Chapter 14 1
Mu Linfeng stared at Wen Yinqiu's back in a daze, feeling a vague sense of loss in his heart. Suddenly, he regretted why he didn't agree to this pure and filial girl in person.
Mu Linfeng's expression did not escape Gao Hongjin's eyes. Gao Hongjin tapped the table lightly with his fingers a few times and said in a mocking tone: "Hey, hey, brother, they have already left. If you keep looking at them, your eyes will pop out..."
"Yes, this is a good girl." Mu Linfeng said meaningfully.
Gao Hongjin jokingly asked: "Do you mean the girl is good-looking or good at playing the piano?"
"all good."
"Haha...you said it. Don't forget our bet. You will pay for it later."
Mu Linfeng didn't seem to hear Gao Hongjin's words. He thought for a moment and then asked, "Old Gao, when did this Wen Yinqiu come to Qingzhou? Why haven't I heard of him before?"
Gao Hongjin asked with a sly smile on his face: "Tell me the truth, are you interested in this girl?"
Mu Linfeng shook his head and said, "How is that possible? She and I are not the same kind of people at all. If she knew that we were dealing with the dead, she would have been scared away long ago."
"Everyone has their own preferences. It's hard to say. Maybe she likes someone like you. What a good opportunity it was just to find the tomb of King Heng. It's not a big deal. You are so stubborn and refused to say anything. If it were someone else, they would have agreed long ago..."
Gao Hongjin's words reminded Mu Linfeng of the clues he found in his ancestor's notes about the Hengwang Mausoleum. He thought that things always happened by chance. He had just found the clues when someone here wanted to find the Hengwang Mausoleum. Maybe he could really help Wen Yinqiu fulfill his wish.
Seeing Mu Linfeng lowered his head and kept silent, Gao Hongjin asked with a smile: "Are you attracted? Such a good girl is not easy to find, you have to seize the opportunity."
Mu Linfeng smiled without comment: "We've played for quite a while, let's go back quickly." After saying that, Mu Linfeng stood up and prepared to go out regardless of whether Gao Hongjin agreed or not.
Seeing this, Gao Hongjin said nothing and followed Mu Linfeng out of the tea room.
After sending Mu Linfeng to Mujiaying, Gao Hong did not even get out of the car, and then turned back to the city. After returning home, Mu Linfeng took out the "Grave Map Notes" and prepared to read it for a while, but found that he could not concentrate at all, because Wen Yinqiu's figure kept appearing in his mind.
Wearing a white dress, looking like a pure angel, and having the enchanting sound of nature, all of these made Mu Linfeng's heart restless. He realized that he had been deeply attracted by the quiet girl.
Two days passed and Gao Hongjin didn't come again. Mu Linfeng picked up the phone several times and wanted to call Gao Hongjin, but finally put it down because he didn't know what to say. He couldn't ask Gao Hongjin if the girl had contacted him. Maybe Wen Yinqiu had forgotten about it and came to play with him, and it was just a casual remark at the time.
On the third day, Mu Linfeng held a book in his hand, but looked out the window from time to time, hoping that the white angel would suddenly appear in the yard. He felt that he had fallen in love and couldn't extricate himself.
In fact, Mu Linfeng is the kind of person who would rather drown in the river of love than get out of the water. Some people call this behavior persistence. He was like this when he was in the army. He even violated military discipline and fell in love vigorously. In the end, he packed up and left, even at the cost of his own future. However, Mu Linfeng never regretted it.
Just when Mu Linfeng was looking forward to it, a familiar figure appeared in the yard. It was Gao Hong, the person he had been waiting for for a long time. Mu Linfeng hurriedly put the things in his hand into the drawer and then came out of the house.
Arriving in the yard, Mu Linfeng glanced outside the gate, and then subconsciously asked Gao Hongjin: "Are you here alone?"
Gao Hongjin deliberately pretended to be confused: "Ah, I'm here alone, who else is coming?"
"Didn't Wen Yinqiu say she wanted to come and play with us? Didn't she call you?"
Gao Hongjin answered seriously: "She called me yesterday. I told her you are very busy recently and we can talk to her later when we are free."
Upon hearing this, Mu Linfeng's nose was crooked with anger. He was so angry that he couldn't go to Gao Hong, so he kicked a tree next to him.
Gao Hongjin was startled by the "bang" sound, and asked in surprise: "Shit! What's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with your nerves?"
Mu Linfeng felt a pain in the sole of his foot and quickly waved his hand and said, "It's okay, my foot is a little itchy..."
Gao Hongjin couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing: "Haha...Brother, I think you are a stubborn donkey. You won't move when you lead, and you even retreat when you drive. To tell you the truth, Xiaowen is already here. On the way, I told her that the Mu family's old house was originally a wealthy family within a hundred miles. Not only is the environment beautiful, but the feng shui is also good. So after she got here, she went to see the old house alone."
Mu Linfeng asked in surprise: "Really? Why didn't you say it earlier..." Before he could finish his words, Mu Linfeng turned around and ran out the door without caring about the pain in his feet.
Seeing this, Gao Hongjin shouted loudly towards Mu Linfeng's back: "Wait for me... I've never seen someone like you who forgets his friends for the sake of beauty..."
Mu Linfeng lived only a few dozen meters away from the old house. He ran over in one breath and just happened to see Zhang Xiaosan at the gate. Xiaosan was watching several bricklayers building the courtyard wall.
"Xiao San, did you see a girl coming?" Mu Linfeng asked loudly.
Zhang Xiaosan pointed to the yard and said, "He went inside and said he wanted to take a look." Then he muttered, "Really? What's so good about these broken bricks and tiles?"
Mu Linfeng didn't bother to pay attention to Zhang Xiaosan and hurriedly ran into the yard. This yard had three courtyards. A row of houses had just been built in the first row, and the houses behind had collapsed. So after Mu Linfeng went around the front row of houses, he saw Wen Yinqiu standing next to the rockery in the back garden.
Wen Yinqiu was wearing casual sportswear today, a white T-shirt on top and a sports cap on her head, looking lively and energetic.
After hearing the noise, Wen Yinqiu turned around and found that it was Mu Linfeng running over with a flushed face. He smiled and said, "Hello, Brother Mu. I didn't expect your yard to be so big. It's just like the courtyards in Beijing. It's great."
"It's a pity that the walls and houses have collapsed and it's in a dilapidated state. I'm planning to do a comprehensive renovation here and restore it to its original appearance."
Wen Yinqiu said with an envious expression on his face: "Surrounded by green trees, the environment is elegant. Once the whole yard is built, it will become a paradise. Living here is like living in heaven."
Mu Linfeng lost no time in saying, "If Miss Wen likes it, you are welcome to come and stay here often after I finish building this place. Just treat it as a vacation."
"Haha... I will definitely come. Just don't chase me out, Brother Mu." Wen Yinqiu said jokingly.
At this time, Gao Hongjin also rushed over and said to Wen Yinqiu breathlessly, "When he heard you were coming, he ran here desperately, and even ignored his friend of many years. He is a typical guy who forgets his friends for the sake of a woman."
Wen Yinqiu said with a smile: "Brother Gao is really good at joking. Am I so charming?"
Gao Hongjin gestured with his hands and said, "You don't know. Just now I lied and said you weren't here. This guy's eyes got so big, like copper bells, and he almost wanted to eat me. Xiaowen, it's a good thing you came with me today, otherwise he would have been possessed by a demon..."
Fearing that Gao Hongjin would say something unpleasant again, Mu Linfeng quickly interrupted him: "Brother, please forgive me, or I'll find a rat hole to crawl into."
Gao Hongjin was not going to give in. "Well, let's not talk about you anymore. Let's talk about business. Before coming here, Xiaowen and I went to Wangfen. Xiaowen looked at the Hengwang Mausoleum there. You know Xiaowen wanted to fulfill her mother's long-cherished wish. If she can't find the real Hengwang Mausoleum, she will go back to Europe..."
Mu Linfeng hurriedly asked Wen Yinqiu: "Are you really going to leave?"
Wen Yinqiu nodded slightly: "I have been in Qingzhou for quite some time, and I have searched all the places I should look for. I know that it is impossible to find the Hengwang Qin except in the Hengwang Mausoleum. This is obviously impossible for me, so..."
"You can't leave!" Mu Linfeng blurted out without thinking in a hurry.
"You're not helping others, so why don't you let Xiaowen go?" Gao Hongjin questioned Mu Linfeng angrily.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help Xiaowen."
Gao Hongjin immediately showed a proud smile: "Haha, you said it yourself. A real man should stick to his word."
Wen Yinqiu walked up to Mu Linfeng and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Brother Mu."
Mu Linfeng waved his hands hurriedly and said, "Don't, don't be like this... Even if I... I agree to help you, I may not succeed."
"Whether or not I can fulfill my wish, I am grateful that Brother Mu agreed to it. I am also thanking Brother Mu on behalf of my mother."
As soon as Wen Yinqiu finished speaking, Gao Hongjin rushed to say, "Don't worry, I know Lin Feng best. As long as he agrees, he will definitely do it."
Wen Yinqiu nodded vigorously and said excitedly: "I believe in you two brothers."
Mu Linfeng pondered for a moment, then looked at the two people and said, "Since I have agreed, I will do my best to help Xiaowen, but there are two things I must explain in advance. The real Hengwang Mausoleum was chosen by my seventh-generation ancestor, and the funerals of the five subsequent Hengwangs and many princesses and princes were also organized by my ancestors. So it is true that our Mu family knows about the Hengwang Mausoleum, but the Hengwang Mausoleum is in a very secret place, and I only got a clue. I really don't know the exact location of the Hengwang Mausoleum, so I can't guarantee that I will find it..."
Hearing Mu Linfeng's words, Wen Yinqiu hurriedly said, "Please rest assured, Brother Mu. No matter what the result is, I will be grateful for your help."
Mu Linfeng looked at Wen Yinqiu and continued, "Xiao Wen, if we really find the Hengwang Mausoleum and if there is the Hengwang Qin inside, you must promise me that you will not take the Qin away..."
Gao Hongjin immediately said nonchalantly: "Damn it, why are you so stubborn? Since you found it, why can't you bring it out? Are you going to let it rot in the grave?"
Wen Yinqiu seemed to hear something behind Mu Linfeng's words, so he looked at him and nodded without saying anything, wanting to hear his explanation.
Mu Linfeng smiled bitterly and shook his head. He sighed and said, "You don't know my real occupation and identity..."
Wen Yinqiu said hurriedly: "Brother Gao told me on the way here that Brother Mu's current job is a 'Geda', which is a funeral steward. This is a very noble profession and is also very respected abroad..."
Mu Linfeng waved his hand to stop Wen Yinqiu from speaking, and said slowly: "The knot is only a superficial matter. In our Mu family, people who have been engaged in the profession of knots for generations also have a very secret identity of 'spirit keeper'. Our family has an ancestral "Emperor Burial Mountain Map", which marks ten ancient tombs. The duty of the spirit keeper is to take good care of these ten imperial tombs. Although the Hengwang Tomb is not a tomb on the "Emperor Burial Mountain Map", it is the tomb selected by the ancestors of the Mu family, so I can't let it be destroyed."
Wen Yinqiu said thoughtfully: "So that's how it is. Please rest assured, Brother Mu. After I find the Hengwang Qin, I will be satisfied as long as I can play a piece of music called "High Mountains and Flowing Water".
When Mu Linfeng said the words "Emperor Burial Mountain Map", Gao Hongjin's eyebrows moved slightly, his eyes seemed to brighten up, and he asked casually, "Lin Feng, why haven't I heard you mention "Emperor Burial Mountain Map" before?"
"I only learned about the "Emperor's Burial Mountain Map" not long ago."
"Isn't this 'Emperor Burial Mountain Picture' an ancient painting? Take it out some time so I can appreciate it."
Mu Linfeng smiled and said, "To be honest, I haven't seen this ancient painting either, and I have no idea ."
Gao Hongjin had a disappointed expression on his face: "I heard you speak so seriously just now, I thought there really was some precious ancient painting, but you haven't seen it after all this time."
At this time, Wen Yinqiu suddenly said to Mu Linfeng: "Brother Mu, I quit my job in the teahouse a few days ago because I had to leave here. Since you promised to help me realize my mother's wish, I want to move to Mujiaying to live for a while. Do you think it's okay?"
"Of course, you can stay here as long as you want." Mu Linfeng replied happily.
"Great!" Wen Yinqiu jumped up excitedly and said to Gao Hongjin, "Brother Gao, can you please take me back now and get my luggage?"
"No problem, let's go now and try to get back as soon as possible."
After saying that, Gao Hongjin led the way towards the gate...
On the third day after Wen Yinqiu moved to Mujiaying, Mu Linfeng, Wen Yinqiu, Xiao San and Gao Hongjin were sitting around a small dining table under the sycamore tree in the yard eating lunch when Ling Xiao and Xiao Cao suddenly appeared at the gate.
Seeing the two of them coming to see him at this time, Mu Linfeng guessed that there must be something important, so he quickly stood up and went to greet them and said, "Why did you come here suddenly without a phone call? You haven't eaten yet, right? Why don't you eat something together first?"
Ling Xiao waved his hand, "No, because the matter is urgent, we rushed here. Can we talk to you alone?"
"Okay, come into the house." Mu Linfeng let the two people into the house.
After watching the three people walk into the house, Gao Hongjin said softly: "I have seen the man behind once. Lin Feng said he was his comrade-in-arms. It seems that he is lying. This guy must be hiding something from us."
Wen Yinqiu smiled and said, "Brother Mu doesn't seem like someone who would lie."
Gao Hongjin shook his head gently and said, "No, the more you look at an honest person, the more dishonest he is in his heart..." At this point, Gao Hongjin deliberately asked Zhang Xiaosan, who was only focused on eating, "Little Cripple, am I right?"
Xiao San answered without even looking up: "I don't know."
"You are really a pig, you only know how to eat!" Gao Hongjin cursed angrily. In fact, he was venting his dissatisfaction with Mu Linfeng on Zhang Xiaosan. Gao Hongjin felt that Mu Linfeng should not hide anything from him.
Mu Linfeng accompanied Ling Xiao and the others into the inner room. After asking them to sit down, he picked up the thermos and prepared to pour water for them. Ling Xiao waved his hand and said to him, "Lin Feng, no need. Let's talk about business first."
Mu Linfeng sat down opposite the two of them, "Okay, please tell me what it is."
"Professor Dongfang came to talk to you about setting up an expedition team a week ago. The instructions from above have come down and it will be set up in the near future. The professor wants you to prepare as soon as possible and report to Qingdao..."
Before Ling Xiao finished speaking, Mu Linfeng asked hurriedly: "Why is it so fast? Didn't the professor say it would take a month or two?"
Xiao Cao looked at Mu Linfeng and said, "We have received news that a foreign organization that has been paying attention to this research topic is also preparing to go to the Yucatan Peninsula to search for the ancient tomb of the Yinfubu tribe, so we urged the relevant superior departments to approve the action plan submitted by the research team as soon as possible."
Ling Xiao nodded and continued, "The professor decided to set up an expedition team as soon as possible and make all preparations. We must find the ancient tomb before the other side, otherwise it will be extremely disadvantageous to us."
Mu Linfeng lowered his head and thought for a while. In the past few days, through studying the tomb-finding notes left by his ancestors, he has preliminarily determined the location of the Hengwang Mausoleum and is preparing to make further explorations. If he joins the expedition team, this matter will have to be put aside. It’s okay to postpone the search for the mystery of his great-grandfather’s disappearance for a few months. The key is that it’s hard to tell Wen Yinqiu what he promised her.
Another important reason why Mu Linfeng didn't want to go to Qingdao immediately was that he really fell in love with Wen Yinqiu. He had just spent a few days with her and really didn't want to leave this girl who was loved by everyone.
Seeing Mu Linfeng's hesitant expression, Ling Xiao and Xiao Cao looked at each other. They both saw that Mu Linfeng was worried. Ling Xiao hurriedly asked, "Lin Feng, what's the matter?"
"No..." Mu Linfeng hesitated for a moment, then asked, "When does the expedition team plan to set off?"
"The specific departure time has not been determined yet, but all team members need to gather together for intensive training as soon as possible. You know that exploring the jungles of Central America is not an easy task, and various preparations need to be made. Therefore, the expedition team will undergo a short-term closed training at a Marine Corps training base."
"Can I go a few days later? There is something very important that needs to be dealt with. I will go to Qingdao as soon as it is finished." Mu Linfeng said to the two in a negotiating tone.
Ling Xiao asked hurriedly: "How many days will it take?"
"It will only take a week." Mu Linfeng answered affirmatively.
Ling Xiao pondered for a moment, took out his cell phone from his pocket and said, "Wait a moment, I'll report the situation to the professor..."
While Ling Xiao was talking, he called the professor and briefly explained the matter to him. Then he put away his phone and said to Mu Linfeng, "The professor agreed. If there are no special circumstances, we will pick you up at this time next week."
