Nianzi Mountain Village. The Li Family!
Just as Jiang Shiying pushed the door open, Tang Xue had just stepped down from the heated bed and was about to put on her shoes to go to the front door to greet him.
But the moment she looked up, their eyes met.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still!
Staring at Tang Xue, who was looking right back at him, Jiang Shiying’s mind went completely blank.
All the way here, his emotions had been a whirlwind of tension, excitement, and anxiety.
Although he trusted the findings of his friend in Qinsheng and believed in Li Yi’s character,
But the whole situation was still hard to believe. He was terrified that this was all just a dream—that fate had played a cruel joke on him.
At the same time, he had been wondering all the way here how he could confirm that she was indeed his daughter.
But the moment he saw Tang Xue, he knew this was his daughter—that face, almost identical to his wife’s when she was young, was proof enough.
Tang Xue’s emotions were equally complex at that moment—she felt both nervous and excited… and a touch of resentment!
Looking at the gray-haired man before her, she could hardly believe it. Was this really her biological father?
Wasn’t he a high-ranking official in Beijing? Why did he look so weathered?
Was it because of her mother, whom she had never met, or was it because…
She wanted to call out “Dad,” but her throat felt as if something were blocking it, and she simply couldn’t make a sound.
In her distress, tears began to stream down her face!
Seeing his daughter suddenly in tears, Jiang Shiying snapped back to his senses and said with a trembling voice, “Xiaoxue… my daughter… I’m your father!”
As he spoke, Jiang Shiying’s eyes reddened.
He tried to maintain his composure, telling himself not to shed tears, not to cry.
But the tears in his eyes were like a burst dam, flowing uncontrollably and growing more and more!
“Dad…”
After calling out “Dad,” Tang Xue suddenly crouched down on the ground and burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.
She had never felt so wronged in her life!
Even when she was forcibly sent here by Tang Jizhong and his wife to join the commune—stranded in a strange place where she was bullied, and even nearly sold off by the Tang family as if she were merchandise—she had never felt this wronged.
But today, after meeting Jiang Shiying, all the injustices she had suffered in the past instantly welled up in her heart…
Jiang Shiying, meanwhile, was completely overwhelmed by Tang Xue’s cry of “Dad.” He immediately knelt down and pulled the sobbing Tang Xue into his arms.
Then, he began to cry as well!
When Li Yi, Jiang Longcheng, Li Gang, and the others entered the room, this was the scene they witnessed: the father and daughter crouched on the floor, weeping loudly, while Li Lan and Zhang Yuehong wiped away their own tears.
Meanwhile, little Zhang Ning stood nearby with a pout on her face, her eyes already glistening with tears; the little girl had clearly been startled by the scene.
Seeing Tang Xue so emotionally distraught and still crouched on the floor,
Worried that it might upset her stomach, he hurried over and said, “Uncle Jiang, Xue, stop crying. Let’s go up on the bed and talk!”
Then Li Yi whispered in Jiang Shiying’s ear, “Uncle Jiang, Xiao Xue is still pregnant!”
Hearing this, Jiang Shiying immediately wiped away his tears and helped Tang Xue to her feet.
Li Yi immediately stepped forward, gently patting her back to help her catch her breath.
After a long while, Tang Xue finally recovered and looked at Jiang Shiying, asking, “Are you really my father?”
“Yes! My name is Jiang Shiying, and I am your biological father!” Jiang Shiying declared with absolute certainty.
Just then, Tang Xue suddenly pulled something out of her pocket, held it out to Jiang Shiying, and asked, “Do you recognize this?”
When Jiang Shiying saw the jade pendant in Tang Xue’s hand, his eyes welled up with tears as he nodded.
“This was the token of my love for your mother, and it was also your grandmother’s dowry. But how did this jade pendant end up in your hands? I heard from your mother that…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi spoke up from the side: “Uncle Jiang, let’s talk about this later. You and Xue’er should get up on the kang first—it’s not comfortable standing on the floor!”
Jiang Shiying first helped Tang Xue onto the kang, then wiped away his tears and turned to Li Shankui and Zhang Yuehong. “Old brother, sister-in-law, I am Xue’er’s biological father. Thank you for taking care of her!”
With that, Jiang Shiying bowed deeply to Li Shankui and his wife.
Li Shankui and Zhang Yuehong were taken aback by his outburst; they stammered, unsure of what to say, and could only look anxiously at their son for help.
Li Yi immediately said, “Uncle Jiang, Xiaoxue is my wife. It’s only natural for me to treat her well—there’s no need for such a grand gesture!”
Li Shankui caught on and hurriedly said, “Right, it’s not worth it… Come on up to the bed, son-in-law!”
Jiang Shiying nodded, then climbed onto the bed and sat down next to Tang Xue.
As he looked at Tang Xue with her swollen belly, he felt a mix of regret and heartache, but above all, guilt.
“Xue’er, it’s all my fault. You’ve suffered so much!”
Jiang Shiying truly hated himself. Why hadn’t he investigated the events of those years? If he’d looked into it sooner, perhaps he would have found some clues long ago.
If he had, his daughter wouldn’t have been left to fend for herself all these years!
Tang Xue shook her head and said, “Father, this isn’t your fault. It’s those people who are so despicable!”
“Tell your father exactly what happened. Although I’ve had people look into it, I still don’t have a complete picture of everything!” Jiang Shiying said.
“Alright!”
Immediately, Tang Xue recounted in detail everything that had happened when she and Li Yi returned to Yong County to visit relatives.
As Tang Xue spoke, Li Yi listened quietly by her side, occasionally adding a few words.
After hearing Tang Xue’s account, Jiang Shiying couldn’t help but clench his fists, his eyes turning slightly red—whether from crying earlier or from anger, he wasn’t sure.
Although he had anticipated that his daughter might not have had an easy life these past years, he never imagined she had suffered so much at the Tang family’s home—and had even nearly been sold off like a piece of merchandise.
At that moment, his heart felt as if it were being sliced open stroke by stroke with a dull knife—the pain was excruciating!
The Tang family, the Tan family, and those worthless leaders at the Yongxian Steel Plant!
Good… very good indeed!
Standing nearby, Jiang Longcheng and Li Gang were both stunned by what they’d heard. They truly hadn’t imagined the story would be so convoluted and bizarre, involving so many people.
What surprised them even more was just how ruthless Li Yi’s methods were.
To avenge his wife, this outsider had single-handedly sent so many members of the Tang family to prison.
At the same time, they knew that someone was bound to be in trouble next.
After all, Li Yi had been in a strange place back then; many matters could only be resolved within the framework of the law, and there was little he could do about certain people.
But things were different now; Jiang Shiying certainly wouldn’t stand idly by.
Whether they had already been sentenced or were still at large, anyone who had ever bullied Tang Xue would likely face the wrath of this powerful figure standing before them.
As for Jiang Shiying, having weathered many storms, his initial agitation quickly subsided.
He then shifted his gaze to Li Yi.
Seeing the scrutinizing gaze of his future father-in-law, Li Yi knew he was about to face a trial by fire!