SES Chapter 46 V1

Chapter 46

After Mu Dai came out, she explained the situation to Zheng Mingshan.

In short, Yan Hongsha’s uncle, Yan Jiuxiao, had gone “missing” in Wuzhu Village. Old Yan was worried, but he was getting on in years and his eyesight wasn’t great, so he wanted to find a capable young woman to accompany Yan Hongsha on the trip.

He was grooming Yan Hongsha to be the next treasure seeker, so in part, this was also to give her some real-world experience. He insisted on sending a woman because they’d be traveling and rooming together, and having a man along could be inconvenient. And, like every grandfather with a pretty granddaughter, Old Yan was also on guard against any guys getting funny ideas about her.

Zheng Mingshan said, “Oh, sure. That’s fine then. I’m heading out.”

And just like that, he left. Mu Dai was dumbfounded. By the time she snapped out of it, she was already chasing after him like a puppy. “Senior Brother! You’re just leaving me like this? You’re seriously ditching me?”

Zheng Mingshan stopped and looked back. “What else do you want? Isn’t this what you wanted? You’re supposed to be getting experience, right? If I don’t throw you into the ocean, how are you gonna learn to swim?”

“But… Yan Hongsha’s inexperienced, and I’m… only half-trained…”

Zheng Mingshan looked even more puzzled. “It’s not like you’re going into a warzone full of bandits. You’ve been out in the world before. Just buy a bus ticket and go. Experience comes as you go.”

“But—”

“Come on, little ancestor. Aren’t you a martial artist? For all your fussing, you can still hold your own in a street brawl from one end to the other. Yan Hongsha knows a few moves too. Between the two of you, your fighting strength is way above those hundred-yuan backpackers who try to hike across Tibet. You’re just going to Guangxi—what’s the big deal?”

Mu Dai looked a little embarrassed. “Still… Senior Brother, can’t you give me a few final words of advice?”

Like a traveler about to set off—if your family doesn’t nag you a bit, it doesn’t feel official.

Zheng Mingshan grunted and was about to say something when Mu Dai quickly cut in, “And don’t say that whole ‘when you get to a new place, look for restaurants, inns, and the bus station’ spiel. I can recite that in my sleep.”

Oh, so he couldn’t repeat himself now either. Zheng Mingshan frowned and thought hard for something new. After a beat, he lifted a big, meaty hand and affectionately patted her on the head.

“If you run into trouble, find a cop. Spend your money wisely. And if you meet a good guy, go for it.”

With that, he walked off with his plastic bag, flip-flops slapping, without even looking back.

Mu Dai sighed. This cold, indifferent senior-junior relationship… it was honestly no better than the kind of shady dad who used to sell his kids into servitude in the old days.

**

Heupu. Wuzhu Village.

Should she tell Luo Ren? Mu Dai thought about it and ultimately decided not to. She wasn’t going there for him—it was work. Two completely different things. If they happened to run into each other, she’d say hi. If not, no big deal.

Still… Wuzhu Village had to be pretty small, right?

She spent the night at Yan Hongsha’s place. The furniture was all old-school, especially the bed, which was built into three sides of the wall. Once you got in and dropped the mosquito net, it felt like lying inside a perfectly square box.

Mu Dai couldn’t sleep, so she got up and went for a walk in the courtyard. She noticed Old Yan’s room still had the light on. As she got closer, she heard voices. The wooden carved screen door was paper-pasted and drafty, so it didn’t take much effort to hear what was being said from the corner outside.

“Hongsha, be extra careful out there. No matter who you run into, assume they’re up to no good. Better safe than sorry, always.”

“Even Mu Dai?”

“Zheng Mingshan vouched for her, so she should be fine in theory… but no harm keeping your guard up…”

Mu Dai snorted and walked off. Not even worth eavesdropping anymore.

That old man had no sense of security. But fine, treasure seekers were notoriously guarded. The more people involved, the smaller your cut, so they’d rather work alone and see everyone else as a potential schemer.

**

It was about 1,200 kilometers from Kunming to Heupu—an overnight trip plus half a day. So they left around noon the next day.

They traveled light, with not much luggage, but their moods were vastly different.

Mu Dai was on high alert. No one had taught her how to do this, but she picked it up naturally out of a sense of responsibility. Her eyes rarely left Yan Hongsha, and she stayed aware of everyone around them. If any strangers got too close, she’d tense up immediately.

This was her first job. She didn’t want to mess it up.

Yan Hongsha, on the other hand, was in a great mood. She’d ignored all of Old Yan’s heartfelt warnings.

Well, not all. She did follow one piece of advice—

She was suspicious of Mu Dai.

Though honestly, that was more about holding a grudge. Her ribs still hurt from the kick Mu Dai gave her the other night.

As soon as they left, she haughtily handed her bag to Mu Dai. “Carry this for me.”

Then she strutted off without another word. Mu Dai stayed silent, trailing after her. After about a hundred meters, Yan Hongsha turned around and stomped her foot. “Why didn’t you carry it?!”

“I’m your bodyguard, not a porter from Chongqing.”

She’d only seen those guys for the first time on a trip to Chongqing, but now she spoke as if she’d known them all her life.

Yan Hongsha had no choice but to run back and take her bag, muttering the whole way. Her stomach still hurt when she jogged.

On the bus, she sat with a sulky face and swore not to speak to Mu Dai. Mu Dai was happy with the silence. She reclined her seat, copied her senior brother’s posture, and closed her eyes. The bus rocked gently, like a cradle.

After a long time, Yan Hongsha realized Mu Dai had fallen asleep, and she was furious. She’d worked hard to maintain her aloof, “don’t mess with me” attitude, and this woman couldn’t even give her a heads-up before dozing off?

In the evening, the bus stopped for dinner. The nearby restaurants were packed. Mu Dai and Yan Hongsha waited a long time for a table. They ordered two small dishes, barely got a few bites in when Yan Hongsha leaned in, whispering frantically, “Mu Dai! That guy over there is giving me a creepy look.”

Mu Dai looked up. Sure enough, there he was—a sleazeball with a pervy stare. This kind of guy was everywhere, like weeds that kept growing back, or like mildew after spring rain.

Mu Dai said, “Eat your food.”

“He’s still staring!”

“So let him stare. You’re not gonna lose a chunk of flesh over it. And if you just looked down at your food instead of him, you wouldn’t even know he’s staring.”

Yan Hongsha was so annoyed she couldn’t even eat. “You… you have no sense of decency at all!”

…

The next morning, they arrived in Heupu and transferred to a smaller bus heading toward the township. Mu Dai asked around for directions and learned they needed to take the rural shuttle to the “Two Trees” stop. From there, they’d have to walk.

The shuttle dropped them off between two trees—literally. Not even a bench or signpost in sight.

Yan Hongsha shrieked, “This ‘Two Trees’ stop just has two trees! There’s not even a proper station!”

Mu Dai was surprised too, but she kept a straight face. One of them had to act mature.

She was starting to worry. They’d misjudged how remote this place was. Didn’t look like there’d be any inns nearby.

They went to the nearest village and asked for directions, only to hear something troubling.

“Wuzhu Village? That place is deserted. You came from this side? You should’ve gone along the coast. No cars go this way—you’ll have to walk an hour or two.”

“Deserted?” Mu Dai asked, confused.

“Yup. No money to be made. People moved out bit by bit.”

She and Yan Hongsha discussed it and decided to press on anyway. They were already here, and it was still early. Even if they found nothing, they could make it back before dark.

A kind villager found them a tractor to take them partway.

As the tractor rattled along, jostling her insides, Mu Dai still managed to ask the driver, “Has anyone else come this way recently? Maybe in a black SUV?”

“Nope,” the man replied.