Chapter 278:
Regardless of what Wang Dali’s side was thinking, after Yun Linhe learned about Liu Hong and Brother Na Wa, he took his wife and children home that same day.
Father Wang and Mother Wang stuffed them with a lot of things.
“Mom, you can’t be soft-hearted anymore. Also, until we find proof, don’t confront that crazy Liu Hong head-on.”
The two elders nodded.
Wang Mei was worried. Brother Na Wa had openly brought people to the village to bully them; he probably wouldn’t care about the two elders at all.
After thinking about it, she went to find the village chief, asking him to help keep an eye on things. She also instructed Father Wang and Mother Wang not to go out alone to gather pig feed, and to preferably go with other villagers.
She then went to find Third Brother to give him some instructions.
She didn’t mention that Liu Hong had cuckolded Eldest Brother. Third Brother was a bit impulsive, especially after drinking, and didn’t think clearly about things. She was afraid he might cause trouble that would be difficult to resolve later.
After all this tossing and turning, it was already the afternoon when they left.
The king cobra that Yun Jiao caught was also cleaned and made into soup by Mother Wang. It wasn’t bad, the taste was quite good.
“Take all these termite mushrooms back with you. How much can two old people like us eat? Don’t waste them.”
Yun Jiao and the others had picked quite a lot of termite mushrooms. When they were leaving, most of them were packed into small backpacks for them to take, along with a cured pig leg.
Unable to refuse, Wang Mei and the others had no choice but to accept.
Mother Wang put a lot of dried sweet potatoes in plastic bags and handed them to Yun Jiao.
“Jiaojiao likes to eat them, take more.”
“And these eggs, we can’t eat that many either. Don’t let Eldest’s two children get them for nothing, take them back for Jiaojiao and the others to eat.”
Thinking about the eggs and meat that the brothers Da Ming and Er Ming had eaten before, Mother Wang felt like they had lost out now.
“Thank you, Great Aunt, Great Uncle.”
Yun Jiao hugged the dried sweet potatoes and thanked the two elders very obediently, her voice soft, which made the two elders incredibly fond of her.
Among these children, they liked Jiaojiao the most.
How could a child grow up to be so good-looking, much better looking than the babies in the New Year paintings.
After bidding farewell to the two elders, Yun Jiao and the others left the village and walked a distance to take a public bus back from the small town.
The smell on the bus wasn’t very pleasant. As soon as she got on, Yun Jiao buried her head in Yun Linhe’s arms and didn’t speak, looking as if she had fallen asleep.
Yun Linhe stroked her head, thinking about Liu Hong and Brother Na Wa.
Wang Mei: “Those people are all from this town. They don’t know where Brother Na Wa lives either, but how can we find him?”
Yun Linhe said: “Let’s go back first. I’ll handle this matter.”
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find them.”
“Right, the photos. Jiaojiao took photos of that bitch Liu Hong with Brother Na Wa. Go get the photos developed.”
Yun Linhe nodded.
They took the swaying public bus back to the town near their home, then walked a bit further to get back to the village.
Yun Jiao and the others happily hugged Shen Yunlian and Yun Linhai.
“Go take a bath and sleep.”
Yun Jiao yawned; she was indeed tired.
She played with her brothers, soaking their feet. Before sleeping, Yun Jiao hugged her treasures and nuzzled them again, then happily snuggled into her quilt.
Downstairs, the couple Yun Linhe and his wife were discussing Liu Hong and Brother Wa’s matter.
Yun Linhai slammed the table with an ugly expression: “They’re so bold! Why didn’t you send those people to the police station?”
Yun Linhe coughed: “The way they were, beaten badly by Jiaojiao, I was afraid it wouldn’t look good if they were sent to the police station.”
After all, although those few people wanted to act, they didn’t actually do anything.
Even if they were locked up, they probably wouldn’t be held for more than a few days.
Yun Linhe: “I plan to go find them tomorrow.”
“What?”
Yun Linhe: “I found out their home address. Brother Na Wa can bribe them, and so can we.”
People who would sell out Brother Wa without hesitation after being beaten were probably drinking buddies. If I use money to bribe them, it will be much easier to get them to contact Brother Wa and capture him.
In the following days, Yun Linhai and the others were mostly busy outside, while Shen Yunlian took care of the children at home.
Fortunately, Yun Jiao was easy to care for, and the others had gone back to school.
When Yun Jiao was home alone, she would read and study, then go to the seaside to play with orcas, dolphins, and two turtles.
Upon returning, her bucket was full of the special sea products they had given her.
Sea cucumbers, abalone, other fish, and shellfish.
In short, now when Yun Jiao went out, it wasn’t for tide pooling, but purely for stocking up.
Shen Yunlian didn’t even need to go tide pooling; the things Yun Jiao brought back every day were enough to eat.
“I’m going back. You guys go back yourselves.”
After bidding farewell to the orcas, Yun Jiao, who was as white as a snowball, emerged from the sea. As she walked back, she encountered other people; their skin tones were so different, it was like they weren’t from the same world.
Today, she also ran into Yun Zhaodi, who used to dislike her intensely.
Strangely, the current Yun Zhaodi only stared at her with her slightly gloomy gaze when she saw her, but didn’t come forward to provoke her.
“Zhaodi, why are you standing there? Go home.”
Yun Pandi was in charge of their household now, strictly managing her younger siblings. Even Yun Zhuangzhuang had started helping with some chores, otherwise, he wouldn’t be given food.
The two elders wanted to control Yun Pandi, but Yun Pandi found the money their parents had hidden and took it into her own hands. She also kept the money from selling things she found while tide pooling. She was ruthless enough that during a big argument with the two elders, she directly bought rat poison and threatened to take the entire family with her. After that, the two elders dared not cause trouble anymore.
However, Yun Pandi’s reputation in the village had suffered.
But she didn’t care. No matter what others thought of her, she just wanted to live, to live well.
Moreover, even if she couldn’t get married, it was better than being sold by her parents for a ghost marriage, or to someone who was either old or disabled.
After Yun Pandi called her sister, her gaze met Yun Jiao’s.
Yun Jiao’s gaze was clear and pure. She didn’t show the fear, disdain, or contempt that others did when they saw her.
Yun Jiao tilted her head slightly, nodded at her as a greeting, and then carried her bucket away.
Yun Pandi stood in place for a long time, her eyes filled with envy and longing.
Who wouldn’t envy Yun Jiao?
“Sister, why is heaven so unfair? Why weren’t we born into Uncle Lin Hai’s or Uncle Lin He’s family?”
Yun Zhaodi walked over and asked.
Yun Pandi withdrew her gaze. She was thinner than before, but her pair of dark eyes now lacked timidity and subservience, and were more spirited than before.
“We can rely on ourselves to live well.”
Things were much better now than before, as long as… as long as her father and mother didn’t come back.
“Zhaodi, if Mom and Dad come back, what do you want to do?”
A bewildered look flashed in Yun Zhaodi’s eyes, then she shook her head.
“I don’t want them to come back.”
Ever since Cai Jinhua and her husband were locked up, thanks to Yun Pandi’s constant efforts, Yun Zhaodi’s personality had finally been corrected a bit.
At the very least, she no longer provoked Yun Jiao at every turn, nor did she lie or steal other people’s things.
Without her parents around, she wasn’t yelled at or beaten constantly, and they could eat meat at the table more often, even if it was the cheapest small mixed fish from the sea.
But she felt that things were better now than before.
At home, apart from the two elders and Yun Zhuangzhuang, neither sister wanted their parents to return.