Chapter 295
Instead of going to Jiang Xinyue’s house, they headed straight to the scrap station. Standing at the entrance, Su Hongchen asked with a hint of confusion, “Why are we at the scrap station with so many of us? It’s getting late…”
Su Xiaoxiao explained, “Brother Yexun’s sister works here. She probably won’t finish her shift early.”
Su Hongchen raised an eyebrow in surprise. When they had come to Dai City looking for him, they mentioned that Jiang Xinyue was at home resting due to her pregnancy. He didn’t expect her to have found work so quickly. But working at a scrap station wasn’t too bad—there was less work and it wasn’t tiring. Jiang Yexun seemed more capable than he initially thought, managing two jobs so easily.
Jiang Yexun felt a prickle on his back, as if someone was scrutinizing him. When he looked back, he saw his brother-in-law looking at him with approval. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Jiang Yexun rubbed his nose.
“Brother-in-law, don’t look at me like that. Xiaoxiao found this job and negotiated it. We’re just benefiting from it. Even the job I gave Luo Shanzhu was because Xiaoxiao found a human trafficker, and I followed to handle the matter and ended up with a job.”
Although this made Su Hongchen mistakenly believe that Jiang Yexun’s capabilities were a key reason he could marry Xiaoxiao, Jiang Yexun wanted to earn the approval of Xiaoxiao’s family honestly. He feared that if he took credit for things he hadn’t done, he might lose the person he loved most.
Su Hongchen paused and then looked at his sister. Su Xiaoxiao quickly explained, “Once I marry Yexun, I can stop working, but I don’t want to waste any opportunities to buy things now that we’re here.”
“I should have known you’d be up to something,” Su Hongchen teased with a smile, but didn’t press further.
They entered the scrap station and pushed open the iron door. Jiang Yexun called out to a small room but got no response. When they opened the door, they found the coal stove still burning with a potato roasting on top.
“They’re probably inside sorting things,” Su Xiaoxiao said as she hurried inside. With Xinyue’s pregnancy, she couldn’t handle heavy work, and Su Xiaoxiao worried about her being blamed for any issues.
Suddenly, a low growl came from inside, “I don’t care! I sold my stuff to you, and if you don’t return it today, I won’t let this go.”
The group’s expressions changed instantly, and they ran toward the source of the sound. They saw a burly man glaring fiercely at Jiang Xinyue, while a timid woman next to him was tearfully begging, “Please, return the ceramic bowls I sold you. I didn’t inform my husband before selling things from our home. If you don’t return them, I can’t continue living.”
Jiang Xinyue, holding her belly, looked helplessly at the couple. “If I could return them, I would. But our scrap station clears out its items every week, and the stuff was moved the day after you sold it. You’re pressuring me now, but there’s nothing I can do. I can show you the records if you don’t believe me; they’re stamped with an official seal.”
“And that’s my problem?” The man’s impatience and anger surged. If it weren’t for Jiang Xinyue being pregnant, he might have already taken action.
“Are you not understanding plain words?” Su Xiaoxiao snapped at the man’s unreasonable behavior. Despite her irritation, her tone was soft, which diminished its impact.
The man turned to continue cursing, but his anger and curses froze when he saw Su Hongchen and Jiang Yexun’s stern faces.
“What are you doing here?”
Fearing a confrontation between her brother and the man, Jiang Xinyue quickly moved to his side and introduced, “This is Xiaoxiao’s brother. He came to check on her living conditions and to take her home for the New Year.”
“Hello,” Su Hongchen greeted with a smile.
The ignored man’s face darkened with displeasure but he dared not provoke Jiang Yexun and Su Hongchen. He nudged his wife, who quickly said, “Please settle our matter first before catching up.”
The group’s smiles vanished, replaced by cold, almost icy stares. The couple swallowed nervously, feeling a pang of fear, but knowing they had to face the situation.
“Call the police,” Su Xiaoxiao suddenly suggested.
The couple’s faces turned pale. “This is a small matter between us; there’s no need to involve the police.”
But Su Xiaoxiao was impatient. “This isn’t just a small matter, and it surely isn’t just about you and us. The scrap station is a state-run unit, and its buying and clearing processes are regulated by higher authorities. If you cause trouble here, we can’t just let it slide without reporting it.”
The man’s face alternated between shades of green and purple with anger. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “If this gets bigger, the scrap station’s accounts will be thoroughly investigated. If discrepancies are found, it’s not just losing this job; you might end up in prison.”
His sudden threat stunned Su Xiaoxiao and the others. Seeing their reaction, the man felt a sense of smug satisfaction and continued, “Since she’s pregnant, I won’t make things difficult. Just let us take a few items as compensation.”
He figured that if he could negotiate this, he might frequently come to the scrap station to find valuable old items in the future.