The mention of Minister Jiang was intended to get the police department to take the case seriously. After all, there was always someone higher up the chain of command.

"Minister Jiang?" Officer Su’s eyes widened, and his gaze immediately fell upon Wen Ci. He had been fortunate enough to attend a military region conference once and had seen Minister Jiang in person.

The young woman before him bore a striking resemblance to Minister Jiang.

Officer Su asked curiously, "Why not ask the military region for help? Logically speaking, this falls more under their jurisdiction. Our police department would just be assisting."

Wen Ci was suddenly reminded that in the 1980s, soldiers held a higher status than police officers. Most active-duty police were veterans who had transferred after leaving the military.

Officer Su continued, "Our police departments in different regions aren’t like the military bases; we can’t just get everyone on the line with a single phone call. It’s very difficult to coordinate on cases that cross provincial lines."

Then, Officer Su looked at Xiao Chuan. "If it’s confirmed that this child has no family, he’ll likely end up being sent to a children’s welfare institute."

Hearing this, Xiao Chuan shook his head frantically. His little mouth drooped, his eyes began to redden, and he tugged on Wen Ci’s sleeve. "I don’t want to go to a welfare institute, Big Sister! I don’t want to go!"

Wen Ci asked, "Is the welfare institute the only option?"

"Adoption is possible." Officer Su paused, his expression turning serious. "Right now, the government is strictly enforcing family planning. A family can only have one child. Generally, only families with fertility problems will adopt. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get a birth permit in the future."

Wen Ci’s eyelids lowered slightly.

’Should I make a trip back to the Jiang family home?’ she wondered.

As a high-ranking official at the ministerial level, Jiang Zhenjun’s word was all it would take for his subordinates to give this child trafficking case their utmost attention. The case would probably be solved in no time.

But...

Wen Ci sighed imperceptibly.

To this day, she had only met her biological father once, and that was with Huo Jingyuan by her side. She felt a visceral aversion to him.

Xue Li asked, "So, Sister-in-law, are we heading back to the military region?"

"Let’s go back."

After leaving the police station, Xue Li drove to the Beijing Military Region headquarters. He struck up a familiar conversation with the soldier on guard duty. "Brother, is Minister Jiang in today?"

"Nope."

Xue Li pulled his head back into the car. "Sister-in-law, Minister Jiang isn’t on base. Maybe he’s on leave at home? Should we head to your family’s house?"

"No need."

As she spoke, Wen Ci opened the rear car door, helping Xiao Chuan out first. She then explained, "The family residences aren’t far from here. Xiao Chuan and I can just walk. Besides, Yu Qing is still waiting for you at your place."

"Alright, then."

Wen Ci said, "Drive safe."

·

The walk from the military base to the family residences took a little over ten minutes. The sun was gradually rising, scattering the oppressive dark clouds, and the temperature began to climb with it.

「At the Jiang family home.」

Jiang Ye stood in the living room, her eyes glistening with tears. Even her lips were trembling as she choked out, "I really know I was wrong."

Jiang Chen chimed in to support her. "Mom, Ye Zi is young and impulsive. It’s normal for her to make a mistake. As her elders, we should be tolerant and forgive her."

Su Guilan shot Jiang Ye a cold glance before her gaze landed on Jiang Chen. She said coolly, "Didn’t you say yesterday that you weren’t coming back?"

"I..."

Jiang Chen was at a loss for words.

Jiang Zhenjun listened to them without speaking. He sat on the sofa, wreathed in smoke, his indifferent expression making his stance perfectly clear.

The outside world only knew that his daughter had married Huo Jingyuan.

The atmosphere in the living room quickly fell deathly silent.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to speak and ease the tension, the doorbell rang, shattering the quiet. "Jiang Ye, go upstairs. Jiang Chen, get the door."

The command came from Jiang Zhenjun, the head of the family.

Su Guilan composed her expression.

Jiang Chen reluctantly went to open the door.

When the door opened, the sight that greeted him was Wen Ci holding the hand of a little kid, just a few years old. Jiang Chen’s first reaction was confusion.

’Why is Wen Ci here?’

’And whose kid is that with her?’

Before he could ask why she had come, Su Guilan, who was sitting on the sofa, caught sight of Wen Ci and a smile immediately blossomed on her face.

"Ah Ci, you’re here."

Wen Ci pressed her lips together and called out, somewhat reluctantly, "Mom."

Su Guilan beamed as she invited Wen Ci inside. Then she noticed the little child beside her and teased, "Is this the child of your neighbor from the Northwest?"

When she went to the cafeteria for breakfast that morning, she had run into some old acquaintances from the military region and chatted for a bit. They had mentioned seeing her daughter bringing back the child of a high-ranking military family from the Northwest.

"No," Wen Ci said, shaking her head.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s lips curled into a sneer. He said slowly, "He couldn’t be some illegitimate child you had in the countryside, could he?"

Before the last word had even left his mouth, Wen Ci, without a moment’s hesitation, raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Her voice was level. "Is this how the Jiang family raises their children?"

Immediately after, Su Guilan also raised her hand and slapped Jiang Chen.

Her eyes showed utter bewilderment. ’How could he just blurt out something like ’illegitimate child’? He was slandering his own sister’s reputation.’

Jiang Chen was stunned by the two consecutive slaps.

He clutched his face, staring at his mother in disbelief. He let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Mom, you hit me? And for an outsider?"

Growing up, he had always been the golden boy of the military compound.

This was the first time he had ever been hit.

Su Guilan said resentfully, "How could you say that about your sister?"

"She’s not my sister."

Upstairs, Jiang Ye heard the commotion and quickly thought the situation over. ’Su Guilan has clearly given up on me. The most urgent thing now is to secure my position with Jiang Chen, my ’brother’. Even without the Jiang family’s support, as long as I have Jiang Chen, all of the family’s future wealth will be his.’

She worked up some tears and hurried downstairs. Seeing the red handprints on both of Jiang Chen’s cheeks, she moved to shield him. "If you’re going to hit someone, hit me! Don’t hit my brother.

It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have stayed home, taking my sister’s place. But my brother didn’t do anything wrong! You shouldn’t have hit him." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Wen Ci laughed.

’I had originally hoped that Jiang Ye would take her post as a teacher in the Northwest seriously. But the moment I came back, she followed suit. She’s clearly up to no good.’

Jiang Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the rage inside him. He pointed a finger at Wen Ci and bit out through clenched teeth, "From now on, in this house, it’s either her or me!"

With that, he grabbed Jiang Ye’s hand. "We’re leaving."

As Jiang Chen forcibly pulled her away, Jiang Ye glanced back at Su Guilan and gave her an apologetic smile. "I’ll talk to him and try to calm him down."

Once the two of them left, the Jiang family home instantly returned to a state of peace.

Hearing the finality in her son’s tone, Su Guilan’s heart ached.

’Ah Ci and Jiang Chen are both my own flesh and blood. I can’t bear to part with either of them!’

Jiang Zhenjun raised his hand and stubbed out his cigarette. His gaze fell upon Wen Ci as he asked coolly, "You brought this child home. Do you need my help with something?"

"Yes," Wen Ci admitted, straight to the point.