Rebirth in the 90s: Her Counterattack and Redemption

Chapter 410: Chapter 241: Something’s Not Right

”Cuckoo cuckoo...”

”Chirp chirp chirp...”

”Co-co-co...”

Perhaps because everyone had entered the forest, various birds kept screeching and flapping around wildly, making the usually quiet forest lively and bustling.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops and into the woods, casting dappled halos of light. As the breeze blew, the whole forest seemed to come alive.

Beneath the warm glow, a beautiful and delicate girl shone like a radiant peony, captivating the dumbfounded Eldest Young Master Wu, who stopped to study the map with Luo Ye in awe.

”Male Emperor... Male Emperor?...” Luo Ye called out a few times without getting a response from Wu Zetian. Reluctantly, she poked him and said, ”Snap out of it!”

”Hehe...” Coming back to his senses, Wu Zetian sheepishly rubbed his head, ”Luoluo, don’t be mad. In my eyes, you’re like a goddess. I mean no disrespect; just looking isn’t a crime, right?”

Luo Ye rolled her eyes and retorted, ”Look all you want then, I’m leaving.”

”Wait for me; where is our first landmark?” Wu Ze hurriedly followed her.

Luo Ye handed the map to him, ”We’re partners; you need to take some initiative and familiarize yourself too. Otherwise, what will you do when you have to do this on your own?”

Wu Zetian took a quick glance at the map and then at their surroundings, ”We should reach it if we go about ten meters forward.”

Luo Ye looked at him in surprise, ”How can you be so sure?” she asked. She had studied the map carefully to figure that out.

”Luoluo, my biggest strength is sensitivity to space and distance. You’re not treating me as just some useless noble son, are you?”

Luo Ye waved dismissively, ”To consider you a hopeless case is impossible. If you were, you wouldn’t be standing here today. Wu Zetian, you really should have studied geology, you might have become a renowned geologist.”

”Flattered by your compliment!” Wu Zetian quipped playfully, ”Just a whimsical thought away, and the world lost a geologist but gained a general!”

”Getting worked up just because I said you were chunky,” Luo Ye teased.

While they joked, they reached the spot marked on the map, looked around and found it indistinct from any other place. The two searched under the tree for a while but couldn’t find anything marked with numbers, so they continued searching around nearby trees.

Wu Zetian muttered, ”Did the instructors bury it in the ground, written on a piece of paper?”

”Bury it in the ground?” Luo Ye suddenly slapped her forehead, looked up at the designated tree, and indeed, in a sturdy branch, there shimmered the edge of a white paper in an abandoned bird’s nest.

Following Luo Ye’s gaze, Wu Zetian couldn’t help but slap his head, ”Our instructors are really imaginative; they’re not even afraid the birds might carry it away.”

”Your worry is unfounded; there’s probably a stone holding it down,” Luo Ye pointed to the tree, asking Wu Zetian, ”Can you climb trees?”

”I can!” Wu Zetian answered firmly.

”Please!” Luo Ye stepped back, making way.

Wu Zetian hugged the tree trunk, his legs clamped around it and he scooted up—a few centimeters, then another scoot—another few centimeters, and then—he slid down!

”It’s been a long time since I climbed; I’m out of practice...” Wu Zetian said embarrassingly, rubbing his hands together before attempting again—resulting similar to the last time.

Luo Ye stepped forward, handing him the map, ”You figure out the next landmark’s location; I’ll climb up and get it.”

”You’re a girl, that wouldn’t be right,” Wu Zetian insisted, still holding onto the tree.

”The purpose of a duo is to amplify each other’s strengths. You’re good at locating; although climbing isn’t my strong suit, I’m probably better at it than you. Please let go.”

Now wasn’t the time to act the gentleman, and reluctantly, Wu Zetian stepped aside.

Luo Ye quickly climbed up the tree, retrieved the note, and patted a dejected Wu Zetian, ”Found the next spot yet?”

”Of course.” Wu Zetian revived, ”I’ll lead the way.”

The instructors sure were imaginative; the next land mark was on four densely branched trees marked boldly with red marker numbers, together forming the complete landmark number.

With Wu Zetian acting like a walking map, the pair hardly needed a compass. They quickly found another landmark hidden in a cave.

The fourth one was located on the side of a mountain in a cemetery. As they approached, they heard chanting, which was somewhat chilling and unclear.

”Hope it’s not a funeral happening?” Wu Zetian quickened his pace, protecting Luo Ye in front of him.

Luo Ye listened carefully, ”Doesn’t seem like it, feels more like a ghost marriage ceremony.”

As they talked and passed a slope, a cemetery with mounds appeared, and further away stood a giant mockup of sedan cars, televisions, villas, among other items. An elder in a robe chanted in front of a grave while others stood solemnly behind him; further back, some older villagers watched the spectacle.

Wu Zetian slapped his forehead in frustration, ”Our landmark is right there, what should we do?”

Luo Ye was also quietly frustrated. In the countryside, these matters are taken seriously. If they really disturbed them, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Some local customs are absolutely untouchable unless absolutely necessary, a principle she understood very well. But if they kept waiting like this, she and Wu Zetian would definitely be the last ones to finish.

”Let’s ask the onlookers; they might know the approximate end time of the ceremony. Oh, and you should ask, I’m worried they might ignore me because they favor males over females.” Having no other choice, Luo Ye suggested they give it a try.

”Alright, leave it to me.” Wu Zetian had heard about the rural custom of Yin Marriage from his elders and knew messing around wasn’t allowed, so he immediately agreed with a pat on his chest.

”Old man, how much longer do you think this will last?” Wu Zetian inquired from an elderly man who seemed approachable.

The old man looked at their clothes, a mysterious expression on his face, ”The liberation army, huh? Are you here to arrest those who are superstitious? You can’t arrest these people.”

Wu Zetian quickly explained, ”No, no, sir, you misunderstood. We’re on a mission and need to retrieve something. It’s not good to interrupt while they are holding the ceremony, right?”

The old man grinned, revealing a few missing teeth, ”I thought it wouldn’t be possible. The County Magistrate’s sister is getting married, that can’t be stopped. Little Zhuzi is lucky, marrying an official’s sister. His family must be rich, thanks to his father’s earnings. Otherwise, how could he marry such a woman...”

Little Zhuzi is Liu Zhu, who died in 1996 at the age of 14. His bride, Ding Lianqiao, was 43... While observing the tablets in front of the grave, Luo Ye heard the old man’s words and looked suspiciously at the crowd gathered in front of the grave. Could the County Magistrate’s sister really be in a Yin Marriage with a rural child?

Luo Ye interrupted, ”Old man, which county’s magistrate?”

”I’ve forgotten the name, not from around here. Little Zhuzi’s family moved here from the north. His grandpa cared a lot about this, and a local fixer, Li Guoqing, handled everything from the north. Even brought the body here, it’s quite the feat.”

Luo Ye looked puzzled, ”Brought the person here, what do you mean?”

The old man mysteriously pointed at a coffin covered with a white cloth, ”The person is inside there. Soon, they’ll be buried directly.”

”Did anyone from the woman’s family come?”

”Someone did, the man in blue over there,” the old man pointed out a sturdy man in his forties standing among the crowd.

Luo Ye calmly continued to inquire, ”Who is he to her, a relative?”

”He said he’s her brother.”

”Old man, how much longer do you think this will take?”

The old man pondered, with a grin, ”Maybe a bit over an hour.”

”Thank you!” Luo Ye signaled Wu Zetian, and they walked aside.

Wu Zetian quickly asked, ”Luo Ye, I think there’s something off here. The County Magistrate’s sister, why would she not be cremated but brought here instead?”

”This definitely seems suspicious. But there are too many people right now. If the two of us rashly charge in, it might lead to unnecessary bloodshed. According to custom, that man cannot leave before the ceremony ends. Over an hour is enough time for us.

My suggestion is we quickly grab the fifth landmark. When we come back, I’ll wait here while you go find the commanding officer and let him directly inform the police. This situation is definitely fishy. The County Magistrate’s sister, how could it be possible!”

”No, I’ll stay and you go find the officer.” Wu Zetian firmly shook his head.

”Stop arguing with me. I’m a bit more skilled than you, you know that,” Luo Ye tugged at Wu Zetian’s sleeve, ”Hurry up, we need to save time.”

”Alright, we’ll retrieve the landmark first, and discuss this later.” Wu Zetian hurriedly quickened his pace.

Descending the mountain, they soon reached a marshland. Using tree branches to cautiously probe their path, they crossed and walked a distance to several circular pits, remnants of a former quarry. Left exposed after operations were halted, fortunately, they were far from the village, or else parents would be extremely worried during the rainy season.

”Luo Ye, don’t go there, the landmark should be in the third pit. I’ll check it out, notice where it is, and you can wait here.”

”Let’s go together; it’s more convenient with two people.”

”Alright, then follow behind me,” Wu Zetian gallantly led the way.

The two successfully found the fifth landmark, and noted the numbers. While returning, they encountered Yu Na and Yan Han, both with gloomy faces, stuck in the marshland, sinking.

Luo Ye and Wu Zetian quickly found sturdy branches and pulled them out.

”Thank you!”

The now safe duo dropped two words and walked away without looking back.

Wu Zetian helplessly spread his hands, ”Luo Luo, did we do something wrong?”

Luo Ye shook her head, ”Seeing their expressions, they’ve been arguing all along the way. It’s normal they didn’t want to talk to us. Let’s go.”

(The second update from Nu’an ends here. There will be another update tonight. If you plan on sleeping early, read it tomorrow. Nu’an will continue to work hard. To be continued... For more Chapters visit www.. Support the author, support genuine reading!)