Chapter 223: Tang Meiqin’s Sinister Plot

Xinjing Town Health Center!

At 2:00 p.m., two sidecar motorcycles pulled into the Xinjing Town Health Center, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Although it was already the 1980s and sedans could be seen on the streets, motorcycles were still a luxury item, and they definitely turned heads.

Moreover, Xinjing Town wasn’t exactly a wealthy town to begin with, so seeing two sidecar motorcycles at the health center was truly quite a shock.

Li Yi helped Tang Xue step down from the sidecar. As soon as they got off, he saw Tang Xue frown and say, “I feel like I’ve been here before!”

“When?”

“When I was around ten or so. I think a relative of mine worked here. I remember my dad told me to call her ‘Aunt,’ but I don’t know exactly what our relationship was!” Tang Xue replied.

“Do you know that distant relative’s name?”

Li Yi asked instinctively; he had a vague feeling that Tang Xue’s background might be connected to this distant relative.

“I don’t know, but I know her last name is also Tang!”

“Okay, got it. Let’s go inside and find the director here!”

“Okay!”

The health center in Xinjing Town was considerably larger than the one they’d visited that morning in Fengye Town, consisting of no fewer than three rows of buildings.

There were also more doctors and nurses inside, and quite a few patients.

After entering, Li Yi asked the nurse on duty at the entrance where the director’s office was.

But just then, a middle-aged woman in a white nurse’s uniform walked over.

Since she was holding a stack of sheets and pillowcases that obscured half her face, Li Yi and Tang Xue didn’t notice her.

However, the woman got a clear, unobstructed view of Tang Xue’s face.

The moment she recognized Tang Xue’s face, she seemed to be struck by a sudden shock. She stumbled backward several steps, leaned against the wall, and took a long moment to compose herself.

By then, Li Yi had already led Tang Xue away.

The woman hesitated briefly, then immediately walked over to the nurse on duty at the entrance.

The nurse on duty was new. Upon seeing the middle-aged woman, she immediately greeted her: “Sister Tang, why are you washing these sheets and pillowcases yourself? You could have just handed them over to Meizi and the others!”

“Hehe, Meizi is on leave, and Xiao Wang went back to go on a blind date, so I had to do it myself!”

“Can I help you?”

“No, thanks. By the way, Xiaoya, were those two young men earlier here for a medical appointment? They were really handsome!”

“They were here to see the director. They said they wanted to ask about something. I didn’t ask any further!”

Hearing this, the middle-aged woman felt even more uneasy. She hurriedly placed the soiled sheets and pillowcases she was holding on the front desk and said, “Xiaoya, my stomach is hurting a bit. Could you keep an eye on these for me? I’ll be right back!”

“Sure, Sister Tang, go ahead!”

“Okay!”

With that, the middle-aged woman hurried off down the right-hand corridor.

Meanwhile, Xiaoya at the front desk stood there, a bit bewildered, staring in the direction where “Sister Tang” had disappeared. Aren’t the restrooms down the left hallway?

But she figured she might have gone back to grab some toilet paper or something, so she didn’t think much of it!

As for Li Yi and Tang Xue, when they arrived at the dean’s office and explained their purpose,

The director’s attitude was actually quite friendly; he said he was willing to help them, but unfortunately, the staff member in charge of the archives was on leave and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.

Although other staff members had keys to the archives room, they weren’t very familiar with where the documents were stored, so he asked them to come back tomorrow.

Although they wouldn’t be able to view the files today, Li Yi was quite pleased to have received a firm commitment from the dean.

After expressing their gratitude repeatedly, the two left the dean’s office.

Since they still had to rush back to the county hospital, Li Yi helped Tang Xue onto the sidecar of his motorcycle and was just about to leave.

But, being naturally alert, he sensed someone watching him from the shadows. He spun around abruptly and saw a middle-aged nurse at the clinic’s front desk staring intently at them.

Noticing Li Yi’s gaze, she immediately turned away, avoiding his eyes.

Seeing that it was just an unfamiliar nurse, Li Yi didn’t think much of it and rode away on his motorcycle.

…….

After returning to the county seat, guided by Long Zhanjun, the group made their way to the Yong County Hospital.

Compared to the township health centers in the surrounding areas, Long Zhanjun was quite familiar with many of the doctors at the county hospital; after all, he often brought his sister here and had long since become close with them.

With their help, Li Yi easily secured the assistance of the hospital’s deputy director, who arranged for someone to escort them to the archives to investigate the matter.

However, to everyone’s disappointment, even after combing through all the 1961 inpatient records, they found no leads whatsoever.

Not only was there no trace of Tang Xue’s biological mother, but there was no record of Li Hongmei’s hospitalization either.

After four or five hours of searching with nothing to show for it, everyone couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

Fortunately, Li Yi had anticipated this outcome and was able to accept it.

Since they had been at it all afternoon, Li Yi sensed that Tang Xue seemed a bit tired, so he took everyone out for a quick bite to eat. After setting a time to meet the next morning, he took Tang Xue back to the guesthouse.

However, what Li Yi and Tang Xue didn’t know was that just as they returned to the guesthouse, a middle-aged woman hurriedly arrived at the Tang residence.

When Tang Jizhong and Li Hongmei returned from work and saw the woman, they hurriedly invited her inside.

“Qin, how come you have time to visit today? You absolutely must stay for dinner before you leave!” Li Hongmei said warmly.

But Tang Meiqin replied somewhat anxiously, “Brother, Sister-in-law, let’s not worry about dinner for now. I came over today because I have something to ask you!”

“Xiao Qin, you look like something’s wrong,” Tang Jizhong asked immediately.

“I want to ask you—has Xiao Xue come back? Does she know the truth about her origins?” Tang Meiqin asked in a subdued voice.

Tang Jizhong was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Xiaoqin, have you seen her?”

“So Xiao Xue really has come back from the North?” Tang Meiqin said, sounding a bit alarmed.

“Yes, she came back a couple of days ago. Where did you run into her?”

“At our health clinic!”

“The… clinic? What was she doing at the clinic?” Li Hongmei asked, puzzled.

Standing nearby, Tang Jizhong was clearly more astute than Li Hongmei. Connecting the dots from his cousin Tang Meiqin’s words, his face turned pale as he said, “Xiaoqin, are you saying that wayward daughter has tracked down your clinic?”

“Yeah, I just happened to see her there today with a man. She said she needed to speak with our director…”

Before she could finish, Li Hongmei immediately interjected, “Qin, you must have mistaken her for someone else. After all, you and Xiaoxue haven’t seen each other in years—you probably don’t even know what she looks like anymore!”

No sooner had she spoken than Tang Meiqin exclaimed, “I may not know what Xiao Xue looks like, but I remember what Ye Xiaoying looked like back then—and Xiao Xue is practically the spitting image of her when she was young!”

“This… this… She’s tracked down your clinic. Does that mean she might track us down too?”

Li Hongmei also realized the gravity of the situation. Thinking back to what they’d done all those years ago, her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Tang Meiqin took a deep breath and said, “It’s not that bad yet. Since Old Xu, who’s in charge of the archives, is on leave, the director told them to go tomorrow, so we still have a chance!”

“What chance?”

“If we set the archives on fire, as long as we don’t say a word, no one will ever be able to uncover what happened back then!” Tang Meiqin said through gritted teeth.

“S-set a fire?” Li Hongmei asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes, it’s the only way!” Tang Meiqin said.

“Then who’s going to do it?”

Tang Meiqin glanced at Li Hongmei, then turned to Tang Jizhong and said, “Brother, I did what I did back then for your wife’s sake. And if the truth ever comes out, we’re all finished. I’m sure you understand what’s at stake!”

Tang Jizhong clenched his teeth and said, “I’ll start the fire, but I don’t know where the archives room is. You’ll have to help me!”

“No problem! Besides, security at our clinic is very lax at night, and there’s no one on duty. As long as we’re careful, no one will notice!” Tang Meiqin said.

“Alright!”

…….

However, just as Li Yi was preparing to teach these scoundrels a lesson, he heard the door behind him suddenly open.

Immediately afterward, a pale-faced Tang Xue stepped out.

She had heard the commotion outside, and upon stepping out to see her former uncles and elders surrounding her husband like this, a wave of sorrow washed over Tang Xue.

She walked over to Li Yi’s side and stood in front of him.

“Are you here to seek justice for Tan Cheng and Tang Bing?” Tang Xue asked coldly.

“Yes. Not only did he hit Bingbing and Tan Cheng, but he also hit your Uncle Tan. He must give us an explanation!” Tang Jizhong shouted.

“Then do you know why, out of all the people on the street, Li Yi didn’t hit anyone else but those two?”

“Well…”

Tang Jizhong hadn’t actually asked about that. After hearing his youngest daughter come home in tears, he’d acted on impulse and called people over without asking for the full details.

At that moment, a man in the crowd shouted, “No matter the reason, hitting someone is wrong—he should pay compensation!”

“If we go by what you’re saying, Uncle San, that means no matter how much someone insults you, you’re not allowed to fight back!” Tang Xue retorted.

“You can’t put it that way…”

“Then how should I put it?”

Then Tang Xue shouted angrily, “Am I supposed to just let those two insult and slander us however they please? Are we not allowed to defend ourselves? What’s the matter? Do you think we’re afraid of you just because my husband is from out of town?”

“Let me tell you this: if anyone here dares to lay a finger on my husband today, I’ll haunt them from beyond the grave!”

“You disobedient daughter, you dare?”

With that, Tang Jizhong raised his hand and slapped Tang Xue hard across the cheek.

Li Yi immediately pulled Tang Xue back and, in the same motion, slapped away Tang Jizhong’s outstretched hand.

“We made it perfectly clear yesterday: from now on, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other. If you dare lay a hand on Xue again, you can kiss that hand goodbye!”

Then, Li Yi glared at the others and said, “I don’t care which of you half-wits crawled out of a loose fly—if any of you dare to keep your mouths shut here, I won’t hesitate to send you to the hospital for a few days!”

However, Li Yi’s words failed to intimidate them. Tang Lei, bare-chested, shouted, “Don’t get so cocky just because you can fight. There are over a dozen of us here—if you’ve got the guts, go ahead and knock us all down!”

“That’s right! If you’ve got the guts, take us all down. Otherwise, just pay up!”

“Exactly, pay up…”

Seeing how reckless these men were, a cold smile curled at the corner of Li Yi’s mouth.

The greatest flaw in human nature is the word “greed.” Some are greedy for money, some for lust, some for pleasure, and some for laziness.

For those whose eyes have been blinded by greed, he didn’t mind teaching them a lesson.

But just then, a cold and arrogant voice suddenly rang out from behind: “Who’s so cocky? Let your brother Jun have a look!”

The sudden outburst instantly drew the attention of everyone present.

The crowd turned to look and saw a dozen or so people appear on the other side of the corridor.

They were all young—around seventeen or eighteen—broad-shouldered and stocky, with fierce glints in their eyes.

The one leading them was particularly terrifying—none other than Long Zhanjun, the city’s notorious gangster.

There wasn’t a soul in Yong County who didn’t know the name Long Zhanjun.

Two years ago, before he returned from military service, Yong County had another gang leader named “Pockmarked Face.”

That guy had rounded up a gang of thugs and hoodlums, picking fights and causing trouble everywhere—even the police had to give them a wide berth.

No one knows exactly how that guy managed to cross Long Zhanjun, nor how Long Zhanjun went about it, but in any case, within less than a week, Ma Lian and several of his henchmen were all crippled.

Not only were they beaten to a pulp, but more importantly, their past misdeeds were exposed, and they were eventually arrested by the police and sentenced to prison.

Everyone knew it was Long Zhanjun’s doing, but there was no evidence.

From that moment on, Long Zhanjun made a name for himself in Yong County!

The members of the Tang and Tan families hadn’t expected to run into Long Zhanjun here; they were all at a loss for words.

But just then, Long Zhanjun had already walked up to them.

“Who was speaking just now?” Long Zhanjun asked calmly.

With everyone’s eyes on him, Tang Lei had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, “Um, it was me!”

His reply, however, was a resounding slap across the face, followed by Long Zhanjun’s loud shout: “You blind dog! Who do you think you’re offending?”

He then unleashed a barrage of blows on Tang Lei, beating him until he was rolling around on the ground.

At that moment, neither the Tang family nor the Tan family dared to breathe a word, and no one dared to step forward to plead for Tang Lei.

Finally, Tang Jizhong couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He stepped forward and pleaded, “Sir, I beg you to spare my son, Xiao Lei…”

But Long Zhanjun showed no mercy, continuing to slap Tang Lei across the face with such force that he left the boy’s face swollen and bruised.

“Enough, Dalong!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Long Zhanjun stopped immediately!

This scene left not only the Tang family speechless, but even Tang Xue, standing nearby, stared in disbelief.

She had always thought Long Zhanjun was just a friend of Li Yi’s, but she never imagined he would obey Li Yi so completely, acting just like a subordinate.

Regardless of what everyone else thought, Li Yi fixed his gaze on Tang Jizhong and said coldly, “Get these scumbags out of here right now. If you dare to act up in front of us again, start preparing your own coffin!”

Terrified by his menacing words, Tang Jizhong hurriedly nodded, while the others didn’t dare breathe a word.

“Hurry up and get out!” Long Zhanjun bellowed.

Hearing this, the members of the Tang and Tan families felt as if they’d been granted a pardon. They hurriedly grabbed Tan’s father—who was still whining and moaning incessantly—and fled the guesthouse in a flash.

Once the Tang and Tan families had left, Li Yi immediately asked, “Has the car arrived?”

He didn’t ask Long Zhanjun how he’d managed to arrive so promptly—the answer was obvious even to a fool. Long Zhanjun had undoubtedly been keeping him and Tang Xue under constant surveillance.

The lookouts saw trouble brewing and immediately called him over.

It was enough that he knew this in his heart; there was no need to bring it up openly.

As for Long Zhanjun having them watched, Li Yi understood why. After all, they’d only known each other for a day, and Long Zhanjun was an extremely cautious man.

If he hadn’t sent someone to watch them, that would have been the odd thing.

“It’s coming this way!”

Li Yi glanced at Tang Xue, who was still visibly shaken, and said, “Xiao Xue, I don’t think you’re in the mood to rest right now. Why don’t we head over to the Xinjing Town Health Center early?”

“If we have time, we could also stop by the county hospital on our way back. What do you think?”

Tang Xue nodded immediately and said, “I’ll do whatever you say!”

“Alright, let’s go then!”

“Okay!”

…….

The Steel Mill’s Staff Housing Complex!

The Tang family was having dinner. Since they had unexpectedly received 3,000 yuan, everyone—Tang Jizhong, Li Hongmei, and Tang Lei—was overjoyed.

For the Tang family, this money was nothing short of a windfall.

With the exception of Tang Bing, who wasn’t particularly pleased, everyone else—without exception—was absolutely thrilled.

Even Tang Lei’s fiancée was beaming with joy.

That was three thousand yuan, after all. In an era when the average annual income was less than three hundred yuan, there were hardly any households in the entire county that had that much in savings.

Of course, the reason Tang Bing was unhappy was entirely because, with Tang Xue’s departure, her job prospects had completely fallen through.

Without a job, Tan Cheng—who had never really looked much of a thing of her—might just back out.

Perhaps to make it up to his daughter, Tang Jizhong took two hundred yuan directly from the three thousand and gave it to Tang Bing, telling her to keep it as her own spending money.

It was precisely because she had suddenly come into this “fortune” of 200 yuan that Tang Bing felt flush with cash and invited Tan Cheng to dine at the state-run restaurant—only to run into that troublemaker Li Yi and get beaten up badly.

Turning to the rest of the Tang family, the first instinct of ordinary people who come into sudden wealth is to show it off, and the best way to do that is to spend money.

Thinking of his son Tang Lei’s upcoming wedding, Tang Jizhong immediately took time off from work and the factory, then went for a stroll around town to see if he could find a suitable house.

They had actually set their sights on a house recently—the courtyard wasn’t very big, but it was cheap.

But when they went to look at it again this time, both father and son felt the courtyard was too small and the decor was mediocre, so they decided to look for a larger one instead.

But these days, not many people are selling courtyards, and after searching all morning, they hadn’t found anything.

Despite this, Tang and his son were still in good spirits.

On their way back, Tang Jizhong even made a special trip to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy two pounds of pork.

Thinking of the envious look on the butcher’s face, Tang Jizhong felt absolutely delighted.

But just as the Tang family’s meal was being served—before they’d even had a chance to eat—they saw the front door burst open!

Immediately afterward, Tang Jizhong saw his youngest daughter, Tang Bing, running in from outside, screaming and crying as she ran.

Tang Jizhong was taken aback and rushed over to see what was wrong.

“Bingbing, what’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”

Since Tang Bing was covering her face, no one in the Tang family could see her face; they only noticed that her clothes were filthy and she looked rather disheveled.

But when Tang Bing removed her hand and revealed her swollen left cheek, the Tang family was stunned.

Soon, Tang Jizhong was seen pounding the table and roaring, “Who hit her? I’ll chop him to pieces!”

“Dad, you have to stand up for me! Waaah…”

“Daughter, tell me who did this. I’ll go settle this right now!” Tang Jizhong said immediately.

“Who else could it be? It was Tang Xue and that stranger she brought home. Not only did they hit me, but they also beat Brother Tan Cheng until he was covered in bruises!” Tang Bing cried, clutching her face.

“It was them?”

Upon hearing this, Tang Jizhong froze, and Tang Lei fell silent as well.

Li Yi’s ferocity was still fresh in their minds. To be honest, they really didn’t dare to pick a fight with him.

They knew full well that the guy was capable of killing without hesitation!

“Dad, Brother, you aren’t scared of that stranger, are you? Waaah… If you don’t help me, I won’t go on living!”

Tang Jizhong clenched his teeth and said, “Daughter, how could I possibly abandon you? Rest assured, I’ll make sure justice is served!”

Then, Tang Jizhong turned to Tang Lei and said, “Xiao Lei, go get your second, third, and fourth uncles over here. Oh, and make sure to invite Uncle Tan too!”

“Anyone who dares hit my daughter, Tang Jizhong’s daughter—I’ll break his legs!”

“Got it, Dad!”

With that, Tang Lei put down his bowl and chopsticks and dashed out the door!

……

At the county guesthouse, Li Yi had finally managed to get Tang Xue to fall asleep, and then he began to think about the current situation once again.

Before Tang Jizhong started working at the steel mill, both he and his wife had worked at the textile factory, and there were only two hospitals near the factory.

If Li Hongmei had indeed shown signs of premature labor back then, she would most likely have been taken to the nearest hospital.

Therefore, it was quite likely that Tang Jizhong and his wife had encountered Tang Xue’s biological mother at either the Xinjing Town Health Center or the County Hospital.

Since the county hospital was right in town and easily accessible, Li Yi decided to visit the Xinjing Town Health Center first that afternoon.

However, realizing that nearly 20 years had passed, he knew it would be no easy task to uncover the truth.

Besides, Li Yi was also worried that if Tang Xue had indeed been given away by her biological mother back then, the truth would be far too cruel.

He was genuinely worried that Tang Xue might not be able to handle it!

So, he was still somewhat hesitant about whether he should really uncover the truth!

Ultimately, though, it all depended on Tang Xue’s wishes. If she insisted on knowing the truth, then no matter the cost, Li Yi would have to uncover it.

Just as Li Yi was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside.

Immediately afterward, furious kicking and stomping echoed outside their room, startling Tang Xue awake from her slumber.

Li Yi had exceptionally keen hearing; he could already make out Tang Lei’s loud, boisterous voice.

Realizing what was happening, he told Tang Xue to stay inside and not go out.

He then got up, put on his shoes, and opened the door!

A dozen or so men had gathered in the hallway outside the room—all young and burly, each looking menacing as they stared intently at Li Yi as he stepped out.

Despite being surrounded by so many people, Li Yi showed no fear.

He strode up to them and said coldly, “Who just kicked the door? Who was it?”

At that moment, a middle-aged man in his forties shouted, “It was me…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi suddenly took a swift step forward and slammed his fist out!

“Thud!”

The middle-aged man took Li Yi’s punch squarely in the face. That single blow sent him reeling backward five or six steps as if he’d been hit by a truck, and he finally collapsed to the ground.

After hitting the ground, blood, tears, and snot streamed from his face. He was dazed and disoriented, as if he had lost consciousness!

The scene fell deathly silent!

No one expected Li Yi, facing so many of them alone, to not only show no fear but actually take the initiative to strike first.

What was most terrifying was that the moment he struck, he showed no mercy—he was brutally fierce!

But after a brief moment of shock, Tang Jizhong roared angrily, “You little bastard, you dare to act so brazenly! If you don’t pay Brother Tan 1,000 yuan today, don’t even think about leaving!”

At the same time, the men behind Tang Jizhong chimed in, “That’s right! Don’t even think about getting off easy without 1,000 yuan!”

“Right, and there’s the injuries to Bingbing and Xiao Cheng—at least two thousand yuan!”

“Two thousand is a bit low…”

For a moment, the crowd was truly in an uproar, and the looks they cast at Li Yi were pure, unadulterated greed!

It was no wonder these people were so greedy. After all, when Tang Jizhong had called them over earlier, he’d told them Li Yi was a rich man, and mentioned that yesterday the guy had handed out 3,000 yuan in a single go.

He’d also said that no matter how much compensation was paid this time, his daughter Bingbing and Tan Cheng would each take 20%, and the rest would be split evenly among everyone.

Tang Jizhong’s brothers and friends were all money-hungry types. After hearing this, they were all fired up, as if they’d been injected with adrenaline, and that’s why they’d come to cause trouble for Li Yi.

Little did they know that, in Li Yi’s eyes, they were nothing but a bunch of lowly, unsavory scum—not even worth mentioning!

Silence—a deathly silence!

Li Yi’s ruthlessness left everyone present in awe; they hadn’t expected him to strike with such ferocity.

They had no doubt that if not for the crowd watching, this young man might have beaten the two of them to death right there!

But soon, the diners snapped out of it!

Seeing Li Yi act so “brutally,” they all spoke up in defense of the two who’d been beaten:

“Young man, how could you lay a hand on them? Is there no law anymore?”

“Yeah, and hitting a woman? How could you do that?”

“Exactly… You’re completely lawless. We’re going to take you straight to the police today…”

Li Yi shot a cold glance at everyone present, then grabbed a large bowl from the table and smashed it violently onto the floor.

“Crash!”

The deafening crash of the bowl shattering into pieces startled everyone present once again.

In an instant, the room fell silent!

At that moment, Li Yi took a step forward, glared at the onlookers, and said coldly, “Which of you heroes wants to stand up for them? Come forward and let me see.”

As he spoke, Li Yi’s gaze slowly swept over the crowd.

However, not a single person he looked at dared to meet his gaze, not even for a single second.

The fierce, rugged aura unique to men from the northern frontier that emanated from Li Yi struck fear into everyone present; those whose eyes met his felt their hearts race.

After intimidating the others, Li Yi walked over to Tan Cheng, who was lying on the ground.

At that moment, Tang Xue snapped out of it and immediately stepped forward, grabbing Li Yi’s arm and saying, “Don’t be impulsive—it’s not worth it for him!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry. He’s just a scumbag—not enough to make me lose my cool!”

“Hmm, think more about me and the baby!”

“Don’t worry. Just sit there and watch!”

Then Li Yi pointed at Tan Cheng and addressed the crowd: “We came to this restaurant to eat. This man walked in and started making lewd remarks to my wife, then tried to get physical with her. Do you think he deserves a beating?”

“I didn’t… I just haven’t seen Xiao Xue in years, so I got a little excited!” Tan Cheng stammered, his face contorted.

“Excited? My wife and you are just neighbors—what the hell are you getting so worked up about?”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, you’ve already taken this woman’s hand—and you’re acting all excited? Is that supposed to be funny?”

“I…”

Li Yi ignored him and pointed at Tang Bing, who was wailing on the ground. “What are you bawling about? Shut the hell up!”

Startled by Li Yi’s shout, Tang Bing immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Li Yi’s ferocity had terrified her, and combined with the overwhelming combat prowess he’d displayed at the Tang residence yesterday, it had left a deep psychological scar on Tang Bing.

Li Yi pointed at Tang Bing and said, “And this woman is even more despicable. She actually had the nerve to say in front of everyone that my wife has wronged this man. That’s clearly slandering my wife!”

“What’s more, this woman is my wife’s younger sister. A younger sister slandering her own older sister—how can someone so young have such a malicious mind?”

As soon as he said this, the scene erupted in an uproar.

Everyone had assumed it was just a fight between two groups of strangers, but they never expected these two young women to actually be sisters.

A younger sister slandering her older sister, only to get beaten up by her brother-in-law—now that’s a real scandal!

In an instant, everyone’s curiosity was piqued!

Seeing the scrutinizing and suspicious looks directed at her, Tang Bing immediately shouted, “I didn’t do it! She’s the one who’s been involved with Brother Tan all along—she’s the one who betrayed him!”

However, Li Yi gave a cold smile and stared at Tang Bing, saying, “If that’s the case, does that mean you knew your sister was involved with this man?”

“Of course I did. I’m her sister—how could I not know?” Tang Bing replied matter-of-factly.

“Since you knew, why were you parading around holding his hand and acting so intimate? What kind of behavior is that? Are you trying to steal your own sister’s man?”

Li Yi then pointed at Tan Cheng and said coldly, “And what about you? What’s your game? You’re sleeping with her sister while still sleeping with her? You’re trying to have your cake and eat it too?”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, the people around them—who had originally been taking their side—all froze, and the look in their eyes toward Tan Cheng and Tang Bing changed completely!

Just then, Li Yi spoke again!

Li Yi addressed the crowd: “Everyone, my wife, Tang Xue, is the Tang family’s adopted daughter. Three years ago, when she was not yet 16, she was sent to a remote mountain village in Saibei Province to take the place of her eldest brother in the rural placement program. And in the years leading up to our return to Yong County yesterday, she remained in Saibei Province the entire time—she never once returned to Yong County.”

“What’s more, we’re now officially married and have a child of our own. It’s absolutely impossible for my wife to have any connection with a scoundrel like that!”

Upon hearing Li Yi’s explanation, the crowd immediately began whispering among themselves, sharing their opinions:

“I was wondering why the young man would suddenly start hitting people out of the blue. So that’s how it is—those two deserved to be beaten!”

“What an eye-opener. Even though they aren’t biological sisters, that woman is just too vicious—slandering her own sister like that!”

“The world is full of surprises. I really feel bad for the older sister—how did she end up with such a vicious younger sister…”

Seeing that public opinion had shifted, Li Yi glared at Tang Bing and said, “Even if you like this guy, you don’t have to drag your sister through the mud! I know better than anyone what kind of person my wife is!”

“It’s the two of you who are the real scum—a scumbag and a slut. You’re both filthy, inside and out!”

After saying that, Li Yi pulled a few large bills out of his pocket and placed them on the table in front of the restaurant staff.

“This is compensation for the damage done to the restaurant today. If there’s anything else, come find me at the county guesthouse. My name is Li Yi!”

Then, Li Yi took Tang Xue’s hand and walked straight out of the state-run restaurant.

Back at the hotel, Li Yi took Tang Xue back to their room, while Long Zhanju left with Ni Qiu.

However, they agreed to meet up in the afternoon to go to the Xinjing Town Health Center together.

Back in the room, Tang Xue looked at Li Yi with a touch of anxiety, hesitating to speak.

As Li Yi poured her some hot water, he said, “Just say what’s on your mind. Is there anything we can’t talk about between us?”

Tang Xue hesitated briefly, then looked at Li Yi and said earnestly, “I really don’t have a relationship with him. At most, I used to have some… some…”

“What exactly?”

“I had a bit of a crush on him!”

But then Tang Xue added, “That was in the past, though. I don’t have the slightest interest in him now!”

“Then who are you interested in?”

“I’m obviously… obviously…”

Then, blushing deeply, Tang Xue said, “You’re so annoying! Why do you have to make me say such embarrassing things?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Alright, I know you and he aren’t involved. I didn’t hit him out of jealousy!”

“Then what was it?”

“I’m going to get you justice!”

“Justice?”

“Yeah. That guy is clearly already hooking up with Tang Bing, and judging by how comfortable they are with each other, it’s definitely been going on for a while.”

Li Yi continued, “And what about him? He’s been hitting on your sister while also writing you flirty letters all the time. A man like that is absolutely despicable.”

“And that woman is just as despicable. She knows full well who’s in the wrong, yet she still slandered you in front of everyone. If we don’t beat them up, we’d be doing that pair of scoundrels a disservice!”

Tang Xue was deeply moved. She threw herself into Li Yi’s arms, clinging tightly to him as tears streamed down her face.

“It’s fine if I suffer a little injustice, but you mustn’t act so impulsively. Fists and feet have no eyes—if you hurt someone, I’ll feel guilty for the rest of my life!” Tang Xue said through her tears.

“Okay, I won’t do that again!”

“Mm…”

……..

Back in the county seat, Tang Xue looked at Li Yi and said, “They tricked us, didn’t they?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Judging by the current situation, that’s definitely the case!”

“Why? Why would they do this? We’ve already given them so much money—what more could they possibly want?” Tang Xue said, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Clearly, they don’t want you to find your biological mother. It’s very likely they’re covering up the truth!”

“What truth?”

“Your origins!”

“My origins?”

“Yes. Maybe your birth mother didn’t give you up at all!”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you were probably stolen or trafficked,” Li Yi said.

“Oh, is… is that even possible?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. We’ll wait until we’ve investigated and uncovered the truth,” Li Yi said.

“All the information they gave us is false. How are we supposed to investigate?” Tang Xue frowned.

Li Yi thought carefully about Tang Jizhong’s expression and demeanor from yesterday. Based on his experience, it wasn’t hard to tell that half of what Tang Jizhong had said was true and half was false.

Therefore, Li Yi deduced that the story Tang Jizhong had told yesterday was likely true in outline but false in detail.

In that case, all he needed to do was weed out the false parts to extract the useful information.

Soon, Li Yi began carefully piecing the events together in his mind.

First, Tang Jizhong and Li Hongmei had indeed been hospitalized in 1961, and it was even possible that Li Hongmei had suffered a miscarriage and lost the baby—after all, Tang Jizhong hadn’t seemed to be thinking too deeply when he spoke yesterday.

It was unlikely that he had made the whole thing up on the spot.

Of course, this isn’t absolute, but in Li Yi’s view, Tang Jizhong clearly didn’t have the ability to do so.

In that case, if they could locate the hospital where they were admitted at the time, there might be a breakthrough.

At that moment, Li Yi asked Tang Xue, “Was Tang Jizhong always an employee at the steel mill?”

Tang Xue shook her head and said, “No, my dad… he used to be a temporary worker at the cotton mill. It was only when my grandfather retired that he handed the job over to him!”

Li Yi knew this was what was known as “taking over the position.”

“Where is the cotton mill?”

Before Tang Xue could answer, Long Zhanjun, standing nearby, replied, “In the west of the city!”

“Are there any hospitals nearby?” Li Yi asked again.

Long Zhanjun thought for a moment and said, “The cotton mill isn’t far from the county hospital, and it’s not too far from the health center in Xinjing Town either!”

Li Yi felt reassured. He glanced at his watch and saw it was almost 11 o’clock.

“Let’s go. We’ll grab something to eat first, then head back to rest for a bit. This afternoon, we’ll check out that health center in Xinjing Town!”

“Alright!”

Led by Long Zhanjun, the group of four then headed to the State-run Restaurant in Yong County.

The State-Run Restaurant in Yong County was considerably larger than the one in Qingshan County. Since it was mealtime, the place was bustling with diners.

When Li Yi and the others entered, only a table toward the back was empty, so they sat down there.

Li Yi didn’t skimp on this meal; he ordered four or five main dishes and asked for several large white steamed buns.

Although Long Zhanjun insisted that since they were there, he should treat them, Li Yi clearly had no intention of letting him do so and settled the bill right after ordering.

The food arrived quickly, and the group immediately began eating.

However, just as everyone was halfway through their meal, a man and a woman walked into the restaurant.

Upon entering and finding no available seats, the pair began loudly demanding that the staff find them a place to sit.

Li Yi and Tang Xue, sitting with their backs to them, didn’t notice the pair at first. But when Tang Xue heard a familiar yet grating voice, she immediately turned to look.

When she saw the two people in front of her, she froze in shock.

The woman was her younger sister, Tang Bing, and the man was Tan Cheng, her childhood sweetheart.

What’s more, Tan Cheng was actually holding Tang Bing’s hand—in a very intimate manner!

Tang Bing hadn’t expected to run into Tang Xue here either, and she was momentarily stunned as well.

Upon seeing Tang Xue, Tan Cheng instinctively let go of Tang Bing’s hand and walked straight toward her.

“Xiao Xue… is that you? You’re back?”

Tang Xue stared at him coldly, saying nothing.

“Don’t get the wrong idea—there’s nothing going on between me and Xiao Bing. We’re just out for a meal together!”

As he spoke, Tan Cheng reached out to take Tang Xue’s hand.

However, before he could explain, Li Yi turned around, stepped between them, and said coldly, “Whether you have a relationship with that woman or not, there’s no need to explain it to us. Also, please stay away from my wife!”

“Wife? Xiao Xue, when did you get married? How come I didn’t know?”

Tan Cheng asked in shock, his tone filled with surprise, but even more so with anger.

Ever since they were children, he had regarded Tang Xue as his own private treasure. If it weren’t for his parents’ refusal to allow him to marry an adopted daughter, he would have taken her as his wife long ago.

He never imagined Tang Xue had actually gotten married; this was something he found hard to accept at first.

“What does it matter to you when I got married? Who are you to me?” Tang Xue said coldly.

“I… I’m Tan Cheng…”

Just then, Tang Bing, having snapped out of her daze, flashed a look of jealousy. She hurried forward, grabbed Tan Cheng’s arm, and said, “Brother Tan Cheng, my sister is already married and has a child. She’s the one who let you down…”

Before Tang Bing could finish her sentence, Li Yi stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.

“Smack!”

Tang Bing hadn’t expected Li Yi to strike so suddenly; the slap landed squarely on her chubby face.

In an instant, a distinct handprint appeared on her broad face.

The force of the slap sent her stumbling backward several steps before she fell to the ground.

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone; everyone, including Tang Xue, turned to look at Li Yi.

“Wah!”

Tang Bing, having regained her senses, let out a blood-curdling scream, her voice shrill and piercing!

Tan Cheng glanced at Tang Bing, who was a complete mess, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes. Still, he pointed at Li Yi and shouted angrily, “Are you even a man? How dare you hit a woman!”

“Smack!”

His response was a resounding slap that left Tan Cheng seeing stars and his face burning.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Unlike when he’d slapped Tang Bing, Li Yi didn’t stop after just one blow.

Li Yi took a swift step forward and landed a punch right on Tan Cheng’s face, sending blood gushing from his nose.

In pain, the man immediately swung a punch at Li Yi’s head.

A cold, sharp glint flashed across Li Yi’s lips. He reached out, grabbed Tan Cheng’s incoming fist, and executed a shoulder throw.

“Boom!”

Tan Cheng’s body slammed violently into a nearby dining table, shattering it into pieces and sending the food scattered all over the floor.

Li Yi showed no mercy, beating Tan Cheng until he was covered in blood. He lay on the ground howling in agony—a truly pitiful sight.

The next morning!

Li Yi got up early; he was going to buy breakfast for Tang Xue.

Last night, the little girl had woken up crying in the middle of the night; it was clear that this incident had hit her pretty hard.

Since he hadn’t slept very soundly last night, he didn’t wake up as early as usual this morning.

Just as Li Yi had finished washing up and was about to head out, he opened the door only to find someone standing right there, leaning against the pillar and smoking a cigarette.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Long Zhanjun.

Li Yi said indifferently, “You’re here?”

Long Zhanjun stubbed out his cigarette, stomped it underfoot, and said, “Shall we talk?”

“Sure. I was just about to go get breakfast. Want to join me?” Li Yi said.

“Sure!”

The two then walked out of the guesthouse, one in front and one behind.

Once outside, Li Yi didn’t see any of Long Zhanjun’s men and immediately asked, “Did you come alone?”

“Yeah!”

“Did you ask your mom?” Li Yi asked.

“No. My mom wouldn’t tell the truth, but my sister saw her taking medicine in secret, and she’s coughed up blood twice!” Long Zhanjun said.

“That means your mother’s condition is already very serious!” Li Yi said.

“Can you tell me exactly what’s wrong with my mom?”

Li Yi paused for a moment before saying, “Heart disease. It’s similar to your sister’s condition!”

“Is my mother going to die?”

“Yes, barring any complications, she has about three years left to live!”

“Is there any hope?”

“There should be a way. Heart disease isn’t a terminal illness these days. If she goes to a major hospital in Beijing for surgery, they can manage the condition—just like your sister!” Li Yi said.

“Hmm, I’ve looked into it—it’s going to cost a lot of money!”

“How much?”

“Last year, my sister’s attending physician said that to cure her, it would cost at least five thousand yuan!” said Long Zhanjun.

Li Yi nodded. “That’s a lot. Now, with your mother included, we’re looking at a minimum of ten thousand yuan. Add in the follow-up rehabilitation costs, and it’ll be at least fifteen thousand!”

“Is what you said yesterday true? As long as I work for you, you can help cure my mom and my sister?” Long Zhanjun asked in a low voice.

“It’s true! I, Li Yi, never lie!”

“Alright then, my life is yours from now on!” Long Zhanjun said earnestly.

“Aren’t you afraid I might make you do something illegal?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“You won’t. I’ve done my research—you came here with your wife, and she’s pregnant. Normally, if you were a bad guy, you wouldn’t be running around with your wife!”

Long Zhanjun continued, “Of course, if you really are that kind of bad guy, there’s nothing I can do—I’d have no other choice.”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s still your own life. If I ask you to work with me, it’ll all be legitimate business—not any shady deals!”

“So who exactly are you?”

“Heh, you’ll find out later!” Li Yi said.

“So what can I do?”

“For today, help me find a vehicle. I need to go to the Maple Leaf Town Health Center to look into something!” Li Yi said.

“I can’t get a car, but I can get a tricycle!”

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi pulled a thousand yuan out of his pocket, handed it to Long Zhanjun, and said, “Take this money for now. Don’t disband your men just yet—I’ll teach you how to make money with them later!”

“Well…”

“Take it. Since you’re doing this for me, there’s no reason for you to spend your own money!” Li Yi said casually.

“Alright!”

…….

Half an hour later, when Li Yi and Tang Xue finished breakfast and stepped out of the guesthouse, Long Zhanjun was already waiting at the entrance with two three-wheeled motorcycles.

Li Yi glanced at them. Neither of the tricycles looked particularly new, but they were well-maintained.

Seeing Li Yi and Tang Xue emerge, Long Zhanjun immediately came over to greet them.

“Brother Li, Sister-in-law!”

Although Long Zhanjun was older than both Li Yi and Tang Xue, he still respectfully addressed Li Yi as “Brother”—that was the unwritten rule of the underworld.

Tang Xue looked at Li Yi in surprise and asked, “Is this your friend?”

“Yeah, my friend Da Long!” Li Yi replied.

Tang Xue immediately turned to Long Zhanjun and said, “Hello, Big Long. My name is Tang Xue, and I’m Li Yi’s wife!”

“You’re too kind, Sister-in-law!”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Yi said, “Today, let’s head to the Maple Leaf Town Health Center to check things out. Da Long, you lead the way, and we’ll follow behind!”

“Sure!”

Then, Long Zhanjun led the way with Ni Qiu, while Li Yi followed closely behind with Tang Xue.

Maple Leaf Town wasn’t very far from Yong County—only about ten kilometers.

Since it was a town on the outskirts of the county, the roads were fairly smooth, and with their three-wheeler to get them there, they arrived in just over half an hour.

And that was only because Li Yi was concerned about Tang Xue’s health and had deliberately slowed down.

After arriving in Maple Leaf Town, they asked around a bit to find out where the health clinic was located, and then the group hopped on their three-wheeled scooters and headed there.

The Maple Leaf Town Health Center wasn’t very large—just a row of a dozen or so single-story buildings.

It also looked somewhat run-down. Upon entering, Li Yi and the others noticed that the wooden signboard was in a state of disrepair, with the characters on it barely legible.

Parking the tricycles in the courtyard, Li Yi immediately helped Tang Xue off and walked inside.

The clinic was quiet; there were very few patients, and they didn’t even encounter a single person after entering.

Just as Li Yi was wondering if the clinic had moved, he saw a middle-aged nurse walking out of a room. Li Yi immediately led Tang Xue and the others over to greet her.

The nurse noticed them and approached, asking, “Comrade, are you here for a medical appointment?”

Li Yi replied, “No, I’m looking for your director. Do you know which office he’s in?”

“Our director is at a meeting in the county. If you have any business, you can speak with our Deputy Director Zhang!” the nurse replied.

“Do you know where Vice Director Li’s office is?” Li Yi asked again.

“Go straight ahead—it’s the second-to-last room!”

“Thanks!”

Following the nurse’s directions, Li Yi and his companions finally arrived at the door of Vice President Li’s office.

After confirming they were in the right place, Li Yi immediately knocked on the office door.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Come in!” a middle-aged woman’s voice called from inside.

Li Yi told Long Zhanjun and Ni Qiu to wait outside, while he and Tang Xue stepped inside.

Inside the office was only an elderly woman in her sixties. She had a kind and gentle appearance and looked like someone easy to get along with.

“Young man, young lady, is there something I can help you with?”

“Director Li, we’re from the county seat. We’d like to ask you about something—would that be okay?” Li Yi said immediately.

“What is it?”

“It’s like this: my wife was born at your hospital 19 years ago, but right after she was born, her biological mother gave her up for adoption. Now my wife wants to find her biological mother—I was wondering if the hospital might have any leads,” Li Yi explained.

“Nineteen years ago—what month was that?” Vice President Li asked immediately.

“November, around the 10th!” Tang Xue replied.

Vice President Li thought for a moment and said, “I was working at the health center during that time, and I was the only obstetrician there. How come I don’t remember this at all?”

Then, Vice President Li continued, “Young lady, could you tell me what you know about the situation?”

Without hesitation, Tang Xue recounted everything her adoptive father, Tang Jizhong, had told her to Vice President Li.

Vice President Li, being a kind-hearted elderly woman, immediately took them to the hospital’s archives and began searching through the records from that year.

However, the results showed that there were no records of a pregnant woman surnamed Ye being admitted for childbirth in November or the months immediately before or after.

Li Yi’s heart skipped a beat. He pleaded with Vice President Li to check whether a pregnant woman named Li Hongmei had been admitted that year.

The result was the same—there was none!

At this point, the situation was actually quite clear: unless there was an error in the clinic’s records, then Tang Jizhong and his wife had lied!

With a mix of regret and anger, the group left the Maple Leaf Town Health Center in disappointment!

Watching Li Yi’s retreating figure, Long Zhanjun fell deep in thought.

His rational mind told him that this guy was probably just bluffing—after all, who could say for sure what would happen two years from now?

But when he thought of Li Yi’s calm demeanor and confident tone, he began to waver.

After all, the information Li Yi had mentioned was true—though most of it wasn’t exactly classified, and a thorough investigation could uncover it.

But some details were not necessarily accessible to the average person—such as the unit number and branch of service of the unit where he had served.

Or, for instance, the reason for his discharge—that was classified as well.

The fact that this guy had managed to dig up such detailed information clearly meant he wasn’t an ordinary person.

Precisely for this reason, being naturally cautious, he didn’t lose his temper on the spot or lay a hand on this man.

Thinking of Li Yi’s final words, Long Zhanjun didn’t hesitate. He immediately informed his underlings and then rushed straight home.

As soon as he got home, he saw his mother doing laundry.

Seeing this, Long Zhanjun felt slightly reassured. Although his mother’s health wasn’t great, her ailments were minor—she certainly wouldn’t be in any more danger than his younger sister, who suffered from heart disease.

Seeing Long Zhanjun return, a faint smile appeared on his mother’s pale face, and she asked, “Why are you back so early today?”

“A machine broke down at the factory, so the boss gave us the day off!” Long Zhanjun replied.

To put his mother at ease, he didn’t mention that he’d been loitering on the streets; instead, he told her he worked at the steel mill.

“It’s good you have the day off. Then you can take Xiaofeng out for a walk later!” his mother said.

“Sure!”

Then, still a little worried, Long Zhanjun asked, “Mom, are you feeling okay?”

A fleeting look of unease crossed his mother’s face, but she quickly hid it and said, “What could I possibly have? Just some old ailments—nothing to worry about!”

“All right, then. I’ll take Xiaofeng out for a walk!”

After that, Long Zhanjun went into the house and carried a girl of about fourteen or fifteen out on his back, holding a makeshift wheelchair fashioned from a bicycle tire.

After settling his younger sister, Xiaofeng, into the wheelchair, Long Zhanjun pushed her out the door.

His younger sister, Long Xiaofeng, is 17 years old, but due to a congenital heart condition, her health has been steadily declining.

Despite seeking treatment from various sources, there was simply nothing that could be done.

Now, his sister can no longer walk on her own; any sudden exertion causes her to faint, so she relies entirely on the wheelchair to get around.

A major reason Long Zhanjun had become a street thug was to raise money for his sister’s medical treatment.

Once outside, Long Zhanjun sensed that his sister’s mood was off today, so he immediately asked, “Xiaofeng, what’s wrong? You don’t look very happy.”

Long Xiaofeng was silent for a long moment, then suddenly said, “Brother, do you think I’m a burden?”

“What are you talking about? How could you be a burden? I won’t let you say that!”

“Brother, I’m really worried that one day I’ll wear you and Mom out. I…”

“That won’t happen. I’m so capable—how could you possibly wear me out?” Long Zhanjun reassured his sister.

“What about Mom?”

“What about Mom?”

Long Xiaofeng suddenly blurted out, “Brother, I saw Mom coughing up blood!”

“What… When did that happen?”

“It’s happened twice already. The last time was a month ago, and the most recent time was three days ago.”

“You… why didn’t you tell me sooner!” Long Zhanjun said, sounding anxious.

“I wasn’t sure the first time, so I didn’t say anything. This time, you haven’t been home for several days, so I…”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault!”

Thinking of his mother’s health and recalling Li Yi’s words, Long Zhanjun said anxiously, “What’s wrong with Mom? Why did she suddenly start coughing up blood?”

“I saw Mom taking medicine—it looked just like the medicine I take. I suspect she has the same illness as me!”

“Heart disease?”

“Yes!”

Long Zhanjun thought again of what his sister’s attending physician had said: congenital heart disease is highly likely to be hereditary.

Earlier, they had all said that no one else in the family had this condition, but they never expected that Mother would…

“No, I have to ask Mother!” said Long Zhanjun.

“Brother, Mom won’t admit it!” Long Xiaofeng said.

“Xiaofeng, how certain are you that Mom has heart disease?”

“About seventy or eighty percent. I’ve seen Mom take her medicine several times—especially lately, she’s been taking it several times a day!”

Hearing this, Long Zhanjun could no longer sit still.

If what his sister said was true, their mother’s condition might already be very serious.

But because of the family’s circumstances, she had kept it to herself all this time.

Thinking back to what that guy Li Yi had said, Long Zhanjun suddenly fell deep into thought!

…….

Meanwhile, after stepping out of Long Zhanjun’s small courtyard, Li Yi was in high spirits.

It had been two and a half months since his rebirth, and he had finally met his first capable lieutenant.

He wasn’t worried that Long Zhanjun wouldn’t take the bait; knowing him as he did, that guy cared most about his mother and younger sister.

And he was just a street thug—broke and without connections—with no idea where to turn to get his mother and sister treated.

As long as Long Zhanjun found out his mother was constantly worrying about his illness, he would definitely come looking for him.

If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be Long Zhanjun.

As long as he could truly cure his mother and sister, given Long Zhanjun’s loyal and righteous nature, he would surely follow him with unwavering devotion, just as he had in his previous life.

Besides, if he wanted to investigate the truth behind Tang Xue’s background in Yong County, he would need Long Zhanjun’s help.

With him, a local insider, on his side, many things would become much simpler.

Thinking of this, Li Yi naturally felt quite pleased.

By the time he returned to the guesthouse, it was already 5:00 p.m. Tang Xue had woken up by then and was standing by the window, lost in thought.

Hearing Li Yi push open the door, she immediately turned to look.

“Where have you been all afternoon?”

Li Yi held up the two small cantaloupes and half a watermelon in his hands and said, “I went out to ask around about the route to Maple Leaf Town, and I picked up some fruit for you while I was at it!”

“Watermelon? Where did you get that? It must have been expensive, right?”

Tang Xue knew full well that watermelons were a rare luxury—most people simply couldn’t afford them.

As for other fruits and food, as long as you had money and ration tickets, you could buy them—but watermelons were different.

Due to limited production, in most places watermelons weren’t distributed by ration coupons but by doctor’s prescriptions.

Only patients with a fever of 39 degrees could get a small slice with a doctor’s prescription.

I really have no idea where Li Yi managed to get such a huge half-watermelon!

“Hehe, it didn’t cost much. It’s so hot out—I bought it to help you cool off!”

Li Yi then took a small aluminum spoon out of his suitcase, stuck it into the watermelon, and handed it to Tang Xue.

“We don’t have a knife, so we won’t cut it. Let’s just scoop it out with a spoon!”

Tang Xue was a little touched. No matter what good things this man had, she was always the first person he thought of.

Right then, she scooped out a big chunk with the spoon and held it up to Li Yi’s lips!

Li Yi didn’t hesitate, immediately popping the bright red slice into his mouth, and a sweet warmth instantly filled his heart…

……

That afternoon, while Tang Xue was taking a break, Li Yi left the guesthouse!

Once outside the guesthouse, he got his bearings and headed toward the west side of town.

Yong County wasn’t very large; at least, in Li Yi’s view, it couldn’t compare to Qingshan County.

However, Yong County’s county seat was larger and had more cultural depth than Qing Shan County’s. After all, Qing Shan County hadn’t even built city walls since its founding, and there were absolutely no buildings that reflected its historical and cultural heritage.

Yong County, however, was different. It was filled with ancient, quaint buildings, exuding a rich cultural atmosphere everywhere.

After walking west along Yong County’s main street for nearly two kilometers, Li Yi finally spotted a familiar building—a movie theater!

He called it familiar mainly because Yong County’s cinema was almost identical to Qing Shan County’s; after all, cinemas from that era followed a standard national design.

As for the design, most followed the same template, with only minor variations!

The cinema was still open for business, but there were hardly any people there to watch a movie.

Arriving at the entrance, Li Yi didn’t go inside but instead observed the surroundings from a distance.

Soon, he spotted several young men acting suspiciously.

Each of them was carrying a basket, and whenever someone approached the entrance, they would strike up a conversation, as if they were trying to sell something.

Upon seeing them, Li Yi immediately walked over.

Just then, a teenager of about sixteen or seventeen came over carrying a basket and said to Li Yi, “Comrade, why not buy some sunflower seeds, peanuts, and broad beans? It’s much more enjoyable to watch a movie with a little something to eat…”

Li Yi replied casually, “I won’t be buying anything. Take me to see your boss—I need to talk to him!”

“You know our boss?”

“If you’re talking about Long Zhanjun, then yes, I know him!” Li Yi replied.

“You really know Brother Long?”

“Yeah.”

“You…”

“Stop beating around the bush. Take me to see Long Zhanjun. Once this is done, I’ll buy every single sunflower seed and peanut in your basket!” Li Yi said.

“Well…”

“Just give me a straight answer—yes or no. If not, I’ll find someone else. I know everyone selling stuff on the sly around here works for him!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll take you there!”

Then, the young lad led Li Yi out of the movie theater.

On the way, Li Yi learned that the boy’s name was Hou Xiaoyong, nicknamed “Monkey,” and that he hung out with Long Zhanjun.

Soon, with Monkey leading the way, the two wandered through the county town’s alleys for nearly half an hour before finally stopping in front of a small courtyard.

Standing outside the courtyard, Li Yi could hear people talking inside. Their voices were very low, and he couldn’t tell how many there were.

Monkey didn’t let Li Yi go in right away; instead, he waited outside while he went in first to report the situation.

A few minutes later, Monkey opened the courtyard gate and stepped out, then said to Li Yi, “Our boss Long wants you to come in!”

Li Yi then followed Monkey into the courtyard.

Under the eaves at the front of the courtyard stood a small square table. Seated behind it was a young man, flanked by several burly young men.

The young man stared at Li Yi intently for a moment, then spoke up, “I hear you’re looking for me?”

“You?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Since when did Long Zhanjun start hiding behind others? Sending a lowly lackey like you to meet people isn’t exactly the best way to treat guests!”

The young man’s face flushed as he glared at Li Yi and said, “How do you know I’m not Brother Long?”

“Zhang Yu, nicknamed ‘Loach,’ 22 years old, parents divorced—basically raised by a hundred different families!” Li Yi said casually.

“You… who are you, exactly? Why…”

“Calm down. From what I understand, you seem to have a crush on a girl in your dorm. What was her name again? Taozi or Guozi…”

“Stop it! You… you…”

Just then, the sound of clapping came from the inner room, followed by a young man with a muscular build and a stern expression stepping out.

“So you really did come prepared. You’ve even investigated Mudskipper’s background so thoroughly. Who exactly are you?” Long Zhanjun asked, staring intently at Li Yi.

Seeing his former most capable, iron-willed general standing before him, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

Indeed, the man before him was one of Li Yi’s most trusted subordinates from his previous life.

In his previous life, Li Yi had been flanked by the “Eight Great Vajras and Four Bodhisattvas”—much like the “Eighteen Arhats” under Old Ma’s command—all veterans who had followed him from the very beginning to conquer the world, remaining by his side with unwavering loyalty.

Long Zhanjun was one of them, primarily responsible for operations in the Northwest. In terms of combat prowess, he ranked among the top three of Li Yi’s twelve most capable subordinates.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m here to help you!” Li Yi said calmly.

“Help me? Hah, what do I need help with?” Long Zhanjun said coldly.

“Have your men step aside. Let’s have a chat,” Li Yi said.

Long Zhanjun hesitated for a moment; he simply couldn’t figure out this man standing before him.

“This is your turf. Besides, you’re a former soldier—dealing with just me would be a piece of cake. What are you afraid of?”

Li Yi saw through his hesitation and replied immediately.

Long Zhanjun thought it made sense and immediately replied, “Alright!”

He waved his hand, and Zhang Yu, accompanied by a few henchmen, walked out—but only as far as the edge of the courtyard, not straying far.

As he left, the young man even issued a few threats to Li Yi, warning him to behave himself.

Li Yi paid no mind to the threats from these henchmen.

“Go ahead, what do you want to talk about?” Long Zhanjun said.

“Let me introduce myself first. My surname is Li, and my given name is Yi. I’m from Saibei Province!”

“An outsider, but that accent doesn’t sound like an outsider’s at all!” Long Zhanjun remarked.

Li Yi replied calmly, “My wife is from your Yong County. I learned the Qin Province dialect from her. And I’ve come to see you today for one reason only: to bring you under my control!”

“Hah. How much counterfeit liquor have you been drinking to dare say that to my face?” Long Zhanjun said coldly, clearly furious.

“Long Zhanjun, from Yong County, Qin Province, 26 years old! Your father was the deputy director of the former cotton mill in Yong County, but he was framed, thrown in jail, and died there.”

Li Yi continued, “You enlisted at sixteen and served in a special reconnaissance company of a certain army group, where you were the undisputed top soldier. You had a promising future ahead of you, but you were discharged at twenty-three due to family circumstances. With no job prospects and needing to pay for your sister’s medical treatment, you ended up hanging out in the underworld and became the leader of a gang of lowlifes!”

Long Zhanjun said with a grim expression, “You’re investigating me—are you with the police?”

“No, I have no connection to any government agency!”

“Then why are you investigating me?”

“I’m not investigating you. In fact, I’ve never even been to Yong County before today!”

“You’re the type to act but not own up to it?”

“I really haven’t been investigating you—there’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

Li Yi continued, “I said I came to help you. Let me put it this way: if I hadn’t come to see you today, you’d be behind bars in two years. Then your sister would die, and your mother would die too—and she’d die before your sister!”

“You dare to curse my mother and sister? Are you looking to die?”

“Don’t be so quick to doubt me. If you don’t believe me, you can go back right now and ask about your mother’s health!”

“You…”

“If you work with me from now on, I’ll cure your mother and sister’s illnesses and save you from prison. No need to rush into an answer—once you’ve made up your mind, come find me at the county guesthouse tomorrow morning!”

With that, Li Yi left the small courtyard without looking back, leaving Long Zhanjun behind with a deeply furrowed brow.

As they walked out of the steel mill’s residential compound, Tang Xue couldn’t hold back her tears. She threw herself into Li Yi’s arms and began to sob uncontrollably.

Li Yi gently patted her back but said nothing to comfort her.

He knew that any words would be meaningless at that moment.

After quite a while, when she finally stopped crying, Li Yi led her toward the guesthouse.

Back at the guesthouse, Li Yi told her to sit in the room for a while while he went to buy some food.

After all, it was past noon, and neither of them had eaten; they were both famished after all the commotion.

But when Li Yi returned with the food, he found that Tang Xue had already fallen asleep.

Li Yi took a quick bite, then lay down beside Tang Xue.

But he didn’t fall asleep; instead, his mind kept replaying the events of the day.

There was no doubt that Tang Xue wasn’t a daughter of the Tang family; after all, it was evident from her appearance, which was completely different from that of the other Tang family members.

To put it bluntly, with genes like Tang Jizhong and Li Hongmei’s, they could only produce the likes of Tang Lei and Tang Bing—there was absolutely no way they could have produced Tang Xue.

But the truth of the matter may not be exactly as Tang Jizhong and Li Xuemei claimed; at the very least, they were not telling the truth on many key points.

While Tang Jizhong was speaking just now, Li Yi could clearly see that his eyes kept darting about, and he looked somewhat uneasy.

Clearly, he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

It can only be said that the temptation of three thousand yuan was too great, leading them to reveal part of the truth.

However, the immediate priority now is not to uncover the truth, but to first calm Tang Xue’s nerves. After all, she is less than three months pregnant, and the fetus is still fragile.

Uncovering the truth is certainly important, but so many years have passed; there’s no need to rush.

Besides, nearly twenty years had passed; many things had changed beyond recognition, and thoroughly investigating the matter would be no easy task.

Therefore, unless Tang Xue expressed a particularly strong desire to pursue it, Li Yi decided to set the matter aside for now.

Just as he was deep in thought, a soft “whimper” reached his ears.

Turning to look, he saw Tang Xue slowly opening her eyes.

“Awake?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“Then get up and have something to eat. I bought you liangpi and millet porridge!” Li Yi said.

Tang Xue had intended to say she had no appetite, but when she saw the concerned look in Li Yi’s eyes and thought of the baby in her womb, she immediately struggled to sit up in bed.

Li Yi immediately stood up, helped her to the table, and opened the lunch box for her.

After taking a couple of bites, Tang Xue looked at Li Yi and asked, “Did you know this was coming all along?”

“What?”

“That I’m not their biological daughter!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “I’d had my suspicions before—after all, their behavior was a bit off—but I wasn’t entirely sure. It wasn’t until I met them that I finally confirmed my suspicions!”

“Why? Do you have any evidence?” Tang Xue asked.

Li Yi suddenly looked at her face and said, “Honey, do you know how beautiful you are?”

“Um…”

Tang Xue blushed deeply at Li Yi’s sudden remark and immediately said, “Let’s get back to the serious business!”

“I am talking about serious business—I deduced from your appearance that you aren’t their biological daughter!”

Li Yi continued, “Look, whether it’s Tang Lei or Tang Bing, they’re both so ugly, yet they bear a certain resemblance to their parents.”

“But you—you’re so beautiful, yet you don’t resemble them at all. Clearly, you’re not cut from the same cloth as them!”

“Ha!”

Hearing the word “breed,” Tang Xue couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing her smile, Li Yi felt a little more at ease.

After she finished laughing, Tang Xue sighed and said, “You know, when I first heard I wasn’t their biological daughter, I felt a bit disappointed and a little sad, but more than anything, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders!”

“I used to harbor resentment, but in that moment, all of it vanished. They may have hurt me, but they also raised me. Consider the three thousand yuan as repayment for their care—and as a way to buy off all these years of familial ties! You… you won’t blame me, will you?”

“Why would I blame you?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

“I just swindled three thousand yuan out of you!”

“Haha, what’s three thousand yuan? As long as I have it and you need it, I’ll give you anything—without a second thought!” Li Yi said firmly.

“You’re so kind!”

“By the way, Xiao Xue, are you interested in looking for your biological mother?” Li Yi asked.

“I… I’m not really interested!” Tang Xue said.

“Why?”

“She abandoned me. I don’t want to…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi spoke again: “Actually, you should just take what Tang Jizhong and his wife say with a grain of salt—the truth might not be exactly as they describe it!”

“Are you saying they’re lying to me?” Tang Xue asked, somewhat surprised.

“It’s possible!”

Li Yi continued, “Normally, a woman who goes through all that trouble to give birth to a child loves that child and wouldn’t just give it away so easily!”

“Then I…”

“You, you idiot, just listen to me first. There are only three possible reasons why you ended up on the streets!”

“What are they?”

“First, your biological mother had no choice but to give you away due to some unavoidable circumstances.”

Li Yi then continued, “The second possibility is that she genuinely didn’t like you, or perhaps she disliked the fact that you were a girl, so she decided to give you away!”

“The final possibility is that you weren’t abandoned by your biological parents at all—you were stolen or abducted!”

Li Yi had seen countless cases like this in his previous life. There could be countless reasons why a child is separated from their parents, but no matter which one it is, it’s a human tragedy!

Tang Xue was silent for a long while before finally asking, “Which one do you think I am?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “If your adoptive parents aren’t lying, then the first possibility is the most likely. They never once mentioned your biological father, which suggests he wasn’t present when your mother gave birth—and that’s worth examining.”

“But if they’re lying, that’s a whole different story!”

“If that’s the case, I’d like to look into my background. Is that okay?” Tang Xue asked.

“Of course you can. You have the right to know your background, but…”

“But what?”

“It’s just that this might not be easy. Too much time has passed, and we have so little information—it won’t be easy to find out!” Li Yi said.

“But…”

“Don’t worry. It’s not that I don’t want to help you investigate; I just want you to be prepared. In fact, I’ve already figured out where to start!” Li Yi said.

“Really?”

“Yes. I plan to start with the Maple Leaf Town Health Center. Even though so many years have passed, if we ask the older doctors and nurses there, they might still remember something!”

Li Yi continued, “Also, if your biological mother has come looking for you over the years, they’d definitely know about it.”

“Alright, let’s do as you suggest. We’ll head over to the Maple Leaf Town Health Center this afternoon!”

“It’s too rushed this afternoon. I need to get ready. How about we go tomorrow?”

“Alright!”

……

After intimidating the Tang family members, Li Yi said calmly, “I don’t care how much you dislike Xiao Xue, but as far as I’m concerned, she is my wife. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on her in front of me will meet the same fate as that chair!”

“You… do you really think the Tang family has no one left? How dare you run wild in our Tang household? You should take a good look in the mirror…”

Before Tang Jizhong could finish, Li Yi coldly cut him off: “Hmph, if you hadn’t said anything, I’d have actually thought the Tang family was out of people!”

“You…”

“Logically speaking, I should be addressing you as Father-in-Law…”

“Stop right there! A son-in-law like you—let whoever wants to claim you do so, but I, Tang Jizhong, certainly won’t!” Tang’s father snapped angrily.

Before Li Yi could say a word, Tang Xue spoke up loudly: “He’s my husband. I accept him. I don’t care whether you do or not!”

“You damn girl, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

Tang Jizhong made a move as if he were about to strike again, but when he saw Li Yi’s cold expression, he ultimately didn’t dare to approach.

Li Yi patted his wife’s arm, signaling her not to get upset.

Then Li Yi continued, “I don’t care whether you accept me as your son-in-law or not, but there are some things we need to make clear. To say that the Tang family has no men is putting it mildly. If any of the men in this family had even a shred of backbone, they wouldn’t be sitting here discussing how to sell their daughter like this!”

“Who are you calling a daughter-seller? Who?” Tang Jizhong roared angrily.

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing? Forcing your daughter to marry an old widower who’s even older than you, just to secure a better job for your other daughter—what were you thinking?”

“What do you care what we think? What’s it got to do with you?” Tang Bing shouted from the side, her voice grating on the ears.

Li Yi shot her a cold glare and said, “You should be grateful you’re far enough away from me. Otherwise, I’d definitely slap your face until it swelled up!”

Faced with Li Yi’s glare, Tang Bing shuddered all over.

It was just a single glance, yet she felt as if she were being stared at by some terrifying beast.

“Don’t talk about my sister like that!” Tang Lei shouted.

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward, and he fixed his gaze on him. “She’s your sister? Hah. What about Tang Xue? Isn’t she your sister too? Yet I’ve never seen you stand up for her even once!”

“How can you compare them? She’s not…”

Before Tang Lei could finish, Tang Jizhong suddenly shouted, “Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting to him?”

Then, Tang Jizhong turned to Li Yi and shouted angrily, “Get out of here! You’re not welcome in this house!”

“Haha, it’s fine if you don’t welcome me. To be honest, if it weren’t for Xiao Xue, do you think I’d even be here?”

Then, Li Yi glanced at Tang Lei and said with a cold smile, “You were about to say, ‘She’s not your real sister,’ weren’t you?”

At those words, Tang Lei froze, and Tang Jizhong, Li Hongmei, and Tang Bing all froze as well.

Tang Xue, standing nearby, was even more stunned. She stared at Li Yi in disbelief, unable to fathom why he would say such a thing.

Although she had completely given up on these so-called relatives, she had never once doubted her own origins.

“You… what nonsense are you spouting? How could she not be our daughter? You…”

“1,000 yuan!”

“What?”

“Tell me Tang Xue’s true origins, and I’ll give you 1,000 yuan!” Li Yi said calmly.

In his previous life, because Tang Xue had died so young, and since these people were, after all, her biological parents—even though he knew full well they were implicated in her death—Li Yi had never pressed them for answers.

In fact, later on, he even gave the Tang family a sum of money to have Tang Xue’s grave relocated.

But after his rebirth, as he learned more and more, Li Yi began to harbor deep suspicions about her background.

They say a parent loves both sons and daughters equally—though there is a preference for sons over daughters, he had never seen such blatant favoritism toward one daughter over another.

The idea of trading one daughter’s happiness for another’s job is absurd just to think about.

No normal family would ever do such a thing!

Combining this with the various inconsistencies and oddities he’d encountered in both his past and present lives, Li Yi formed a bold hypothesis—Tang Xue wasn’t a member of the Tang family.

In other words, her current parents were not her biological parents!

The temptation of a thousand yuan was still very strong; after all, that was equivalent to Tang Jizhong’s salary for three years—and that’s assuming he didn’t spend a single penny.

But if he could secure that connection with Director Liu, he might just get promoted to workshop director.

With that in mind, Tang Jizhong gritted his teeth and said, “Don’t you dare…”

“Two thousand yuan!”

“You…”

“3,000 yuan!”

“Deal!”

Tang Jizhong hurriedly agreed—this was equivalent to his total income over ten years, so he couldn’t help but be tempted.

But just to be on the safe side, he stared at Li Yi and asked, “Can you really come up with three thousand yuan?”

Li Yi didn’t beat around the bush. He pulled three neat stacks of 100-yuan bills from the shoulder bag he was carrying and shook them in his hand.

He’d brought a total of five thousand yuan with him when he left home, two thousand of which were set aside for the Tang family.

Of course, that was on the condition that everyone remained on good terms, not at each other’s throats.

Seeing those three thick bundles of cash, the Tang family members all instinctively swallowed hard.

That’s three thousand yuan—enough to buy a large courtyard house in their small town.

With this money, even without relying on Bald Old Liu, they could use it to secure a job for Tang Bing—one that might even be better than the one at the steel mill.

“The money is right here. Tell us Tang Xue’s true background, and this money is yours!” Li Yi said again.

“Alright, I’ll tell you!”

Then Tang Jizhong looked at Tang Xue and said, “Xiao Xue, you really aren’t our biological daughter…”

Hearing this, Tang Xue stumbled backward several steps. If Li Yi hadn’t been quick on his feet to catch her, she might have fallen to the ground.

This revelation was truly hard for her to accept, but upon reflection, it seemed to be the most logical explanation.

At that moment, all the unfair treatment she had endured since childhood flashed through her mind.

She had always resented her parents for treating her unfairly, but she had never once imagined that she wasn’t actually their biological daughter.

At this thought, Tang Xue didn’t even know what kind of emotions were swirling inside her.

Seeing that Tang Xue’s emotions had seemingly stabilized, Li Yi asked again, “So who exactly are Xiao Xue’s biological parents, and why did she end up becoming your child?”

Tang Jizhong replied immediately, “The story goes back 19 years. I remember that winter, Xiao Lei’s mother was more than six months pregnant when she fainted from a work-related miscarriage and had to be rushed to the hospital. They managed to save her, but the baby was lost.”

“On the very same day, a woman in her twenties was also admitted to the same hospital. She gave birth to a baby girl, but she begged us in tears to take the child away!”

“We had just lost our own child, and seeing that this baby was all alone—with her mother even trying to abandon her—we decided to adopt her. That child is Xiao Xue!”

Li Yi only believed half of what Tang Jizhong said.

While Tang Jizhong was speaking, Li Yi kept staring into his eyes. His eyes kept darting around as he spoke—clearly, he was lying about certain things.

“What was that woman’s name, and where was Xue’er born?” Li Yi asked again.

“We don’t know her first name, but I know her surname is Ye. As for the hospital, it was the Maple Leaf Town Health Center!” Tang Jizhong replied.

“Did Xue’er’s biological mother leave her any keepsake?” Li Yi asked again.

“No, no. She just gave us 20 yuan! But she was the one who named her Xue’er!” Tang Jizhong said.

“Did Xue’er’s biological mother ever come looking for her later?”

“I don’t know. We later moved from Maple Leaf Town to the county seat, so even if she had come, it would have been hard for her to find us!” Tang Jizhong said.

Li Yi looked at Tang Xue and asked, “Xue’er, is there anything you’d like to ask?”

“No, nothing!”

But she turned to Tang Jizhong and Li Hongmei and said, “Father, Mother, please let me call you that one last time. I’ve always complained that the two of you favored my eldest brother and third sister, but it turns out I was just being ungrateful. I’d like to apologize to you both right here!”

“Also, I want to say that I’m very grateful to you for raising me. Thank you. But I really can’t marry Director Liu, because not only am I already married to Li Yi, but I’m also pregnant with his child.”

“Take these three thousand yuan. Consider it my way of repaying you for raising me. From now on, just treat me as if I were no longer your daughter!”

With that, Tang Xue took the money from Li Yi’s hand and placed it on the dining table.

Then, taking Li Yi’s hand, she walked right out of the Tang household!

Outside the door, Tang Xue stood there, her face pale, her whole body trembling slightly!

She had imagined all the possible scenarios she might face upon returning home—her mother’s scolding, her father’s angry outbursts, and the various expressions of disgust from her brother and sister.

She had also considered the possibility that they might not accept Li Yi.

But she never imagined that, before she even stepped inside, she would hear words so unbearable to her.

She truly didn’t know for whom she had endured all this suffering over the years.

After all, her older brother, Tang Lei, was the one who best fit the criteria for being sent to work in the countryside in North Sai Province back then. The neighborhood committee had specifically named him for the assignment—after all, she was not yet sixteen at the time, and she was so thin and small.

Yet her father had forcibly replaced her older brother’s name with hers, telling her that as the only son in the family, he had to wait to take over the family business from their grandparents.

If he had gone, the opportunity would have been snatched up by the children of her second and third uncles.

It was under these circumstances that Tang Xue’s name appeared on the list of those sent to the countryside.

You could say that all the hardships she’s endured these past few years were suffered in her brother Tang Lei’s place!

But not only did they show not the slightest gratitude, they were actually scheming here to sell her for a good price—how could she possibly accept that!

Tang Xue now seriously considered turning around and leaving, never to see these heartless people again.

Seeing Tang Xue on the verge of breaking down, Li Yi gripped her hand tightly and patted her on the back.

“Don’t be afraid—I’m here!”

Those words seemed to give Tang Xue boundless courage, slowly easing her despairing heart!

That’s right—she wasn’t alone anymore!

She had Li Yi, and she had the baby!

With that thought, Tang Xue looked at Li Yi and said, “I’m going in!”

“Okay, I’ll go with you!”

Tang Xue nodded, then took a deep breath. Without knocking, she pushed the door open.

“Clatter!”

The moment the door swung open, everyone in the Tang household turned around, their eyes fixed on the doorway.

When they saw a man and a woman standing in the doorway, the family members were taken aback.

We don’t know them!

“Excuse me, who are you looking for?” Li Hongmei asked immediately.

No wonder they didn’t recognize her. When Tang Xue left three and a half years ago, she was skinny, petite, and a bit dark-skinned—like a stunted bean sprout.

But the Tang Xue standing before them was not only tall and beautiful, but also dressed in high-end clothes Li Yi had bought from the city. Who would dare to associate her with that scrawny girl from back then?

As for Li Yi, standing at 1.8 meters tall, he was handsome and sharp. Though his clothes looked ordinary, they fit him quite well.

With such a well-matched pair standing there, the Tang family naturally didn’t think anything of it.

Tang Xue said nothing; she simply walked inside.

Li Yi followed closely behind and casually closed the door.

Their actions left the Tang family completely dumbfounded.

“Comrade… you… who exactly are you, and why are you here at our house?” Li Hongmei asked again.

At that moment, Tang Xue said coldly, “Weren’t you the ones who asked me to come back?”

“Us?”

Just then, Tang Bing, standing nearby, suddenly covered her mouth and exclaimed in horror, “You… you’re Tang Xue?”

Hearing Tang Bing’s words, everyone was stunned, and the room fell instantly silent!

“I am Tang Xue!”

Seeing that Tang Xue had confirmed her identity, Li Hongmei instantly sat up straight, her voice rising three notches: “You little brat, you finally decided to come back? It’s been months!”

Tang Xue still felt a bit afraid of her mother—a habit ingrained since childhood.

But remembering what she had said earlier, Tang Xue forced herself not to back down.

“You were the ones who sent me to the commune, and you’re the ones calling me back now. Do you think the leaders of the commune and the village are just clay figurines in a temple? Do you think I can come and go as I please?”

“Smack!”

Suddenly, Tang’s father slammed his fist on the table and roared, “How dare you talk to your mother like that? Think you’re too big for your britches?”

Seeing her father lose his temper, Tang Xue fell silent.

Just then, Tang Bing suddenly pointed at Li Yi and said, “Tang Xue, who is he? Why did you bring a stranger home?”

Just as Tang Xue was about to speak, Li Yi stepped forward and said, “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Li Yi, and I am Tang Xue’s husband!”

“Husband?”

The moment those words were spoken, the entire Tang family was thrown into an uproar.

They hadn’t called Tang Xue back because they missed her, but because they wanted to marry her off—to collect a dowry to fund Tang Lei’s wedding while also resolving Tang Bing’s employment issues.

Tang Xue had come back, but she’d brought a husband with her. Was she playing games?

“You little brat! You got married? Who gave you permission to do that?”

Tang Jizhong continued to shout angrily, “And you—we’ve never acknowledged you. What gives you the right to call yourself Xue’s husband?”

Tang Xue retorted immediately, “Whether or not I get married is my own business—I don’t need anyone’s permission!”

Tang Jizhong met Tang Xue’s defiant gaze, and his anger flared instantly. He immediately slapped her across the face!

“Smack!”

But it wasn’t the sound of a slap against a face—it was the sound of a palm colliding with an arm, as Li Yi blocked Tang Jizhong’s blow with his forearm.

“Talk it out—you can’t just resort to violence!” Li Yi said calmly.

“I’m disciplining my own daughter—what business is it of yours?” Tang Jizhong shouted angrily.

“Hmph. Whether Xiao Xue is your daughter or not is beside the point. But she is now my wife, Li Yi’s wife—carried into the Li family home on a palanquin, with a proper wedding ceremony and vows.”

Then, Li Yi spoke almost syllable by syllable: “As long as I, Li Yi, am still here, no one will lay a finger on her—not even you!”

“You…”

Seeing his father at a disadvantage, Tang Lei, standing nearby, couldn’t take it anymore. He suddenly jumped to his feet and snatched the stool from under his buttocks.

“Who the hell do you think you are, running wild in our Tang family’s home!”

With that, the solid-wood stool came crashing down toward Li Yi’s head.

Tang Xue let out a scream in terror and moved to shield Li Yi.

However, Li Yi held out his left arm to stop her.

At the same time, he clenched his right fist and swung it out with all his might.

Li Yi’s punch, though thrown later, arrived first, slamming hard into the surface of the stool Tang Lei had raised.

“Boom!”

The wooden stool shattered into pieces in an instant, sending splinters flying everywhere.

This scene completely stunned everyone in the Tang family, including Tang Xue.

She had always known Li Yi was a tough opponent. Ever since she arrived in Nianzishan Village as a sent-down youth, she’d heard that the Li family’s ne’er-do-well was a ruthless fighter who’d never lost a fight.

But she had no idea just how formidable he really was.

Seeing Li Yi reduce such a sturdy stool to a pile of splinters with a single punch, Tang Xue was both shocked and relieved—now she didn’t have to worry about him getting the short end of the stick.

On the other side, the rest of the Tang family felt a different mix of emotions—fear, dread, and relief, all at once!

Tang Lei, in particular, swallowed hard several times, unable to shake the lingering fear.

Thank goodness he’d just hit the chair—if he’d landed that punch on his own head, he’d likely be finished for good.

For a moment, the entire Tang household fell deathly silent.

Chang’an was a city of immense charm. Even though it could be compared to the international metropolis that would later become the economic hub of the Northwest, demolition and reconstruction hadn’t yet taken a heavy toll, so many places still retained their original charm.

Over the next three days, Li Yi took Tang Xue to visit one or two famous landmarks every day. They went to the Bell and Drum Towers, climbed the ancient city walls of Chang’an, and visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, among other places.

At that time, these sites hadn’t been restored or turned into tourist attractions, so admission was free.

The only regret was that the Terracotta Army at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor had only been discovered a few years earlier and was not yet open to the public.

In addition to visiting these historic sites, Li Yi also treated Tang Xue to a variety of Chang’an delicacies.

Needless to say, authentic Shaanxi-style liangpi was a must, and you couldn’t miss out on youpo noodles, roujiamo, or yangrou paomo either.

Whether it was because her morning sickness had subsided or because the hometown cuisine better suited her taste,

In any case, over the past few days, her severe morning sickness—that feeling of nausea at the sight of greasy food—had actually disappeared.

Moreover, her appetite had improved considerably.

The two of them had a wonderful time over the past three days.

More importantly, through their travels, they rediscovered that feeling of being in love, and their marital bond grew even stronger.

Unfortunately, the three days flew by in the blink of an eye, and the couple had to continue their unfinished journey back home.

Li Yi had already checked: there are three trains from Chang’an to Yongxian, but all of them just pass through.

Apart from one that departed at night—which wasn’t really suitable—the remaining two were both viable options.

After some planning, Li Yi decided to take the train departing at 9:00 a.m., which would arrive in Yong County by noon.

To save time, Li Yi took advantage of Tang Xue’s rest period to go to the train station in advance and purchase the tickets and other necessities.

Since the journey was relatively short, Li Yi didn’t buy sleeper tickets; he just bought two hard-seat tickets!

On the day of departure, Li Yi got up early in the morning and took Tang Xue out for a bowl of mutton paomo.

He also thoughtfully bought two roujiamo sandwiches to pack in a lunchbox, planning to eat them if they got hungry on the way.

After breakfast, the two headed straight for the train station!

After nearly three hours of bumpy travel, the train finally arrived at Yongxian Station at 12:15 PM!

The moment they stepped out of the station, both Tang Xue and Li Yi were filled with memories.

Tang Xue was recalling what the station looked like three years ago when she was sent down to the countryside—it was as dilapidated and chaotic as ever, as if nothing had changed in those three years.

But looking at her husband by her side and the child growing inside her, she felt that everything had changed.

Li Yi, meanwhile, was trying to connect the small county town before him with the Yong County from his past life. Gradually, the train station before his eyes and the Yong County of his memories began to overlap, and his recollections suddenly became crystal clear.

In his previous life, he had arrived here several years later, by which time Tang Xue had already been dead for years.

After arriving here, Li Yi gave the Tang family a sum of money and had Tang Xue’s solitary grave relocated to a feng shui-blessed spot on the outskirts of town.

Later, he even purchased that stretch of woodland and developed it into a memorial park.

He didn’t want his wife and child to feel too lonely!

The two stood outside the train station, lost in thought, for quite a while. Finally, Li Yi patted Tang Xue on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”

“Mm-hmm!”

After leaving the station, Li Yi asked Tang Xue, “Do you know where the guesthouse is?”

“Why do you ask about the guesthouse?”

“I think we should find a place to stay first, then go back to your family’s house,” Li Yi said.

“Wh… why? Are you worried my parents won’t accept us?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I have a feeling this trip back won’t go too smoothly!”

“It won’t be like that…”

Although her parents were indeed a bit biased, she was married now and had a child—could they really be so heartless as to disown Li Yi as their son-in-law?

Seeing Tang Xue’s agitated expression, Li Yi immediately reassured her, “It’s just a hunch of mine. Maybe I’m wrong, but I still think we should find a guesthouse to settle into before going home.”

“After all, you know the situation at your parents’ place—a whole family crammed into two small rooms. It’s already crowded enough. If the two of us move back in, there simply won’t be enough room for us!”

“Plus, you’re pregnant now and have to get up several times a night to use the restroom. The old house doesn’t have a bathroom, so it wouldn’t be very convenient at night. So whether your parents accept me or not, I still think it’s better for us to stay somewhere else!”

Tang Xue thought it over and realized Li Yi had a point.

Besides, her older brother was already 21 this year and had been working at the factory for several years—she didn’t even know if he was married yet.

If he was married, there really wouldn’t be enough room in the house, and it would indeed be quite inconvenient for the two of them to move back.

“Alright, let’s find a guesthouse first, drop off our luggage, and then go back to my place!”

“Alright!”

Although she had been away from Yong County for several years, she had grown up there, so Tang Xue led Li Yi to the county guesthouse with ease.

Upon learning that the two wanted to stay the night—and that Li Yi was from out of town—the staff carefully checked their various documents.

Only after confirming everything was in order did they assign them a room.

The conditions at the small-town guesthouse were rather mediocre. Even though Li Yi had requested the best double room available, it still made one cringe.

But given the conditions in a small town, he had no choice but to put up with it.

After settling in, the two skipped dinner and headed straight to the Tang family home!

……

The Tang Family Residence in the Steel Mill Compound!

It was noon, and the Tang family was having lunch.

Seated around the small round table were Tang Xue’s father, Tang Jizhong, and mother, Li Hongmei, along with her older brother, Tang Lei, and younger sister, Tang Bing!

In addition, there was a young woman—none other than Tang Lei’s girlfriend, Zhou Yanshu.

The spread on the table wasn’t lavish, but it was still quite decent compared to an average household—there were vegetables, meat, and even a small carp.

After all, three out of the four members of the Tang family were working, and since the steel mill was a relatively profitable enterprise, the wages were higher than at most other factories. Combined, the Tang family’s monthly income came to at least 120 yuan.

After taking just a few bites, Tang Bing suddenly said, “Mom, when is Tang Xue coming back? If she doesn’t come back soon, I’m going to lose my job!”

Li Hongmei glanced at Tang Lei sitting beside her and asked, “Xiao Lei, has that brat written back lately?”

“I haven’t received any. Dad, did you go check at the mailroom to see if it was sent to your workshop?” Tang Lei asked as he ate.

“I asked. Nothing,” Tang Jizhong replied gloomily.

“That good-for-nothing! I wrote her a letter back in May, and it’s already mid-August and she still hasn’t come back. Has she gotten too big for her britches?” Li Hongmei grumbled.

“Mom, what if she doesn’t come back?” Tang Bing asked, frowning.

“Does she dare? If that brat doesn’t come back, I’ll have your dad and your brother go to that godforsaken backwater and drag her back!” Li Hongmei snapped.

“But what if she doesn’t want to marry Uncle Liu once she gets back?”

“It’s not up to her whether she marries or not. If I say she has to marry him, she’ll marry him!”

Then, Li Hongmei added, “Besides, Director Liu is just a bit older—what’s wrong with that? Being older means he knows how to treat people right…”

However, just as the Tang family was discussing this openly inside the house, Tang Xue and Li Yizheng were already standing outside the door!