Why did you provoke me?

After resting for a day at their base, the mining group prepared to return home.

Because of that huge machine, all the equipment was lost. Their gains were meager, so the atmosphere within the mining group was very depressing.

Team leader, the scarred man didn't blame his team members; no one wanted to see something like this happen. But it was true that they hadn't found anything on this expedition.

This time, not only will they not receive any money, but they will also have to pay out of their own pockets to buy some new equipment.

Everyone was in a bad mood.

Yu Jun's eyes were filled with confusion. When his identity as a martial arts apprentice was confirmed, he was full of ambition. He felt that he was no longer the useless eldest brother in the family, but a man who could stand tall and support his family.

Therefore, he declined Dali's invitation. He always believed that he could make a name for himself with his own abilities.

This team belongs to his girlfriend, Guo Fangting. Today is also his first time officially participating in this group.

He could already hear people whispering. "They shouldn't have let him in just because of connections. It was his first time here, and such a big thing happened."

"This time, not only did we not get the money, we'll probably even lose money."

Guo Fangting gripped his arm tightly. "Don't listen to their nonsense, this has nothing to do with you."

Yu Jun reached out and patted Guo Fangting's hand that was gripping his arm. "I'm a grown man. Why would I care about these things?"

Back in town, the scarred man shared his thoughts: "We have a very skilled mask-removing expert in our town. If anyone can recruit her to our team, I'll offer a generous reward. Or, we could ask her to perform a mask for us."

Yu Jun looked at the group leader, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Was his younger sister really that capable?

But he didn't say anything; he couldn't make decisions about his younger sister's affairs. But if he needed help, Dali would probably lend a hand, right?

Yu Jun took Guo Fangting back to her home. After giving her a few words of advice, he returned to the small village.

The small village remained as quiet and peaceful as ever. Children ran happily along the road, and the elderly chatted under the trees while doing their work. Yu Jun suddenly felt that this kind of life was wonderful.

The whole family was very happy to see Yu Jun return.

Mr. Yu even brought out the liquor he bought years ago. He was happy today. His youngest child, Xiao Si'er, had already become a mask revealer; their family's future looked promising.

Seeing his father's joy, Yu Jun didn't talk about his own affairs, but instead drank a few cups with his father.

Halfway through the meal, Aunt Yu started nagging again. "Dajun, when are you planning to get married? You're not getting any younger."

Yu Meng choked on her soup; an 18-year-old boy was no longer a child. Yu Meng watched as her older brother's face quickly flushed red. "Mom, isn't there a rush?"

Mr. Yu nudged Mrs. Yu under the table. "Don't talk about these things while eating, Xiao Si is coughing."

Yu Meng's coughing grew louder. "What does this have to do with me?" Yu Meng looked up at her father. "That's a lame excuse."

Yu's father understood the look in Yu Meng's eyes. However, he didn't pay it any mind. With so many children in the family, sometimes an excuse was readily available, and whoever was present could be the excuse.

"Dajun, how was the harvest from your group's trip this time?" Yu's father asked from the side.

Yu Jun paused for a moment as he picked up some food. "It's alright."

"You don't need to hand over the money you earn in the future to your family. Save some and buy Fangting some gifts later," Aunt Yu said from the side.

"How can that be? I'm the eldest brother in the family, how can I not contribute money to the family?" Yu Jun disagreed with his mother's statement.

"I'm just saying you can save the money from these few times. Later, depending on the situation, if you have extra money to give me, I'll accept it too," Aunt Yu said with a smile. Her own children were all filial.

Yu Meng noticed the worry in her elder brother's eyes. Sister Xiu had already reported to the town's defense regiment. Her younger brother had gone to the town's martial arts school.

"Dajun, if you need anything, just go to Dali. Your brother-in-law is from the town mayor's family, so it will be much easier for him to get things done," Yu's father reminded him again. He knew that his eldest son was a bit stubborn.

"I know, Dad. Is Xiao Si planning to study under Mr. Zhou?" Yu Jun asked.

"Our little Si'er is so opinionated. I told her to go, but she refused. She even said that Sister Xiu had already taught her." Mom started nagging again.

Yu Jun glanced at Yu Meng. "Learning some real skills is still very important. If the unmasking expert in our team had the skills of our Dali, we would have gained a lot this time."

Yu Meng looked up at her older brother. He was urging her to learn real skills. It seemed there was more to their trip than met the eye.

However, since our little sister said she wouldn't go to Mr. Zhou's place, neither Sister Xiu nor Dali objected. It seems that my little sister has learned everything Sister Xiu taught her.

Yu Jun looked at his father. "My opinion is that we should let our younger sister go and learn. We're not short of money right now."

It's confirmed. Big Brother must have encountered something during this trip.

"Our little Si'er has made up her mind, can you change it?" Yu's father glared at Yu Jun. If she wanted to go, I would have sent her long ago. Why do you have to stay here pretending to be her older brother?

Yu Meng suppressed a laugh. Her mother glared at her from the side. "We're talking about you, and you're still laughing."

Yu Meng thought for a moment, then went into the inner room and came out with a bead. She handed it to Yu Jun. "If you need anything, give this to your older sister. She'll help you."

Yu Jun looked at the beads in his hand. They were black and nothing special. "What's this?"

Yu Meng: "Our token of love for the three of us must not be given to anyone else; it's very important."

Yu Jun carefully placed the items in a small box and put it close to his body in his inner pocket.

Yu Jun had seen this before. Once, when he was with his father, he saw Uncle Li holding something and bringing someone back to rescue them. He remembered what Uncle Li said at the time: this was a token. It was also a promise given by someone.

"Dajun, remember, when you go out to gather resources, nothing is more important than your life. Even if you lose everything, as long as you're alive, you can earn it back."

Mr. Yu clearly noticed that something was wrong with Yu Jun. However, since his son didn't say anything, he didn't want to confront him directly, lest his mother worry.

Yu Jun kept his head down, eating the rice in his bowl, and gave a soft reply. "The team leader already told me all of this when I officially joined the mining group."

"Dajun, I've given you instructions, but that doesn't mean you can abandon those things and run back." There was an unspeakable sadness in Yu's father's tone.

"Are you thinking about your brother again? You have to believe in fate. The first time you dragged him back, he got so angry he cut ties with you. The second time he sneaked off and came back with a broken leg. This time he's remembering your kindness, but it's all too late."

Yu Meng looked at her mother; she had never heard her father mention this matter.