Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 299 I'm Heartless!
Feeling the cool, damp touch of the jade-like hand on his arm, Cao Weida's fierceness dissipated considerably, but his anger only increased.

The weather isn't cold at all these days; it's even starting to feel like summer. The chill on my arm is clearly from the cold sweat I broke out in!

He turned around and looked at Luo Mengyun, whose face showed worry. His eyes softened instantly.

He patted the hand on his arm and asked with concern, "Mengyun, are you alright?"

Luo Mengyun's face was somewhat pale, but her expression was surprisingly good. She gently shook her head.

She was indeed frightened just now, and when she saw Cao Weida arrive, a complex emotion suddenly welled up in her heart.

"Is this what it feels like to be a hero saving a damsel in distress?"

Luo Mengyun stared at Cao Weida, completely captivated. As a literary-minded young woman, she had little resistance to the 'hero saves the beauty' trope she had only read about in books.

She felt her heart pounding, and her originally pale cheeks gradually flushed red.

"It's good that you're alright." Cao Weida breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the three thugs groaning on the ground, and his eyes turned cold again.

He took out the whistle he always carried and blew a sharp whistle.

A moment later, several police officers in uniform rushed over and were stunned by the scene before them.

At that moment, one of the patrol officers suddenly saw Cao Weida's face, and his whole body trembled involuntarily. He immediately stood up straight, saluted, and shouted, "Good morning, Chief!"

Cao Weida recognized this man; he was one of the two patrolmen who arrested Liu Er.

Upon hearing this, the other patrol officers were immediately startled. Those who didn't recognize Cao Weida's appearance secretly glanced at him and realized that this man was actually the new chief of police!
Those three thugs on the ground, could it be that the chief beat them up?!
Without thinking twice, he quickly followed suit, saluted, and said, "Good morning, Director!"

Cao Weida nodded with a stern face, pointed at the three thugs on the ground and said coldly, "Drag these three back to the police station and 'question' them properly."

"Yes!"

The patrol officers dared not delay and immediately stepped forward, roughly dragging the three thugs out of the alley.

Judging from the situation inside, even a fool could tell that these three thugs were just unlucky and had messed with the director's woman, or his future woman. Now was the time for them to show their worth.
The police officers' rough handling made the three thugs, who were already in pain, scream even more miserably, but none of the officers sympathized with them. Immediately, someone stepped forward and covered their mouths, turning their screams into sobs.

Having arranged everything, Cao Weida looked down at Luo Mengyun, his tone softening once more: "I'll take you home."

As he spoke, he subtly took her hand and led her step by step out of the alley.

Feeling the strength in his hand and looking at his mountain-like back, Luo Mengyun felt an unprecedented sense of security welling up in her heart.

The streets were bustling with people, and the noise was incessant.

She hadn't felt it when they were in the alley, but now that they were on the street, Luo Mengyun immediately became a little shy.

She wanted to pull her hand back, but looking at Cao Weida's back, she suddenly felt a little reluctant.

Cao Weida felt the hand he was holding tremble slightly and assumed it was because she was scared from what had just happened. He felt even more annoyed with the three thugs.

He thought for a moment, slowed his pace slightly, cleared his throat, and said, "Let me tell you a story that happened in our police station."

"As you know, our police station always gets reports and such."

“Just a few days ago, our police station received a report from someone who said that someone wanted to kill him.”

Luo Mengyun's star-like gaze focused on him, quietly waiting for him to speak next.

She felt very shy and wanted to use this method to distract herself.

Otherwise, she always felt that when people looked at her, their gazes were somewhat meaningful, making her extremely shy.

Seeing that her attention was drawn, Cao Weida continued, "The person who came to report the crime was covered in bandages. I asked him if the murderer had done it, and he said yes. I then asked him what had happened."

“He told me that just last night, while I was sleeping at home, a killer suddenly broke in and stabbed me on the left side without saying a word, but I didn’t die.”

Luo Mengyun's hand suddenly tightened, her expression a mixture of tension and disbelief: "It's in?"

Cao Wei Da nodded: "It's in."

"Huh? The person who reported the crime isn't dead? That's unbelievable!" Luo Mengyun exclaimed, her eyes widening and covering her mouth in surprise.

As we all know, the human heart is located on the left side. How could someone survive being stabbed in the heart?

This is incredible!

“Who says otherwise!” Cao Wei Da said seriously, “I was startled at the time and hurriedly asked him if he was a human or a ghost. He said he was a human, and the reason he didn’t die was because his internal organs were different from most people’s. His heart was on the right side.”

Luo Mengyun suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. He's so lucky!"

The world is full of wonders, and she had heard of people whose internal organs were malformed.

"Who can argue with that? But the assassin, seeing him like this, seemed to realize it too, and then stabbed him in the right chest."

"Huh? They're still alive?!" Luo Mengyun exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity: And then, and then what?
Since the person who reported the crime has already come to report it, they must not be dead, but how is that possible?
He was stabbed on the left but didn't die. They say the heart is on the right, but he was also stabbed on the right. Surely the heart would have been reached by then?

But why didn't he die?

"To be honest, I was shocked at the time. Guess what the person who reported the case said?"

"What did they say?" Luo Mengyun's curiosity was completely piqued. She couldn't imagine how the person who reported the crime could survive under such circumstances.

"The person who reported the case said..." Cao Weida deliberately slowed his speech, causing Luo Mengyun's two pink ears to involuntarily perk up.

A sly smile flashed in Cao Wei Da's eyes. "He said: I still didn't die then, because my heart was in my throat at that moment."

Luo Mengyun: "??????"

Her mouth was slightly open, and her expression was somewhat dazed.

"Seeing this, the assassin drew his knife and stabbed at my neck, but I still didn't die, because when I saw this scene, my heart sank!"

"Seeing this, the assassin panicked and stabbed me from all sides, but I just wouldn't die, because I have a heart of stone!"

"Pfft~~ Goose goose goose~~~" Luo Mengyun couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, laughing until tears streamed down her face. A series of goose-like honks came from her lark-like voice, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably. "You're so annoying, how could you do such a thing?" After laughing for a while, Luo Mengyun finally stopped laughing. She had almost choked from laughing so hard, and she rubbed her sore cheeks, her eyes curving into crescents.

Cao Weida turned his head to look at her, and seeing that the shock between her brows had dissipated, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I also felt that he was deliberately making fun of me, so I scolded him and threw him out."

Luo Mengyun wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes. She knew in her heart that Cao Weida was deliberately trying to make her happy.

A warm feeling flowed through my heart.

To avoid an awkward silence, Cao Weida looked at the bag in the other person's hand: "I just saw you clutching that bag like it was a treasure. Is there something precious inside?"

“It’s quite precious to me.” Luo Mengyun opened the cloth bag and took out a book from it. The five large characters “Pushkin’s Poetry Collection” were particularly eye-catching.

"This is a Chinese poetry collection that I went through a lot of trouble to buy." Her face showed delight.

Cao Weida exclaimed, “I have seen many people read poetry. Some read it for entertainment, some read it to decorate themselves. But the way you hold the book reminds me of a line written by Pushkin: ‘My soul is always rushing forward, like a singing little river.’”

Luo Mengyun blushed slightly, her slender fingers brushing aside the stray hairs by her ear: "No way, I can't capture the essence of the poem."

She felt both shy and delighted. So this is how he sees her? So happy.
We chatted along the way, and time flew by.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at Luo Mengyun's doorstep.

"Brother Cao, thank you so much for today," Luo Mengyun said softly, her voice filled with genuine gratitude, standing before the vermilion gate. "If Brother Cao doesn't mind, why don't you come in and have a cup of hot tea?"

"Oh, no need to be so polite, it was just a small favor." Cao Weida waved his hand with a smile, "Let's skip it today, I have some things to do. I'll visit Professor Luo again in a couple of days after I'm done with my work. I promised Professor Luo last time that he would help me appraise some antiques."

As the saying goes, haste makes waste. Today's heroic rescue has already left a deep impression on Luo Mengyun, so there's no need for her to keep trying to get closer to him.

Being too attentive can come across as taking advantage of someone's kindness.

Seeing that he was reluctant, Luo Mengyun felt a little reluctant. People tend to cling to things when faced with a crisis. "Then I'll go in first."

Sniffing the lingering fragrance in the air, Cao Weida pinched his nose, humming a little tune as he headed back home.

When Cao Weida returned to the courtyard house, Xiangzi was earnestly learning how to repair cars.

These days, being a driver isn't just about knowing how to drive; you also need to know how to repair cars.

These days, repair shops aren't everywhere. If your car breaks down on the road, you usually have to fix it yourself.

"Master Cao, you're back!" Xiangzi, covered in engine oil, greeted him warmly.

The Xiangzi of today is completely different from the Xiangzi in the original story who was lost and confused about the future. The Xiangzi in the original story thought that as long as he was down-to-earth and hardworking, he could live a good life. However, he suffered a series of blows, and his spiritual pillar collapsed. This exhausted Xiangzi's fighting spirit and kindness. In the end, he gradually became numb and degenerate from a hardworking and resilient young man, and became a walking corpse who relied on begging to survive.

Because of Cao Weida's presence, Xiangzi is now full of hope for the future. He is in high spirits, works hard every day, and his face is full of hope for the future.

"Hmm, how's your studies going? Are you tired?" Cao Weida was quite kind to Xiangzi. It could be said that Xiangzi was one of the first people to follow him after he came into this world.

Xiangzi is hardworking, diligent, kind, and down-to-earth. He never talks too much and does whatever he is asked to do. This kind of temperament is appreciated by Cao Weida.

Xiangzi gave a simple, honest smile, wanting to scratch his head, but then remembered that his hands were covered in engine oil. "It's alright, not tiring at all. It's much easier than pulling a rickshaw before."

"Don't worry, Master Cao, I will study hard and learn everything as soon as possible, so that it will be convenient for you to go out in the future."

"It's good that you have the will. Study hard, and if you learn it well, it will be a good way to make a living in the future." Cao Weida smiled and nodded, patted him on the shoulder to encourage him, and then turned and went into the courtyard.

"Master." Zhong Chunhong, who was wiping the pillar with a rag in her hand, greeted Cao Weida when she saw him return.

Cao Weida slapped his forehead and said with a wry smile, "Cousin, how many times have I told you? Just call me Xiao Cao or Weida, or just my full name."

Zhong Chunhong's attitude was firm: "That won't do; etiquette cannot be disregarded."

"."

Okay, as long as you are happy.

"Cousin, these things can be done by the servants, why are you doing them yourself?"

“How can that be?” Zhong Chunhong shook her head hurriedly, then showed a grateful expression: “I am already very grateful that you have kindly taken me in. I am here to be a maid. It is not right to just take a monthly salary without doing any work.”

Most Chinese people are simple and honest; if you treat me well, I will repay you threefold.

Zhong Chunhong is clearly one of these people.

He looked helpless and said, "Alright, do as you please, but while you're working, don't overwork yourself. You're Shi Niang's cousin, so you're my cousin too. We're all family."

"I brought you here to work so that it would be easier to take care of you. If you get tired, I won't be able to explain it to Shi Niang."

Although somewhat helpless, Cao Weida was still very satisfied with Zhong Chunhong's attitude.

After all, nobody wants to spend money to bring back a tyrant.

"By the way, sir, Master Fan came to see you today with a box in his hand. You weren't here, but Third Madam was with you."

"Fifth Brother is here?" Cao Weida nodded to indicate that he knew. "Cousin, you've done your work. This pillar is practically a mirror, why bother cleaning it? Go and take a rest."

Zhong Chunhong smiled and agreed, but whether she would actually rest was another matter.

Upon entering the backyard, the distinctive hearty laughter of Fifth Master Fan echoed from Mo He's room.

Cao Weida walked in with a smile and saw that Fifth Master Fan was wearing a brand new silk mandarin jacket with shiny cuffs and a rosy and radiant face, obviously having been living a good life recently: "Oh, what wind has blown you here, Fifth Brother."

"Of course, it's a good breeze!" Seeing Cao Weida enter, Master Fan stood up, his face beaming with joy. He opened his arms and gave Cao Weida a big hug, patting him hard on the back.
"Brother-in-law, your fifth brother has come with some good stuff for you this time. I guarantee you'll be envious when you see it!"

"If Fifth Brother says it's good stuff, then it must be good stuff."

The two sat down, and Cao Weida handed him a cigarette, asking curiously, "Fifth Brother, what good stuff is it? Take it out and let me see."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the brocade box on the table beside him.

(End of this chapter)