Reborn in the Eighties as a Housewife with a Space

Chapter 1707: Chapter 1701: The Meaning of Qing Zhu

But no matter what, Nangong Shulan never expected that the outcome would turn out to be the work of someone from their village. This left her feeling deeply disheartened. However, her daughter and the others had said there was more to come and that Qin Su’e and her group could not know about it yet. So, she could only endure the agonizing wait.

“Xue’er, there’s something up ahead,” Chu Molin said, not expecting that they had truly found a clue.

Chu Molin, Qin Xue, Nangong Beiying, and Cloud were in one group, heading towards the direction closest to where Cohen had indicated, while the others split into another group. Ji Dong and his team went searching in a different direction.

“It really is! Xuexue, look—we were right all along about the direction,” Nangong Beiying said, surprised that their later analysis turned out to be correct.

“Mm.” Qin Xue’s heart was racing with excitement. After a full day and night of anxiety, her heart finally stirred with some hope.

Meanwhile, Qing Zhu and Silver Wolf were positioned at a high vantage point, observing the people below. Originally, they weren’t stationed here, but just before dawn, they had switched locations to avoid being discovered.

“What do we do now? Why hasn’t anyone shown up yet?” Qing Zhu was growing increasingly anxious. She was both tired and hungry. Although they had taken turns to rest the previous night, Qing Zhu’s mind was heavy with concerns. Moreover, she didn’t completely trust this man, so even though she had closed her eyes, she hadn’t truly fallen asleep.

Silver Wolf heard Qing Zhu muttering to herself but didn’t respond. Instead, he was deep in thought, trying to decide the best course of action.

Qing Zhu turned to look at the man beside her. He was an incredibly striking figure, but Qing Zhu didn’t know exactly what he did for a living. However, it was obvious that he had been in the military—his build and demeanor radiated that unmistakable quality.

Gazing at his thin lips, Qing Zhu was suddenly reminded of last night’s accidental moment. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment. She angrily turned away, chiding herself for being distracted at such a critical time. What was she even thinking?

Silver Wolf caught a glimpse of Qing Zhu’s flushed face, puzzled by her sudden reaction.

“Woman, are you feeling unwell?” Silver Wolf thought about it briefly and decided to ask directly.

“No, just focus on watching what’s happening below. Stop worrying about me,” Qing Zhu replied awkwardly, not knowing how else to respond. At the moment, she simply didn’t want to engage in conversation with this man.

“Woman, why are you always so difficult? I haven’t even said anything to you, and you’re already snapping at me.” Silver Wolf began to suspect that this woman held some kind of grudge against him. Why couldn’t she just be a little more pleasant to him?

“That’s on you. If you didn’t talk to me, there’d be no issue. Also, my name is Qing Zhu. Stop calling me ‘woman’ all the time,” Qing Zhu said, frustrated. Initially, she hadn’t wanted to tell him her name, but hearing him call her “woman” so often felt particularly irritating.

After all, there were countless women in the world. How was she supposed to know which one he was referring to? Yet, the way he said the word “woman” gave it an oddly ambiguous undertone that made her uncomfortable. So, after thinking it over, she decided to reveal her name to him.

“Qing Zhu, as in ‘when the flying blossoms of June enter the house, one sits watching the green bamboo turn into jade’? That Qing Zhu?” Silver Wolf asked after hearing her response.

In truth, Silver Wolf quoted those poetic lines to highlight Qing Zhu’s resilient nature—unyielding and steadfast. Even when snow transformed it into white jade, the bamboo stood proud. And this woman felt exactly like that to him.

“No, I’m not as noble and elegant as Gao Pian’s vision of bamboo,” Qing Zhu replied. She had chosen the name simply because she felt like floating duckweed drifting aimlessly, with no place to call home. Yet, she didn’t want to be someone who lacked self-awareness. She thought it better to be a single stalk of bamboo—unyielding even when broken. After all, even shattered bamboo, once the skies cleared, would grow upright all over again.