Chapter 126: Chapter 116: The Return Gift

Gu Shaojun gave Xiao Man a deep look with his obsidian-like eyes, then held out his hand to Wei Zhenqing.

Wei Zhenqing handed Gu Shaojun a military dagger in a black leather sheath. As the blade was drawn, a cold, severe light glinted off it, a testament to its incredible sharpness.

"Little sister, I’ll give you one last chance!"

Gu Shaojun, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned to speak to Xiao Man in the back. She was squeezed between Gu Shaozhen and Zheng Shaolian. She just smiled. "There’s really no need. I don’t have a way to undo it!"

Gu Shaojun said no more. He grabbed the Moyu Token with one hand, held the dagger in the other, and turned toward the car door to cut the brownish-yellow cord. Wei Zhenqing, sitting in the driver’s seat, didn’t bother to watch closely. He and Gu Shaojun had undertaken countless dangerous missions together. Sometimes, when they couldn’t risk disturbing their surroundings, they would use daggers to eliminate enemies in silence. ’Surely,’ he thought, ’an expert with a blade like Gu Shaojun won’t have trouble cutting a simple cord!’

But for some reason, Gu Shaojun fumbled around for what felt like an eternity before finally turning back and announcing, "Actually, this token is quite good-looking. I’d feel bad ruining it, so I’ll just keep it for now! I’ll be careful at the base so it won’t be discovered."

The others were all stunned. Only Xiao Man remained perfectly calm.

’The cord was as thick as a strand of yarn, yet it was pliable and resilient, so a blade couldn’t get any purchase on it. It couldn’t even be destroyed by fire. Perhaps a welding torch or a laser might work, but the cord was tied around Gu Shaojun’s neck. He’d have to be insane or have a death wish to try something like that!’

’As for lasers, China in the seventies probably wasn’t that advanced. And even if it was, using one would surely attract unwanted attention. Gu Shaojun wouldn’t risk that kind of exposure.’

’Besides, he’d already admitted it himself: with a little care, the Jade Token could be kept hidden!’

Since Gu Shaojun had accepted Xiao Man’s greeting gift, there was nothing more to say. The men sat in the car in a daze, no one uttering a word.

About ten minutes later, Wei Zhenqing, Gu Shaozhen, and Zheng Shaolian got out. Gu Shaojun drove off with Xiao Man in the jeep, heading toward the city center. Their destination was the department store.

Even a child knew to give a greeting gift; as an adult, Gu Shaojun couldn’t be ignorant of the principle of reciprocity.

In reality, giving a return gift was just an excuse. Gu Shaojun wanted to speak with Xiao Man alone to get answers to the questions weighing on his mind.

Xiao Man was secretly amused. ’So now you’re the one in a hurry? You should have just listened to me earlier. If we’d stepped away from those three, I could have given you a quick explanation, and we wouldn’t have had to make this trip.’

He parked in front of the department store, but they didn’t get out immediately. The following exchange took place:

"Your name is Mo Xiaoni?"

"Back in my village, the first daughter in a family is called Dan Ni. My surname is Mo, so my nickname is Mo Dan Ni. Zheng Shaolian took the liberty of changing it to Mo Xiaoni. I also have a formal given name, Mo Xiaoman."

"Alright, Mo Xiaoman. Where is your home?"

"Gongdao Village, Huashan Commune, Ping County."

"Why did you tie this on me?"

"You said I could call you ’big brother.’ This is my greeting gift to you."

"Why not give it to Zheng Shaolian?"

"This gift suits you. It doesn’t suit him."

Gu Shaojun: "..."

After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "As far as I know, this is a variation of emerald jadeite. It looks ink-black, but it shows a green hue in bright light. It’s an extremely rare treasure. Where did you get it? Is it a family heirloom?"

"I came across it by chance. I had no idea it was a rare jadeite treasure, I’ve never seen one before! My family... we’ve been poor farmers for three generations, living off the land. We don’t have any heirlooms."

"How did you know it would suit me?"

"I just... had a feeling it would look good on you."

Gu Shaojun’s sharp brows furrowed. "My gut tells me you’re not being honest. Mo Xiaoman, give me the truth!"

Xiao Man lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye. "Would you believe me?"

"Try me."

"I truly, honestly can’t untie that knot. I also know you can’t cut the cord, because I’ve tried. A knife won’t cut it, and a rock won’t break it. The material might be ancient! An old gentleman once told me that a piece of jade blessed by a high monk can ward off evil and ensure your safety. So I’m giving it to you as an Amulet, hoping you’ll be safe and have good fortune! And one more thing, if it ever falls off on its own, don’t try to find it. You won’t be able to."

"So you’re saying it will fall off?"

"Mhm."

"It’s not... a love token?"

Xiao Man was speechless. ’Do you *want* it to be? Weren’t you just in a panic, desperately trying to explain why you couldn’t accept it?’

"If I had a love token to give, I wouldn’t be giving it away until I was at least eighteen."

Gu Shaojun seemed to let out a breath of relief. He stroked the jade. "This is very valuable. We’re practically strangers, we’ve only just met... How about I give you some money for it?"

"No, thank you. An old gentleman, who was also a stranger I’d only just met, once gave me a very valuable greeting gift. I suppose that sometimes, giving gifts is also about a certain connection you feel with someone."

Gu Shaojun was silent for a moment before nodding. "Fine, I agree. As your big brother, I’ll accept this gift. Thank you!"

After speaking, he gestured for Xiao Man to get out of the car and led her into the department store. "I’ll find a suitable return gift for you when I have the chance. For now, I’ll buy you a few things. What would you like?"

"Anything is fine."

"Living in the countryside, there must be something you’re short on, right?"

"It’s not a matter of being short on something; I’m short on everything," Xiao Man said honestly. ’Compared to her previous life, her current life really was lacking so much.’

Gu Shaojun: "..."

’Is she expecting me to move the whole department store back home for her?’

Xiao Man led Gu Shaojun to the place where she had bought candy and cookies the day before. "How about just a couple pounds of cookies? I can eat them on the bus tomorrow."

"Alright. Let’s get more than that."

Gu Shaojun was just like Zheng Shaolian, not even sparing a glance for the loose-packaged goods. He picked out the best items behind the counter, buying Xiao Man two tins of cookies and two deluxe boxes of filled candies and milk toffees. He then tried to buy other things like malted milk and powdered milk, saying, "You’re eleven years old and still so short. You need more nutrients!"

Xiao Man refused. "No more, no more! I can’t take all that! Besides, I can’t carry it, and I have a long bus ride home!"

But the saleswoman was sharp. She pulled out a string bag and said with a smile, "Little friend, your uncle is being so good to you, why say no? Just take what he buys you. Look, you can put it all in this bag. It’s only fifty cents!"

Xiao Man: "..."

’Am I really that tiny? She called me "little friend"!’

Gu Shaojun: "..."

’We agreed I’m her brother, not her uncle! Comrade, you shouldn’t make assumptions if you don’t know the situation!’

Carrying the string bag full of goods, Gu Shaojun pulled Xiao Man up to the second floor.

The last time she’d been to the department store with her Grandpa, Xiao Man had run the show. Whatever she said, went. She picked out the goods, and Grandpa paid. This time, however, trailing after Gu Shaojun, she was reduced to a mere sidekick. She could only look, not touch, as if the purchases had nothing to do with her. Gu Shaojun didn’t consult her at all, and whenever she tried to interject, the saleswomen ignored her. Whether young or middle-aged, all the female clerks’ eyes were glued to Gu Shaojun. They served him with eager, beaming smiles, treating Xiao Man like she was invisible.

Xiao Man desperately wanted to curse. ’You’re buying all these matching outfits, leather shoes, socks, and scarves for *me*, aren’t you? So I’m not allowed to have an opinion? Unbelievable!’

’Men will be men, especially one like Gu Shaojun who was obviously shopping for a little girl for the very first time. He was careless and rushed, so it never even crossed his mind to let her try anything on. The possibility that the clothes might not fit wasn’t a concern. He didn’t give Xiao Man a chance to speak, treating her like an obstacle. He simply asked the saleswoman for her opinion on the right sizes, had everything wrapped up, and then grabbed the bag to go!’

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