Ye Wenjie, watch my moves closely.

Chapter 36 An Encounter

Cheng Lihua?

How did she end up here?

Ye Wenjie wanted to get out of the car to check, but little Yang Dong in her arms suddenly cried. Thinking that it must be time for bed, Ye Wenjie had to put the idea aside and coax little Yang Dong to calm down.

"Let's go back first. It's too late, they must be worried."

"Okay, Engineer Ye." The jeep carried Ye Wenjie back to Qijiatun, and by the time they reached the village entrance, the sky had already become dark and indistinct.

Qi the Headhunter's daughter-in-law, Da Feng, was still waiting for her at the village entrance. As soon as she saw her get out of the car, she came up to her, took the things from her hands, and said, "Sister, I told you not to go. It's so far away. I was so worried about you."

Da Feng chided, "Your husband has to go back to Radar Peak first. It'll be just the two of us sleeping here tonight."

"You're going to keep me up all night again."

Ye Wenjie felt embarrassed. When they returned to Qijiatun, Xiao Yangdong was not used to sleeping in the same bed and couldn't sleep well all night. He would cry as soon as he woke up.

Da Feng still looked at Ye Wenjie with the same concern. Before Ye Wenjie got up, she climbed out of her warm bed and sleepily hugged and coaxed Xiao Yangdong until she fell asleep again. Then she yawned and went to sleep herself.

For several days in a row, dark circles appeared on Da Feng's once energetic face.

"What are you talking about? Yang Dong is also my daughter. Isn't it normal for a mother to take care of her daughter?"

Da Feng waved and took Ye Wenjie home.

As soon as she entered the house, Ye Wenjie began to count the spoils she had bought in the city that day.

Now that she has a salary, she always wants to spend it all to buy as many things as possible for Dafeng and the villagers of Qijia Village, perhaps to make up for her guilt.

The small cupboard at the head of Dafeng's kang (heated brick bed) is already filled with daily necessities and nutritional supplements that would last for a year.

After all the items were inventoried, Ye Wenjie exclaimed "Ah!" and slapped her forehead, "Look at my memory, I forgot to buy diapers again."

Nowadays, families who can afford it will buy new cloth and cut it into diaper sizes for their children.

Da Feng was still using rags cut from old clothes.

The material is rough and not suitable for a baby's delicate skin.

In the few days since Ye Wenjie arrived, she has seen Da Feng's baby crawling around with a red bottom, which makes her feel extremely sorry for him.

"No need," Dafeng refused. "We still have so many old clothes at home, we can just make a couple more."

"No, I have to go again tomorrow. Could you take care of Xiao Yangdong for me tomorrow? I'll go early and come back early, so it won't take up too much time."

After nightfall, perhaps because he was tired from the day, Xiao Yangdong slept very soundly.

Ye Wenjie listened to her daughter's even breathing, her eyelids drooping intermittently.

Bored thoughts drifted through the quiet night, eventually settling on Cheng Lihua.

Ye Wenjie had not seen this woman who had utterly trampled on her dignity for more than ten years.

Even when she returned to Red Shore last time, Ye Wenjie did not see her once.

According to Li Youyu, she has been taken to court for concealing the existence of the Trisolaran civilization.

How come I'm back here after more than half a year?

There are no absolute coincidences in the world.

Everything has a traceable origin.

Ye Wenjie knew that Evans was also in the city. Could the two of them be connected in some way?

The subconscious activity before sleep could not dispel the sleepiness, and after a period of disordered thinking, Ye Wenjie fell asleep.

When she woke up the next day, she seemed to have no memory of any of these things.

Dafeng kept her there for a day.

On the third day, having made up her mind to go to the city to buy diapers, she said goodbye to Dafeng and took the jeep to the city again.

The driver was the same person who recognized Cheng Lihua on the street.

Incidentally, the driver was also an acquaintance of Ye Wenjie.

Ye Wenjie used his sentry post when she taught the children.

The car stopped at the corner, and Sentinel, who was also the driver, wanted to get out and go to the street to buy it for her, but Ye Wenjie refused.

"You're not even married yet, you probably don't know how to buy diapers. Too thick or too thin, it won't be good. Let me go, you just wait here for me, I'll be right back."

The sentry could find no reason to refute her, so he could only watch Ye Wenjie leave.

The only place in town that sells things is the supply and marketing cooperative.

As fate would have it, Ye Wenjie had just reached the door when she saw that nightmarish face in front of the counter.

It's Cheng Lihua.

She was at the pastry counter, weighing the pastries.

Seeing that she was buying a lot, the saleswoman jokingly asked, "Sister, you look unfamiliar. Are you from the city?"

Cheng Lihua chuckled. She had no friends around, so she could only boast to the saleswoman at this remote supply and marketing cooperative, "What city? It's America. I'm going to America, and I'm taking some pastries with me so I won't miss home."

"Wow, America! How lucky you are, sister! I've heard there's gold everywhere there!"

Cheng Lihua smiled but didn't say anything.

"Excuse me, is it your child or your husband in the United States?"

"No, that's not it. Women hold up half the sky, why should we rely on men? I rely on my own efforts."

"It has to be the older sister." The saleswoman praised enviously, pushing the packaged pastries next to Cheng Lihua.

Cheng Lihua left the supply and marketing cooperative, enjoying the satisfaction she had so easily gained, completely unaware of Ye Wenjie hiding in the corner.

As Ye Wenjie pondered Cheng Lihua's words while choosing diapers, the thought she had before going to bed the day before suddenly resurfaced.

She sensed something was amiss, so she quickly paid the bill, left the diapers at the counter, and followed in the direction Cheng Lihua had gone.

Cheng Lihua lives in a typical self-built cottage, which is common in the area.

After putting the pastries at home, she didn't linger and continued on to the next place.

Ye Wenjie followed them all the way to a guesthouse with a courtyard.

Cheng Lihua entered the guesthouse and knocked on a door after going through several turns.

A blond, blue-eyed foreigner appeared from behind the door. Ye Wenjie recognized him; he was the same foreigner who had been with Dr. Peterson at the Red Coast Base a few days ago.

If I'm not mistaken, it is McEvans.

After the two entered the room, Ye Wenjie became cautious and tiptoed to the door of the guesthouse, listening intently.

Then they heard two people whispering inside the room.

"Mr. Evans, I have prepared the three-body communication method you needed. Have you prepared what I asked for?"

Evans tossed a stack of documents onto the table and said coldly, "Boat tickets, passport, and I'm even throwing in a villa in Miami for you. Give me your things, and these are yours. Where are they? Did you bring them?"

"No rush, Mr. Evans. I've left the items at my place. Please wait a moment while I verify their authenticity, and then I'll take you there immediately."