Chapter 113: Making Inquiries

Shen Qingyi narrowed her eyes, shielding them with a hand against her brow. In the distance, the verdant mountains were bathed in a golden-crimson hue that set half the sky ablaze. She had to admit, the scenery here was truly breathtaking.

Far from the bustling residential areas, once the roar of the machinery ceased, an exceptional tranquility settled over the landscape.

That Lu Yan had thought to choose such a beautiful spot suggested a romantic streak deep down. She couldn't help but ask, "Lu Yan, what made you choose this place?"

"I calculated it based on the geographical terrain and construction costs," Lu Yan replied matter-of-factly.

Shen Qingyi was utterly speechless. She had indeed overthought it.

Once they arrived home, Lu Yan settled Shen Qingyi onto the sofa and went straight to the bedroom. An'an was kneeling obediently in the corner of the room.

Su Yang, who was sitting on a chair telling An'an a story, let out a sigh of relief when he saw Lu Yan. "Surely he's been punished enough by now? Any longer and his knees will swell."

Lu Yan said nothing. He walked over to An'an. The boy tensed up, keeping his lips pressed tightly together. He didn't utter a word, nor did he beg for mercy or cry.

Lu Yan scooped him up, his gaze gentle yet firm. "This must never happen again."

An'an bit his lower lip and nodded, asking in a small voice, "Is Mommy back?"

Lu Yan carried An'an into the living room and set him down. "Go on. Go apologize to your mother."

An'an ran over to Shen Qingyi and threw himself into her arms, sobbing, "Mommy! I'm sorry!"

Shen Qingyi held her son close, stroking his hair. "Have you learned your lesson?" she asked gently.

"Yes!" An'an nodded vigorously.

Shen Qingyi squeezed him tight and whispered, "Alright, Mommy doesn't blame you anymore. Just remember to stay safe, no matter how curious you are next time."

"Okay!"

Lu Yan checked his watch. "I'll go arrange for dinner to be sent over."

He turned back to the room and asked Su Yang, "What do you want to eat?"

"Braised fish, steamed ribs. If they have chicken, that'd be great; if not, eggs will do," Su Yang replied, not holding back at all.

Even though Lu Yan had the privilege to order whatever he wanted, he usually dismissed himself with just a single dish. While Su Yang also received special treatment at the cafeteria window, he didn't enjoy the privilege of ordering off-menu like Lu Yan did.

"Alright," Lu Yan said, heading out the door.

Su Yang stepped out of the bedroom, exchanged a few polite words with Shen Qingyi, and then retreated back inside.

Once An'an had finally calmed down, Shen Qingyi took the insoles out of her bag.

The moment Feng Erqiu had pulled them out earlier, a sense of familiarity had washed over her. Every stitch line was adorned with a tiny, embroidered four-leaf flower. Each flower was stitched before the needle continued along the line.

Seeing his mother staring blankly at the insoles, An'an asked, "Mommy, is there something special about them?"

Knowing her son had an exceptional memory, Shen Qingyi said, "Why don't you take a look?"

An'an leaned in, took the insoles, and turned them over in his hands. "There doesn't seem to be anything special. They look just like the ones Grandpa kept in his blue chest of drawers."

Shen Qingyi's heart leaped. "Are Grandpa's insoles still there?" she asked urgently.

"You didn't move that chest of drawers to Daddy's place," An'an replied. "If you didn't throw them away, they should still be there."

Fortunately, she hadn't thrown them out. Her father had a habit of stuffing things he didn't care much about into that blue chest of drawers. If her mother didn't tidy it up, he would never think to take them out again.

Aside from his books and manuscripts, she hadn't brought any of her father's belongings with her.

Such insoles were unheard of in Kyoto, so her mother couldn't have bought them for him. Someone must have given them to him as a gift. And a person who would gift hand-stitched insoles was rarely a man.

At this thought, she turned to An'an. "Come with Mommy to Chunni's house."

"Okay!"

She got up from the sofa at once, walked over to the bedroom door, and said to Su Yang, "Comrade Su, An'an and I are going to a friend's house. If Lu Yan comes back and asks, tell him her name is Feng Erqiu. We'll be back shortly."

Just as she reached the door, she saw Feng Erqiu carrying Erya and leading Chunni by the hand toward their house. Chunni was carrying a small basket.

"An'an! Auntie Shen!" Chunni called out happily.

Shen Qingyi welcomed them inside and pulled out a chair for Feng Erqiu.

Feng Erqiu looked around the bright, spotless room. With a television, a tape recorder, a sofa, and a kettle, it was obvious this family didn't lack for eggs. Yet, this was all she had to offer.

Sensing her embarrassment, Shen Qingyi smiled. "Please, sit. I was just about to go look for you. You've saved me a trip."

Feng Erqiu took the bamboo basket from Chunni and set it on the table. "I bought some eggs for you to nourish your body. I've been feeling so guilty about what happened today. I never should have let Chunni take you there."

"Even without Chunni, An'an would have gone anyway. He's just too curious. When he ran off, it was Chunni who alerted me, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed in time. If anything, I should be thanking you."

Hearing this, Feng Erqiu finally let out a sigh of relief. "You mentioned you were on your way to my house. Was there something you needed?"

Shen Qingyi quickly retrieved the embroidered insoles from her bag. "You mentioned earlier that the women who marry into your village all know how to embroider these insoles, right?"

Feng Erqiu nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"What about neighboring villages?"

"No. Only the women who marry into our village are allowed to learn it. Even though they don't sell for much, this particular pattern makes them look unique and pretty, so they sell much better than ordinary ones that anyone can make. Because they sell well, everyone is protective of the pattern. It's only passed down from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. We don't even teach our own daughters who marry out, for fear they'll take the craft with them," Feng Erqiu explained honestly.

Shen Qingyi nodded in understanding. "Has any married woman from your village ever gone to Kyoto?"

Feng Erqiu sighed, a look of pity crossing her face. "Actually, yes. She was a poor soul. She married one of the sent-down youths who had been dispatched to our village. They had a good couple of years at first. But when the college entrance examinations resumed, that young man went mad trying to take them. He swore that once he got into university, he would bring her and the child to the city to live in comfort, and refused to do any other work.

"At first, she didn't agree, but how could a woman ever win against a stubborn man? In the end, she gave in. She pinched pennies and starved herself just to support his studies. The following year, he actually passed. The admission letter came all the way from Kyoto.

"The whole village was in an uproar. Even the village secretary and the town mayor came to congratulate them.

"The youth took every last penny the family had and left for Kyoto to study. His wife stayed behind, waiting anxiously, hoping he would graduate soon and ease the family's burdens."

At this point, Feng Erqiu sighed and fell silent.

"And then?"

"Once that young man entered the city, he never returned. Every letter she sent to Kyoto disappeared without a trace. All the villagers who had once praised her foresight in supporting her husband's education now mocked her for being foolish. They said that once a sent-down youth tasted city life again, he would never come back.

"By the fourth year, someone advised her that while he was still in school, she at least had a specific address to look for. They told her to take the child to Kyoto to find him immediately, because once he graduated, finding him would be like looking for a needle in a haystack." Feng Erqiu sighed once more.