Liu Tao sat dumbfounded on the sofa for over ten minutes. After calming her emotions a bit, she didn’t try to persuade Luo Jun to return to Shanghai again. Instead, she went upstairs to change into clean clothes, combed her hair, washed her face, and then began cleaning the house.
Luo Jun was sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper.
It was quite rare as he wasn’t reading a novel but the current political news. There were key terms circled with a pen on the newspaper, mostly about the war conditions, floods, droughts, epidemics, and some missing person notices tucked in the corners.
Qin Huai stood beside Luo Jun, glanced at the newspaper and realized that Luo Jun was indeed not exaggerating. According to the paper, except for the unfrequented remote areas, there was really no absolutely safe place these days.
In this era, unfrequented remote areas, in a certain sense, represented insecurity.
Luo Jun furrowed his brows studying the newspaper, periodically circling locations with a pen. Just as he was deeply engrossed, there was a knock at the door.
Liu Tao, who was wiping the cabinet, hurried over to open the door. Outside stood a middle-aged couple.
The man was stout and looked very imposing. The woman was slightly chubby, wearing a qipao, with a beautiful pearl necklace around her neck, heavy gold bracelets on her hands, and exaggerated gemstone rings, looking very wealthy.
"Minister Cao, Mrs. Cao, what brings you here?" Liu Tao hurriedly welcomed them in.
Luo Jun was somewhat surprised to see the visitors as well, but he didn’t show it much. He calmly put down the newspaper and stood up.
Liu Tao went to the kitchen to brew tea.
"Mr. Luo, you didn’t return home last night and didn’t inform your wife. She was scared out of her wits, worried even in the air-raid shelter. If it weren’t for my husband and your servant holding her back, she would have gone out to look for you. Just hearing you returned safely, I and my Old Cao specially came to see you." Mrs. Cao spoke up, her words sounded fine, but the tone was somewhat menacing.
Minister Cao glared at Mrs. Cao. Mrs. Cao disdainfully rolled her eyes at him and sat down, unconvinced.
Minister Cao could only smile apologetically at Luo Jun, "Mr. Luo, please don’t mind my wife, she’s been living in the countryside all these years, that’s just her temperament."
Mrs. Cao rolled her eyes again.
"It’s , my wife might have misunderstood the situation and said something unpleasant to your wife in the shelter last night. She’s always suspicious and I was afraid she might have misled your wife, so I brought her to explain." Minister Cao laughed as he spoke.
Liu Tao came out of the kitchen with tea, serving Minister Cao and Mrs. Cao. When the tea reached Mrs. Cao, she especially stood up to receive it, drank it directly, and motioned for Liu Tao to sit down instead of standing.
Qin Huai looked at the two and found Mrs. Cao quite interesting. Although she didn’t like Luo Jun much, she had a good relationship with Liu Tao.
"Mrs. Luo, I know Old Luo has been traveling a lot lately, and you’re worried, but rest assured, he’s my brother, and he’s always protected when he goes out. Men work hard outside for their wives and children, right? You should also be considerate of Old Luo. I just received a box of premium cubilose yesterday, to replenish you. You look worn out lately." Minister Cao said, laughing falsely.
Liu Tao was a bit confused, clearly not understanding why the Cao couple had come over just to explain this matter. Still hesitating on how to ask, Minister Cao stood up saying they had something to attend to and had to leave first. Mrs. Cao got up too, reminding Liu Tao not to forget to come to their place for mahjong in the afternoon.
Liu Tao saw them out, Luo Jun nonchalantly continued reading the newspaper.
Qin Huai also found the Cao couple’s actions baffling, quietly went out wanting to hear if they would say something juicy.
Just stepping out, he heard it.
As the door closed, Minister Cao changed expression, quietly scolding: "Are you just looking for trouble because you have nothing else to do? Everything was fine last night, and you went talking those ridiculous things with Mrs. Luo, even encouraging her to return to Shanghai, talking about going back to your hometown. I won’t stop you if you want to go, I’ll get the ticket for you tomorrow."
Mrs. Cao instantly changed her expression as well: "So what if I said a few things? All men are the same; you felt I was old and dumped me in the countryside to serve your parents while you enjoyed with female students in the city. My brother just got promoted and brought me to the city, changing faces faster than turning a page."
"You, a surnamed Cao, are no good, and neither is that Luo. Isn’t he just a merchant? Always pretending to be a romantic, reading books or newspapers, secretly keeping a mistress outside. Even discussing business with you, what kind of business is that? Running out frequently, who knows what he’s doing outside, surely keeping a mistress."
Minister Cao lowered his voice even more: "What’s this got to do with you? Is that Luo Jun an ordinary merchant? Go find out, those who offended him over the years, whether gangsters, expatriates, foreigners, or government officials, all ended up missing or dead. I’m just a powerless little minister; how many lives do you have, calling him an ordinary merchant."
Mrs. Cao remained unconvinced.
"I told you to play more mahjong with Mrs. Luo, not to become sworn sisters with her."
"I must say Mr. Luo is generous, even though his wife is barely literate and came from a theatre background, marrying her as a concubine would be reaching high, married for years, yet still childless, probably can’t conceive."