Chapter 374: I Have an Informant

Half an hour later, the car drove into the compound.

Father and Mother Jiang glanced out the car window at the place where their in-laws now lived, and they instantly felt a surge of nervousness.

They had heard from their son and daughter-in-law that her biological parents were both well-educated people. Now that they were seeing where the in-laws lived with their own eyes, their anxiety only deepened.

At the entrance of the Zhang residence, the Zhang family had already been informed that their daughter and her husband would be returning today—along with his parents.

Early that morning, Father Zhang and his wife had waited by the door to greet them.

As soon as the car stopped, Father Zhang stepped forward with his wife to greet the Jiang couple.

“You must be our in-laws! Hello, welcome, welcome! Please come in!” Father Zhang was the first to speak as he approached them with a warm smile.

“Hello, hello. And you are…?” Father Jiang was a little taken aback by the dignified-looking man in front of him and asked nervously.

“I’m Yiyi’s father. Thank you so much for treating her like your own daughter all these years. My wife and I are truly grateful,” Father Zhang said sincerely, grasping Father Jiang’s hand.

He had heard from his daughter how well her in-laws had treated her. Even though she hadn’t been the most sensible girl back then, they’d never given up on her. For that alone, he felt they deserved his deepest thanks.

“Not at all, not at all. Yiyi is a wonderful child. If anyone should be thankful, it’s us,” Father Jiang replied quickly and modestly.

On the other side, Mother Zhang and Mother Jiang were also chatting happily.

Meanwhile, Li Yiyi went straight to her grandfather’s side. “Looks like you’ve been keeping up with the acupuncture treatments for Little Brother while I was away.”

She looked at his complexion and nodded in satisfaction.

Hua Qiubai looked at his granddaughter dotingly. “I promised you, didn’t I? If I said I’d take my medicine and follow treatment properly, then I meant it.”

Li Yiyi nodded and stepped forward to check his pulse. “Not bad. Looks like the treatment plan we discussed is really working.”

Hua Qiubai nodded. “It really is. I haven’t been as forgetful lately. I’ve also been sorting beans like you told me.”

“I heard you’ve been busy dealing with a lot of things lately,” he added, watching her check his pulse.

Startled, Li Yiyi looked up at him. “How do you know about that?”

“Of course I know! I’ve got informants in the village. Nothing you do escapes my ears,” Hua Qiubai said smugly.

Li Yiyi withdrew her hand from his wrist, grinned, and exposed his little scheme. “Isn’t it just Third Great-Uncle? Who else do you have acting as your informant?”

Hua Qiubai chuckled awkwardly, then changed the subject to ask about his old friend’s health. “How’s your Third Great-Uncle doing? Did you take a look at him?”

Li Yiyi nodded. “Of course. I even left him a bottle of heart-saving pills. Don’t worry, his health is just fine—nothing serious.”

“I heard you even secured approval for building a pharmaceutical factory in the village. You really are something. Your Third Great-Uncle called a few days ago and wouldn’t stop praising you,” Hua Qiubai said with a proud smile.

Seeing the joy on his face, Li Yiyi’s lips curled into a small smile as well.

Hua Qiubai and the Jiang couple had met before, and the three of them instantly fell into animated conversation as if they had endless things to catch up on.

If it hadn’t been time for dinner, the three of them probably would’ve kept talking.

After the two families finished eating, and seeing that it was getting late, Jiang Hong finally drove his wife and parents back to the military compound in his brother-in-law’s car.

The whole way back, the elder couple wore unshakable smiles on their faces.

Finally, Father Jiang sighed contentedly, “Wife, I’m really glad we came out with our son and daughter-in-law this time. We used to just stay holed up with our little plot of land, forgetting how vast and beautiful our country is. If we hadn’t come, we probably would’ve gone our whole lives without realizing how great our homeland really is.”

Mother Jiang was just as moved. Being out here had exposed her to things she’d never seen back in the village.

“You’re right, old man. I’m really glad we came too,” she said, nodding in agreement.

Up front, the young couple overheard their conversation, exchanged a glance, and smiled together.

By the time they returned to the military compound’s family housing, it was already past 8 p.m., nearly 9.

At the doorstep, Aunt Huang was likely already asleep. When the family quietly pushed open the door, they accidentally woke her.

Aunt Huang came out wrapped in a coat and beamed when she saw Jiang Hong and the others. “Why didn’t you let me know you’d be back? I didn’t prepare anything for you to eat!”

Li Yiyi smiled and reassured her. “Aunt Huang, no need to trouble yourself. We already had dinner at my parents’ place. Oh, and let me introduce you—these are my parents-in-law.”

Mother Jiang walked up warmly, took Aunt Huang’s hand, and gratefully said, “Sister, thank you. Thank you for looking after these two kids.”

Aunt Huang was a little taken aback by her enthusiasm, but quickly calmed down and replied with a smile, “Sister Jiang, you’re too polite. If anyone should be grateful, it’s me. You raised a good son—he saved this old woman’s life.”

If it hadn’t been for the young couple finding her and bringing her here to live, surrounding her with family once more, she might never have recovered from the pain of losing her son.

“That’s what they should have done. There’s no need to thank them,” Mother Jiang replied with a kind smile.

Father Jiang, being a man, didn’t say much. He simply greeted Aunt Huang briefly, then stood beside his wife, listening quietly as the two women chatted.

Soon enough, the group moved their conversation from the entryway into the living room.

Li Yiyi also brought out the gifts she had prepared for Aunt Huang.

“You even brought me a gift? That’s too much!” Aunt Huang said happily as she accepted the cloth shoes—clearly handmade.

“Everyone gets something. You’re part of this family too, of course I wouldn’t leave you out,” Li Yiyi said with a warm smile.

Aunt Huang’s heart filled with sweetness at her words. It felt like a balm over the wound left by her son’s passing, slowly helping it heal.

The family chatted for another half an hour, until the two children couldn’t keep their eyes open any longer. Only then did everyone say goodnight and head to their rooms to rest.

Back in her own home, Li Yiyi lay down on her familiar bed, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, a wave of sleepiness washed over her.