Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

Chapter 7 Stopping the Four Courtyards

Lin Zhou had only taken a few steps when he suddenly remembered that all his belongings were stored in his spatial storage. If he wanted to take them out, he would need an excuse, and the excuse was that he needed to get a hand-held rattan case. Of course, he was very aware of Lou Zhenhua's vigilance and was even more aware of the constant surveillance by the two bodyguards behind him.

"Wait a moment."

Lin Zhou suddenly stopped, turned around, and deliberately slowed his tone, his gaze falling on the tall and strong bodyguard on his left.

"My luggage is still in the abandoned courtyard where I used to stay. There are a few changes of clothes and some food in there. I have to go back and get them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two bodyguards' eyes narrowed simultaneously, and they subconsciously exchanged a glance. One of them jogged towards the truck, then whispered to Lou Zhenhua for instructions. Lou Zhenhua's cold voice said, "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him out of your sight, and don't let him contact anyone. Come back immediately after you've retrieved the goods."

"Yes." The bodyguard bowed slightly.

Returning to Lin Zhou's side, she gestured for him to enter, her tone firm and unwavering, "Mr. Lin, we'll go with you."

Lin Zhou had already anticipated this, but he remained outwardly calm and could only nod and say, "Alright, let's go and come back quickly."

The three retraced their steps along the path Lin Zhou had taken. Dense raindrops pierced through the branches of the old locust tree, gathering into numerous small puddles on the ground. The abandoned courtyard remained eerily quiet, save for the patter of raindrops hitting the tiles. The weeds along the broken wall, knee-high, were now swaying and twisting in the rain.

"It's inside." Lin Zhou pointed to the east wing, deliberately slowing down his movements as he pushed open the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he confirmed that the bodyguard's gaze was drawn to the clutter inside the room. He quickly ran to the broken wooden plank by the wall, reached under the plank, and the next second, a brown rattan hand-held box appeared in his hand.

He had casually put this rattan trunk into his spatial storage at Director Li's house. The trunk was finely woven, with copper-plated edges. Although it was somewhat old, it was still quite tidy. Lin Zhou picked up the rattan trunk and shook it. It was empty and rattled. It was perfect for cover. He had food and drinks in his spatial storage, and he would inevitably need to take things out from time to time. He couldn't just conjure things up out of thin air every time. With this trunk, he could lie and say that "the things have always been kept inside," saving him a lot of trouble.

"Found it." Lin Zhou came out carrying a wicker box.

The bodyguard nodded and said, "Let's go, Mr. Lou is still waiting."

On the way back, Lin Zhou quickly followed the two bodyguards, his mind racing. According to the original plot, Lou Zhenhua's family's journey had been quite smooth.

Just as I turned the corner, I saw Lou Zhenhua standing next to a black car, his brows furrowed tightly. Opposite him stood a slightly plump woman with short, ear-length hair, arguing with red eyes and a sob in her voice: "Dad, I know it's safest to leave now, but I have to go and say goodbye to the person who saved our family in person. We might never see each other again, otherwise, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

The beautiful woman beside the woman wore a moon-white cheongsam, the hem stained with mud, clearly lacking its former elegance. She was tightly gripping the short-haired woman's wrist with one hand, while holding a black umbrella in the other, her face full of anxiety as she said, "E'zi, stop it. Your father is right, now is not the time to thank me. We'll have plenty of opportunities to repay you when we get to Hong Kong..."

"What future is there!" The short-haired woman tried to shake off the beautiful woman's hand, raising her voice several decibels.

"I've already said that Zhuzi saved us by doing us a huge favor. If we just leave quietly like this, my conscience won't allow it!"

Lou Zhenhua's face grew increasingly grim, his knuckles clenching until they turned white: "I said no! There are patrol teams and people wearing red armbands everywhere now. If you go to thank them and get questioned, not only will you get into trouble, but the people who rescued us will also suffer! Your mother and I will be arrested again."

"Can……"

"There's no 'but' about it!" Lou Zhenhua's words were like a stone hitting the ground, resounding with conviction.

Just then, Lin Zhou walked over carrying a wicker trunk, the raindrops pattering crisply against the folding umbrella. Hearing the footsteps, the three arguing women turned around simultaneously, their gazes all falling on him. Lou Zhenhua's eyes were scrutinizing, the short-haired woman's eyes still held traces of undried tears, and the beautiful woman looked flustered, subconsciously tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Mr. Lou, everyone, what happened?" Lin Zhou stopped, holding the rattan box to his chest, and asked in a calm tone as he looked at the short-haired woman.

Before Lou Zhenhua could speak, the short-haired woman interjected, "Sir, you be the judge! The person who saved our family is someone I want to thank and say goodbye to, but my parents won't let me!"

Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat. This was a crucial plot point; he had to stir things up. He didn't reply immediately, but lowered his eyes slightly, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he looked up at the short-haired woman, his tone subtly guiding her question: "Excuse me, ma'am, may I ask you a question?"

The short-haired woman paused for a moment, then nodded: "Go ahead."

"The gentleman who saved your family, is his place far from the people who harmed your family before?" Lin Zhou's voice was not loud, but it was like a fine needle, precisely piercing the key point.

The short-haired woman's agitation froze instantly. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. She remembered the ruthless faces of her ex-husband and their neighbor, Old Liu; they were the ones who ransacked her home and arrested her parents.

Seeing her silence, Lin Zhou continued slowly, "Elder sister, your intention to express your gratitude is good. But have you considered that if those who harmed your family see you going, won't they follow you here? In that case, not only will you fail to express your gratitude, but you'll also push your family into a pit of fire. Is that what you want to see?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the short-haired woman's last bit of stubbornness. Her shoulders slumped slightly, her eyes reddened again, but she stopped arguing, only biting her lip and gripping the hem of her clothes tightly with her fingers.

The beautiful woman standing nearby also realized what was happening and quickly tugged at the short-haired woman's arm, whispering, "E'zi, this gentleman is right. We can't let our benefactor suffer..."

Lou Zhenhua looked at Lin Zhou, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He then wiped the gloom from his face and said firmly, "Alright, stop hesitating, get in the car right now!"

The short-haired woman sniffed, then finally nodded, her voice choked with emotion: "I understand, Dad, I won't go."

Lou Zhenhua said no more, turned around and opened the back door of the car, letting the beautiful woman and the short-haired woman get in first, then looked at Lin Zhou: "Nephew Lin, I'm sorry to trouble you to squeeze into a car with us to go to the beach together."

"You're too kind, Mr. Lou." Lin Zhou picked up the wicker box at his feet, bent down, and climbed into the carriage.

The car wasn't very spacious. Lin Zhou sat on the outermost seat, next to a short-haired woman who was quietly wiping away tears. The beautiful woman gently patted her back to comfort her. After the car started, it slowly drove along the street, the scenery outside the window constantly receding. Lin Zhou leaned back in her seat, her gaze falling on the old signs flashing by outside the window, but she breathed a sigh of relief. This step, at least, was the right one.

He knew that preventing this meeting was only the beginning of changing the course of events. Next, they would have to face the checkpoints at the seaside, the risks of crossing the sea, and all the unknowns after arriving in Hong Kong. But at least for now, he had avoided the first tragedy, and that was enough.

The car gradually drove away from Beijing and headed towards the sea, splashing mud and water from its wheels onto both sides of the road.