Chapter 192 I Have No Home Again
Chen Qing burst into tears at the airport. Mrs. Luo half-taught her and half-comforted her before she could finally stop crying.
On the way back, Jiang Jingyan reached into his arms and touched Chen Qing's mouth and nose, which were wet.
"Chen Qing." His tone was deep, "Wipe your snot on yourself."
"No runny nose."
He held her shoulders and pushed her away, pulling a thread of water between her nose and shirt, breaking in mid-air and hanging dangling at the tip of her nose.
"Wash my clothes." Jiang Jingyan wiped it off with his palm, pretended to be angry, and went to get wet wipes.
Chen Qing sobbed, "Just wash it."
"Have you finished crying?"
Her crying became heavier, "I want to stop, but I can't."
Jiang Jingyan rubbed her nose and face with a tissue.
"Dirty." She dodged, "Can't you get a new one?"
"Are you tired of it now?" Jiang Jingyan held her still, feeling both angry and amused. "No wonder it keeps raining. Qing'er is crying her heart out. Do you want me to take you for a walk around the Great Wall?"
Chen Qing's heart was filled with sourness, and his tongue felt bitter. "Mrs. Luo is gone."
"It's just a move, not a death."
"Jiang Jingyan, I have no home again."
The man paused and tickled her cheek, "Chenyuan, the Imperial Mansion and Jiang's House that Lao Luo and Mrs. Luo left for you, are all your homes."
Chen Qing cried so hard that she couldn't speak and could only shake her head.
Jiang Jingyan's throat was blocked, and he held her tightly, his voice piercing through his bones, "And our home."
There was silence for two or three seconds, and then she nestled into his neck and cried loudly.
At this moment, Chen Qing wanted to let go of the death of his parents, let this matter become a thing of the past, and live a muddled life beside him.
This struggle tore apart her internal organs and bones, without stopping for a moment.
The car stopped outside the gate of Jiang's house. Jiang Jingyan pouted her head and frowned in dissatisfaction, "It's swollen like a bun."
Chen Qing rubbed his eyes, his voice muffled, "I have a class early tomorrow morning, why did you bring me back?"
"If I don't come back, will you cry alone in the dormitory?"
The servant came over and opened the car door. "The timing is perfect. The old man is home, and the lady has cooked for him personally."
Jiang Jingyan nodded and took Chen Qing out of the car.
Walking around the screen, Jiang Zhongyi changed into beige home clothes and sat on the sofa to watch the news.
"That's new." Jiang Jingyan loosened his tie and unbuttoned a few buttons. "Are you free?"
Jiang Zhongyi raised his eyelids, ignored him, turned around and smiled kindly at Chen Qing, "Is school busy?"
Chen Qing bowed slightly and said hello, "Not bad, there are quite a lot of courses in the first semester of my junior year."
"I heard from your mother that Director Zhang from the city association is very optimistic about you. Besides him, the application process also requires a teacher. Do you have anyone selected?"
She was stunned by Jiang Zhongyi's word "mother" and was stunned for a moment.
Jiang Jingyan held her hand and said, "Father is asking you a question."
Chen Qing came back to his senses and stammered, "Mrs. Luo from Zhounan introduced her good friend, Mr. Hu Zhongcai. Next semester, the school will allow students to participate in independent performances. I'm going to sign up for the intangible cultural heritage concert he's organizing."
Jiang Jingyan raised the corners of his lips and added, "Qing'er participated in two provincial competitions in her freshman year and won first place both times. She's qualified enough. She's a little lacking in group performance experience, but it's not a problem. There's still time."
Jiang Zhongyi glanced at him and asked, "Did I ask you?"
"Husband and wife are one. If you ask her, isn't that the same as asking me?"
Chen Qing's heart was pounding and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his fingers.
Mrs. Chiang heard the conversation in the restaurant, put down her plate and walked over.
Walking around to the sofa, her expression changed and she asked Jiang Jingyan, "Are you angry again?"
The latter denied it calmly, "No."
"What do you mean nothing? Chen Qing's eyes are like walnuts!"
Jiang Jingyan licked his teeth and grabbed his collar, "She wiped her nose with my shirt."
Chen Qing was ashamed and angry, "I didn't mean it..."
Madame Chiang gave him a scolding without giving him any explanation. After she had finished scolding him, she turned around and ordered, "Old Chiang, come and help me."
Jiang Jingyan waited for them to leave, bit Chen Qing's ear, and said angrily, "You caused this."
His breath was scorching hot, spraying on his cheeks and ears, making Chen Qing hide in the corner of the sofa, "I didn't say a word!"
"If you don't help me explain, you should be beaten."
Chen Qing was so itchy that she couldn't stop laughing. She pushed him away but couldn't move. She bent down and crawled out from under his arm and stood one meter away.
Jiang Jingyan crossed one leg, with his shirt collar open, looking very dissolute.
"Come here." He narrowed his eyes.
Chen Qing retreated again and pressed against the wall, "I won't, you bully me."
"Who bullies whom? Your mother-in-law bullies me."
She suppressed a laugh, "Mrs. Jiang scolds you every minute without repeating herself."
"Father asked you to change your words."
Chen Qing was stunned for a moment, lowered his head and said nothing.
Jiang Jingyan didn't want her to change her mind immediately. After all, the ceremony hadn't been held yet, so her family could just shout. What he did today was purely to stop her from getting stuck on something.
He understood Chen Qing's dedication and longing for a home. The Luo family's departure undoubtedly brought back memories of that nightmare for her, so on the way back, he sent a message to Mrs. Jiang, explaining the situation. Jiang Zhongyi happened to be going to the district and county, and went home to get a change of clothes, so he stayed behind to have a reunion dinner.
"Waiting for the change of heart fee?" Jiang Jingyan teased her deliberately, "I'll blackmail my mother when the time comes."
"How much is appropriate?"
"How many do you want?"
Chen Qing counted on his fingers, "Yuan Hui's compensation for changing her statement is six figures."
Jiang Jingyan took a sip of tea and said, "Ask my mother for a seven-figure sum."
Her eyes widened, "The Jiang family has so many secrets, we have to investigate thoroughly."
"The Jiang family doesn't have it, but the Zhong family does." Jiang Jingyan took off the watch and threw it on the coffee table. "My two aunts and three uncles in my grandparents' family, all of them are given to you."
Chen Qing had heard of the Zhong family and immediately began to calculate his future piggy bank.
Seeing that she had truly forgotten her sadness, Jiang Jingyan couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Money-grubber, have I treated you unfairly over the years?"
Just as he finished speaking, Lian Zhuo walked in, lowering his head, "Mr. Jiang, I have something to report."
The man's smile faded. He stood up, grabbed Chen Qing and kissed her lips. "Play by yourself. I need to be busy with work."
She nodded, her eyelids and nose pink.
Her well-behaved appearance softened Jiang Jingyan's heart. He endured the swelling and numbness in his lower back and went upstairs.
"Li Xiangli's wife and daughter settled down in Wuhen Village. When Li Xiangli was with Chen Cheng, he met a local coal boss, who arranged accommodation for them."
Jiang Jingyan took out a cigarette and lit it. "Yan Baiqing is still pursuing Li Xiangli?"
"That's right, Mr. Yan has a clear goal. He probably didn't arrange anyone to be with Li Xiangli's family."
"Let Zheng Yuan cast a wide net. If Li Xiangli tries to seek help from the police, he'll fall into the hands of our own people."
Lian Zhuo was confused. "Mr. Yan doesn't seem to want to kill Li Xiangli. You've been watching the Li family for so many years, but you haven't found any evidence against him. Why is Mr. Yan looking for him?"
Jiang Jingyan's face was gloomy as smoke lingered. "I didn't find any evidence because I wasn't sure who Li Xiangli was working for."
"Is he doing it for Mr. Yan, or for—"
"I'll find some time this week to go to Wuhen Village myself."
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