PDLP Chapter 39 Your Plans
Chapter 39 Your Plans
"Squeak~"
The old wooden door groaned softly as Fang Jianqiu pushed it open.
The moment he stepped across the threshold, he heard Xiaolin's clear yet somewhat weak voice calling out from inside the house:
"Brother Fang!"
Xiaolin was lying obediently in bed, but her eyes lit up the moment she saw that familiar figure.
What a surprise it was! It was like a drowning person grabbing onto the only piece of driftwood, or a lost child finally seeing the light of home.
Her face flushed with excitement, and her body, which had been weak, suddenly straightened up. She used her thin arms to grip the edge of the bed, trying to get down to greet him.
Fang Jianqiu certainly wouldn't tire her out.
He strode forward, casually placed the large bag of dry food and water bottle he was carrying on the wooden table next to him, and strode to the bedside in a few steps.
"Don't move around, just lie still."
He gently pressed down on Xiaolin's shoulder, helping her lie back down in bed, and then reached out his somewhat rough hand to gently stroke her head.
"Hehe, Xiaolin looks much better. Are you still feeling unwell?"
Xiaolin shook her head vigorously, her eyes curving into crescents, and said happily:
"I don't feel bad anymore! Brother Fang's medicine is so bitter, but it made my fever go down. It's amazing!"
Sarah, who followed closely behind into the room, naturally saw Kobayashi on the bed at a glance.
When Sarah realized that the so-called "Little Lin Sister" was actually a thin, pale-faced girl who looked to be only ten years old, her playful smile instantly froze.
At that moment, even Miss Misfortune, who was used to big scenes, showed a rare expression of embarrassment on her face.
All the teasing just now has turned into a joke.
She immediately realized what was going on.
Fang Jianqiu did it on purpose!
He knew perfectly well that he had misunderstood, but he deliberately didn't explain, just wanting to see himself make a fool of himself!
Sarah was so embarrassed she almost gritted her teeth.
But it is Sarah after all.
She took a deep breath, and her face instantly transformed into a kind and gentle older sister smile.
She walked lightly forward to Xiaolin's bedside, squatted down, and made herself at eye level with Xiaolin.
"Hello, Little Lin Sister."
She looked at the little girl who was staring at her with wide, curious eyes, and generously extended her hand, her voice so gentle it could melt your heart:
"I'm Sarah, a friend of your brother Fang. Nice to meet you, please take care of me in the future~"
As she spoke, her other hand quietly reached out from behind her and accurately poked the soft flesh of Fang Jianqiu's waist, who was secretly laughing to himself, in order to vent her embarrassment and annoyance.
Fang Jianqiu was even happier.
"Sarah...sister, you look so beautiful..."
Xiaolin stared blankly at the bright and beautiful older sister in front of her, who seemed to have stepped out of a painting.
Her fiery red hair, fair skin, and haughty yet beautiful demeanor made Xiaolin, who had always lived in the mud, feel an unprecedented sense of inferiority.
"Kobayashi...Kobayashi is all dirty..."
She instinctively shrank back, hid her hands under the covers, and her voice grew softer and softer.
Sarah was incredibly perceptive; she immediately saw the little girl's sensitive and fragile heart.
She didn't seem disgusted at all; instead, she reached out and took Xiaolin's hand, which she was trying to hide, and gently held it in her palm.
"Silly sister, what are you saying?"
Sarah's voice has a convincing power.
"When I was little, I was just like you, rolling around in the mud all the time. Don't I look pretty now?"
Xiaolin nodded vigorously.
"That's right! Once you've recovered and grown up, with a little dressing up, you'll definitely be even prettier than your sister!"
As Sarah spoke, she gently tidied Kobayashi's slightly messy hair.
"And you know how to do makeup, okay? I'll teach you sometime, alright?"
"Really?" Kobayashi's eyes sparkled.
"Of course it's true! When have I ever lied to anyone? Come on, let me tell you, when I was little, I was at sea..."
Sarah quickly opened up and began telling Xiaolin her fantastical stories, making Xiaolin giggle and laugh, and her feelings of inferiority were quickly forgotten.
Fang Jianqiu watched as the two, one big and one small, quickly became friends, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Sarah always had an unserious demeanor, she only showed it in front of Fang Jianqiu.
He turned and went to the other side of the room.
Ye Lang lay quietly on that bed.
He was still unconscious, and the wound on his back had been re-bandaged by Xiao Yuanshan.
Although his face was still somewhat pale, his breathing had become steady and strong, and the tense expression between his brows caused by the intense pain had also relaxed considerably.
It seems to have pulled through; there are no signs of inflammation or infection.
This is undoubtedly a stroke of luck.
If he had been rescued even half a day later, even with that kind of special medicine, the young man would probably have died.
At this moment, Xiao Yuanshan finally settled the horses and returned to the house.
He was also wearing the thick leather jacket that Fang Jianqiu had brought back, and he looked much more energetic.
After the old man entered the house, he first looked at Sarah and Xiaolin, who were chatting intimately, and a gratified smile appeared on his face.
Then, he tiptoed to Ye Lang's bedside and sat down on the stool next to Fang Jianqiu.
"We're finally out of immediate danger. I think young friend Ye should wake up around tomorrow morning," Xiao Yuanshan said in a low voice, his tone relaxed.
"Brother Fang, now that you've passed the first hurdle, what are your plans for the future?"
Brother Xiao still maintains his straightforward style.
Fang Jianqiu pondered for a moment before speaking:
"Yes, I do have some thoughts on this. But before that, I need to ask you a few more questions."
Xiao Yuanshan nodded, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and was about to light it when he looked at the hospital bed before putting it back.
"Hehe, there's really no need to rush. This night has been exhausting, we need to fill our stomachs first, and this old man also wants to know what exactly happened to you on your trip."
"Okay, let's talk while we eat."
Fang Jianqiu picked up the bag of dry food on the table, took out a few pieces of beef jerky and black bread, and handed them to Xiao Yuanshan. The two of them then began to have an in-depth conversation while drinking cold water.
............
Meanwhile, in Honolulu, a city several dozen kilometers away.
In the middle of King Street, a tavern called "Old Sailor" was bustling with activity.
The pub wasn't in a remote location, but it wasn't in the most bustling area either. It was the kind of place where all sorts of people gathered. Under the dim lights, smoke swirled around, and the air was filled with the smells of cheap rum, sweat, and roasted meat.
The tavern was bustling with noise, a cacophony of voices playing drinking games, boasting, and cursing, almost enough to lift the roof off.
In the corner, a limping old musician was playing an off-key accordion, but nobody cared what he was playing.
"Fuck! They're all dead?! Captain, where are you...?"
A gasp suddenly erupted from a round table in the corner of the tavern.
The one who shouted was a burly white man who was missing half a front tooth. He stared with wide, incredulous eyes.
But before he could finish speaking, he was rudely interrupted by another burly man with a full beard sitting opposite him.
The bearded man was none other than White, who had narrowly escaped death, while the toothless strongman was the "unlucky" member who had drawn the lottery to stay behind and capture the escaped slaves.
At this moment, White was glaring angrily at the loud-mouthed idiot, and he hissed in a low voice:
"You fucking keep your voice down! Do you want everyone here to know?!"
His hands clenched into fists under the table; he really wanted to punch this idiot twice to shut him up.
But when he thought that these were the few team members he had left, he forcibly suppressed his anger.
Fortunately, the tavern was already incredibly noisy, and there were plenty of drunkards with even louder voices than him. Although his sudden shout was loud, it didn't seem to attract much attention in such a noisy environment.
White glanced around warily, making sure the other drinkers were busy drinking and bragging and no one was looking in his direction. Only then did he breathe a slight sigh of relief and continue whispering to the toothless, burly man.
But he didn't notice that when the toothless strong man shouted, a young man at a small table not far from them, who was looking down at a newspaper, twitched his ears slightly.