RYEY -Chapter 469 Yuan Qin Wants to See Her Child

“Li Bing, you’re the soldier I’ve valued most. It’s a pity your luck isn’t good. Though, you do have Cheng Qiao as a sister-in-law.”

Qin Daqiang didn’t know how to comfort Li Bing. By standard, his discharge allowance should have been just over 4,000 yuan, with extra allowances not exceeding 5,000.

Yet he was given 8,000 yuan, plus 500 jin of nationwide grain coupons and 55 chi of cloth coupons—what an ordinary soldier would earn in over twenty years.

“Thank you, Battalion Commander, for your guidance all these years. Unfortunately, I let you down.”

Li Bing stood and saluted Qin Daqiang. This might be the last salute of his life, and even though Qin Daqiang stood to return it, Li Bing didn’t lower his hand for a long time.

Qin Daqiang felt a pang of sorrow. This was a soldier’s perseverance. He didn’t stop him, so they remained saluting each other for a long time.

“Thank you, Battalion Commander… I’m leaving now.”

Li Bing lowered his hand, removed his red shoulder boards and hat insignia, handed over his gun, and took a leather envelope, leaving without looking back.

Qin Daqiang’s rough hand touched Li Bing’s shoulder boards and hat insignia. Heart heavy, he stored them carefully and ran to the training ground to vent.

But upon arrival, he saw Li Bing surrounded by his brothers. No one wanted to let him leave—but that was impossible.

Seeing Qin Daqiang arrive, everyone lined up and saluted. Li Bing, however, no longer had the right to salute, and two tears fell uncontrollably.

Guoqing couldn’t bear it and wrapped Li Bing’s shoulder, walking him outside. Today, he would drink with Li Bing until drunk. Xiao Dan glanced around and followed.

One, two, ten, twenty… more soldiers joined, and at the base entrance, the two sentries saluted Li Bing respectfully, seeing their comrade off.

Cheng Qiao and Li Huan had learned about this early and didn’t feel regret. Li Bing’s return meant someone in the Li family could survive properly.

For Jiang Meili, Li Chen, and Mother Li, this was a good thing. But Cheng Qiao and Li Huan didn’t want Mother Li to know too much, lest the elderly lady couldn’t handle it.

“Li Huan, let’s go to the hospital. Cheng Li must be anxious.”

“Mm, let’s go.”

When they arrived at the hospital, Jiang Meili and Jiang Hua were gone. Lele’s face showed worry—Jiang Hua and his daughter had been taken by the police.

“Second sister-in-law, the police took my sister-in-law and her father. Chengcheng was scared to death.”

Cheng Qiao nodded, went to Li Chen, and picked up the troubled child, feeding him a White Rabbit milk candy. The sweet taste calmed his fear.

Yet his little hands still clutched Cheng Qiao’s arm. In his eyes, the second aunt was someone who could protect him.

“Lele, Mom, it’s okay. I heard Yuan Qin wants to see her son and also check Jiang Hua and Meili’s identities. They’ll be back soon.”

“What? That woman wants to see her son? Didn’t she say he was a freak? Why does she want to see him now?”

“Desperate grasping… or maybe a guilty conscience. After all, she carried him for ten months.”

Mother Li nodded. She didn’t care whether the woman saw her son—she cared about Li Bing’s future.

“Child, do you know your eldest brother…”

Mother Li looked at Li Huan and Cheng Qiao nervously, worried he might also get involved.

“Mom, my eldest brother has been discharged…”

Mother Li felt a pang. Her eldest son had worked so hard to become a battalion commander, risking his life, only to be discharged because of Yuan Qin.

“How is he now? Is he in pain? My poor son…”

Mother Li cried. She hadn’t shed tears even when Yuan Qin almost killed her; she hadn’t thought to cry when she was weak and panicked to the point of near collapse. But upon learning that everything about Li Bing had to start over, her heart ached with sorrow.

“Mother, it’s okay. Big brother said he still wants to go back to the countryside to farm. If he doesn’t go back soon, the house will suffocate.”

“Don’t comfort me! It’s all because of that damn woman. If she hadn’t gone crazy, none of this would have happened. My poor son, my poor grandson.”

Li Chen was a little confused. He didn’t understand what “retiring from the army” meant, but seeing his grandmother cry so sorrowfully, could it be that his father could no longer serve in the military?

“Aunt, my dad is a hero.”

“That’s right. Even if your dad retires, he’s still a hero.”

“Aunt, what does retiring mean?”

“Retiring means your dad is going to work somewhere else.”

Li Chen’s face brightened when he heard his father would still work. His mother always said the family relied entirely on his father’s income; otherwise, they would have starved to death.

“Aunt, if Dad works, Mom and I won’t starve.”

Cheng Qiao smiled and nodded—it was certainly true.

“Are you hungry, little one? I brought breakfast. Do you want some?”

Li Chen shook his head; he had already eaten breakfast and didn’t want to waste food. But Li Ming shoved a fried dough stick into his hand, impatiently shouting,

“Eat quickly! Finish and then go get your injection.”

The light in Li Chen’s eyes dimmed, but remembering his grandmother saying that Li Ming didn’t like cowards, he lifted his head and ate his favorite fried dough stick in big bites.

“Eat slowly. Here, drink some soy milk. Sweet or salty?”

“Sweet, thank you, Aunt.”

“Good boy. Careful, it’s hot. Sit down to eat.”

Li Le also took a bowl of white porridge, added some pork floss, and brought it to Mother Li. Being older, she particularly liked pork floss, so Cheng Qiao had taken a lot from her space.

“Cheng Qiao, come with me to the nursery. The police are coming to take the baby. I’m worried something might happen.”

Hantong pushed open the door, her expression calm as she looked at the large family having breakfast. She was hungry too, but she had no time—she needed to take the baby to the police station.

“Hantong, have you eaten breakfast? The baby can wait. Make sure you feed yourself first.”

Hantong’s lips curled slightly. She was about to walk over when Li Chen, with a mouthful of fried dough, called out unclearly, “Food snatcher coming!”

Hantong felt a pang of sympathy. It was just one piece of bear paw meat, yet the little kid held a grudge. Well, they could eat at Deng’s small restaurant later—the important thing was the task at hand.

Cheng Qiao had no choice. She quickly swallowed a piece of baked flatbread, drank some soy milk, wiped her hands and mouth with a handkerchief, and went with Hantong to take the baby.