Chapter 65: Discovery

Elder Sister-in-law Ye looked serious and strange. After speaking, she noticed Ji Ling beside Ye Minshu. “Is Xiao Ling on vacation?”

Ji Ling nodded and politely greeted, “Aunt.”

Due to the atmosphere at the Ji family just now, her face clearly lacked much smile. She just turned to look at Ye Minshu, “I’ll go back to my room.”

“Go ahead, remember to do your homework,” Ye Minshu instructed before asking her elder sister, “What’s the matter?”

“Let’s talk inside.” Elder Sister-in-law Ye glanced around, indicating that this conversation was not for outsiders.

This made Ye Minshu even more curious. As she walked slowly inside, she frowned, “If it’s about the liquid soap, you don’t need to mention it.”

“It is about the liquid soap,” Elder Sister-in-law Ye said, looking at her always composed and dignified demeanor.

Ye Minshu stopped in her tracks, frowning even more, “Have you forgotten why our elder brother got into trouble back then? Why are you still thinking about these things?”

“Do you know that the boss behind Muzi Liquid Soap is your Xiao Ze?”

As soon as she said this, the air in the hall suddenly became still. Ye Minshu looked at her sister-in-law and laughed, “Impossible.”

She took off her scarf and coat, “Xiao Ze is not like Chen Weiguo from the Chen family, who had no better path to take. He has the old man and the second son above him. He is also ambitious, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets promoted. Why would he abandon a good future to go into business?”

As she spoke, she paused in hanging up her clothes and looked at her sister-in-law, “Are you saying this to provoke me because I didn’t help you get the formula?”

Elder Sister-in-law Ye had been married into the Ye family for almost thirty years but had never been truly respected as a sister-in-law by this younger sister. Before marriage, Ye Minshu was the flower of their art troupe, pursued by countless people, always walking with her chin held high. After marriage, her background in the art troupe no longer added points for her; instead, it became a burden. But she had climbed to a higher branch. Every time she returned to her maiden family, she would leave early, saying she needed to take care of Ji Jun and the children, ultimately to guard against them, fearing they would drag her down.

Hearing Ye Minshu’s words, Elder Sister-in-law Ye didn’t rush to explain, “If you don’t believe me, why not come and see for yourself?”

“Do I have nothing better to do?” Ye Minshu found this amusing and rolled up her sleeves, ready to enter the kitchen.

“Don’t you have time to call their unit?” Elder Sister-in-law Ye continued, “Have you noticed that Xiao Ze never answers your calls promptly lately?”

This question hit the mark. In the past few months, whenever Ye Minshu called Ji Ze, he never answered directly but always called back later.

Seeing her pause, Elder Sister-in-law Ye sighed deeply, “If I hadn’t found their factory and seen Xiao Ze there with my own eyes, I wouldn’t be telling you this.”

Ye Minshu still didn’t respond, so Elder Sister-in-law Ye gave her the address, “Go see for yourself. It’s not like I’m trying to deceive you.”

After Elder Sister-in-law Ye left, Ye Minshu couldn’t stop thinking about it. After making dinner for Ji Ling, she couldn’t resist wearing her coat and heading out.

Instead of going directly to the address given by Elder Sister-in-law Ye, she took a bus to Ji Ze’s unit first. She asked the gate guard, who made an internal call and told her Ji Ze was busy and had no time, asking her to come another day. She didn’t leave and continued asking around outside. It didn’t take long to find out that Ji Ze hadn’t been at the unit for months, first taking annual leave and then sick leave. Her heart felt as cold as the late January weather, but she still didn’t want to believe it. She took a deep breath and went to the address given by Elder Sister-in-law Ye.

The factory wasn’t large, just a converted residential building, but security was tight. An elderly man, a retired guard, was at the entrance, and everyone had to register to enter. She asked the old man if the boss was in, and he said yes. She said she wanted to see him, and the old man asked what the matter was.

Ye Minshu had no choice and didn’t want to wait outside, so she lied, saying she owned a small shop and wanted to buy liquid soap in bulk. It didn’t seem very convincing; her attire and demeanor were too refined, indicating a good job or family background. But the old man still called inside.

Soon, a man in his thirties came out and took her inside, asking as they walked, “What’s your shop called? Where is it? Our boss said the sales points shouldn’t be too close to each other, or they’ll compete, and neither will sell well.”

Ye Minshu wasn’t listening, her eyes scanning for a familiar figure.

The man sensed something was off and stopped, frowning, “Are you really here to buy liquid soap?”

Entering and looking around suspiciously, he wondered if she was there to spy on them. He was about to ask her to leave when Ye Minshu suddenly ran in a direction, disregarding her image, “Xiao Ze!”

He was about to stop her when their young boss came out. Initially smiling, he changed his expression drastically upon seeing her. “Mom?”

Mom? Everyone who heard this was stunned.

Ye Minshu’s mind went blank, and she instinctively grabbed Ji Ze, “You came here to play, right?”

Her voice was sharp, and it was unclear whether she was asking Ji Ze or comforting herself, “You have so many friends, doing all sorts of things. You came here to play, right?”

Ji Ze hadn’t expected her to appear here. Being grabbed by her, he opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything.

“You aren’t like your aunt said, abandoning a good job to do business, right?” This sentence was already tinged with tears.

The man who had followed them saw the situation wasn’t right and couldn’t help but ask Ji Ze in a low voice, “Boss?”

That single word, “Boss,” shattered Ye Minshu’s illusions. She let go, staggered back a few steps, and fainted on the spot.

Lin Qiao and the old man Xu Li found out about Ye Minshu’s illness the next day.

Before breakfast, Ji Jun came to drop off Ji Ling, saying that Ye Minshu was ill and hospitalized, and Ji Ling needed to stay with them for a few days.

“Minshu is ill?” Xu Li was very surprised, “She was fine when she came over yesterday.”

Ji Jun hesitated, “She suddenly fell ill yesterday afternoon. It’s not serious; she should recover in a couple of days.”

Hospitalized and still not serious? It was clear he didn’t want to say much.

Xu Li didn’t press further, “Leave Xiao Ling here then.” She took Ji Ling’s school bag and asked her softly, “Have you had breakfast?”

“No.” Ji Ling pursed her lips, possibly worried, and looked listless.

Xu Li personally went to get her a bowl of soy milk and asked Ji Jun, “You haven’t eaten either, have you? Sit down and eat before you go.”

“I won’t eat. I’ll buy something outside and take it to Minshu.” Ji Jun told Ji Ling to listen to her grandparents and left.

As soon as he left, the old man immediately handed his beloved granddaughter a fried dough stick, “Aunt Zhang queued up to buy this in the morning. It’s still crispy.”

The golden-fried dough stick was crispy and flaky. Ji Ling’s cheeks puffed up as she took a bite, but she still looked downcast. “I think something must have happened at home.”

“Don’t overthink it, child. Didn’t your dad say she’d be fine in a couple of days?” Xu Li chided her gently, giving her some pickles.

“I’m serious. Yesterday morning, my aunt came and said she had something to discuss with my mom. My mom left in the afternoon and hasn’t come back since.”

Ji Ling was at an age where she was sensitive to changes at home. She could no longer be easily fooled like when she was younger.

Seeing Ji Jun’s hesitation, Xu Li had already guessed there was a problem but couldn’t say it directly, “If you’re worried, have your dad take you to the hospital to see her.”

The old man also tried to divert his granddaughter’s attention, “I think this fried dough stick is pretty good. If you don’t eat it, Grandpa will help you.”

Ji Ling quickly picked up her chopsticks and grabbed the fried dough stick.

Once it was just Xu Li and the old man, he muttered, “What’s going on with the eldest family? Look how they’ve scared the child.”

“Well, it’s definitely not the eldest who made her angry. Among the people we know, no one is more family-oriented than the eldest.”

“Or more obedient to his wife?” the old man snorted, then lowered his voice, “Do you think it could be about Xiao Ze?”

Xu Li couldn’t say for sure, but if this matter came out, the eldest daughter-in-law could indeed be angry enough to end up in the hospital.

The old couple didn’t say anything more. Just then, the phone in the living room rang, and Xu Li went to answer it, “Hello, second son?”

Even Xu Li was surprised, and the old man followed her out of the room, “The second son still knows how to call home?”

This had never happened before. Sometimes, Ji Duo would return from his trip before they knew he had gone out.

Xu Li listened to the phone for a few sentences and couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright, I’ll call her.” She put down the phone and went out, “Qiao Qiao, it’s the second son’s call.”

Lin Qiao was in the yard with Ji Ling, setting off firecrackers and explaining the composition and history of gunpowder. Hearing Xu Li call her, she was also surprised, “A call from Ji Duo?” He was away and still managed to call her?

Ji Ling winked at her, “It’s Uncle’s call~” and got a pat on the head.

Xu Li was full of teasing, “My son, who hasn’t called home in twenty-seven years, now knows how to.”

“Maybe it’s something important.” Lin Qiao didn’t want to accept the implication and went into the living room to pick up the phone.

“I’ve arrived,” Ji Duo’s voice was low and concise as always, “I’ve already found out; it’s the same person as last time.”

So it was business. Lin Qiao’s expression turned serious, “What about the person? Have you caught them?”

“Not yet, but we’ve narrowed down the area.”

“Is there anything I need to do?”

“No.” Ji Duo actually said, “I just wanted to let you know I’m safe and everything is going well.”

Just to say that?

Lin Qiao instinctively raised her hand, touching the jade tiger on her neck through her sweater, and remembered his hug before he left. Was this man afraid she would forget and called to remind her?

On the other side, the atmosphere in the hospital was much more oppressive than at the old house.

When Ji Jun entered, he saw Ye Minshu lying on the hospital bed, crying again. She seemed to cry all day, “What were you thinking? Isn’t being an officer good? You’ve already been promoted to lieutenant. At the very least, you’ll be a battalion or regiment commander in another two years.”

Ji Ze had been at the hospital since he brought her in yesterday, sitting silently on another bed, listening.

Ji Jun walked in and placed the lunch box he brought on the bedside table, “Alright, stop crying and get up to eat.”

“How can I eat?” Ye Minshu clutched her chest, looking sickly, “We’ve raised him all these years for this?”

Ji Jun didn’t know what to say, frowning at his son, “You were doing well in the army. Why are you doing this? Close it down quickly, and don’t make your mother angry.”

Ji Ze didn’t speak. He had already told his mother everything he could—his pressures, his desire for change, and his recent achievements. However, Ye Minshu refused to listen, only talking about how difficult her life had been and accusing him of ruining his future.

Seeing that he disagreed, Ye Minshu started crying again, “Are you trying to drive me to my death? Look around our circle. Apart from Chen Weiguo, who else is doing this? How is this the right path?”

“The state allows it, and the policy supports it. How is it not the right path?” Ji Ze couldn’t help but retort.

“If it’s the right path, why wasn’t it allowed before?” Ye Minshu cried even harder, “If your uncle hadn’t been caught for speculation, do you think I would have agreed to that arranged marriage? I’ve been watching over my family all these years, offending everyone, all for you and your father. And now you’re doing this!”

Unlike many women who supported their maiden families after marriage, Ye Minshu had always focused solely on their small family. Ji Ze remained silent.

Ji Jun tried to persuade his son, “Alright, if you wanted something new, half a year should be enough. If you needed money, you should have earned quite a bit by now. It’s time to stop. Your mother has had a hard time all these years, and this isn’t a good industry. How can it compare to the stability and prospects in the army?”

Ji Ze remained silent, turning his head away, using silence as his form of resistance.

Seeing this, Ye Minshu almost lost her breath again. She even went to reprimand Lin Qiao and lament over Chen Weiguo, only to find out that her own son was making the liquid soap.

Lin Qiao must have laughed at her back then, right? And what about the old man and Xu Li? Did they know about this?

Thinking of Lin Qiao, a surge of anger rose in Ye Minshu. She sat up, “Did Lin Qiao give you the formula for that liquid soap?”

“It wasn’t Aunt who gave it to me,” Ji Ze quickly replied, “I asked Uncle to get it from her.”

But Ye Minshu didn’t listen to the latter part, “I knew it was her instigating you. Her husband is doing well in the army, but she comes to harm my son. I just said a few words about her…”

“Can you stop blaming others for everything?”

Before she could finish, Ji Ze stood up abruptly, “I told you I asked her for it. She doesn’t even know who asked for the formula. How could she have instigated me?”

At this point, it seemed like many words and emotions had found an outlet. He didn’t stop, “The arranged marriage was our family’s decision. When we didn’t want to marry her, we pushed her to Uncle. It was our family that wronged her, not the other way around. Can we stop blaming everything on her?”

His words completely sided with Lin Qiao, leaving Ye Minshu stunned and momentarily forgetting to cry. What upset her even more was that Ji Jun immediately changed his stance, “Qiao Qiao only sees Xiao Ze a few times a year. How could she instigate him? Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Father and son exchanged words, leaving Ye Minshu speechless for a while. Finally, she turned her head and cried into her pillow, “Why is my life so hard?”

However, her troubles were far from over. Since that day, Elder Sister-in-law Ye had been keeping an eye on her situation. When no one was home, she went to the liquid soap factory to inquire and heard that the boss hadn’t been there for several days because his mother was ill.

“What’s his mother thinking? Our boss is so outstanding, so young, and has built such a big business.” The old man at the gate sighed to Elder Sister-in-law Ye.

Elder Sister-in-law Ye went back and told Elder Brother Ye. They bought a bag of apples and a bag of oranges and went to the hospital.

Ji Ze was in the hallway talking to someone, “It’s almost New Year. Starting the day after tomorrow, our factory will be on holiday for seven days. We’ll resume work on the seventh. Make a schedule and arrange for two people to be on duty each day. I can’t leave here, but I’ve already told the accountant to distribute the bonuses tomorrow.”

Seeing the two, he greeted them, “Uncle, Aunt.” Due to Ye Minshu’s situation, his attitude was inevitably less enthusiastic than before.

Elder Brother Ye and Elder Sister-in-law Ye were quite warm, asking him a couple of questions, “Busy, Xiao Ze?” before taking the things inside.

Ye Minshu’s condition wasn’t as bad as the previous days. She stayed in the hospital to use her illness to pressure her son into closing the business.

Seeing Elder Sister-in-law Ye, who had revealed the situation to her, she wasn’t very pleased, just nodding weakly in greeting.

“Why are you so angry?” Elder Sister-in-law Ye placed the things by the bed, “The child is grown and understands the reason. Talk to him slowly. Making yourself this angry, doesn’t your husband feel bad? Doesn’t your brother feel bad?”

Elder Brother Ye frowned and asked about her condition, “I just saw Xiao Ze in the hallway. Is he still planning to continue after the New Year?”

Mentioning this upset Ye Minshu even more, “Who knows what he’s thinking? I’ve told him how serious this is, but he just won’t listen.”

“Is he reluctant to give up his business?” Elder Sister-in-law Ye guessed, “I heard he makes at least a few hundred a day.”

Ye Minshu didn’t want to listen, but Elder Brother Ye was surprised, “That much?” It seemed like he was hearing this for the first time.

Seeing Elder Sister-in-law Ye nod, he pondered, “That’s quite a pity. He’s built it up to this scale, and so many people rely on him for their livelihood.” He frowned and suggested to Ye Minshu, “How about this? Let Xiao Ze hand over the factory to me and your sister-in-law. We’ll manage it for him.”

“Hand it over to you and Sister-in-law?” Ye Minshu could hardly believe her ears.

Elder Brother Ye was serious, “Handing it over to family is better than to outsiders. Xiao Ze can return to the army with someone managing the factory.”

“So that’s why you came to remind me, with this idea in mind!” Ye Minshu slapped the bedside table. When Ji Ze heard the commotion and rushed back, she had lost her balance and fell off the bed.

“Has Minshu’s condition worsened?” Xu Li glanced at the old man upon hearing the news, unsure if it was true or just an excuse.

Ji Jun looked even more exhausted than before, “She wasn’t careful and fell off the bed, injuring her arm. The doctor said it would take at least half a month to heal.”

Injured her arm? It seemed this time it was real…

Given the situation, Xu Li, as the mother-in-law, and Lin Qiao, as the sister-in-law, couldn’t avoid visiting. Previously, they hadn’t moved because Ji Jun’s explanations were vague, and he hadn’t even brought Ji Ling, indicating he didn’t want them to visit.

Xu Li looked at Lin Qiao, pondering how to bring it up, but Lin Qiao had already called her “Mom” and suggested, “Let’s find a time to visit Sister-in-law.”

Understanding her intentions, Xu Li nodded, “Alright, we’ll go this afternoon. Let’s ask Xiao Zhang to make some soup for her.”

Ji Jun looked like he wanted to say something and the old man asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Ji Jun didn’t dare meet the old man’s sharp eyes, “It’s just surprising that Qiao Qiao is still studying during the holidays.”

Lin Qiao was indeed studying and sharing a table with Ji Ling, who was doing homework. But it was clear that wasn’t what Ji Jun originally wanted to say.

The old man stared at him silently, creating a tense atmosphere. Xu Li tried to ease it, “Qiao Qiao is reviewing for next year’s college entrance exam.”

“Ah? Really?” Ji Jun was completely surprised, and Ji Ling corrected him, “Aunt proposed a successful competition and is tutoring students for it.”

This surprised Ji Jun even more. “Qiao Qiao is really impressive.” He stood there, searching for words to praise Lin Qiao.

Xu Li noticed Ji Ling looking at her and Lin Qiao, “If you’re not in a hurry, you can go with me and your aunt this afternoon. If you’re in a hurry, go with your dad.”

“I’ll go with Dad,” Ji Ling, clearly worried about Ye Minshu, immediately got up to pack.

After they left, Lin Qiao also put her books away. The old man suddenly said in a low voice, “The eldest is guarding against us.”

Xu Li understood his meaning. Ye Minshu’s illness was suspicious, and Ji Jun had come home twice without saying anything. But she couldn’t add fuel to the fire, “Maybe the couple had a disagreement. Do they have to report everything to you?”

The old man didn’t comment, taking a sip of tea. When he placed the cup back on the table, the clinking sound was noticeably louder than usual.

In the afternoon, Aunt Zhang finished making the soup. Lin Qiao filled a thermos with it and wrapped it in a blanket. Just as she and Xu Li were about to leave, they saw Ji Duo getting out of a car at the door. His face was partially hidden by his military cap and coat collar. His expression was calm, showing no signs of having just returned from a trip. Seeing them come out with Lin Qiao holding the thermos, he walked over quickly, first greeting Xu Li, “Mom,” then looking at Lin Qiao, “Going out?”

His words were concise, different from the day he left. Perhaps he was always this brief when outside.

Lin Qiao nodded, “Sister-in-law is ill. Mom and I are going to the hospital to see her.”

“Sister-in-law is ill?” Ji Duo frowned slightly, took the thermos from her, and started walking back, seeThe old man didn’t comment, taking a sip of tea. When he placed the cup back on the table, the clinking sound was noticeably louder than usual.

In the afternoon, Aunt Zhang finished making the soup. Lin Qiao filled a thermos with it and wrapped it in a blanket. Just as she and Xu Li were about to leave, they saw Ji Duo getting out of a car at the door.

His face was partially hidden by his military cap and coat collar, his expression calm, showing no signs of having just returned from a trip. Seeing them come out, with Lin Qiao holding the thermos, he walked over quickly, first greeting Xu Li, “Mom,” then looking at Lin Qiao, “Going out?”

His words were concise, different from the day he left. Perhaps he was always this brief when outside.

Lin Qiao nodded, “Sister-in-law is ill. Mom and I are going to the hospital to see her.”

“Sister-in-law is ill?”

Ji Duo frowned slightly, took the thermos from her, and started walking back, seemingly intending to go with them.

Xu Li hadn’t expected to see her son at the door and was pleasantly surprised, “You really made it back. How did it go? Was everything smooth?”

Ji Duo, who had been walking ahead, paused slightly at her words.

Lin Qiao immediately sensed something was off. Sure enough, the man turned back, his gaze deep, his voice low and cold, “It didn’t work out.”