Chapter 84

Wang Dahe looked back at Jiang Weiyu with a grin and said, “You’re already in the car, isn’t it a bit late to ask now?”

Jiang Weiyu blushed slightly and stammered, “I just didn’t expect someone to come pick me up. Thank you.”

Her voice was a bit soft, and she appeared embarrassed.

Although Jiang Weiyu and Xu Zhao were relatives, they had never met before, so it was understandable that she felt nervous.

Xu Zhao, gazing ahead, casually asked, “Was the trip smooth?”

Jiang Weiyu was afraid that Xu Zhao would think she was being long-winded, so she kept things simple: “It was relatively smooth. I met a strange person on the train. She kept trying to talk to me. I was worried all the way. Fortunately, Comrade Wang helped me.”

Wang Dahe went on enthusiastically, “I suspected they were traffickers. I wanted to chase after them, but didn’t want to leave Jiang Weiyu behind. I watched those two slip away, and it made me furious.”

He was frustrated that, despite usually being busy with training and rarely getting out, he had been unable to intervene and had only watched the villains escape.

Xu Zhao frowned. “Traffickers?”

Last year, he and Zhang Xiangqian had dismantled several traffickers’ hideouts with the county police. Could it be that some of them had escaped and were back?

Jiang Weiyu swallowed nervously and said, “I’m not sure, just suspicious. That woman boarded the train at the next station after I did and followed me all the way. She tried to get close to me deliberately. Before I left, Officer Lin warned me not to trust strangers on the train. I ignored her, but she had an accomplice who looked quite sinister.”

Officer Lin was a colleague of Xu Zhao at the Mingjiang City Public Security Bureau. He took Xu Zhao’s request seriously. Without his warning, Jiang Weiyu’s naivety might have led her into trouble.

Since they had followed her from the train, they must be from another province. Xu Zhao thought for a moment, then directed the car to the police station to find the officer in charge of the case.

Officer Liang, upon hearing the story, frowned even deeper and said, “I understand. I’ll arrange for extra attention from now on. Thanks for letting us know.”

Xu Zhao replied politely, “I just came to give a heads-up. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.”

Officer Liang escorted Xu Zhao out and said, “I remember you mentioned your wife was pregnant last year. The year is almost over, and it’s been several months. She must have given birth by now?”

Xu Zhao smiled, “She gave birth a few days ago.”

Officer Liang jokingly asked, “A big, healthy boy?”

His joyful expression made it clear he was certain it was a son.

Xu Zhao nodded modestly, “Yes, it’s a boy.”

Liang Gong’an patted Xu Zhao on the left shoulder and said, “Congratulations.”

…

Jiang Leyun was playing in the yard. After Chenchen was born, his interest in his little nephew grew day by day. The first thing he did after school every day was to go see Chenchen. He talked to Chenchen for a while before doing his homework. Zhao Xiaojun came to ask him to go out and play, but he refused, saying that he had to accompany his little nephew.

Hearing the sound of the car, Jiang Leyun ran to the door and unexpectedly saw his cousin. He was very surprised: “Sister Weiyu, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in Mingjiang City?”

Jiang Suihan did not tell her brother that Jiang Weiyu was forced to get married by her family. The child was still young and in school, so he wouldn’t be able to help even if he knew, so there was no need for him to worry about it.

Jiang Weiyu couldn’t help but tear up. She hadn’t cried when she was scolded by her parents, pressured by her second brother, or locked in a room without being able to leave. She had even held back her tears on the train despite her fear, but seeing her younger cousin made her unable to hold it in.

Jiang Leyun was startled by his cousin’s sudden tears. He looked anxiously at Xu Zhao, silently asking what was wrong.

“Sister Weiyu, what’s wrong? Don’t cry! I’m afraid of girls crying. I’ll take you to find my sister; she’ll definitely know what to do.”

Jiang Weiyu felt embarrassed for crying out of the blue. It was so humiliating.

Her face turned red, and she tried to cover up, saying, “It’s nothing. I just haven’t seen you for a long time, and I couldn’t hold back my emotions. I’ll be fine soon.”

Jiang Leyun didn’t think much of it and comforted her, “Sister Weiyu, you’re really too sentimental. Books say that when relatives meet, they tear up. Looks like it’s true.”

Jiang Weiyu followed up with curiosity, “Which book says that? I haven’t read it.”

Jiang Leyun shrugged, “I don’t remember. Maybe I heard it when someone else was reading. But, Sister Weiyu, you still haven’t said why you’re here? Did Uncle and Auntie send you?”

Although after Father Jiang’s incident, Uncle Jiang immediately cut off relations with his younger brother through a public notice, Jiang Leyun still subconsciously called him “Uncle,” a habit that was hard to break.

Jiang Weiyu forced a smile, “No, I came by myself.”

She didn’t want to reveal her embarrassment to her younger cousin, feeling like she was choking on a lump of waterlogged cotton.

Despite Jiang Leyun being young, he could still read people’s emotions: “After such a long train ride, you must be tired. I’ll take you inside to find my sister. She’ll be very happy to see you.”

Xu Zhao opened the car door and took out the items bought from the department store, following behind them.

When Su Ying saw a strange young girl at home, she wondered who she was, but Jiang Leyun, acting like a good host, introduced her to both parties.

Su Ying smiled warmly at Jiang Weiyu, “You must be tired, girl. Lele, take your cousin upstairs and get her luggage settled. I’ll go to the kitchen and make you a bowl of noodles.”

Jiang Weiyu felt embarrassed to trouble her cousin’s mother-in-law. “Auntie, don’t bother. I’m not hungry.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her stomach growled loudly, and her cheeks turned red.

Seeing the young girl’s shyness, Su Ying turned and went to the kitchen.

Jiang Leyun led the way, enthusiastically introducing his incredibly cute nephew to his cousin. “Chenchen is so well-behaved. Even when he’s awake, he doesn’t cry. He holds his big milk bottle with both hands, and his little mouth moves. He’s incredibly cute. I’ve never seen a child cuter than Chenchen.”

Jiang Weiyu sincerely asked, “How many babies like that have you seen?”

This question left Jiang Leyun speechless. He tilted his chin confidently, saying, “I haven’t seen many babies, but I’m sure Chenchen is definitely the most beautiful and adorable child. No child can compare to him.”

The uncle’s filter is eighteen layers thick, and he firmly believes that his little nephew is the best in the world.

Jiang Weiyu remained silent for a moment. “Alright, I believe you.”

Jiang Leyun turned and glared at his cousin. “You don’t believe it, right? I’ll take you to see it. When you see it with your own eyes, you’ll know that I’m not lying.”

Jiang Weiyu stayed quiet. It seemed that in just a year, her younger cousin had become more lively. But it wasn’t quite right to say so. Before the accident, the little cousin had been clever and mischievous. Afterward, he went from being praised as a “young master” to being labeled a “bad intellectual.” Experiencing so many changes, just surviving was a challenge. How could he still be so lively?

At this time, Chenchen was generally with his sister, and the door was open. Jiang Leyun walked straight in. Chenchen had just finished his milk and wasn’t asleep yet.

Jiang Leyun approached, gently touching Chenchen’s little face, and smiled, “Chenchen, you’re awake! I’m your little uncle. We just met an hour ago. Do you remember me?”

Chenchen waved his little arms and legs, as if responding to his little uncle.

Jiang Leyun beamed with joy. “Sister, Chenchen remembers me!”

Jiang Suihan gave her brother a look. “You’re thinking too much. He can’t see clearly. It’s a miracle if he knows who you are.”

Seeing Jiang Weiyu standing quietly to the side, Jiang Suihan was delighted. “Weiyu, you’re here! How was the journey?”

Jiang Leyun then remembered his cousin following behind him. Feeling awkward, he realized he had been so focused on playing with Chenchen that he had forgotten about his cousin.

Jiang Weiyu smiled. “It went quite smoothly. I also met my brother-in-law’s comrade-in-arms, Wang Dahe, and we came back together in the car driven by my brother-in-law.”

It was her first time riding in a car. She was excited at first, but later she realized that she was too happy too soon. The road conditions were terrible, and it was so bumpy that she vomited all the way back. The moment her feet stepped on the solid ground, she suddenly felt how deeply she loved this land.

She never wanted to ride in a car again. It was truly dreadful.

Seeing Jiang Weiyu’s pale face, Jiang Suihan instructed Jiang Leyun to get her a glass of water.

After not seeing each other for a year, it’s normal for cousins to feel distant. Jiang Weiyu glanced at her cousin with some reservation and then shifted her gaze to the baby, Chenchen, who was lying on the bed and playing contentedly. “So cute,” she said.

Jiang Suihan gently pinched Chenchen’s little fingers, her smile tender. “All children are cute. He’s just a week old now. His name is Xu Chen, and his nickname is Chenchen. Although he seems very well-behaved now, when he cries, it’s loud and can disturb the whole neighborhood. His crying keeps me on edge, and I get nervous just hearing it.”

After becoming a mother, children occupy a large part of life. She often shares details about her child, willingly recounting every little thing.

When Chenchen was born, the doctor mentioned he had a loud cry. At night, his cries were so piercing that they were heard by nearby households, which affected their sleep. However, there was nothing to be done about it; neighbors couldn’t complain. Jiang Suihan would be woken up two or three times a night by Chenchen’s cries. Her mother-in-law was old, and her face was haggard after staying up for several days. Last night, Chenchen was brought to her and Xu Zhao’s bedroom so that her mother-in-law could have a night’s rest and recuperate.

When Chenchen’s crying woke Xu Zhao in the middle of the night, he immediately took over, soothing Chenchen and preparing formula milk. Jiang Suihan had wanted to help, but was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open. Xu Zhao insisted that she keep sleeping while he took care of Chenchen.

Although a father is not always necessary for a baby, as long as there is milk, Jiang Suihan thought in her drowsy state. When she finally woke up, she found that Xu Zhao had already taken Chenchen to her mother-in-law.

Jiang Leyun brought a cup of warm water and eagerly asked his little cousin, “Isn’t Chenchen the most beautiful and cutest baby?”

Jiang Weiyu nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Chenchen is indeed the most beautiful and cutest baby.”

Jiang Suihan sighed, rubbing her temples. With both a father and an uncle so enamored, and now a little aunt too, she wondered if Chenchen might feel overwhelmed.

Chenchen’s indifferent face when he grows up: How can a boy be described as beautiful and cute!