They were heading to Yan City, and they didn't hide it from Yuan Yongguo and Li Fen. After all, there was no way these two would follow them to Yan City.
As they loaded their luggage into the car, Yuan Yongguo stared fixedly at Zhen Zhen, as if seeing his son through her. Yuan Yuejin had passed away at home, leaving nothing behind.
Seeing Uncle Li get into the car, and the family returning to Yan City with Cheng You, Li Fen cried and chased after them. That was the only descendant of her son; if they left and never returned, Yuan Yuejin would truly have no heir!
His face was grim as he helped Li Fen up. "Let's go, we'll find the second child in Yan City!"
Li Fen froze, struggling to break free. "We can't! Yuelong has it hard in Yan City. He mentioned in his last letter that he was struggling. If we go there, won't we mess things up for him?"
Yuan Yongguo gritted his teeth, "Then what do you suggest we do! That's Yuejin's only child. If they take him to Yan City, he might never return!" Even if they followed, they would be in unfamiliar territory and wouldn't be able to find him.
"The second child is also our child. We raised him. It's understandable that he didn't come back when his elder brother died, but now he won't even help us when we need him? Then what was the point of all our calculations for him?" Was it all to raise an ungrateful child?
Li Fen clutched her chest tightly. "Let's go, we'll go back to Yan City right now!"
...
Zhen Zhen slept the entire way, waking up to find herself in Yan City. Refreshed, she peered out the car window, her face full of curiosity.
"Sister, is this where you live?"
Cheng You smiled and looked back at her. "Yes, there's a lot of fun here. Shall I take you to the Forbidden City another day?"
Zhen Zhen's mouth formed an 'o'. "The place where the emperor lived?" She had seen it in her textbooks!
"Yes, I'll take you, Master, and Grandma."
"Hooray!"
Since the siheyuan wasn't ready yet, Cheng You took them directly to the military compound. It was late, so after a quick meal, they washed up and went to sleep. Despite being in a strange place, Zhen Zhen felt incredibly safe and had a rare good night's sleep after days of unrest.
Waking up the next day, she rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room, only then remembering where she was. The siheyuan not only needed tidying up but also required a reliable nanny.
Hearing that Cheng You was looking for a nanny, people in the compound began to stir. The main reason was Cheng You's generous offer; many were eager to take the job, even if it were only for a few months. The only downside was the distance, requiring them to live at the siheyuan. Most of the military wives in the compound had children to care for and couldn't afford to travel such a distance.
At this point, someone approached Cheng You. It was Aunt Jin, whom Cheng You had to think hard to remember. Wasn't she the one Zhang Fuqiang had dated? After Zhang Fuqiang was disciplined, Aunt Jin quickly dumped him and continued to work as a nanny in the compound. However, for some reason, the Luo Political Commissar's family no longer needed Aunt Jin's services, so she had to take on odd jobs in the compound.
"Cheng You, I heard you're looking for a nanny, so..."
Cheng You said, "Sister-in-law, are you here to apply?"
"Yes, I just don't know if you'll mind."
Cheng You looked at her, seeing an honest and upright person, but she wasn't sure if she was being genuine. "Sister-in-law, I don't know you, so how could I mind?"
Aunt Jin lowered her head shyly. "I dated Zhang Fuqiang." Her husband had sacrificed his life, and she had been a widow for many years. She finally found someone to date, only for it to be someone like him. She wouldn't speak of Zhang Fuqiang's character, but he had also tarnished her reputation. The Luo Political Commissar's family was unwilling to employ her any longer because of her relationship with Zhang Fuqiang.
Cheng You was stunned for a moment. She had considered various possibilities, but never this one. "I work diligently and meticulously. If you don't believe me, you can ask the Luo Political Commissar's family. I didn't make any mistakes." The Luo Political Commissar's family hadn't explicitly told her to stop working, but one could tell from people's words and actions when they had reservations. In the end, Aunt Jin couldn't bear it and offered to leave herself.
Cheng You nodded. "Aunt Jin, I'm looking for a live-in nanny. You'll have to move to the siheyuan with us."
Aunt Jin said, "I'm alone in the world; it doesn't matter where I live."
Cheng You agreed. "We need to discuss this beforehand. There will be a trial period of half a month. If everything is satisfactory, you can continue working."
Aunt Jin said excitedly, "I understand, thank you, Cheng You!"
Although she had decided to hire her, Cheng You felt it was necessary to gather basic information. "Aunt Jin, where are you from?"
Aunt Jin wiped her hands and smiled. "Actually, we're from the same place. I'm also from Yongcheng, but I haven't been back home in many years."
Cheng You was surprised. "Which part of Yongcheng are you from?"
"Linshui County. It should be next to your area."
Cheng You sighed. "What a coincidence."
She first took Aunt Jin to see the siheyuan and asked her to clean the room meant for Uncle Li's family. After observing for a while, Cheng You found that Aunt Jin was indeed very capable. After cleaning the place thoroughly, she had Uncle Li's family move in that very evening. With Aunt Jin taking care of things, Cheng You felt much more relieved.
In the past few days, Cheng Tianhua had been frequently sending telegrams, inquiring about the medicinal herbs. Cheng You had almost forgotten about it; the herbs from Wujing Village were still piled up. It was April, with frequent rain, and if they weren't handled promptly, the herbs might mold. After all, they were fellow villagers from Wujing Village, and they had waited long enough.
Cheng You sent someone to inspect the quality of the herbs. If they met the standard, she would purchase them at the agreed-upon price. However, when they checked, they discovered a problem. The herbs had already molded due to improper handling and could not be purchased. Cheng You sent a telegram to Cheng Tianhua, informing him of the situation.
Before she received his reply, Xu Nanxi arrived. She didn't know how he managed to get into the military compound, but he was blocking the entrance to Cheng You's house, preventing her from leaving. Looking at his disheveled state, he probably hadn't had an easy time recently.
"Cheng You, return the Xu family's belongings!" Ever since the forged will incident, he hadn't received a single item left by the old man. It was bad enough that he didn't get those things, but why should Cheng You?
"You mean the pendant? The old lady gave it to me. Why should I give it to you?"
Xu Nanxi's eyes turned crimson. "Because I'm a Xu family member!"
Cheng You scoffed. "You're a Xu family member, yet you don't know why they wouldn't give you the things?"
This Xu family member was not as good as an outsider like her. Xu Nanxi must have been desperate, which is why he was targeting Cheng You. He decided to act shamelessly. "If you don't return my things, I'm not leaving today! If you have the guts, don't leave your house forever!"