Chapter 235: Prenatal Checkup

Yong County Train Station!

In the waiting hall, Li Yi, Tang Xue, Long Zhanjun, and the others were waiting to board their train.

Today, they were heading to Chang’an City!

Joining them on the trip were Long Zhanjun’s mother, Jiang Yuefang, his younger sister Long Xiaofeng, and Wei Da’an, nicknamed “Loach”!

There was also a girl of about fifteen or sixteen named Zhou Ling. She was the younger sister of Long Zhanjun’s other subordinate, Zhou Chong, and had come to help look after Jiang Yuefang and Long Xiaofeng.

After all, both the mother and daughter were suffering from serious illnesses, and since Long Zhanjun and Mudskipper were both men, certain tasks were simply not convenient for them to handle.

After passing through ticket inspection, the group of seven made their way to the platform to wait for the train!

“Woo-woo…”

Accompanied by a long, drawn-out whistle, a green-painted train chugged its way into the station and came to a stop beside the platform.

The doors opened, and a few scattered passengers disembarked, followed by the boarding of the other passengers!

Since Long Xiaofeng was in very poor health and couldn’t sit for long periods, Long Zhanjun had pulled some strings to secure four sleeper tickets.

Consequently, when boarding, Tang Xue, Jiang Yuefang, Long Xiaofeng, and Zhou Ling went to the sleeper car at the rear, while Li Yi, accompanied by Long Zhanjun and Niqiu, boarded the standard hard-seat car at the front.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling to buy a few more sleeper tickets; rather, there was a quota for sleeper berths, and they weren’t eligible to purchase them!

Fortunately, the train ride from Yong County to Chang’an City was only two and a half hours—a mere trifle for a group of grown men!

The train wasn’t very crowded, so the three of them quickly found their seats and sat down!

Then Li Yi asked, “Dalong, we don’t know how long we’ll be gone this time. Have you settled everything back home?”

Long Zhanjun knew Li Yi was asking about the younger brothers under his command, so he replied immediately, “Don’t worry, Brother Yi. Everything’s been taken care of. With Zhou Chong there, nothing should go wrong in the short term!”

“Good to hear!”

“By the way, Brother Yi, I just got word that Tang Bing is getting married!” Long Zhanjun said, dropping a bombshell.

“Oh, is it Tan Cheng?”

“No, it’s Liu Ermao!”

“What? Isn’t that stupid woman all over that wimp from the Tan family? How come she suddenly wants to marry a Liu?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“According to our sources, the Tan family found out that Tan Cheng lost his job because of that stupid woman. Plus, with Tang Jizhong and his wife getting arrested, the Tang family’s reputation is in the gutter, so they’re absolutely refusing to let Tang Bing into the family!”

“That makes sense, but the thing is, Tang Bing doesn’t have to marry that Liu guy either. I hear he’s almost forty this year, while Tang Bing isn’t even seventeen yet—that’s a pretty big age gap!” Li Yi said.

“Rumor has it that the Tang family accepted a dowry from that Liu Ermaozi. They’re demanding either double the dowry back or the bride herself!”

Long Zhanjun continued, “Those two old men from the Tang family didn’t want to cough up the money, so in the end they decided to marry off that stupid woman Tang Bing to him, and Liu Ermao agreed!”

“Did Tang Bing agree to it herself?”

“What could she do if she didn’t want to? She doesn’t have a say in the matter!” Long Zhanjun said.

Li Yi’s lips curled up slightly as he said, “She really did bring this on herself!”

That stupid woman had been egging the Tang family on from the very beginning to marry Tang Xue off to that Director Liu—Liu Ermaozi—so she could get a new job.

It goes without saying that those so-called dowry payments were the money they received for selling Tang Xue.

But who would’ve thought that in the end, she’d be the one sold off? Truly, what goes around comes around; karma is a wheel that turns. Just look up—heaven spares no one.

“Brother Yi, should we get involved in this?” Long Zhanjun asked.

“No need. We’ll just deal with them all together later!” Li Yi said indifferently.

“Alright!”

…….

At 1:00 p.m., the train finally pulled into the station!

The group immediately got off the train and went to the sleeper car to fetch the women.

Since it was already late in the day, they weren’t sure they’d find a good doctor at the hospital, so Li Yi decided to stay in town first. He planned to find out which doctors were reputable before taking them to see a doctor.

After all, Long Zhanjun’s mother and sister weren’t suffering from ordinary illnesses; they required highly skilled doctors—it wasn’t a matter of just finding any doctor to make do.

After leaving the train station, Li Yi immediately hailed two taxis and instructed the drivers to take them directly to the guesthouse nearest to the Municipal People’s Hospital.

The drivers knew the area like the back of their hands and quickly dropped them off at the entrance of the State-Owned Second Guesthouse.

Although the State-Owned Second Guesthouse wasn’t as luxurious as the Sixth Guesthouse where Li Yi and his group had stayed before, its decor was still quite nice.

So upon entering, everyone—including Long Zhanjun—felt a bit intimidated!

When they learned that the cheapest rate for a single night’s stay here was 8 yuan, they were all stunned!

But what they never expected was that Li Yi didn’t book the standard rooms at 8 yuan a night; instead, he reserved three deluxe standard rooms at 12 yuan each.

Good grief, that came to 36 yuan for the night—equivalent to a month’s salary for a second-level worker.

To be honest, even Tang Xue was a bit shocked by Li Yi’s extravagance!

But she knew her man’s character—whatever he did, he had his reasons—so Tang Xue didn’t ask any questions.

And so, amidst the stunned expressions of everyone present, the group checked into the Chang’an State-Owned Second Guesthouse!

That afternoon, Li Yi sent Long Zhanjun to the City First People’s Hospital to make inquiries. After confirming the details about the doctors, he decided to take her for a checkup first thing the next morning.

Of course, Li Yi also asked Long Zhanjun to look into the obstetricians and gynecologists at the hospital; he planned to take Tang Xue for a prenatal checkup the next day.

Early the next morning, everyone got up!

After all, this was the city hospital, and many people came here for treatment every day. They needed to arrive early to get in line and pick up a number; if they were too late, they might not get one, especially for the specialists.

So even though they lived relatively close by, they still had to get up early.

After a quick wash, the group headed straight to the City First People’s Hospital, not far from the guesthouse, without even stopping for breakfast.

Since they had already done their research beforehand, they quickly picked up their numbers upon arrival and waited patiently for the doctor to arrive!

At 8:00 a.m., the doctors began arriving one after another. With the help of Ni Qiu and Zhou Ling, Long Zhanjun took his mother and younger sister to the cardiology department, while Li Yi took Tang Xue to the obstetrics and gynecology department!

“Do we really need to get checked? I don’t think it’s necessary—it’s a waste of money!”

Tang Xue personally felt this prenatal checkup was unnecessary, since she was feeling great right now.

She was eating well, sleeping soundly, and no longer suffering from morning sickness, so she felt coming here was just a waste of money.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It won’t cost much. Let’s just get checked out—we’re here anyway!”

“Alright, then!”

“Don’t worry, the checkup will be quick and won’t hurt at all. Relax!” Li Yi reassured her.

“Okay!”

Actually, the main reason Li Yi insisted on coming was that he’d noticed something was off with Tang Xue.

For one thing, her appetite had become quite alarming. It had been fine a while back, but because of her frequent morning sickness, Li Yi hadn’t really known how much she was actually eating.

But lately, the morning sickness had subsided, and it was plain to see just how much she was eating every day.

Take last night, for example. Li Yi took everyone to the state-run restaurant downstairs from the guesthouse to eat mutton soup with flatbread.

Li Yi himself had a bowl of mutton soup and one steamed bun, but for Tang Xue, a bowl of mutton soup and two buns weren’t enough—she even took two roujiamo home with her.

When he woke up this morning, Li Yi found that those two roujiamo were gone too—clearly, the little minx had eaten them.

To be honest, Tang Xue’s appetite lately has been downright scary!

It wouldn’t be so bad if it were just her appetite—but there’s something off about her belly, too!

Her baby bump was already so noticeable at just three months—Li Yi seriously wondered if she was even carrying just one baby!

To Li Yi, it didn’t really matter whether Tang Xue was carrying one or two—as long as they were his children.

But in this era of questionable medical care, if she were carrying twins—especially living in the countryside—the risks of childbirth would be far too great.

So Li Yi had to find out for sure whether Tang Xue was carrying one or two!

On September 20, the Yong County Public Security Bureau finally transferred the case to the procuratorate and returned the 3,000 yuan that had belonged to Li Yi.

After taking over the case, the procuratorate immediately summoned Tang Xue twice.

Upon learning that the couple had settled in North Sai Province and were eager to return, the procuratorate immediately informed them that they were free to leave Yong County at any time.

With the help of Xiao Zhanwu, they finally retrieved the jade pendant used as evidence on the 25th!

Unfortunately, however, the personnel department in Qin Province has still not responded!

Left with no other choice, Li Yi discussed the matter with Tang Xue and decided to take her back to Saibei Province first, leaving the investigation into her mother’s identity to be conducted later!

Tang Xue understood that, after all these years, trying to find someone based solely on a name—whose authenticity was still unknown—was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

She didn’t want to put Li Yi in such a difficult position, so the two began making arrangements for their return!

However, before leaving, Li Yi needed to make arrangements for Long Zhanjun!

Not only had Long Zhanjun helped him a great deal during this time, but more importantly, the young man was highly capable. In his previous life, he had been Li Yi’s right-hand man, helping him hold the fort in the Northwest!

In this life, as he continued to navigate the business world, he would certainly need Long Zhanjun’s help!

Besides, Long Zhanjun was in desperate need of help right now—how could he just stand by and do nothing?

So, after retrieving the jade pendant, Li Yi called Long Zhanjun out!

The two strolled leisurely down the main street of Yong County, taking their time and looking completely at ease!

“Brother Yi, are you planning to leave?” Long Zhanjun asked suddenly.

“Yeah, barring any surprises, I plan to set off in the next day or two!”

Then Li Yi asked in return, “How is your mother doing?”

“Not great. A couple of days ago, I saw her suddenly fall while walking. After she got up, she couldn’t move for quite a while… Oh, I…”

“Go back and tell your mom we’re packing up to head to Chang’an!” Li Yi said.

“Chang’an?”

“Yeah, we’ll go to Chang’an first to get your mom and sister checked out and see how they’re doing. If they can be treated there, we’ll stay in Chang’an; if not, we’ll head straight to the capital!” Li Yi said.

“Brother Yi, I’ve got less than three thousand yuan…”

Before Long Zhanjun could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “Don’t worry about the money. I’ll take care of it. That’s what we agreed on earlier!”

“But…”

“We can always earn more money later, but if your mother and sister lose their lives, that’s it—they’re gone for good!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll do as you say!”

“Bring a few more people with you. If there’s a nice girl around, bring her along too—she can help take care of your mom and sister!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

“All right, I won’t say much more. Get all the letters of introduction ready as soon as possible—not just for Chang’an, but for the capital as well!” Li Yi reminded him once again.

“Got it!”

“By the way, have you taken care of the matter I asked you to handle a couple of days ago?” Li Yi asked again.

“It’s done. First, I had people at the sugar factory spread rumors that Mr. Tan had a bad reputation—that his private life was a mess and he was messing around with women. I also had people deliberately harass him and made sure Tang Bing saw it. That stupid woman actually believed it and immediately went to Mr. Tan’s workplace to cause a scene. Now Mr. Tan has been fired!” Long Zhanjun said.

Hearing that Tan Cheng had been fired, Li Yi nodded in satisfaction!

In his previous life, Tang Xue’s death was certainly the fault of those scum from the Tang family, but Tan Cheng was also inextricably linked to it.

So Li Yi had long since added him to his list of enemies.

This time, everyone in the Tang family except Tang Bing had been arrested, facing a minimum of ten years in prison. Though Tang Bing hadn’t been arrested, she lived in constant fear, subjected to public scrutiny, and was on the verge of a breakdown.

Originally, Li Yi had considered arranging an “accident” for her, but seeing her in this state, he realized that living was more agonizing than death.

Furthermore, Li Yi was worried that if Tang Xue found out, it would upset her, so in the end, he decided not to take action against Tang Bing.

Under these circumstances, only two enemies remained: Tan Cheng, and the old widower who was hell-bent on getting his hands on Tang Xue.

So Li Yi hadn’t been idle during this time; while waiting for news from the provincial capital, he set about dealing with Tan Cheng and that old lecher.

After some investigation, Li Yi discovered that Tan Cheng worked at the Yong County Sugar Factory, though not as a permanent employee but as a temporary worker.

His investigation revealed that the entire Tan family placed great importance on this job, so Li Yi decided to sabotage it first.

This was no challenge at all for Li Yi; he didn’t even need to lift a finger himself. With a simple ruse, he got that foolish woman Tang Bing to help take care of it!

“Keep investigating that Liu guy. He’s got skeletons in his closet—if we keep an eye on him, we’re bound to find something!”

Li Yi continued, “Don’t just keep an eye on him—keep an eye on his sister and brother-in-law too. They’re the real big fish!”

Li Yi knew full well that the only reason the man surnamed Liu had become the office director of the steel mill was because his brother-in-law was the plant manager.

But that guy was just as corrupt as Liu. Over the next few years, he ran the once-thriving steel mill into the ground until it was insolvent, and it was eventually acquired by a private company in 1990.

During the liquidation process, numerous irregularities were uncovered, and he was subsequently investigated.

Although there were still ten years to go before 1990, this guy had been in a leadership position at the steel mill for over a decade. Seeing the signs early on, it was likely that certain things had already begun—it was just that no one had noticed yet.

“Yes, I’ll have someone keep an eye on them right away!”

“Hmm, once you find evidence, don’t take matters into your own hands—hand it over to Xiao Zhanwu!”

“Got it!”

“Also, how do you plan to handle the people under your command?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet!”

“I’ve thought this through. You can keep them, but you’ll need to tighten supervision—no gambling, prostitution, or drugs allowed!”

Li Yi knew that Long Zhanjun had over a hundred small-time thugs under his command, making them a force to be reckoned with in Yong County. Usually, these men ran shady little businesses on the sly in the county or made money on the black market.

Due to their unstable income and his family’s urgent need for money, Long Zhanjun eventually gave in to others’ temptations and opened a gambling den.

Unfortunately, his luck ran out. Not long after opening, he encountered the “special circumstances” of 1983; the gambling den was raided and shut down, he was arrested, and ultimately sentenced to three years in prison.

By the time he was released, both his mother and younger sister had passed away—a tragedy that would haunt Long Zhanjun for the rest of his life.

“If I don’t touch anything, how am I supposed to make money?” Long Zhanjun frowned.

“There are countless ways to make money; there’s no need to take the wrong path. First, get your mother and sister treated for their illnesses—there’s no rush to make money!”

Li Yi continued, “While you’re away, make sure your men keep a low profile!”

“Oh, and that Wu Dabao—stay as far away from him as possible from now on!”

“Got it!”

……..

After watching Xiao Zhanwu leave, Li Yi fell into deep thought.

Just moments ago, Xiao Zhanwu had briefed him on the details of the case.

First, regarding the money—it had already been turned over to the county bureau. However, if Li Yi and his group wanted to retrieve it, they would have to file a report with the Public Security Bureau and submit a written application before they could possibly get their hands on it.

Secondly, since this case was unlikely to be resolved anytime soon—especially before it was transferred to the procuratorate—Xiao Zhanwu hoped they would not leave Yong County for the time being and would cooperate with the county bureau at any time.

“Xiaoxue, what do you think?” Li Yi asked immediately.

In truth, for Li Yi, three thousand yuan was no small sum, but it wasn’t the end of the world either.

Even if they couldn’t get it back, it wouldn’t matter.

“I—let’s make time to go to the county police station. We have to get that money back!” Tang Xue said earnestly.

“Actually, if you don’t want to go, we don’t have to!” Li Yi said.

“No, we have to get it back. The Tang family has no right to keep that money!” Tang Xue said firmly.

After all, the reason she had given Tang Jizhong and his wife those three thousand yuan back then was purely to repay them for raising her.

But now the investigation had revealed that she wasn’t an abandoned infant whose parents had forsaken her—rather, Tang Jizhong had shamelessly stolen her from her biological mother.

Therefore, she owed the Tang family nothing, and neither Tang Jizhong nor Li Hongmei had done her any favors!

More importantly, Tang Xue knew that Li Yi had worked hard to earn every penny of that money. Although she was his wife, she certainly didn’t squander his money the way Li Yi did.

“All right then, let’s find some time to go to the county police station and file a report!” Li Yi said.

“Okay, as for when we go home, I’ll leave it up to you!” Tang Xue said.

She knew Li Yi wasn’t the good-for-nothing he used to be. Now, almost everyone in Nianzi Mountain Village depended on him for their livelihood, and with the family business having grown so large, Li Yi really had to go back.

However, Li Yi just smiled and said, “There’s no rush on that. Let’s get your background sorted out first—we’ve come all this way, after all!”

After all, the identity of Tang Xue’s biological mother hadn’t been uncovered yet, and even if they went back now, Tang Xue wouldn’t feel at ease.

Besides, his second and third older sisters were keeping an eye on things back home. He just needed to return before the weather turned cold—he still had plenty of time!

“Alright then!”

With that, the two of them headed back to the guesthouse together!

……

Over the next few days, aside from making a trip to the county police station to file a report, the two of them didn’t leave the guesthouse.

Long Zhanjun and Niu Qiu came by a few times, but since there wasn’t much to discuss, Li Yi sent them back each time.

Xiao Zhanwu, however, hadn’t shown up at all, and they had no idea how their investigation was going!

And just like that, a week had flown by!

By now, it was already September, and the weather was no longer as sweltering as before.

Especially in the mornings and evenings, a slight chill was already in the air.

Additionally, Tang Xue was nearly three months pregnant, and her morning sickness had completely disappeared. She, who used to throw up everything she ate, now had an unusually good appetite; her daily food intake was almost on par with Li Yi’s.

Her belly was also starting to show, especially her lower abdomen, which was no longer as flat as before.

To be honest, Li Yi was somewhat surprised. Although he had never been pregnant himself, he knew that at three months, a fetus is only about 9 centimeters long and weighs just around 18 grams.

A baby that size shouldn’t make Tang Xue’s pregnancy show so clearly, which led Li Yi to wonder for a moment if she might be carrying twins!

So Li Yi decided that when they passed through Chang’an on their way back, he would definitely take Tang Xue to a major hospital for a checkup!

During this time, Tang Bing had also come by twice, both times begging Tang Xue not to hold her parents accountable. She even went so far as to kneel before Tang Xue, having long since shed her previous arrogant and domineering demeanor.

That foolish woman thought that if Tang Xue agreed not to press charges, the police would simply let those scum from the Tang family off the hook.

Little did she know that whether it was the baby swap or the arson, both had already violated criminal law.

Even if Tang Xue chose not to press charges, the police would still investigate the matter to the very end!

Therefore, it was a foregone conclusion that Tang Jizhong and his wife, along with Tang Lei and Tang Meiqin, would be sent to prison!

A few days later, Xiao Zhanwu finally showed up, but he didn’t bring any good news.

According to Xiao Zhanwu, over the past few days, with the cooperation of the county personnel department, they had reviewed the relevant personnel files but still couldn’t find Ye Lingwan’s file.

They then tracked down former leaders of the cotton mill and veteran employees from Workshop No. 3, asking them to help recall details about Ye Lingwan.

The conclusion they reached was that Ye Lingwan was likely not a local, and she hadn’t joined the cotton mill through proper channels—instead, she had been parachuted in.

More importantly, the records she left at the cotton mill were likely all fabricated, including the name Ye Lingwan.

Consequently, the county bureau’s investigation into Ye Lingwan’s identity has reached a dead end.

They have now sent an official letter to the provincial personnel department requesting assistance with the investigation, asking them to look into whether this person was transferred from the province.

However, as a small county-level public security bureau with little influence, it remains uncertain whether they will receive a response from the provincial department, or when such a response might arrive.

Consequently, the county bureau leadership has instructed that the relevant case files be organized and transferred to the procuratorate, while the investigation into Ye Lingwan’s identity can proceed at a later pace!

The only piece of good news is that, thanks to Xiao Zhanwu’s efforts, they were able to recover the 3,000 yuan that had previously been handed over to Tang Jizhong.

As for the jade pendant that served as proof of Tang Xue’s identity, it had to be handed over to the procuratorate. After the prosecutors there had examined it, it would be returned to them.

Left with no other choice, Li Yi and Tang Xue could only remain in Yong County to await further updates.

In truth, both Li Yi and Tang Xue knew that, given the current information available, the chances of uncovering Ye Lingwan’s true identity were slim.

Right now, aside from waiting for a response from the provincial personnel department, they had no other options.

It wasn’t that there were absolutely no options—for instance, they could place a missing person’s ad in the newspaper or even issue an appeal on television!

But such methods would only be used as a last resort. After all, the identity of Tang Xue’s biological mother was shrouded in mystery, and considering the chaotic political situation in the country back then, Li Yi wasn’t sure if placing a public notice would be a good or bad idea.

Then again, a woman of Ye Lingwan’s extraordinary poise—suddenly assigned to work at the Yong County Cotton Mill while pregnant, with her husband nowhere to be found—it wasn’t hard to imagine that something had happened to her.

A family tragedy?

Love and hatred?

Power struggles?

But whatever the case, it could potentially disrupt their current peaceful life.

Therefore, Li Yi felt that investigating Ye Lingwan’s background had to be done gradually, taking care not to expose Tang Xue to certain people’s scrutiny too soon.

Even if he were to launch a full-scale investigation, he would have to wait until he had sufficient strength to do so!

Upon learning that Tang Jizhong, Li Hongmei, and the others had been arrested, Li Yi had anticipated that members of the Tang family might come to harass Tang Xue, but he hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.

It had only been a few hours, yet they were already there, specifically waiting to block the entrance to the guesthouse.

Upon seeing the two elderly women leading the group, Tang Xue froze in shock.

Taking advantage of Tang Xue’s daze, the old woman suddenly shouted, “Xiao Xue… how could you be so heartless? Calling the police to arrest your own father? That’s the height of disobedience!”

No sooner had she finished speaking than her sons and daughters-in-law chimed in: “Exactly! What kind of daughter harms her own parents? Don’t you fear being struck by lightning?”

“Who could disagree? There’s no such thing as a bad parent in this world—it’s truly unfilial!”

“Exactly. After all, they raised you all these years—how could you do this to them…”

Hearing the accusations from these so-called “relatives,” Tang Xue remained expressionless, completely unfazed!

Tang Xue knew exactly what these people were like.

Having lived in the Tang household for so many years, she was all too familiar with their shameless faces and sordid motives, so she didn’t care in the slightest what they were saying.

“Are you done? If so, please leave. We need to go back to our room to rest!” Tang Xue said coldly.

The old lady immediately protested, shouting angrily, “What kind of attitude is that, you ungrateful girl? I’m your grandmother! Is that how you talk to me?”

“Hah. I treat you as my grandmother, but have you ever treated me as your granddaughter?”

Tang Xue continued, “You’ve known all along that I’m not your biological granddaughter. That’s why you’ve been pressuring Tang Jizhong for years to make me drop out of school, so I could go home with you and make a living by pasting paper boxes.”

Old Mrs. Tang’s face flushed, but she still shouted, “What’s the point of a girl like you studying so much? Besides, doesn’t education cost money?”

“Hah, are you senile or just playing dumb? Don’t you know that the factory-run school is free for employees’ children? Why would I need to spend the family’s money?”

“Well… but you can’t let the police arrest your parents! After all, they raised you to this age—even if they didn’t deserve credit, they certainly put in the hard work!”

By then, a crowd had gathered around to watch the spectacle. Upon hearing Old Lady Tang’s words, the onlookers began pointing and whispering at Tang Xue.

Li Yi wasn’t about to put up with them. He was about to step forward and confront this old woman who was abusing her seniority, but Tang Xue stopped him.

With a cold look on her face, Tang Xue said, “First of all, let me make it clear: they are not my parents, and they owe me no so-called kindness—only a blood feud!”

“You… you ungrateful brat! How can you be so ungrateful?” Old Lady Tang shouted.

“What do you mean, ungrateful? I was never part of the Tang family to begin with. It was Tang Jizhong who shamelessly swapped me for a stillborn infant right from my mother’s arms. My mother still doesn’t even know that a daughter like me is alive in this world!”

Tang Xue continued, “After you stole me back home, you deliberately hid my true origins, yet you favored him in everything. In the end, you even sent me to the bitterly cold northern frontier to work on a commune in Tang Lei’s place. Do you have any idea how I’ve survived these past years?”

“I had actually grown accustomed to life in the commune, but just because Tang Lei was getting married, and just because Tang Bing didn’t have a job, you sold me off—forcing me to marry that fat, middle-aged widower who could be my father.”

“And to stop me from investigating my own origins, Tang Jizhong went so far as to set fire to the Xinjing Town Health Center. Now that the case has been uncovered and he’s been arrested by the police, you’re trying to smear me with this. How dare the Tang family do this?”

After hearing Tang Xue’s words, everyone around her froze, staring at the Tang family members in disbelief.

These revelations were utterly shocking. If what this young girl was saying was true, then these people were truly shameless to the core.

But the Tang family clearly didn’t see it that way. At that moment, Tang Jihong, the second son of the Tang family, shouted, “You little brat! No matter what, you were raised by my older brother and sister-in-law—there’s no denying that!”

“Did I ask them to raise me? I have my own biological parents. If it weren’t for their shameless behavior, would I have had to endure so many years of abuse in the Tang family?” Tang Xue shouted back.

Tang Jihong’s face flushed crimson at the retort, and in a fit of rage and humiliation, he roared, “You little brat! I’m your second uncle—how dare you talk to me like that?!”

With that, he strode toward Tang Xue, his face twisted with fury.

Li Yi, of course, wasn’t about to let him get away with it. He immediately stepped in front of Tang Jihong and said coldly, “Watch your mouth, or I won’t hesitate to teach you what you should and shouldn’t say!”

“You must be that damn lover this brat brought home. I’ll tell you…”

Before Tang Jihong could finish speaking, Li Yi slapped him across the face.

Li Yi struck with all his might, his hand lashing out with lightning speed.

There was a loud “smack,” followed by Tang Jihong’s body spinning several times before crashing to the ground.

“Ah…”

After a piercing scream, Tang Jihong opened his mouth and spat out several blood-stained teeth.

Seeing this, Tang Jihong’s gang members flew into a rage and immediately charged at Li Yi, cursing and swearing as they went.

Li Yi was completely unfazed. Even though Long Zhanjun, Ni Qiu, and the others weren’t by his side, he could take down this bunch of trash all by himself.

But just as Li Yi was about to teach these bastards a lesson, a loud shout rang out from behind him: “Everyone, stop!”

Li Yi turned to look and saw Xiao Zhanwu striding toward them with several police officers, while a jeep was parked not far away.

Xiao Zhanwu had originally come to discuss something with Li Yi, but he hadn’t expected to witness this scene the moment he arrived, so he immediately stepped in to stop it.

Seeing the police, the Tang brothers immediately lost their nerve and stopped in their tracks.

“What’s going on here? How dare you cause trouble in public? Looks like you’re just itching to spend a few days behind bars!” Xiao Zhanwu bellowed.

Li Yi immediately said, “Officers, I’d like to file a report. These people have repeatedly come here to harass us, and they even tried to gang up on me. Please open an investigation into this matter!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Lady Tang shouted, “It’s not like that! We’re here to look for my granddaughter…”

“Who is your granddaughter?” Xiao Zhanwu asked immediately.

“It’s her!” Old Lady Tang said, pointing at Tang Xue.

“Are you her granddaughter?” Xiao Zhanwu asked, feigning ignorance.

Tang Xue replied decisively, “No! I have no such relative. Please, Comrades of the Public Security Bureau, do us justice!”

Xiao Zhanwu immediately fixed his gaze on Mrs. Tang and said, “Do you have anything else to say?”

“I… we…”

“Take them away!”

At that moment, several police officers following Xiao Zhanwu stepped forward and immediately handcuffed Tang Jihong and the others!

This terrified the Tang family members, including the men who had been putting on a brave front just moments ago.

Handcuffs are easy to put on, but hard to take off.

Once they were taken away and locked up, regardless of whether they’d ever get out, their reputations would be utterly ruined.

They wanted to flee, but Tang Xue knew their home addresses—you can run but you can’t hide—so they had no choice but to submit to being handcuffed by Xiao Zhanwu and his men.

After subduing the Tang family members, Xiao Zhanwu turned to Li Yi and explained the purpose of his visit!

Yong County Cotton Mill!

When Xiao Zhanwu arrived at the cotton mill with Li Yi, Tang Xue, and the others, they immediately caught the guard’s attention!

Upon learning they were there to investigate a case—and that a police officer was leading the group—the security guards didn’t dare to take it lightly and immediately reported the situation to the factory management.

Upon receiving the report, the factory director was taken aback.

How could an investigation lead to their cotton mill? Had something major happened at the factory? He immediately rushed over with his staff!

After getting the full story, he breathed a huge sigh of relief!

It turned out to be a false alarm—an incident from decades ago that clearly had nothing to do with them.

But since it was a police investigation, they had no choice but to cooperate, so they immediately took everyone to the factory office.

Subsequently, Factory Director Hu summoned the heads of each production workshop and the logistics department to ask if there was a female worker named Ye Lingwan in their respective areas.

Disappointingly, however, everyone said they had no knowledge of this worker.

After confirming that Ye Lingwan was indeed no longer employed at the cotton mill, their only hope lay with the factory’s archives.

If she had indeed worked at the cotton mill, the archives would certainly contain her records.

More importantly, as a key enterprise directly managed by the Yong County government, the mill maintained strict records management, so there should be no omissions.

If there were no records of Ye Lingwan in the archives, then it was highly likely she had never worked at the cotton mill.

In that case, it would be very difficult for Tang Xue to uncover the identity of her biological mother.

Not wanting to waste any time, the group hurried to the archives under the guidance of Factory Director Hu.

This time, they were not disappointed. With the archivist’s assistance, they quickly located Ye Lingwan’s file among the stacks of archive boxes filling the room.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Ye Lingwan’s file was extremely sparse.

Just how sparse? Aside from a black-and-white photo and her name, there was nothing of value.

In particular, key information that Li Yi and the others were most concerned about—such as her employment history and home address—was completely missing; many sections of the file were marked “to be completed.”

According to the archives room administrator, this usually happens when a person has worked at the factory for a short time and left before many of the file details could be fully updated.

Fortunately, the file indicated that Ye Lingwan had previously worked in Workshop 3, which is still in operation today.

Twenty years is neither a long nor a short time; many older workers have not yet retired. Perhaps they could be questioned—there might be other useful information to be gained.

Immediately, Factory Director Hu called in the head of Workshop 3 and asked him to gather all the workers in the workshop who had been employed for over twenty years.

Soon, a dozen or so middle-aged female workers were gathered before Li Yi and the others.

One of the women, upon seeing Tang Xue, stared intently at her with a pensive expression.

When Xiao Zhanwu asked if anyone knew a woman named Ye Lingwan, the woman who had been staring intently at Tang Xue suddenly raised her hand.

“Comrade, do you really know Ye Lingwan?”

The worker nodded and said, “I know her. I shared a dorm with her for several months!”

“You were Ye Lingwan’s roommate. Could you tell us a bit about her?” Xiao Zhanwu asked immediately.

The female worker thought for a moment and said, “My name is Wang Fang. I’ve been working at the cotton mill for 22 years. Ye Lingwan joined the factory in my third year here—if I remember correctly, it was 1961!”

“That’s right, 1961!” Tang Xue said, sounding a bit excited.

Wang Fang looked at Tang Xue and said, “Young lady, what’s your relationship with Ye Lingwan? You look exactly like her. When I first saw you, I thought I was seeing things!”

Tang Xue replied immediately, “Ye Lingwan is probably my biological mother, but I was forced to be separated from her when I was very young. Could you tell me about her?”

Wang Fang nodded and immediately began telling Tang Xue everything she knew about Ye Lingwan.

According to Wang Fang, Ye Lingwan was suddenly transferred to the cotton mill in the spring of 1961!

She was very beautiful; you could tell at a glance she wasn’t the daughter of an ordinary family.

As for where she came from and why she was transferred to the cotton mill to work as an ordinary factory worker, Wang Fang wasn’t sure.

In Wang Fang’s memory, Ye Lingwan was rather quiet and reserved, and she often hid away by herself to wipe away her tears.

Additionally, Wang Fang knew about the incident where Ye Lingwan was hospitalized to give birth, and it was Ye Lingwan herself who had personally taken Wang Fang to the clinic.

According to Wang Fang, Ye Lingwan was already pregnant when she arrived at the cotton mill. By her eighth month there, she was nearly due but insisted on continuing to work.

As a result, she was struck by a machine while working, which caused a miscarriage and led to severe bleeding.

Seeing this, her coworkers immediately rushed her to the nearby Xinjing Town Health Center.

However, due to work obligations, they rushed back to the factory as soon as they had dropped her off at the clinic.

Later, they learned that Ye Lingwan’s baby had died at birth, and they felt deeply sorry for her; many of them, including Wang Fang, even went to the clinic to visit her.

Later, when they went to the clinic to visit her again, they learned she had already been discharged, but she never returned to the cotton mill.

So, as for where Ye Lingwan ultimately went, no one had any idea.

Neither Xiao Zhanwu nor Li Yi had expected the investigation to yield such a result.

The person existed, and all the information matched up, but no one knew where Ye Lingwan had gone.

More importantly, her file contained no information about her hometown or her husband—none of that was recorded.

Apart from that face, which bore a striking resemblance to Tang Xue’s, there was virtually no useful information.

Although this didn’t prevent the court from trying and sentencing the scum of the Tang family, it did hinder Tang Xue’s search for her family.

But with things having come to this, there was nothing they could do.

Filled with deep disappointment, the group left the cotton mill.

After leaving the factory, Tang Xue said with a hint of disappointment, “Does this mean I’ll never find her?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Not necessarily. It’s unlikely that someone would be transferred to the cotton mill for no reason, nor would they be transferred away for no reason. We can check with the Human Resources and Social Security Department; maybe we’ll find something!”

Just then, Xiao Zhanwu, who had been standing nearby, spoke up: “How about this? Let me take charge of investigating this. It’s just a side task for me anyway!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “We’d appreciate your help. We’ll be waiting for your good news!”

“Sure!”

After exchanging a few more words with Li Yi, Xiao Zhanwu took his leave!

After seeing Xiao Zhanwu off, Li Yi motioned for Tang Xue to get in the car, and they headed back the way they came!

However, when Li Yi and Tang Xue returned to the guesthouse, they were greeted by several people they’d rather not see the moment they walked in.

The night passed without incident, and when Li Yi woke up the next day, it was already past nine in the morning.

Tang Xue hadn’t slept well the previous night; she’d wake up crying from her dreams every so often, which meant Li Yi hadn’t slept well either.

On top of that, he’d spent the first half of the night investigating the truth of the matter, so he hadn’t slept well either, and inevitably woke up a bit late.

When he finally got up, he found that Tang Xue had already bought breakfast and was sitting by the window, lost in thought.

Hearing the sound of Li Yi getting dressed, Tang Xue finally turned her head and said, “Hurry up and wash up and eat. Comrade Long is already waiting for you outside!”

“Dajun’s here? Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?” Li Yi asked as he got dressed.

“You didn’t sleep well last night either. I wanted you to get some extra rest!” Tang Xue replied.

Li Yi could feel Tang Xue’s concern, and his mood instantly improved.

“You get ready too. I’ll be done in a minute!”

With that, Li Yi grabbed his toiletries and headed for the bathroom.

Men don’t take showers or put on makeup in the morning, so they’re usually pretty quick.

After wrapping things up in a few minutes, Li Yi wolfed down the meat buns Tang Xue had bought, then led her out the door of the guesthouse.

Outside the guesthouse, Long Zhanjun and Ni Qiu were waiting for them.

Seeing Li Yi and Tang Xue come out, they immediately came over to greet them.

“Brother Yi, Sister-in-law!”

Li Yi nodded and asked, “Any news from the police?”

Long Zhanjun replied immediately, “Yes, Old Xiao just stopped by. They’re getting ready to go to the steel mill to make some arrests. He told me to tell you to meet them at the cotton mill at 10:30!”

“Hmm! Looks like the leaders at the county bureau are finally taking this matter seriously!”

“Right. Old Xiao said the bureau has set up a special task force, and he’s been promoted to deputy head of it!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Not bad. Looks like once this is over, that guy will at least land a position as deputy captain or deputy chief!”

“No problem—and Old Xiao’s family has connections too!” Long Zhanjun said.

“Let’s go. We’ll head over to the cotton mill and wait there first!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

The cotton mill wasn’t in the city proper but on the outskirts of the county, not far from Xinjing Town.

Led by Long Zhanjun and the others, it took Li Yi and his group over half an hour to arrive.

However, they didn’t go straight in. State-owned enterprises these days were very formal, and it wasn’t easy for ordinary people to gain access.

Fortunately, Xiao Zhanwu didn’t keep them waiting long. Less than twenty minutes later, they saw a jeep bearing the words “Public Security” pull up at the main gate of the cotton mill.

Two uniformed police officers then stepped out of the vehicle, and leading the group was none other than Xiao Zhanwu.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Long Zhanjun, and the others, Xiao Zhanwu immediately waved them over, and the group walked straight toward him.

As soon as they met, Li Yi asked, “Have they been apprehended?”

Xiao Zhanwu smiled and said, “Yes, we brought him in at 8:30, and the interrogation is already over!”

“Did he confess?”

“Haha, they’re just a bunch of cowards. As soon as they saw Tang Meiqin, they spilled everything without us even having to scare them!” Xiao Zhanwu said with a laugh.

“So what do we do now?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“Although they’ve confessed, we can’t rely solely on their statements. We need to establish a chain of evidence for everything, so we have to find all the victims first before we can pin the charges on those bastards!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

“What if we can’t find them?” Tang Xue suddenly asked.

“It doesn’t matter if we can’t. After all, you’re a victim too. But it would be best if we could find your biological parents!”

“Okay!”

Just then, Xiao Zhanwu suddenly remembered something and said, “Comrade Tang Xue, there’s something I forgot to tell you. The Tang family still has an item that belonged to your biological mother. You can take it back once the case is closed!”

“What is it?”

“It’s a jade pendant!”

“A jade pendant?”

“Yes. According to Tang Jizhong’s confession, after your mother woke up and learned she had given birth to a stillborn baby, she buried the child outside Xinjing Town and placed a jade pendant on the child’s body.”

Xiao Zhanwu continued, “But Tang Jizhong didn’t want his child to be buried in the wilderness, so he secretly dug the child up and reburied it near the Tang family’s ancestral graves.”

“However, when he buried the child, he left that jade pendant behind. Now that jade pendant has become the evidence used to convict them!”

Tang Xue looked at Xiao Zhanwu and asked, “Is that jade pendant a white jade piece carved in the shape of a phoenix, with a single character on it?”

“Have you seen it?”

“Yes, I saw it once a few years ago. My mother… Li Hongmei said it was a family heirloom, to be passed down to Tang Lei after he got married!” Tang Xue said, her expression growing somber.

She remembered it clearly. She had found the jade pendant while cleaning the house during the New Year, in a box hidden in a very secret spot.

She had been quite young at the time and thought she’d found a treasure, so she brought the jade pendant to her parents to show off.

Instead, her mother slapped her hard across the face several times, explaining that the jade pendant was a family heirloom they had deliberately hidden away to pass down to Tang Lei in the future, to be handed down from generation to generation.

At the same time, Li Hongmei warned her never to touch that jade pendant again—one touch meant one beating.

At the time, she couldn’t understand why her mother had reacted so strongly.

Now she finally understood: the jade pendant had always belonged to her; they were the ones who had stolen it from her.

So when she touched the jade pendant, whether it was Li Hongmei or Tang Jizhong, they both felt like thieves caught red-handed.

This made them feel terrified and uneasy, and above all, ashamed.

“When will the case be concluded?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

“That depends on the results of the investigation. If things move quickly, under normal circumstances, the case can be transferred to the procuratorate within a month, and an indictment will be filed within three months. The trial and sentencing will take about four or five months!”

Xiao Zhanwu continued, “Of course, if things don’t go smoothly, it could take much longer—possibly six months or even a year!”

Li Yi frowned and said, “Can’t it be done faster? You know we can’t stay here too long!”

Xiao Zhanwu shook his head. “I don’t have that kind of authority, especially since this involves the procuratorate and the court!”

“Can we take that jade pendant with us early? After all, we’ll be returning to North Sai Province soon,” Li Yi said.

“I’ll submit a request to my superiors, but don’t get your hopes up too high. After all, that jade pendant is crucial evidence in this case. As long as the case isn’t closed, it’s highly unlikely they’ll let you take such important evidence with you,” Xiao Zhanwu replied.

“Mm-hmm!”

Just then, Tang Xue suddenly spoke up, “By the way, they extorted three thousand yuan in cash from me. Can we get that back?”

“Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“If that’s true, then of course we can handle it!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

“Then I’ll leave it to you!”

Whenever Tang Xue thought about how Tang Jizhong and his wife had not only forced her to be separated from her biological parents for 19 years, but also tried to marry her off to that old widower, and then had the audacity to take the 3,000 yuan Li Yi had worked so hard to earn, she felt extremely upset.

Now that she had a chance to get that money back, she certainly wasn’t going to pass it up.

After exchanging a few more words, the group set off together toward the cotton mill!

Yong County Guesthouse!

Tang Xue sat alone in her room, unable to sit still.

Since the operation was taking place at night, and Tang Xue was pregnant, Li Yi hadn’t brought her along.

Left alone at the guesthouse, Tang Xue felt a hint of anticipation, but mostly worry.

After all, when you really think about it, this whole situation was a bit dodgy—what with the “kidnapping” and the intimidation. If they were found out, they might just end up attracting the attention of the police.

At that moment, she felt a twinge of regret. If she’d known it would be this much trouble, she never would have begged Li Yi to investigate her background.

In any case, she was already an adult. Even if she found her biological parents, what would it really accomplish?

Was she supposed to go visit them and claim kinship?

The thought of calling strangers “Dad” and “Mom”—Tang Xue felt she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

Just as she was lost in her thoughts, a soft knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Tang Xue hurried to the door and asked nervously, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Li Yi!”

Hearing her husband’s familiar voice, Tang Xue breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately unlocked the door from the inside.

Seeing Li Yi, who looked worn out from his journey, Tang Xue asked with concern, “You’re back. Have you eaten yet?”

“I’ve already eaten!”

Tang Xue immediately poured him a glass of water and brought it over, saying, “Have some water first. If it’s hot, I’ll open the window!”

“No need. Sit down. I have something to tell you,” Li Yi said as he drank.

Tang Xue’s heart began to race, and she asked, “Is it… is there news?”

“Yes!”

Then Li Yi said in a grave tone, “Just as we suspected, you weren’t deliberately abandoned by your parents—you were switched at birth by Tang Jizhong!”

“Swapped… swapped?”

“That’s right!”

Li Yi then recounted in detail the truth he had pried out of Tang Meiqin to Tang Xue.

Upon learning that she had been stolen from her mother’s side by Tang Jizhong using such despicable means, Tang Xue could no longer hold back and burst into loud sobs.

Ever since she was a child, she had always known that her parents treated her differently from Tang Lei and Tang Bing. Her grandparents had been fine at first, but later on, their treatment of her had clearly changed as well.

She had simply assumed her parents were biased, never once imagining that she wasn’t their biological child.

When she finally learned the truth that day, she felt a great sense of relief. She even began to think she was being ungrateful—that her parents had been kind enough to raise her, and that she had simply set her expectations too high.

That was precisely why she had given them three thousand yuan that day—as a token of gratitude for raising her.

But now that she knew the truth, she finally understood: Tang Jizhong and his wife had never shown her any kindness—only hatred!

At the same time, she felt a pang of sympathy for her biological mother. Although she didn’t know why her mother had gone to the hospital alone to give birth, she suspected that, having been manipulated by schemers, she might still be unaware that her biological daughter had been switched at birth.

Listening to Tang Xue’s sobs, Li Yi didn’t try to comfort her; he simply held her close and gently patted her back.

At a time like this, words were useless; only by crying out her inner grief would she feel any relief.

After quite a while, Tang Xue finally stopped crying.

“What do you think I should do?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “The police will handle the matter involving Tang Meiqin and Tang Jizhong and his son. What we need to do is continue investigating your mother’s identity while we wait for news from the police!”

“Will… will they go to jail?”

Li Yi knew Tang Xue was asking about Tang Jizhong and his son Tang Lei, so he replied immediately, “Yes!”

Tang Xue fell silent; she didn’t know what kind of emotions were swirling inside her.

She knew full well they were her enemies, and she knew they hadn’t truly treated her as family all these years. Yet at that moment, she didn’t feel the satisfaction of seeing her enemies brought to justice; instead, she felt a pang of sadness.

“Xiao Xue, are you feeling a bit reluctant?” Li Yi asked immediately.

He knew she had a kind heart. After all, Tang Jizhong had raised her all these years, and Li Yi was genuinely worried she might not have the heart to send those bastards to prison.

Tang Xue shook her head and said, “No, I just feel a little uneasy. Besides, whether they go to prison or not isn’t something we can decide.”

Although she was just a young girl, she understood that this case constituted a criminal offense. Even if she were willing to forgive the father and son, there was no way the police would drop the charges.

Besides, she didn’t want to forgive them just like that.

After all, she wasn’t the only one truly harmed by this incident—her biological parents were the biggest victims.

“I’m relieved to hear you think that way. People like them aren’t worth forgiving. They’ve done you no favors—only inflicted searing hatred and irreparable pain!” Li Yi said.

Li Yi wasn’t just saying this to Tang Xue standing before him; he was also speaking to that poor, foolish girl from his past life.

In her past life, because of his own heartlessness, Tang Xue eventually returned to Yong County.

Although Li Yi didn’t know the exact details of what happened later, based on what he’d learned recently, it wasn’t hard to guess what had transpired in his past life.

It must have been that after Tang Xue returned, the Tang family forced her to marry that bloated, fat-bellied director—a man old enough to be her father—in order to secure the money for Tang Lei’s wedding and to resolve Tang Bing’s employment issues.

Tang Xue obviously wouldn’t agree; after all, stubbornness ran deep in her very bones.

And so, conflict was inevitable!

Later, Tang Xue discovered she was pregnant. When the Tang family found out, they pressured her to have an abortion so she could go through with the marriage.

Ultimately, under the pressure from these scoundrels, coupled with the gossip and rumors from those around her, Tang Xue could no longer bear the immense pressure and chose to drown herself in the river.

So, to Li Yi, the Tang family—father and son, Tang Meiqin, and Li Hongmei—were all enemies: the enemies who killed Tang Xue, the enemies who killed his child.

In his previous life, burdened by guilt and feeling he had no face to show the Tang family, Li Yi never investigated the cause of Tang Xue’s death—nor did he know that Tang Xue wasn’t actually the Tang family’s biological daughter.

As a result, he allowed those demons of the Tang family to evade justice, and even gave them a sum of money.

In this life, he would absolutely not let them off the hook. Not only would he send these scum to prison, but he would make their lives a living hell!

Tang Xue didn’t dwell on it. She simply sighed and asked Li Yi, “That woman said my mother worked at the cotton mill. Should we go there tomorrow to investigate?”

“Yeah, I’ve made plans with Xiao Zhanwu for tomorrow. Once they’ve arrested Tang Jizhong and Tang Lei, the father and son, they’ll take us to the cotton mill to investigate your mother’s identity under the pretext of the case!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

…….

Seeing Tang Meiqin break down in tears, Li Yi and Xiao Zhanwu, who were hiding behind the statue, both breathed a huge sigh of relief!

They both knew this woman’s psychological defenses had crumbled. From now on, she wouldn’t be thinking about fighting to the bitter end, but rather how to atone for her crimes and exonerate herself.

In a normal investigation, reaching this point meant they were practically halfway to success.

After Tang Meiqin had cried for a while, Long Zhanjun said in a stern voice, “Enough. Wipe that cat’s-eye look off your face—we still have questions for you!”

“What… what do you want to ask?”

“Why did you set the clinic on fire?”

Tang Meiqin’s expression changed again; she suddenly didn’t know how to answer.

Seeing the woman’s eyes start to dart around again, Long Zhanjun said coldly, “You’d better think carefully before you speak. Otherwise, your son might end up in prison with you!”

“I…”

“You started the fire in the archives room. Was it because there were things in there you needed to destroy? What are you trying to cover up?” Long Zhanjun asked in a deep, stern voice.

Cold sweat broke out all over Tang Meiqin’s body. These people were terrifying—they even knew exactly where the fire had been started.

Moreover, this man’s mind was far too sharp—he’d immediately connected the dots to the items in the archives, deducing that they were destroying evidence to cover up the truth.

“I… can I not say anything?”

“What do you think? If you go to the police station to turn yourself in, they’re bound to ask you about your motive for setting the health center on fire. Do you think you can avoid answering?” Long Zhanjun said coldly.

Tang Meiqin was silent for a long moment, then sighed and said, “We set the clinic on fire to destroy a hospital record!”

“Whose medical records?”

“My cousin’s wife and another woman named Ye Lingwan!” Tang Meiqin replied.

“Why did you need to destroy their records?”

“Because my cousin’s family and I stole Ye Lingwan’s child!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s heart began to race.

Sure enough, just as he had suspected, Tang Xue’s story wasn’t what Tang Jizhong had claimed—it wasn’t that her mother had abandoned her.

She had been stolen from her biological mother!

Recalling Li Yi’s words, Long Zhanjun said again, “Tell me the details of this matter!”

Tang Meiqin paused briefly, as if recalling the events of that time.

After a moment, she sighed and began to recount what had happened back then.

Tang Meiqin recalled that she was 26 that year, and her son was only 4, when her husband, who worked in a coal mine, died in a mining accident.

As if misfortune weren’t enough, shortly after her husband’s death, her son fell ill.

She had nearly depleted the family’s savings and even used her husband’s compensation money to barely manage to cure her son.

But her son still needed recuperation after being discharged from the hospital, and that required money. However, aside from her salary of about twenty yuan from the clinic, she had no other source of income. The arrival of her cousin and his wife brought a glimmer of hope to her desperate life.

Tang Meiqin remembers a rainy afternoon when her cousin suddenly rushed into the clinic, carrying her cousin’s wife in his arms.

It turned out that her cousin’s wife, who was eight months pregnant, had accidentally fallen while at work, causing the baby to be born prematurely.

Since she was family, Tang Meiqin immediately stepped in to help treat her. Unfortunately, while her cousin’s life was saved, the baby was lost.

Her cousin knew how much his wife cherished this child; if she found out she had lost it, she might do something reckless.

So he went to see Tang Meiqin and asked her if there were any babies at the clinic that their parents didn’t want to raise—even a girl would be fine. He planned to adopt one and tell his sister-in-law later that she had given birth to the child.

Of course, finding a child on such short notice was impossible, but just then, a pregnant woman covered in blood was brought into the clinic.

This woman’s situation was similar to his cousin’s—she had also accidentally fallen—but her pregnancy was already full-term.

After medical treatment, the woman successfully gave birth to a baby girl, though the infant’s vital signs were weak.

As Tang Meiqin carried the newborn baby and pushed the unconscious woman out of the operating room, she once again encountered her cousin, who was preparing to dispose of the child’s body.

Her cousin, Tang Jizhong, saw the baby girl in her arms and noticed that the mother was still unconscious with no man by her side. Immediately, he began to harbor ulterior motives.

He asked Tang Meiqin to swap the baby girl she was holding for his own stillborn child, claiming that the woman had given birth to a stillborn baby. After all, they were both girls, and the woman would surely never know.

Tang Meiqin was hesitant at first, but when her cousin pulled out two hundred yuan, she gave in.

And so, her cousin took the baby away from the woman named Ye Lingwan. When Ye Lingwan woke up and learned that she had given birth to a stillborn, she was devastated.

A few days later, several cars arrived at the clinic and took the woman away.

After hearing Tang Meiqin’s account, everyone present clenched their fists, their eyes burning with fury as they glared at her.

I never would have imagined there could be such a vicious person in the world.

Her own child had died, so she stole someone else’s—and kept it so tightly hidden that the mother would likely never know, even on her deathbed.

Li Yi, who had been hiding behind the statue, could no longer contain himself. He immediately leaped out and walked toward Tang Meiqin.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Zhanwu immediately followed him out.

Seeing two people suddenly dart out from behind the statue, Tang Meiqin was startled.

When she recognized Li Yi, she recoiled in terror: “You… how did you end up here… you…”

Li Yi clenched his teeth and said, “What? Is it so unbelievable to see me?”

“You… This is a trap you set. You did this to investigate Xiao Xue’s background?”

Tang Meiqin wasn’t stupid; the moment she saw Li Yi, she knew she’d fallen into a trap.

Li Yi said coldly, “Yes, but it’s also true that your son stole things to pay off his gambling debts!”

Then Li Yi pointed to Xiao Zhanwu standing nearby and said, “Now take a look at who he is!”

When Tang Meiqin saw Xiao Zhanwu in his white-and-blue police uniform, she recoiled in fear, taking several steps back.

“You promised that as long as I cooperated, you wouldn’t arrest my son. You’re breaking your word!” Tang Meiqin snapped.

“Hmph. As long as you cooperate fully, we certainly won’t make things difficult for your son. After all, his situation could be a big deal or a small one!” Li Yi said.

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true!”

“I’ll turn myself in. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know—I just beg you to spare my son. He’s innocent…”

“We’ll deal with your son later. I’m asking you: who is Xiao Xue’s biological mother?” Li Yi asked in a deep voice.

“I don’t know. All I know is her name is Ye Lingwan, 22 years old. I know nothing else!” Tang Meiqin hurriedly replied.

“Hmph. Are you really forgetting, or are you lying on purpose? You should know that the consequences of lying to me are dire!” Li Yi said coldly.

“I really am not lying to you… Oh, right, she was brought here by a worker from the cotton mill. You can go check it out!” Tang Meiqin said.

“I’ll look into it!”

Li Yi then looked at Tang Meiqin and said, “Things have come to this. You should know what’s in store for you. However, you weren’t the mastermind behind this. If you cooperate fully with the police, you might receive a lenient sentence. I don’t need to tell you what to do, do I?”

“No need… it’s just my son…”

“We won’t cause him any trouble. He’ll be able to go home tonight!”

Then, Li Yi turned to Xiao Zhanwu and said, “I’m leaving her in your hands. I expect to see the Tang family brought in tomorrow. Can you handle that?”

“I can!” Xiao Zhanwu replied, his voice tinged with excitement.

“Good. Go back now!”

……

Outside Xinjing Town!

Tang Meiqin arrived outside the town with a heavy heart. Although she had been through this several times before, on previous occasions she had always been taken directly to Wu Dabaozi.

Being dropped off in the middle of nowhere like this was a first.

Besides, she was carrying over 300 yuan on her, so she couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

But just as she was wavering over whether to keep going, a bonfire suddenly flared up in the abandoned God of Wealth Temple in the distance, which put her mind at ease a little!

Soon, Tang Meiqin arrived outside the God of Wealth Temple!

By the light of the fire, Tang Meiqin could make out three or four figures inside the dilapidated temple.

Thinking of her son, whose fate was still unknown, Tang Meiqin steeled her nerves and stepped into the dilapidated temple.

But once she stepped inside and saw the people gathered around the fire, she felt even more uneasy.

She realized that every single one of them was a complete stranger; she hadn’t seen a single one of them before.

“Who exactly are you people? Where is my son?” Tang Meiqin asked, feigning composure.

Long Zhanjun replied indifferently, “You don’t need to worry about who we are. Did you bring the money?”

“Where’s my son? Besides, how can I be sure he actually owes you money?” Tang Meiqin wasn’t stupid; she certainly wasn’t going to hand over the money to these strangers right away.

“Once you’ve paid the debt, you’ll naturally see your son. As for whether your son owes us money, just take a look at this IOU and you’ll know!”

With that, Long Zhanjun pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

It was an IOU written by Tang Meiqin’s son, Zhou Xiaohu, to Wu Dabaozi, bearing his own signature and thumbprint.

Tang Meiqin first glanced at the amount owed—over a thousand yuan—and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

She thought to herself, “That little bastard’s getting bolder and bolder. To have racked up so much debt out there—isn’t he trying to kill me?!”

Then she looked at the signature below—it was indeed her son’s scrawled handwriting. Aside from that little bastard of hers, no one else could write like that.

The last shred of hope vanished from her heart. Tang Meiqin knew there was no way to wriggle out of this debt, and her tone softened instantly.

“Um… I don’t have that much money on hand right now. Could I pay a portion of it first and pay off the rest little by little?”

Tang Meiqin continued, “I’m a nurse at our local clinic, and my son works at the town’s grain warehouse. Between the two of us, we make sixty or seventy yuan a month. We’ll be able to pay it all back soon…”

Before she could finish, Long Zhanjun cut her off: “No way. If I don’t see 1,000 yuan today, you’d better get ready to collect your son’s body!”

Tang Meiqin was instantly terrified. She dropped to her knees before Long Zhanjun with a thud and pleaded, “Please, have mercy! Don’t kill my son. We’ll definitely pay you back…”

Long Zhanjun said coldly, “Begging me won’t do any good. However, I can show you a way out—this might just save your son’s life!”

“What… what solution?” Tang Meiqin asked urgently.

“Turn yourself in!”

Tang Meiqin’s heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled as she stammered, “Turn… turn myself in? I…”

“You were the one who set that fire at the clinic, weren’t you?” Long Zhanjun demanded loudly.

“You… how… it has nothing to do with me… I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Tang Meiqin stammered incoherently.

Behind the dilapidated statue, Xiao Zhanwu heard this and couldn’t help but glance at Li Yi beside him.

It had been three years since he’d returned from military service, and having helped solve a few cases, he had some experience.

He didn’t even need to think about it—just from what the woman had just said, he knew something was off.

Perhaps it was true, just as the man in front of him had suggested—that this woman was the one who set the fire at the health center.

If that were the case, this would be a massive scandal. The Xinjing Town Police Station would be blatantly fabricating a wrongful conviction. If this were to be investigated, who knows how many people would be dragged down with her.

Long Zhanjun let out a cold laugh, glared at Tang Meiqin, and snapped, “Do you know who that wrongfully accused Feng Liujin is to me? Let me tell you, I’ve already figured it out—that fire was set by you and your relatives!”

“If it weren’t for the fact that the police need time to solve the case, I wouldn’t be wasting my breath with you—I’d have thrown you in the police station ages ago!”

“Let me be blunt: whether you turn yourself in or not, this case will be solved soon. The police are already at the Tang family’s place in town making arrests—you’re next!”

Hearing this, Tang Meiqin panicked even more.

Although she didn’t know how they’d tracked them down so quickly, the fact that they could name her cousin in the city so precisely meant they must have uncovered the truth—and that filled her with even greater dread.

“I… I…”

Before Tang Meiqin could speak, Long Zhanjun continued, “Also, you probably don’t know this yet, but your son isn’t just engaging in a little gambling for fun—his crimes are far more serious than you could ever imagine!”

“What… what’s wrong with my son?” Tang Meiqin asked urgently.

Her son was her life—the person she cared about most in the world—and she truly didn’t want anything to happen to him.

“Theft of public and private property on a massive scale!”

“That’s impossible. How could my son steal anything?” Tang Meiqin said, looking utterly incredulous.

“Haha, to pay off his gambling debts, your son secretly stole grain from the grain depot while on duty and sold it, then squandered the extra money wherever he pleased!”

Long Zhanjun continued, “Think about it carefully—wasn’t he living it up for a while?”

Tang Meiqin thought it over carefully—it was true. For a while, her son had been spending money like water, living beyond his means.

At the time, she had asked him if he’d done something wrong, but he refused to admit it.

So he really had been up to no good!

Instantly, Tang Meiqin grew even more panicked!

“Do you know how the police will handle your son’s actions?”

“No… I don’t know!”

“What he did is called embezzlement by a person in a position of trust—it’s an aggravated offense. Normally, the sentence starts at ten years!” Long Zhanjun said loudly.

“Ten… ten years, and that’s just the minimum!” Tang Meiqin was on the verge of breaking down.

He was her only son—and the sole heir of the Zhou family. If he went to prison, it would truly be the end.

“We’ve already secured concrete evidence. As soon as we pass the leads on to the police, your son’s life will be over!” Long Zhanjun said.

“No… no, please spare my son. He’s still so young… sniffle, sniffle…”

“We can let him off if you want. Our goal is simple: to get my older brother Liujin out of there as soon as possible. As long as you tell us the truth about the arson case, I promise I won’t say a word about your son!” Long Zhanjun coaxed her gently.

Tang Meiqin knew full well what awaited her if she turned herself in.

But she had no choice. On one side was her son; on the other, a life behind bars.

Either she would go to prison, or her son would.

“I… I’ll turn myself in. Please spare my son. I’m begging you on my knees!”

Tang Meiqin had completely broken down. Her son was her Achilles’ heel; she had no other choice!

Xinjiang Town Health Center!

Tang Meiqin was in a great mood today. Thanks to her deliberate prompting, the clinic’s leadership finally recalled the man who had caused a disturbance at the clinic a while back.

Consequently, while filing a police report, the clinic director also passed this lead on to the town police station.

The investigating officers, who had been struggling to find a lead, immediately began digging deeper into this lead.

Soon, the man was apprehended.

Just yesterday, news came from the police station that the case had been solved: the arsonist was a man named Feng Liujin.

Upon hearing this news, Tang Meiqin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Not only had someone been made the scapegoat for the arson, but the clinic’s archives room had also been burned to the ground, and all the records had gone up in flames. Now, no one would ever be able to uncover the truth about what happened back then.

Unless, of course, her cousin and his wife decided to come clean themselves.

But that was impossible; after all, they were the masterminds behind that incident back then, while she was, at most, an accomplice.

If they were to spill the beans, their punishment would undoubtedly be far harsher.

However, Tang Meiqin’s good mood didn’t last long. Just as she was about to clock out, a scruffy young man arrived at the clinic and blocked her path.

Tang Meiqin thought she’d run into a hoodlum and immediately snapped, “Get out of my way, or I’ll call for help!”

But the young man just chuckled and said, “You think you can call for help, you old hag? Do you really think I’d bother with you? Let me tell you this: your son owes our boss 1,000 yuan in loan shark money. With interest, it’s already 1,500 yuan.”

“Our boss told me to tell you to go home right now and raise the money. Bring it to the God of Wealth Temple outside town by nine o’clock tonight. If we don’t see the money, we’ll take your son’s life!”

Tang Meiqin was instantly terrified, her whole body trembling. Just as she was about to speak, the young man turned and walked away.

It took Tang Meiqin quite a while to come to her senses.

Her first instinct was to call the police and ask them to help rescue her son.

But she quickly dismissed the idea. She knew full well that if she reported it, regardless of whether her son could be saved,

Even if he were saved, the police would notify his workplace, and his job would be ruined.

After all, she had spent a fortune to secure that job; losing it just like this would be a terrible waste.

Not to mention, she’d been actively looking for a wife for her son lately; without that job, who would even consider her son?

So, reporting it was out of the question!

Right then, she took off her work uniform, changed into casual clothes, and headed straight for the grain warehouse where her son worked.

First, she had to confirm whether her son had really been kidnapped!

When she arrived at the grain warehouse, she found it was already closed. After asking Old Wang, the security guard, she learned that her son hadn’t come to work that afternoon at all—he’d called in sick.

Instantly, Tang Meiqin’s heart sank.

She immediately rushed back to her home in town and began searching high and low.

Now that she was certain her son had been kidnapped, the only thing she could do was raise money to pay the ransom.

But after searching every corner of the house, she found less than three hundred yuan.

After all, her husband had died young, and for all these years she’d been the sole breadwinner raising her son. On top of that, with that good-for-nothing constantly squandering money, there was no spare cash left in the house.

Fortunately, when it came to borrowing from loan sharks, she’d done it so many times over the years that she was well-versed in the process.

She knew full well that whether those men beat people or kidnapped them, their ultimate goal was always money.

As long as she showed a willingness to pay and handed over some money, they probably wouldn’t give her and her son too much trouble.

First, she had to get him out of there; she could worry about paying the rest later.

Shortly after, Tang Meiqin grabbed the family’s last three hundred-odd yuan and hurried to the God of Wealth Temple just outside town.

……

Xinjiang Town. God of Wealth Temple!

Located on a small hillside a few hundred meters outside Xinjing Town, this God of Wealth Temple used to be quite popular, with even Taoist priests practicing there.

However, over a decade ago, it suddenly fell into disrepair. Not only had the Taoist priests left, but the buildings inside had been demolished as well. Now, only a few crumbling walls remained, leaving the place completely abandoned.

Inside the temple at that moment, five or six young people were gathered together. Combined with the eerie surroundings, the scene was somewhat spine-chilling.

“Brother Yi, do you think that woman surnamed Tang will really show up?”

Li Yi glanced at Xiao Zhanwu beside him and said, “Do you think she’ll come?”

“If she confirms her son has been kidnapped by you guys, she’ll definitely come!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

“Then there’s no question about it—she’ll definitely show up!” Li Yi said.

“Did you guys really kidnap her son?” Xiao Zhanwu frowned.

“Are we that stupid? Kidnapping someone and then standing here chatting with you? Don’t you think we’d be afraid you’d arrest us?”

“Then what did you mean earlier? And where is her son?”

“Her son is having a great time at the casino right now. That’s got nothing to do with us. We just made her think her son had been kidnapped. That’s not against the law, is it?” Li Yi said.

“That isn’t illegal, but if you take money from her, that’s extortion!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

“Haha, I’m not the type to look down on her measly savings. Besides, we’ve got her son’s IOU!” Li Yi said.

“It seems you’ve taken care of every possible risk. With such a meticulous plan, who exactly are you?” Xiao Zhanwu asked, narrowing his eyes.

“A good person, a law-abiding citizen!” Li Yi said casually.

“Really?”

“If I were a bad guy, I wouldn’t go to all this trouble. There are a thousand ways to make her spill the truth—or even make her and her son vanish without a trace, leaving you with not a single clue!” Li Yi said calmly.

Xiao Zhanwu fell silent!

Although they hadn’t interacted much, he believed Li Yi was capable of it.

“This is Yong County. I hope you don’t cause any trouble, or I’ll send you to prison!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

“I called you here to work with you, not to hear you threaten me!” Li Yi said calmly.

Xiao Zhanwu nodded and said, “I was rash!”

Just then, Long Zhanjun, standing nearby, suddenly pointed toward the distance and said, “Someone’s coming!”

Everyone looked in the direction Long Zhanjun was pointing and saw a faint beam of light not far away—it appeared to be from a flashlight.

Behind the flashlight, they could vaguely make out a figure.

Li Yi scanned the distance but saw no one else. He immediately said, “Since this woman has arrived, let’s get started!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Long Zhanjun and the others made a quick arrangement, then set fire to a pile of rotten wood inside the dilapidated temple.

Meanwhile, Li Yi and Xiao Zhanwu moved behind the severely damaged statue in the dilapidated temple; it wasn’t yet time for them to make their move.

Soon, everything was ready—they were just waiting for their prey, Tang Meiqin, to walk right into their trap!

In the days that followed, Li Yi didn’t pay much attention to the matter; after all, being unfamiliar with the area, there wasn’t much he could do to help.

So, for the past few days, he’s been taking Tang Xue on leisurely strolls around the county town!

They left their footprints at the county-run restaurant, the supply and marketing cooperative, the movie theater, and the school Tang Xue had previously attended!

After a few days, Tang Xue’s spirits had lifted considerably.

A week later, news finally came from Long Zhanjun.

After reviewing the investigative report Long Zhanjun had sent back, Li Yi immediately asked, “Big Long, is the situation regarding Tang Meiqin’s eldest son true? Does he really owe a lot of gambling debts he can’t pay back?”

“It’s true. We’ve looked into it thoroughly—that guy really does owe Old Wu a lot of money!”

“How much?”

“A little over a thousand yuan.”

Li Yi immediately pulled out a thousand yuan and handed it to Long Zhanjun, then said, “Take this thousand yuan to your friend and get the IOU from him!”

“No need. I’ll just ask him for it directly…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi said calmly, “Take it. It’s best not to let a favor go unpaid—sometimes a 1,000-yuan favor can’t be repaid even with 100,000 yuan!”

“I understand! But what do we do once we get the IOU?” Long Zhanjun asked.

“Once we have the IOU, send someone over to that guy’s place right away to collect the debt!”

“What if he refuses to pay?”

“It’s best if he doesn’t. Just tie him up and have Tang Meiqin come and ransom him!”

Li Yi continued, “Remember, don’t get involved personally when kidnapping him. Just have Old Wu bring him out and keep him under control—and don’t hit him!”

“Yes, sir!”

Just then, Long Zhanjun suddenly spoke up: “Brother Yi, I just got some news. I’m not sure if I should share it.”

“What’s the news?”

“It looks like the arson case at Xinjing Town Health Center has been solved!” Long Zhanjun said.

“Solved? Did they catch the culprit?”

“Yeah, apparently the culprit is a local man from Xinjing Town!”

“What was the motive?”

“I heard the man’s wife was taken to the clinic after going into labor, but by the time she arrived, it was too late—they couldn’t save her, and both mother and child died!”

Long Zhanjun continued, “The man blamed the clinic for the deaths of both his wife and child. He went there every day to cause trouble and demanded compensation from the clinic. Naturally, the clinic refused and took a firm stance, which really angered him!”

Li Yi frowned and thought for a moment before asking, “Did that man confess?”

“I don’t think so, but everyone in town says he did it, since he’d previously threatened to burn down the clinic!”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “I know. The plan stays the same!”

“Well…”

Before Long Zhanjun could finish, Li Yi asked again, “Do you have any contacts in the police force?”

“Yes, one of my comrades works at the county bureau, but he’s not in a leadership position,” Long Zhanjun replied.

“Get him to meet with me. Just tell him I’m offering him a chance for a promotion!” Li Yi said calmly.

“Got it!”

With that, Long Zhanjun left!

After seeing Long Zhanjun off, Tang Xue said with some concern, “This… might not be a good idea. Why don’t we just drop the investigation?”

“Are you worried we might be breaking the law?”

“Well, kidnapping someone is against the law, isn’t it?” Tang Xue said.

“Haha, we didn’t kidnap anyone. We just had that Wu guy call the kid out and keep him occupied. But we need to make Tang Meiqin think we’re the ones who kidnapped him!”

“You want to use her son to threaten her?”

“Yep!”

“What if she doesn’t talk? After all, if she does, she’ll go to jail.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll talk!” Li Yi said confidently.

According to our investigation, Tang Meiqin has only this one precious son, and she dotes on him immensely.

Over the years, the boy had gone astray, racking up a hefty gambling debt, and Tang Meiqin had always cleaned up after him.

She’d even gone so far as to buy him a job at the town grain depot just to keep him from loafing around. It’s safe to say her son is Tang Meiqin’s Achilles’ heel.

With people, it’s not their wickedness you fear—it’s their vulnerabilities!

Once you have a weakness, even the strongest armor is useless.

…….

The next day at noon, Long Zhanjun showed up again, this time bringing a young man with him.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Long Zhanjun immediately introduced him: “Brother Yi, this is my comrade-in-arms, Xiao Zhanwu. He works at the county bureau!”

Long Zhanjun had already told Xiao Zhanwu about Li Yi before they arrived, and had relayed Li Yi’s exact words to him.

So Xiao Zhanwu cut straight to the chase: “I want to know how you plan to get me promoted.”

“You know about the arson case at the Xinjing Town Health Center, right?”

“I do!”

“Can I get promoted if I solve this case?” Li Yi asked casually.

“Huh, that’s odd. I heard that case had already been solved!” Xiao Zhanwu frowned.

“Are you talking about the husband of that pregnant woman who died?”

“Yeah!”

“He’s not the real killer!” Li Yi said with certainty.

“Why? I heard the police station in Xinjing Town already got the suspect to confess. What makes you say he’s not the killer? If he’s not the real killer, then who is?” Xiao Zhanwu asked in a low voice.

“I’ll definitely give you the answer, but for now, just tell me if solving this case will get me a promotion!” Li Yi said.

“There’s a chance, but it’s not very likely!”

“What if we add a case involving the theft of an infant to it?”

“That should be enough. But why me?” Xiao Zhanwu asked.

Li Yi replied calmly, “We chose you because you’re Dalong’s comrade-in-arms. We had no other choice but you!”

“What do I have to give in return?”

Xiao Zhanwu knew full well that there’s no such thing as a free lunch; any reward is proportional to the effort put in, let alone something that seems like a windfall.

“You don’t have to do anything—just watch from the sidelines. But you must not interfere with our operation without my permission!”

Li Yi continued, “Apart from that, once the case is solved, you’ll have to do us a favor!”

“What kind of favor?”

“We’ll discuss that later, but I promise it won’t cause you to violate any regulations, nor will it tarnish your personal honor!” Li Yi said.

“All right, I’ll agree! But first, you have to convince me why that man isn’t the arsonist!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

“They say the dog that bites doesn’t bark. Think carefully about the criminals you’ve dealt with—how many of them announced their crimes to the world beforehand? Unless they were suicidal or deliberately seeking revenge on society!”

Li Yi continued, “Clearly, that man was just taking out his anger on the clinic because his wife and child died—or maybe he was just trying to extort some money. If he really wanted to take revenge on the clinic, he wouldn’t have said those things. And if he really did it, he wouldn’t have stayed home quietly waiting for the police to come arrest him!”

“That’s true, but that alone doesn’t seem to be enough,” Xiao Zhanwu said again.

“Of course, that alone definitely isn’t enough!”

Li Yi continued, “I’ve been to the scene of the arson—I went there the day before the fire and again after it happened—so I’m fairly familiar with the area outside the Xinjing Town Health Center!”

“As far as I know, the walls around Xinjing Town Health Center are very high—at least two and a half meters—and they’re studded with broken glass. There’s also a large iron gate. Once it’s locked at night, it’s virtually impossible for anyone to get in! Especially without alerting the people inside—it’s simply impossible!”

“Moreover, the large kitchen is at the end of the left corridor, and it’s stacked with firewood right next to it. If I were seeking revenge against the clinic staff, I’d have simply set that firewood ablaze. In that case, it wouldn’t have been just half the clinic that burned down—it would have been completely destroyed, and hardly anyone inside would have been able to escape.”

“But in reality, when I went there that day, I happened to hear the fire department’s conclusion: the fire started in the archives room at the end of the right-hand corridor. So this wasn’t an act of revenge at all.”

After hearing Li Yi’s analysis, Xiao Zhanwu couldn’t help but nod in agreement, then said, “So, does that mean the Xinjing Town Police Station really got it wrong?”

“Most likely. If we don’t look into this, it could easily become a miscarriage of justice!” Li Yi said.

“I admit you’ve convinced me. It’s been a pleasure working with you!”

With that, Xiao Zhanwu extended his hand first!

“It’s been a pleasure working with you!”

……

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Li Yi got up early, went to the state-run restaurant, and bought a takeout box of millet porridge and a few meat buns to bring back.

After sharing a quick bite with Tang Xue, he waited for Long Zhanjun to arrive.

Long Zhanjun knew that Li Yi and Tang Xue’s situation was urgent, so he arrived before 7:30.

Afterward, the four of them set off directly for the Xinjing Town Health Center.

But when Li Yi and the others arrived at the Xinjing Town Health Center again, the scene before them left them stunned.

The health center, which had been perfectly intact just yesterday, was now a charred ruin, with half the building burned to the ground.

Judging by the scene alone, it was clear the fire had been massive.

At that moment, many people were clearing the debris in the courtyard of the health center, and there were even several firefighters and an old fire truck on the scene.

After asking Mudskipper to keep an eye on Tang Xue, Li Yi and Long Zhanjun walked over together to inquire about the situation.

Li Yi was mainly interested in finding out what had happened to the archives room—whether it had also been destroyed.

With so many people milling about and no one stopping them, the two made their way straight to the center of the fire scene.

Just then, several firefighters emerged from the fire zone, saying as they walked, “Judging by the scene, the fire started in the archives room. There are clear signs of arson. Tell the hospital staff to call the police immediately…”

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took note.

Li Yi had originally planned to go inside and ask the hospital director, but upon hearing this, he stopped in his tracks.

At the same time, his brow furrowed!

They had come yesterday to review the records, and the hospital director had agreed; that very night, the hospital caught fire.

Moreover, the fire broke out in the archives room, and there were clear signs of arson. There couldn’t possibly be so many coincidences in the world.

Li Yi immediately concluded that the fire was clearly aimed at them, intended to prevent them from accessing those records.

And right now, the only people with that motive were the Tang family!

More importantly, Tang Xue had mentioned yesterday that one of her relatives worked at this clinic.

The situation was actually quite clear!

Of course, this was merely Li Yi’s personal speculation; he had no concrete evidence.

But the thing is, he wasn’t a police officer; he wasn’t there to convict anyone, so he didn’t need evidence, did he?

Immediately, Li Yi took Long Zhanjun and left the scene of the fire!

When they returned to the side of the Piantou motorcycle, Tang Xue hurriedly asked, “What happened? Why is it burned like this?”

“I heard it was arson, and the archives have already been destroyed!”

“Then… what are we going to do?” Tang Xue asked.

“Let’s talk outside!”

Li Yi started the motorcycle and rode all the way to the outskirts of town before stopping!

Once the bike had come to a stop, Li Yi called Long Zhanjun and Ni Qiu over and briefly explained Tang Xue’s background.

Then he continued, “Dalong, Niuqiu, our immediate goal is to get to the bottom of Xiao Xue’s background. But judging by the current situation, it seems someone is secretly trying to stop us from investigating this matter. I even suspect these people started the fire!”

Long Zhanjun said in a low voice, “Brother Yi, are you talking about the Tang family?”

“It can’t be anyone else but them!”

Tang Xue said dejectedly, “Now that the archives have been burned down, does that mean we’ve lost all hope?”

Li Yi shook his head. “It’s not that bad. In fact, their interference has actually made my thinking clearer!”

“What do you plan to do?” Tang Xue asked.

Li Yi replied immediately, “Since we can’t uncover your origins by searching the archives, we’ll investigate through the people!”

“People?”

“Exactly!”

Then Li Yi turned to Tang Xue and said, “Xiao Xue, think carefully—is there really a relative of yours working at this clinic?”

“Yes!”

“Then try to remember her name, or any distinguishing features she has.”

“All I know is that she’s a woman, and her last name is also Tang… Oh, right, she has a purple birthmark on her face—it’s pretty scary!”

After saying this, Tang Xue looked at Li Yi and asked, “Are you suspecting she started the fire?”

“It’s possible! After all, an outsider wouldn’t know where the clinic’s archives are located. It was either done by someone on the inside, or someone working in collusion with an outside accomplice. Either way, she’s a prime suspect!” Li Yi said.

“So what should we do now?” Tang Xue asked.

Li Yi glanced at Long Zhanjun beside him and asked, “Da Long, are your people familiar with this area?”

“Not very well, but I have a friend who runs a loan shark operation around here. I can ask him for help!” Long Zhanjun replied.

“Is he reliable?”

“We’re on good terms, but we’re not exactly blood brothers!”

“Alright, then. Ask him to help us track down a woman at the clinic with the surname Tang and a birthmark on her face. I need all her information, including her family members!” Li Yi said.

“Got it. I’ll get on it right away!”

“Alright, I’ll wait for your update!”

…….

County Town. Steel Mill!

Tang Jizhong and his son Tang Lei went to work early this morning, but both of them were on edge the whole time.

To stop Tang Xue from investigating her origins, they rode their bicycles to Xinjing Town last night and, with Tang Meiqin’s help, set the place on fire.

To ensure the archives were completely destroyed, they had stolen a large amount of gasoline from a truck at the steel mill and poured it inside the archives room, so by the time they fled the scene, the fire had already grown intense.

Back in town, the father and son were still shaken to the core; after all, getting caught doing something like this could land them in prison.

But even so, they had no choice but to do it, because if Tang Xue discovered her true origins, they would end up in prison just the same.

With things having come to this, they had no choice but to go all out!

To avoid arousing suspicion, despite being extremely exhausted, the father and son went to work as usual.

Though their bodies were at the factory, their hearts were pounding with anxiety.

Tang Meiqin was just as nervous. She was now filled with anxiety and fear, and she also felt a sense of regret.

She regretted having been tempted by her cousin’s few hundred yuan back then and committing that crime.

Now, even though she knew arson was a serious crime, she had no choice but to go through with it.

It was truly one mistake leading to another, and there was no turning back now.

Fortunately, she knew the layout of the clinic. With her covering for them, even if the clinic discovered the arson, there was no way they could trace it back to her cousin and his son.

As for Tang Xue and the others, she isn’t worried they’ll suspect her.

After all, ever since that incident years ago, she had hardly ever visited her cousin’s house out of guilt.

She’d only seen Tang Xue once in the past twenty years or so, so it’s unlikely she’d even remember her.

Most importantly, she had already figured out how to get out of this.

A major incident had occurred at the clinic some time ago: due to certain complications, a pregnant woman had died during childbirth there, and her family had come to cause a scene several times over the matter.

However, since the clinic wasn’t at fault, the administration had taken a firm stance on the matter. Consequently, the pregnant woman’s husband had repeatedly threatened to take revenge on the clinic, even going so far as to publicly shout that he would burn it down.

So, with just a little guidance, she could pin this whole thing on that person.

She was now thinking about how to bring this up with the director!

What Tang Meiqin didn’t know was that someone had already traced the matter back to her.