As Tang Ru mumbled, the car had already sped past.
Ling Feng's expression remained unchanged, but he glanced at the rearview mirror.
Indeed, he saw the old woman in the passenger seat with an IV drip. Shaking his head, he said, "Cheap!"
Tang Ru was startled. "What did you say?"
She suspected she had misheard.
Ling Feng gave a wry smile and repeated his explanation, "I mean, IV drips are very cheap. Although the drug effect isn't great, it's very inexpensive. These two should be a couple, and the woman has an old injury. The illness triggered by it probably won't last long!"
"Ah? But I just saw her looking quite energetic!"
Tang Ru's heart felt a sharp pang. "Time spares no beauty," this saying could be applied to that old woman. Precisely because of this, learning of her serious illness made Tang Ru feel even more uncomfortable!
Then, she looked at Ling Feng pleadingly, "Ling Feng, your medical skills are so amazing, can you help them?"
Ling Feng gave a wry smile and shook his head. "If I just go up to them and say, 'You're sick, let me treat you,' they'll think I'm crazy!"
Tang Ru was taken aback, then shook her head with a hint of helplessness. "What a shame. Old soldiers like them should be enjoying their retirement. They looked to be in their seventies or eighties!"
"No, they might be a hundred. Old soldiers like them probably experienced World War II a century ago."
Ling Feng shook his head, his expression becoming more solemn. Although the war had long ended for civilians, for Ling Feng, the war had never truly ended, and even now, there were still many frictions.
And these heroes who had retired from the battlefield were gradually fading away.
Judging by their age, they had likely experienced countless battles, big and small. It was truly not easy to have survived.
Perhaps the arrival of the era of全民武道 (Quanmin Wudao -全民武道, meaning 'Martial Arts for All' or 'National Martial Arts Era') had brought them some cultivation methods, allowing their bodies to regain a little vitality.
But that was limited. These two were, after all, old. The man seemed to have higher strength and might live a few more years, but the woman...
Ling Feng naturally understood Tang Ru's thoughts. Wasn't he also contemplating the same thing?!
He immediately said to Tang Ru, "Let's get to our destination first!"
"Alright!" Tang Ru nodded. This had somewhat dampened her mood, and she no longer felt as enthusiastic about the surrounding scenery.
Ling Feng didn't deliberately control his speed, so the old soldiers behind them probably wouldn't think Ling Feng was waiting for them intentionally!
An hour later, the car stopped at a dilapidated bridge ahead. Although it had been rebuilt, it was still easy to see that the damage it had suffered in the past was severe.
It was now open to traffic, with a swift river flowing below and lush greenery everywhere!
This was a place where human footprints had disappeared. The craftsmanship of nature's power was always astonishing!
The car stopped by the side of the bridge.
At this moment, Tang Ru looked back and quickly called out to Ling Feng, "The car seems to have broken down!"
Ling Feng had already noticed. The old car's engine likely had a problem. When he passed by earlier, Ling Feng could tell from the sound.
Put-put-put...
The old car behind them made a harsh noise, emitting some thick exhaust smoke, and finally stopped less than thirty meters away from Ling Feng and Tang Ru.
The old man jumped out of the driver's seat, coughed a couple of times, seemingly choked by the smoke!
Then he glanced at Ling Feng and Tang Ru and even smiled at them.
What was most captivating about these two was their smile. It was as if they weren't old people; their smiles and eyes were always filled with hope!
Tang Ru couldn't help but stare for a moment, then said to Ling Feng, "Compared to them, I feel more like an old person?"
Ling Feng smiled and shook his head. "Do you have any goals?"
Tang Ru was taken aback, completely unsure why Ling Feng had suddenly asked her such a question. "What goals? Didn't you say you wanted to take me out to play? I just want to have a good few days playing with you!"
Ling Feng shook his head. "The goals I'm talking about are clear, achievable goals that require step-by-step effort!"
"This... I had them before you returned. To make the company bigger and better, to raise Nian Nian better! But... after you returned, do you have any goals? Having a second child?"
Tang Ru ended with this last sentence, her pretty face flushing.
Ling Feng couldn't help but twitch his lips. Tang Ru's goal was indeed something that required his effort to achieve.
However, Ling Feng could only give a wry smile and shake his head. "Yes, that is indeed a goal, but it's different. The reason they look so energetic and their eyes are full of hope is that they have clear goals right now. The next second, the next minute, the next hour, they live every minute with great seriousness, instead of waiting to die in confusion and regret like other old people!"
Upon hearing Ling Feng's words, Tang Ru was immediately awakened and felt an inexplicable sense of awe. "Then their goals must be very exciting!"
"I'll go help take a look!"
Ling Feng immediately moved his body and walked towards the elderly couple.
Seeing this, Tang Ru quickly followed.
"The old man got out."
Tang Ru couldn't help but speak up. The old woman in the passenger seat had indeed gotten out. The IV drip seemed to have finished, and her movements were so agile that she didn't seem like someone with a serious illness at all.
Moreover, seeing Tang Ru and Ling Feng walking towards them, the old woman waved at them.
"Grandma, hello. My name is Tang Ru. Did your car have a problem?"
Tang Ru quickly ran up and instinctively took the old woman's hand.
The old woman smiled and shook her head repeatedly.
The old man, who had opened the hood, shook his head and said, "My wife can't hear, and she can't speak. She lost her tongue. Little girl, don't be scared!"
Tang Ru trembled all over at this, her tears almost falling. She then began to gesture to the old woman.
It was surprisingly fluent sign language!
"Grandma, I am Tang Ru. My husband will help you fix the car. Don't worry!"
The old woman's smile became even brighter. She quickly gestured back to Tang Ru. "Thank you. My name is Feng Qingya, and this is my husband, Li Gensheng. This car is too old, please don't laugh at us!"
The old woman's smile grew even brighter as she spoke.
Tang Ru almost shed tears; she was deeply moved by the elder's optimism.
The communication between the men was simpler.
Ling Feng directly grabbed the hood, taking the pressure off the old man, and stared at the engine. "Hmm, this engine doesn't belong to this car. There should be foreign objects inside, possibly some shrapnel or shell casings. It's likely causing some blockage."
The old man was startled and then smiled at Ling Feng. "Heh, young man, were you a soldier? Not many people recognize this thing nowadays!"
"Yes, elder. My name is Ling Feng, and I'm also a soldier! I've seen some of these things. My car has all the necessary tools. Let's tow it over first!"
As Ling Feng spoke, he applied force with his hands and directly pulled the car forward.
The old man's eyes lit up even more at this. "Haha, young people still have strength!"