Chapter 16

Huang Qiujuan and Qin Rongguang didn’t seem like the type to give up easily. Jiang Suihan had expected them to be scheming something, but by the day of their departure, everything was calm, leaving her somewhat bewildered.

Xu Zhao peeled a banana and handed it to Jiang Suihan, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Frowning, he wondered if she was having second thoughts about leaving.

Jiang Suihan took a bite of the banana. It was very sweet, with a natural fragrance and a pleasant texture. She couldn’t help but think how fortunate she was to have Xu Zhao, the ‘wealthy benefactor’ around. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to afford fruit.

She shared her doubts with Xu Zhao, “You don’t know my aunt well. When the opportunity is about to slip away, she won’t just let it go. I haven’t even seen her in the past few days. I’m wondering if I’ve overthought things, or if they’ve run into a difficult situation and can’t find time to bother me.”

She leaned towards the latter theory, doubting that her aunt’s sudden absence was due to a change of heart. It was more likely they encountered a significant problem.

Xu Zhao awkwardly scratched his nose. “They’ve been busy with something.”

Jiang Suihan looked at him suspiciously, feeling he knew more than he was letting on. “How do you know what they’ve been busy with?”

“Did you follow them?”

“No,” Xu Zhao denied. He wasn’t interested in such trivial matters. It was a waste of time and energy.

Seeing Jiang Suihan’s skeptical gaze, Xu Zhao was compelled to reveal the truth. “I had a former comrade whose hometown is around here. He retired from the military and joined the city police two years ago. We hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so I visited him this time and asked for his help. He made things difficult for your aunt and that Qin fellow.”

This way, they couldn’t concoct any further troubles for Jiang Suihan.

His comrade was very enthusiastic, promising to handle the situation well. Xu Zhao trusted his abilities and didn’t follow up on Huang Qiujuan and Qin Rongguang, so he didn’t know that they had encountered issues.

Qin Rongguang was somewhat shady. Although the current investigation had uncovered only minor issues, Xu Zhao’s comrade was confident that further investigation would reveal serious problems.

Huang Qiujuan’s second son was reported for his lack of progressive thoughts. He had intentionally fallen down the stairs to avoid going to the countryside, which was seen as a sign of dissatisfaction with national policies.

Jiang Dabo’s family dared not defy the state. To quell public outrage and avoid suspicion, they had no choice but to voluntarily enroll the second son in the countryside.

Jiang Suihan’s second cousin naturally resisted. With four children in the family, why should he be the only one to suffer in the countryside? He caused a commotion at home, demanding compensation and money.

Jiang Suihan’s eldest cousin and cousin sister were unwilling. They argued that it wasn’t their decision for him to go to the countryside, and that the family’s resources should be shared equally.

Huang Qiujuan sat in a chair, her right hand on her forehead, looking very distressed. “Enough of the arguing. We don’t need outsiders laughing at us. Wei Ming will be sent to the countryside alone, where he’ll face hunger and cold and have to work like the farmers.”

She turned to her eldest son and daughter. “You siblings should offer some comfort and support, instead of quibbling. Didn’t your father and I teach you better than this?”

Huang Qiujuan and Jiang Dabo had four children: the eldest son, the eldest daughter, Jiang Weiming as the third, and a younger daughter. The younger daughter’s difficult birth, which took a day and night and nearly resulted in her death, made Huang Qiujuan dislike her deeply.

The second son was sweet-talking and articulate, unlike the eldest son who was taciturn, and the eldest daughter, who only cared about bringing good things from her parents’ home to her in-laws. Naturally, Huang Qiujuan favored the second son, who knew how to flatter her.

The eldest daughter, Jiang Weihong, sat on the other side of the sofa, looking displeased. “Mom, it’s not that I don’t want to help. You know I hand over my entire salary to my mother-in-law every month. I don’t have any money left. You’re only concerned about your youngest son. Why don’t you worry about me? Our family doesn’t have any meat tickets left, and Xuejun hasn’t had meat in almost a month. He’s starving thin.”

Huang Qiujuan shot her a disdainful glance, knowing she was just using her grandson to gain sympathy. Every household was struggling; who didn’t want meat? She was also craving it.

Jiang Weiming drummed his fingers on the sofa. “What’s the status of that soldier in Jiang Suihan’s family? If necessary, I can find someone to lure him out, abduct Jiang Suihan, and take her to the Qin family. Once she’s there, it’s a done deal, and she’ll have no choice but to accept.”

He had never met Xu Zhao and was surprised to hear from his mother that his uncle had arranged a fiancé for his cousin. He knew his uncle wasn’t very close to their family and had not mentioned anything about such a big affair.

His cousin had always been attractive and had many suitors. Now that Jiang’s family was in trouble, the Qins were taking the opportunity to pursue her, hoping to marry her. Privately, he didn’t think much of Qin Rongguang—he was short, plain-looking, and a second marriage. It seemed a bit of a loss for his cousin to marry him.

However, he had no choice. The Qin family had power and influence, and as long as they could arrange a job for him and keep him from going to the countryside, he was willing to help.

Although Qin Rongguang wasn’t much to look at, being the son of the deputy factory director had its advantages. His cousin would be well taken care of, and her future would be secured. This way, he felt he would be fulfilling his duty to his late uncle.

Huang Qiujuan questioned, “Is it going to work? That soldier doesn’t seem easy to deal with. Are the people you hired reliable? I hope you don’t end up failing to capture him and getting beaten up instead.”

She didn’t quite believe Jiang Suihan had gotten married. When Jiang’s family was still doing well, Jiang Suihan had been picky about marriage partners, relying on her family background and looks. Now that the Jiang family had fallen, her only asset was her appearance. She was in the prime of her life, and it was hard to believe she would settle for just anyone.

She even let her imagination run wild, speculating that the soldier might have been hired by Jiang Suihan herself. They might not even be engaged; it could be a ploy to deceive her.

“We need to recruit more people. Soldiers are quite strong; taking on five at once might be no problem. It’s best to have people lay an ambush beforehand and strike decisively,” Jiang Weihong suggested.

She didn’t like her younger cousin. Not only was she pretty, but she was also pampered by her uncle and aunt, growing up with an air of carefree ignorance that made her dislikeable. As a child, everyone envied Jiang Suihan for living like a princess, having everything she wanted.

Now that she had become the daughter of a problematic intellectual and was going to marry a man with a second marriage, if she weren’t so busy with work, she would have loved to see Jiang Suihan’s expression.

She eagerly anticipated the day her little cousin married Qin Rongguang.

Jiang Weihong’s younger sister, Jiang Weiyu, quietly sat in the corner, watching her family plot against their cousin. None of them showed any hint of guilt or shame, as if betraying even close family members was acceptable as long as they got what they wanted.

She bowed her head, her bangs hiding her emotions, and clenched her fists unconsciously. After a while, she exhaled slowly.

“Mom, I left something at Xiao Hui’s house. I’m going to get it back,” Jiang Weiyu said, standing up. Without waiting for Huang Qiujuan’s response, she opened the door and ran out.

Huang Qiujuan frowned, her tone sharp. “Always so silent, as if everyone owes her money. It’s almost dinner time, and she’s running off. Can’t she wait until tomorrow to say what she wants? It’s like we owe her for something in a past life.”

Jiang Weihong was nearly a decade older than Jiang Weiyu. Their parents were busy with work when they were young and had little time to care for the children. Jiang Weihong had essentially raised her younger sister, and although she disliked her sister’s quiet nature, she didn’t want her to become a target for their mother’s displeasure.

“It’s probably something important she remembered. She’s very close with Xiao Hui and won’t run into trouble. Don’t be upset, Mom. She’s well-behaved, just reserved. I prefer that to someone who’s always nagging in my ear.”

Huang Qiujuan grumbled about her youngest daughter’s frustrating personality. She felt drained thinking about it.

Jiang Leyun was sitting by the door, looking at the stars. He was leaving the next morning and wanted to enjoy the stars of Mingjiang City one last time.

He noticed a figure approaching from a distance.

He exclaimed in surprise, “Sister Weiyu, what are you doing here?”

He didn’t like his uncle’s family, but this didn’t include Jiang Weiyu. She had been good to him before, playing with him and helping with his homework. During the time his father was ill, Jiang Weiyu had secretly given him a coin.

His aunt had always mistreated Jiang Weiyu. He had wanted to return the coin but was scolded by his father for accepting gifts without merit. By the time he tried to return it, Jiang Weiyu was already gone, and the coin was used for his sister’s medical expenses.

Jiang Weiyu glanced inside and forced a smile. “Leyun, is Sister Suihan at home?”

She felt awkward meeting her little cousin. Her family had cut ties with her uncle when things went wrong, and they had kept their distance. They hadn’t helped when her uncle was ill, and she felt both cold and guilty for her parents’ indifference to their relatives.

“Yes, I’ll go call her,” Jiang Leyun said, turning to get her without hesitation.

Jiang Suihan was puzzled by the unexpected visit at this hour.

At the door, she saw a thin girl with two braids, looking around thirteen or fourteen years old.

Jiang Weiyu hesitated and, after a deep breath, seemed to have made a significant decision. “Suihan, you need to leave quickly. If you don’t leave now, it might be too late.”

**