellow villagers: kind, simple, and hardworking.
His local accent was also very heavy, and he did not seem to warrant any suspicion.
Guan Wenjun said in a low voice, "I wonder how Lao Qin and the others are progressing with their investigation. If there's still no progress by tomorrow, we'll have to go to town and meet up with Si Zhemao."
If that happened, whether the matter succeeded or not, it would have nothing to do with Guan Wenjun anymore.
He had originally hoped to earn some merit, but now it seemed he just didn't have that kind of luck.
After the two returned to the dormitories, Xiao Zhou the ranger, who had gone to town on errands, also drove back on a tractor.
This tractor was used for hauling goods in the forestry center and was usually parked right at the entrance of the dormitory area.
Xiao Zhou the ranger got down from the tractor, carrying a bag of flour and some biscuits in his hands.
He had gone to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy food, since they had guests, after all.
Seeing Guan Wenjun and Qiao Lanshu, he immediately said, "Comrade Guan, I heard you were chased by dogs when you went into the mountains this morning? Are you alright?"
Guan Wenjun said, a bit embarrassed, "Even you know about that?"
He had thought Xiao Zhou wouldn't know. "I'm fine. I just accidentally wandered into the orchard and got chased all the way back by dogs. But I wasn't hurt, so there's no need to worry."
Xiao Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "As long as you're not hurt. If you want to go to the orchard, I can take you there tomorrow. Oh, right, you two comrades, how about steamed buns for dinner tonight? I just bought some flour."
What else could Guan Wenjun say? He just followed along to help make the steamed buns.
That night, Guan Wenjun slept in Xiao Zhou's room next door, as usual.
Xiao Zhou was a bit speechless at the couple. He asked Guan Wenjun in a low voice, "Comrade Guan, you guys are married, so why are you still sleeping in separate rooms?"
In the darkness, Guan Wenjun said with a profound look on his face, "You don't understand. A married man has to shoulder a lot of things."
As he spoke, he patted his shoulder and said, "Heavier than a mountain, deeper than the ocean, understand?"
Xiao Zhou: "..."
Was getting married really that heavy of a burden?
It was enough to make him afraid of marriage.
He had always thought that life with a wife would be pretty wonderful.
Finally, Guan Wenjun said with a profound expression, "You'll understand when you get married."
He would understand that his and Comrade Xiao Qiao's relationship was not as simple as an ordinary married couple.
Guan Wenjun closed his eyes, tugged at Xiao Zhou the ranger's blanket, and comfortably went to sleep.
...
Meanwhile, at this very moment, Qiao Lanshu still couldn't fall asleep.
Ever since Qin Yuanzheng had left to carry out his mission, she hadn't slept well for three nights in a row.
As she lay on the kang, she suddenly heard a dog bark coming from the mountains.
She had heard dogs barking last night too, but that had come from the village, not the mountains.
This time, it came from the mountains, and it was very brief. The dog only barked twice before falling silent.
A bad premonition suddenly rose in Qiao Lanshu's heart.
Although she didn't know why, she trusted her instincts.
She quickly got off the kang, threw on her coat, and grabbed her hat and gloves.
Then, she blew out the oil lamp in the room.
The room was pitch black, and so was the courtyard. Because the dormitory area was located right at the foot of the mountain, the night winds were fierce.
She opened the door a crack and slipped out quietly. The howling mountain wind roared in her ears, and the sudden drop in night temperature chilled her to the bone.
Qiao Lanshu quickly closed the door, then circled around to the back of the house. She walked forward for a while before knocking on Guan Wenjun's window.
She knocked several times in a row until Guan Wenjun's vigilant voice rang out: "Who is it?"
Qiao Lanshu was just about to speak when she suddenly paused; Xiao Zhou the ranger was also in the room.
In a moment like this, where the enemy was in the dark and they were in the light, it was better to be careful with everything.
Thinking this, Qiao Lanshu knocked on the window twice more.
Then she turned and quietly ran back. Using a ladder, she climbed up onto the roof.
Afterward, she pulled the ladder up onto the roof and laid it flat, ensuring there were no ladders left around. Only then did she lie flat on the roof, put on her hat and gloves properly, and begin quietly pulling apart the dried grass on the roof.
The roof was covered with dried grass meant for insulation and windproofing.
She parted the dried grass and hid herself within it, not forgetting to press the ladder beneath her body.
After doing all this, she lay motionless. Despite the freezing weather, she was sweating all over from the tension.
She hoped she was just overthinking it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the dog's bark just now was not right.
If something really was wrong, then Guan Wenjun would just have to fend for himself; she couldn't manage that much.
Actually, she could have hidden in the mountains, but the mountain paths were hard to navigate. If she fell into a pit, she would be in real trouble.
Moreover, there were dogs in the mountains, and dogs had a very keen sense of smell.
At least dogs couldn't fly; they couldn't get up onto the roof.
As Qiao Lanshu lay there, her mind drifted back to the gun from that afternoon.
Unfortunately, the hunting rifle from the afternoon wasn't in her hands; it was in Ranger Zhou's room.
Guan Wenjun hadn't been asleep to begin with; he had been thinking about this mission all along.
When he heard the window being knocked, he immediately threw on his coat and got off the kang.
And the first thing he did was grab the hunting rifle hanging on the wall.
Ranger Zhou hadn't fallen asleep either. He sat up and looked at Guan Wenjun in the dark, asking in a low voice, "Comrade Guan, what's wrong?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the hunting rifle in Guan Wenjun's hands, his eyes showing a mix of surprise and vigilance.
Guan Wenjun whispered, "There was some noise out back just now, did you hear it?"
Xiao Zhou whispered back, "It sounded like someone knocking on the window?"
Guan Wenjun nodded. Suddenly, he made a shushing gesture and said to Ranger Zhou, "I think I hear footsteps, do you hear them?"
Xiao Zhou was so scared that he sat frozen on the kang. He whispered, "No? Comrade Guan, don't scare me. I've been here for two or three years and nothing has ever happened. It's the middle of the night, footsteps... Could it be Comrade Xiao Qiao getting up?"
Guan Wenjun shook his head, "It doesn't sound like it... No, I have to go take a look."
With Qiao Lanshu all alone next door, Guan Wenjun couldn't help but worry about her.
He grabbed the gun, opened the door, and went out. Xiao Zhou followed behind him and suddenly shouted loudly, "Comrade Guan, put the gun down, it's too dangerous."
Guan Wenjun was about to answer when suddenly, he saw someone run out of Qiao Lanshu's room. Guan Wenjun's expression darkened; he aimed the gun at the figure and fired a shot with a bang.
He missed. It was too dark, and the person ran into the dark mountain forest.
Guan Wenjun broke out in a cold sweat from the shock.
He fired two more shots, bang, bang, at the spot where the figure had disappeared.
Then, he quickly ran into Qiao Lanshu's room, shouting in panic, "Comrade Xiao Qiao! Qiao Lanshu! Are you in the room?"
He searched around the room but didn't see anyone. Pressing his back against the wall, he didn't dare rush back out, instead shouting out the door, "Qiao Lanshu! Where are you? Make a sound if you can hear me!"
His voice was loud, echoing continuously through the pitch-black mountains surrounding them.
It was dead silent all around; there was only the howling wind, and no one answered him.
Not long after, Ranger Zhou arrived at the door in a half-crouch, calling out to him in a low voice, "Guan, Comrade Guan, what just happened? Why did you fire the gun? We're not allowed to shoot guns here."
Guan Wenjun's eyes were rimmed with red, tears welling up and threatening to spill. He spoke in a low, heavy voice, "Qiao... my wife is missing, and you're really talking to me about this right now? Damn it, you need to hide too. I just saw someone come into this room, and I have no idea if they are armed."
