By the time Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang returned to the guesthouse, it was already 2:00 PM!
However, Jiang Xue and his mother-in-law hadn’t taken a nap; instead, they were chatting idly while waiting for Li Yi.
Seeing Li Yi return, Jiang Xue immediately asked anxiously, “How did the investigation go? How did they get out of jail so quickly?”
Li Yi didn’t hold anything back and immediately recounted the information he’d gathered from Xiao Zhanwu.
Upon learning that Tang Bing had actually been released early by reporting her own older brother, Tang Lei, Jiang Xue was completely stunned.
Others might not know how Tang Lei treated Tang Bing, but she certainly did.
From childhood onward, Tang Lei had truly treated his younger sister Tang Bing like a precious treasure, doting on her endlessly. If there was something delicious to eat, he would even save it for her even if it meant going without himself.
There was a time when Jiang Xue felt both envious and jealous of this. After all, she was Tang Lei’s sister too—so why did he only favor Tang Bing?
It wasn’t until she later learned the truth about her origins that she finally stopped dwelling on the matter.
But what she never could have imagined was that when disaster struck, the first person to turn on Tang Lei was the very sister he loved most. Truly… karma never fails!
Meanwhile, Ye Lingyun, who had been listening to the whole story, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the cruelty of that woman named Tang Bing—but more than anything, she felt a sense of relief.
She was relieved that the Tang family hadn’t raised her Xue’er as their own biological daughter. Although life had been a bit tough, at least they hadn’t spoiled her.
Judging by the behavior of the Tang family’s other two children, that couple’s parenting methods were clearly deeply flawed. The fact that their daughter had managed to retain her kindness and integrity in such an environment was nothing short of a miracle.
After a long while, Ye Lingyun finally spoke up: “Xiao Yi, how do you plan to handle this?”
“I… I haven’t decided yet!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Ye Lingyun cut in, “Mother knows you’re not willing to let this go, but since those two were released early through proper channels after receiving a sentence reduction, we shouldn’t get involved in this!”
Jiang Xue glanced at her mother, then at Li Yi, before clenching her teeth and saying, “Mother’s right. We’re just here to accompany her on a visit; there’s no need to stir up trouble over these strangers. Don’t you agree?”
Li Yi glanced at his wife. Although she said this, the undisguised loathing on her face when she mentioned those two moments ago was plain to see.
Clearly, she despised Tang Bing and Tan Cheng, and found it hard to accept that they’d been released early.
However, to prevent him from doing something foolish in the heat of the moment—and to avoid upsetting her mother—she had forced herself to say these insincere words.
Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t risk my future just to get back at those two disgusting scumbags!”
“That’s good. I know you’re a sensible, good boy. Don’t let anger cloud your judgment!” Ye Lingyun said.
Li Yi really wanted to tell his mother-in-law how those bastards had driven her daughter to her death in his previous life, but he realized there was no point in bringing it up. In the end, he could only nod.
Just then, Jiang Xue suddenly changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about those irrelevant people and things anymore. What should we do this afternoon? We can’t just stay cooped up in the guesthouse, can we?”
“Why don’t we go take a look at the textile factory?” Ye Lingyun suggested.
Li Yi immediately replied, “Mom, the textile mill is a bit far from the county seat, and it’s getting late today. Why don’t I make some preparations, and we’ll go there tomorrow?”
“Sounds good!”
Jiang Xue suddenly said, “Then why don’t we go take a walk around the Supply and Marketing Cooperative? It’s always so lively there!”
“Sure!”
The group wasted no time. They quickly got dressed and, led by Jiang Xue, headed straight for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the center of the county town.
The guesthouse wasn’t far from the supply and marketing cooperative—just four or five hundred meters away—so they arrived in no time.
Just as Jiang Xue had said, it was indeed bustling.
Even though the temperature outside was well below freezing today, the entrance to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was still packed with all kinds of vehicles—ox carts, horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, bicycles, and tractors.
In addition, near the roadside, there were quite a few people gathered in small groups, though it was unclear what they were doing.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the crowds were gathered around small street stalls—some selling popcorn, others ice cream and candied hawthorn.
Ever since the authorities permitted certain individuals to engage in small-scale trading, many county towns across the country have gradually relaxed their regulations in this regard. Street vendors and black-market transactions that once operated in the shadows have now gradually come out into the open.
As for the county’s public security and industrial and commercial authorities, they mostly turn a blind eye to such activities and don’t take them too seriously.
“Look, they have candied hawthorn!”
Then Jiang Xue suddenly looked at Ye Lingyun and said, “Mom, can you buy me a skewer of candied hawthorn?”
“Sure, but aren’t you afraid of getting an upset stomach from eating candied hawthorn on such a cold day?” Ye Lingyun said with a smile.
“I won’t, Mom. Please buy me a skewer, okay?”
Hearing her daughter’s pleading voice, Ye Lingyun immediately replied, “Sure, I’ll buy you one!”
With that, Ye Lingyun walked over and asked the elderly man selling the candied hawthorn: “Old man, how much are these candied hawthorns?”
“Five cents a skewer!”
“Give me five strings!”
Saying this, Ye Lingyun handed the old man three small bills.
“Alright!”
The old man first gave Ye Lingyun a 5-fen coin as change, then took five skewers of candied hawthorn from the straw stick and handed them to her.
After saying thank you, Ye Lingyun shared the skewers of candied hawthorn with Jiang Xue, Li Yi, Zhang Ziqiang, and the others, but she didn’t keep any for herself.
Taking the sticky-sweet candied hawthorn her mother handed her, Jiang Xue couldn’t wait to take a bite. Even though she only managed to bite off a tiny bit of the syrupy bits, she still said happily, “It’s so sweet!”
Seeing her suddenly act like a child, Li Yi couldn’t help but smile.
“Mom, why didn’t you buy any for yourself?”
“Hehe, how can a mother’s body compare to you young folks? I wouldn’t dare touch anything cold in the middle of winter!” Ye Lingyun said with a laugh.
Jiang Xue nodded, then spoke with a mix of nostalgia and emotion: “Mom, you know, when I was little, my favorite thing was coming over to the supply and marketing cooperative to play. Back then, people would secretly sell candied hawthorn on a stick, sesame candy, and ice pops. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford them because I had no money, so I could only watch from afar as other kids’ parents bought them!”
“Back then, I used to think all the time, ‘If only my mom and dad could buy me a string of candied hawthorn, that would be so wonderful.’ Today, I finally got to eat the candied hawthorn you bought for me, Mom. It’s so delicious!”
Hearing this, Ye Lingyun’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She took Jiang Xue’s hand and said, her voice trembling slightly, “Xue’er, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault…”
Before she could finish, Jiang Xue hurried to comfort her: “Mom, don’t blame yourself. I’m not blaming you at all. I just feel so truly happy right now.”
Li Yi chimed in, “Mother, we came here just to see the environment where Xue’er grew up. It’s certainly a bit harsher than the capital, but you can’t just start crying over every little thing. Otherwise, we won’t dare take you out again!”
Ye Lingyun quickly said, “I won’t cry… Mother won’t cry…”
“Mom, I want some sesame candy, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll buy some for you!”
After that, the group walked along the street, buying things as they went, while listening to Jiang Xue recount amusing stories from her childhood—it was actually quite enjoyable.
However, as they walked, they soon arrived in front of a tall building.
Li Yi recognized the place—it was the movie theater in Yong County, where he and Long Zhanjun had been before.
But when they saw the long line of people waiting at the entrance, everyone was taken aback.
“Xiao Xue, is the movie theater here always this popular? Why is there such a long line?” Ye Lingyun asked in surprise.
“It doesn’t usually seem this crowded. Could it be that a new movie has just come out?” Jiang Xue said.
Hearing this, Li Yi suddenly remembered something and immediately said, “Xiao Xue, let’s go see a movie. I heard there’s a new movie out this year that’s really good!”
“Really? What’s it called?”
“Shaolin Temple!”
“I’ve never heard of it!”
“It just came out a few days ago, so it’s no surprise you haven’t heard of it. But a lot of people say it’s really good. Since we’re here, let’s go see it!” Li Yi said.
“Sure!”
The group immediately headed toward the theater to get in line for tickets!
Just then, a girl of about twelve or thirteen suddenly walked over toward them…
……..