Now, Xun Xiangbin has started making a scene again and has been locked at home by his mother once more.

My daughter-in-law has a good job, is educated, has been a neighbor for many years, and has given birth to a smart granddaughter. How can she compare to the village girls in the mountains?

Although her daughter-in-law and Xun Xiangbin didn't get along and often quarreled, Xun's mother considered this a good life.

She was smart enough not to let Xun Xiangbin's impulsive act ruin such a good life.

But after a whole night, Xun Xiangbin neither ate nor drank, only saying that he wanted to see Xiao Hai. This Xiao Hai finally aroused Xun's mother's curiosity, and after pressing her for details, she learned that he was the son born to her son by the woman in the mountains.

Isn't her son's son her grandson?

This fact startled Xun's mother for a moment, but only for a moment. After all, she didn't really care much for the grandson Xun Xiangbin had given her, since the grandson's mother was an uneducated woman from the mountains!

Her eldest daughter-in-law is the daughter of a high-ranking official in the provincial capital, so her grandson is well-liked!

However, seeing Xun Xiangbin's resolute attitude, refusing to eat or drink, Xun's mother was afraid he would starve. After learning that Xiao Hai was in Qin Zheng and Ye Yun's hands, she went to find Lao Gao again.

She put on airs and acted like an older sister, asking Lao Gao to pass on a message to Qin Zheng and Ye Yun.

She said she wanted Qin Zheng and Ye Yun to bring Xiao Hai over so that she, as his grandmother, could see what her grandson looked like.

That attitude was arrogant and condescending.

It seemed that she wasn't begging to see Xiao Hai, but rather that she had granted Xiao Hai permission to see her, an elder.

Old Gao started cursing before he even hung up the phone.

But thinking about how Xun Xiangbin wasn't eating or drinking, she was also afraid that something might have really happened to her nephew.

Furthermore, he was puzzled as to how Qin Zheng was involved in this matter and had even adopted his nephew's son. He was even more puzzled by the fact that this nephew's son had suddenly appeared and had come to the garment factory with Qin Zheng at noon.

Meet me—the legendary Xiao Hai.

On the way, Qin Zheng told him where Xiao Hai came from, and also about Luo Xiujuan.

Old Gao didn't say anything after hearing that.

He was probably too tired to curse anymore, and even if he heard something surprising, he didn't have the energy to curse anymore.

He was sitting on a sidecar outside, a cigarette between his fingers, his brows furrowed, gazing into the distance. Every now and then he would take a puff, smack his lips in the thick smoke, and let out a long, melancholy sigh.

Ye Yun got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and asked Qin Zheng to invite Lao Gao into the room to sit down.

It just so happens that today is Friday.

They were originally supposed to pick up Xiao Hai tomorrow, or Chen Zhenxing would bring him over, but since Lao Gao wanted to see him, Ye Yun asked Qin Zheng to go pick up Xiao Hai today.

Shouldn't we make sure the children finish their afternoon classes?

Old Gao waved his hand dismissively, looking unhurried and indifferent.

If he hadn't been pacing around the room and couldn't sit still, Ye Yun would have really thought he didn't care about this matter.

Since Lao Gao was not in the mood to work, Qin Zheng took him on a tour of the garment factory.

School ends at five o'clock.

At 4:30, Qin Zheng prepared to ride his sidecar motorcycle to pick up Xiao Hai, and Lao Gao also jumped up and eagerly followed suit.

Ye Yun couldn't help but laugh.

Qin Zheng was amused by him and scoffed, "Whatever you say doesn't matter, Lao Gao, look at you, you're not even in such a hurry to get married..."

Old Gao blushed when teased.

Whether he couldn't wait any longer or couldn't resist teasing, he waved and said, "Let's go, let's go!"

Qin Zheng chuckled and started the car.

Ye Yun stood in the snow, which had melted halfway, watching them leave, her emotions gradually darkening along with the setting sun.

That evening, Qin Zheng picked up Xiao Hai and took him back to the garment factory.

When Ye Yun saw Xiao Hai dressed in new clothes and carrying several bags, she was caught off guard and stunned.

Packages of all sizes were piled on Xiao Hai's body, some containing clothes, some containing snacks. His small body was so heavy that he could hardly breathe, and even his usual schoolbag was squeezed out of sight.

The heavy new cotton-padded coat wrapped around his body revealed a small face that looked like a bitter gourd.

"Goodness... what happened?"

Ye Yun was dumbfounded and quickly went over to take all the bags and packages off him.

Xiao Hai looked even more bewildered than her. Only after Ye Yun removed all the bundles from his body and took off his heavy cotton-padded coat did he let out a long sigh of relief.

Then, he pointed with his little finger at Qin Zheng and Lao Gao, who were still smoking outside.

With a furrowed brow, her childish voice said in a resentful tone, "That strange uncle, as soon as he arrived, made me call him great-uncle, and he bought so many things, they almost crushed me..."

"Pfft..."

Ye Yun couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing that Xiao Jiahun's hands were marked with red welts from the heavy ropes binding them, she gently rubbed them and led him to the roadside to warm himself by the fire.

"Aunt Yun, who is that?"

As Xiao Hai spoke, he glanced through the doors and windows at Qin Zheng and Lao Gao outside.

The two men were smoking and huddled together under the courtyard lights, seemingly talking about something. They appeared to notice Ye Yun and the child's gaze and simultaneously turned to look at each other.

Old Gao has a heavy smoking habit; he's used to having a cigarette before doing anything.

Xiao Hai is a child, and Ye Yun is pregnant. He had been holding back all the way, so naturally he wanted to take this opportunity to enjoy himself.

Ye Yun looked away, patted Xiao Hai's head through his hat, and asked softly, "What do you think of this person?"

"Great, I don't like it."

Children always have such a simple way of distinguishing good from bad. Great! I'll buy him clothes and food. But with so many nice things, he'll be very tired the whole way.

Ye Yun nodded.

"Yes, he is your maternal great-uncle, which is your father's uncle." She did not hide Lao Gao's identity and told him the truth.

Although Xiao Hai is young, he understands many things.

It's a fact that he'll have to know sooner or later. It's better for her to tell the child calmly than for him to figure it out on his own in a strange environment.

Children with deep thoughts can easily get stuck on trivial matters and end up with bitter consequences.

Xiao Hai lowered his eyes, fidgeting with his fingers, seemingly lost in thought.

Ye Yun knew he was preoccupied, so she didn't press him. Instead, she gently asked, "Xiao Hai, your father has been wanting to see you. Do you want to see him?"

Xiao Hai hesitated for two seconds.

Finally, she said in a soft voice, "I don't want to..."

"..."

Ye Yun pursed her lips, nodded, and still didn't ask any further questions. She simply said, "Okay, if Xiao Hai doesn't want to see him, then we won't go."

Xiao Hai suddenly raised his head and looked at her.

"Aunt Yun, should I go see him?"

Ye Yun was taken aback.

“My mother said that I came to the city to find my father.”

Xiao Hai didn't express much, but he remembered Luo Xiujuan's instructions. He thought that if his mother were here, she would be very happy to take him to see his father.

But he doesn't want to see it.

He hated that person, hated that person who abandoned him and his mother in the mountains, where they were starving, cold, and forced to sleep in caves...