"You're back?" The old woman was seated in her rocking chair, drawing on her pipe, as serenely as ever. Noticing that the three of us had entered the courtyard without greeting her, she asked casually.

It was only then that I snapped back to reality. I walked up to her, dropped to my knees with a thud, and knocked my head three times sharply against the floor. Old He followed suit, performing the same solemn ritual, while Little Shu remained on the sidelines, innocently playing with Xing'er.

The old woman didn't press Little Shu, saying kindly, "Hua Gu just returned. She said all the able-bodied young men in the village are dead—only the old, weak, women, and children remain. I comforted her; it's a blessing that the entire village wasn't wiped out."

I stood up, pulled over a stool, and sat beside her, voicing my gloom, "The villagers are placing all their hatred onto the three of us."

"Hahahaha, naturally so. You three are friends with Doctor Wang, after all. In life, people are bound to be misunderstood. You must keep your composure and stick to your chosen path. Did Doctor Wang leave the village alone?" the old woman said, her tone resembling that of a seasoned mentor. I felt our bond deepening. However, hearing her mention Wang Jue, I only nodded silently. For Wang Jue's sake, it was best to avoid that topic.

"En," the old woman murmured knowingly, then sighed, "Poor Hua Gu. This girl has never been so devoted to anyone in her life. I told her long ago that Doctor Wang wouldn't be appearing again. She’s grieving alone in her room now; why don't you go comfort her!"

Hearing these words, my admiration for the elder's prescient abilities grew even stronger. She had correctly predicted Hua Jinlan's massacre at the ancestral hall, she had foreseen casualties after the appearance of the spirit tide, and now she knew Wang Jue wouldn't return after leaving. Was she not a living embodiment of Zhuge Liang? If possible, I wished I could ask her to divine my mother's whereabouts. Knowing where my mother was, I could head back to the city and summon my older sister to join the search. Yet, I maintained my composure; this was hardly the time to inquire about such personal matters when everyone was still reeling from the disaster.

Thus, taking her counsel, I rose and walked toward the inner rooms. Reaching the exterior of the inner chamber, I saw the door slightly ajar, hearing Hua Gu weeping softly inside. I knocked lightly, and the muffled sobs instantly ceased, replaced by just a few ragged gasps. Then, with reddened eyes, Hua Gu came to open the door. Seeing me standing there, she managed a strained, slight smile and ushered me inside.

It was a simple bedroom. Along one wall stood a curtained single bed. At the foot of the bed lay a square table made of redwood, side-by-side. Next to the table, against the wall, was a five-drawer cabinet, and two stools leaned against the wall near the head of the bed. Beyond that, there was nothing else.

I sat down on a stool and offered her a gentle smile, saying, "The old woman sent me in to console you. Wang Jue escaping with his life is the best possible outcome under the circumstances. Because of those security guards who died in Xiangcheng, the police will be hunting him indefinitely. A normal life is completely out of the question for him now. He didn't want to implicate us, especially not you, which is why he left on his own."

Hua Gu sat down near the foot of the bed. Hearing my explanation, her nose wrinkled, and she began to sob mournfully once more.

Watching her, I was filled with profound emotion, wondering when I might encounter someone who would cherish me as she cherished Wang Jue.

"Stop crying. Wang Jue is safe now. If he came back, he’d go straight to prison." As I spoke, I reached into the blood-splattered pocket of my top, pulled out a pack of tissues, extracted one, and handed it to her to dab her eyes.

Taking the tissue, her gaze fell immediately upon my dishevelled clothes. Suddenly remembering something, she walked to the five-drawer cabinet, pulled open a drawer, retrieved a set of blue cloth trousers and a shirt, and pressed them into my arms. She choked out, "I don't have any fashionable clothes here. This is what I usually make to sell at the market town. Please change into these first." With that, she turned and left the room, leaving me alone inside.

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