Xu Boyan's gaze was vacant, his thoughts unreadable.
"Dad, what's going on? How did you know?" Qi Yang asked urgently.
Song Qinglan said, "You've been on business trips, so you don't know about the situation in Yancheng. Xu Nanxi has already been admitted to university, and only he has returned."
Not only had he gone to university, but he had also caused quite a stir.
Unfortunately, now was not the time to tell Xu Boyan.
Both men's expressions turned grave, the earlier joy vanishing.
Before they could even marry, they were hit with devastating news.
After a long silence, Xu Boyan spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "Auntie, where is Nanxi staying now? At school?"
Song Qinglan wasn't sure. "It's not wrong to look for him at school. But there are some things I want to tell you first, so you don't get deceived."
After much deliberation, she decided to inform him and recounted everything Xu Nanxi had done recently.
Since it was all going to be a shock anyway, she might as well deliver it all at once.
Xu Boyan looked crestfallen. As a son, he felt he had been unfilial.
He hadn't even been there to accompany his father in his final moments.
"No matter what, I'll go find Nanxi first."
Xu Boyan considered himself an elder. If Xu Nanxi had indeed gone astray, he felt obligated to guide him.
"Mom and Dad, we'll be heading back then."
Song Qinglan nodded. "Go ahead. Take care of your own matters, and then we can discuss the wedding."
Watching them leave in a hurry, she sighed deeply.
What a mess this all was.
Cheng You asked, "Besides brother-in-law and Xu Nanxi, are there no other members of the Xu family?"
If that were the case, Xu Boyan, as the sole nephew, would certainly not abandon him.
Song Qinglan muttered, "Not exactly. When Old Master Xu was sent down to the countryside, he didn't want his original wife to suffer, so he divorced her to distance himself. I remember the old lady took their youngest grandson with her, though I don't know where they are."
The grandmother and grandson had moved away overnight and had no contact with anyone from their former life.
If their whereabouts were known, the Feng family would certainly not stand idly by.
***
The next day, Cheng You packed her belongings and got into a car heading back to Wujing Village.
Driving took longer than taking the train, but the advantage was that it would take her directly to Wujing Village.
She wouldn't have to transfer from one bus to another.
She stopped midway for a meal and rested at the restaurant for a while.
It wasn't until the afternoon that she arrived at Wujing Village.
The villagers, seeing a car parked at the entrance, gathered to watch.
Upon closer inspection, they realized it was Cheng You.
"Oh, it really is Cheng You!"
Cheng You had come in a hurry and hadn't brought many gifts. She smiled and nodded at them.
"Uncle, Auntie, I'm back to see my dad."
The villagers had their own thoughts. They never expected Cheng You to return to see Cheng Tianhua.
Cheng Tianhua was not living well nowadays, his reputation ruined, but that was his own doing.
It was good enough that Cheng You still acknowledged him.
"Your dad's at home, hurry and go!"
Since the car couldn't drive in, Cheng You had to walk.
She wouldn't be staying here for long, so she wanted to finish things quickly.
She followed the familiar path to her home.
This place, apart from the memories she shared with her mother, could no longer be called her home.
Before she could knock, she saw a child crawl out.
Without a doubt, this was Song Yulian's child.
Immediately after, a woman came out and picked up the child.
At the same time, she saw Cheng You.
This time, even Cheng You couldn't help but be startled.
"Sister-in-law Lin?"
The person before her was none other than the widowed Lin who had previously flirted with Qi Chengyan.
Her cousin, Pan Yu, had been caught red-handed at school for impersonating Song Jingtang's admission notice.
Cheng You had only heard about it from Sun Xiaowan and didn't know where Pan Yu was now.
"Oh, it's Cheng You who's back? Old Cheng, come out quickly and see, Cheng You is back!"
After calling out, Sister-in-law Lin smiled and said, "You probably don't know, but your dad and I are married."
Cheng You: "..."
However, she didn't really care who Cheng Tianhua married.
"Let my dad come out. I'll say a few words and leave."
A moment later, Cheng Tianhua walked out.
In just a few months, he looked like he had aged more than ten years.
Gone was his once spirited demeanor, his head now graying.
"Cheng You, you're back."
This was his most proud daughter, yet she treated him worse than an enemy.
"I'm here to ask if you instigated everyone to sell their medicinal herbs to Huichuntang?"
Cheng Tianhua's face stiffened. "What do you mean instigated? They're offering a higher price, which allows the villagers to earn more money. Why wouldn't they?"
Cheng You said coldly, "Are you sure it will allow the villagers to earn more money? Huichuntang simply wants to replicate Zenshantang's medicines. Once they discover that the medicinal herbs are not the key, they will definitely break the contract!"
It couldn't be called breaking the contract, as they had signed a written agreement.
If they discovered that the quality of the medicinal herbs did not meet the standards, they had the right to return them at any time.
But wasn't the definition of "standard" up to Huichuntang to decide?
Cheng Tianhua looked as if he understood everything and advised, "Cheng You, you don't need to worry about affecting Zenshantang's business. I've inquired about it. Huichuntang is a state-owned enterprise, established many years ago, with a certain foundation. You don't need to think about competing with them."
Cheng You was getting increasingly annoyed. "Don't you understand what I'm saying? If you sell your medicinal herbs to Huichuntang now, our local pharmaceutical factory will have to procure medicinal herbs from other places. By then, it will be a fait accompli, and you won't have any room for regret!"
Cheng Tianhua waved his hand. "The price the pharmaceutical factory offers is not as good as Huichuntang's, so why would we regret it?"
Cheng You's veins bulged with anger. She was incredibly foolish.
She had already made it clear that Huichuntang was highly unlikely to purchase their medicinal herbs.
If they broke the contract then, they wouldn't even be able to sell at the current price.
Sister-in-law Lin was unhappy. The cooperation with Huichuntang was her initiative, so why was it not good?
"Cheng You, you've finally come back. Can't you talk to your dad nicely? Why are you so aggressive? The people from Huichuntang said that as long as our medicinal herbs are good, they will definitely give us a good price. Don't worry."
That was a renowned pharmacy in the capital; they wouldn't lie.
Cheng You could no longer tolerate it. "I'll ask one last time. Are you sure you want to cooperate with Huichuntang? Don't say I didn't warn you. You'll have to bear the consequences."
Cheng Tianhua disliked it most when she spoke like that, as if he, the father, was so incompetent that she needed to teach him!
"Don't worry, we've severed ties. If anything happens to me in the future, you don't need to help! Even if I have to beg for food, I will never ask you for help!"
Cheng You let out a cold laugh. "Do you think I'm doing this for you? I'm doing it for the villagers!"
Cheng Tianhua, his spittle flying, yelled, "Then even more reason for you not to worry! I am the captain of Wujing Village, and I would harm them?"
Cheng You knew in her heart that this trip, in the end, would be in vain.