Chapter 2

“Why do you keep looking at me?” she asked after wiping her face, turning back with a half-smile.

“You’ve gotten thinner.” My eyes turned red, my voice thick with emotion, and the tears came instantly.

“The front lines are tough.” She walked over and reached out to take my hand.

I quietly took half a step back. “Let’s dig it up tomorrow.”

Her hand froze in midair.

“Ethan, you’re not being obedient.” She stared at me hard, her voice completely cold.

I forced myself to meet her eyes and took a black metal flashlight out of my pocket.

I switched it on.

Nothing.

“The flashlight’s broken. The bulb burned out.” I shook it slightly, my voice calm. “It’s too dark by the old locust tree. Without light, we can’t dig.”

She pressed forward step by step. “Don’t we have a kerosene lamp at home?”

“It’s windy. It won’t light.” I faced her oppressive gaze. “What are you rushing for? It’s buried in our own yard. It isn’t going to grow legs and run away.”

“Fine.” She suddenly smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Then we’ll dig it up tomorrow in daylight.”

I secretly let out a breath, but my back was already drenched through with sweat, soaking my shirt.

I had to find a way to send out a warning right away.

But all the troops in town were fighting at the front.

The only two militia members from the local armed office in the village had been temporarily sent to the county two days ago to haul grain.

According to the original plan, they wouldn’t be back until the day after tomorrow at the earliest!

What was I supposed to use to fight a trained enemy spy? Especially when she still had a weapon?

I was afraid that if she lost her temper in the middle of the night, she might just slit my throat.

I wasn’t afraid of dying.

What I was afraid of was that my eleven-year-old daughter would be coming back from boarding school tomorrow afternoon!

“What are you thinking about? So lost in thought.” She suddenly spoke and interrupted my thoughts.

“Nothing.” I turned to clear the dishes.

“Where’s our girl?” she asked casually while sitting on the long bench.

My heartbeat skipped instantly.

“She’s at boarding school. She’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.” I tried my best to keep my voice normal.

“That’s great.” She tapped the rim of the bowl with her chopsticks. “Perfect. We’ll dig out the box tomorrow, and the family will be together again.”

I suddenly got a chill.

It looked like if I didn’t hand over the box tomorrow, the one who’d die wouldn’t just be me, but our daughter too.

After washing up, she lay down on the earthen bed in the east room and patted the spot beside her.

“Come here and sleep.” She looked at me with a half-smile.

I clenched the dagger hidden in my sleeve.

“I’ve had diarrhea for the last two days. I’m dirty, and I’m afraid I’ll make you uncomfortable.” I said coldly. “And your shoulder has an old injury. I don’t sleep well. I’m afraid I’ll bump into it.”

She narrowed her eyes and studied me.

“Ethan, are you avoiding me?”

I gripped the cold metal inside my sleeve tightly, but on the surface I still forced out a miserable smile.

“Avoiding you?” I pulled the blanket over onto my lap. “You were gone for two years with no word at all. I’m a man raising a kid by myself, and I still have to watch out for the village gossip.”

“Now that you’re back, you don’t ask about the hardships at home, you don’t care about the suffering I’ve gone through these years, and all you can talk about is some broken box!”

Tears hit the back of my hand at just the right moment.

She froze for a moment, and the suspicion in her eyes faded a little.

“I was wrong,” she softened her voice. “Go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, we’ll dig it up.”

That night, I stayed awake until dawn.