NOVEL NEXT Chapter 322: Grandmaster
The next day, Jiang Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yue discussed what to do about Mr. Wang.
They couldn't just leave him alone.
But how to take care of him?
Jiang Xiaoxiao felt that it wouldn't work, and thought about bringing Mr. Wang to Jingbei.
Mr. Wang couldn't just wander the streets.
However, Jiang Yue disagreed. Jiang Xiaoxiao was already married, and bringing a stranger to live in her house would raise concerns with her in-laws.
It would be simpler to keep him at her own home since they had no burdens.
Supporting one more person wouldn't be an issue.
Jiang Xiaoxiao said she'd think about it.
Her elder sister was also taking college entrance exams, and if she got into university, they couldn't let Mr. Wang be a burden on her.
During dinner, Mr. Wang ate as usual, and everything was normal.
But in the afternoon, Mr. Wang disappeared, leaving only a letter.
He wrote that he was sorry for disturbing them for so long, but he had a place to go and would seek out his old comrades.
He assured them his life would be fine.
Jiang Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yue felt helpless.
Mr. Wang was clearly worried about burdening them.
But the world was vast, and finding just one person wasn't easy.
They could only pray that Mr. Wang truly managed to find his comrade, as he mentioned in the letter, and settled into his future life.
Otherwise, they would feel very guilty.
Especially since they had just learned the day before about Mr. Wang's rough life story.
Mr. Wang didn't like talking much about his own affairs, but from his few words, they understood.
Mr. Wang had no family or children, to put it bluntly, he was all alone.
No wonder he ended up on the streets.
Although in terms of Mr. Wang's appearance, demeanor, and speech, he didn't seem like an ordinary old man.
But since he didn't want to say anything, it wasn't appropriate for them to ask further.
The most important thing was that Mr. Wang was someone who kept things to himself, a person who knew gratitude but didn't seek repayment.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was worried, but there was nothing she could do.
She could only take Bai Yiyi and Song Moting to buy tickets back to Jingbei.
They couldn't delay any longer; Fan Xiuying was getting suspicious.
They were supposed to return ten days ago, but this dragging went on for ten more days without any word, not even a phone call from her daughter and son-in-law.
How could this not arouse suspicion?
Fan Xiuying called Jiang Yue several times, but Jiang Yue managed to brush her off.
But it couldn't go on like this!
The two bought sleeper tickets and boarded the train with the child.
As Jiang Yue was leaving, she handed her sister a thousand yuan.
"You better take it. This is the money your brother-in-law owes you. We took the money you gave us. You have to accept the money we owe you, and this settles it. If you don't take it, don't call me your elder sister anymore.
Your brother-in-law is almost too embarrassed to face you. Didn't you notice, he avoids you whenever he sees you."
Thinking back, it did seem like her brother-in-law had been avoiding her recently.
She hadn't figured out why, but it turned out to be because of this, so she put the money in her pocket.
"Since it's my money back, I ought to take it. Not taking it would be wrong. Otherwise, Xiao Song would say, 'This wasteful woman, given money on a platter, actually refuses to take it?'
Jiang Xiaoxiao joked.
"Even if you're wasteful, I can afford it."
Song Moting emerged leisurely from behind, casting a meaningful glance at Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Jiang Xiaoxiao felt guilty.
You really can't talk behind someone's back; it was as if the moment you mentioned Cao Cao, he appeared, catching you red-handed.
"I can afford it, I can afford it! I'm just joking, don't take it seriously."
"You just make fun of me in front of your elder sister."
He reached out and pinched her little nose.
Jiang Xiaoxiao let out a yelp.
Jiang Yue quickly checked, finding no redness.
Jiang Xiaoxiao laughed like a sneaky mouse, and Jiang Yue, realizing she was duped, gave her a firm slap on the back.
"This girl, at her age, still playing around like this."
Bai Yiyi wouldn't stand for it.
She stood protectively in front of Jiang Xiaoxiao.
"Jiang Yue, if big sister Xiao Xiao made a mistake, you should hit me, I'm resilient. It doesn't hurt at all when you hit me, don't hit big sister Xiao Xiao."
The child blinked her big eyes, so adorably guarding Jiang Xiaoxiao.
This made Jiang Yue laugh heartily, and she glared at Jiang Xiaoxiao, seeing how she had driven the child to worry.
This girl was always protected wherever she went.
Jiang Xiaoxiao patted Bai Yiyi's head, "Look at my loyal fan!"
"What fan? It's more like a noodle!"
This time even Qin Ming, who was seeing them off at the train, joined in the laughter.
Jiang Xiaoxiao and the others boarded the train, waving goodbye.
Ready to leave this place.
Jiang Xiaoxiao knew she was heading back to the city.
Never to have everything that followed.
Bai Yiyi snuggled against Jiang Xiaoxiao, still clueless about what leaving meant, just knowing she'd be with her sister henceforth.
Bai Yiyi was still very dependent on Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Jingbei Railway Station.
Mr. Wang exited the station and immediately saw his old friend, dressed in military attire, looking at him.
The two faced each other, gazing at one another.
Then the elderly man came over, and they embraced.
"You old rascal, you've been so hard to find. I've been searching for you for over ten years, you really know how to hide. Now you're finally willing to come back."
A slap on Mr. Wang's back almost made him cough up blood.
"You're still the same. Your grip is so strong; can't you be more careful? Can my frail body endure such a slap?"
"Ah, your health really is lacking, scrawny. Come on! I've been searching for you for so many years, let me tell you some good news, you've been exonerated, but no matter how hard I've searched, you were nowhere to be found, and you didn't know.
The people I sent practically turned that county inside out, yet couldn't find you, no clue where you hid."
"Kang Zhimin, if I didn't want to be found, you absolutely wouldn't find me. What's this about exoneration?"
Mr. Wang genuinely didn't know; he had been a beggar for so long, truly unaware of everything.
"Come on, let's not talk about it yet, your house has been fixed up. That place wasn't used by anyone, just waiting for your return. You have no idea, the news of your return has shaken the circles, if it weren't for me stopping it. Do you realize how many people wanted to meet you at the station?"
Kang Zhiming felt a surge of emotions looking at his old friend, who had really suffered greatly.
He didn't know how many people were now searching for this friend, the country had employed all its resources, yet couldn't find this person.
He honestly thought his old friend was gone.
Who would have guessed, one day, a stranger called him.
Upon hearing the surname 'Wang,' his heart skipped, and at the moment he received the call, he knew it was undoubtedly his old friend Wang Jiaxiang.
Wang Jiaxiang had been implicated back then, but Old Wang was really a genius; he was a top-tier surgical specialist, only because of his overseas experience did he get a blemish.
Actually, Old Wang was a giant in the military science community.
Back then only Old Wang could develop things that even foreigners coveted.
But who could have imagined the way his family was tormented?
With Old Wang's stature, if he stomped his foot, the entire upper echelon of the military industry would tremble.
His students were scattered all over the country.
Had he not been hiding, he should have been found long ago.
Even his house was cleaned daily by his students, illustrating how much respect they had for him.
"Let's go home, I want to see if my house is still the same as before. I've missed home! All these years drifting around, having no place to call home. Wondering if home is still the same as it once was."