Chapter 229: Leaving Satisfied

Chapter 229: Departing Satisfied

It was Hao Chengbing who spoke first.

"We came to visit Uncle and Auntie."

Grandma Lu remarked, "What a surprise visit! You didn’t have to bring anything."

He Qiaoxiang smiled and said, "We heard Brother Ye and his wife were here, so we came to see them. It’s been many years, and we’ve really missed them."

She made it seem like Ye Jianguo and Miao Cuifang hadn’t missed them at all.

Miao Cuifang also studied He Qiaoxiang. This woman had grown even more beautiful than in her youth, carrying herself like a wealthy lady now.

Her hands were fair and smooth, obviously well taken care of.

Grandma Lu had them sit down, and the maid brought two fresh cups of tea.

Hao Chengbing tried to chat with Ye Jianguo. "Brother Ye, how long will you be staying in the capital? We should meet up."

Ye Jianguo remembered Hao Yanyan’s earlier words.

Still, he politely declined. "We’re heading back to the Northeast soon."

Hao Chengbing asked, "For the New Year? Then we’ll have another chance after the holidays."

Ye Jianguo replied, "We probably won’t return after that."

Though there was some regret in hearing this, Hao Chengbing mostly felt relieved.

It meant Ye Jianguo had no intention of staying in the capital long-term, which wouldn’t affect their lives in the future.

He Qiaoxiang was also quite satisfied after observing Miao Cuifang. In their youth, she hadn’t been as beautiful as the other woman, but now, she’d outshone her.

Miao Cuifang, having undergone surgery due to illness and years of labor, looked far more worn in comparison.

After seeing this, He Qiaoxiang finally felt superior.

Hearing that they would soon return to the Northeast put her even more at ease.

"Yan Yan visited you a few days ago. There might have been some misunderstandings. She’s a good child—she just wanted to make life easier for you, which is why she brought money."

He Qiaoxiang pretended to explain but was really making excuses.

Ye Jianguo shook his head, signaling that there was no need to discuss it further.

"If Yan Yan earned the money herself and wanted to support us, we wouldn’t refuse. But she doesn’t have the means yet, so even if she offered, we wouldn’t accept it."

His sharp retort turned the so-called "filial money" into a biting remark.

After over ten years apart, sitting together was awkward, with nothing much to say.

Hao Chengbing asked Ye Jianguo for his address. "When our fellow veterans organize a reunion, I’ll invite you, Brother Ye."

Ye Jianguo couldn’t say no to that.

He had missed a lot of them over the years.

Ye Jianguo: "Alright."

He Qiaoxiang also said to Miao Cuifang: "Miao, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll definitely help if I can."

Miao Cuifang thought about it and realized she didn’t really need any help at the moment. With the two children caught in between, the two families wouldn’t drift apart, but they could never be as close as one family. Maintaining polite appearances was already the best outcome.

"We're managing fine now."

Grandma Lu jumped in defensively: "If Xiao Xiao’s family has any issues, we’ll help. We don’t need outsiders meddling."

He Qiaoxiang fell silent.

The air turned tense again.

After exchanging a few words with Hao Chengbing, He Qiaoxiang stood up to leave.

During the visit, Hao Chengbing asked Ye Xiaoxiao a few questions, but He Qiaoxiang remained silent the whole time, appearing very cold.

Ye Xiaoxiao and Ye Jianguo’s family also got ready to leave.

"Grandpa, Grandma, we’ll get going now. We’ll visit again after Lunar New Year."

Grandpa Lu reminded them: "Drive safe."

After Ye Xiaoxiao and the others left,

Grandpa Lu said to his wife: "What was the purpose of Hao Chengbing and his wife’s visit today?"

Grandma Lu replied: "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they bumped into each other on the way and felt obliged to drop in."

Grandpa Lu shook his head, feeling that the couple seemed shady.

As for Ye Jianguo and his wife, they were indifferent to Hao Chengbing’s sudden visit—it just brought back memories of their younger days.

...

Since there was no need to do holiday shopping, Ye Xiaoxiao spent her time handling factory business while waiting for Ye Changning to arrive.

Apart from Ren Jiaxing, the company had hired a few more staff members.

Ye Xiaoxiao also needed to meet them, but she wasn’t looking to micromanage the company’s management.

Because Ye Xiaoxiao still wanted to focus all her energy on studying medicine.

She had come to this world with a cheat code—making money was a cinch for her.

Buying more properties, more land, and later even stocks—once her pressing money issues were resolved, she wanted to focus on what she loved most.

Ye Changning finally arrived in the capital ten days before the Spring Festival.

"I might have to leave soon. I’ll only stay at home until New Year's Day."

Ye Changning, weary from travel, mentioned this to Ye Xiaoxiao in the car.

"That’s still good—at least you’ll be here for the New Year. How’s your factory doing?"

Ye Changning: "It’s going well, business is booming. The button-down collar you mentioned has already been produced, but I think we should roll it out in summer."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Great, it’ll definitely be a bigger hit in summer."

After arriving home, Ye Changning put his things down.

Ye Xiaoxiao had specifically reminded him in advance not to bring too many things, as the car couldn’t fit them, and the New Year supplies at home were already piled sky-high.

So Ye Changning only brought his own suitcase.

Ye Changning: "Are we really not buying anything else before going back?"

Ye Xiaoxiao pointed to the items in the living room and kitchen, "Third Bro, go take a look. We've got everything covered. I think we can send some money to Uncle instead, so they can prepare whatever they need in advance."

Ye Changning: "Alright, I’ll do it later."

"Then rest tonight, and we’ll hit the road after breakfast tomorrow morning."

Ye Jianguo and Miao Cuifang had been away from home for so long and were already itching to get back.

Once they decided to leave the next day, they immediately started packing.

After Ye Changning had rested, he and Ye Xiaoxiao mapped out the route.

It was the first time either of them had driven home, and they didn’t know the roads.

Lu Hanchuan came over early the next morning and joined them for breakfast.

He was also pretty worried about them driving home alone.

"How about I send someone to ride along with you? They can turn around after seeing you home."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Don't bother, we’ll get home quickly."

Going nonstop wasn’t an option.

Driving at night wasn’t safe—there weren’t many streetlights around here, and it was easy to wind up in a ditch.

But even though Lu Hanchuan offered to send someone, Ye Xiaoxiao still refused.

With the New Year approaching, no one would be willing to travel that far.

She had already given Song San time off work two days ago.

After breakfast, Lu Hanchuan stepped out for a bit. Ye Xiaoxiao thought he had something to do, but when he returned, there was a new car out front.

A strapping young guy got out of the car.

He was bald and had a tough-looking face.

Ye Xiaoxiao went up to Lu Hanchuan: "This is…"

"This is Cheng Peng. He’ll see you home—just to the county town."

Lu Hanchuan put his arm around Ye Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, "Drive safe."