Zhou Di was awakened by someone gently shaking him. As he opened his eyes, he saw Zhou Jieliang squatting in front of him. He realized he was sitting on the ground, leaning against the door, having fallen asleep. Zhou Jieliang asked:
"Uncle, why are you sleeping here?"
Zhou Di rubbed his sleepy eyes and replied:
"I don't know. Maybe I was too tired yesterday. Jieliang, let's hurry up! We need to head to Zhouzhuang village today."
Knowing there would be no buses running to Zhouzhuang village at this hour, Zhou Di decided to ride his bicycle, with Zhou Jieliang sitting on the back seat. They pedalled their way toward the villa in the mountain. Zhou Jieliang pointed out:
"Uncle, it isn't the way home."
Zhou Di explained:
"I need to go up the mountain first to take a look. It's okay if we can get to Zhouzhuang village today."
After an hour of cycling, they finally arrived at the villa. From a distance, Zhou Di noticed a wisp of smoke rising into the sky. But when they got closer, they saw a car parked there, with a man standing beside it. Nearby a young woman sat on the ground a few steps away and a boy, who appeared to be under ten years old, stood next to her. Zhou Di recognized them immediately as Yang Chen's wife, Hu Suqiao, and their son, Yang Zichun. He called out:
"Mrs. Yang."
Hu Suqiao stared at Zhou Di in a daze, unable to recall who he was for a moment. It was Yang Zichun who spoke up first:
"I know you! You're the one who repaired the porcelains for Dad."
Hearing this, Hu Suqiao recognized Zhou Di immediately. She stood up quickly and rushed toward him, asking anxiously:
"Sir, can you tell me what is going on here? How could my villa end up like this? Where are the things inside? Who burned it down? Is everything inside burned? Was it Wasoku people coming here?"
A series of questions left Zhou Di somewhat overwhelmed. He took a deep breath and replied:
"Yesterday the Young Marshal came here, moved everything out of the villa and then set fire to the villa himself. He said he wouldn't leave anything behind for the Wasoku people. But he specifically instructed me to come and check on it today. From the looks of it, the fire must have burned through the entire night."
Hu Suqiao was furious, cursing angrily:
"Yang Chen, that bastard! Where is he now?"
Zhou Di responded calmly:
"I left last night so I don't know where he is now."
Hearing Hu Suqiao cursing Yang Chen, Zhou Di felt a twinge of uncomfortable but just kept it hidden. He could only truthfully tell her what he knew, carefully avoiding any mention of the secret room and the valuable things stored inside. Upon hearing this, Hu Suqiao shouted in frustration:
"Then who does know where he is? Tell me who else might know where he is."
Her anger quickly dissolved into tears as she broke down again. Zhou Di shook his head silently, offering no further answers. He could only watch her helplessly, thinking to himself: Please, madam, stay home. Don't wander around in this chaos of war, especially with Yang Chen's child.
Thinking of this, Zhou Di kindly advised:
"Madam, it is best for you to take Master Zichun and head west or south as quickly as possible. It's not safe here. The Wasoku people could arrive at any moment."
At this moment, Hu Suqiao once again collapsed onto ground in despair, crying bitterly:
"We have been running for a whole day, without eating properly and sleeping in a house. Just grabbed a bit and dozed off in the car. We came all this way hoping to find that bastard here, but now no one knows where he is. We....."
Her voice broke as her tears overwhelmed her. Beside her, Yang Zichun also began to cry, his small frame trembling with exhaustion.
Now Zhou Di found himself in a difficult position. According to the current situation, he knew it was better for them to leave as soon as possible. However, seeing how exhausted and hungry they all were, especially the driver, who seemed to lack energy, he made a decision:
"Madam, If you don't mind, all of you can follow me to my home first. You can take a rest there, and I can prepare some food for you before you continue your journey." Hu Suqiao had no choice but nodded in agreement. Zhou Di continued, "Please wait here for a moment. I will hide the bicycle nearby. Let me drive because your driver is too tired to continue safely."
Under the current circumstances, Zhou Di had no choice but to abandon his plan of returning to Zhouzhuang village today. It was more urgent to ensure Hu Suqiao and her companions were settled safely. He wasn't sure if Hu Suqiao was aware of the secret room or not, but regardless, it was best not to mention it. The fewer people who knew about it, the lower the risk. Therefore, he dared not openly check if the secret room had been affected by the fire. Instead, he took the opportunity to hide the bicycle and discreetly survey the villa's damage, especially the secret room. From his observations, the villa's damage caused by the fire and the stairs had burned down, and the collapsed upper-floor ceiling had buried the wine cellar and the secret room entirely beneath the debris. A heavy pillar had fallen on top of it, making the area look relative intact. Satisfied that the secret room remained concealed, Zhou Di didn't linger. He hid the bicycle behind a high wall, placing it in a corner that led to the mountain where it wouldn't be easily noticed. Feeling the warmth of the wall, he though to himself: I need to come here and check more often.
Now the city was in complete chaos. Streams of people heading south passed through the city, some resting briefly, taking nap wherever they could while others pressed on, struggling through their journey with their families. Meanwhile, the residents from Yucheng had begun fleeing since yesterday, moving south or west in a desperate attempt to escape the advancing conflict. Zhou Di carefully drove through the crowded street toward his home. After entering the house, Zhou Di immediately found a place for Hu Suqiao and Yang Zichun to rest and let the driver sleep in Zhou Jieliang's bed.
While Zhou Jieliang busied himself in the carving room, practicing with some fragment of wood, Zhou Di went out to park the car in a quiet alley nearby to keep it safe before returning to prepare some food for his weary guests. Unexpectedly, all three of them slept soundly until the afternoon. By the time they woke up, Zhou Di had already carved the prototype of an ornament in the carving room. Seeing them awake, he quickly served some hot meal for them and packed some rations for their onward journey. While they were eating, Zhou Di offered his advice:
"After dinner, it is best for you to leave as soon as possible. Take these rations and water with you for the journey. While the streets are less crowded, you'll be able to drive a little faster."
Hu Suqiao, however, persisted:
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou. Are you sure you really don't know where Yang Chen is?"
Zhou Di sighed and explained:
"Madam, I really don't know. Yesterday he came here with a military truck and packed everything from the villa. He told me he wouldn't leave anything for the Wasoku people and personally set the villa on fire. Before leaving, he asked me to check on the fire today."
The driver, who had been listening quietly, chimed in:
"This is exactly our Young Marshal's style. Madam, I don't think Young Marshal will return to Qudu. From what I know of Young Marshal, he will most likely confront the Wasoku people head-on. So, madam, it is best for you to take the young master and go back to Qudu. It is much safer there, especially for the young master. If someone recognizes you and the young master, I think it could bring serious trouble problem to the Yang Family."
Zhou Di nodded in agreement, silently hoping that Hu Suqiao wouldn't cause any more troubles for Yang Chen, who was already under immense pressure and couldn't afford any additional stress on his shoulder. Zhou Di was genuinely concerned about Yang Chen.
Just as they finished their dinner and were about to leave, a gunshot echoed in the distance. The driver alarmed while jumping up:
"Oh, no. It could be the Wasoku people. We need to leave now."
Zhou Di quickly scooped up Yang Zichun in one hand and grabbed the food package with his free hand, handing it to Zhou Jieliang. Taking the boy's hand firmly, he turned to the driver and asked urgently:
"Can we still drive?"
The driver shook his head and replied:
"That's where the gunfire is coming from. You lead the way, and I will stay with the lady and follow you."
It was already dark outside and the streets were engulfed in chaos. Amid the panicked crowd, they began running frantically. Zhou Di held tightly to the two children, urging them forward:
"Keep up! Don't fall behind."
As they fled, Zhou Di caught sight of the Cultural Relics Bureau building in the distance, momentarily triggering a memory. However, before he could dwell on it, Yang Zichun's sudden cry broke through his thoughts:
"Uncle Zhou, I can't see my mom."
Zhou Di was shocked. He stopped and looked back, scanning the chaotic scene, but there was no sign of Hu Suqiao or the driver. He hastily inquired of Yang Zichun:
"When did your mother disappear?"
Yang Zichun replied in trembling:
"I saw them just a moment ago, but they were gone when when I turned around."
Zhou Di urged:
"Shout out for your mom. Hurry up and call out to her."
Yang Zichun shouted "Mom" at the top of his lungs, but amidst the chaotic crowd, it seemed there might have been a faint response, but then again, maybe not. Zhou Di shouted as they continued to run:
"Keep shouting!"
Turning onto another street, they paused to scan the running crowd, urging Yang Zichun to keep shouting for his mom. But there was still no response. Zhou Di had no choice but led the two children toward the direction of the bureau. As soon as they entered the building, it was completely dark inside. He settled the children and said:
"You stay here quietly and don't make a bit sound. Jieliang, take care of this little brother. Don't make any noise. I will go out and search for them. I'll be back soon."
Stepping out of the building, he ran towards the intersection. Suddenly a burst of gunfire rang out ahead, followed by the glow of another fire breaking out somewhere. The already chaotic street became even more frantic, filled with more shouts and cries. He didn't dare rush forward and instead ducked himself into the shadows, cautiously watching the main street. Through the dim light of the torches, he saw the Wasoku soldiers carrying torches and guns appearing. He saw the driver lying on the ground, but there was no sign of Hu Suqiao. He didn't dare to linger and kept hidden in the shadows, moving gradually toward the Cultural Relics Bureau building. As he turned into the building, he glanced back and saw some Wasoku soldiers with touches entering the alley. He sprinted into the building as quickly as possible and found the two children inside. He whispered to them:
"Don't make a sound."
Leading the two children, he ran hurriedly to the basement, navigating down a narrow corridor to the end. There, he entered a room where he knew some miscellaneous items were stored. Generally, no one ever came here but Zhang Tianming and he were often sneak in to avoid their jobs. It was during one of these moments that they discovered a hidden button. When Pressed, the button triggered a section of the wooden wall, appearing identical to the exterior wall, transforming into a small thick door. An adult had to bend down to enter and there was a narrow staircase leading down. The stairs were so cramped that an adult could hardly place a foot properly so they had to descend sideways. Beyond the stairs was a passage so tight that an adult had to crouch or crawl through it. Further ahead, they reached a slightly wider secret room. On the other side of the secret room, another passage led to the outside of the Cultural Relics Bureau. The small door inside the bureau could be locked from the inside, and once locked, pressing the hidden button from the outside wouldn't work. However, the lock had long since rusted and was no longer functional. So Zhang Tianming and he had installed a hook that served the same function. They had also placed a pack of candles and matches inside, clearly prepared for emergencies. Obviously, the original owner, who had built this building, had constructed this hidden passage for some unknown reason, perhaps to escape the turmoil of war.
The three of them hid in the secret room, sitting silently on the floor. Zhou Di held the two children in his arms, straining to listen to the sounds outside. Although no one had reached this floor yet, the footsteps above suggested that someone, perhaps the Wasoku soldiers, had already sneaked into this building. Zhou Di couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest, and in a trembling voice, he whispered to the children:
"Don't make a sound. Don't make a sound no matter what happens."
But as soon as he spoke, he realized immediately that his words were unnecessary. While he sat nervously, trembling with anxiety, both children had already fallen asleep in his arms, completely unaware of the danger around them.