She sighed, “Lilin, you haven’t been home in six years. Don’t you want to go back and see your parents?”

Jiang Lin replied, “I do, but Cheng Rushan is out on business. I’ll wait for him to come back and then accompany me.”

Although she thought she was lying, the intimacy and pride in her words couldn’t be concealed, leaving Meng Yiyi feeling sour.

“You should still go back soon.” Meng Yiyi sighed again, appearing hesitant, waiting for Jiang Lin to ask her what was going on.

She had received a letter from Jiang Lin’s parents, waiting for Jiang Lin to inquire so she could use it to persuade Jiang Lin to return sooner.

But unexpectedly, Jiang Lin didn’t ask.

Meng Yiyi felt like she was suffocating under a pile of cotton, and she had to change her approach: “Linlin, that thing of yours, it’s been exposed.”

Jiang Lin asked, “What thing?”

Meng Yiyi looked at her with annoyance, seeing her innocent expression, “You… selling your son! I’ve probably heard it, everyone in the village is talking about it. And your sister-in-law… she’s not someone to mess with, if she finds out, she’ll definitely make a big deal out of it.”

Meng Yiyi looked as if she had plans for her, “Linlin, I think you should go back to the city first and hide for a while. I’ll write to you when things settle down here.”

Back in the city, comfortable and relaxed, she probably wouldn’t want to come back.

Moreover, she didn’t believe Jiang Lin would really give up Bian Haitao.

As soon as she saw Bian Haitao, she would immediately run into his arms.

Jiang Lin smiled at her, “Meng Yiyi, selling my son? What are you talking about? I never thought about it or did it!”

Now that Liu Honghua has gone to complain, Jiang Lin is even more careful.

She would never admit to selling her son seriously, except as a joke about ten thousand yuan.

Even if rumors were spreading, as long as she didn’t admit it, she loved her son, and Yan Runzhi and Cheng Rushan wouldn’t believe it, so she had nothing to fear.

Meng Yiyi looked at her in astonishment, “You… that day when you took them out…”

Jiang Lin: “Who told you I sold my son? Or did you tell them I sold my son?”

Meng Yiyi’s face turned pale.

She immediately swore solemnly, “Linlin, how could you think that of me? If I were to say it, may I be struck down by lightning!”

Her eyes welled up with tears, her voice choked with emotion, “Linlin, I’ve always had your best interests at heart, why… why do you think this way about me?”

Jiang Lin replied, “If it were the old me, I might have been touched, but now I feel nothing for you.”

Jiang Lin continued, “You were the one who told me about the news from the Zhao family at Dachedian.”

Meng Yiyi widened her eyes, looking incredulously at Jiang Lin, “What do you mean? I just mentioned it as a joke to you.”

She had been chatting with a teacher from the commune school who mentioned a parent of a student whose relative, a Zhao from Dachedian, wanted to adopt the child since they didn’t have any children of their own, offering a hundred yuan.

The parent was willing, but the child refused vehemently, crying and pleading with the teacher’s support.

Meng Yiyi found it amusing and told Jiang Lin about it when she returned.

Little did she know Jiang Lin took it seriously and went to inquire secretly.

If Jiang Lin had taken it seriously, other educated youths would have done the same.

How can she blame her?

Jiang Lin didn’t care about her and continued, “You also told me about Bian Haitao’s news. So, Meng Yiyi, can you tell me what you really want to do?”

Meng Yiyi cried and said with grievance, “Linlin, why are you talking to me like this? I’m only doing this for you. You cry with tears every day and worry about him all day. You want to reunite with him and lose your appetite. I feel sorry for you. Have you forgotten? How could you blame me instead?”

Is it that Jiang Lin has become good friends with Cheng Ruan, and is now scared that Cheng Ruan will know what happened in the past? So eager to clear the relationship?

Jiang Lin thought for a moment, and it seemed true.

Meng Yiyi appeared to act for the original owner’s good, stopping whenever she got the hint.

If Meng Yiyi had incited selling her son and eloping, she hadn’t said it directly.

Jiang Lin said, “I didn’t sell my son. Since it wasn’t you, who spread the rumor about selling my son? Who did Liu Honghua hear it from?”

Meng Yiyi felt wronged, “It’s hard to say. Who knows who those gossipers listen to and then blow things out of proportion.”

Initially, the original owner needed 200 yuan urgently to return to the city.

She tried to borrow but could only gather 20 yuan.

People who disliked her chatted idly and bet on how she would raise the money.

They snidely guessed that someone as pretty as her would surely find a wealthy man to help.

But she didn’t ask a man for help.

One day, she went out with two children, and someone joked that she might sell her children to make money.

Inadvertently, this comment was taken seriously and spread as a genuine story.

When it reached Liu Honghua’s ears, he didn’t care if it was true or false.

Meng Yiyi was afraid Jiang Lin would suspect her, so she quickly said, “Could Liu Honghua have known that you took the children out and made up a story?”

Meng Yiyi mentioned the Zhao family of the Dache store, and she said that several young people had heard gossip.

Jiang Lin wondered, what benefit did Meng Yiyi see in her returning to the city?

Was she being overly suspicious, and Meng Yiyi was just a genuinely good friend, thinking of her as a sister?

Nonsense! Jiang Lin didn’t believe it!

Meng Yiyi wanted to say more, but Jiang Lin ignored her and walked outside.

Meng Yiyi had no choice but to follow and tried to persuade Jiang Lin.

Meanwhile, hiding outside, Cheng Dabao immediately grabbed a small shovel and began digging at the base of the wall, pretending to weed.

Truth be told, he couldn’t understand most of what Jiang Lin and Meng Yiyi were saying.

However, when he caught words like “man”, “returning to the city”, and “selling son”, he interpreted it as Meng Yiyi trying to trick his mother into abandoning him and Xiaobao.

He felt even more resentment towards Meng Yiyi!

“Before, when there was no man at home, you kidnapped my mom. Now that my dad’s back, you still want to kidnap us?!”

Dabao’s small face puffed up with anger, his big eyes dark and bright.

Jiang Lin said, “Dabao, didn’t you go call Grandma and Xiaobao? Let’s go.”

Dabao immediately ran over and tightly held Jiang Lin’s hand, afraid she might run away.

Seeing his fair and handsome appearance, somewhat resembling Cheng Rushan, Meng Yiyi couldn’t resist wanting to playfully get closer.

She thought she had a better temper than Jiang Lin and was more affectionate.

Since her students liked her, Dabao and Xiaobao would surely like her too.

She gently said, “Dabao, Auntie will take you to school to play and give you candies.”

Cheng Dabao rolled his eyes at her forcefully and said coldly, “I’m not eating your candies, you old witch!”