Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 425 - 322: The Fleeing Old Man (Part 1)

Old Mrs. Cheng saw that it was still early and that there wasn’t much going on, so she urged them to go early and come back early. She also planned not to have lunch inside, but to take the children out for a walk and see if there was anything they forgot to buy.

After the four of them bid farewell to the old lady, Lin Lishan and Cheng Ruzhu went to the room and came out with two big bags, without saying where they were going.

They took Zhang Guoqing and his wife out of the restaurant, and everyone walked a long way. Finally, when passing a remote alley, the two quickly and in sync changed out of their military uniforms and put on the coats from the bags.

Zhang Guoqing quickly took the clothes. He swiftly folded them and stuffed them into the bags, and then he felt uneasy so he used the black cloth bag he carried to seal the bags tightly. Just seeing them change out of their military uniforms, he knew without explanation that they were definitely doing something shady.

National Day carefully inspected the two’s appearance and attire, especially noting that their pants and boots were ordinary. Then she nodded and pulled her mother along to walk ahead slowly.

Cheng Ruzhu noticed her tension and smiled softly, saying, "Don’t worry. We’ve made inquiries. Not revealing our identities is just to be safe."

"Yes. We’re meeting an old guy this time. This family’s likely trying to leave. On the black market, when he saw the two of us didn’t lack money, he reached out to us. He specifically mentioned needing a gold transaction. As soon as I heard this, I knew he was trying to escape again. It makes me furious! This time we must get a good deal from him, what kind of person is he?" Lin Lishan whispered angrily.

Zhang Guoqing suppressed a laugh. The most adorable thing about his mother-in-law was her strong sense of justice, which didn’t stop her from having a small bourgeois heart pursuing materials. She was kind, at least she wouldn’t report him. Although they have connections and could still run abroad, if someone with intentions truly wanted to bring him down, they’d need evidence.

He was curious about this old man. Why leave now? The timing was impeccable!

"Does he believe you? Where is the transaction taking place? What kind of things are being traded?" National Day paused to consider the pros and cons, then started to ask for details.

Lin Lishan whispered in her ear, "Many things. He said his family has now moved to the outskirts, with no one around. He has a batch of fabric and some possessions. He wants us to visit and inspect them. He requires gold for the transaction. Your aunt and I feared he’d set traps to harm others, so we secretly followed him home, unexpectedly finding it’s true. From the outside, the courtyard appears to be a villa. The collapsed area leaves only two rooms. The details need to be seen in person."

National Day disapprovingly glanced at the two. Following him? It’s unknown who’s following who. It’s already 1958, yet they can still hide things for so many years and know when to flee—this is an old fox.

She exchanged a look with Zhang Guoqing; both understood they had to go with them. Otherwise, they’d sneakily go alone, and if an accident occurred, it would be disastrous. This area has all sorts of people; it’s not a place for women to directly infiltrate.

Zhang Guoqing knew they were purely bored from a comfortable life, seeking adventure. At this point, they could only proceed cautiously. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

He had a question he didn’t dare to ask—did they clean up their tracks after following back? But seeing their enthusiasm, they probably assumed it was definitely safe. Still, he felt uneasy, needing to look at the other party.

After noting the address, National Day hailed a tricycle from the roadside. She made a gesture to Lin Lishan and Cheng Ruzhu not to speak, and began conversing with the driver using the local dialect to gather information.

She was no longer worried about Cheng Ruzhu being curious about how she mastered the local dialect in a few days. Normally, drivers know quite a bit about the surrounding environment and the residents’ backgrounds; she needed to determine the background first.

National Day smiled and thanked the driver. She suspected somewhat that the opposite party was likely a cloth shop owner. Maybe at first, his background was clean, with no harsh settlement. As for why he wasn’t merged? Either deliberately bankrupt or originally not someone of significant status.

She found another tricycle. Two tricycles pedaled them close to the old man’s villa, halting after more than half an hour.

After paying the fare, National Day didn’t rush in but asked Zhang Guoqing to scout some nearby households.

After a while, Zhang Guoqing returned with a smile and nodded, saying, "He’s a clever man!"

At this moment, Lin Lishan and Cheng Ruzhu were made nervous by National Day’s antics. Only now did they breathe a sigh of relief, smile, and cast a glance at the couple before leading them inside the villa.

The other party probably knew they were coming. Upon seeing them, they hurried to open the door and welcome them.

National Day listened to him chatting with Lin Lishan, unexpectedly eyeing him. This calm demeanor truly differed from someone who’s urgently finding buyers on the black market.

Zhang Guoqing took the chance during their conversation to observe the opposite party. He appeared to be in his sixties, dressed normally, and yet his hands showed no signs of calluses. The room had two beds with quilts showing two or three patches. He smiled slightly and nodded toward National Day.

Fearing her mom might let slip during the conversation, National Day stepped forward quickly, saying, "Old sir, let us see the things first. Is it convenient?"

The opposite party stared at her for a long while, then looked at Zhang Guoqing. After a moment of silence, he said, "Did your mom tell you about needing gold for the transaction?"

After saying that, seeing Zhang Guoqing nod, the old man smiled playfully at him and invited Zhang Guoqing and the others into the inner room.

Once inside, the old man asked Zhang Guoqing to help move the big bed.

After moving the bed, Zhang Guoqing stepped aside to avoid suspicion.

They saw the old man pry open the wall bricks, soon revealing a secret room. He glanced at them before entering the secret room to move items onto the big bed.

As the old man carried out bundles wrapped in black oil paper, Zhang Guoqing scrutinized him again. He simply didn’t believe the old man trusted them to the extent of risking exposure. It could only mean he was eager to leave immediately. Once gone, he surely wouldn’t fear them betraying him.

Zhang Guoqing noticed the old man showed no signs of worry, unlike encountering family troubles. He pondered silently where the opposite could perceive an issue in the circumstances. He meticulously recalled the newspapers he’d reviewed recently. He wasn’t focused on the items, pondering instead how to have the old man teach him a few moves?

"Alright, there’s the stuff. Besides fabrics, just these assorted things—if you want them, offer any price."

Zhang Guoqing saw his mother-in-law and the others inspecting the hundreds of fabric rolls, then glancing at the valuable items on the bed. He smiled at the old man.

The wine’s true purpose isn’t in the cup—the old man’s so-called miscellaneous items were indeed the main attraction.