Yang Xiaoliu was not a stubborn or rigid person. Even though he knew that this kind of thing might be embarrassing, he believed that Li Ying would not talk nonsense, so he readily agreed.
"Go and rest for a while."
Yang Xiaoliu returned to his room to rest.
Li Ying was preparing dinner and was about to take Chenchen to the market to buy groceries when she saw Teacher Song Younian standing at the door.
"Comrade Li Ying," Song Younian greeted her, bowing slightly, "I apologize to you on behalf of Wei Dong."
"Teacher Song, you should apologize. As a teacher, after your son made a mistake, you didn't choose to call the police immediately, but instead covered up his mistake and even tried to help him escape. This is not what a teacher should do!" Li Ying retorted sharply to Song Younian without any politeness.
“Yes, you’re right. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have helped Weidong escape. But you’re a mother too. You’re a parent too. If your child made a mistake, what would you do? I’m a teacher, but I’m also an ordinary person, a father.” Song Younian said, deeply moved.
Li Ying was not moved at all.
"Teacher Song, you are a father and a teacher. Didn't you ever teach him that kidnapping is a crime?"
Song Younian also felt guilty, realizing he was not a good father.
"It's my fault, it's my failure as a parent that led my child to do such a wrong thing. But could you please..."
"No!" Li Ying decisively interrupted Song Younian. "Teacher Song, you are a teacher and should know that you have to bear the consequences of your mistakes. This is Song Weidong's choice. You shouldn't come here to beg me for anything, because that would really be beneath you."
Li Ying didn't say anything more to Song Younian, and left with her son.
Song Younian leaned dejectedly against the wall, his thin body barely able to support the large clothes he was wearing.
Ye Jingchi stopped his bicycle, looked at Song Younian, and after a long while, pushed his bicycle forward and stopped in front of Song Younian.
"Teacher Song."
"Huh?" Upon hearing the sound, Song Younian suddenly raised his head and met Ye Jingchi's deep gaze. He quickly looked away, involuntarily straightening up, his fingers trembling uncontrollably hidden in his sleeves.
"Is Teacher Song looking for someone?"
"No, I... I'm not looking for anyone."
"Teacher Song came here for his son, right?" Ye Jingchi could understand his father's heart, but he couldn't forgive such behavior.
Song Younian didn't dare to look Ye Jingchi in the eye, and just nodded blankly, then shook his head: "If you do something wrong, you should take responsibility."
“Yes, you should take responsibility for your mistakes. You are a father, and so am I. This matter didn't cause any serious consequences. If something really bad had happened, what unimaginable things do you think I, as a father, would have done?”
Ye Jingchi knew that Teacher Song felt sorry for his son, but he also felt sorry for his son. Putting himself in his shoes, he knew that no one was having a good time.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I can do to make it up to you. But Wei Dong has had a poor appetite since he was little, and I’m worried that he won’t eat well in there. I heard that people are beaten up in there. I…” Song Younian stopped and lowered his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said these things.”
“Teacher Song, I hope you can understand that as fathers, we will never forgive Song Weidong’s actions. However, this matter is not just about Song Weidong alone. The police believe they are a gang, but your son Song Weidong has taken full responsibility.”
Ye Jingchi said all this in the hope that Song Younian would understand that only if Song Weidong revealed his accomplices could his crimes be lessened.
Song Younian understood and immediately provided a very useful clue.
"Wei Dong was very close to a guy named Xu San, but Xu San suddenly disappeared recently. I wonder if it's related to this."
Ye Jingchi noted it down: "Thank you, Teacher Song. This information is very valuable and will also be helpful to Song Weidong. You should know that we will not wrong an innocent person, nor will we let a bad person go free."
Song Younian nodded: "I'm going back."
In his nervousness, Song Younian dropped his things on the ground. He hurriedly bent down to pick them up and left in a rush.
Ye Jingchi naturally saw that it was a pocket watch. In the past, wealthy people who went abroad to study liked to wear a pocket watch to show off.
The pocket watch that Song Younian just picked up must also be a relic from that era.
Ye Jingchi opened the gate and pushed the car into the yard.
When Li Ying returned, Hua Qingqing followed her.
"Ye Jingchi, you're really a busy man these days. It's so hard to find you now?"
The flowers gently teased.
Ye Jingchi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Hua Qingqing: "I heard from Yingying that you know a little about my biological father. Thank you in advance."
Hua gently took the tea and said with a smile, "That's more like it. At least my trip wasn't in vain."
"Hurry up and tell me, or Jingchi will be worried to death," Li Ying urged.
Hua took a sip of water, put down her teacup, and began to share what she knew.
"This isn't just hearsay; it's what my grandmother told me. She said it in a rambling way, but I think it's believable. She said that after your father was imprisoned, the Jing family paid bribes to have him feign illness, claiming he had a contagious disease, so he could be released for medical treatment. But after they were taken out, the warden noticed something amiss and took your father back. As a result, some people say your father died of illness, while others say he was later taken out and executed. But there's another version of the story: he used money and connections to have a man who was dying from opium addiction die in his place, promising to take care of that man's wife and children. Of these three versions, the last one is the most believable because someone saw your father years later. He had changed, but he always carried a pocket watch with him."
A pocket watch?!
Ye Jingchi fell into deep thought.
"Does he like to carry a pocket watch in his pocket?"
Hua nodded gently: "I heard from my grandma that the pocket watch was probably a gift from his sweetheart, which is why it's so precious."
This account differs from Tang Yu's. Tang Yu said that Young Master Jing humiliated her, which forced her to marry into the Jing family. However, according to Grandma Hua, Young Master Jing should be a man of great loyalty and affection.
"My grandma heard it from someone who used to be a prison warden in Shanghai. She's old now and doesn't remember very clearly. Just listen to it, but don't believe it completely."
Li Ying interjected, "Can we believe everything Aunt Jing says? She said your father humiliated her, which is why she married into the Jing family, but who can prove that? I think we need to investigate this matter thoroughly and find your father to fully understand what happened in the past."
Ye Jingchi let out a sigh of relief: "Let nature take its course. It would be best if we could find one, but if not, so be it."
"What a madman!" Yang Xiaoliu stormed into the living room, his clothes torn to shreds.
"What's wrong with you?" Li Ying asked.
“There was a man outside who wanted me to write a letter of forgiveness for his son. I refused, and he tore my clothes to shreds,” Yang Xiaoliu said angrily.
"It's Song Younian. He's been loitering around the door all day."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
