Chapter 54 Will I disappear?

When Zhao Meiya met Ye Jianguo, she still couldn’t bring herself to believe that Jiang Laifu had sacrificed his life.

Since Jiang Laifu’s ashes had been brought back, she had only glanced at them once and never returned after that.

She didn’t want to believe that Jiang Laifu had really died.

The two of them had been through so much together in their lives, even though Jiang Laifu wasn’t the traditional “good man.”

But this man had always been her pillar of support.

“Jianguo, tell me, my old Jiang is fine. Before he went on the mission, he said he’d be back and would be reassigned. He was going to be with me and the children.” Zhao Meiya murmured to herself in a daze.

She looked up at Ye Jianguo, hoping for a different answer.

Ye Jianguo looked at Zhao Meiya and said in a soft voice, “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. Old Jiang… he… he sacrificed himself.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Meiya suddenly slapped him across the face. “Nonsense! I didn’t see him! You bring me a box of ashes and tell me this is Old Jiang, but I don’t believe it!”

As she spoke, she turned away, muttering to herself, “I don’t believe it. I won’t believe it. My old Jiang was fine when he left, how could something happen to him? You all are fine, so he should be fine too. He’s survived so many close calls before, so how could something happen when he’s about to retire? He promised the kids he’d spend more time with them, and he even told my daughter that the belt and watch Wenwen gave him should be kept for when she gets married.”

Zhao Meiya kept repeating the same things over and over.

Ye Jianguo watched her, unsure of how to comfort her. His heart was filled with sorrow and guilt.

At that moment, a young girl walked out of the room and quietly said, “Uncle Jianguo, can you take us back to our hometown? My dad’s ashes need to be taken back, and my mom can’t handle all the arrangements by herself. The Jiang family will surely bully us.”

Jiang Laifu’s daughter was already sixteen. She was once the little girl who kept pestering Ye Jianguo to buy postcards from Gao Wenwen, but in the blink of an eye, she had grown up.

She knew that while her mother appeared strong on the surface, she was deeply dependent on her father. Her younger brother was still small, and from now on, their family would only have each other to rely on.

Ye Jianguo looked at the young girl who had suddenly become an adult and nodded, agreeing, “Okay!”

In the military, Jiang Laifu was posthumously awarded the August 1st Medal.

However, these honors meant little to Zhao Meiya and her children; the loss of Jiang Laifu had hit them too hard.

Ye Jianguo took a month off from the army and accompanied Zhao Meiya back to their hometown.

…

After Gao Wenwen returned, she called Ye Jianguo.

She knew that Ye Jianguo would take a month off to bring Jiang Laifu’s ashes back to his hometown.

She calculated the time and realized that her holiday was coming soon. Jiang Laifu’s hometown was very close to Port City.

After finishing all of her professional exams, she took time off from her department.

Jiang Laifu’s hometown was a very remote mountain village. Gao Wenwen had to ride a bullock cart for three hours before she reached it.

She inquired along the way and finally found Jiang Laifu’s house in the village.

“Comrade, are you looking for the Jiang family? Is it the house of the officer who just sacrificed?” an elderly villager asked her.

Gao Wenwen nodded. “Yes.”

The villager looked her up and down, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “The Jiang family is one of the wealthiest families in our village, but…”

The elderly man shook his head helplessly and said, “Because there was a military officer in the family, they’ve become quite domineering in the village.”

After speaking, he shook his head again and added, “You’re a pretty girl. I advise you not to go. Apart from the soldier who sacrificed himself, the rest of the Jiang family isn’t good people.”

Gao Wenwen was taken aback by these words and asked, “Grandfather, may I stay at your house for the night?”

She took out a large sum of money and continued, “I see you have empty rooms, and I’d like to stay a few days. My husband was a comrade of the soldier who sacrificed himself. I came here to attend the funeral. After hearing what you said, I’m afraid to go.”

The elderly man, kind-hearted, responded: “Don’t go, that family is really no good. It’s not that it’s my intention to say this, but if you know the family of that soldier, you should advise them to leave Jiangjia Village. The Jiang family has done a lot of terrible things relying on that officer’s position. Don’t stay, or they might end up bullying you.”

After accepting the money, the elderly man turned and went to find his wife, while warning Gao Wenwen: “That Jiang family, now that the officer is gone, it’s probably better. At least there’s a chance to accumulate some good karma for their descendants.”

In a small mountain village like theirs, having a military officer was considered an extraordinary achievement. Since Jiang Laifu became a military officer, the Jiang family had become the rulers of the village.

Years ago, when Jiang Laifu held a lower rank, the Jiang family didn’t act so arrogantly. But as his position grew, many people began to take advantage of him.

Whether it was the village head or other officials, they all catered to the Jiang family.

Although Gao Wenwen had heard of corrupt people in poor villages, she had never encountered the type of corrupt individuals she was hearing about now.

As she noticed the elderly man hesitating to speak, she realized that some things were probably too sensitive to discuss openly.

She decided to stay in Jiangjia Village temporarily.

She tried to inquire about the return of Jiang Laifu’s ashes, but whenever she mentioned it, the villagers just shook their heads.

It wasn’t until she found a younger family in the village that she got more information. The man of the house, who had taken a liking to Gao Wenwen’s beauty, pointed to a distant area and said, “Over there is where the Jiang family lives. The Jiang family is not easy to deal with, and we, the people of the village, don’t dare ask about them. However, I was just in the county and happened to know something about what you’re asking.”

He hesitated for a moment and then asked, “You’re not from the Jiang family, are you? The Jiang family doesn’t allow people from the village to gossip about them. If they find out, our family will suffer.”

Gao Wenwen was stunned to learn that the Jiang family was so despised by the villagers.

The man sighed, “This village is called Jiangjia Village, most people here are named Jiang. Those of us with different surnames are considered outsiders. Back when the Jiang family’s ancestor was the village head, everything started to change. Since they produced a military officer, it became a source of pride for the whole village.”

He continued shaking his head, “The Jiang family is like royalty now. They take whatever they want from the villagers. For example, my chickens and ducks — if the Jiang family needs them for something, they just come and take them. We can’t say anything about it, or else we’ll have to face their wrath.”

Gao Wenwen was shocked. “Doesn’t anyone stop them?”

The man gave a sarcastic laugh. “The village head is from the Jiang family, as are the village officials. They’ve monopolized every public office because of Jiang Laifu’s position. You’ve heard of the saying ‘The people can’t fight the officials,’ haven’t you? In our tiny mountain village, we’re helpless. We’re outsiders here, while the Jiang family controls everything.”

He paused, then added, “I heard Jiang Laifu’s wife has returned with his ashes, but the Jiang family won’t let her bury him in their ancestral tomb. They’re asking her to adopt her son out and hand over the compensation money. They won’t allow him to be buried unless she agrees to their demands.”

Gao Wenwen was bewildered. “What do you mean? The Jiang family is using their influence over Jiang Laifu’s death, but now they’re making things difficult for his wife and children? Aren’t they afraid of bad luck?”

The man sneered. “The Jiang family has become like local emperors. They’re ruthless. The truth is, they’ve been living off Jiang Laifu’s position, but now that he’s gone, they need to keep using his family to secure their own interests. They’re after the compensation money, and they want to control his children by forcing them into adoption with another Jiang family. They’ll even take advantage of those kids’ future.”

He sighed again and looked at Gao Wenwen. “If you’re not closely related to the Jiang family, don’t go to the funeral. They’re dangerous people.”

After he finished speaking, he turned to enter his house, closing the door behind him.

Gao Wenwen, now deeply concerned for Ye Jianguo and Jiang Laifu’s family, realized just how threatening the Jiang family could be. She couldn’t help but worry about the widow and her son facing such danger.

She turned back to the elder she was staying with and asked, “How long does it take to get to the county?”

The elder replied, “The bullock cart takes over two hours. We have a cart that goes to the county, but it leaves in the morning and comes back in the evening. You won’t make it today. If you want to go, you’ll have to leave early tomorrow morning.”

Gao Wenwen nodded. “Okay, I understand.”

The elder looked at her for a moment before speaking again. “Girl, you’re from the city, right? This Jiangjia Village has a bad reputation. Don’t wander around alone; it’s not safe. If you go out, make sure to go with other villagers. Otherwise, you’ll be taken advantage of.”

As Gao Wenwen continued to listen, she became even more worried about the dangerous situation Ye Jianguo and Jiang Laifu’s family were facing.

“Uncle, I want to go to the county tomorrow. I’ll give you some money if you’ll accompany me,” Gao Wenwen asked.

The elder hesitated but eventually agreed, “Alright, I’ll go with you. Just tell them I’m your uncle. You should change your clothes, though. You look too fancy for this village. It could attract attention.”

He then turned to his wife. “Wife, get a set of our daughter’s clothes for Wenwen to wear. Tomorrow I’ll take her to the county.”

The elder’s wife nodded. “Be careful. If you see anyone from the Jiang family, stay far away.”