After the cars stopped beside Li Yi and the others, the doors opened.
Immediately, Li Yi saw a familiar face step out of the car.
Xiao Zhanwu strode over to Li Yi and said with a smile, “I was actually planning to come over early to wait for you, but something came up at the bureau and held me up. At least I didn’t miss you!”
“So, Captain Xiao, you came all the way here just to pick us up?” Li Yi asked with a smile.
“Exactly! Director Hu from the provincial office (Hu Jianqiang) called me this morning and said you were coming today, asking me to meet you. I checked, and it should be this train!” Xiao Zhanwu replied.
“I knew it! How did you know we were coming today? So Uncle Hu called you!”
Li Yi then turned to Ye Lingyun and said, “Mom, this is Comrade Xiao Zhanwu, Captain of the Yong County Criminal Investigation Team. He’s been a huge help in helping us uncover Xiao Xue’s background!”
Ye Lingyun hurriedly replied, “Hello, Comrade Xiao. I’m Xiao Xue’s mother. Thank you so much for helping our family—you’re a true benefactor to us!”
Xiao Zhanwu quickly replied, “Madam, you’re too kind. It’s simply our duty!”
Ye Lingyun immediately replied, “Captain Xiao, this might be a small favor for you, but for our family, it’s a matter of the utmost importance. We truly can’t thank you enough!”
As she spoke, Ye Lingyun bowed deeply to Xiao Zhanwu, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
After all, regarding the incident two years ago, while he had played a small part, it was largely thanks to Li Yi’s planning; he had merely assisted Li Yi’s efforts.
Moreover, after the fact, Li Yi had credited him with all the success, allowing him to leap from a regular officer to deputy captain.
More importantly, at the end of last year, after serving as acting station chief for a few months, he was directly promoted to captain of the Yong County Criminal Investigation Division.
And all this had happened in less than three and a half years since he’d transferred to civilian service.
At that time, most of his comrades were still biding their time in various units; he was the only one to receive a promotion.
Xiao Zhanwu was well aware that his consecutive promotions in less than two years were not due to his own excellence, but because someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
That someone was the Jiang family—a fact he had confirmed with Director Hu at the Provincial Department.
“Madam… Brother Li Yi, please try to talk some sense into your mother. There’s really no need for this!” Xiao Zhanwu said.
Li Yi immediately turned to his mother-in-law and said, “Mom, Captain Xiao is a friend to both me and Xiaoxue. Please don’t be so formal—otherwise, he’ll feel awkward!”
Ye Lingyun nodded and said, “All right, then. Comrade Xiao is always welcome to visit the Jiang family in the future!”
“Alright, I’ll definitely come by if I get the chance!”
Then Xiao Zhanwu added, “It’s pretty cold out here. Let’s get in the car and talk.”
“Alright!”
Li Yi and Jiang Xue then helped Ye Lingyun into Xiao Zhanwu’s car, while the other three got into another vehicle.
At Li Yi’s signal, the car pulled away and headed straight for the county guesthouse nearby!
The two-kilometer distance was just a matter of stepping on the gas!
Soon, they arrived at the guesthouse!
As for the place where Li Yi and Jiang Xue had stayed before, after presenting various IDs and letters of introduction, the group quickly checked in!
After Li Yi and the others had put their luggage in their rooms, Xiao Zhanwu told them he had arranged lunch for them, then led them straight to the state-run restaurant in the county seat!
……….
After lunch, Xiao Zhanwu had intended to drive Li Yi and the others back to the guesthouse, but Ye Lingyun refused, saying she wanted to take a stroll around town.
Li Yi also thought it would be a good idea to take a walk at this time, so he told Xiao Zhanwu to go back and get on with his work; they would return once they were done exploring.
After all, Yong County wasn’t that big; even if they walked all the way around the town, it wouldn’t take more than two hours.
Besides, they were just going to wander around town; they had no intention of leaving the city.
Seeing that they were insistent, Xiao Zhanwu didn’t say much more—mainly because he still had a case to attend to—and promptly drove away.
After watching Xiao Zhanwu drive away, Li Yi turned to Ye Lingyun and asked, “Mom, where would you like to go now?”
Ye Lingyun looked at her daughter and said, “Xue’er, where… where did you used to live? If it’s not too far…”
“Mother, I used to live with them in the steel mill’s staff housing complex. It’s not too far from here. If you’d like to go, I can take you to see it, but…”
“But what?” Ye Lingyun asked.
“But I don’t know if the factory has reclaimed those two apartments. After all, those people were all arrested, so the factory might have taken them back—or even reassigned them to other employees!” Jiang Xue said.
“That’s not a problem. I just want to see where you grew up. It doesn’t matter who lives there now!” Ye Lingyun said.
“Alright, I’ll take you there right now!”
Then, the group followed Jiang Xue toward the steel mill’s employee housing complex!
It wasn’t far—it took less than ten minutes to get there.
Although this was the steel mill’s employee housing complex, with a security guardhouse at the entrance and staff on duty inside, it was broad daylight, and the main gate was wide open, with people coming and going constantly.
As a result, the security guard on duty did not check the identities or IDs of those entering or leaving, nor did they require anyone to sign in.
And so, Li Yi and the others entered the steel mill’s residential compound without any trouble.
Looking at the rows of low, dilapidated apartment blocks before her, Ye Lingyun couldn’t help but breathe a little heavier.
“Xue’er, did you… did you grow up in this compound?”
Jiang Xue took her mother’s hand and said, “Yes. I lived here until I was sent down to the countryside in North Sai Province when I was 16.”
Then, Jiang Xue pointed toward the northeast and said, “Mom, if you go that way, there’s a small gate that leads straight to the factory’s kindergarten and elementary school. That’s where we used to go to school!”
“Mom, do you see that bulletin board over there? It gets really lively there every summer, especially at night. The adults would bring little stools and chairs to sit and chat, while the kids would run around and play…”
Listening to her daughter’s description, Ye Lingyun could almost picture her own little girl laughing and playing with the other children.
As she thought about it, tears began to fall uncontrollably!
Seeing this, Jiang Xue hurriedly asked, “Mother, why are you crying?”
“Mother’s heart aches for you. If those despicable people hadn’t stolen you away from me, you would have spent your childhood in the capital, growing up carefree!” Ye Lingyun said.
“Mother, what’s done is done, and it’s all in the past. Let’s not dwell on it—we must look to the future!”
Jiang Xue then glanced at Li Yi and added, “Although my childhood was indeed a bit hard, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If I’d stayed with you and Father all along, I definitely wouldn’t have gone to Nianzishan Village to work on the commune, and I probably wouldn’t have met him!”
Hearing this, Ye Lingyun wiped away her tears and said, “You’re right. It’s a case of ‘a blessing in disguise,’ and perhaps this is heaven’s way of compensating you!”
Li Yi also offered comfort: “Mother, although Xiao Xue went through some hardships, they tempered her will, strengthened her resilience, and gave her the courage to overcome difficulties—and these are priceless treasures in life that money can’t buy!”
“Yi is right. It’s all in the past now, and I’ve come to terms with it. As long as the two of you are doing well, nothing else matters!” Ye Lingyun said.
“Mom, I’m glad you feel that way. Let me take you to see where I used to live when I was a kid!”
With that, Jiang Xue took her mother’s hand and walked toward a nearby block of flats.
Soon, led by Jiang Xue, the group arrived at the building’s entrance. They climbed the concrete stairs to the second floor and stopped at the door of a room.
Seeing that the door wasn’t locked, Jiang Xue knew someone was inside.
Considering that everyone from the Tang family had been arrested, it was clear that the factory had reclaimed this apartment and reassigned it to other employees.
Although she felt a pang of sadness, knowing her mother just wanted to take a quick look inside, Jiang Xue resolutely knocked on the door…
……..