Chapter 61: Blessing

Inside the car, Lin Qiao was still checking the medications Elder Gu needed to carry with him, unaware of what was happening outside.

“There’s a folding stool in the car. I’ll get it for you to sit on. Please try to control your emotions and not get too excited.”

Elder Gu nodded with a smile, even patting his heart. “We finally found her. I don’t want to scare her.”

Ji Duo thought for a moment and decided that Elder Gu’s matter was more urgent and shouldn’t be complicated by other issues. He reached into his pocket. “You go ahead. I’ll buy a box of matches.”

At this moment?

Lin Qiao turned her head in surprise, but Ji Duo was already striding towards the roadside, closing the shop door that someone had opened. “Give me a box of matches.”

Ji Ze was still arguing with the shop assistant inside the shop, who clearly wasn’t buying his argument. “If you don’t want to sell, you don’t have to.”

The assistant didn’t care about his expression. “Are you done? If so, we’re closing.”

Ji Ze wanted to say more but turned at the familiar voice, “Uncle?”

He had barely turned halfway when someone pressed the back of his neck. “Your aunt is outside.”

Ji Ze immediately backed down, quickly turning his head back and moving behind the wall, only daring to peek outside. “Why are you and Aunt here?”

“I should be asking you that,” Ji Duo said calmly, releasing him and placing a two-cent note on the counter.

The man, tall and imposing in his military coat, stood there with an air of authority.

Sensing the change, the shop assistant adjusted their attitude and quickly retrieved a box of matches from the counter without further words.

Ji Ze noticed this and felt indignant, wanting to say something, but Lin Qiao’s voice came from outside, “Shall we go in first?”

They were so close that if he leaned towards the window, he could see Lin Qiao through the glass, less than two meters away. He quickly swallowed his words and gestured frantically for his uncle to hurry and send them away.

Ji Duo didn’t even glance at him. He took the matches and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. “You go ahead. My uniform stands out too much.”

Since they were going to sneak a peek, having a military officer standing there would indeed draw attention. Lin Qiao supported Elder Gu as they walked inside.

It wasn’t until the two figures disappeared into the campus that Ji Ze emerged from behind the wall. “That scared me to death.”

“If you had explained earlier, this wouldn’t have happened,” Ji Duo said, lighting his cigarette and walking out of the shop.

The shop was indeed closing, with people already starting to put up the window boards. Ji Ze calmed down, realizing that arguing further wouldn’t yield any results. He followed Ji Duo outside. “Uncle, you came just in time. I was about to report the accounts to you.”

He looked a bit embarrassed. “There’s been a problem with the business lately. The accounts might not look good. Can you explain it to Aunt for me?”

Ji Duo remembered what he had just heard. “The shop assistants are deliberately hiding the products and not selling them properly?”

“Yes. At first, they just placed them randomly. If someone asked, they would sell a pound. If no one asked, they wouldn’t mention it. You know how state-owned shop assistants are.”

State-owned shop assistants being unenthusiastic about selling and indifferent to customers was an old issue. After all, whether the shop made a profit or a loss, they received the same salary. Fewer customers meant less work for them.

So, when Ji Ze negotiated the wholesale of liquid soap to the shops, it went smoothly, but the sales were poor. In some places, people didn’t even know the shop sold liquid soap. His salespeople would deliver goods only to be stopped by customers asking why they weren’t selling anymore.

“Yandu is so big, and my salespeople can’t cover it all. I realized this wasn’t working, so I talked to the shop assistants, offering them a one-yuan commission for every barrel sold.”

“And then the other shops that could have sold the products also hid them, wanting the same commission?”

Ji Duo hit the nail on the head, and Ji Ze nodded sheepishly. “I’ve been to several shops in the past two days, and it’s the same everywhere. I don’t know who told them.”

“Who told them? Do you really think there’s a wall that doesn’t let the wind through?”

Ji Duo realized his nephew still lacked experience. It wasn’t that the commission idea was unworkable. He had introduced a profit-sharing scheme for his senior employees, which boosted their enthusiasm. Recently, he even implemented a sales champion system, awarding bonuses to the top three salespeople each month, significantly increasing sales. But bonuses and commissions could be given to top performers, not to those who didn’t work hard. That would only teach others not to work properly.

After this setback, Ji Ze seemed to understand. He scratched his head. “I’ll go back and think of a solution. Uncle, please explain it to Aunt for me.”

It was unclear whether he feared his uncle more or Lin Qiao, his aunt.

Thinking of Lin Qiao, Ji Duo suddenly remembered her friend’s small shop and had an idea. But before he could say anything, Ji Ze had already mounted his bicycle. “I’ll go now. I’ll bring the accounts and money to you tomorrow.” He glanced at the school gate as if afraid Lin Qiao might suddenly return and pedaled away quickly.

Ji Duo frowned at his reaction, but knowing Ji Ze would come to him tomorrow, he said nothing and turned to enter the campus.

Under the dormitory building, Lin Qiao had already sent someone to call Yue Hua. Elder Gu sat under a tree not far away on the small folding stool Lin Qiao had brought, his face hidden in the night.

When she went upstairs, Lin Qiao glanced back at Elder Gu to ensure he was all right.

Soon, Yue Hua came down. The young woman in her early twenties wasn’t very tall but looked energetic. Her relaxed brow and smile indicated she was doing well. She was a bit surprised to see Lin Qiao. “What brings you here? I heard you got married when I went home for the summer.”

“Yes, I got married and moved to Yandu,” Lin Qiao said, deliberately leading her a few steps toward Elder Gu before picking up the items she had placed by the roadside. “I went back home and met Aunt. She asked me to bring you some apple pears.”

Yue Hua immediately recognized the items from her hometown, her eyes curving into a smile. “My mom is something else, making you bring these from so far away.”

With its childhood shadows, that smile made Elder Gu, watching quietly from a distance, feel like he saw the little girl who used to call him grandpa sweetly.

And Shaoping, with his poor skills, insists on braiding his sister’s hair, despite Shaozhen’s reluctant but helpless expression…

Some memories were so vivid that they felt like yesterday. Elder Gu adjusted his hat to see more clearly, but a gust of wind blew his hat away. Instinctively, he reached out to catch it but missed. Lin Qiao also hurried forward to retrieve it.

Unexpectedly, Yue Hua, being the closest, quickly grabbed it. Her gaze swept around and landed on Elder Gu nearby. She took a few steps forward. “Sir, is this your hat…” She stopped mid-sentence, stunned. “What’s wrong?”

The elderly man before her had almost entirely white hair and wrinkles covering his face, and when he looked at her, his eyes were filled with tears.

Elder Gu gazed almost greedily at his granddaughter, whom he hadn’t seen in thirteen years. She was taller and plumper, with none of the timidity from losing her parents at a young age. Her eyes were still soft and caring, making him want to say so much, but he only pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. “The wind is a bit strong today.”

“Did something get in your eye?” Yue Hua patiently waited for him to finish wiping before returning the hat.

“Thank you, little granddaughter,” Elder Gu said, his hands trembling as he put the hat back on, his gaze unconsciously returning to Yue Hua’s face.

Yue Hua felt the old man’s eyes were looking at her, yet also at someone else, as if he had a thousand words to say but remained silent. She couldn’t help but ask, “In this strong wind, who are you waiting for? Do you need me to call someone for you?”

“No need,” Elder Gu smiled at her. “I’ve already met who I was waiting for. I’ll sit for a while longer and then go back.”

Hearing this, Yue Hua felt relieved. She thanked Lin Qiao again and went upstairs with the apple pears Lin Qiao had brought.

Elder Gu watched her back disappear through the door, not moving for a long time.

Lin Qiao didn’t disturb him, waiting until he slowly stood up and packed the folding stool before following. When she looked up, she saw Ji Duo standing further away in the shadows. He had clearly been there for a while. Without asking if they had seen anyone, he silently approached and took the stool from Elder Gu.

The three walked in silence until they almost reached the school gate. Elder Gu finally spoke softly, “Her adoptive parents raised her well.”

Ji Duo responded with a simple “Hmm,” and Elder Gu’s gaze fell on Lin Qiao, who was supporting him. “I remember you said you remembered because another fake appeared.”

“Yes, that’s true. We didn’t tell you because you were in the hospital, and we didn’t want to upset you,” Lin Qiao admitted.

Elder Gu slowed his pace. “Now, tell me. Is there more to this?”

His tone was calm and steady, unlike the emotional, tearful elder from moments ago. However, if he were only emotional and fragile, he wouldn’t have fought his way through countless battles to reach his current position.

Lin Qiao quietly recounted the events. Elder Gu pondered, “It seems they truly fear I will investigate Shaoping’s death.” He glanced at Ji Duo.

“We’re already looking for that person,” Ji Duo said. “And now that we’ve found her, they don’t know it. The initiative is on our side.”

Elder Gu wasn’t in a hurry to recognize her, partly to give Yue Hua and her family time to accept it and partly for strategic reasons. If they brought her back openly, they would lose the advantage. The other side might go silent, leaving no traces. By keeping it quiet and continuing the search publicly, they might force the other side to make mistakes and reveal more. This strategy of cutting off their retreat would put them in control and prevent them from being led by a series of fakes.

Elder Gu smiled and patted Lin Qiao’s hand. “Whether marrying you is Xiao Duo’s blessing, I don’t know, but it’s certainly a blessing for our Gu family.”

The news couldn’t be kept from Su Zheng. The next day, he came to see Ji Duo. “You really found her. Your treasure wasn’t married in vain.”

Ji Duo frowned under his military cap. “Treasure? Is that what you call her?”

Su Zheng’s eyes widened. “Why can’t I call her that if you can? Didn’t you say you didn’t treasure her before?”

Ji Duo didn’t want to discuss this. He checked his watch. “What’s the matter? I need to get home for dinner.”

“You never used to be so eager to go home,” Su Zheng couldn’t help but tease. Seeing Ji Duo was serious about leaving, he got to the point. “We’ve been searching for so many years and finally found her. I need to thank her on behalf of Shaoping and me.”

Shaoping and Shaozhen’s matter was a knot in Ji Duo’s heart, and it was the same for Su Zheng. His choice to become a police officer was related to these events.

Ji Duo said nothing more. They got into the Jeep parked by the roadside and headed to Ji Duo and Lin Qiao’s place.

Seeing Su Zheng, Lin Qiao immediately understood his purpose. Smiling, she raised an eyebrow. “A rare guest. You can’t just come in and say thank you.”

“That still needs to be said,” Su Zheng said sincerely. “I’ll always remember this. If anything happens in the future, even if Ji Duo wrongs you, I’ll still stand by you.”

This earned him a meaningful glance from Ji Duo, causing Su Zheng to pause. “Although I might not be able to beat him.”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but laugh, recalling how Ji Duo had subtly tried to find out what Su Zheng had told her after they returned from his house.

In reality, Su Zheng, with a strong survival instinct, hadn’t shared any of Ji Duo’s embarrassing stories. They had planned it together, hoping Ji Duo might reveal something on his own. But Ji Duo remained steadfast, not revealing anything, while Su Zheng always felt uneasy under his gaze.

“Oh, I brought you something,” Su Zheng said, pulling a pair of handmade shoes and several embroidered insoles from his bag. “These are from Chen Zhaonan. She insisted I bring them to you. She usually doesn’t even dare talk to me, but she asked about you several times for this.”

Whether it’s making shoes or embroidery, both are time-consuming tasks. The intricate designs and fine stitching showed Chen Zhaonan’s effort.

“And this,” Su Zheng added, handing over a few sheets of paper filled with wobbly pinyin and Chinese characters. Lin Qiao was even more delighted than with the shoes. “She’s attending classes?”

Su Zheng nodded. “She took your words to heart and attended audit classes at a nearby elementary school.”

For Chen Zhaonan, taking this step required immense courage. She had been beaten and was nervous around people, and attending school as an older student meant being watched. However, her determination to seek help from the police station and find ways to escape showed her resilient and unyielding nature.

Finally, the best news. “This morning, I helped Elder Gu with his discharge. He asked me to bring her to see him. He probably wants her to stay.”

For Chen Zhaonan, as long as she didn’t have to go back, it was good news. However, it’s understandable why Elder Gu would do this. He has always been kind-hearted, and since Shaozhen’s disappearance, he has donated most of his salary to charity. No matter what, Lin Qiao remembered the connection to Yue Hua because of Chen Zhaonan. To accumulate good karma for his grandchildren, he couldn’t push her back into a pit of fire.

“Now she should be relieved,” Lin Qiao thought of Chen Zhaonan’s pleading eyes and her injuries. “She never registered her marriage with that man.”

Chen Zhaonan was sold at seventeen, too young to marry legally. Their custom was to marry only after having a son. Without a marriage certificate, they weren’t legally married. She didn’t have to go back. His abuse wasn’t domestic violence but intentional harm.

“Unfortunately, she didn’t understand, and no one there cared. Otherwise, with such severe circumstances, he would have been detained at least.”

Lin Qiao felt helpless. Unexpectedly, Su Zheng glanced at Ji Duo and said, “He’s already been detained for several days.”

This made her look at Ji Duo, who remained calm, taking the shoes and insoles from her and heading upstairs. “Let’s eat.”

“I’ll go now. I have to work this afternoon,” Su Zheng said, not planning to stay long. Before leaving, he told Lin Qiao, “Next time, let’s find a time, and I’ll treat you.”

Seeing him leave quickly, Ji Duo suddenly thought of Ji Ze from the previous day and said to Lin Qiao, “My friend’s business hasn’t been going well lately.”

Involving her share, Lin Qiao’s attention was immediately drawn. “What happened?”

“It’s the shop assistants,” Ji Duo explained. “Because of this, recent sales have declined.”

This was something unimaginable forty years later. Lin Qiao had seen various marketing techniques and often found overly enthusiastic salespeople annoying, but she had never seen such poor salesmanship.

It was indeed a product of this era. She thought of Guo Yan’s small shop. “Didn’t your friend consider small private shops?”

Once again, they thought of the same solution without any prompting. This feeling was quite nice. When Ji Duo received the accounts from his nephew that evening, he didn’t frown at the not-so-great numbers. He shared their solution with his nephew, and Ji Ze’s eyes lit up. “Right, state-owned shops don’t sell well, but private shops wouldn’t do that. They’re earning for themselves.”

Having some business experience, he quickly expanded on the idea. “We can put up a sign at the shop entrance saying ‘Muzi Liquid Soap Designated Sales Point,’ and I’ll help promote it. If it boosts other sales in the shop, we might even raise the wholesale price. Who would still sell to those state-owned shops?”

Excited, he looked at Ji Duo, who frowned slightly. “Muzi Liquid Soap? Which ‘Mu’ and which ‘Zi’?”