Chapter 47

While they were eating the barbecue, Jiang Ruan mentioned that she would continue following the nanny and Lu Sijing over the next few days. She also brought up Qin Ao, noting that he should have returned from Pengcheng by now.

Tomorrow was Qian Suwen’s birthday. Qin Yan said, “It’s your second aunt’s birthday, I’ve already bought a gift.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ruan didn’t seem too concerned. She only cared about those who treated her well. As for someone like her biological mother, who was hypocritical and always prioritized Han Qingqing, Jiang Ruan considered her just another relative—she didn’t care whether she was good or bad.

“Your eldest brother called me,” Qin Yan said, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

Jiang Ruan thought about it. Her brother must have figured out that she was helping Qin Yan and hurriedly defended herself, “I didn’t say anything! He guessed it on his own.”

“No, he didn’t mention you helping me,” Qin Yan said, feeling a bit helpless. “He told me that he had spoken to you and said that you’re actually quite understanding. He said if I ever fell for someone else, you wouldn’t be too upset, you’d probably just find someone more handsome and happily move on.”

Jiang Ruan was stunned. Why did her brother have to spell it out like that? She gradually slumped down, biting into her skewer, feeling guilty as she glanced at Qin Yan.

Wasn’t that exactly what she thought? If someone’s feelings changed, and there was no way to get them back, she would simply find someone better looking and move on happily. Was there any point in making a fuss over it?

She spoke cautiously, “Are you saying if you fell out of love, you’d want me to be heartbroken? That doesn’t make any sense.”

She genuinely believed she wouldn’t be that sad. Even if there were some heartbreak, it probably wouldn’t last long. Her core belief was survival, with love being a mere embellishment, never affecting her happy life. Realizing this, Qin Yan felt they needed to set some ground rules.

He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and said, “Well then, if I don’t fall for someone else, can you promise not to like anyone else either?”

“Of course, I can,” Jiang Ruan readily agreed.

“Good. And from now on, don’t talk about working to support someone else,” Qin Yan said with a smile. “I’ll take care of you, okay?”

Jiang Ruan nodded, “Okay.”

Halfway through their meal, Qin Ao returned, looking utterly miserable. He was carrying a bag that didn’t look like the new one he had when he left, it resembled something picked out of a trash pile. His hair was disheveled, and he smelled awful.

Jiang Ruan wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Qin Ao, why didn’t you go home to shower and change before coming here?”

“I saw you here, so I came to sit for a while.”

Seeing Qin Ao’s dejected state, Qin Yan figured he must have had a rough time in Pengcheng. In his previous life, it had been the same—back then, Mu Xuehui had just become his stepsister and was always acting like the world had wronged her, while Qin Ao, having failed his entrance exams and faced setbacks in business, bonded with her over mutual sympathy.

In this life, Qin Ao was still tenaciously persevering despite numerous setbacks.

Qin Yan asked, “Did you lose all your money? Why didn’t you call?”

Qin Ao felt too ashamed to make the call. Lacking experience, he was scammed as soon as he arrived in Pengcheng. He had dodged con artists on the train and ignored the people handing out flyers at the station, but he couldn’t escape the elaborate scams at the wholesale market. That was when he truly realized the depths of human deceit, as swindlers showed no mercy.

He said, “There are so many scammers in Pengcheng. Without experiencing it myself, I couldn’t have imagined it. I lost all my money and had to work odd jobs for a few days to earn enough for the trip back.”

Jiang Ruan handed him a beer and a skewer, “Good thing you’re a guy. At least you only lost money and didn’t end up in more serious trouble.”

Qin Ao responded, “… Should I be grateful for that?”

“Of course! It’s just money, and as long as you’re safe, that’s what matters. Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate my second aunt’s birthday, and the day after, we can go to Xiahe Village to rent some land.”

“Okay, but I’m broke.”

“I’ve got money, so I’ll pay first,” Jiang Ruan offered.

Qin Yan went inside and returned with a bankbook containing three thousand yuan. Handing it to Qin Ao, he said, “I’m lending this to you. The annual interest rate is three percent.” That meant about a hundred yuan a year in interest—a very reasonable rate.

Qin Ao was surprised. He hadn’t expected Qin Yan to voluntarily offer him a loan, which signaled acceptance of him as a friend.

Feeling much less dejected, Qin Ao said, “Aren’t you worried I won’t be able to pay you back?”

Qin Yan gave him a look, “If you can’t, then I’ll just sell you.”

Jiang Ruan clinked her glass with Qin Ao’s, though her drink had been swapped for soda because Qin Yan wouldn’t let her drink alcohol. She said, “Now that you’re fed and refreshed, go home, shower, and get some rest. Then tomorrow, go visit Ran Xiaorong, she’s really worried about you.”

Later that night, Qin Yan went to the courtyard house, where Grandma Huang had already prepared the bedding. In her time, many girls Jiang Ruan’s age were already married with children, so she liked seeing Jiang Ruan and Qin Yan close.

Shen Tianming also visited the courtyard to see Han Qingqing, bringing some gifts for Liu Jinyun. Han Qingqing escorted him to the gate, where Shen Tianming greeted Qin Yan and Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Ruan asked, “Tomorrow is my second aunt’s birthday. Han Qingqing is going. Are you?”

Han Qingqing had mentioned it, and Shen Tianming had agreed earlier. He replied, “I’m going. Does that bother you?”

Jiang Ruan shrugged, “I’m not hosting. If my second aunt doesn’t mind, then go ahead.”

Qin Yan lay on the floor mat. Grandma Huang wasn’t there that night, so it was just him and Jiang Ruan in the room.

Jiang Ruan lay on her side, her arm hanging off the edge of the bed as she traced the contours of his face in the air. Qin Yan looked at her and smiled, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“I’m waiting for you to fall asleep.”

“What are you planning to do once I’m asleep?”

“Not telling you.”

Qin Yan guessed she intended to sneak down and share the mat with him once he was asleep. He turned off the light and waited for over half an hour until he felt someone join him on the mat. Staying still, he kept his breathing even. After a while, when Jiang Ruan’s breathing became steady, he pulled down the blanket from the bed to cover her.

…

Meanwhile, the Lu family’s nanny also went out, returning to the small house. The house was dark, but there was someone in the cellar—her son, Lu Zaiqiang, had returned to hiding.

She descended into the cellar to bring him food and drink, this time with enough provisions for a few days. She also brought money for him to escape and asked, “Son, when do you plan to leave Beijing?”

Lu Zaiqiang, devouring the roast chicken, replied, “Not until I see Lu Sijing report Lu Qihong and his son. I want to see them behind bars and avenge Aunt Lan and Sister Baozhu. Only then will I leave.”

The nanny’s mind drifted to the past. Before liberation, Lu Qihong’s father had a child bride who bore him a son, and that son fathered another child, who married her friend Lan Hua. The nanny and Lan Hua were pregnant at the same time, she had a son, and Lan Hua had a daughter. But one day, someone claimed Baozhu was a Lu family child and took her away. When Lan Hua chased after them, she died in a flash flood.

Later, the nanny brought her son to the capital and, using Lan Hua’s story, tricked the Lu family into believing her son was their blood relative. The Lu family secretly accepted him.

She had taken care of Lu Zaiqiang’s wife at the hospital. That woman, who had suggested bringing back the Lu family’s “lost” child, had unknowingly caused Lan Hua and Baozhu’s deaths.

So, the nanny had suffocated that woman with a pillow one night, then stayed on as the Lu family’s live-in nanny. Because she had brought Lu Zaiqiang back, the Lu family trusted her completely. Little did they know that she and her son were merely exploiting them. Now, her son was determined to seek vengeance before leaving.

She recounted Lu Sijing’s reaction to her son, “She seemed quite unsettled, but after all, that’s her grandfather and father. Do you think she’ll report them?”

“It’s not easy to convince her. Women tend to be soft-hearted and indecisive,” said Lu Zaiqiang, gulping down some chicken soup after finishing off a roasted chicken. “We might as well give her a push. I heard the wife of the butcher at the market knows how to read fortunes. Give her some money and teach her what to say, then persuade Lu Sijing to get her fortune told. It’ll work. Mom, think about it—there have been plenty of cases in recent years where children reported their parents for crimes. Lu Qihong and his father are both heartless hypocrites, and the children they raised are just like them. She’s a law student. For the sake of her future, she’ll do what benefits her.”

…

The next day, being the weekend, Jiang Ruan and Qin Yan were set to go to Second Aunt’s house for her birthday celebration. Jiang Ruan wasn’t keen on arriving too early, so they first visited Han’s parents, where the family enjoyed a pleasant chat.

As it neared lunchtime and time to head over, Fu Yunying received a phone call. After hanging up, she restrained her anger and said to Han Huaiye, “Ruan Ruan’s birth mother still hasn’t come to her senses. She drives me mad.”

Although Jiang Ruan had been adopted, the reason for the adoption was her birth mother’s own doing. If she had decisively taken Ruan Ruan back without hesitation, Han Changfeng would not have actively taken the initiative to adopt her.

Fu Yunying added, “Han Qingqing said she wanted to bring her boyfriend, but Shen Tianming just called to say he couldn’t make it because his mother isn’t feeling well and he has to take care of her. My sister-in-law then suggested that if Shen Tianming wasn’t coming, Qin Yan shouldn’t either, for fear that Han Qingqing would feel lonely. Isn’t she worried that Ruan Ruan would be upset?”

Hearing this, Jiang Ruan looked up and said, “Mom, I’m not angry. You all shouldn’t be angry either. If Second Aunt doesn’t want Brother Qin Yan to come, then I won’t go either. I wasn’t really looking forward to it anyway. In fact, I’m kind of relieved.”

Han Huaiye was furious, but fortunately, Ruan Ruan had a carefree nature. Otherwise, any other child would have been hurt by such favoritism from their own mother.

He also voiced his opinion, “Qin Yan is our Han family’s son-in-law, which makes it different. If she doesn’t recognize the Han family’s son-in-law, then we all won’t go. Let her celebrate the birthday with her foster daughter.”

In the end, neither Jiang Ruan nor her parents attended Second Aunt’s birthday banquet. Her older brother did, and though it was unclear what he said, Second Uncle ended up telling Han Qingqing to stay away from their house during holidays. Han Qingqing left in tears, while Second Aunt was so upset that she skipped the meal and lay down in her room.

Jiang Ruan didn’t feel much about it. She accepted the criticism that she was heartless. She simply refused to be upset over people who didn’t love her.

That afternoon, Qin Yan needed to return to school, and Jiang Ruan, following his instructions, went to keep an eye on the Lu family’s housekeeper. She noticed that Lu Sijing had not gone back to school but had instead gone shopping at the market with the nanny. When they stopped by the butcher’s stall near closing time, Mu Xuehui’s mother read Lu Sijing’s palm. After chatting for about ten minutes, the housekeeper bought two pounds of pork, and then Lu Sijing returned to school.

Jiang Ruan called Qin Yan to report, “I didn’t dare get too close in case they noticed me, so I couldn’t hear what was said, but Lu Sijing seemed to have made up her mind about something when she left.”

“Don’t follow them anymore,” Qin Yan instructed decisively. “Go find our older brother and tell him that if he follows the nanny, he’ll catch Lu Zaiqiang.”

After hanging up, Jiang Ruan immediately went to her brother and relayed Qin Yan’s message, confessing everything that had happened over the past few days.

“Brother, Qin Yan says Lu Zaiqiang will definitely meet the housekeeper one last time before he flees. If you follow her, you’ll catch him. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know either. I’m leaving now.”

Han Changfeng was both angry and frustrated, wanting to pull Qin Yan over for a good scolding, but there was no time for that now. Catching the fugitive was the priority, so he quickly reported it and arranged a plan.

Meanwhile, Lu Sijing went to her advisor, revealing that she had found out about her father’s involvement in covering up crimes and her grandfather accepting bribes. She was in such distress that she wanted to drop out.

The advisor provided her with psychological counseling, explaining that it wasn’t her fault and that while she couldn’t choose her family, she could choose her future. She was encouraged to act with righteousness and seize the opportunity to atone.

…

Early Monday morning, Jiang Ruan and a newly motivated Qin Ao went to Xiahe Village. Qin Ao approached his granduncle about leasing a hill but was rejected. His granduncle said that an outsider had offered 600 yuan a year and wanted Qin Yan to pay more.

In reality, there was no outsider. The village committee simply wanted to get more money. However, the going rate for leasing a barren hill was 300 yuan a year, and Qin Yan found it unacceptable to pay double.

Seeing his relatives trying to exploit their own family, Qin Ao felt deeply hurt and left with Jiang Ruan.

Qin Ao apologized to Jiang Ruan, “My grandfather used to look after the elders in the village, but I didn’t expect them to overcharge me. I’m sorry for not securing the lease for you.”

Jiang Ruan had chosen Xiahe Village because it was Qin Yan’s ancestral home, hoping to help the locals prosper and keep the benefits within the family. But since they didn’t appreciate the gesture, there were plenty of other villages in Dawang Township to consider.

Jiang Ruan said, “Let’s try another village. We might get a better deal.”

As they passed by Dawang Village, they noticed a village assembly taking place. Zhou Bingsheng saw the two of them and eagerly approached, asking if they were there to collect eggs.

“Our village is splitting up today, so we won’t be able to collect any eggs.”

“A village split? Why are you dividing the village?” Jiang Ruan asked curiously.