The commotion ended, and the road was clear again.
After winding roads, the car finally entered Dao County.
The road was still quite wide as they entered Dao County, but it became narrower as the mountains increased. Passing through the small county town, the car stopped at a fork in the road.
This fork was quite peculiar: one side was a wide asphalt road, while the other was a narrow cement road with dirt, the difference being stark.
Qin Ningyi looked at the sign at the intersection, his handsome brows furrowing again.
He had intended to plant orchids, so he assumed the village where Huo Rou lived would be quite prosperous. He hadn't expected the entrance road to still be somewhat primitive and rural.
His subordinate, seeing the expression on his face, drove the car towards the bumpy road and said, "Young Master Qin, apart from the experimental fields, there are no other yield-increasing projects in Daolin Village, so this road has never been repaired. The road ahead will be even more bumpy, please be careful."
When they were ordered to search for Huo Rou's whereabouts, they had been to these places. He still remembered the road conditions in Daolin Village. Moreover, according to the information they had gathered, the current state of this road seemed to be the result of Huo Rou's donation. Originally, the entire road was to be repaired, but some residents disagreed, feeling it would delay their travel.
Since starting work at the company, Qin Ningyi had rarely encountered such a bumpy road. His mood grew heavy.
How had Huo Rou, pregnant with An'an, embarked on this journey?
During the time he had missed, what kind of life had they, mother and child, endured?
The sign for Daolin Village appeared before them.
There were only a few people coming and going on the bridge; the entire village was enveloped in silver-white.
His subordinate didn't ask where he was going and drove the car directly to Huo Rou's courtyard gate.
Along the way, Qin Ningyi had observed, "The road we're taking seems better than the others."
"Yes." The subordinate nodded, avoiding a large rock by the roadside. He mumbled a thought to himself before speaking, "Big trucks and many people often come to find Madam. It seems that those who came to buy flowers, after a few trips, found it troublesome to travel and hence repaired this road."
The car stopped.
A delicate courtyard appeared before them.
It was still snowing outside. The subordinate hesitated for a long moment before taking an umbrella from the car, intending to open the door for Qin Ningyi.
He couldn't help it; they, as rough men, didn't think the snow was a big deal, but their second-in-command, Zhao Hengyu, had repeatedly warned them to keep a close eye on Young Master Qin.
Keeping a close eye...
Shouldn't that include these "minor details"?
Unfortunately, Qin Ningyi paid no mind to these details. Before he could get out of the car, Qin Ningyi opened the door himself and walked into the snow.
The courtyard gate was grand. Amidst the ancient charm, the lock on the door displayed a modern technological presence.
Not far from the courtyard, a small book kiosk was set up. Inside the glass door were shelves full of books. He presumed these were some of the books he had donated.
What surprised him was that this book kiosk was placed near Huo Rou's house.
Qin Ningyi walked closer. The door of the kiosk was tightly closed, shielding it from the wind and snow. In a corner, two small figures were huddled together, engrossed in a book.
The soundproofing of the kiosk was quite good; the commotion they had made along the way had not disturbed these two children.
He continued towards Huo Rou's courtyard gate.
As he approached and saw the miniature smart lock on the door, he couldn't help but murmur, "Are all the good things from Xiao Yuda's company here?"
Because of Huo Rou, he had more collaborations with Xiao Yuda's company. Some of the smart locks in the company had been replaced, and they were much larger than this one.
As he spoke, he held the jade pendant, as if it had a listener.
Qin Ningyi glanced at the lock, thinking that Yuda's artificial intelligence products were indeed excellent, and they should have more business interactions in the future.
He then moved his finger to the pattern on the door, just as he touched it...
"Hey!"
In the icy snow, someone shouted loudly.
The subordinate quickly came to Qin Ningyi's side, looking at the man approaching from the side. In this icy weather, it was already rare to see someone walking outside, and they had just happened to encounter him.
The newcomer was wrapped in a thick cotton coat and a fluffy black hat. He carried a large backpack, each step leaving a deep imprint in the snow, indicating the considerable weight of his load.
His eyes held confusion, "Who are you people? What are you here for?"
This question was much quieter than the initial "Hey." Seeing the two people in front of him, who were not dressed ordinarily, he slightly let down his guard.
"I'm here to find the owner of this place." Qin Ningyi spoke humbly, the ice in his eyes melting away, making him appear approachable.
Liu Dazhi looked at the stranger in front of him. He had seemed imposing just moments ago, but how could he suddenly appear so easy to talk to?
This feeling was very much like someone...
Yes, like his neighbor, Huo Rou.
Liu Dazhi threw the sickle he was holding to his back, into the backpack, "Sister Huo isn't here!"
When he left, he had just met someone from an ethnic minority who was looking for Huo Rou, and he had managed to persuade them to leave. He hadn't expected to encounter another person after returning with pig fodder.
"It gets dark early. You should hurry back. It's definitely going to snow heavily tonight, and if you don't leave now, you won't be able to." Liu Dazhi advised kindly.
More and more people had been coming to look for Sister Huo in recent days. There were many things he was too lazy to say. If it weren't for the fact that he had seen their actions from his angle just now, which looked like they were trying to force the door, he wouldn't have spoken.
Furthermore, this distinguished gentleman had spoken so reasonably. Perhaps it was because he had a hint of Huo Rou's demeanor that he grudgingly said a little more.
Qin Ningyi nodded agreeably, "Thank you, big brother."
His eyes held a trace of loneliness, but his lips curved into a perfectly measured arc.
"You're welcome!" Liu Dazhi felt a little embarrassed by his earnest thanks. He hoped his rough voice hadn't startled anyone.
"Dad!" Not far away, Liu Dazhi's daughter, Liu Fang, called out his name loudly, "Dad! Dad!"
"Coming, coming, good daughter!" Liu Dazhi heard the urgency in Liu Fang's voice and quickly responded.
Upon hearing his voice, Liu Fang immediately burst into tears, "Dad, hurry and go find Sister Zhaodi with me!!"