Chapter 145: Another Case of Old Rivals Crossing Paths

Chapter 145: Another Case of Old Rivals Crossing Paths

Ye Xiaoxiao and her two brothers left the Zhen family, noticing that the sky was gradually darkening, making it too late to go out and have fun.

Ye Changning said, "You can finally relax. Zhen Wanlin's mother seems quite nice."

While it's hard to tell more about her, at least she wasn't the kind of harsh and mean elder.

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction. "Everything seems fine."

The visit went smoothly.

Ye Changning missed the chance to go out and have fun, so he could only take his younger siblings to eat.

It felt like the whole day was spent either delivering gifts or eating.

"I need to find a place to make a call."

She was also preparing to return to Beijing soon, so she wanted to let Lu Hanchuan know about buying tickets ahead of time.

"Fourth brother, do you want to come to Beijing with us? There's nothing pressing at home anyway. You can come with us to Beijing for a few days, and then return to Harbin when school starts."

Ye Changning: "Xiaoxiao is right. Come to Beijing, and I'll show you around."

Ye Changsheng, being young, was swayed by his brother's offer.

Ye Xiaoxiao originally wanted to go to the post office to make a call, but the small diner they went to for dinner happened to have a phone, even though it was pricey.

But it saved her another trip, so Ye Xiaoxiao tried calling Lu Hanchuan.

She didn't expect to get through on the first try.

It was the New Year holiday, and Lu Hanchuan might be out.

But soon, the call was answered.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Are you still at the military base during the New Year?"

Lu Hanchuan: "It's been so many days, someone's got to be on duty at the base. And if I weren't here, how could I receive your call?"

Ye Xiaoxiao laughed. "You're pretty upbeat."

Lu Hanchuan's voice was deep. "When are you planning to return?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "On the tenth day of the New Year, I'll come back with third brother and the others."

Lu Hanchuan jotted down the time and arranged train tickets.

"I'll pick you up when you get back."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Alright."

Ye Changning and Ye Changsheng had already sat down and started ordering.

Watching Ye Xiaoxiao still leaning on the counter making a call, it gave off the vibe that a grown daughter is no longer tied down.

The three of them had dinner and spent the night at Grandpa Miao's place.

They planned to head back early the next morning, stay home for a couple of days, pack their things, and then take off again.

They don't know when they'll be back again.

Early the next morning, as they got ready to leave, a neighbor came to feed the rabbits.

"You guys came back yesterday, huh?"

Ye Changning: "Just stayed the night."

Neighbor: "Don't go wandering off; something big went down in town last night."

Ye Changning was curious, "What happened?"

In their small, rundown town, a big event usually meant murder, robbery, or a fire.

But they didn’t hear any commotion last night.

The neighbor leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "Last night, the cops busted some gambling spots. They raided several houses, arresting a bunch of people, mostly young guys in their twenties like you."

"They didn’t just arrest people; they took the tables and thousands of yuan, calling it confiscated gambling money."

In high-stakes games, it’s way more than thousands; that’s serious gambling.

Ye Changning was shocked. He got lucky; hanging with Xiao Xiao and the others kept him out of trouble.

He wasn’t into gambling anyway; if he went, it was just to hang with friends.

After this, it was even more reason to head home.

"Third bro, you should really ditch your gambling buddies. It’s fine here, but if you play outside, no one’s gonna bail you out."

Ye Changsheng had heard plenty of stories about villagers getting arrested for picking up bad habits outside.

Ye Changning waved him off, "Come on, you really think I’m that unreliable?"

Ye Changsheng really wanted to nod.

If it weren’t for him and Xiao Xiao stopping him, Ye Changning might’ve been in jail by now.

After breakfast, the three headed back to the village.

They wanted to wait for Ye Changqing and his wife, but since they might stay at her parents’ place for a few days, they decided to head back first.

On the way back, Ye Xiaoxiao bumped into someone she knew.

They were on a donkey cart when they saw a guy on a bike pass by.

Ye Changsheng was the first to recognize him.

"Isn’t that Li Deshu? What’s he doing back in the village?"

Ye Xiaoxiao tilted her head to look.

Someone was on the back of Li Deshu’s bike.

"Is that his old lady?"

The woman was sitting sidesaddle on the bike, looking slim and pretty.

Ye Changsheng: "Probably, but he’s not from around here anymore. Why’s he back?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "His house is still there; maybe he came back to get something."

The Ye family wasn't particularly fond of Li Deshu and preferred not to meddle in his family's business.

All they knew was that the forest farm hadn't reopened, and the Li family had moved to the county town to start some business, though they weren't sure what kind.

Li Deshu, pedaling his bike, wasn't paying attention to his surroundings.

The three Ye siblings were dressed so stylishly that Li Deshu assumed they were strangers.

Feng Yan, sitting behind him, had a better view.

Feng Yan said, "Li Deshu, your Baishi Village seems to have quite a few well-off people."

Li Deshu didn’t feel like talking, and when he did, a cold gust filled his mouth. "Wealthy people? This place is dirt poor."

Feng Yan said, "Then why are they dressed so nicely? Their clothes are so vibrant—nothing like what we sell at the co-op."

At this, Li Deshu stopped the bike and turned to look.

Li Deshu muttered, "It’s them..."

His gaze first fell on Ye Xiaoxiao.

Even on a donkey cart, Ye Xiaoxiao was undeniably stunning.

The scenery was dull, but her face stood out.

Feng Yan pinched his waist, "What are you staring at?"

Li Deshu winced, "Ouch... We’re here for important stuff, so stay focused."

Feng Yan pouted, "Isn’t this just about selling the house? That old place can’t be worth much. Why even bother coming back?"

Li Deshu stayed silent.

A few hundred yuan used to be nothing for their family, but not anymore.

Now, his father had sunk all their money into a new business without making a dime, and the family was struggling.

Feng Yan, unaware of their money problems, thought he was up to something shady and insisted on tagging along.

Truth was, they were strapped for cash, and his mom wanted to sell the old house.

As luck would have it, someone in the village needed a house for their son’s wedding, so he came back to deal with it.

Li Deshu said, "That’s the house I grew up in. What’s wrong with me wanting to see it again?"

After biking for a bit, they hit a steep hill and had to walk.

Feng Yan’s little leather shoes were caked in mud, and she wobbled as she walked.

Feng Yan complained, "What kind of awful road is this?"

Feng Yan worked at the co-op and came from a well-to-do family. She’d never seen a place as backward as this.

Li Deshu thought she was being a pain.

"I told you not to come, but you didn’t listen."

Feng Yan stopped in her tracks and refused to budge. "Li Deshu, are you fed up with me now?"