The woman slapped her thigh excitedly.

“Oh, dear! You’ve come to the right person! I have a room available at my place. If you’re interested, finish your wontons and come take a look with me.

If you like it, you can rent it. If not, I’ll help you ask around elsewhere.”

Hearing this, Su Banxia felt a wave of relief.

She quickened her pace eating the wontons and mumbled between bites, “Ma’am, can I ask how big the room is and how much the rent would be?”

“Don’t worry, dear. There’s no rush. Let’s go see the room first.

My husband passed away from illness two years ago. I’m raising two kids on my own and also caring for my elderly mother-in-law.

Several rooms in my house are empty. I just feel a connection with you, so I’m happy to help.

If it were someone else, I might not be so comfortable renting it out.”

Su Banxia felt a pang of sympathy.

This woman had it tough—but she was also remarkably resilient.

“Ma’am, I understand. I just wanted to ask.

If the rent is too high, I might not be able to afford it. I haven’t even decided what kind of business to start yet.”

“No problem, take your time to think it over.”

Su Banxia marveled at how genuinely warm people were in this era. In the future, if someone showed this much enthusiasm, she’d likely suspect they were a scammer—maybe even trying to harvest her organs.

After finishing the bowl of wontons, the woman washed the bowl in a basin, poured the water into a nearby drain, and placed the bowl into a bucket.

She packed up her stall, stacking the long benches on the table, wrapping everything tightly with an oilcloth, and tying it securely with rope. Then, she hoisted two buckets and led Su Banxia into the alley.

Su Banxia expected it to be far, but they walked less than a hundred meters before reaching the woman’s home.

No wonder she wasn’t worried about leaving her tables and chairs outside.

The woman pushed the gate open warmly. “Come in, dear.

I forgot to introduce myself—my name is Li Fengqin. What’s yours?”

“Pleased to meet you, Sister Li. I’m Su Banxia.”

“Banxia… isn’t that the name of a medicinal herb?

Your parents must be very cultured to give you such a lovely name.”

The woman set the two buckets filled with bowls and chopsticks next to the well in the courtyard and said, “Take a look—all three rooms on the north side are empty. Go inside and see for yourself.

If you like it, others charge two and a half yuan a month, but I’ll give it to you for two.”

Two yuan a month?

Honestly, that was incredibly cheap for a room.

Su Banxia pushed the door open and stepped inside. The thirty-square-meter room held a bare 1.5-meter-wide bed and an old freestanding wardrobe painted with large red peonies beside it.

A table stood in one corner, but the room was otherwise empty.

She could buy another table later and use a gas stove for cooking.

Given the rental prices at the time, this was a real bargain.

Li Fengqin followed her in, glancing around with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Sigh… if my husband were still here, I’d never rent out this room.

But having another person around would make her feel less afraid at night.

Besides, this girl seemed plump, polite, and kind—she quite liked her.

Li Fengqin asked, “What do you think?”

Su Banxia replied, “Sister, the room is quite spacious and nice. Are you sure two yuan isn’t too little? I don’t want you to lose out.”

“Not at all. It’s our own house—what does it matter? If you like it, just bring a quilt and move in whenever you’re ready.”

“Sister, thank you so much. I’ll rent this room.”

As she spoke, Su Banxia pulled five yuan from her bag and pressed it into Li Fengqin’s hand.

“Sister, this is a deposit.

I didn’t bring much with me today—please don’t think it’s too little.”

“Why the hurry? I’ll hold the room for you.

Take this money back. You can pay me month by month once you move in.”

Seeing how straightforward Li Fengqin was, Su Banxia relented. “Alright then.”

Su Banxia considered buying new bedding for herself right away, but it was already around four or five in the afternoon—likely too late to get it done today.

“Sister, I’ll head back for today then. I’ll find time in the next day or two to come into town and get the bedding sorted.”

“Sounds good. Travel safe.”

As Su Banxia left, Li Fengqin walked her to the mouth of the alley, watching until she was out of sight before turning back.

While Su Banxia was viewing the room, Jiang Guo’an and Li Jianguo led several officers from the Public Security Bureau to the entrance of the gambling den.

Jiang Guo’an’s expression was stern. After exchanging a glance with Li Jianguo, both men placed a hand on the courtyard wall and vaulted over it with practiced ease.

The lookout in the courtyard was startled by the sudden intrusion. He opened his mouth to shout, but Jiang Guo’an closed the distance in a flash, delivering a sharp chop to the back of his neck. The man’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.

Li Jianguo unlatched the gate from the inside.

From within the house came the raucous shouts and curses of the gamblers.

The team coordinated seamlessly, exchanging signals before storming into the room.

“Freeze! County Public Security Bureau! Hands in the air, all of you!”

Wang Mazi, realizing what was happening, scrambled for a weapon to fight his way out. But Jiang Guo’an was quicker—a powerful kick to the chest sent Wang Mazi flying.

His wrist slammed into the edge of a table with a sickening crack.

Wang Mazi gasped in agony.

Damn it! I just got my wrist set this morning—is it dislocated again?

As he struggled to get up, Jiang Guo’an pressed the cold, dark barrel of a gun against Wang Mazi’s forehead.

A chill ran down Wang Mazi’s spine, freezing him in place.

Soon, the entire group was subdued, hands bound behind their backs, and led out of the building.

Jiang Guo’an and Li Jianguo escorted all twenty-plus individuals to the Public Security Bureau. After completing the handover procedures, their part was done. They boarded the off-road vehicle with Political Commissar Liu to return to the compound.

In the vehicle, Political Commissar Liu smiled at Jiang Guo’an. “That wife of yours is something else—quite the principled thinker.

I gave her a ride into town this morning, and who would’ve thought she’d come report this gambling ring in the afternoon?

Impressive, truly impressive.

You, my boy, go home and make things work with her, understood?”

Jiang Guo’an merely smiled faintly, offering no further comment.

She really had changed a lot.

Li Jianguo chimed in, “Say what you will about how she used to be, but today’s operation went smoothly thanks to her providing the exact address. Otherwise, we’d have spent days more on this.”

Jiang Guo’an shot Li Jianguo a sidelong glance. Li Jianguo grinned and leaned in, lowering his voice. “Old Jiang, you think your wife is worried you’ll send her back to the countryside? Is that why she’s being so proactive?”

Jiang Guo’an looked exasperated. Why did it feel like this guy was just trying to stir trouble and laugh at his expense?

He wasn’t blind.

He’d seen today’s events with his own eyes.

She really was changing.

As long as she was improving bit by bit, he was happy.

Once they returned that afternoon, he’d discuss with Chen Feng to see if they could find a job for Su Banxia.

With that thought, Jiang Guo’an took a deep breath and gazed out the window.

His eyes lit up when he spotted a familiar figure walking not far ahead of the vehicle.