The kitchen in the countryside was large, covered with blue tiles, and when a fire was lit, blue smoke rose from the cracks in the tiles. Ye Jian added two firewoods to cook the congee in the casserole, the heat from the flame brushed her face. The warm light did not melt the coldness in her eyes, though.
She pursed the corners of her mouth and replied softly, “I understand. I wouldn’t dare to provoke them now, I will not hold them. If I don’t pass the political review later, then all my effort will go to waste.”
Uncle Gen, sitting on a chair, stared at the girl he and Chen Dongfeng had brought up. He coughed, a rare sight of coldness flashed on his face. Looking at Ye Jian with a forbearing face, he said: “I also want to tell you another thing. This matter, little Jian, you have to listen carefully. You can’t reveal it to anyone easily, even to Major Xia.”
Ye Jian was startled, “What is it?”
The congee that was cooking had burnt, but even that did not make Ye Jian regain her senses. Uncle Gen put the casserole aside and looked at Ye Jian, who was obviously still in shock.
“I’m a little confused, Grandpa Gen, I… I don’t understand.” Ye Jian’s calm voice had a hint of panic; the news was too great. She was so dizzy, she couldn’t understand at all.
Grandpa Gen said that Grandpa and Grandma had entrusted their only son Ye Xinfan to Old Granny Ye. As a result, Old Granny Ye got rid of Ye Xinfan and exchanged him for her father.
She even said that her father was not her biological father and that her mother was pregnant before she married her father!
Before Ye Jian could digest this news, Grandpa Gen threw out another bomb-like secret and told her about her mother… It was very likely that she would have been sacrificed because of that piece of jade!
Why… Why was this whole thing such a mess, so complicated… The fact that her mother was sacrificed…even this news was not so simple.
No, no, something is wrong.
Ye Jian looked up from her panic at Uncle Gen with her black eyes that were particularly shining because of the coldness in them and said softly: “Grandpa, my dad died in an accident. My mother died on a mission. Do you still remember what Old Granny Ye did during that time? Did something happen?”
“Where are Ye Zhixiang and Sun Yaozu? In the village or outside?”
This time it was Uncle Gen’s turn to be puzzled. He pondered for a while before replying: “The duration between your parents’ death was less than three months, and I happened to have something to do in the army at that time. When I rushed back, all of your mother’s belongings were handed over to Sun Dongqing and Ye Zhifan.”
“But I am certain that Old Granny Ye was in the village, Ye Zhixiang and Sun Yaozu had not returned to the village. Little Jian, why do you ask that?”
“Grandpa, I suspect that my father’s death has a lot to do with Old Granny Ye and Ye Zhixiang.” Ye Jian pursed her lips, a sword-like icy glow shone in her eyes, “I have never doubted before, it was more than 40 days before the university entrance examination, Old Granny Ye broke into the school and wanted to forcibly take my registered permanent residence away. I was angry at that time and took out my parents’ photos…”
While speaking, Ye Jian only felt that her throat was as dry as if someone had cut her throat with a knife, “That time, I saw that both mother and daughter dare not look at the photos of my dad at all. Ye Zhixiang also had some guilty conscience, and Old Granny Ye looked glad, so I think… there’s another secret about my father’s death.”
Upon hearing this, the unsatisfied Uncle Gen’s expression became tense, and his expression was cold. “After your father passed away for three months, your mother called me and told me that she was going to on a mission; she said that if anything happened to her, it might have something to do with a piece of jade, Little Jian, only Old Granny Ye knew when your mother left the village, and only Old Granny Ye knew about your dad leaving the village to work.”
