What on earth had Father run into back then, to end up with such terrible injuries all over his body.
Disfigured, one eye half blind, one leg beaten crippledânow he limped badly, couldnât walk fast at all.
Whenever he went out, plenty of people would look at him with all kinds of eyes that made one uncomfortable.
But he kept asking, and Father still would never say.
Father was also full of learning; back in the day he must not have come from a bad background either, yet all these years heâd been hiding away in this remote little village, living out his days.
That night at dinner, Ding Haijing couldnât hold back and asked again.
"Dad, I remember you already told me, once I got discharged, you wanted me to help you with something. Can you tell me now? What is it?"
When he enlisted back then, Father had told him that if he could learn good skills in the Alliance, then when he retired, he hoped he could help him with a favor.
Father Ding hesitated a little.
"This matter..."
"Dad, just say it."
Father Ding was silent for a long moment, then finally seemed to make up his mind. "Now that youâre going out this time, have you heard of the Lu Family? The Lu Family of Pingzhou."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Ding Haijing almost choked to death.
He was completely unprepared to hear the four characters "Lu Family of Pingzhou" coming out of the mouth of his father, who had been holed up in this little village for over twenty years.
Those four words, Lu Family of Pingzhou, heâd actually been hearing quite a lot in this period of time as well.
"Whatâs wrong?" Father Ding looked at him suspiciously.
"Dad, could it be that youâre from the Lu Family of Pingzhou?"
Hearing him ask that, Father Ding immediately spat.
"Who would care to be one of the Lu Family? I just wanted to ask you if youâve heard of the Lu Family of Pingzhou."
"Of course Iâve heard of them."
"Really?" Father Ding was a bit agitated. "Even in the Capital City youâve heard of the Lu Family of Pingzhou?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Whatâs the Lu Family like now? Have they fallen on hard times? Or is it that after all these years, theyâre instead at the height of their power?"
Seeing Father Ding care so much about the Lu Familyâs situation, Ding Haijing already vaguely guessed that the reason Father had ended up like this back then might have something to do with the Lu Family.
"There are Lu Family people in the Capital as well, already sitting in very high positionsâthe third or fourth seat. And the Lu Family of Pingzhou is their solid backing."
"Theyâve actually climbed to such a high position already?"
At those words, Father Ding couldnât help becoming a bit absent-minded.
Ding Haijing watched him without pressing, waiting for him to go on.
"Thenâ" Father Ding seemed to steel himself, drew in a deep breath, and said, "what about the Jiang Family?"
Ding Haijingâs heart gave a sudden jump. He asked cautiously, "The Jiang Family? Which Jiang Family?"
"D State, the Jiang Family of D State. How are they doing?"
So he really, really had brought up the D State Jiang Family!
Could it be that...
"Old Master Jiangâs eldest granddaughter is now the Chief Alliance Officerâs Wife." This was something Father ought to know, because heâd heard it on the radio broadcasts before.
But their little mountain village was just too remote; often the radio signal wouldnât come through.
So Father living alone at home was truly very lonely; he had no one to talk to each day, and he spent all his time at home, sometimes going a long while without seeing a single person.
Every day he just looked after a few chickens, picked up eggs, and sometimes practiced calligraphy on his own.
Yet no matter how he tried to persuade him in the past, Father just refused to leave this place for somewhere more bustling, always afraid his looks would scare people.
"That, I know." Father Ding hesitated a moment, then asked again, "Old Master Jiang is getting on in yearsâhow is his health? That Sixth Young Master of the Jiang Family, the Chief Alliance Officerâs Wifeâs younger brotherâhas he been found yet?"