Chapter 270
“Our unit, during missions, sometimes comes across targets involved in this kind of business. The usual rate is a few cents to just over a yuan,” Su Hongchen remarked calmly.
Su Xiaoxiao winced slightly, her shoulders curling in pain, and Jiang Yexun immediately reached out to rub her arm, casting an annoyed glare at Su Hongchen. “It hurts more when you’re cold.”
“She’s always overthinking things. A little pain will help her remember not to,” Su Hongchen said with a cold glance at his sister.
Su Xiaoxiao, now leaning softly against Jiang Yexun, pouted before replying, “Alright, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have doubted my dearest brother.”
Su Hongchen sighed. “You like those wafer biscuits, don’t you? I’ll buy you some when we get back to Shanghai.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up, and she grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you, brother!”
Though she had the money to buy them herself now, wafers required foreign exchange coupons and were sold at friendship stores for over twenty yuan a box. Growing up, she could only enjoy them on birthdays or during the Spring Festival. These treats weren’t just about money anymore—they symbolized her brother’s love for her.
Seeing that she no longer seemed in pain, Su Hongchen shifted his gaze to Jiang Yexun. “Let’s wait a few more days and see. I’ll stake out the educated youth dorm myself. I’ll handle reporting to the police too, so you don’t have to worry about upsetting the villagers.”
They all understood that catching Dong Jiaxuan in the act would be much worse for her than just an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Infidelity led to public shaming and re-education at a labor farm. But if it involved money, the consequences would be far more severe.
“Alright. But with the snow getting heavier each day, at most we’ve got a week before the railway shuts down for winter. If we delay too long, there won’t be any sleeper tickets left. And if the snow piles up, trains will stop running early, and we’ll end up stuck here for New Year’s,” Jiang Yexun said, frowning.
He didn’t want Su Xiaoxiao to endure such a long journey back to Shanghai in a hard seat, and he certainly didn’t want to spend another year unmarried. If they didn’t get married soon, he feared he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back—or worse, that he’d break down completely.
Su Hongchen glanced at him. “Fine, tomorrow we’ll head into the city. I’ll buy sleeper tickets. You also need to speak with your sister and brother-in-law.”
“Mm.” Jiang Yexun nodded.
Su Xiaoxiao, linking her arm with his, thought for a moment. “I’ll go to the dorm and talk to Junlan and Siyu. They can keep an eye on Dong Jiaxuan and Pan Yongsheng. If they’ve gathered enough money, it means they’ve been at this for a while, and we just haven’t caught on.”
“Don’t go to the dorm. Have Jiang Yexun bring them here,” Su Hongchen said firmly. His sister was too innocent and fragile to be around those two scheming beasts.
“I’ll go get them. It’s not proper for a young man like Yexun to go looking for other girls,” Aunt Guo quickly offered.
The people in their brigade were notorious for gossip. Even when they knew the truth, they couldn’t resist spinning rumors.
“Thank you so much, Aunt Guo, for going through the trouble,” Su Hongchen said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Aunt Guo waved her hand with a smile. “It’s no trouble at all. Come on, let’s eat. The meat’s about to fall apart from cooking so long.”
Hearing that, Su Xiaoxiao instinctively rubbed her grumbling stomach. “Food, food! I’m so hungry I could eat three whole pancakes!”
“Eat more, child. You’re too thin. You need to put on some weight to stay healthy,” Aunt Guo said kindly.
Su Hongchen and Jiang Yexun began helping to ladle the stew from the pot into enamel bowls. These were simple, everyday bowls, perfect for holding soup or a hearty stew. The ribs were tender, practically melting in their mouths, and the pancakes, soaked in the savory broth, were infused with the rich flavor of the meat.
Even with the kitchen door closed, the tantalizing scent of the stew drifted next door to the Jiang family. The two young boys, Jiang Mantun and Jiang Mancang, caught the aroma and immediately started salivating, throwing tantrums on the floor.
“I want meat! I want meat!” they wailed.
“Bad people! You won’t give me meat!” one of them cried.
Hu Yuezhen saw her father-in-law’s face darkening and quickly pulled the two children up from the ground. “Stop it! What decent family eats meat every day?” she scolded, her face cold with anger.
But the boys were too spoiled, paying no attention to her, their bodies going limp as they tried to throw themselves back onto the floor. In her frustration, Hu Yuezhen gave each of them a sharp slap.
Her own son only cried harder, while the younger of the two screeched in outrage, grabbing her hair with one swift motion. “You wicked woman! How dare you hit me! You’re not even my mother! Give me my real mother back!”
“Ow! You little brat, let go of me!” Hu Yuezhen reached out to pry him off, but the boy only pulled harder.
Jiang Guohua was at his wit’s end from the racket. His headache flaring, he lashed out with his foot, kicking Jiang Mancang hard. The boy was small and light, and with that powerful kick, he was sent sprawling. But even then, he refused to release his grip on Hu Yuezhen’s hair, dragging her down with him.
Hu Yuezhen let out a blood-curdling scream, mingled with Jiang Mancang’s piercing wails, the noise rising to such a fevered pitch that Jiang Guohua felt like his head was about to explode.