Noodles for the Road

Qiu Zhiheng led Lu Chunying, Ma Wu, and others off the train. They didn't go to Carefree Dock or Lu Chunying's residence; instead, they went directly to the He Family.

They were ambushed at Black Stone Slope, and Qiu Zhiheng was injured. He should have rested for a while longer, but he received news that He Haiqin's funeral was today, and he had to take Lu Chunying to pay his respects. He couldn't be impolite on such an occasion.

Duan Shaoxia also brought Zhang Huaiyi with her. At the funeral, Qiu Zhiheng stood behind Lu Chunying. Duan Shaoxia kept looking at Qiu Zhiheng, her eyes full of resentment and sorrow.

After the funeral, Tan Fucheng had something to attend to and left first.

He Yuxiu found Qiu Zhiheng: "Monkey, come have a drink with your sister."

"Where does my sister want to go?"

"Let's go to Carefree Dock and take care of Ma Wu's business."

Now He Family Yuxiu is in charge of the He Yuxiu family, she took the initiative to make He Yuxiu, and Qiu Zhiheng naturally agreed.

Upon arriving at Carefree Dock, Ma Wu arranged a private room. He Yuxiu said, "Jun Yang, I'd like to drink this meal alone with Monkey."

Ma Wu understood, left the private room, and instructed his men not to disturb the two.

Qiu Zhiheng poured He Yuxiu a glass of wine, He Yuxiu drank in one gulp.

He Yuxiu poured another cup and drank it.

After drinking five cups in a row, He Yuxiu burst into tears. "Hai Qin is gone, gone..."

Qiu Zhiheng remained silent. He knew that he shouldn't say anything at this time. Letting He Yuxiu cry her heart out was more effective than anything else.

After crying, He Yuxiu looked at Qiu Zhiheng and asked, "What do you think of my sister's looks?"

"It looks good," Qiu Zhiheng replied earnestly.

"At this age, my sister isn't much less capable than those young girls, is she?"

"Much stronger than them."

"Then why didn't you take a liking to me back then? I may be a few years older than you, but I was a top-tier beauty back then. I practically offered myself to you, and you still wouldn't marry me?"

Qiu Zhiheng held his wine glass, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "Sister, you know I can't. We're not in the same boat."

"Did I ever care about my status? Back then, I'd have been willing to take your surname, Qiu, if you'd just said the word!"

Qiu Zhiheng remained silent for a long time. He Yuxiu wiped away her tears and said, "Hai Qin is gone. Haisheng wasn't close to me. I don't have anyone close to me in my whole life."

Monkey, I called you here today for one thing. Hai Qin handed the He Family over to me, and I know my own limitations.

I can't beat you. If we really fought, the He Family would definitely be devoured by the Lu Family.

"If you still remember our past relationship, how about you work for me? I'll listen to everything you say. How about you come to the He Family and be the head housekeeper?"

"The He Family..." Qiu Zhiheng shook his head.

He Yuxiu sighed, "I know you're from the Lu Family, you're Lu Family member no matter where you go."

"The Lu Family..." Qiu Zhiheng gave a bitter smile and remained silent.

He Yuxiu said, "It's fine if you don't come, but just let your sister off the hook. She won't fight you for anything, and you shouldn't try to take anything from the He Family. Is that alright?"

Qiu Zhiheng sighed, "Sister, I am a servant of the Lu Family. A servant is a servant. I am not the one who can make decisions."

He Yuxiu nodded and said, "I understand what you mean. You want me to take care of that girl Lu Chunying."

That kid is nice, I like him quite a bit too. Lu Dongliang has disappeared without a trace, and Duan Shaoxia is completely confused.

Although Lu Chunying wasn't her child, she bore the surname Lu. Regardless of whose child Zhang Huaiyi was, his surname was Zhang.

I agree to this. I acknowledge Lu Chunying; she is now the head of the Lu Family.

Qiu Zhiheng raised his glass and said, "With these words from you, sister, I, Qiu Zhiheng, will never be your enemy in this lifetime!"

"Then it's a deal!"

The two drank a few more glasses, He Yuxiu looked at Qiu Zhiheng with increasingly dreamy eyes. "Monkey, so many years have passed, how come you're still so handsome?"

Qiu Zhiheng smiled and said, "Your sister is still as beautiful as ever."

He Yuxiu leaned close to Monkey Qiu's face and subtly hinted, "How about we take a nap?"

"Sis, I'm not feeling well today."

"Nonsense, what kind of sect do you belong to that you think you can't do it? If you could go back twenty years and choose again, would you choose me or your wife?"

"You can't go back to the way things were; who can say for sure?"

He Yuxiu poked Qiu Zhiheng with her finger. "You little brat, can't you say a few nice words?"

The two were enjoying their drinks when they suddenly heard a commotion outside.

He Yuxiu frowned. "Who is it? What a damn spoils the fun!"

When Qiu Zhiheng went outside, he saw that the corridor was in chaos. He grabbed a servant and asked him what had happened, and learned that Ma Wu had been in trouble.

In Carefree Dock, how could Ma Wu possibly get into trouble?

The two quickly followed the man to the dance floor, where they saw a man in black, his face covered, pointing a short knife at Ma Wu's forehead, and shouting sharply, "Where is Li Qi?"

The voice was deep and indistinct, belonging to a man, but it was impossible to tell who it was.

Zuo Wugang was struggling with whether or not to rush forward beside Ma Wu. If the man in black stabbed him, Ma Wu would be dead.

He Yuxiu didn't dwell on it. She hiccuped from the alcohol and walked forward with a smile, "Go ahead and poke me, if you don't poke me today, you're a son of a bitch."

The man in black flexed his wrist, intending to cut Ma Wu's face.

Qiu Zhiheng's gaze darkened, the man in black's heart raced, and his wrist trembled involuntarily.

He Yuxiu casually waved her hand and snatched the knife from the man in black.

With so many people present, including Qiu Zhiheng, no one saw how He Yuxiu snatched it.

The man in black ripped open his shirt, and hundreds of Shuttle Dart flew towards the crowd.

These Shuttle Dart came fast and accurately; Ma Wu couldn't dodge them, and neither could Zuo Wugang.

Zuo Wugang stood in front of Ma Wu, trying to take the Shuttle Dart down.

He Yuxiu kicked the fruit plate on the round table away. The fruit plate swept through the air and blocked all of the hundreds of Shuttle Dart that were thrown.

Anything in her hands becomes a weapon, and everything becomes an excellent weapon.

He Yuxiu, hands in her pockets, walked forward with a smile, "What other good stuff do you have? Let me see it."

The man in black lightly touched the ground with his toes and retreated rapidly. He Yuxiu stepped forward and chased after him at a leisurely pace.

Is that man in black Travel Cultivator? He's really fast.

As he was about to retreat to the dance floor entrance, the man in black suddenly felt a burning sensation on his back.

Huo Ling suddenly appeared outside the door and breathed fire at the man in black.

The woman in black was engulfed in Fierce Flame, and He Yuxiu took a step back. "Where did this crazy woman come from? She almost burned me."

The man in black was attacked from both sides and had nowhere to escape. Just as Huo Ling was about to burn him to death, the Fierce Flame suddenly dissipated and the man in black disappeared without a trace.

"Where did you hide it?" Huo Ling gritted her teeth, her long hair transforming into fire snakes that danced in all directions.

Ma Wu quickly advised, "Ling'er, don't burn down Carefree Dock!"

Chaos erupted at Carefree Dock; all the guests had fled.

He Yuxiu laughed and said, "Jun Yang, your trick is no good. How did this person sneak in? Dressed like that, no one noticed?"

Zuo Wugang's face turned completely red.

Qiu Zhiheng said, "That person just now should be a high-level engineer; he has an invisibility device."

Outside Carefree Dock, across the street, He Jiaqing put the man in black down.

"This woman's temper is really fierce." He Jiaqing waved his hand, and a ball of flame appeared in his palm. "Well, she's not entirely useless."

The man in black looked at He Jiaqing warily and asked, "Who are you?"

He Jiaqing said, "I'm Ling Miaoying's friend. Let's talk somewhere else."

The man in black took a step back and said, "I don't recognize you."

He Jiaqing smiled and said, "I recognize you, actress Tu Yinghong."

Late at night, Li Banfeng returned to Carefree Dock and found that business had not yet started and the dance floor was in a mess.

"Fifth Brother, what happened?"

"Someone came to our place and caused trouble, saying they were looking for you."

"Who are you looking for?"

"The clothes were wrapped tightly around her, and her face was covered. The voice sounded like a man's, but the person was probably a woman."

Li Banfeng trusted Ma Wu's judgment on this point; Ma Wu could tell the difference as long as it was a woman.

"A woman coming to Carefree Dock to find me? Who could she be?"

Just as I was pondering this, Qiu Zhiheng came out of the private room.

He Yuxiu was drunk and fast asleep.

Lu Chunying was dozing off, but when she saw Qiu Zhiheng arrive, she forced herself to stay awake and said, "Brother Qiu, I have some business matters I'd like to discuss with you."

Qiu Zhiheng smiled and said, "Discuss business matters with Jun Yang. I've taught you everything I can. Jun Yang is better at business than I am."

After speaking, Qiu Zhiheng looked at Ma Wu.

Ma Wu smiled and said, "Brother Qiu, this is your Lu Family's eldest daughter, you can't just dump her on me!"

"The Lu Family..." Qiu Zhiheng murmured.

Lu Chunying asked cautiously, "Brother Qiu, what's wrong?"

"Nothing much, I should go back now." Qiu Zhiheng draped one hand over his clothes, glanced at Li Banfeng, smiled slightly, and left Carefree Dock.

A clap of thunder sounded, and then it started to rain.

Looking out the window, Ma Wu sighed and said, "He's in a difficult position. As the head steward of the Lu Family, Duan Shaoxia is not someone he can easily deal with. The fact that we were attacked at Black Stone Slope is very likely because Duan Shaoxia was behind it."

Li Banfeng remained silent for a moment, then said to Ma Wu, "Fifth Brother, go find the Guanfang Envoy."

In the Lu Family, Duan Shaoxia waited in the hall with a sullen face.

Seeing Qiu Zhiheng return, Duan Shaoxia dismissed the servants and asked, "Little Qiu, do you even care about this family? Do you even care about me? Are you even a member of the Lu Family anymore?"

Qiu Zhiheng was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said, "No longer."

Duan Shaoxia was stunned. "Little Qiu, what do you mean by that? Are you angry with your sister-in-law?"

"I didn't," Qiu Zhiheng calmly shook his head. "I'm leaving."

"Zhiheng, you can't leave!" Duan Shaoxia said in a trembling voice, "Do you know who that child is? I don't mean to make things difficult for you, but Huaiyi is actually..."

Qiu Zhiheng said calmly, "I know, Madam. I watched Yuan Hai grow up since I was a child, and I know that he is Yuan Hai."

Duan Shaoxia was stunned and speechless.

Qiu Zhiheng sighed deeply and said, "Madam, if you hadn't done this, things could still have been salvaged. I'll do whatever it takes to cure Yuanhai."

But the one lying down can't be cured because he's not Yuan Hai, and I can't help the one standing up because he's not Lu Family.

"Madam, I can't do anything more. I have to go. My wife and children are already at the station; it's time for me to go too."

His wife and child left?

When did this happen?

Duan Shaoxia stopped Qiu Zhiheng and said, "Zhiheng, don't go. I'm doing this for the Lu Family."

"I've done it all for the Lu Family," Qiu Zhiheng smiled. "Everything I've done in my life has been for the Lu Family. I've done everything I could."

When the old man took me in, I had nothing. Today, as I leave, I take nothing with me.

Over the years, all my savings have been repaid to the accounting department. The money for the train tickets and travel expenses was borrowed, and this outfit was also bought with borrowed money. Everything the Lu Family gave me, I have returned to the Lu Family.

"Madam, farewell."

Qiu Zhiheng turned and left the hall.

Duan Shaoxia gritted her teeth and said, "Don't go!"

One of the blood vessels in her eye burst.

This is the seed of love she planted in Qiu Zhiheng.

Under normal circumstances, Qiu Zhiheng would definitely turn around at this moment.

But Qiu Zhiheng didn't turn back; he had already uprooted his feelings for her.

He strode out of the Lu Family.

It was raining heavily, Qiu Zhiheng stood at the entrance of the courtyard.

He straightened his back, braving the heavy rain, and walked all the way to the station.

His wife and children were waiting for him in the ticket hall, while Tan Fucheng stood to the side.

At the funeral, Tan Fucheng went first so that he could escort Qiu Zhiheng's wife and children to the train station.

"Chief Qiu, be careful on the road." Tan Fucheng was worried that Duan Shaoxia might make a move on the road, but then he thought that Qiu Zhiheng should be on guard.

"Brother Tan, please be careful as well." Qiu Zhiheng thanked Tan Fucheng and led his wife and children through the ticket gate.

Waaah~

The train whistle sounded, and it pulled into the station.

Qiu Zhiheng let his wife and children get on the bus first. He then saw someone looking at him from the platform.

The man was wearing a black suit and a top hat with the brim pulled low.

Qiu Zhiheng stepped forward and said with a smile, "You've come to see me off? I'm no longer the Lu Family's butler, so there's nothing I can do to help you in the future."

Li Banfeng handed a large cloth bag to Qiu Zhiheng: "Noodles, eat them on the way."

Qiu Zhiheng was stunned.

Li Banfeng said, "There are no instant noodles for sale here, but dried noodles are fine too. This amount of noodles is enough to last for half a month."

The rain was heavy. Qiu Zhiheng wiped the rain off his face and took the cloth bag.

Li Banfeng pulled out a land deed. "Ma Wu found your train ticket and knows you're going to Medicine King Gully. I happen to have something I'd like to ask you for help with."

I've always wanted to open a pharmacy in Medicine King Gully, but I don't understand pharmacology and I'm worried about losing money, so I'd like to entrust this pharmacy to you.

Qiu Zhiheng lowered his head and said, "You want me to manage your business? I won't do that anymore."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "I'm not asking you to manage it, I'm looking for you to be my partner. I'll provide the money, you provide the labor, and we'll split the profits 50/50. You have a big reputation and can keep things under control, so let's call the pharmacy Qiu Family Business's."

Li Banfeng handed the land deed to Qiu Zhiheng.

The rain was heavy, and the land deed got wet.

Qiu Zhiheng took the land deed, looked at Li Banfeng, and said nothing.

The steam whistle sounded.

The train is about to depart.

"Take care." Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim and turned to leave.

"Take care, brother." Qiu Zhiheng kept looking at Li Banfeng until his figure disappeared from sight. Qiu Zhiheng then boarded the train and sat next to his wife.

The wife took out a handkerchief and wiped the rain off Monkey Qiu's face.

His face was covered in rainwater.

He gave the land deed to his wife.

The wife looked at it and asked, "What is this?"

"Business," Qiu Zhiheng wiped the rain off his face, which was always wet, "This is the Qiu family's business."

PS: From today onwards, Qiu Zhiheng no longer needs to stand behind others.