Chapter 152: Took a Nasty Fall

"Anyway, no one has ever seen this thing before. Even if someone were to take it and dismantle it, they wouldn't be able to figure out how it works. The only problem is coming up with a plausible story about where it came from." This was no ordinary flashlight; it was battery-operated and incredibly bright once switched on. While it wasn't expected to serve any grand purpose, thieves generally feel a sense of guilt the moment they are exposed to light.

Wen Xiuyi had seen the Wang brothers working diligently on their fields, which is why he wanted to ask Wen Yao about them.

"Dad, can the Wang brothers be trusted?" Wen Yao wasn't unwilling to take the items out, but she feared they might catch the eye of someone with bad intentions and bring trouble to their family.

Wen Xiuyi trusted their character. He nodded and said, "Old Uncle Wang grew up with your grandfather. Besides, if you don't trust your father, you must at least trust your grandmother; these two were specifically handpicked by her." Wen Xiuyi raised an eyebrow at Wen Yao. His mother’s eye for character was razor-sharp.

If she said they were decent people, they certainly were.

Wen Yao hesitated for a moment. Since that was the case, there was no point in letting the items sit unused; otherwise, the space would just be a storage locker, and the items inside would be worthless if they couldn't be put to use.

"Wait a moment." No sooner had Wen Yao spoken than she vanished in the blink of an eye.

Wen Xiuyi looked around to ensure no one was watching before breathing a sigh of relief. He patted his chest and muttered to himself, "This thing is actually quite terrifying when it just disappears like that."

Hardly had he finished speaking when Wen Yao reappeared right in front of him, giving him such a fright that he recoiled backward.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Wen Yao asked, looking at Wen Xiuyi’s pale face with a puzzled expression while holding two old-fashioned battery-operated flashlights.

Wen Xiuyi patted his racing heart. "Daughter, could you give me a heads-up next time you come and go?"

Seeing that he had been genuinely startled, Wen Yao burst into laughter. "Dad, so you can be scared too?"

"It’s broad daylight and a person just vanishes into thin air—wouldn't you be scared if it were you?" Wen Xiuyi glared at her, then took the flashlights and tested them. Not bad; the batteries were already installed.

Wen Yao grinned mischievously. "It’s even scarier at night. I'll let you try it out later."

"Go, go, off with you. You only know how to tease your father. Fine, I'll take these. You go busy yourself with your own affairs. Go tend to those things in the backyard. I'm going to take a stroll through the fields to check on my precious crops." Wen Xiuyi tucked the flashlights away and walked off with his hands behind his back.

Wen Yao hummed a tune and returned to the house to call her two young companions to head to the backyard and tend to her treasures.

Looking at the vibrant chili and tomato seedlings, Wen Yao felt wonderful. Even the sunflowers planted along the perimeter wall had grown quite tall.

Thinking that in the near future the courtyard would be surrounded by golden sunflowers, Wen Yao felt very happy.

These were all pure silver in the making.

The flowers and saplings that Qiu Rongrong had sent over had also been planted. Under Professor Wen's careful nursing, they had begun to look lively again. As long as they took root, there would be no problem with their survival.

Wen Xiuyi didn't return until it was dark. When he walked through the door, he was covered in dirt from head to toe, startling everyone. The three children, who had been studying under Wen Jun's supervision, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Dad, did you go playing in the mud?" Wen Yao asked, surprised to see Wen Xiuyi covered in soil. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he’d rolled around in a mud pit.

Madam Luo, who had stayed behind to wait for him, frowned. "Where have you been? Look at this mess. Jun, hurry and get your father some clean clothes."

Wen Xiuyi was at a loss for words. He sighed helplessly and retreated to his room to change into clean clothes before coming out to explain.

"I wasn't watching where I was stepping on my way back from the fields and tripped, falling into a ditch." The thought gave him a headache. He had been secretly teaching the Wang brothers how to use the flashlights in the fields after dark when no one was around.

He had finally calmed the brothers' excitement, only to trip and fall flat on his face while walking home in the dark. It was truly infuriating. He decided he would definitely have his daughter get him a mini flashlight later to keep in his pocket for walking at night.

Madam Luo suppressed a smile. "Alright, there's food left for you in the kitchen. Yao, get your father something to eat. I'm heading back now."

Wen Xiuyi knew he had taken a hard fall and was still in pain. He worried about his mother walking back alone in the dark—even if it wasn't far and the village paths were flat, he was still uneasy.

"Mom, let me walk you home."

Seeing him limping, Madam Luo couldn't help but feel a pang of worry.

"Enough, I walk this path every day; it's not like I'm going to get lost. You stay here, I'll go back myself." Having said that, Madam Luo left without delay.

Since Wen Xiuyi couldn't walk her home himself, he couldn't let the old lady go alone. "Jun, hurry and go walk your grandmother home. Stay until you see her safely inside, then come back."

Wen Jun quickly followed. Although Madam Luo complained about him being a nuisance, the upward curve of her lips showed she was in a very good mood.

Once they were gone, Wen Xiuyi sat down slowly, groaning as he rubbed his leg. "Only after this fall did I realize how much it actually hurts. From now on, your grandfather and grandmother shouldn't be walking alone at night."

Wen Yao finally understood why Wen Xiuyi insisted on having Wen Jun walk her grandmother home.

People nowadays didn't even have streetlights, and they were too frugal to keep their own kerosene lamps burning for long. Once night fell, it was pitch black outside. Wen Yao rested her head on her hand and muttered, "It would be great if we had streetlights." Then they wouldn't have to fear walking at night, no matter how late.

Wen Xiuyi wished for the same. "It's not that easy. In the city, it’s bright because every household hangs lanterns by their doors, both for lighting and for aesthetics. But look at the countryside; who can afford that? People only hang lanterns during the New Year."

"If others won't hang them, we'll do it ourselves. We can hang them along the path to our house and Grandma's, so Grandpa and Grandma won't trip while walking," Wen Yao suggested.

Wen Xiuyi looked up at her. "If we do that, I'm sure your grandparents will give us a piece of their mind before anyone else even says a word, believe me?"

Wen Yao shrank her neck and shrugged; that seemed fair.

Wen Xiuyi moved his stool closer to Wen Yao, glanced at his son and two nephews, and reached out his hand, whispering, "Daughter, give me another small flashlight. Look at me—I'm getting old and stiff, I can't afford any more falls."

Wen Yao felt sorry that he had fallen, so she didn't argue. She bought a small flashlight and secretly slipped it into Wen Xiuyi's hand.

"It uses batteries. This is the smallest one. I wasn't sure if they could be recharged in the space, so I didn't dare buy a rechargeable one." Otherwise, there were all sorts of rechargeable flashlights, some as small as a finger, which could be tucked into a pocket without anyone ever noticing.