Chapter 348: Father and Daughter Reunited!
County Bureau, Criminal Investigation Division!
In the office, Li Gang was reviewing the files his subordinates had rushed to compile.
After all, these documents would eventually be subject to a county-level inspection, and if they didn’t pass, he’d face a formal reprimand.
He had just been promoted to captain of the Criminal Investigation Division and certainly didn’t want to be publicly reprimanded.
Just then, the roar of a car engine echoed from outside!
The deafening roar of the engine shook the glass windows of the offices at the front of the County Bureau, catching the attention of many.
Li Gang looked out the window and immediately saw an olive-green jeep drive into the county bureau’s courtyard, blocking the entrance to the main office building!
Seeing this, Li Gang couldn’t take it anymore. He was about to go out and ask who this person was, acting so brazenly.
Even the top official in the county wouldn’t dare do something like this, would he?
Upon closer inspection, however, he realized the license plate wasn’t local—it was from Beijing.
Instantly, he realized it might be Director Jiang, and immediately ran out of his office.
After Jiang Longcheng and Jiang Shiying got out of the car, they were about to ask someone where Li Gang’s office was when a young man of about seventeen or eighteen ran over.
“You two must be friends of Brother Li Yi. I’m Li Gang!”
Jiang Longcheng replied immediately, “Brother Li Gang, I’m Jiang Longcheng. We’ve finally met today!”
“Hahaha, you’re absolutely right. After all those phone calls, we’ve finally met…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Shiying suddenly spoke up from the side: “Comrade Li Gang, I’d like to borrow your office phone. Here’s my ID!”
Saying this, Jiang Shiying pulled out her work ID.
Although Li Gang trusted that Li Yi’s friend wasn’t a criminal, this was, after all, an internal police department phone, so he had to be cautious about who used it.
He immediately took Jiang Shiying’s ID and began examining it. Upon seeing the details and the embossed photo, Li Gang’s whole body went rigid.
Wow, he really hadn’t expected that the person standing right in front of him was actually a department-level official.
Although he wasn’t from their province of Sebei, it still sent a shiver down his spine!
What Li Gang didn’t know was that Jiang Shiying’s position had already been adjusted; he simply hadn’t had time to get a new ID card yet.
The person standing before him wasn’t just a department-level official—he was, without a doubt, a provincial-ministerial-level official.
“Director Jiang, please follow me!”
With that, Li Gang immediately led Jiang Shiying to the county bureau’s telecommunications room.
Jiang Shiying didn’t stand on ceremony; as soon as he entered, he asked a staff member to dial an outgoing number for him.
While Uncle San was on the phone, Jiang Longcheng called Li Gang out and struck up a conversation with him.
The two had been acquaintances for quite some time, so they were naturally delighted to meet in person.
Moreover, both men were the carefree, easygoing type, and since Jiang Longcheng was naturally outgoing, they hit it off immediately after just a few words. Before long, they were calling each other “brother” this and “brother” that.
Just as they were getting into the swing of things, Jiang Longcheng saw Uncle San emerge from the communications room with red eyes!
“Third Uncle, how’s it going?”
Jiang Shiying took a few deep breaths before nodding and saying, “I’ve confirmed it with the people in Qin Province. Tang Xue is my child with Yun’er—our only child!”
Hearing this, both Jiang Longcheng and Li Gang were stunned!
Li Gang, in particular, thought his ears must be playing tricks on him.
Li Yi’s wife, Tang Xue, was Director Jiang’s daughter—how could that be possible… Setting aside the fact that one bore the surname Tang and the other Jiang, how could the daughter of a high-ranking official possibly marry into a remote, impoverished village like Nianzi Mountain?
But when he thought back to the unrest of a few years ago—anything could happen—he felt a little more at ease.
“Comrade Li Gang, do you know Nianzishan Village…”
Before Jiang Shiying could finish, Li Gang hurriedly said, “Brother Li Yi made sure to tell me before he left to see you both safely to the village!”
“So can we go now? I… I want to see my daughter as soon as possible!” Jiang Shiying said, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Sure!”
With that, Li Gang took out his car keys and led the way toward the courtyard!
……
Nianzishan Village. The Li Family’s New Home!
By the stove, Li Yi was pumping the bellows to stoke the fire, while a pot of lamb stew simmered on the stove.
On the heated brick bed, Tang Xue was telling a story to her eldest nephew, Zhang Ning.
Beside the stove, her father, Li Shankui, was tending to a cast-iron pot filled with braised pork ribs and chicken.
Meanwhile, on the cutting board on the other side, his mother, Zhang Yuehong, and his second older sister, Li Lan, were shaping dough for cakes to be deep-fried later.
It is a tradition in this northern region to eat fried dumplings during festivals, holidays, and on occasions of great importance or celebration.
The arrival of Tang Xue’s biological father was a major event—and a joyous occasion—for both Tang Xue herself and the entire Li family.
So, with the exception of eldest sister Li Mei—who was still in her postpartum confinement—and her young nephew, the entire Li family had gathered.
Although the people in the room never stopped talking—someone was always speaking—it was clear that everyone’s mind was elsewhere.
Tang Xue was thinking about meeting her father in a little while, wondering what his reaction would be upon learning that he still had a daughter in this world.
Li Shankui and Zhang Yuehong, meanwhile, were worried about their son. Ever since they learned that Tang Xue’s biological parents were high-ranking officials in the capital, they hadn’t been able to relax for a single moment.
If it had been an ordinary family, that would have been one thing, but the Li family was well-off—most families would have been a suitable match.
But the fact that Tang Xue’s true identity was that of a fallen heiress from the capital made the whole situation seem rather mysterious.
More importantly, they had no idea about the true circumstances of their son and daughter-in-law sharing a bed; neither Li Yi nor Li Na had revealed the details of the matter to their parents.
So, in the eyes of Li Shankui and his wife, their son had simply taken advantage of his wife’s intoxication to sleep with a young, innocent girl.
If Tang Xue’s biological parents were to find out, what kind of trouble would their son be in?
Consequently, the elderly couple was now deeply worried!
Li Lan’s situation was much the same. She didn’t know much about what had happened between her brother and his wife, but judging by her brother’s attitude toward her, she suspected he might have wronged her.
Now that her powerful and influential biological parents have come knocking on the door, this might not be a good thing for her brother.
It’s safe to say the atmosphere in the Li household is incredibly tense right now!
No matter what everyone is doing, they find themselves glancing—whether intentionally or not—at the wall clock and unconsciously looking toward the front door.
Time had never felt so agonizing; every minute and every second seemed to drag on endlessly!
Just as everyone in the room was lost in their own thoughts, the sound of a car engine suddenly echoed from outside the door.
Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat, and their eyes instinctively turned toward the front gate.
Sure enough, two Jeeps appeared outside the gate!
Tang Xue, sitting on the kang, exclaimed excitedly, “Is… is that them?”
As she spoke, she tried to get up!
Li Yi quickly stepped forward, took her hand, and reassured her, “Yes, they’re here. Stay here and wait safely; I’ll go let them in!”
“But…”
“I’m here, so don’t worry!” Li Yi said.
Hearing Li Yi’s words, Tang Xue felt much more at ease.
No matter the situation, whenever she heard Li Yi say, “I’m here,” Tang Xue felt reassured.
“Okay!”
Without delay, Li Yi threw on a thick coat and headed for the front door.
Equally anxious, Li Shankui didn’t hesitate and followed his son out!
Outside the gate, Jiang Shiying was equally excited and nervous.
By now, he had confirmed through his connections in Qin Province that Tang Xue was indeed his daughter, and by reviewing the case files of Tang Jizhong, Li Hongmei, and others, he had learned part of the truth about what had happened back then.
The reason it was only partial was mainly due to time constraints; he had only heard a general outline, and many details had not been thoroughly inquired about.
But one thing was certain: Li Yi’s wife, Tang Xue, was indeed his daughter.
When he saw Li Yi coming out to greet him, he didn’t even wait for Jiang Longcheng and Li Gang behind him; he simply pushed open the gate and walked right in.
Upon seeing Li Yi, Jiang Shiying grabbed his arm and asked, his voice trembling, “Where… where is my daughter!”
Li Yi knew he was extremely agitated, so he skipped the pleasantries and replied immediately, “She’s inside!”
Jiang Shiying immediately pushed past Li Yi and hurried into the room.
When he pushed open the door and saw Tang Xue on the heated brick bed, his head went “buzzing,” and his mind went completely blank!