Seeing that Ye Bingyu’s expression hadn’t changed, Zhong Yuhu continued, "I heard the child went missing during the dead of winter, which was also the worst year of the famine. During my private inquiries, a few families mentioned that Zhang Baosheng and his wife didn’t care for the child. As soon as they returned to the village, they tossed the child to Zhang Baosheng’s paternal grandparents to raise. Some even joked that they might have deliberately lost the child. After all, every household was short on grain back then. Such suspicions could very well be true." When Ye Bingyu remained silent, Zhong Yuhu repeated the information he had gathered about Zhang Baosheng and his wife after their return to the village. Ye Bingyu’s expression grew increasingly grim. After sending Zhong Yuhu away, he personally made a trip south. He found the doctor and nurse who had assisted with his daughter-in-law’s delivery to get more details. According to their recollections, the child his daughter-in-law, Xia Dongxue, had given birth to indeed had a small red mole on the inner thigh. They remembered this because a typhoon had just passed, a time of widespread panic, and the mole was a vivid red. The attending doctor had even joked with the nurse about the mole, remarking that it was quite unique. After all, most moles people have are black, so when he inquired about a red one, their memory of it was quite vivid. After several visits, he learned that Qin Lijuan had indeed entered the delivery room, though she hadn’t stayed long. His sister-in-law, Shi Jingfang, had mentioned that they—likely referring to Shi Jingfang and Xia Dongxue—had encountered Qin Lijuan, an acquaintance, at the hospital. It was due to this connection that Shi Jingfang had been allowed into the delivery room. Such access was rare at the time, which explained why the medical staff remembered the incident so clearly. The more Ye Bingyu considered it, the angrier he became. He abruptly stood up. "Huzi, find a few people and help me with something again." Zhong Yuhu asked no questions. "Ye Brother, just give the word, and I’ll make sure it’s done right." Ye Bingyu glanced at the sky outside and then stepped out. Ye Bingyu had long had someone keeping an eye on Qin Lijuan. Her adoptive father had helped arrange for her and her husband to be transferred back to the Capital years ago, which had conveniently spared her some trouble at the time. As dusk approached, Qin Lijuan bolted down the rice in her bowl. "Nuonuo," she said to her younger daughter, "wash the dishes later." With that, she hurriedly grabbed a thick coat and rushed out. Wu Nuonuo, clearly disgruntled, complained to Wu Shengjun, who was still picking at his rice, "Dad, can’t you do something about her? She just runs off every day. Now my classmates shout ’Missing one for mahjong!’ at me from a distance. It’s utterly mortifying!" Wu Shengli wanted to intervene, but he knew it was easier said than done. "Enough," he sighed. "You know your mother. If I don’t let her go out to play, will we have any peace?" Wu Nuonuo’s face darkened. "She used to show some restraint. But ever since Elder Brother ignored the family’s arrangements and insisted on going to the countryside, it feels like she’s taking it out on all of us." Her second brother, Wu Bingjie, who was sitting nearby, chimed in, "That’s just her excuse to go out and amuse herself. Elder Brother is just as bad. He could have stayed in the city, but no, he had to go to the countryside. Does he really think chasing after that woman will make her fall for him? He’s dreaming." Wu Shengjun said, his voice tinged with displeasure, "That’s your brother you’re talking about. Watch your tone." Fınd the newest release on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝔫𝔢𝔱 Wu Bingjie slammed his bowl onto the dining table. "Have I said anything wrong? He’s the one who upset Mom! Why should we be the ones to suffer for it?" With that, he pushed his bowl aside, stood up, and stormed back to his room, slamming the door shut. Wu Shengjun watched his second son storm off, fighting the urge to chase after him and give him a piece of his mind. But he also knew his wife had been relentlessly stirring up trouble at home these past few days, all because their eldest son, Wu Bingjie, had defied their advice and was determined to go to the countryside. He felt that his children’s resentment was, to some extent, understandable.