200 The Pieces 23 (1/2)

Other than the consistency, the uni-directional means of the communication also raised a few eyebrows. This mean that while Qing Qing wrote to this address practically once every month, there was a dearth of reply.

Then again, Qing Qing might not even be writing letters because Lin Kang's men found out the letters were often mailed alongside postal cheques. From this, Xiu Ling suspected the address might lead to a PO Box but why wouldn't Qing Qing keep her money inside a bank but mail them to a PO Box? It was confusing to say the least.

In the end, Xiu Ling decided to pay the address a visit in an effort to make sure that no stone stayed un-turned. She wanted to gather as much information as she could on Qing Qing before she had the showdown. She wanted it to be the first and last time she would need to deal with the young woman.

Xiu Ling did not want Qing Qing to stick around like a recurring nightmare. To do that, Xiu Ling needed to know where to strike so she could deliver the fatal damage.

...

Lin Guan Village was as its name suggested, a small village that was carved into the mountainside. In fact, the place reminded Xiu Ling a lot of the village where she grew up and where her mother still resided at.

Xiu Ling got out from the car and asked a passing lady for direction. Xiu Ling gave her the address and the lady pointed at a wooden house that was at the western end of the village. Xiu Ling thanked her for her kindness and made for her destination.

Instead of knocking directly on the door, Xiu Ling stopped to observe the surrounding. The place looked like a typical farmer's home. The biggest giveaways were the farming equipment like hoes and watering cans that littered the grassy courtyard as well as the plot of land the house was attached to. The soil was tilled and the plot was planted with fresh vegetables like cabbages and cauliflowers.

The wooden house looked weathered but sturdy. It had a rustic charm to it.

'Why would Qing Qing mail money back to this place monthly?' was the question on Xiu Ling's mind. 'Well, there's only one way to find out.'

Xiu Ling moved to knock on the door. A powerful male voice could be heard coming from within. ”Coming!”

Based on the base tone of the voice, Xiu Ling expected a young male but to her surprise, it was an old gentleman who held the door open for her. Xiu Ling frowned from the discrepancy to her expectation and her expression was reflected on the old man's face.

The old gentleman was wearing a pair of white singlet and shorts that reached to his knees. It was an outfit that was conducive for farm work. Based on the way the man was dressed and the callus on the man's hands, Xiu Ling guessed this was the owner of the house and the mediocre-sized plot of vegetable garden.