Chapter 21

Su Wen followed Tang Xiaoyao and hailed a taxi at the door.

"About what happened on the bus, if you dare to tell Chu Fei, I will..." Tang Xiaoyao didn't know how to threaten Su Wen, so she looked quite funny.

"Bus incident? What incident?" Su Wen scratched his head, looking as if he didn't understand what she was talking about.

"You know what's good for you." Tang Xiaoyao was finally satisfied.

Su Wen smiled inwardly and didn't say anything more.

Soon, the car arrived at Qingyun Road.

In front of them was a residential complex.

"Let's go." Tang Xiaoyao led the way, "My home is on the fourth floor, room 302. You'll meet my mom soon. Don't say anything inappropriate. After dinner, you can leave."

Su Wen felt helpless.

Tang Xiaoyao was clearly trying to get rid of him.

Following Tang Xiaoyao, Su Wen went upstairs.

"Mom, I'm back." Tang Xiaoyao shouted as soon as she opened the door.

Su Wen looked inside.

A woman wearing an apron and holding a spatula was looking at the two of them.

The woman looked a lot like Tang Xiaoyao, but she seemed to have a more heroic air. Just standing at the door, her posture was perfectly straight.

This woman used to be a soldier.

After having a clear understanding, Su Wen hurriedly said, "Auntie, I just arrived in Jiangning and have been troubling you. I'm really sorry. This is a small trinket I collected, and I'm giving it to you."

As Su Wen spoke, a jade ruyi appeared in his hand.

This jade ruyi was something he had recovered in his hometown. It wasn't very big and was slightly damaged, but it had a good color and a very nice appearance. He had always wanted to sell it, but never had the right opportunity. Today, on his first visit to Tang Long's home, he realized he had nothing to offer. So, he thought of this jade ruyi. He didn't need it anyway, and he could always find better items in the future.

This seemed like the perfect gift.

Yang Hui was taken aback; she didn't expect Su Wen to bring a gift.

"Auntie?" Su Wen called again.

Yang Hui finally reacted, "Xiao Wen, you didn't have to bring a gift. Come in and sit down."

Tang Xiaoyao didn't care about this. She had already snatched the jade ruyi from Su Wen's hand and muttered, "A palm-sized jade ruyi, and it's even damaged. How could you bring this? But the jade ruyi symbolizes good fortune and happiness, so your gift is appropriate. I'll reluctantly accept it on behalf of my mom."

Su Wen looked at Tang Xiaoyao, feeling very awkward.

"Xiao Yao, how can you talk like that?" Yang Hui frowned, "No matter what the gift is, it's Su Wen's gesture. I've told you many times to be polite and considerate. Have you forgotten?"

Tang Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue, "Mom, I'm sorry."

Yang Hui looked at Su Wen awkwardly, "Xiao Yao is spoiled by me. She didn't mean anything by it. Don't take it to heart."

"Auntie, I understand." Su Wen wouldn't take it personally.

He had a good idea of what kind of person Tang Xiaoyao was. When she was quiet, she seemed like a lady, but once she got active, she was a complete brat. If you approached her without knowing, you wouldn't know what she might do to you.

Su Wen entered the house.

Yang Hui smiled, "There's one more steamed fish. Please wait a few minutes."

In the living room.

Su Wen and Tang Xiaoyao looked at each other.

Tang Xiaoyao kept fiddling with the jade ruyi. She found Su Wen increasingly annoying.

"Stop looking. I'll leave after dinner." Su Wen glared at Tang Xiaoyao.

He felt that both Tang Xiaoyao and Chu Fei were not easy to deal with.

Maybe no woman in the world was easy to deal with, especially two spoiled women.

It was 6:30 PM.

"No need to wait. Your Uncle Tang won't be back today." Yang Hui sighed, "Let's eat. Su Wen, try the sweet and sour ribs I made."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Su Wen said politely.

"Mom, what about mine?" Tang Xiaoyao was unhappy.

Yang Hui laughed and quickly gave Tang Xiaoyao a piece of rib.

"Auntie, were you a soldier before?" Su Wen thought for a moment and asked.

Yang Hui put down her chopsticks and nodded, "Yes, I used to be a soldier, and I knew your father. He taught me a lot, and it was he who introduced me to your uncle."

"I see." Su Wen nodded, "So Auntie must know about my father's time in the military. Can you tell me about it? I'm very curious about my father's military days."

Yang Hui looked at Su Wen and forced a smile, "Xiao Wen, your father was just an ordinary soldier. What could he have done in the military? It was just a normal military career. Don't ask about this. Today is your first visit, so let's focus on having a good meal. After dinner, I'll show you some photos of your father's military days."

"Alright!" Su Wen started eating.

He could clearly see that Yang Hui was hiding something.

Not just Su Wen, even Tang Xiaoyao could sense it.

If Su Wen's father was just an ordinary soldier, why couldn't she talk about it? Everything indicated that Yang Hui was hiding something.

Su Wen had asked his father about this many times in his hometown, but his father never mentioned it. In the end, Su Wen could only bury his curiosity in his heart. He had hoped to learn something from Yang Hui, but it seemed impossible.

After dinner.

Yang Hui showed Su Wen a few photos of his father's military days, but they didn't reveal much. However, a few men in the photos caught his attention.

One of them was often with his father.

There were four men in total, one of whom was Tang Long.

The other three, based on the names his father had mentioned, Su Wen had a good idea who they were.

At 9:00 PM.

"Auntie, I'll be going now." Su Wen said goodbye.

"Be careful on your way." Yang Hui said, "When your uncle has time, we'll visit you. If you have any difficulties in Jiangning, don't hesitate to tell me. I have some influence here."

"Thank you, Auntie. I understand." Su Wen waved and left.

Just ten minutes after Su Wen left, Tang Long returned.

"Did you catch the suspect, Dad?" Tang Xiaoyao asked urgently.

"We did catch him, but the damn guy threw all the diamonds into the Yangzi River. With the current, it's uncertain if we can find them." Tang Long was very angry.

"The Yangzi River is the moat of Jiangning. It's summer, and the water is very fast. Even if you know where the suspect threw the diamonds, it would be hard to find them." Yang Hui shook her head helplessly.

"Yes, but we still need to try. After all, those diamonds are worth ten million." Tang Long made a helpless expression.

"Ten million?" Tang Xiaoyao was shocked, "How much is that? If someone found them by the river, they would be set for life."

"But they are stolen goods and must be turned in." Tang Long patted his daughter's head, "By the way, did Su Wen leave?"

"Just ten minutes ago. He should not have arrived home yet." Yang Hui checked the time.

"How did he go back?"

"I told him to take a taxi, but he insisted on walking. He said it was only five or six kilometers and he could enjoy the night view of Jiangning." Tang Xiaoyao added, "He wanted to save money, not my fault."

Tang Long looked at his daughter and smiled bitterly, "Did I say it was your fault? What are you playing with? Is it dirty?"

Tang Xiaoyao quickly handed over the jade ruyi, "It's a gift from Su Wen, a broken jade ruyi. I thought it was nice, so Mom gave it to me. Dad, isn't it pretty? It would be even better if it weren't damaged."

Tang Long was not like Tang Xiaoyao. Having worked in the police force for many years, he had a good understanding of various items. At a glance, he could tell that this jade ruyi was not ordinary, certainly not a modern craft.

He held it in his hand and examined it carefully, his expression serious, "I'll return this jade ruyi to Su Wen. We can't accept it."

"Dad, what's wrong?" Tang Xiaoyao was confused, "It's just a craft. There are many of them outside."

"It's not that simple. This jade ruyi is made of high-quality white jade. There are many fakes outside, but genuine ones are rare." Tang Long shook his head helplessly, "I estimate that this jade ruyi is worth at least 100,000. If it weren't damaged, it would be worth even more. Can we accept such a valuable gift?"

Tang Xiaoyao was stunned, "This small thing is worth 100,000?"

Yang Hui was also incredulous, "Husband, are you mistaken? How could Su Wen have something so valuable?"

Tang Long smiled bitterly again, "You ask me, but I don't know. Maybe our nephew is not as simple as we thought. He studies archaeology, so he wouldn't be unaware of the value of this jade ruyi. If he still gave it to you, it means he doesn't care about it."

Indeed, Tang Long's analysis was correct.

Su Wen didn't take the jade ruyi seriously at all. He just didn't expect it to shock Tang Long's family so much.