Chapter 526 His Old Lady is a Vegetarian

**Chapter 526: His Family’s Matriarch Is Vegetarian**

Jiang Yu thought it over—Jin Lixuan’s eldest son was the breakthrough.

“Too bad his son’s stationed at the border.”

The distance was a problem—reaching him would be tough.

But Xiao Qi beamed with pride, clearly full of confidence.

“Jin Lixuan’s eldest son is Jin Ye. I checked—he never actually went to aid the border regions. He’s actually in North City.”

Ever since his mother signed him up for being sent down to the countryside and tried to push him off to some distant border town, he had smelled a rat.

To throw his mom and Jiao Zongyao off, he first played along and went to the border.

After two years there, he managed to slip back to North City.

Only after returning did he start digging into Jin Lixuan’s affairs.

But without any real connections in North City, most of Jin Lixuan’s former allies had either been pushed out by Jiao Zongyao or had switched loyalties.

So even after years of laying low and digging around, he hadn’t found much.

“Xiao Qi, you’re amazing! You should change your name to Mr. Fix-It!”

Xiao Qi had gone way beyond what Jiang Yu had asked.

She asked for an inch, he gave a mile—and always surprised her.

Xiao Qi gave a goofy laugh, scratching the back of his head.

“Sis, I can’t take credit this time—it was Ironhead.”

They lived in Dongmin Alley, a bunch of tough guys, many with injuries or disabilities, which naturally drew attention.

Ironhead had a short temper and got into it with a neighbor—only to become friends through the fight.

Coincidentally, that neighbor was Jin Ye, and over time they became close.

When Xiao Qi started looking into Jin Ye, Ironhead mentioned he lived right next door.

Talk about luck!

“Where is he now?”

Xiao Qi quickly replied, “At home. I thought you might wanna meet him.”

Jiang Yu nodded. “I’d like to talk to him.”

So Xiao Qi led her to Jin Ye.

Jin Ye had spent two years on the border and had it rough ever since.

Though he wasn’t that much older than Jiang Yu, he looked decades older.

They sat down, and Ironhead made the introduction.

Jin Ye brushed it off. “I don’t have big ambitions—just one thing: I want Jiao Zongyao *gone*!”

His father died without knowing that his so-called good brother had egged him on toward his demise and stolen his wife.

When Jin Lixuan was still alive, Jin Ye was a spoiled rich kid who knew nothing.

When everything fell apart—even when he was forced to move to the countryside—he was powerless to resist.

He endured until now, every bit of his edge ground down, with only one conviction keeping him going.

Jiao Zongyao must die and beg for forgiveness from his father!

Jiang Yu said, "Judging isn’t our role. How much do you know about your father and Jiao Zongyao?"

Jin Ye’s face fell. "I only know my father gave away every cent the family had to Jiao Zongyao."

"How much?"

Jin Ye raised his eyes and went silent.

"More than you could tally."

Besides money, there were also priceless treasures.

"All these years, didn’t you go looking for all that?"

Jin Ye nodded. "I did."

At first, he believed those things were rightfully his.

They were his father’s legacy.

As Jin Lixuan’s only son, that fortune should’ve been his.

But deep down, he knew it was just dirty money Jin Lixuan stole.

Even after Jin Lixuan’s death, he had no claim to it.

Jiang Yu asked, "After searching this long, not a single lead?"

"None."

He had tried shadowing Jiao Zongyao, but the man was extremely cautious.

After thirty straight days of watching, he still couldn’t pinpoint where Jiao Zongyao had hidden the things.

"Could he have hidden them at home?" Xiao Qi guessed.

Jin Ye cut him off with a shake of his head. "I’ve searched both his place and my mother’s."

Nothing.

In fact, his home was so barebones you’d never guess he possessed such wealth.

"Besides," Jin Ye added, "knowing Jiao Zongyao, I don’t think he’d hide anything at home."

Suddenly, Jiang Yu recalled the people Jiao Zongyao had met recently—friends, townsfolk, Jin Lixuan’s wife.

"Xiao Qi, what’s the name of Jiao Zongyao’s fellow townsman?"

Xiao Qi said, "You know him too, sis—it’s Old Wang, the watchman at the Second State Cotton Mill."

Old Wang had been at the State Cotton Mill for many years.

Don’t underestimate him just because he’s a guard—his seniority earns him a pretty good salary.

Jiang Yu knew him well—after all, he was part of the security team.

“Let’s call it a day for now. Keep an eye on Jiao Zongyao and Wei Nan—they’ve surely got more tricks planned.”

The next day, Jiang Yu headed to the mill like always.

When she reached the entrance, she greeted Old Wang as usual.

Old Wang, the gatekeeper, was friendly and had an excellent memory.

He could remember the names of everyone in the factory, from new hires to veterans.

“You look well today, Department Head Jiang. Feeling better?”

Jiang Yu smiled and nodded. “Some rest did the trick.”

“You youngsters need to take care of your health,” Old Wang went on. “Don’t wait till you’re old to regret it. Don’t overwork yourselves.” He rambled affectionately, sounding every bit the doting elder.

Jiang Yu paused to chat with him a bit longer.

“A man your age should stop going out fishing so much. What if you get heatstroke in this weather?”

Old Wang was a fishing enthusiast—whether he caught anything or not didn’t matter; he was all about the experience.

Bring up fishing, and he lit up.

“I went to a reservoir in the countryside yesterday and caught a silver carp this big,” he said, spreading his hands wide.

Jiang Yu played along, exclaiming, “Wow! You hit the jackpot this time! Any bream? I’ll take some off your hands.”

Old Wang waved his hand. “My wife loves fish, so I’m keeping them all for her.”

Jiang Yu feigned disappointment. “Where do you go fishing? Let me tag along next time—I’d love to come too.”

Old Wang was about to agree but suddenly stopped himself.

He chuckled. “If I tell you, there’ll be no fishing left for me in the future!”

Jiang Yu glared at him playfully. “Cheapskate.”

Old Wang let out a belly laugh and waved her off.

“Go on inside—don’t let me keep you.”

“Alright, see you around.”

Jiang Yu turned and walked in, her smile dropping instantly.

She had gotten the lowdown on Old Wang from He Tingyue the night before.

His family was from the countryside, but after landing a job at the State Cotton Mill, he put down roots in the city.

Since his parents were still in the village, he returned once a month.

He Tingyue had met Old Wang’s wife—a real particular old woman.

It's said she was a pampered socialite from pre-revolution days, and Old Wang's marriage to her was almost like he'd half-moved into her family's home.

Their house was on South Street, where all the wealthy families used to live back in the day.

Old Lady Ma's family also had a house on South Street once, but it was later taken over by the Second State Cotton Mill and handed out as state-assigned housing.

Old Wang's wife never sets foot outside; it's nearly impossible for regular folks to get to see her.

Jiang Yu had been thinking all morning about how to get close to them.

The moment Cai Xiaole saw her come into the office, she came running over excitedly, clearly eager to say something.

Jiang Yu looked her up and down. "You look radiant today—got some good news?"

Cai Xiaole acted all bashful and nudged her inside.

"My mom approved my relationship with Sixie."

"Oh? Congratulations."

Cai Xiaole wasn't quite satisfied with her reaction. "That's it?"

Jiang Yu gave her a look. "How's that? When you two get married, I'll give you a big red envelope."

Cai Xiaole beamed happily. "Then I'll be waiting!"

"I saw you talking with Old Wang earlier—what were you chatting about?"

She had planned to walk with Jiang Yu, but seeing her in a conversation, left ahead.

Jiang Yu shrugged. "Not much. He just said he caught a big fish yesterday and mentioned his mother loves fish."

Cai Xiaole stopped short.

"Wait—his mother’s vegetarian. Since when does she eat fish?"