Looking at the things the villagers offered enthusiastically, Jiang Xueying could not accept them. She knew what they meant, but she had never thought of asking for anything in return from anyone. After all, expanding potato planting was just the general trend, and she was just adding fuel to the fire. If she accepted these things, she would seem stingy.
"Fellow villagers, it is natural for neighbors to help each other. Besides, the potato harvest is the result of your hard work, so I cannot accept these things. I appreciate your kindness."
When they heard Jiang Xueying's refusal, the group of people started clamoring. The things had already been taken, so how could they be asked to take them back? So they insisted that Jiang Xueying accept it.
The group pushed and shoved at the door for a long time without any result. One of the ladies simply put the things outside the door and turned away.
"This is a little gift from me. It's up to me whether to give it or not, and it's up to you whether to accept it or not!"
When the others saw Jiang Xueying's helpless expression, they immediately thought this was a good idea, and followed her example, putting down their things and leaving, leaving Jiang Xueying no chance to refuse.
For a moment, the door was filled with gifts from fellow villagers.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Xueying felt helpless and moved, and had no choice but to thank everyone who had already walked away.
"Thank you and Happy New Year."
It turned out that this was what it felt like to be recognized. It was completely different from the feeling of completing a mission and getting a bounty. This feeling suddenly made her heart feel fulfilled.
Everyone smiled and waved goodbye, then returned to their respective homes, where their families were waiting for them to return for the reunion dinner.
Jiang Xueying could only bring all the things in. Looking at the already full table, she felt a little helpless, but also a trace of warmth flowing through her. Looking at the flickering candlelight, she smiled unconsciously.
Amid the hustle and bustle around them, Jiang Xueying spent a happy New Year with her two children.
The days are short in winter and the nights are long. It even snowed on New Year's Day. Seeing the earth covered with silver overnight is a good sign. As the saying goes, auspicious snow means a good harvest. The potatoes planted next year will surely have another good harvest.
Wearing new clothes, giving out red envelopes, eating dumplings, no custom was left out. The two children were so happy that they wished it was New Year's Day every day.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and after a few busy days, the Lantern Festival finally arrived. The two children knew that the town would set off lanterns today, so they got up early and wanted Jiang Xueying to take them to the street to watch the fun.
Jiang Xueying already knew what they were thinking. After taking care of everything, she went to the town holding one of their hands.
The town was bustling with activity. The Lantern Festival was particularly grand. Peddlers were hawking many strange and bizarre gadgets along the street. The two children had never seen them before. In particular, the old man who made candy figurines was so lifelike that they stared at him intently.
Knowing that the two children liked it, Jiang Xueying naturally would not be stingy. What's more, it was a holiday, so she bought it immediately.
The three of them walked, looked and bought as they went. After shopping along the street, everyone's bag was bulging and the children were very happy.
But there were too many people today, and Jiang Xueying, an adult, was squeezed hard, let alone two children.
Jiang Xueying was afraid that they would be separated by the crowd, so she could only hold the things in one hand and hold Ye Xiaoyu's hand with the other, letting Ye Xiaoyu hold Ye Xiaojin's hand, and then walked forward with difficulty.
Jiang Xueying seldom participated in such large-scale festival activities, and she underestimated the power of the crowd. By the time the three of them squeezed out, only Jiang Xueying was left holding Ye Xiaoyu, and Ye Xiaojin was nowhere to be seen.
"Mom, Xiaojin is missing!"
Looking at her empty hand, Ye Xiaoyu was stunned. She wanted to turn around anxiously to look for it, but was stopped by Jiang Xueying. She did not expect this to happen.
"Don't cry, Xiaoyu. We'll go find her right away. She'll be fine."
Then the two of them walked the same route again and asked everyone who passed by, but still got no news about Ye Xiaojin.
There are so many people around, who would pay attention to other people’s children?
After searching for an hour without any trace of Ye Xiaojin, Jiang Xueying was extremely confused, but she knew that she could not panic at this moment. She turned her head to look at Ye Xiaoyu, whose eyes were filled with tears again, and sighed. She planned to report to the authorities immediately. After all, the government could find her much faster than them.
Just when the two of them hurriedly arrived at the gate of the government office and were about to go in, they were stopped by a man. This man seemed to know some kung fu, was very tall and strong, and had a look that made him look extremely difficult to deal with.
"Is that Jiang Xueying? Your child is in our hands. If you want to save him, come with us."
Jiang Xueying was stunned when she heard this. It seemed that the men had most likely been staring at them, and it was impossible for them to stop them when they were about to enter the government office. It was obvious that they did not want to make a big deal out of it.
Although she knew that this trip might be dangerous, Jiang Xueying couldn't care less at the moment.
Fortunately, they were not too far from the shop. Jiang Xueying squatted down and touched Ye Xiaoyu's head, and said softly, "Xiaoyu, go to the shop and wait for me later. I will go find Xiaojin."
Ye Xiaoyu wanted to object, but seeing Jiang Xueying's eyes that did not allow rejection, she could only do as she was told. It was because of her carelessness that she lost Ye Xiaojin today. Those people took her brother away. Could it be that...
Not long after following the man, Jiang Xueying let Ye Xiaoyu go when he wasn't paying attention. The man turned around and found that Ye Xiaoyu was gone, but he didn't care. It was obvious that he was not on guard against Jiang Xueying, an ugly woman who was so weak that she couldn't even tie a chicken.
Soon, Jiang Xueying followed the man to an abandoned house. Along the way, Jiang Xueying secretly observed the terrain and found that this place was very remote and hidden. It seemed that no one had lived there for a long time. It was obvious that these people came prepared.
Standing in the desolate ruins, Jiang Xueying looked coldly at the four big men in front of her. These men looked unfamiliar and she must have never seen them before. So why did they want to capture Ye Xiaojin?
"Tell me, what are your conditions?"
The dark-faced man they met in front of the government office was stunned for a moment when he saw Jiang Xueying negotiating terms with them so calmly. Then he started laughing. The flesh on his face trembled with the change of his expression, making him look extremely hideous and terrifying.
"Hehe, young lady, you are quite considerate. In fact, we don't ask for much. You only need to give us 500 taels of silver, and we will naturally return your son to you."
Even though the other party wanted a sum of money that an ordinary person could not earn in a lifetime, Jiang Xueying remained calm and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in her heart. If they were just asking for money, that would be fine, but she was afraid they had other purposes.
"Okay, I agree to your terms, but you have to let me see my son, otherwise how can I know if you are lying?"
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