After arranging things at the Marriott Villa, Lin Dong rushed back to his hometown without stopping.

The journey from Nandu back to Ancheng involves 200 kilometers of national highway, and in poor road conditions, it can take at least four hours.

My heart yearns to return home, but the closer I get to my hometown, the more timid I become.

In his previous life, Lin Dong relied on his mother for survival since childhood. Unfortunately, he was not ambitious enough and failed to make anything of himself in his life.

My mother had just turned 70 when she fell ill from overwork and passed away.

In Lin Dong's memory, his kind and gentle mother never enjoyed a day of peace and quiet. She spent most of her life worrying and working hard for a living or for her son.

This is the deepest regret in Lin Dong's heart.

Therefore, in this reborn life, he will no longer let his mother suffer. Now that he has money, he will naturally bring his mother to live with him and enjoy a better life.

As for his father, whom he had never met, Lin Dong had absolutely no recollection of him from birth to adulthood.

Not to mention photos, he didn't even know his father's name.

When Lin Dong was a child, every time he asked his mother about his father, she would always tell him that his father had died and then she would never say anything more.

But Lin Dong, who was very good at reading people's expressions from a young age, could always see a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow in his mother's eyes.

Behind the mother's eyes, there seems to be a long-forgotten story hidden from the public.

After growing up, Lin Dong never mentioned his father again.

The role of father was no longer present in his life...

Lin Dong's car entered Yigang Town, Ancheng at 2 p.m. At this time, the town's streets were unusually deserted.

Passing by the market street, Lin Dong stopped his car and bought two jin of fresh pig's trotters.

I haven't had my mother's braised pig's trotters in a long time. I remember the taste of this dish was so delicious.

After his mother passed away, this dish would appear in Lin Dong's dreams every time, bringing him to tears...

Fifty-year-old He Yan moved a small wooden stool and sat at her doorstep picking vegetables.

The textile factory in town has been shut down for more than half a month. I heard from the people around that the factory owner's wife ran away with the money.

As a result, the factory shut down and stopped accepting orders.

Last month, nearly 100 workers only received half of their wages.

I heard these past few days that the boss has also disappeared, and it's estimated that it will be very difficult to get back the half-month's wages owed to everyone.

After losing her job, He Yan no longer had to work long hours to meet orders, and instead had free time to enjoy some alone time.

Although she has no income for the time being, He Yan is not too worried, as she still has 30,000 yuan in savings.

She doesn't plan to squander this money; she'll save it for her son's wedding in a couple of years.

She imagined that one day Lin Dong would get married, and her obedient daughter-in-law would give birth to a chubby grandson for her.

Then she would call out "Grandma, Grandma" all day long, and a happy smile would involuntarily appear on her face...

Lin Dong parked his car and walked onto a familiar path. 100 meters ahead was his home, where he had lived since childhood.

Through the trees, the two-story, weathered building and its slightly worn, reddish-brown wooden door are faintly visible.

Countless times, this scene had replayed like a movie in Lin Dong's dreams from his previous life.

As I drew closer, a thin but familiar figure sat on a small stool by the door.

The afternoon sun in winter shone on that slightly hunched back, as if the marks of time had never left...

"mom!"

Lin Dong approached the figure and called out softly.

The thin figure froze, stunned for a moment, then a slender yet still charming face abruptly turned around:

"Is that Dong'er? Why are you back?"

"Mom, I miss you. I've come back to visit."

After saying this, Lin Dong felt a lump in his throat, his eyes filled with tears, and he hugged her tightly.

...

The meal Lin Dong had at home that evening was the most delicious meal he had ever eaten in his life.

My mother's braised pig's trotters are still as delicious as ever.

After dinner, Lin Dong brought up the idea of ​​picking up his mother and taking her back to Nandu the next day.

The mother was initially resistant, but when she heard that Lin Dong had actually bought a luxury villa in a big city, and most importantly, that her son had even found a beautiful girlfriend, she was surprised.

Isn't a girlfriend the future daughter-in-law? As a mother, of course she has a responsibility to vet her son carefully.

This first prospective daughter-in-law is not to be taken lightly; we must carefully consider her qualities.

After turning 50, the allure of becoming a mother-in-law is something He Yan simply cannot resist.

Anyway, I'm all alone back in my hometown, and now I've lost my job at the textile factory.

Now that my son has made something of himself, earned money, bought a house, and even has a girlfriend, what's wrong with me enjoying a peaceful and comfortable life with him?

Without much trouble, Lin Dong successfully persuaded his mother.

After spending one night in their hometown, the mother and son drove back to Nandu together after lunch the next day.

Lin Dong secretly rejoiced: Fortunately, he knew his mother's temperament and had left the "girlfriend" option as a backup plan.

...

North District Police Station, Criminal Investigation Division.

Liu Yufeng has been busy for two days. The arson case in the orthopedic hospital ward has been basically determined after a detailed on-site investigation and case analysis.

Gao Xin's death was not an accident, but rather a deliberate act.

However, the amount of valid evidence that could be collected at the scene was pitifully small, according to the analysis of Qin Yujie, the beautiful head of the intelligence department:

The perpetrator likely used a grappling hook and rope to sneak into the ward from the 9th-floor rooftop, and then created what appeared to be an accidental fire without leaving a trace.

The crime scene, ravaged by fire, was a complete mess. Coupled with the killer's extraordinary counter-investigation abilities, the case reached a stalemate from the very beginning.

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