Last time I came in a hurry and walked quickly, so I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings.

It's called a building, but it's actually just a single-story house.

The ground beneath my feet is a green and blue granite, and the surrounding yellow and white walls are painted with green paint for about a meter from the bottom.

Grandma Wu was so engrossed in watching that it took the girl with pigtails calling her twice to bring her back to her senses.

“Wu Mingxia, right? There’s a telegram for you, and a large package from Changping City.”

When Grandma Wu heard that there was a package, she was a little surprised. She reached out and took the package from the door next to her. She looked at the mailing address and the name on it.

He sighed inwardly.

Guo Zhixia...

I reached out and lifted it up; it wasn't light. I wondered what it contained.

They carried their things to an open space to the side and sat down on a bench in the hall.

When Old Mrs. Wu touched the telegram envelope in her hand, her heart sank slightly. She opened the envelope and slowly scanned down the lines with her eyes.

The further down he looked, the calmer his expression became.

Li Jin'e's telegram was short, only thirty-three characters, but it was enough to make things clear.

She never expected that Huang Mancang would become so arrogant after she went to the countryside.

Huang Mancang has been away from home for nearly two months, addicted to gambling. Now, not only has someone cut off one of his fingers, but he has also become involved in a case investigated by the police.

Grandma Wu's heart sank to its lowest point. What did losing a finger matter?

If she were there, she would have broken off her hands and feet!

What's the point of having such an incorrigible person?

Grandma Wu returned a full letter, which made the girl with pigtails widen her eyes in disbelief. So many words?

This was the first time she had ever seen it.

He really wasn't afraid to spend money. You know, one word costs three cents. While Grandma Wu was looking down to find money, he looked up and carefully examined her.

She has a good temperament and is good-looking, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes reveal that she is not young.

Unable to resist, she offered her advice, "Auntie, this costs a lot of money, why don't you..."

"It's alright, I'll mail the letter."

The girl with pigtails was taken aback. Send a letter? That wouldn't cost much.

Simply and neatly wrap the envelope, affix a postmark, and pass it on to the next person.

"Thank you for reminding me earlier, you're such a good girl."

"The man of my family has died, and I need to write back to arrange his funeral. Otherwise, my children won't understand."

The girl with pigtails hadn't even started to smile when she suddenly stopped. The man was dead.

Realizing what had happened, she quickly lowered her head and said, "Please accept my condolences." She couldn't help but feel sorry for Old Mrs. Wu; she had come to the telegraph office, and her husband was gone.

With a calm expression, Old Mrs. Wu turned around, grabbed her package, and left.

The girl with pigtails sighed as she watched Old Lady Wu leave.

My colleague, having finished his work, turned around and asked, "Why are you sighing? Aren't you going home for dinner?"

"You jinx! I was looking at that old lady from earlier."

What's wrong with her?

"Her husband died, and she wrote home to make arrangements for his funeral. If she hadn't come to the telegraph office, she would have been less upset for a few days."

"Sad? I don't see it. Isn't the other person doing just fine?"

The girl with pigtails glanced at him speechlessly. "The real sadness is in your heart. Besides, this auntie can read and write, she must be a cultured person, and cultured people care about their reputation when they're out in public."

Her colleagues watched her chatter away, saying one thing after another, and were about to speak when someone else came in through the window.

As she left the telegraph building, Old Mrs. Wu faced the glaring sunlight, dispelling all the gloom that had been emanating from her heart.

Now that we're entering a period of severe crackdown, it's the perfect time to target exemplary cases.

Huang Mancang bravely took the blame and wandered around for two months without returning home. This time, he was caught red-handed. His days of acting recklessly and carefree are over. He may not be executed, but he will definitely be sent to a labor camp.

This implicated Huang Xiaoguo and Huang Xiaomin, who shared the same household registration as him.

Li Jin'e and Wang Huijun's concerns were not unfounded.

Now that she's here, even if she wanted to help, there's nothing she could do. She can only hope that Li Jin'e receives the letter and discusses with the others to do as she says.

It was four days later when Li Jin'e received the letter.

Huang Xiaoguo and Huang Xiaomin stood guard, their eyes fixed on the letter in Li Jin'e's hand.

What did Mom say?

As Huang Xiaomin asked the question, he could still hear the sound of his own throat swallowing.

Li Jin'e lowered her hands without making a sound. Huang Xiaomin grabbed her and scrutinized every word, not wanting to miss a single one.

Seeing that they had finished reading one by one without saying a word, Wang Huijun became anxious and opened her mouth for a long time but couldn't utter a word.

Li Jin'e grabbed Wang Huijun's hand, sat down on the stool, and her face turned pale.

"Sister-in-law, we're finished, we're finished..."

"What do you mean? It's over?" Wang Huijun asked anxiously. "What do you mean? How is it over? What did Mom say in the letter?"

Li Jin'e swallowed hard, clearing her throat. "Mom said... that we should take the initiative to admit our mistakes and try to get lenient treatment. We weren't the ones involved in the case; we were just implicated by Dad. When we're sent to labor camps, we'll try to go to the village where Mom is."

Huang Xiaomin gritted his teeth and said, "It's Dad who's involved in gambling, what does it have to do with us? We can't possibly end up being sent to a labor camp."

That's what I said, but a question mark lingered in my mind.

Thinking about how the factory shut down my work this morning, I felt uncertain again.

He turned to Huang Xiaoguo and asked, "Brother, where's your factory? Are you alright?"

Huang Xiaoguo muttered to himself, "I've been suspended from work."

"Definitely. With the crackdown underway and Dad getting into this mess, it's no wonder you guys are working."

Li Jin'e came to her senses, looked at Huang Xiaomin, and a trace of despair flashed in her eyes, "Everything has stopped... what will we eat and drink from now on?"

"Just do as Mom says."

A soft yet firm voice rang out.

Huang Xiaoguo frowned. "What trouble are you causing? You can't even read."

Li Jin'e casually remarked, "Brother, I was actually taught by Xiaomin. If you want, you can teach your sister-in-law too."

Huang Xiaoguo didn't say anything. Ever since Old Lady Wu left, he found Wang Huijun more and more annoying. Not only was she tongue-tied, but she also couldn't read.

Li Jin'e sneered inwardly; the Huang family father and son were both in need of discipline.

Ultimately, Li Jin'e made the decision, and they did as Wu Laotai had written in her letter.

Huang Mancang, still in the hospital room, stared in horror at the police officer opposite him.

How did you and Wang Biao meet?

Huang Mancang pursed his lips. "No, I don't know him."

"Oh? You don't recognize him?" The middle-aged man in the police uniform looked at Huang Mancang expressionlessly. "You don't recognize him because you were at the gambling game he was running?"

"I!"

"I was tricked into going there."

"Huang Mancang!" The voice, which had been relatively calm just moments before, suddenly turned cold and stern. Huang Mancang shrank back, lowered his eyelids, and concealed the panic in his eyes.