Courtyard House: Home Alone

When they returned to the courtyard in Jingya Lane, Master Yao and two other employees from the car dealership had already loaded all the gasoline onto the Dodge truck, and there was a brand new truck parked next to it.

Boss Li also came in person. Upon seeing Lin Yifan, his face was filled with a grateful smile. He stepped forward and shook Lin Yifan's hand, saying, "Mr. Lin, I can't thank you enough! We really owe you a debt of gratitude this time; otherwise, our car dealership would have been in serious trouble!"

"Mr. Li, you're too kind. It was no trouble at all. You can take the gasoline back first, and we'll set off after lunch."

"Oh, right, Master Yao, take this money first. You're quite familiar with this Fog City. Go and prepare some dry food and braised vegetables for the road. Prepare plenty; it's cold now, so they won't spoil in a couple more days." After saying that, he took out one hundred yuan from his pocket (space) and handed it to Master Yao.

Master Yao took the money and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, Mr. Lin, don't worry, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly for you!"

"I'll go to the biggest deli nearby right now and buy a lot of braised beef and braised chicken feet, and also weigh out several dozen kilograms of guokui (a type of flatbread), so I won't go hungry on the way!" After saying that, he hurriedly left with a waiter.

Watching Master Yao's departing figure, Boss Li turned to Lin Yifan, his smile becoming even more ingratiating: "Mr. Lin, this trip to Nanchong is quite a journey, so I specially selected one of our dealership's newest trucks for you. The truck is in top condition, and Master Yao is our best driver. You can rest assured."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Kobayashi, your gasoline... its origin is absolutely reliable, isn't it?"

Lin Yifan glanced at him and said calmly, "Don't worry, Boss Li, just use it. There won't be any problems."

Seeing Lin Yifan's confident tone, Boss Li's doubts were largely dispelled, and he quickly smiled and said, "Yes, yes, of course I trust Mr. Lin. Well... Mr. Lin, if there's nothing else you need, I'll go back to the car dealership to make arrangements to ensure we depart on time this afternoon."

"Okay, go ahead." Lin Yifan nodded.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Boss Li, along with another employee, happily drove away in their truck loaded with gasoline. The yard returned to silence.

Shen Jingtao and Qi Haishan's wife approached. Shen Jingtao asked with some concern, "Mr. Lin, are you really leaving this afternoon? Is the road... really safe?"

Lin Yifan patted him on the shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be careful. You guys stay home and wait for me to come back."

He then looked at Qi Haishan's wife, "Sister-in-law Qi, I'm sorry to trouble you to take good care of things here."

Qi Haishan's wife quickly said, "Mr. Lin, you're too kind. It's all my pleasure. Please be careful on your journey!"

Shen's mother also came over carrying Xiao Shitou, who was still holding the candy Lin Yifan had given him yesterday. When he saw Lin Yifan, he timidly called out, "Uncle Lin."

Lin Yifan patted his head and said to Shen's mother, "Auntie, I'm leaving now. You and Uncle should rest well and not overwork yourselves."

Mother Shen's eyes reddened again, and she choked out, "Mr. Lin... you are such a good person... when you get to Nanchong, you must... you must come back soon."

"Yes, Auntie," Lin Yifan replied.

Soon, Master Yao returned carrying several large cloth bags, bulging with the aroma of braised food. "Mr. Lin, look, I've bought it! Braised beef, braised pig ears, braised duck wings, and twenty catties of guokui (a type of flatbread), enough for us to eat for several days on the road!"

Lin Yifan glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction: "Thank you for your hard work, Master Yao. It's getting late, let's get ready to go."

He gave a few more instructions to everyone in the courtyard before slinging his backpack over his shoulder and walking with Master Yao toward the truck at the alley entrance.

Shen Jingtao, along with his younger siblings, Qi Haishan's wife carrying Xiao Shitou, and Shen's parents leaning on their canes, accompanied him all the way to the alley entrance. They watched the small figure disappear around the street corner before reluctantly returning to their courtyard.

The truck slowly drove out of Jingya Alley and merged into the bustling crowds of the foggy city. Lin Yifan sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scenes flash by outside the window, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

What would he encounter on his trip to Nanchong? He didn't know, but he knew he had to go. The car gradually drove away from the city, heading towards Nanchong. The road ahead was shrouded in mist, but Lin Yifan's eyes remained unusually firm.

The truck bumped along the rugged mountain road, but Mr. Yao's driving skills were indeed excellent; even on such road conditions, the truck was driven relatively smoothly.

Lin Yifan took out the braised beef and guokui (a type of flatbread) that Master Yao had bought from his backpack and handed one to Master Yao: "Master Yao, have something to eat first."

Master Yao took the guokui (a type of flatbread), took a big bite, then stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth, and said indistinctly, "Mr. Lin, you're too kind. This beef is really delicious. Boss Li's salary is already quite high, but it's barely enough to support my family. I don't know when I last ate beef like this!"

Lin Yifan smiled and picked up a piece of guokui to eat. The rich flavor of the braised meat and the wheat aroma of the guokui blended together, bringing a touch of warmth in this cold weather.

"Master Yao, is the road to Nanchong usually easy to travel?" Lin Yifan asked, as he was not familiar with the road conditions in this area.

Master Yao sighed, "Alas, it's not a good road. It used to be better, but these past few years have been chaotic with war, and the roads are not safe. Especially when you get to that 'Black Wind Pass' ahead, it's said that bandits often roam there."

"But Mr. Kobayashi, don't worry, we have a new car. I'll drive fast and try to reach the town ahead before dark. That should allow us to avoid those troubles."

Lin Yifan grunted in response, his guard on high alert. Bandits? Ha! Even those well-equipped Japanese soldiers or puppet troops were just there to deliver their heads.

He calmly scanned his surroundings with his mental energy, and found nothing unusual except for the mountains, forests, and the occasional village.

The car continued forward, but the fog seemed to be getting thicker, and visibility was very low. Mr. Yao had to slow down and carefully steer the car.

Suddenly, Lin Yifan frowned. His mental energy sensed a dozen figures hiding in a ravine not far ahead, watching their truck furtively.

"Master Yao, something seems off up ahead. Slow down," Lin Yifan said in a deep voice.

Master Yao was a seasoned veteran. Upon hearing Lin Yifan's words, he immediately became alert, reduced the car's speed to a minimum, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and stared intently ahead.

Just as the truck was about to leave the ravine, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet was fired at the truck, but it was immediately stored in Lin Yifan's spatial storage as soon as it left the muzzle.

"Oh no! They're bandits!" Master Yao's expression changed, and he instinctively stepped on the gas to rush over.

"Wait!" Lin Yifan stopped him. "There aren't many of them. They look like a small group of bandits. Don't act rashly."

No sooner had he finished speaking than fifteen or sixteen burly men armed with rifles and broadswords sprang out from the woods on both sides of the road, their faces contorted in a menacing manner, and blocked the truck's path.