Chapter 242

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Chapter 242: The Incompatibility of Home and Country

She was taken aback when she saw him, and then the young man smiled mischievously. He no longer seemed like a wooden young man and laughed, "Hahahaha."

Liu Xiaowan’s eyes turned red, and she finally understood that she had been deceived. There was no trace of unfamiliarity in that smile.

The feeling of suffocation in her heart dissipated, and she took a breath and angrily reprimanded, "You blockhead!"

The young man raised his hands in surrender, "I was just joking."

Liu Xiaowan raised her hand in anger and slapped him hard, but after her palm landed, the force became gentle.

"You didn’t even bother to come and say hello when you came back."

"I just got home. The town has changed a lot, and I don’t recognize many people or roads anymore." Bai Wei scratched his head and looked at his own house. "I’ve always said we don’t need to keep this house."

"It’s good to keep it. I come to clean it regularly and occasionally stay overnight." The woman asked softly, "Are you in a hurry to leave tonight?"

"…Now that you mention it, I’m a bit hungry." Bai Wei changed the subject.

"I’ll cook."

"You don’t have to trouble yourself. Let’s go to a restaurant." Bai Wei waved his hand. "I also want to go to town and hear about the changes in the past year."

Liu Xiaowan wanted to say something, but she saw that Bai Wei had already walked towards the street. She sighed and followed along.

The conversation was not awkward, and they still talked naturally, but there was a lot more strangeness between them.

In four years, they had only seen each other four times. How could they still be familiar? They were more unfamiliar than strangers.

Without asking, she knew that he must have experienced many things during those years, seen countless landscapes, some magnificent, some somber, and some tragic.

Compared to her who stayed in the village, their paths were different.

They found a restaurant and sat down. Liu Xiaowan entered the room, and the owner proactively greeted her, respectfully saying, "We have a reserved seat on the third floor, Miss Liu, what would you like to eat? We will prepare it immediately."

Their respectful attitude was evident. For businessmen, whoever could bring them enough profit, they would actively support.

They went to the third floor and Bai Wei looked down at the town from above and exclaimed, "It has indeed changed a lot."

"Has it changed for the better or for the worse?"

"Of course it has changed for the better, but there is also a sense of unfamiliarity. As you know, I have also been to the capital and other major cities. Looking at it, not every place is as vibrant, some are lifeless, and some are just getting by." Bai Wei said, "Seeing our hometown develop, of course, I am happy."

"You said it, attracting investment, having capital and goods, everything will improve."

"This restaurant used to be a sugar figurine shop… Did he move out?"

"A sugar figurine shop doesn’t need such a big space. He built this restaurant and rented it to this boss. He did the renovations and set up a small stall nearby to continue selling sugar figurines."

"Not bad," said Bai Wei with a smile, as he took a few bites of the food. "This is probably not cheap."

"It’s not cheap. This restaurant is targeting the mid to high-end market. Most ordinary people go to eat at street stalls, where the prices are affordable but the environment is average and a bit noisy. As for hygiene… I’ve said it many times, and they finally decided to invest more in the kitchen."

"Consumption grade is important. Does every household in the town have extra money?"

"Some do. They own the land and collect rent. That alone brings them money."

"Control over construction decisions is crucial," Bai Wei reminded.

"I know. I won’t let them build houses in a reckless manner. There are strict inspection procedures to prevent people from borrowing money and causing trouble just for appearances. It’s not worth it and it breaks the rules."

"I saw a few brothels when I came."

"Yeah, there are some. Do you not like them?"

"I don’t like them."

"Why?" Liu Er, who overheard this, was a bit happy but also curious as she asked, "Most men like these places. Besides, they provide stable financial income, and it’s a somewhat consensual relationship and not just exploitation…"

"That’s true. Birds of a feather flock together," Bai Wei, after taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, continued, "However, brothels are not clean places… many monsters hide in places where chaos reigns but are reluctant to compromise their quality of life. So, there are a lot of demonic charms in these places."

"Have you encountered them?"

"I’ve encountered them many times. At first, I was a bit inexperienced and uneasy, and I got injured once." Bai Wei pointed to the right side of his chest, "The bone pierced in from here and came out from the back. I almost died… In fact, several members of the Monster-slaying Bureau of the same generation died… Later on, I became more cold-hearted and stopped hesitating to act. That reduced a lot of danger."

Suddenly realizing that he had said too much, he stopped talking and smiled at Liu Xiaowan, "Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear about this. Let’s talk about something else. How are the public facilities in the village? The school, public toilets, and water facilities shouldn’t be contracted to outsiders. The quality of the projects is important… In order for a small place to develop, it needs some unique features. Both population and industry are important. I don’t recommend the tourism industry. It’s not sustainable or stable enough."

The meal was slow and the conversation was long-winded.

Most of the time, Bai Wei asked questions and Liu Xiaowan answered. They only stopped when it came to topics she didn’t know about, and listened to Bai Wei’s explanation.

After finishing lunch.

Bai Wei put down his chopsticks, "You are ready to graduate. There’s nothing more I can teach you."

Liu Xiaowan shook her head and said, "I just followed the plan and didn’t have your insights. I would have taken many detours."

Bai Wei watched the bustling streets and said, "But it is ultimately you who will stay and build our hometown, not me. I’m just all talk. Luckily, with you here, I can relax about many things… After all, I can’t stay here for long. I’ll be leaving soon."

Liu Xiaowan’s heart tensed, and she asked, "Are you in a rush to leave again?"

Bai Wei said, "I need to go see them."

"Them" referred to those who had died. The town had reserved a public cemetery, unlike the scattered burials in the past. This place was specially designated, thanks to Bai Wei’s suggestion. Five years ago, during a horrific incident, many townspeople died and couldn’t be properly buried. To save manpower, most were buried near this area. It had been repaired multiple times over the past five years, and from a distance, one could see hundreds of tombstones.

Bai Wei deliberately chose a time when there weren’t many visitors in the afternoon. Many tombstones had ashes and offerings in front of them. Occasionally, one or two people would come to the cemetery. When they saw Liu Xiaowan, they also saw the young man next to her. They didn’t approach, only watched from afar, their gaze filled with complexity and sorrow.

He looked at each tombstone in turn, placing a bouquet of flowers that he had brought from afar in front of each one. Each year, the flowers were different, representing different places he had visited. He hadn’t stopped.

Finally, Bai Wei stopped in front of Uncle Liu’s tombstone.

"Uncle… I have officially taken over the position of Pacification Officer. It took five years to accumulate merits. It wasn’t easy."

"With more free time ahead, I finally have time to check the information I’ve received in these years."

"Blood will not flow in vain. I swear that I will avenge everyone here."

After muttering to himself, Bai Wei poured a bottle of fine wine onto the tombstone. Its name was Bixue Danqing, the Daughter’s Red that Uncle Liu had yearned for many years.

Taking the last sip, Bai Wei finished the wine and placed the bottle in front of the tombstone.

Leaving the cemetery, Bai Wei walked to the position near his home. The well-fed and rested horse whinnied.

"I need to leave," he said to Liu Xiaowan.

"You’re leaving already?" Liu Xiaowan couldn’t understand and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? Can’t you stay here for one more night?"

"If I stay one more day, perhaps more people will die. The demons are increasing, and the competition between humans and demons for survival is becoming more intense. War may just be a matter of time. I can’t stay behind. The borders are in turmoil, and all signs indicate that tens of thousands of demons will invade the Central Plains to plunder." Bai Wei looked away and gazed into the distance, as if he could see the beacon towers burning.

He paused and said, "Don’t worry, as long as I’m alive, we will see each other again next year."

"How will I know if you’re dead or alive?" Liu Er grabbed his sleeve.

"If I stop sending money back every month, it means I’m dead."

"See you next year?" Liu Xiaowan bit her lip, asking sadly, "I have been waiting desperately for a whole year each time, and every day I wonder if you will come back! How many more years can I wait for you? Wooden, I’m already twenty years old…"

Her eyes were like a ripple on a windy lake, shining with tears, and she spoke as if in mourning, "Why can’t you stay? Why do you have to leave this place? Isn’t it good to stay in our hometown? I don’t want you to seek revenge. We’re just ordinary people, like grass in this world. We’re born easily, and we die easily. The disaster five years ago has passed. We should let go of what we need to let go…"

The youth remained silent, touching his waist badge, his fingertips slowly clenched.

"I am the contemporary Crouching Tiger, it is my duty, just like my master. There are things that must be done… I’m sorry, Xiaowan."

"I don’t understand what you’re talking about!" Liu Xiaowan refused to let go, "I don’t want to wait anymore. You belong here, your hometown is here, and you belong to me. I won’t allow you to leave again."

The youth averted his gaze, his iron will unyielding. He wouldn’t change the decision he made four years ago.

"Wooden…" Liu Er realized that he still wanted to leave, and tears finally fell, "Please stay, even if it’s just for me."

Bai Wei held her hand, cradling the beautiful face of the girl, his fingers wiping away the tears on her cheeks.

"If only it had been delayed for another month back then."

"If only you were already my wife."

"If only my heart wasn’t as firm as stone."

But unfortunately, there are no ifs…

"A seven-foot stature, already pledged to the country, unable to pledge to you again."

"Xiaowan, take care of yourself, don’t wait for me anymore."