Chapter 47: Aunt Zhou

  Kill one person every ten steps, and don't stay for a thousand miles. That's not called mixing, that's a chivalrous guest. Guo Jie can be considered half of it. To put it bluntly, it's like Wang Hu's remaining general, who is a fugitive in the province.

  At that time, Chen Ergou discovered the gradually increasing number of tailing vehicles in the rearview mirror and quietly sent a message to Wang Huren. He didn't think he could catch Qiao Liu, a big fish that would choke itself if it wasn't careful, so until he successfully brought him in, with serious injuries that were not life-threatening, into a semi-private hospital that Wei Duan Gong generously funded every year. His hands were still slightly trembling, and Zhou Jingzhen thought it was because of the pain, but actually, that was secondary. In Chen Ergou's opinion, carrying two knives and trying to break through the encirclement of over 10 people was not more exaggerated than fighting with his bare fists against nearby villagers for wood and a wife in previous years.

  A snake swallowing an elephant.

  Swallowing it down is a skill, but swallowing it down and not being able to digest it will only lead to sorrow. When Chen Ergou finally fell asleep with his eyes closed, the only thought in his heavy head was this. In his mind, Qiao Liu's face appeared, half flattering and half gloomy.

  When Chen Ergou slowly came to, his head still spinning, the person sitting beside his bed wasn't Wang Hu, who should have been the first to report back to him, nor was it Fang Jie, who had eliminated a major threat and deserved praise. Instead, it was Zhou Jingru, whose face looked haggard.

  Chen Ergou narrowed his eyes, gazing at the morning sunlight outside the window. He lowered his head to look at the woman sleeping soundly on the bed, her black hair scattered across the sheets like a blooming dark peony, full and alluring. Chen Ergou didn't wake her up. With his uninjured right hand, he picked up a strand of her hair and placed it under his nose, taking a deep sniff. His heart tightened. He gently put the strand back onto Zhou Xingru's proud and beautiful locks. He slowly sat up, looking out at the gradually brightening scenery outside, feeling a bit melancholic because he thought of a girl who was purer than any virgin in her eyes - Mu Xiaoyao. Chen Ergou couldn't tell if it was self-respect or self-deprecation, but he had never wanted to share hardships with any woman; he only wanted to share wealth and prosperity with a certain someone. Perhaps deep down, he felt that having suffered hardship with his mother for over twenty years was enough, and he couldn't continue to suffer with another woman. So when he left Shanghai until today, he never had the intention of telling Mu Xiaoyao the truth, including during his time in Nanjing as a lowly person until now, when he had slowly risen to power.

  Chen Ergou sighed, he may not be able to see through Cao Jingyi, nor understand Chen Yuanshu, but he could clearly see the simple and pure Mu Xiaoyao. She didn't need to think too much, that silly child cared about her parents, cared about friendship, and when she grew up, she understood that the world wasn't just black and white, but also not a gray color in the eyes of worldly people. Her life didn't have anything heavy, her family was harmonious, she had no worries about food or clothing, all she wanted was a pure love, a man who loved her and whom she loved. She didn't have big ambitions in her little brain, nor did she have great sorrows in her life. Chen Ergou didn't want to talk to her about fighting and killing, nor would he dare to mention the struggles in front of Wei Duan Gong, Fang Jie, and Chen Yuanshu.

  "Missing her?" Zhou Jingyun slowly opened his mouth, Chen Erdou was stunned for 30 minutes, and when he sat up, she also stared at him blankly for half an hour. Although she didn't know which "her" this man was thinking of, a woman's intuition told her that it must be some woman. It wasn't jealousy, nor was it sour, Zhou Jingyun would guard the bedside for a day and two nights, most likely because this man had saved both her and Wei Dongchu. In Zhou Jingyun's eyes, if a woman still had extra feelings for a man wrapped up like a rice ball after going through a huge wave that almost affected her family, it could only be said that her brain was burned out.

  Chen Ergou didn't answer. He didn't want to mention Mu Xiaoyao to anyone, fearing that he would tarnish the clean and pure name in his heart.

  "How's Winter Worm?" Chen Ergou asked.

  Nothing happened, Qiao Liu let him go that night, and Dong Chong was stronger than I imagined, even comforting me instead. Zhou Jingfeng smiled, previously always thought this woman was too unruly, after going to Beijing for a trip, it seemed like she grew up overnight, which made her very pleased.

  "Who else has come here in the past two days besides you?" Chen Ergou asked casually.

  "Chen Qingzhi and Wang Jiefang took turns waiting outside, during which time Wang Hu came to see you twice, and Dong Chong came once." Zhou Jingyun had the most say in this matter, and there was nothing good to hide.

  Chen Ergou let out a sigh, stopped talking, and lay down again. After all, just sitting there was already quite tormenting. Although Chen Ergou had been majestic in the midst of a fierce battle with his two knives, one long and one short, that was something he could only sustain for a short while before becoming exhausted. Fighting relied on holding one's breath, which was an experience Chen Ergou had accumulated from many years of group battles and solo fights.

  It's just one word, saying it is simple, but can you really be as carefree as holding a brick and not being afraid of hitting someone to death? If being ruthless could take you far, then even Chen Er Gou, let alone Qiao Liu, could take down the number one tough guy Chen Qing Zhi. Lying in bed, Chen Er Gou suppressed all his negative emotions, focusing on recovering from his injuries. Conservatively, it would take a week or two to be discharged from the hospital, but to fully recover, it wouldn't be possible within four or five months. Fortunately, Qiao Liu was already under his control, and for the time being, no one else would dare to make a move against him. Chen Er Gou turned his head, and Zhou Jing Ru simply washed up and sat back on the bed, still maintaining her elegant demeanor despite having been by his bedside for a day and two nights.

  "What do you want to ask?" Chen Erdog, who was lying comfortably, looked at Zhou Jingzhen, who wanted to speak but hesitated, and couldn't help but smile.

  "Many." Zhou Jingxuan smiled, sitting up straight, she was different from ordinary beauties, they were trying to seduce people with their charm, but couldn't quite reach the realm of perfection. Chen Ergou's aesthetic sense wasn't literary, but he had seen many beautiful women and some worldly men, and he always felt that the woman next to Shanghai Fatty Liu Qingfu was several points lower than her.

  "You ask and I'll answer." Chen Ergou said lazily, thinking in his mind about how Wang Hu would deal with Qiao Liu and his gang.

  "Who taught you how to play with knives?" Zhou Jingwen asked in a low voice.

  "I didn't need to be taught, when I was 7 or 8 years old, I followed my brother into the mountains to hunt and catch animals. Since we couldn't afford guns, we had to use our traditional homemade bows, northeastern China's unique '扎枪' (a type of spear), and hunting knives to fight with the beasts at close range or disembowel them. You, a woman who has been raised in a sheltered environment, can't imagine the scenes where we relied on '扎枪' and hunting knives to hunt in the mountains. My brother didn't even wear shoes when he went into the mountains since he was young, can you imagine that? I, due to my weak body, didn't want to hide behind my brother's back and just eat without doing anything, so I studied hard to use things outside of my physical strength, like bows, '扎枪', and hunting knives. Because my arm strength is limited, I'm not as good at using a bow as my brother, but relatively speaking, I'm better at using '扎枪' and hunting knives. Plus, recently I learned some skills from Chen Qingzhi, so now I dare to charge forward alone with just a knife to stall for time. Otherwise, I would have dragged you away long ago. Don't be surprised that I always carry several knives in the car, it's because I'm used to being cautious. Don't think of me as a crazy person." Chen Ergou laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "I'm just barely passable, Zhou Niang (Auntie)."

  "Don't call me Aunt Zhou." Zhou Jing's face changed slightly, and he felt uncomfortable all over.

  Chen Ergou smiled but didn't speak, his smile was full of meaning, making Zhou Jingru even more embarrassed. Something out of the ordinary happened between them, and a single "Auntie Zhou" was enough to lift the last veil of shame. (To find out what happens next, please log in, there are more chapters, support the author, support the official version!)