RYEY -Chapter 466 Daddy’s Back

“Comrade Jiang Meili, leave the divorce application and take the child home. Everything will be settled when Li Bing returns.”

“Li Bing is coming back?”

Hearing this, Jiang Meili was both surprised and overjoyed. A glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes but quickly vanished. She hugged the sobbing Li Chen tightly and returned home.

Jiang Hua saw that Jiang Meili had drifted off in thought and knew what she was thinking. Unfortunately, he himself was already mentally and physically exhausted, so he spoke to break Meili’s wandering thoughts:

“Meili, why don’t you wash up and get some sleep first? After a whole day like this, my old bones are about to give out.”

Jiang Meili nodded, went to the kitchen to boil some hot water, and first helped Li Chen take a bath. The little guy was tired and scared today, all sticky from head to toe. After washing him clean, he fell asleep.

Jiang Meili then helped Jiang Hua prepare bath water. After he washed up and went to rest, she slowly went about boiling water, bathing, and doing the laundry. Her mind was in chaos; even lying on the bed didn’t stop her thoughts from racing, so she might as well do chores.

For several consecutive hours, she not only washed the clothes that had piled up over several days, but also cleaned the house until it was spotless—a completely different scene from when Yuan Qin was around.

From the bedroom came the low, intermittent cries of a child. Jiang Meili quickly dried her hands and ran in, seeing Li Chen tossing and turning on the bed, his face flushed. She hurriedly picked him up.

“Oh my God, my son has a fever.”

Jiang Meili put her son down, opened a drawer, and checked his temperature. The thermometer showed a high of 39°C. She quickly grabbed some money from the drawer to take Li Chen to the hospital.

Jiang Hua couldn’t sleep either. Hearing the commotion with his daughter and Li Chen, he came out and, upon learning that Li Chen had a high fever, grabbed a thin blanket, wrapped Li Chen up, and rushed to the hospital.

They registered at the emergency room and administered a fever-reducing injection, but Li Chen still didn’t wake. He seemed trapped in his own dream world, unable to come out, ignoring Meili’s calls no matter how loudly she called.

Jiang Meili was truly panicked. If anything happened to her son, she wouldn’t want to live. She considered asking Cheng Qiao for help, but thought of Cheng Qiao treating her mother-in-law and helplessly sat down.

Jiang Meili’s eyes were fixed on her son lying on the hospital bed, her heart burning with anxiety. She was on the verge of breaking down. Jiang Hua was equally anxious and went out into the corridor, taking out a cigarette and lighting one after another.

“Dad, stop smoking. Too much is bad for your lungs.”

A familiar voice came. Jiang Hua was startled and slowly turned around. Li Bing stood straight in front of him in a green military uniform.

“Li Bing, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to smoke either, but I can’t control myself.”

Jiang Hua closed his eyes. Li Bing had returned so quickly—things didn’t look good. It was their Jiang family that had ruined this child.

“Smoke less. Cigarettes won’t solve your worries or fix the problem.”

“Li Bing, maybe you… you should go see your mother first.”

Li Bing shook his head. With Cheng Qiao, Li Huan, and Cheng Li looking after his mother, she was well taken care of. But Meili only had him. If Meili collapsed, life ahead would be even harder.

“I’ll go see Meili and our son first. Once they’re stable, I’ll come check on your mother. You lie down on this bench for a while; I’m worried you won’t be able to hold up.”

“All right, all right. You go ahead. I’ll just lie down here.”

Jiang Hua was utterly exhausted. Seeing Li Bing return gave his heart some relief. As soon as he lay down, he began snoring.

At her lowest point, Jiang Meili felt a familiar and warm hand stroking her head. Startled, she lifted her head and saw Li Bing’s smiling face.

“Li Bing, I’m sorry, I…”

“Shh… you don’t have to apologize. You’ve been very brave. Thank you.”

“You… you’re thanking me? Were you scared silly too?”

“Since the promotion path is blocked, then we’ll try for a transfer. If even that doesn’t work, would you be willing to go back to Xiangyang Village with me and live as a farmer’s wife?”

Jiang Meili’s eyes lit up. So Li Bing had already planned a backup route—not divorcing her, but taking her to a peaceful life. Her marriage was safe.

She was willing to be a farmer’s wife, to live quietly with her child and husband, rather than constantly living in fear here—though it would be hard on her father.

“Li Bing, look at our son. He’s trembling, and no matter how we call him, he won’t wake. I’m so worried… The doctor says he was scared. I’m terrified.”

Li Bing nodded and lifted Li Chen. Li Chen was trapped within the fortress he had built for himself. At first, it felt safe, but when he heard his mother calling, he couldn’t get out, which made him anxious.

His mother’s calls grew sharper and more distressed each time. Seeing the vast whiteness around him, Li Chen panicked, unable to find a way out.

Suddenly, he heard a man’s voice—it seemed his father had arrived. Then a wave of warm, familiar righteous energy entered his body, dispersing the white fog and collapsing the barrier.

Li Chen immediately ran toward him, throwing his arms around Li Bing’s neck. He finally opened his eyes slowly, recognizing the familiar face and recalling his second uncle’s words: “Your dad is a hero.”

“Dad… wah… Dad… Cheng Cheng was scared… Grandma was killing people… wah…”

Li Bing held his son tightly, comforting him continuously. With his father there, no demon or monster would dare harm Li Chen. With Li Bing’s gentle words, the exhausted Li Chen finally fell asleep properly.

“Meili, you should sleep with Cheng Cheng too. Look at your dark circles—they’re turning into panda eyes.”

“Are you hungry? Have you reported to Commander Qin yet? Or you can just sleep holding your son. With you here, he’ll feel safe.”

Li Bing shook his head. The first thing he did upon returning was report to Qin Daqiang, who had already briefed him on the situation.

“Meili, get a good rest first. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go see my mother.”

Meili agreed. Between Li Bing’s mother and Yuan Qin, she chose Li Bing’s mother. Her mother-in-law was calm, kind, and easy to be with, which put Meili at ease.

“I’ll go cover your father with a blanket. If he lies on the bench like that, he’ll catch a cold. I also need to check on my mother. I can’t rest until I see her.”

Jiang Meili nodded. She also wanted to go, but her son couldn’t be left alone. Now that the backbone of the household had returned, her burden had been passed on. She felt much lighter.

In the ICU, Li Huan and Cheng Qiao stayed by Mother Li’s bedside. She was old and had suffered a fatal blow. Though she had taken the Rebirth Pill, her bodily functions had severely declined.

Li Huan didn’t dare get too close, fearing the cold poison in his body might invade his mother’s weak body, so Cheng Qiao handled the close care.