Jiang Ye was left speechless by the retort, but she showed no sign of panic. She lied without batting an eye: “This afternoon, my brother wanted to take me home to plead with our parents.”
Hearing this, the Wen couple exchanged a glance.
Compared to the mysterious matter of the house, it would be better to have Jiang Ye return to the Jiang family. That way, they could have a steady stream of income every month, amounting to thousands of yuan a year.
“Then you should hurry back. I’ll accompany your dad to the housing bureau.”
…
The next day.
Wen Ci woke up before dawn and quietly got ready. After washing up upstairs, she tiptoed out, not planning to wake Xiao Chuan. She could bring him breakfast when she returned.
At the hospital.
Huo Jingyuan stared intently at the clock on the wall. In a few minutes, he would see his wife again. In his free time, he was reflecting deeply.
The riots in the city this time were unprecedented.
Just then, the door was pushed open by Wen Ci. Seeing the man sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard, she walked over. “Looks like you’re recovering well.”
Huo Jingyuan nodded.
Remembering the matter she had been struggling with last night, Wen Ci looked at him, cleared her throat, and said, “There’s something I’ve been very conflicted about. I’d like to hear your opinion.”
The man blinked.
“The Wen family has another son, right? I’m thinking of taking him under my wing, at least until this winter break. But I’m worried this might bring me closer to the Wen family.”
Wen Ci shared her thoughts and concerns with Huo Jingyuan, hoping to get his input.
Huo Jingyuan was her lover, and such matters required his consent.
“Why?”
The man’s dry throat produced a faint sound.
“Huh?” Wen Ci was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood his meaning. She bit her lip lightly and explained, “Although my time with the Wen family is something I’d rather forget, Yao Zu is the only one who was kind to me. I don’t want him to become a societal outcast.”
Yao Zu was in junior high in town, coming home once a month. Thanks to his parents bribing the principal, he acted like a little tyrant at school, arrogant and domineering.
In a few years, he might very well become a societal outcast.
Huo Jingyuan glanced at Wen Ci, his hand slowly emerging from under the blanket. His rough palm covered her slender hand as he reassured her, “Do what you want to do. Don’t leave room for regret.”
He could see the coldness in Wen Ci’s eyes when she mentioned the Wen family. But when she spoke of her brother, that coldness softened slightly.
“Can I hug you?” Wen Ci asked.
Hearing this, the man’s deep, ink-like eyes fixed on her, and he smiled with satisfaction. “Yes.”
Wen Ci’s movements were gentle. As she smelled the antiseptic scent on him, she leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly. “You need to recover quickly.”
“Mm.”
The man’s face showed pleasure.
…
After the visit, Wen Ci returned home.
She thought about leaving Xiao Chuan in Xu Wen’s care for a while. The junior high school where Wen Yao Zu studied was far from downtown Beijing, requiring a six-hour bus ride to the county.
Whether she could return tonight depended on the situation.
Passing by the cafeteria in the residential compound, Wen Ci grabbed an egg and knocked on the door of the first-floor room. Xiao Chuan was sitting by the window, reading.
Wen Ci walked over. The window on the first floor overlooked the yard.
“Xiao Chuan, Auntie needs to go out for a while. I’ll take you to the military camp to see Uncle Xu from yesterday, okay?”
“Where are you going, Auntie?”
“To the countryside.”
Suddenly, several men in military uniforms appeared outside the yard. Through the iron gate, Wen Ci saw Captain Xu among them, and her eyebrows raised slightly.
This saved her a trip to the military camp!
Wen Ci handed the egg to Xiao Chuan, then took his hand and led him to the yard. She opened the gate and asked, “Captain Xu, I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Go ahead.”
“I need to go out for a while. Can Xiao Chuan stay at the military camp? If I can return today, I’ll come pick him up. If not, I’ll come tomorrow.”
Xu Wen smiled warmly. “We actually need Xiao Chuan’s help too.”
“You’ve already caught the criminals?”
Xu Wen nodded. “We’ve only caught the woman from the couple so far. We need Xiao Chuan to identify if she’s the one who took him from the orphanage.”
“I see.” Wen Ci handed Xiao Chuan over to Xu Wen. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
“No trouble at all.”
After a few pleasantries, Wen Ci also left, taking a bus to Qu County, which was already outside the capital, in a remote mountainous area.
The county had a small population, with only two buses running each day.
The weather was sunny and bright.
Wen Ci followed her memory to the county’s junior high school. She had also studied here once. Education in remote areas was poor, with only elementary and junior high schools in the entire county.
The school’s walls weren’t high, making it easy to climb over.
Before Wen Ci even reached the school gate, she saw a few students climbing over the wall on the left. They wore white shirts and blue pants, but their shirts were far from white.
They were filthy.
“Big Brother Wen, put some effort in! We can’t pull you up!”
“Yeah, Boss, you should lose some weight.”
The next second, two bottles hit the two students on the wall. A hoarse, duck-like voice rang out: “Say that again, and I’ll deal with you!”
The closer Wen Ci got, the more certain she was that the duck-like voice belonged to Wen Yao Zu.
Wen Ci stood by the wall, watching the two boys on top. They were sweating, struggling to pull Wen Yao Zu up.
Wen Yao Zu panted heavily. “This is so damn tiring.”
A male voice came from inside the wall: “Boss, you were just sitting on my shoulders. My neck’s a bit sore. I want to go back to the classroom and rest.”
Wen Ci: “…”
So not only were there two people pulling him up on the wall, but someone was also supporting him from below. She couldn’t help but rub her forehead, glancing at the wall’s height. She could climb it with one hand.
“Useless!” Wen Yao Zu cursed.
Hearing this, Wen Ci looked directly at the chubby boy on the wall and said calmly, “Who are you cursing?”
“Of course, I’m cursing you!” Wen Yao Zu blurted out.
Only after speaking did he realize the voice belonged to a girl. He looked around the schoolyard but didn’t see the dreaded female dean, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Wen Yao Zu,” Wen Ci said coolly.
Wen Yao Zu’s eyes widened. He recognized the voice and slowly turned his stiff head to look outside the schoolyard. When he saw Wen Ci’s face, he instinctively tried to jump back.
But he lost his balance and fell straight to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Wen Yao Zu muttered to himself:
“No way, didn’t Sis go to the northwest with the army?”
Wen Ci’s expression was stern as she glared at him. “Is this how you behave at school?”
Perhaps due to his weight, Wen Yao Zu’s shirt no longer fully covered the fat on his belly. Wen Ci’s eyelids drooped slightly. “Have you gained weight again?”
Children in poor mountain villages were usually malnourished and thin, but Wen Yao Zu was over-nourished. Instead of eating properly, he spent his days snacking.
Wen Yao Zu quickly got up from the ground, sucked in his stomach, and put on a flattering smile. “No, I definitely haven’t gained weight.”
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