Chapter 740: The Investment Team Is Coming!

Happy days always fly by, and before he knew it, it was already the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.

Early this morning, Li Yi got up!

Before Jiang Xue and the children had even woken up, he stoked the stove and placed a large iron teapot on it to boil water, which he would later use for Jiang Xue to wash her face.

After that, Li Yi went outside, hoisted the water bucket onto his shoulder, and headed to the well to fetch water.

Since his return, he had been in charge of fetching water for the family—a task that had previously been his father, Li Shankui’s, responsibility.

In the courtyard, Zhang Ziqiang and Yang Zhiwen were inspecting the carriage, as they were about to set off for the capital and had to ensure it was in good working order.

The reason for returning so early was mainly because Jiang Xue was worried about her mother’s trip to Yong County, so the couple decided to return to the capital before the Lantern Festival.

In fact, Jiang Xue had wanted to return with her third sister, Li Na, and Dongzi as early as the seventh day of the lunar new year, but Li Yi wanted to spend more time with his parents, which is why they had delayed their departure until now.

Furthermore, a couple of days ago, Li Yi received a call from Old Huang, who informed him that the investment team from Starry Sky Company heading to the mainland had been fully assembled.

Moreover, all the entry formalities had been finalized, and Lan Xinyi was expected to arrive in the capital with the entire team before the Lantern Festival.

So, Li Yi’s return this time was also to make arrangements for them.

Seeing Li Yi come out, Zhang Ziqiang and Yang Zhiwen immediately put down their work, went to the corral to lead out the big red mule and the big black horse, and followed Li Yi to the well!

After two trips, they finally filled the water jars at home. By then, the rest of the family had woken up, and his mother had finished cooking the dumplings.

After finishing their meal, Li Yi’s family, along with his eldest sister and the others, set off for the capital!

Knowing that Li Yi was leaving today, the vast majority of the villagers gathered at the village entrance to see him off.

This scene left Yang Zhiwen, Zhang Feng, Yang Miao, and the others deeply impressed!

During their time in the village, they had come to realize that Li Yi enjoyed immense prestige there; whenever there was an important matter in the village, they would turn to him for help.

This was especially true for weddings—whichever family was celebrating, they would always invite Li Yi’s family to attend.

But they had still underestimated Li Yi’s standing in the hearts of the villagers. It was truly hard to imagine that when a young man like him left the village, hundreds of villagers would spontaneously gather to see him off.

This was by no means simply because Li Yi was wealthy; after all, there are many wealthy people, but not all of them earn the people’s respect.

There are plenty of people who are the wealthiest in their region yet are deeply resented by the local villagers.

The reason the villagers held Li Yi in such high regard was largely because he always kept his hometown and its people close to his heart.

In addition to funding the village’s livestock farm, he actively contributed ideas for the village’s development and even went out of his way to find opportunities for the village’s children.

For those who want to study, the village has a new school with excellent facilities; for those who cannot continue their education, they can either help out at the village farm or follow him to seek opportunities elsewhere.

When Li Na returned to Beijing a while back, besides Dongzi and others who accompanied her, she also brought along seven or eight teenagers aged sixteen or seventeen.

So, in the eyes of the villagers of Nianzishan, Li Yi is not just a wealthy fellow villager, but the very hope that the entire village will one day enjoy a better life…

……….

By the time they returned to Beijing, it was already 2:00 p.m.

After settling his older sister and Ruirui in, Li Yi and Jiang Xue, carrying the baby, headed to the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

The trip to Yong County was his mother-in-law’s idea; the exact departure date and length of stay there would need to be discussed with her.

Upon arriving at the Jiang family’s ancestral home, Li Yi and Jiang Xue first went to the west wing where his in-laws lived.

Upon seeing her daughter and son-in-law arrive, Ye Lingyun immediately exclaimed with joy, “Come on in! When did you two get back?”

Before Li Yi and Jiang Xue could answer, she reached out to take Little Yunrui from Jiang Xue’s arms and said affectionately, “Let Grandma take a look—has my eldest grandson grown up yet?”

Jiang Xue replied immediately, “Mom, we just got back a little while ago!”

“Have you eaten yet? If not, I’ll make something for you right now,” Ye Lingyun asked again.

“We just had a meal at the state-run restaurant after arriving in town…”

Just as they were speaking, Li Yi heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him. He turned to look and saw that his father-in-law had actually walked in from outside.

It seemed he had been with the old man in the main hall just a moment ago!

“Dad, you’re home too?”

“Mm-hmm. I came back to Beijing to take care of some business. I have to head back tomorrow afternoon!”

Jiang Shiying’s gaze then fell on the little girl in Li Yi’s arms, and he reached out, saying, “Come here, let Grandpa hold you!”

The little girl wasn’t shy at all; seeing someone wanting to hold her, she even reached out her little arms on her own. That adorable expression nearly melted Jiang Shiying’s heart.

“Hahaha, what a sweet little girl!”

As he spoke, Jiang Shiying pulled a stack of bills from his pocket, then took out a few large notes and slipped them into Yun Jin’s hand.

“This is your New Year’s money from Grandpa. Save it to buy candy when you grow up!”

Then, he gave Yunrui a few bills as well—not a single one went to waste!

Although the two little ones didn’t really understand the concept of money yet, they were both quite intrigued by the colorful bills and tried to stuff them into their mouths.

Li Yi and Jiang Xue quickly stepped in and snatched the money from the children’s hands.

This really stirred up a hornet’s nest—after having their treasures snatched away, the two little ones burst into tears simultaneously.

In an instant, the west wing was in complete chaos!

It took a lot of effort for the four adults to finally cheer up Yun Rui and Yun Jin.

Jiang Shiying then smiled and said, “These two little rascals may be small, but they’ve got quite the temper. When they throw a tantrum, they’re harder to handle than those bad guys Grandpa deals with—you just can’t mess with them!”

Ye Lingyun shot him a withering look and retorted, “How could you even compare children to those villains?”

“My bad… my bad!” Jiang Shiying said, looking slightly embarrassed.

Then, he glanced at Li Yi and said, “Come on, let’s go to the main hall and sit with the old man. He was talking about you this morning!”

“Alright!”

After saying goodbye to Jiang Xue, Li Yi followed his father-in-law to the main house.

In the living room of the main house, the old man was listening to the radio.

Ever since his eyesight had started to fail, the old man had taken a liking to listening to the radio.

He used to use the big radio at home, but ever since Li Yi gave him a small one, the old man carried it with him wherever he went.

Seeing Li Yi walk in with Jiang Shiying, the old man immediately turned off the radio and said with a smile, “You’re finally back! I thought you weren’t coming back until after the fifteenth!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “The team from Hong Kong is coming to Beijing, so I came back early to wait for them!”

“So you’re planning to focus on the domestic market this year?” the old man asked, looking at Li Yi.

“Yes, my main focus this year is on the mainland, but I won’t neglect Hong Kong either. Once things here are settled, I’ll still have to make a trip over there. After all, the foreign exchange shortfall this year is still significant, and I still need to bring in money for the country!” Li Yi replied honestly.

“Hmm, do a good job. Don’t let the organization down!”

The old man continued, “The former commander met with me again a couple of days ago. He really heaped praise on you, you rascal!”

“Praised me?”

The old man nodded. “That’s right. The delegation that came over a while back also visited Beijing, and the old commander-in-chief made a point of setting aside time to meet with them.”

“After talking with them, he realized it was all thanks to you that they came, so the old commander was particularly pleased. He even said he’d give you a major commendation!”

“And those Hong Kong businessmen are really enthusiastic about investing here. Quite a few have already made it clear they’re coming to invest this year—that’s truly great news for us!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s only what I should do—it’s no big deal anyway!”

Just then, the phone in the living room suddenly rang…

…….

The distance from Qingshan County to Ning City isn’t particularly far—just over seventy kilometers.

Normally, it takes no more than an hour and a half by car.

Of course, if you take the county bus, it’s at least two and a half hours, and if it’s raining or snowing, three or four hours is perfectly normal.

By the time the two arrived in Ning City, it was already 11:00 a.m.

Since the train wouldn’t arrive for over an hour, Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang didn’t just sit around waiting; instead, they drove to a shopping mall in the city.

Before leaving, his mother had asked him to pick up some New Year’s paintings on the way—she’d forgotten to buy them when she went shopping for the holiday a couple of days earlier.

As Ning City’s largest and busiest shopping mall, the Lianying Department Store was naturally Li Yi’s destination.

Perhaps because it was already New Year’s Eve and everyone had already finished their shopping, the mall wasn’t as crowded as he’d imagined.

Although there were still quite a few people, it was a far cry from the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds he had imagined!

The two walked through the mall for a few minutes and quickly found the stall selling New Year’s paintings.

The New Year’s prints these days were all made on that old-fashioned paper; they’d fade after just a few months on the wall, and they weren’t easy to maintain.

Unlike the New Year’s prints of later generations, where a simple wipe with a damp cloth is all it takes to clean a soiled print.

Moreover, the themes of these New Year’s prints weren’t the “attract wealth and treasure” or “abundant wealth” motifs common in later times, but rather focused on portraits of great leaders and symbols of fortune, longevity, and happiness.

Knowing his mother’s tastes, Li Yi immediately picked out two half-length portraits of historical figures, then selected a few New Year’s prints featuring children, thinking they should please her.

However, just as he was about to pay, he noticed that the stall also sold paper cutouts.

These paper cutouts featured simple patterns like flowers, birds, and characters, as well as intricate and beautiful themes such as dragons and phoenixes symbolizing good fortune and the Twelve Zodiac Animals. Moreover, they were clearly hand-cut by skilled women rather than machine-cut.

Li Yi remembered that his mother was particularly fond of paper cutouts. She had even once asked his second older sister to learn the craft from Qiu Shengniang, a woman in the village who was skilled at making them. But his second older sister, though capable at everything else, just couldn’t seem to get the hang of it.

After studying for quite a while, she could only manage to cut out the character for “happiness.”

Seeing this, his mother eventually had no choice but to give up.

Since he had come across these paper cuttings, Li Yi picked out a few with auspicious meanings on a whim, intending to buy them to make his mother happy.

After finishing their shopping, the two returned to the station, and by then it was nearly twelve o’clock.

At the train station, following a long, drawn-out whistle, the train finally pulled in, and Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang made their way to the exit!

He hadn’t told his younger brothers beforehand that he’d be picking them up, so if he wasn’t waiting at the exit, he might have missed them.

No sooner had the two reached the exit than they saw a large crowd of passengers pouring out, almost all of them carrying bags of various sizes and hurrying along.

Before long, Dongzi, Shitou, Qiangzi, along with Li Yeqiao, Liu San, and others, emerged from the exit carrying suitcases, various packages, and plastic bags.

As soon as Li Yi spotted them, he waved and called out, “Dongzi, Qiangzi, over here!”

The young men spotted Li Yi and immediately ran over, delighted.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Li Yi had everyone get into the car, then drove them back to Qingshan County…

……..

New Year’s Eve!

Bright red lanterns had already been hung in the Li family courtyard, festive couplets were pasted up, and the bonfire was stacked and ready—all that was left was to set off firecrackers to ring in the New Year.

Inside the house, the whole family was preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner while watching the Spring Festival Gala.

That’s right—the Spring Festival Gala!

Many people think the Spring Festival Gala began with the 1983 Spring Festival, but that’s not actually the case.

As early as New Year’s Eve 1979, China Central Television (CCTV) began hosting the “New Year’s Eve Cultural Gala.” At that time, it took the form of a tea party and social dance event. During that gala, the song “Toast Song” resonated across the country and has remained a timeless classic!

However, before 1983, the Spring Festival Gala wasn’t broadcast live, nor did it feature the star-studded lineup of hosts seen later on. It was all pre-recorded and aired at a later time.

In the kitchen, Li Yi placed the stewed pig’s head and pork knuckles in a large aluminum basin to cool. He had to wait a while before stripping the meat off; otherwise, it would be too tough to remove once it had cooled completely.

Today, he had completely transformed into a master chef. After returning from town, he had holed up in the kitchen, starting to fry fish and stew meat; any dish requiring a bit of “skill” was entirely his responsibility.

What could he do? After all, he was the best cook in the family!

As for the others, they weren’t idle either—they had their own task: making dumplings!

There were a lot of people at home this year. Besides Li Yi’s extended family, there were four additional guests: Zhang Ziqiang, Yang Zhiwen, Zhang Feng, and Yang Miao. Add in the eldest sister and little Ruirui, and there were a total of 12 people, young and old.

With so many people, cooking every day was a major undertaking, so Li Yi suggested making extra dumplings today so they could just boil them for the next few days if they didn’t feel like cooking!

Naturally, his parents and Jiang Xue had no objections.

After all, living standards had improved; the household had plenty of pork, cabbage, and flour, so making a few extra dumplings wouldn’t hurt.

So starting at three in the afternoon, nearly the entire Li household pitched in to make dumplings.

As soon as a steamer basket was filled, they immediately carried it outside to freeze. Once frozen, they packed them into burlap sacks and stored them in the cold room.

At 8:00 p.m., as the final dish came out of the pot, the Li family’s New Year’s Eve dinner began.

This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was particularly lavish. Aside from the staple dumplings, every other dish was a hearty main course, including braised pork belly, braised pork strips, braised pork hock, braised rabbit, pheasant stewed with mushrooms, clear-simmered lamb, hand-shredded lamb tripe, braised pork with fried tofu, and stir-fried pork with soybean sprouts!

In addition, Li Yi had prepared plenty of drinks for the occasion, including baijiu, red wine, and locally produced sparkling wine.

A festive occasion, delicious food, and fine drinks!

When all these elements come together, the result is nothing short of a lively celebration!

The only slight letdown was that Li Yi didn’t drink because he was waiting to see in the New Year with his younger brothers.

There was nothing he could do about it—he knew his own limits. If he’d raised a glass today, he wouldn’t have been able to do much for the New Year celebrations.

So, he showed great willpower and didn’t drink today!

The New Year’s Eve dinner lasted nearly two hours.

By the time they had cleaned up, it was already past ten o’clock.

Then everyone went back to their rooms to get dressed in their new clothes.

This is a local custom: neither adults nor children usually wear new clothes before the New Year’s Eve dinner.

It is only after the New Year’s Eve dinner that they begin to put on their new clothes.

Then, at midnight, they set off firecrackers to “welcome the gods,” and only then did the New Year truly begin!

In the main room, Li Yi was happily playing with Yun Rui and Yun Jin on the heated brick bed. The two children circled around him, sometimes walking, sometimes crawling—their every move was pure spontaneity.

Li Yi kept a close eye on them, fearing they might bump into something or get hurt—he was incredibly careful.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xue stood on the floor, organizing the new clothes for the family of four.

Noticing that a button on Yun Rui’s shirt was a bit loose, she quickly fetched a needle and thread and sewed it back on. The atmosphere in the room was warm and happy.

At 11:30, the sound of firecrackers began to echo from outside, the “bang-bang” never ceasing.

Li Yi knew it was time to “welcome the gods,” so he and Jiang Xue quickly dressed Yun Rui and Yun Jin in their new clothes.

Then the two of them got dressed as well and went outside!

In the courtyard, their parents, eldest sister, Zhang Ziqiang, Zhang Feng, and others had also come out. Everyone chatted while watching the “double-kick firecrackers” and “sky-climbing monkeys” that occasionally shot into the air and exploded.

At 11:50, Father checked the time and decided it was about right, so he told Li Yi to get ready!

Li Yi handed Yun Jin, whom he was holding, to his mother, then walked to the center of the courtyard and lit the “bonfire.”

In an instant, the pile of firewood burst into flames, and the massive blaze lit up the entire courtyard.

Afterward, the men of the household brought out all the firecrackers and fireworks they had prepared earlier and began setting them off.

Soon, fireworks soared into the sky amid the crackling of firecrackers, briefly bursting into a dazzling display of colors…

……..

PS: “Welcoming the Gods” and “Prosperity Fire” are local New Year customs. The former involves welcoming the God of Wealth and the God of Happiness, while the latter symbolizes a thriving and prosperous year ahead!

Before they knew it, it was New Year’s Eve, and the New Year was just around the corner.

Li Yi got up bright and early. After filling all the water jars at home, he and Zhang Ziqiang each got into a car and set off.

Dongzi and the others were due back from Beijing today and would arrive in Ning City by noon.

However, public transportation from Ning City to the county seat was not very reliable; services were frequently suspended for various reasons—sometimes due to weather, and other times because the vehicles were so old and poorly maintained that they would break down on the road.

In short, getting between Ning City and Qingshan County really was a matter of luck.

To ensure these young men didn’t miss the chance to reunite with their families on New Year’s Eve, Li Yi decided to drive to Ning City himself to pick them up.

As the car drove through the village, watching every household busy cleaning their yards and pasting Spring Festival couplets—a scene of festive bustle—Li Yi felt quite moved.

The Lunar New Year these days is truly joyful and lively!

Unlike in later times, when life has become increasingly affluent yet always feels like something is missing.

Not only do adults not look forward to the New Year as much, but children don’t feel anything special about it either. Even the Spring Festival Gala, with its increasingly lavish stage lighting, seems to have lost its original charm.

How different it was now! Although poverty remained the dominant theme, everyone was filled with anticipation for the New Year.

Never mind New Year’s Eve—by the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the festive atmosphere was already so thick it felt impossible to shake off…

The car quickly drove out of the village and headed straight for the county seat.

Once they arrived in the county seat, Li Yi first stopped by the county bureau, then took Li Gang with him to visit Wang An’s home.

The group had originally planned to get together for a proper gathering, but due to their busy caseloads, the plans had been put on hold.

Since Li Yi would have to leave just a few days after the New Year, he decided to pay a visit to Wang Anguo’s home while he still had some time in the morning.

When Li Yi and Li Gang arrived at the Wang residence, they saw Wang Anguo and his wife, An Hong, hanging Spring Festival couplets.

Hearing a noise at the front gate, the couple immediately stopped and looked out.

Upon realizing it was Li Yi and Li Gang, the couple hurried out to greet them.

“Brother Li Yi, what brings you here today? Come on in and have a seat!” Wang Anguo said cheerfully.

“I’m on my way to the city, and since I was passing through the county, I thought I’d stop by for a visit!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Great, great…”

When he saw that Li Yi was actually carrying two shopping bags, Wang Anguo immediately said, “You’re welcome to come, but why bring anything?”

“Hehe, I brought back some imported liquor from Hong Kong. It’s not much—just two bottles each for you, Captain Li, and Old Liang to try!”

Then Li Yi added, “In this bag are two bottles of special-supply liquor I got from my father-in-law. They’re for your old man to try. Could you drop them off for me later?”

“Special-supply liquor? That’s the real deal. You can’t buy that stuff even if you have the money!” Wang Anguo said, looking astonished.

“Heh, I just got lucky thanks to my father-in-law!”

They chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the house.

Once inside, Wang Anguo gestured for everyone to take a seat while instructing An Hong to brew some tea for the group.

Once everyone was seated, Wang Anguo looked at Li Yi and said, “It’s been over half a year since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other. How are things going for you at the Municipal Bureau?” Zhou Yang asked.

“Not bad. With the boss (Wang Anmin) backing me up at the Prefectural Committee, I’m doing pretty well as the head of the Criminal Investigation Division…”

Before he could finish, Li Gang chimed in from the side: “What do you mean ‘not bad’? You’re about to be promoted to deputy director. Can’t you be a little more honest?”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly, and he asked right away, “Are you getting promoted that soon?”

Li Yi recalled that it had been just over a year since Wang Anguo was transferred to the Municipal Bureau, and the fact that he’d been appointed as the Criminal Investigation Division Chief there was truly an exceptional promotion—a stroke of luck.

Logically speaking, it was highly unlikely he’d be promoted anytime soon—certainly not within the next three years.

Wang Anguo smiled and said, “I have you to thank for that!”

“What does that have to do with me?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Normally, in a situation like mine, a promotion wouldn’t be likely anytime soon. But this tomb-raiding case led to a series of major cases. Through our close cooperation with the Pingcheng police, we’ve cracked over twenty ancient tomb thefts, more than thirty cases of cultural relic trafficking, and four robbery-murders—all within a single week, arresting 86 suspects of various crimes!”

Wang Anguo continued, “This case has now been placed under the joint supervision of the Public Security Departments of both our Sai Bei Province and Jin Xi Province. As the lead investigators, we’ve received a commendation from the provincial authorities. Although our official awards haven’t been finalized yet, the city has already decided to appoint me as Deputy Director of the Municipal Bureau—though my ranking is a bit low on the list!”

Li Gang smiled and said, “So what if it’s low on the list? Even if I’m ranked last, I’m still a deputy director!”

Li Yi glanced at Li Gang and immediately asked, “What about you? Has the county bureau made any moves regarding you?”

Li Gang grinned and replied, “They did. I got a half-rank promotion—I’m now a member of the bureau’s committee, but I’m still serving as the head of the Criminal Investigation Division!”

“Huh? You were the one who first apprehended the suspect, and that’s all you got—a half-rank promotion?” Li Yi asked in puzzlement.

“Half a rank is already pretty good!”

Li Gang continued, “There aren’t many opportunities to earn merit at the county bureau to begin with. Plus, there’s only one spot for each position, and so many people are waiting to climb the ranks, but there are only so many openings. I was able to get promoted to this committee member position only because an older colleague retired. Otherwise, no matter how much credit I earned, I’d have to wait my turn!”

“I see. I don’t really understand how that works!”

Li Yi continued, “But seeing that you’ve both been promoted makes me really happy!”

Wang Anguo smiled and said, “The fact that the two of us have made it this far is really all thanks to Brother Li Yi. If you didn’t have something to do today, I’d really want to keep you here for a proper drink!”

“We can talk about drinking another time. I came here today not only to see you and your wife, but also to discuss something with you!” Li Yi said.

“What is it?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “My company in Beijing is set to officially launch next year, and I’ll need your wife to go there and take charge, so I wanted to let you know in advance, Brother Wang.”

“Your wife mentioned this to me a few days ago. I have no objections. My father is looking after the kids right now, so if you need her, she should go!” Wang Anguo said.

“Alright, I’ll have my wife start working there first. If the opportunity arises, I’ll see if I can get you transferred there too, so you two can be together again!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Wang Anguo’s eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately replied with delight, “That’s wonderful! Thanks a lot, brother!”

Wang Anguo knew full well that this was an absolute golden opportunity for him. After all, once he got to the capital, the opportunities and the ceiling for personal advancement would be entirely different.

For example, in a county town, no matter how capable you are, reaching the county-level or department-level position is already quite an achievement; climbing any higher is practically impossible.

But look at the agencies in the capital—even organizations with little power, like the Federation of Literary and Art Circles or the Writers’ Association, are full of section-level positions. You could pick anyone at random and they’d be a section chief or deputy section chief.

More importantly, he knew just how much clout Li Yi had behind him. To put it simply, given the status of his father-in-law’s family alone, transferring him to the capital would be as easy as saying the word.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s only fair. Since my sister-in-law is helping me out, I can’t very well have the two of you living apart like this!”

“Brother Li Yi, I know getting a transfer to Beijing isn’t easy. It’s no big deal if it doesn’t work out!” Wang Anguo said.

“No problem. I know exactly what I’m doing!”

Li Yi then glanced at his watch and saw it was nearly 9:30. “Brother Wang, Team Leader Li, it’s getting late. I’ll head out now. Let’s get together again sometime!”

“Alright, I’ll walk you out!”

“Wait a minute—you and your wife should hurry up and put up those Spring Festival couplets. I see most households have already put theirs up!”

“Alright, alright…”

……….

It was just past one o’clock when they returned from the county seat.

Dinner was already ready at home—a big pot of stewed vegetables, with buckwheat noodles as the main dish.

After the meal, Father, Mother, and my eldest sister went back to the room next door, leaving only Li Yi, Jiang Xue, and the two children in the main room.

Over the past couple of days, Yunrui and Yunjin had been learning to walk. Though they were still wobbly, they could manage a few steps.

To prevent the children from bumping into things, Li Yi and Jiang Xue didn’t dare leave their sides for a moment.

Inside the room, Li Yi stood by the edge of the kang, holding a pretty rattle in his hand.

Shaking the rattle, Li Yi smiled warmly at Yun Rui on the kang and said, “Son, come to Daddy.”

Hearing Li Yi’s call and glancing at the rattle in his hand, the little guy actually managed to pull himself up by the windowsill. Then, waddling on his chubby little legs, he made his way toward the edge of the kang.

But the child’s legs weren’t strong enough yet, and he hadn’t quite mastered his balance, so after just two or three steps, he plopped right back down onto the kang.

Jiang Xue, who was holding Yunjin nearby, was about to step forward to help, but Li Yi called out to her.

“Don’t help him up—let our son get up on his own!”

Although her heart ached for him, Jiang Xue held back.

At that moment, the rattle in Li Yi’s hand began to shake even more vigorously.

Seeing that no one was helping him, the little guy immediately crawled back to his feet and continued walking toward Li Yi.

This time, he didn’t fall again. He walked straight up to Li Yi and grabbed his beloved rattle.

The moment he got the rattle, the little boy burst into a happy laugh, and his small hand holding the rattle began to sway from side to side, imitating Li Yi’s movements.

Although it looked a bit clumsy, it still produced a “thump-thump” sound.

Seeing their son so happy, Li Yi and Jiang Xue were delighted as well.

Then Jiang Xue followed suit and began teaching Yunjin how to walk.

For a while, the room was filled with the happy laughter of adults and children—it was a truly heartwarming scene!

After playing for over an hour, both children were tired. The couple each held one, and before long, the two children had fallen asleep.

Just as he had settled Yunrui and Yunjin, Li Yi was about to discuss their post-New Year plans with Jiang Xue when he heard a commotion outside the front gate.

Looking out the window, Li Yi saw Yongzi and Xiaogouwa coming over together.

As soon as the two stepped inside, Li Yi asked, “What brings you two here?”

“Brother Yi, the village militia squad is going on patrol in the back mountains. We’re planning to tag along—are you coming?” Yongzi asked.

“You guys aren’t part of the militia squad. What are you going there for?” Li Yi asked.

“We want to tag along to hunt some game. We’ll come back together once the militia squad finishes their patrol!” Yongzi said.

Li Yi was instantly tempted. Although he’d had a decent haul last night, those thugs had ruined his mood.

However, before he could speak up, Jiang Xue chimed in from the side: “Yongzi, Xiaogouwa, Yi has other things to do this afternoon, so he won’t be going with you guys!”

“Alright, then we’ll go on our own!”

With that, the two of them got up to leave.

“Wait a minute!”

Li Yi then opened the bright red cabinet in the room and took out his shoulder bag.

He then took two thick envelopes out of the bag and said to Yongzi and Xiaogouwawa, “Take these!”

Neither of them moved!

Then Yongzi spoke up, “Brother Yi, we…”

“Stop blabbering. Take them. Didn’t we agree on this earlier?” Li Yi cut him off.

At that moment, Jiang Xue, who was on the kang, added, “Take them. Yi Ge prepared these especially for you two. If you don’t take them, he’ll be upset!”

Yongzi glanced at Xiaogouwa, then stepped forward to take the envelopes, saying, “Thanks, Brother Yi. Thanks, Sister-in-law!”

Seeing that Yongzi had taken it, Xiaogouwa also took the envelope and thanked them in unison!

After the two young men took the money, Li Yi immediately asked, “Xiaogouwa, how are Ergouzi, Daya, and Erya doing?”

“They’re all doing great. After the village school was finished this year, I sent them all to school. Erdouzi’s grades are just average, but Daya and Erya are doing really well!” Xiaogouwa said with a wide grin.

“That’s good. People need to study no matter what, and that’s especially true for kids from the mountains like us!” Li Yi said.

“Mm-hmm!”

“You’ve saved up quite a bit of money now. Once the weather warms up next year, fix up the house. If that’s really not possible, just build a brand-new one. If you don’t have enough money, just let me know!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

“Alright, if you two want to head up the mountain, go ahead. Just remember to be really careful!” Li Yi said.

“Brother Yi, Sister-in-law, we’ll be on our way then!” Yongzi said.

“Alright…”

After the two young men left, Li Yi turned to his wife and asked, “What’s going on this afternoon? Why didn’t I know about this?”

Jiang Xue shot him a look, then said, “I didn’t want you to go up the mountain—it’s too dangerous!”

“I knew it. Great. Now I can’t even go up the mountain anymore. What’s the fun in living in this village then?” Li Yi said with a hint of resignation.

Jiang Xue replied, “Someone died on the mountain just yesterday. It’s unsettling and bad luck. Just stay home and mind your own business for the next few days!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you. After all, you’re the boss around here!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Jiang Xue’s face flushed slightly, and she said, “It’s not that I want to boss you around, but the mountain really isn’t safe. You have a lot of responsibility right now—you can’t just go taking risks!”

“Got it!”

Just then, Jiang Xue changed the subject and asked, “By the way, do you have any plans after the New Year?”

“Nothing set in stone yet, but I’m planning to make a trip to Lin’an in March!” Li Yi said.

“What are you going to Lin’an for? You don’t have any business there, do you?” Jiang Xue asked.

“I need to go there to investigate a project, but it shouldn’t take long. Why, do you have plans?”

Li Yi couldn’t bring himself to tell Jiang Xue the truth about going to rescue Xiao Jingshu’s parents, so he had to come up with this excuse.

“Nothing much. My mom wants to visit Yongxian, but my dad’s too busy with work, so I was thinking you could come with us!” Jiang Xue said.

“Why did Mom suddenly decide to go to Yong County? Didn’t she have some psychological trauma about that place?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Mom said she’s always wanted to go back and take a look, but because of that incident, she never had the courage!”

Jiang Xu continued, “Now that I’m back with her and she’s let go of that emotional burden, she wants to go take a look before school starts again!”

“Alright, when does Mom plan to leave?” Li Yi asked.

“After the seventh or eighth day of the New Year. It mainly depends on your schedule—as long as we don’t go past March when school starts!” Jiang Xue said.

“Alright, then we’ll set a specific date after the New Year’s celebrations are over!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Jiang Xue then looked at Li Yi, opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

This hesitant expression immediately piqued Li Yi’s curiosity, and he asked right away, “Just say what you want to say. This look of wanting to speak but not daring to—it’s awkward and makes me feel uneasy!”

Jiang Xue’s face flushed, and she immediately lowered her head.

After a moment, as if she’d made up her mind, she lifted her head and looked at Li Yi with a determined gaze.

“I… let’s have another baby!”

“???”

Li Yi was taken aback at first, then looked at her and said, “Why did you suddenly decide you want a second child? It’s only been a year since you gave birth. Getting pregnant again so soon won’t be good for your health!”

“Besides, you’re still in school. If you get pregnant, between the pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, you’ll have to take at least a year off. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I…”

After a long pause, Jiang Xue sighed and said, “Do you know that the government is going to enforce a family planning policy? If we don’t have another child now, I’m afraid that in the future…”

Li Yi thought it over carefully. The mandatory implementation of family planning and the establishment of this policy as a fundamental national policy was indeed set for this year; as far as he remembered, it was supposed to start in September.

It seemed his wife had found out about this in advance, which was why she wanted to settle the matter of having a second child before the policy took effect.

“Are you worried we won’t be able to have more children in the future?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“Haha, you’re overthinking it. If you want to, we can wait until after you graduate—then we can have a baby whenever we want!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Really?”

“Don’t you remember? We have a business and a house over in Hong Kong. Worst-case scenario, we’ll just have the baby there and come back!”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, even if we violate the family planning policy, it’s just a fine. Our family can afford it—we could even afford to have a whole soccer team if you wanted!”

“How many people are on a soccer team?”

“Eleven!”

Jiang Xue immediately punched him in the chest and said, her face flushing, “Do you think I’m a sow? How could I possibly have that many!”

Li Yi quipped, “We’ll have twins for our first child, and then four and a half more will be enough!”

“Four and a half kids? That really isn’t that many!” Jiang Xue said with a serious expression.

Li Yi: @#￥%……&

……..

Qingshan County!

By the time Li Yi and the others reached the county’s main street, it was already 11:30 a.m.

Perhaps because the New Year was approaching, the town was bustling with people, especially on the main street, which was filled with locals bundled up from head to toe.

Some were driving oxcarts or horse-drawn carriages, others were leading donkeys or mules, but most were simply walking along the street.

“Dad, are you coming with us to the county bureau, or are you going to the supply and marketing cooperative first?” Li Yi asked.

“Let’s go together. I’d like to have a chat with the third son too!” his father replied.

“Alright!”

Zhang Ziqiang then drove the car straight toward the County Bureau.

When Li Yi arrived at the county bureau, he found people coming and going, each with a grave expression on their face; the atmosphere seemed solemn and tense.

No sooner had they gotten out of the car than they saw a young police officer striding toward them: “Comrade Li Yi, you’re here!”

Li Yi recognized him immediately. The young man was a squad leader in the Criminal Investigation Division—his name seemed to be Xing Chao—and they had met just yesterday.

He smiled and asked, “Where’s Captain Li? Is he here?”

“Captain Li is in a meeting. He told me to keep an eye on things here. If you guys arrived, I’d take you to the communications room first. He’ll be over as soon as the meeting’s done!”

“Alright!”

The group then strode over to the county bureau’s communications room.

Once there, Team Leader Xing exchanged a few words with the staff inside, and they escorted Li Yi and the others inside.

They then dialed the number Li Yi had provided!

After a few rings, Li Na’s familiar voice came through the receiver: “Grassland Beef and Lamb Grill & Hot Pot Restaurant. How may I help you?”

Before the police officer could speak, Li Yi reached out and took the receiver, then said, “Sis, it’s me!”

“Xiao Yi, you little rascal—you’re just now calling me back?”

“Do you think this is my personal phone? Like I can just call back whenever I want? Besides, I only just found out you wanted me to call you back!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“All right, enough with the small talk. The shop’s already open—let’s keep this short!”

Then Li Na continued, “The gifts you mentioned yesterday morning arrived—they nearly gave me and your brother-in-law a heart attack!”

“What happened?”

“Do you have any idea how many gifts there were? Two whole truckloads!”

“Sis, it was a lot, but surely not enough to scare you and my brother-in-law, right?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Do you know what was in those gifts? Aside from some household items, there was a lot of jewelry, and even a piano, a motorcycle, and a car. From what your brother-in-law said, it seems to be some ‘Ben’ brand…”

Hearing his third sister’s words, Li Yi couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

Actually, when he received Zhou Rui’s call, he already knew these gifts were out of the ordinary, but he hadn’t expected that his friends in Hong Kong would actually send his sister a motorcycle and a car.

In the mainland, these aren’t things you can just buy with money; it takes several days for a private individual to get a car.

No wonder Zhou Rui said these gifts were worth a fortune. To put it simply, a Mercedes-Benz alone was likely worth a pretty penny.

After all, a few years later, even a standard Volkswagen Passat could fetch 180,000 yuan—let alone a Mercedes-Benz.

Just then, Third Sister’s voice rang out again: “Xiao Yi, your brother-in-law and I have discussed it—these gifts are simply too valuable. We can’t accept them!”

“Sis, while these gifts may be a bit excessive and expensive, they’re wedding gifts people gave to you and my brother-in-law. What are we supposed to do if you refuse them?” Li Yi said.

“These people gave them to us just to save face for you. We don’t even know them—how can we possibly accept their gifts!”

Then Li Na added, “Besides, gift-giving is all about reciprocity. We can’t possibly return such expensive gifts, so you’d better handle this yourself!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Did Long Zhanjun say all that?”

“Call him ‘brother-in-law,’ or I’ll spank you when we get home!” Li Na said.

“Oh, him? He just overthinks things. It’s not that complicated!”

Li Yi continued, “Since they’ve gone to the trouble of bringing these things over, just accept them. As for returning the favor or whatever—that’s my problem!”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but’ about it—just take them!” Li Yi said.

There was an immediate silence on the other end of the line; clearly, Li Na was still hesitating. After all, there were quite a few gifts, and they were quite valuable.

Last night, after the couple had gone through the list of gifts, they did a quick calculation: even at domestic prices, these items would easily amount to at least four or fifty thousand yuan.

Not to mention some items were simply impossible to put a price on; if they were to count everything, the total could easily exceed a million.

What they didn’t realize, however, was that the Mercedes-Benz alone was worth over a million overseas.

“Sis, just accept the gifts, but you have to keep the list safe. Give it to me after I come back from the New Year holiday!”

Li Na knew her younger brother had a stubborn streak—he was as headstrong as a mule.

With that in mind, she sighed and said, “All right then. But your brother-in-law and I can’t use that car—you’re the one who’ll actually need it. Just drive it off when you come back!”

Li Yi thought about it. His third sister had a point, and besides, he couldn’t keep using the car from the Second Cotton Mill forever.

He nodded and said, “Alright!”

“By the way, we’re planning to close for the New Year’s Eve holiday. See if you can figure out how much of a bonus would be appropriate to give everyone this year—your brother-in-law and I will handle the arrangements.”

“Give everyone three months’ extra pay. Also, Third Sister, you get in touch with the Second Cotton Mill and have them prepare two sets of clothes for each of our store’s staff—the store will cover the cost!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, we’ll make the arrangements over the next few days!”

“Hmm, when are you and my brother-in-law coming back?” Li Yi asked again.

“Probably on the second day of the New Year. You’ll have to come pick us up in the city then!”

“Sure, no problem!”

Then Li Yi added, “Dad’s here too. Do you want to say a few words to him?”

“Sure, hand the phone to Dad. I’m a bit busy right now, so I can’t talk for long,” Li Yi said.

“Sure!”

After that, Li Yi handed the phone to his father, Li Shankui, and walked out of the communications room!

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Li Gang hurrying over.

Upon seeing Li Yi, he said with a look of apology, “I’m really sorry, I’ve been so busy today…”

“Come on, don’t be so formal!”

Then Li Yi asked again, “Has the case been sorted out?”

Hearing Li Yi ask about the case, Li Gang glanced around, then was about to speak…

But before he could open his mouth, Li Yi cut him off: “I almost forgot—you guys in law enforcement have strict disciplinary requirements. You absolutely can’t disclose any case details to the public until the investigation is complete. You’d better not say anything!”

Li Gang smiled and said, “We do have disciplinary requirements, but Brother Li Yi, you’re a participant in this case too. And don’t forget that you’re still our county bureau’s confidential informant—it’s no big deal to share a few details!”

Li Yi couldn’t help but chuckle, then said, “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have completely forgotten I had that role as well!”

Just then, Li Gang suddenly whispered, “Brother Li Yi, we’ve landed a big fish this time!”

Hearing this, Li Yi froze for a moment, then asked, “You mean those guys aren’t just grave robbers?”

“Yeah. After we interrogated them, it turns out these scumbags aren’t just digging up graves—they’re also involved in a whole string of crimes, including smuggling and trafficking cultural relics, murder, and robbery. Plus, their gang is way bigger than we ever imagined. If we were to round up all the criminals in their network, this would definitely be the biggest cultural relics case since the founding of the People’s Republic!”

Li Gang continued, “As I said yesterday, Brother Li Yi, you set the stage perfectly, allowing our county bureau to put on a great show. I just never imagined the performance would be this spectacular!”

“Hahaha, I was just doing my civic duty. The success of this case is entirely down to you guys!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Li Gang, being an old acquaintance, naturally understood what he meant. He smiled and said, “You, oh well, let’s not talk about that. Brother Anguo will be back this afternoon. Why don’t we sit down for a while?”

“With a case this big, you two must be incredibly busy. I’ll wait until you’re done,” Li Yi said.

“Alright, we’ll give you a call when we’re free!”

“Sure…”

……….

At the entrance to Nianzi Mountain Village, Li Yi, his father Li Shankui, and some fifty or sixty able-bodied men watched intently as the column advanced slowly in the distance. Everyone looked tense!

Although everyone knew the capture operation had concluded, the outcome was what truly concerned them.

At 5:50 a.m., the public security officers and village militia who had participated in the operation finally arrived at the village entrance.

When Li Yi and the others saw the stretchers in the middle of the procession, everyone’s hearts leapt into their throats.

The presence of stretchers meant there were casualties—the very thing they had hoped to avoid had happened.

But as the arrest team drew closer, Li Yi realized something seemed off.

Although there were people carrying stretchers in the group, the atmosphere didn’t seem somber. From a distance, they could hear Li Gang’s booming voice and the laughter and banter of the others.

If someone had truly been killed or seriously injured, the atmosphere would definitely not be like this.

With that thought, Li Yi immediately led his men to meet them!

Soon the two groups met up. Before Li Yi could even ask what was going on, Li Gang burst out laughing: “Brother Li Yi, thank you so much! You set the stage for us at the county bureau to put on quite a show. It really is that whole Xue Guangzhong clan!”

“Have you caught them all?”

“Yes, but unfortunately three of them died!” Li Gang said.

“Did we suffer any casualties?” Li Yi asked again.

“No one was killed, but…”

Li Yi’s expression immediately turned serious, and he hurriedly asked, “But what? Just say it!”

“But someone got hurt…”

“Who’s injured? Is it serious?”

“Secretary Feng slipped and sprained his back while chasing a suspect; he’ll likely need some time to recover. Also, one of our soldiers accidentally stepped on a bear trap and suffered a pretty serious injury to his foot!”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all!”

Li Yi let out a long sigh of relief and said, “That gave me a heart attack. I thought someone had been shot!”

“Those guys may have had guns, but that’s all they could do—just fire them. Secretary Feng took down two of them all by himself, and the other comrades riddled the third one with bullets.”

Li Gang continued, “The last three saw the writing on the wall and tried to run, but they were surrounded like dumplings in a pot. When they realized there was no escape, they raised their hands and surrendered!”

“I never expected Uncle Feng to be so fierce—he’s really made me look at him in a whole new light!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Feng Kai, lying on the stretcher, grinned and said, “Man, I managed to get myself injured just catching a petty thief. If my old buddies see this, I don’t know how they’ll make fun of me!”

“You’re still going strong at your age—no one would dare make fun of you!” Li Gang said with a laugh.

“Exactly. Uncle Feng, you’re over sixty and still able to go into battle—that’s truly remarkable!”

Li Yi then changed the subject and asked Li Gang, “What are you planning to do now?”

“I need to take them back to the county bureau for questioning right away. We’ll see if these bastards have any accomplices, and find out exactly what they were digging up, then report the situation to the municipal bureau!” Li Gang said.

“What about the back mountain?”

Li Yi was referring to the general’s tomb. After today’s raid, word of the large tomb and treasure on the back mountain would spread like wildfire in no time.

If the situation wasn’t handled properly, even if they’d arrested Xue Guangzhong’s family, it would still attract other tomb raiders.

After all, as the situation gradually stabilizes, the prices of cultural relics and antiques are on the rise.

On top of that, protection of ancient tombs isn’t very strict these days, and a venture with such high returns is likely to tempt many to take the risk.

“We’ve already backfilled the holes those bastards dug and poured plenty of melted snowwater over them. In this freezing weather, it’ll turn to solid ice in no time. Even if someone tries to dig down from there, they won’t be able to break through anytime soon!”

Li Gang continued, “Also, I’ve discussed it with Secretary Feng. From now on, your village will send someone to patrol that area once a day. Report any developments to the county immediately, until we figure out exactly what’s buried there.”

“That’s a good plan, but you must make sure to investigate thoroughly—find out if these people are part of any other gangs!” Li Yi said.

“Rest assured, we’ll definitely get to the bottom of it!” Li Gang replied.

“All right, it’s getting late. You should head back to the county seat right away!” Li Yi said.

“Aren’t you coming back with us?”

“What would I do going back with you?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Aren’t you going to call your sister back?”

“I’ll wait until morning. I’m really tired right now—I’d better go home and get some sleep first!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, then we’ll head back to the county bureau first!”

Li Gang then exchanged a few more words with Feng Kai, who was lying on the stretcher, before getting back into the car and driving off toward the county seat!

After watching Li Gang and the others leave, Li Yi and the others worked together to take Feng Kai back to his home, and then they all went their separate ways!

………

The next morning!

The Li family slept in… No, to be precise, most of the people in Nianzishan Village slept in.

After all, last night had dragged on from past 2 a.m. until past 6 a.m., filled with chases and gunfights. Many were physically and mentally exhausted, so it was inevitable that they’d sleep in.

By the time Li Yi got up, it was already 11:00 a.m.

The room was empty. Not only was Jiang Xue gone, but the two children were missing as well. Even the quilts in the room had been neatly folded, leaving only the one beneath him still in disarray, lying lonely on the kang.

Judging by the babbling sounds coming from the next room, Yunrui and Yunjin had most likely been carried over there.

After getting dressed and freshening up, Li Yi headed over to the next room.

In his parents’ room, his eldest sister and mother were cutting paper cutouts on the kang, while Jiang Xue sat astride the edge, watching intently, seemingly eager to learn the craft.

His father was crouched on a small stool next to the stove, puffing on a pipe while watching his young grandson and two little grandsons play on the kang.

When she saw Li Yi push open the door, Jiang Xue immediately asked, “You’re awake? I’ll go heat up some food for you!”

No sooner had she spoken than her father, poking the embers with a poker, said, “Why reheat the meal? Have some roasted sweet potatoes instead!”

With that, his father pulled two roasted potatoes out of the stove and handed them to Li Yi.

Li Yi immediately took a few quick steps forward to accept the baked yams, smiling as he said, “These are a real treat—I haven’t had baked yams in two years!”

With that, Li Yi handed one to Jiang Xue and said, “Try one. Dad has a perfect handle on the heat—not undercooked or burnt, and they smell so good!”

“I’m not hungry. You eat first!”

Jiang Xue said as she put on her shoes and walked toward the door.

A moment later, she returned to the room, but now she was holding a bowl—half-filled with noodles in sauce.

This was a condiment unique to central North Province—roasted sesame seeds ground into a paste, used as a substitute for soy sauce.

If you add a pinch of salt, it tastes almost like salt and pepper. Locals usually dip their potatoes in this when they eat them.

“Hahaha, how did you know I wanted to dip it in this stuff?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“I just knew…”

Just as they were talking, Li Shan Kui, his father, suddenly asked, “Xiao Yi, are you planning to go to the county seat later?”

Li Yi knew what his father was getting at and replied immediately, “Yeah, yesterday afternoon my third older sister called Li Gang and asked me to call her back, but Li Gang was too busy yesterday and didn’t have time to let me know…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Xue chimed in, “What did Sister Na want you to call her about? Did the gift from Hong Kong arrive?”

“It’s possible, but it could also be something related to the shop!” Li Yi said.

“When are you going? I’d like to head into town too!” Jiang Xue said.

Before Li Yi could respond, his father chimed in, “I’m going too!”

“Dad, do you have something to do in the county seat?” Li Yi asked.

“To stock up on some New Year’s supplies, and to buy some treats for my grandkids!”

“You don’t need to go yourself for New Year’s shopping. I’ll pick some up on my way back with Xue. As for the kids…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Li Shankui cut him off, saying, “I don’t care what you want to buy, but you’re not going to tell me what I can’t buy!”

“All right, all right, I won’t… I won’t…”

Li Yi then glanced at his watch and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s pack up and head out. If we leave early, we’ll still make it home in time for lunch!”

In the dead of winter, locals tend to eat lunch late—usually around two o’clock.

And in some households that eat only two meals a day, lunch might not be served until three or four o’clock.

His father didn’t say much; he immediately opened the large red cabinet, took out a green shoulder bag, asked his mother for some money, and headed outside.

Seeing this, Li Yi and Jiang Xue immediately put on warm clothes, called Zhang Ziqiang, Zhang Feng, and the others, and drove off toward the county seat…

……..

Qingshan County, Nianzishan Village!

After watching Li Gang and the others run out of the village, Li Yi’s heart was filled with worry.

That’s right—he didn’t go!

Originally, Li Yi had wanted to go with the main group, and not just because catching tomb raiders sounded thrilling.

More importantly, he wanted to see who exactly had dug up the General’s Tomb.

This was the biggest unsolved mystery in Qingshan County from his previous life—one that had never been cracked.

At the same time, it was a shared regret among all the county’s residents.

Everyone said that the exquisite quality of the artifacts unearthed from the General’s Tomb clearly demonstrated the tomb’s high status. If it could be preserved intact, it would be a tremendous boon for the entire Qing Shan County.

Who knows? With this tomb, the government might even build a museum on the original site to preserve it, or the area could become a tourist attraction.

But unfortunately, the General’s Tomb was looted by those damned thieves, and the damage was particularly severe. With no other choice, the provincial government had to dispatch an archaeological team to conduct an emergency excavation.

When the burial chamber was opened and the severely damaged coffin and the state of the chamber were revealed, the experts and professors in charge of the emergency excavation were filled with anger and regret.

Now that he was witnessing the case being solved firsthand, Li Yi was naturally quite excited; if he could catch those tomb raiders with his own hands, that would be even better.

Of course, the intention was good, but the moment he voiced the suggestion, it was met with unanimous opposition from Zhang Ziqiang, Li Gang, Feng Kai, as well as Yongzi, Xiaogouwa, and the others.

As Zhang Ziqiang put it, Li Yi’s safety was far more important than that of those unknown individuals. Even if the capture mission failed and those bastards got away, they couldn’t let him put himself in danger.

Li Gang, Feng Kai, and the others were also unwilling to let him take such a risk. Li Yi was of vital importance to both the county and the village; there could be absolutely no mishaps.

It wasn’t just Li Yi; even his father, Li Shan Kui, had been left behind in the village.

Li Yi felt helpless about this.

Although he had anticipated this—after all, Zhang Ziqiang’s job was to ensure his safety, and there was no way that guy would let him tag along—

Besides, those tomb raiders weren’t armed with mere sticks; if cornered, they would surely fight back with everything they had, and a fierce battle would be inevitable.

And bullets have no eyes; if he were to show up on the battlefield, no one could guarantee he’d come out unscathed.

Even if he weren’t killed, a single stray bullet could leave Zhang Ziqiang and the others facing disciplinary action from their superiors.

Li Gang, Feng Kai, and the others felt the same way. So, to avoid getting everyone into trouble, Li Yi had no choice but to comply with their wishes and stay in the village to wait for news.

At that moment, Li Yi was deeply worried, fearing that something might happen to these men.

It was the Lunar New Year; if anything happened to either the public security officers or the villagers, their families would find it unbearable.

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, his father’s familiar voice came from behind him: “You’ve been up most of the night. Go back and get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on things here!”

“Dad, I want to wait until everyone comes back!” Li Yi said.

“When I came out just now, the light was on in Xiaoxue’s room. You should go back and check on her so she doesn’t worry!”

Li Shankui added, “Anyway, the manhunt won’t be over anytime soon. There’s no point in you just sitting here waiting. You can come out after Uncle Feng and the others return—it’s not too late then!”

“Alright then. If there’s any movement over on the back mountain, just give me a shout!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

After that, Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang got back in the car and drove straight to the new house nearby.

When Li Yi got home, sure enough, he saw that the lights were on inside.

In fact, it wasn’t just his house; the lights were on in the vast majority of homes in the village.

After all, the village militia and reserve members were all young and able-bodied men. Although the women and children at home still had no idea what was going on, a late-night militia assembly was in itself highly unusual.

On top of that, the village had opened its long-dormant armory, and with all the militia members patrolling back and forth through the village, the women at home knew something major had happened.

Although they couldn’t stop the men in their families—nor did they dare to—they could only worry in silence.

Under these circumstances, who could possibly sleep?

……..

The Li Family’s Main House!

Li Yi pushed open the door and saw Jiang Xue sitting on the kang, fully dressed, her face filled with worry.

When she saw Li Yi push the door open, a flicker of excitement crossed her eyes, but the tension on her face eased considerably.

“What on earth is going on out there? It’s such a commotion. I even saw the village militia assembling and being issued guns…”

Before Jiang Xue could finish, Li Yi briefly recounted the events of the night.

After hearing the situation, Jiang Xue looked at Li Yi closely, then said with lingering fear, “That was way too dangerous. You really shouldn’t go running to the back mountain unless you have to!”

Li Yi ruffled her hair and said, “It was just a fluke this time. Nothing like this has ever happened before…”

Just then, his mother and older sister came in from the next room to ask what was going on.

When they learned that bandits had actually appeared on the back mountain, they were all startled.

Their village had experienced something like this decades ago; it was said that bandits had once stormed the village, resulting in many deaths. They never imagined there would still be criminals these days!

“Mom, big sister, don’t worry. Even though these guys have guns, they’re most likely just a bunch of grave robbers. I doubt they’d have the guts to come into the village and kill or burn things down!” Li Yi continued to reassure them.

“Oh, Mother, I’m just afraid they won’t catch them all in the dead of night. If a few of them get away, they might come back to take revenge on our village!” his mother, Zhang Yuehong, said with a worried look on her face.

Li Yi immediately replied, “Mom, our village is on high alert now. The police and militia are already out catching those people. Even if a few slip through the net, they won’t dare come back to the village to take revenge!”

“I hope it really is as you say, otherwise we won’t be able to enjoy the New Year in our village!” his mother said.

Jiang Xue chimed in, “Let’s hope those criminals don’t put up a fight, and that they don’t cause any casualties in the village. Otherwise, this New Year’s celebration will be nothing but a headache!”

Li Yi sighed and said, “Let’s hope so…”

Just as they were speaking, a sudden “thud, thud” sounded from outside.

In the past, Li Yi would have mistaken this sound for firecrackers, but today, it certainly wasn’t firecrackers.

Realizing that a firefight had broken out on the back mountain, Li Yi immediately ran out of the house and climbed the ladder onto the roof.

Since his house was in a remote location, with no other buildings in sight except for a sheep farm and a cattle farm nearby, he could clearly see the back mountain from the roof.

However, the night was so pitch-black that, aside from the occasional gunfire in the distance, he could see nothing else.

Even so, just hearing the rapid gunfire—sounding like firecrackers—was enough to imagine how fierce the fighting was on the back mountain, and this made Li Yi’s heart sink.

He didn’t care one bit about the tomb raiders’ lives. Given the behavior of these scoundrels—robbing tombs at gunpoint and then resisting arrest—they’d surely have been sentenced to hard labor if caught. Being shot dead might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Li Yi’s greatest concern right now was the arrest team. After all, most of them had no experience fighting criminals, and many had never even fired a gun before.

Yet they were now facing a gang of desperate criminals—it would be nearly impossible to avoid casualties!

The gunfire raged on for nearly half an hour before gradually dying down, leaving Li Yi feeling even more tense and anxious.

He didn’t know if the criminals had been captured or killed, whether any had escaped, or if the arrest team had suffered any casualties…

Just as Li Yi was worrying, lights flashed on the hillside behind the village and began moving toward the village—clearly, the arrest team had returned.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately climbed down from the roof, called out to Zhang Ziqiang and Yang Zhiwen, and headed toward the village entrance…

………

PS: There will be another chapter before midnight!

On the gravel road leading from the county seat to Nianzishan Village, a convoy consisting of five jeeps and five three-wheeled motorcycles with side-dump beds was speeding along.

Inside the vehicles, Li Gang looked tense and anxious, glancing at his wristwatch from time to time.

At the same time, he urged Zhang Ziqiang, who was driving up front, “Bro, hurry up! Don’t let those bastards get away!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “We’re already going as fast as we can. Any faster and we might flip the car—don’t forget it just snowed heavily on the road!”

“Ah, I’m just worried. If those guys get away with it, it’ll be a disgrace to the entire public security system of our North Province!” Li Gang said.

“Don’t worry, those guys aren’t that fast!”

Li Yi continued, “It’s freezing out here—every inch they dig is a struggle. Plus, they can’t operate in broad daylight, so they can’t be moving that fast!”

“But we don’t know how long those dirt rats have been digging. If they started a while ago, maybe…”

“Don’t worry. They haven’t dug up much soil. I’d guess they’ve dug no more than six or seven feet deep. Normally, ancient tombs aren’t buried that shallow!” Li Yi said.

“You’re right!”

Just then, Li Yi suddenly asked, “By the way, back in town, you said you were originally going to look for me. What did you mean by that?”

“Look at me—I got so flustered I completely forgot about it!”

Li Gang continued, “I got a call from your sister this afternoon. She asked you to call her back when you had a chance. I was actually planning to come find you this afternoon, but there was an emergency meeting at the county office. By the time it ended, it was already past seven in the evening, so I decided to come to the village to find you tomorrow morning. I never expected you to show up in the middle of the night!”

“Did my sister say what it was about?” Li Yi asked.

“No, she didn’t, but she sounded pretty urgent!”

“Alright, I got it. I’ll call her back once I’ve taken care of this,” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Just then, Zhang Ziqiang, who was driving up front, suddenly said, “Brother Yi, Team Leader Li, we’re almost at the village!”

Li Yi looked out the car window and sure enough, saw scattered lights in the distance—it was Nianzishan Village.

Seeing that the village was relatively quiet, Li Yi immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Don’t stop now. Hurry into the village, and turn off the headlights as soon as we’re inside!”

“Roger that!”

Zhang Ziqiang then slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and the car sped ahead, racing toward the village…

………

Nianzishan Village!

It was late at night, yet the village was far from quiet. In winter, no one likes to be out and about, so most villagers had long since gone to bed—many had even woken up from their first sleep.

But just half an hour ago, village officials suddenly began going door to door, knocking on every house and ordering the young and able-bodied men to get up immediately and assemble.

Fortunately, everyone knew something must have happened, so they didn’t ask many questions and got up one after another.

It must be said that the people’s obedience in those days was truly remarkable—unlike in later times, when the government had to explain every action clearly to the public, or else very few would be willing to cooperate.

And so, this sudden turn of events shattered the tranquility of Nianzishan Village!

Under the orders of Village Party Secretary Feng Kai and Brigade Commander Zhang Tongfu, the village militia company quickly assembled, while the rest of the able-bodied men stood by on high alert.

At the same time, the village armory—which had been sealed away for several years—was opened once more, and long guns were distributed to the men.

Before long, a force of over a hundred men had assembled.

The scene—with its militia and arsenal—might sound a bit exaggerated, but it was perfectly normal in those days.

It must be understood that in those days, to prepare for crises that could arise at any moment, the higher-ups strictly enforced the strategy of “hiding soldiers among the people”—a policy that could almost be described as “everyone is a soldier.”

Consequently, most villages in those days had militia organizations and their own armories.

Nianzi Mountain Village’s armory was located right next to the village committee office—a reinforced mud-brick building housing over a hundred old-style rifles and a small number of semi-automatic rifles, all outdated equipment phased out by the regular army.

Although their firepower was mediocre, they were more than sufficient for the militia’s daily training.

In fact, it wasn’t just Nianzi Mountain Village that had a militia and an armory; most villages did. Every year during the off-season, the village would organize intensive training for the militia, which could last as long as a month or as short as a week or two.

Every year or two, the county even organizes large-scale militia competitions, and Nianzishan Village consistently achieves strong results in these county-wide events—after all, the village Party branch secretary, Feng Kai, is a veteran who has seen combat.

However, with the domestic and international situation having remained stable in recent years, and the village busy with agricultural production, militia training had fallen somewhat by the wayside.

Even so, the results of years of rigorous training remained.

At a single command, the militia company was mobilized!

To prevent armed intruders from the woods on the back mountain from entering the village, Feng Kai personally took charge, arranging for the militia to set up patrols throughout the village while awaiting the arrival of the police!

Just past four in the morning, as several points of light gradually approached the village, the villagers’ hearts, which had been in their throats, finally relaxed.

It must be the police—after all, in these times, most people who could afford a car were government officials. While there were certainly a few like Li Yi who’d earned their own through hard work, they were few and far between.

Soon, the convoy arrived at the entrance to Nianzishan Village!

Immediately, several police officers stepped out of the lead jeep, and to everyone’s surprise, Li Gang was at the front.

Immediately afterward, the doors of the Jeeps and military trucks behind opened, and dozens of police officers, fully armed, leaped out in a flash.

Li Yi also got out of the car and walked over to Feng Kai alongside Li Gang.

“Uncle Feng, what’s the situation? Did those guys give chase?”

Feng Kai replied immediately, “No. I had Da Lei lead a platoon of militia to set up defenses behind the village. There’s been no movement over there so far!”

Li Yi nodded, then turned to Li Gang and said, “It’s up to you guys now!”

Li Gang replied immediately, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure not a single one of those bastards gets away!”

Just then, Zhang Ziqiang, standing nearby, said to Li Gang, “Captain Li, I’ve observed those men. They’re highly alert—they’ve even posted lookouts. You can tell at a glance they’re hardened criminals.”

“Plus, they’re armed, and they’re involved in capital offenses. These guys aren’t going to surrender without a fight. So I suggest you split into three groups and approach them from three different directions in the woods simultaneously to surround and capture them. That’s the only way to make sure none of them slip through the net!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Gang replied, “But we’re not very familiar with the terrain in the woods. Could you find a few comrades to guide us?”

No sooner had he spoken than Yongzi and Xiaogouwa stepped forward from the side and said, “We’re willing to lead the way!”

Then Feng Kai spoke up: “Officers, our village’s militia has also assembled and is ready to assist you in your operation!”

“Good. Then let’s discuss the upcoming arrest operation. We must ensure that not a single person escapes, while also doing our best to avoid casualties!” said Li Gang.

“Agreed!”

The group then crouched in the snow at the village entrance to discuss the arrest plan.

First, Yongzi and Xiaogouwa gave a brief overview of the terrain around the General’s Tomb. Then, Li Gang and Feng Kai outlined the troop strength and firepower on both sides.

After sorting out these details, Li Gang quickly devised an arrest plan based on their previous experience in apprehending criminals.

The plan was then refined by Feng Kai, Zhang Ziqiang, and others, and preparations began accordingly.

At 4:30 a.m., more than 160 public security officers and militia split into three groups and charged into the dense forest on the back mountain from three different directions, launching an operation to apprehend the suspected tomb raiders…

……….

PS: I was in the middle of writing this when the power and water suddenly went out in the neighborhood. My computer is about to run out of battery—what a headache!

Hope the power comes back soon, or today’s work is ruined!

Li Yi knew exactly where Li Gang lived—it was near the Experimental Primary School in the county seat, just a few houses away from Wang An’s home.

The Jeep zipped through the streets and alleys of the county town, arriving at its destination in no time.

At that moment, the Li family’s gate was locked tight, and the courtyard was pitch black—clearly, everyone had already gone to bed.

Li Yi immediately called out twice through the gate. Just as he was hesitating whether to climb over the wall, a light suddenly came on inside the house.

Immediately afterward, a man in his fifties emerged, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, and stood at the doorway asking, “Who’s there?”

“Uncle, I’m a friend of Li Gang’s. I need to see him about an urgent matter!”

“Little Gang is already asleep. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”

“Uncle, it’s urgent—I really can’t wait until tomorrow…”

Just as he was speaking, another figure emerged from the doorway—it was none other than Li Gang.

He was getting dressed as he asked, “Who’s at the door? What’s the matter?”

“It’s Li Yi. Come out right away—I need to talk to you urgently!”

Recognizing Li Yi’s voice, Li Gang immediately pulled on his shoes and ran out of the house at a brisk pace.

When he reached the front gate, he didn’t bother opening it; instead, he leaped over the courtyard wall and landed right beside Li Yi.

“Wow, why are you here in the middle of the night? I was just planning to look for you tomorrow morning!” Li Gang asked in surprise.

“I’ve got a big favor to ask of you. Interested?” Li Yi said.

“What kind of big favor?” Li Gang asked, his eyes lighting up.

He knew Li Yi’s capabilities well; if he called it a major achievement, it was bound to be something big.

Li Yi then briefly recounted what had happened that night to Li Gang.

After hearing Li Yi’s account, Li Gang immediately exclaimed excitedly, “Brother Li Yi, are you sure those guys have guns and are digging a tunnel?”

“Absolutely. We went up close to check—every single one of them has a gun. There’s no doubt about it,” Li Yi confirmed.

“Hahaha, Brother Li Yi, you really are my lucky charm!” Li Gang exclaimed excitedly.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you know who these people are?”

“Right. Let’s get in the car first—we’ll talk on the way!”

“Alright!”

The three then got back in the car. With Zhang Ziqiang behind the wheel, they headed straight for the county police headquarters.

Once in the car, Li Gang began, “Three months ago, we received a request for assistance from our sister agency in Jinxi Province, asking us to help investigate a major tomb-raiding case!”

“The ringleader of the case is named Xue Guangzhong, a native of Pingcheng. His family has been in the grave-robbing business for generations, but with stricter enforcement in recent years, the Xue family had stopped their activities, and people had largely forgotten about them.”

“However, starting two years ago, a series of ancient tomb robberies began occurring in the Jinzhong and northern parts of Jinan. In just two short years, more than thirty ancient tombs have been looted in the central and northern regions of Jinshi Province—roughly one every month. These tomb raiders are acting with extreme audacity.”

“Naturally, this matter attracted the close attention of the public security authorities in Jinxi Province, who immediately assembled a task force of elite investigators to look into this series of tomb-raiding cases. After conducting their investigation, they found that the Xue Guangzhong family was a prime suspect, and they promptly focused their efforts on them.”

“However, just as the task force was preparing to launch an in-depth investigation into the Xue family, they discovered that all the men in the household had vanished overnight, leaving behind only the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled. This brought the case to a standstill.”

“After analysis by the Jinxi Provincial Public Security Bureau, they concluded that the Xue family must have caught wind of the investigation and fled. Their likely escape route was the neighboring Saibei Province—after all, Saibei borders the frontier, and if necessary, they could even escape across the border. That’s why the Jinxi Provincial Public Security Bureau requested our assistance with the investigation. Unfortunately, despite three months of collaboration, we haven’t uncovered a single lead. I never imagined you’d actually run into this group.”

Li Yi frowned and asked, “How can you be so sure that the people we encountered were from the Xue family?”

“Our Qingshan County… no, I should say our Saibei Province has always been a wild frontier since ancient times, and it’s also been grazing land for nomadic tribes. That’s why there are hardly any ancient tombs in the entire province!”

Li Gang continued, “With so few tombs, there are even fewer tomb raiders. Our Yunshan County has produced murderers, robbers, and thieves, but we’ve never had a tomb raider. So if a tomb here gets robbed, it definitely wasn’t done by locals. And if they did it with such professional skill, it’s even less likely to be locals.”

“Is that all you’re basing this on?”

“Of course not. You mentioned earlier that there were six of them, and the men who went missing from the Xue family also happened to number six.”

Li Gang continued, “Digging up the ground in the dead of night, armed with guns, and the numbers match up—who else could it be besides the Xue family?”

After hearing Li Gang’s analysis, Li Yi couldn’t help but nod.

He looked at Li Gang and said, “Not bad. That’s a very sound analysis. It really is true that you should look at someone with fresh eyes after three days apart!”

“Hahaha, you’re right. After all, I’m the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division now—I’ve got to pick up some skills!” Li Gang said.

“That’s right…”

Just as they were speaking, the car returned to the county police headquarters.

By then, more than twenty police officers had already assembled in the courtyard of the county bureau. Everyone was fully armed, standing in neat formation, and exuding a powerful presence.

At the front of the formation, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a superior was giving a speech. However, the wind was a bit strong, and since Li Yi was standing some distance away, he couldn’t make out what the man was saying.

Li Gang had Zhang Ziqiang drive the car to the front of the formation, then stepped out and strode toward the middle-aged man.

Before Li Gang could speak, the official asked loudly, “Comrade Li Gang, what exactly is the situation with your friend? How could an outsider like him order the unit to assemble without authorization…”

Before he could finish, Li Gang hurriedly replied, “Deputy Director Wu, it was Comrade Li Yi who spotted Xue Guangzhong and his gang. I request immediate authorization to lead the team in apprehending these tomb raiders!”

“Who are you talking about? Xue Guangzhong?”

Deputy Director Wu was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Are you sure it’s Xue Guangzhong?”

“I’m certain. Besides, regardless of whether it’s Xue Guangzhong and his group or not, we can’t just ignore people moving through the mountains and forests armed with live ammunition. You agree with that, don’t you? Otherwise, if something really goes wrong, we’ll all be held responsible!” Li Gang said.

“You have a point. Let’s get moving then!” Deputy Director Wu said immediately.

“Director Wu, according to Comrade Li Yi’s report, the suspects appear to be looting graves in the woods behind Nianzi Mountain Village. Moreover, they’re all armed with high-caliber ammunition, including powerful weapons like submachine guns. If we rely solely on the standard pistols our men carry, we won’t have the upper hand in a firefight!”

Li Gang continued, “Therefore, I suggest that all comrades participating in the operation switch to Type 63 rifles, and that we order the Chengguan and Hongqi Police Stations, as well as the Hongqi Commune militia, to coordinate with us.”

“Agreed. You’re to switch out your weapons immediately, and notify other units to send reinforcements right away. I’m going to report the situation to Director Lin and the other county leaders now!”

“Yes, sir!”

After about ten minutes of preparation, once the eight police officers from the Chengguan Police Station arrived, Li Gang personally led a group of over thirty police officers out of the county bureau.

Next, they first arrived at Hongqi Commune. After joining forces with the local police station staff and over two hundred militia members who had been temporarily assembled there, the group—some riding in jeeps, others in large trucks—headed straight for Nianzishan Village!

Meanwhile, the people toiling away in the mountains, looting the General’s tomb, had no idea that their presence had been exposed and that a large contingent of police was already on its way…

……..

Outside the forest, by the reservoir!

On the way out of the woods, none of them spoke a word; they didn’t even have the heart to collect their prey, focusing solely on making haste.

It wasn’t until they emerged from the woods that they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, Li Yi suggested they rest temporarily by the reservoir before returning to the village.

The reason for this was, on the one hand, that they had been on the move for over two hours and were indeed quite tired.

More importantly, Li Yi wanted to check if there were any pursuers behind them.

After all, the General’s Tomb was in a remote location where few people ever went, and with the fresh snow on the ground, their footprints were particularly distinct.

Although Zhang Ziqiang had already tried to cover their tracks, footprints that fresh would be easy to spot no matter how much they tried to hide them.

If those people sensed something was amiss and followed the tracks to track them down, that would be trouble.

Judging by the number of guns those men were carrying, they were a gang of desperados. If they caught up, there was no way they could be brought back to the village.

Otherwise, it would bring utter disaster upon the village.

The group hid beneath the reservoir’s spillway for nearly half an hour without seeing anyone following them, and only then did Li Yi breathe a sigh of relief.

Then Li Yi looked at Zhang Ziqiang and asked, “What do you make of this?”

Zhang Ziqiang paused to think for a moment, then said, “These guys are armed and showed up in the middle of the night in a remote forest—they definitely aren’t up to anything good. Judging by the way they’re digging a pit and building a fire, they must be digging for something…”

Before he could finish, Yongzi immediately piped up, “Brother Yi, do you think these guys might be digging for Zhang Gai’s treasure?”

“Who is Zhang Gai?” Zhang Ziqiang asked, looking puzzled.

Li Yi replied immediately, “Zhang Gai was a local warlord from around here. It’s said that before he died, he buried all the treasures he’d plundered and amassed over his lifetime. Years ago, the county organized a search party specifically to find Zhang Gai’s treasure, but they came up empty-handed!”

Zhang Ziqiang glanced over at the woods and said, “So, you’re saying those people are digging for Zhang Gai’s treasure?”

Li Yi shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. After all, Zhang Gai’s hometown is still forty or fifty kilometers away from here, and I’ve never heard of him burying his treasure near our village of Nianzishan.”

Before 1985, the villagers knew nothing about the general’s tomb on the back mountain.

There had never been any related legends or rumors in the village, and it wasn’t even recorded in the county annals.

So, Yongzi naturally suspected someone else.

But Li Yi knew that what those people had been digging for wasn’t Zhang Gai’s treasure, but the tomb of a great general from the Jin Dynasty.

“Brother Yi, what should we do now?” Yongzi asked, looking at Li Yi.

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Although we don’t know if these people are digging for treasure or a grave, one thing is certain: these guys aren’t up to any good. Plus, they’re armed with guns, and they actually dared to light a fire in the woods in the middle of winter. We have to stop them!”

“But… how are we supposed to stop them? Those guys are armed with real shotguns!” Yongzi said.

“We definitely can’t handle this on our own. We need to find some backup!” Li Yi said.

“Where are we going to find help?”

“The police!” Li Yi said.

“Brother Yi, are you saying we should go to the commune right now to ‘report the incident’?”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “We’re not going to the commune—we’re heading straight to the county seat!”

“The county seat?”

“Right. There aren’t many people at the police station in the commune, and they’re only equipped with standard handguns. They’re no match for the rifles and submachine guns those guys have!”

As he spoke, Li Yi glanced at his watch and realized it was nearly three in the morning.

He continued, “Once we get back to the village, you two go report the situation to Uncle Feng right away. Have Brother Lei gather the village militia to secure the village in case those guys chase us back here. Meanwhile, the two of us will drive straight into town to file a report!”

“Yes!”

After finalizing the plan, the group immediately set off at a brisk pace toward the village.

Upon returning to the village, they dumped the game and the rabbit-trapping gear all at once into Li Yi’s courtyard, then split up to carry out their tasks.

………

Qingshan County!

The entire county police bureau was deathly quiet. Apart from the lights in the duty room, the vast police station was pitch black.

Suddenly, the muffled roar of a car engine shattered the silence.

Immediately afterward, a Jeep with Beijing license plates pulled up in front of the county police headquarters.

Seeing that the main gate was locked, Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang immediately got out to investigate.

They discovered that while the main gate was locked, the small side gate was unlocked.

Without hesitation, Li Yi pushed open the side gate and strode inside.

Perhaps because the area had enjoyed a long period of peace, or perhaps because no serious criminal cases had occurred in the county for several years, security at the county police station was extremely lax. The two men practically walked in as if no one were there.

When Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang entered the county police station’s duty room, they saw through the reception window that although there was someone inside, the officer on duty was sound asleep on a single bed, completely unaware that anyone had entered the station.

Fortunately, it was them who had come today; if criminals had arrived instead, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the entire county bureau had been wiped out.

With that thought, Li Yi immediately tapped on the glass of the window.

However, the officer on duty inside didn’t react at all. Li Yi stood by the reception window and called out a few more times.

Still, the man inside didn’t stir—it was utterly outrageous!

Time was of the essence, and Li Yi dared not delay. He walked straight to the door and kicked the wooden door with all his might.

“Thud!”

After a loud crash, a large hole appeared in the wooden door, and Li Yi’s foot slipped through the opening.

The police officer sleeping inside was startled awake and immediately got up to investigate.

When he saw a foot sticking through the wooden door, the officer on duty was startled. He immediately drew his pistol and shouted, “Who goes there?”

Li Yi pulled his foot back through the door and shouted, “I’m Li Yi from Nianzishan Village. I’m friends with Li Gang from your bureau. I have an urgent matter to report!”

The officer on duty was taken aback for a moment—he knew Li Yi—and immediately went over to open the door.

Seeing that it was indeed Li Yi standing at the doorway, he hurriedly asked, “Comrade Li Yi, it really is you! What are you doing out here in the middle of the night…”

Before the officer could finish, Li Yi said in a stern voice, “Time is of the essence. Wake up everyone at your station immediately. By the way, where’s Li Gang? Is he at the station?”

“Um… ah… Captain Li went home tonight; he’s not at the station…”

“I’ll go pick him up at his place. You immediately notify everyone at the station to assemble right now, and make sure they bring their weapons and gear—we have an emergency to handle!”

With that, Li Yi turned to leave!

“Comrade Li Yi, what exactly is going on? I need to know what’s happening before I can rally the team…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Ziqiang, who was standing beside Li Yi, pulled out a small red notebook, flashed it in front of him, and said, “I’m from Beijing. I have the authority to mobilize your bureau’s personnel. Carry out the order immediately. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility!”

“This… is it!”

With that, the public security officer immediately rang the bureau’s alarm bell!

In an instant, the once-quiet county bureau was filled with the shrill ringing of the bell.

Soon after, lights began to flicker on in row after row of buildings within the compound, and the once pitch-black courtyard quickly came alive with activity.

But Li Yi had no time to watch this. It was already 3:30 a.m., and he had to act quickly; otherwise, those armed tomb raiders might slip away.

Back in the car, he took the wheel himself and drove straight to Li Gang’s house…

………

PS: Another chapter before midnight!

The mountain forest was even colder in the early hours of the morning; apart from the howling cold wind, they could hear nothing.

Moreover, the northwesterly wind was whipping up the snow on the ground, severely impairing their visibility.

If it weren’t for Li Yi and the others’ thorough familiarity with these woods, they would have easily gotten lost.

They retraced their steps along the path they had just taken, retrieving more than a dozen wire snares along the way, but came up empty-handed, leaving them somewhat disappointed.

Just then, a series of “thud, thud” sounds came from ahead. The experienced Yongzi immediately said, “Something’s been caught in a snare—by the sound of it, it’s a wild rabbit!”

With that, he ran forward at a brisk pace.

After running just ten or so meters, the group saw a plump wild rabbit struggling in a thicket of bushes.

It was hopping back and forth among the bushes, but because its neck was caught in the snare, the more it struggled, the tighter the snare became.

Seeing people approaching, the hare grew even more frantic and hopped about even more wildly.

However, the snare was made of thin wire; neither its flexibility nor its strength allowed an ordinary hare to break free. Within moments, the hare lost the ability to move due to suffocation.

Yongzi immediately stepped forward and delivered a blow to the rabbit’s head with a hammer, putting the poor creature out of its misery.

He then immediately pulled out the pocket knife he carried and bled it out; otherwise, the rabbit meat would have a strong, unpleasant blood taste.

After bleeding the rabbit, the group continued onward.

After walking just a few steps, they saw a mess in the snowy ground ahead. Upon closer inspection, they realized another hare had been caught in a snare.

Unfortunately, they’d arrived too late—the rabbit was already dead and had frozen stiff.

With a carcass like this, there was no point wasting time bleeding it out—it was pointless. They’d deal with it when they got back!

After collecting the game and the wire snare, the group pressed on!

Since the village had nearly eradicated all the wolves in the surrounding mountains over the past few years, wild rabbits, pheasants, and foxes had become so abundant that we couldn’t possibly catch them all.

So, as they walked along, they kept collecting traps. In less than an hour, they’d bagged eight wild rabbits, two red foxes, and five pheasants—a truly bountiful haul.

However, just as they were about to press on and check the remaining seventy or eighty snares all at once, the sharp-eyed Zhang Ziqiang suddenly whispered, “Watch out—there’s a glow up ahead!”

Hearing Zhang Ziqiang’s warning, the group immediately stopped, turned off their flashlights, and looked in the direction he was pointing.

Sure enough, several hundred meters away, there were faint signs of flickering flames—a sight that stood out starkly in the nighttime jungle.

Yongzi frowned immediately and said, “That idiot—lighting a fire in the woods at a time like this? Doesn’t he fear setting the whole forest ablaze?”

“No way. I’m going to go tell that good-for-nothing off. If the forest catches fire, our whole village will suffer!”

This mountain forest was the village’s main source of firewood. Every year during the summer and fall, the village organized villagers to go into the woods to prune the trees—using large metal shovels to clear away all the excess branches and leaves.

This not only ensures the trees grow healthy but also provides firewood for the villagers—truly killing two birds with one stone.

If a forest fire were to break out, the village would have no firewood next year—that would be a major disaster!

However, just as Yongzi was about to go over to intervene, Li Yi yanked him back.

“What’s wrong, Brother Yi?”

“Don’t be reckless. You know what kind of people are out lighting fires in the woods in the middle of the night. If you run into bandits or thugs, won’t you just be putting yourself in danger?” Li Yi said in a low voice.

“Bro Yi, there aren’t any bandits or gangs these days. Chances are, they’re just like us—hunting rabbits in the mountains!” Yongzi said.

“I don’t think so. Most rabbit hunters are locals, and how many locals don’t know you’re not supposed to light fires in the mountains?”

As he spoke, Li Yi’s gaze shifted with concern toward the direction where the flames were rising.

If his memory served him correctly, that direction was exactly where the General’s Tomb was located, and this gave him a sense of foreboding.

As far as he knew, the General’s Tomb had indeed been looted in his previous life, though the exact timing remained unknown. In any case, it wasn’t until after 1985 that people discovered the tomb on the back mountain—by which time it had already been plundered for several years.

Fortunately, when the provincial government dispatched an archaeological team to conduct an emergency excavation of the General’s Tomb, they discovered that although the tomb had been severely looted, a side chamber containing the burial artifacts had been preserved intact.

Inside the side chamber, archaeologists discovered a vast quantity of gold, silver, and other precious burial artifacts. Among them, a sword encrusted with gemstones was designated a first-class cultural relic and became the crown jewel of the Provincial Museum.

The case of the general’s tomb being looted in his previous life had never been solved, and the tomb raiders had never been apprehended, so exactly how many artifacts were lost from the general’s tomb back then remained a mystery.

Discovering someone lighting a fire here late at night—and right at the site of the general’s tomb, no less—couldn’t help but make Li Yi suspicious of these people’s identities.

“Brother Yi, what should we do now?” Yongzi asked.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Turn off all our flashlights, then sneak over quietly to check it out. If they’re really just mountain guides, we’ll give them a warning. If not, we’ll play it by ear!”

“Got it!”

Then Li Yi added, “Xiaogouwa, you stay here and watch over the game. Wait for us to come back!”

“Got it!”

The other three left all their game and the recovered wire snares with Xiaogouwa, then crept toward the source of the light.

Li Yi and Yongzi were both mountain boys at heart and had plenty of experience navigating the woods.

As for Zhang Ziqiang, he was a special operations agent trained at great expense by the state; their abilities were, of course, beyond question. Consequently, the three of them quickly and silently made their way to the source of the firelight and hid behind a massive tree that took several people to encircle.

By the light of the fire, the three quickly got a clear view of the situation in the woods.

They saw that the fire was burning in a dirt pit, with five or six burly men sitting around it, warming themselves by the fire and chatting idly among themselves.

Not only were tools like shovels and pickaxes scattered around them, but there was also a large pile of freshly dug earth.

More importantly, they saw that quite a few firearms were actually placed beside the fire—including rifles with bayonets and semi-automatic rifles—and their firepower was no small matter.

Seeing this scene, Yongzi broke out in a cold sweat.

Although he had a gun of his own, it was merely a single-barrel shotgun, primarily used for hunting wild boars and wolves.

But the men not far away were armed with real firearms—especially those semi-automatic rifles, whose firepower was staggering. There was simply no comparison between the two.

More importantly, these men had ventured deep into the woods in the dead of night, armed and carrying so much equipment—it certainly didn’t look like they were up to any good.

If he hadn’t listened to Brother Yi and had rushed out recklessly, he might very well have been silenced.

Immediately, Yongzi looked at Li Yi with eyes full of gratitude.

Just then, Zhang Ziqiang pointed to the left and right.

Li Yi and Yongzi followed the direction of Zhang Ziqiang’s finger and were surprised to see two people standing on either side of a hill not far from the fire pit.

To their shock, both men were holding guns. They were pacing back and forth while keeping a close watch on the woods—clearly acting as lookouts.

Upon seeing this, everyone—including Li Yi himself—broke out in a cold sweat.

He had a premonition that they had most likely run into tomb raiders today—and likely professional ones at that.

After all, it was the dead of winter. Robbing tombs in such freezing conditions required not just physical strength, but considerable technical expertise—something ordinary tomb raiders simply didn’t possess.

And if they were to run into these people head-on, the chances of being silenced were very high.

Fortunately, they had been cautious enough earlier—crawling on their bellies as they approached and keeping their flashlights turned off.

Otherwise, they would have been easily spotted.

If these gun-toting men spotted them, the consequences would be unimaginable—they might well become the targets of a hunt.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately waved his hand, signaling to Zhang Ziqiang and Yongzi to retreat.

The situation had far exceeded their ability to handle it; they’d better retreat first and figure things out later.

Seeing this, Zhang Ziqiang signaled for Li Yi and Yongzi to leave first while he dealt with the traces they’d left behind.

Li Yi knew Zhang Ziqiang was a professional, so he didn’t say much; he immediately grabbed Yongzi and headed back the way they came.

Zhang Ziqiang, however, lay flat on the ground and used branches to wipe away all the footprints in the snow. Once the wind blew and the snow settled, nothing would be visible.

Thus, Zhang Ziqiang retreated while covering his tracks, taking a good half hour to rejoin Li Yi and the others.

After reuniting, the group didn’t dare linger any longer. They picked up their prey and headed toward the edge of the forest…

……..

The moon shone brightly amidst sparse stars, and a cold wind howled!

Walking through the dense forest was a tremendous test of both courage and willpower.

Fortunately, for Li Yi, Yongzi, Xiaogouwa, and the others—who had lived at the foot of the mountain for years—this was nothing out of the ordinary.

As the saying goes, “Make use of what’s at hand”—they had grown up playing in these mountains and forests since childhood and were intimately familiar with the terrain.

In truth, the greatest danger in the mountains comes from wolves, tigers, and leopards. However, the most fearsome beast ever spotted in these woods was merely a wolf; tigers, leopards, or bears had never been seen here.

As for the wolves, they had been virtually eradicated by decades of government and militia campaigns. Even the few that managed to survive had either fled far north to the grasslands or hidden deep in the mountains, too afraid to come out.

Plus, since they were now traveling in a group of four, they had absolutely nothing to fear.

They set traps as they went, working from 5:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.—a total of over five hours—until they had finally set all two hundred wire snares.

Afterward, they found a small hill sheltered from the wind and sat down to rest for a while.

That’s how it goes with driving game into snares: once the wire snares are set, you can’t immediately return to check for prey; instead, you need to give the rabbits, pheasants, and foxes time to move about.

After all, most wild animals are nocturnal, especially active in the late night. If you go to check the snares too early, you’re likely to miss the time when the game comes out to forage.

They say it’s colder when the snow melts than when it’s falling. Since it had just snowed, the weather was particularly cold, so the group huddled together back-to-back, huddling close to keep warm.

As for why they didn’t build a fire for warmth, it was mainly because they were in a forested area; lighting a fire in the dead of winter could easily spark a wildfire if not handled carefully.

If a wildfire were to break out, fueled by the northwest wind, you’d likely be roasted alive before you even had a chance to escape.

That’s why children living near the mountains are warned from a young age by their elders never to start a fire once they’re in the woods, unless they’re in a log cabin or a cave.

Taking advantage of the break, Li Yi asked, “Little Doggie, how much grain did the village allocate to you this year?”

Xiaogouwa immediately grinned and said, “We didn’t get much grain—the four of us siblings got less than 1,400 jin in total—but we did get about 800 yuan!”

“Oh, and Yi, I’ll pay you back the money I owe you as soon as I get home!”

“No need to pay it back. I’ll deduct the money you borrowed from your wages, and I’ll give you the rest tomorrow!”

Then Li Yi turned to Yongzi standing nearby and said, “And your share—I’ll pay you that tomorrow too!”

Yongzi hurriedly said, “Brother Yi, the village has already given Xiao Gouwa and me our share. You really don’t need to pay us wages!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Do you guys know how much Dongzi, Qiangzi, and Shitou make in a year?”

“Well… we’re not really sure…”

“Let me tell you, Dongzi and the others’ monthly wages have already gone up to 120 yuan. That comes to 1,440 yuan a year!” Li Yi said.

“Whoa!”

Yongzi and Xiaogouwa both couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment. For them, a year of hard work back in the village used to yield little more than a few hundred pounds of grain, and it was rare to even receive 100 yuan at year’s end.

This year, those unable to work received 120 yuan, while those able to work got 260—and they were already quite satisfied with that.

But they never would have imagined that the brothers who’d set out to make their fortunes with Brother Yi could earn over 1,400 yuan in a single year—enough to build five brick-and-tile houses back in the village!

At that moment, Li Yi spoke again: “My dad told me the village allocated over 80,000 yuan to me this year, and you guys played a big part in that. So your pay and benefits will be the same as Dongzi’s group!”

“W-well… 1,400 yuan too?” Yongzi asked instinctively.

“That’s right!”

“Brother Yi, that… that’s way too much. Just give us half—after all, the village has already given us our share!” Yongzi said.

“The village’s money is the village’s, and mine is mine—that’s different!”

Li Yi continued, “Yongzi, Xiaogouwa, I’ll have someone arrange for you to go to the county or the regional government’s livestock station for some training. You can’t run a large-scale livestock operation without the right skills!”

“Alright, we’ll definitely study hard and raise Brother Yi’s cattle and sheep well!” Yongzi said.

“Me too!” said Xiaogouwa.

Then Li Yi suddenly remembered something and turned to Yongzi: “By the way, didn’t your parents start looking for a wife for you two years ago? We haven’t heard anything yet.”

Yongzi grimaced and said, “The people my parents found for me were either burly, dim-witted girls or clueless girls who couldn’t even write their own names. No way am I taking any of them!”

“Haha, I didn’t expect you to have such high standards!”

Li Yi pressed further, “So tell me, what kind of girl do you like? Someone ‘pretty,’ someone ‘sharp,’ or maybe someone who’s good at bearing children?”

Yongzi thought for a moment and said, “I don’t think a wife has to be super ‘pretty,’ but she can’t be too ugly either. As long as she’s well-proportioned, that’s fine.”

“The most important thing is that she’s smart. It’d be best if she’s been to school and knows a few words. Those dumb as rocks who can’t even string a sentence together—marrying one of those would be a disaster!”

“Hahaha, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, kid. That’s right—when choosing a wife, you’ve got to look for virtue, not just a pretty face!”

Li Yi then turned to Xiaogouwa and asked, “What are your thoughts on this, kid?”

Xiaogouwa immediately lowered his head. After a long moment, he said, “Brother Yi, you know my family’s situation. For someone like me, it’s already a blessing if anyone’s willing to marry into it—I can’t very well be picky!”

Thinking back to his previous life, where Xiaogouwa had married that shrew and ended up with a life in shambles—he was the one living the worst among this group of young brothers.

Li Yi immediately patted him on the back of the head and frowned. “Get a grip. What’s wrong with your family? You’re just a little poor right now and have a few younger siblings, that’s all.”

“They say fortune changes every thirty years. Don’t look down on a young man just because he’s poor—you’re just a little short on cash right now, not that you’ll stay that way forever.”

“Besides, now that you’re working for me, you’re making over a thousand a year. Look around Qing Shan County—how many people earn that much? Even the county leaders don’t make much more than that. Why shouldn’t you be able to pick a wife?”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Xiaogouwa immediately lifted his head, his eyes sparkling with determination.

“Brother Yi, I get it. I won’t just settle for any woman!”

“That’s the spirit. Let me know when you’re looking for a wife—I’ll help you vet her!” Li Yi said again.

“Okay…”

Li Yi then turned his gaze to Zhang Ziqiang and asked, “Ziqiang, what’s your situation? You’re over twenty—why aren’t you married yet?”

Zhang Ziqiang replied immediately, “I just don’t have the time. Plus, with my job, I’m on the road all year round—there’s no telling when I’ll be back. If I got married now, wouldn’t she just be a widow in name only? I’d rather wait until I retire before thinking about settling down!”

“You’re an idiot!”

Li Yi continued, “Do you think women are like yams in your family’s field—you can just dig them up whenever you want?”

“Let me tell you this: by the time you retire, you’ll be getting on in years. Girls your age will have all been married off long ago. All that’ll be left for you are the older women others have passed over, or women looking for a second marriage. Do you really want to wait?”

“Well… maybe I’ll just forget it, but what about my job…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in, “What’s wrong with your job? Can’t you find a girl who’s a good match for you? Like Zhang Feng, the one around your sister-in-law, or Yang Miao—I think either of them would work just fine!”

“Then when I’m out on business, you can come along, and when I get back, the three of you can spend time together. It’d be perfect!”

Hearing Li Yi’s suggestion, Zhang Ziqiang couldn’t help but feel tempted…

The group huddled together, chatting as they waited, and before they knew it, it was past 1:00 a.m.

Seeing that it was about time, the group got up and prepared to head back the way they came to retrieve the traps!

However, what they didn’t know was that right ahead of them, a crisis was waiting…

……….