RYEY -Chapter 516 Renovating the General Store

But this time was different. He would, like Mai Sui, be without his father. No, not without—but he wouldn’t see him for a long time.

“Daddy, don’t worry. I’ve grown up, and Grandma is entrusted to me.”

Li Huan scooped up his mischievous son. Li Ming was startled—he hated being held, yet this time he didn’t want to let go.

“Good boy, you’ve really grown up. Then Daddy entrusts Grandma to you. You’re a man of the Li family; don’t fail to fulfill your promises.”

“I promise to complete the task… Daddy, can you work harder, so you can come home sooner?”

“Daddy will work hard, and return as soon as possible.”

Xiao Nuan could no longer hold back. She flung herself at Li Huan, grabbing his legs tightly, and began crying. Her cries made the nearby, startled Ye Cheng also cry.

Li Ming wiped his tears and got down, realizing his sister needed their father’s embrace more. Plus, he still had to look after Ye Cheng.

Ye Jing clenched his fists, his small body tense. Ye Jun and Ye Chengying felt unbearably guilty, especially Ye Chengying—he hadn’t expected the higher-ups to use him in exchange for Li Huan.

A large hand rested on Ye Jing’s small shoulders, gently patting him twice. Cheng Qiao and Li Huan understood the gesture, and their tense hearts eased slightly.

Li Huan’s mother said nothing, her eyes dry. She finally understood that a happy life isn’t given freely—it’s the result of countless unsung heroes’ sacrifices.

Both her sons had contributed to the people’s happiness. Though Bingzi had retired, if not for Meili’s mother’s problem, he would still be an honorable soldier.

Now Huanzi had to follow the same path. As a mother, she could only support and pray—she must not shed tears.

“Kids, it’s late. Let’s sleep early. Tomorrow morning, we’ll climb the Great Wall, eat donkey rolls, have Western food, and go to places we’ve never been.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Got it, Mommy.”

“Good night, Mommy and Daddy.”

For half a month straight, Li Huan and Cheng Qiao traveled all over the capital with the children and elders. They bought whatever caught their eye and tried every delicious food they found.

The children were ecstatic—they knew the family was wealthy, but their parents’ discipline ensured they didn’t waste money recklessly.

Spending like this had never happened before. Every face was glowing with happiness, especially Li Chen’s—he even had three sets of brand-new clothes of various kinds.

This New Year was lively. The children smiled as much as they could, running, jumping, and laughing in the courtyard. Even strangers passing by couldn’t help but smile.

But they didn’t know that their overly deliberate cheerfulness made Li Huan and Cheng Qiao feel an indescribable sadness. Still, to avoid letting the children notice, they joined in this deliberate act.

In the end, it was Xuhui, who had hurried back, who couldn’t bear it anymore. He hugged Li Huan tightly and cried out: “Dad, if you want to cry, just cry. No one thinks it’s a sin for a man to shed tears.”

Li Huan felt his nose sting and hugged Xuhui back. Xuhui saluted him, signaling that as long as he was alive, his younger siblings would always be under his protection.

Suddenly, a car horn sounded outside. It was Hu Lata coming to pick up Li Huan. Li Huan first hugged his mother and the children, then Ye Jun and Cheng Liguo, and finally held Cheng Qiao tightly, feeling immense reluctance:

“Wife, wait for me. I will definitely come back.”

“I will.”

“Take care of yourself, my wife. When I’m not around, you have to enjoy life fully, rest fully, and protect yourself fully.”

“I will.”

“Wife, I really hate leaving you. I regret it.”

“I regret it too.”

The two of them nestled together, not knowing how much time had passed. Hantong stood beside Cheng Qiao, and Li Huan felt too embarrassed to continue holding her.

“Li Huan, if… I say if… you see Mai Sui, please take good care of her.”

“I will. She’s the daughter Cheng Qiao and I just adopted. Li Xiaonuan, you have a sister now.”

Li Xiaonuan nodded vigorously. She remembered the girl’s name, Mai Sui, and she liked her.

“Take this and don’t give it to anyone else.”

Cheng Qiao handed Li Huan a large suitcase containing carefully prepared seasonal clothes, cash, and extremely valuable pills—enough for him to use for five to eight years.

Seeing the suitcase in Li Huan’s hands, Hu Lata looked envious. Cheng Qiao, like performing a magic trick, pulled out another suitcase and placed it in the car:

“Uncle Lata, this is for you. Please take good care of my Li Huan.”

Hu Lata grinned. As a psychic in a special department, everyone had endured harsh training. The harsher the training, the higher the chance of survival.

But Li Huan was his apprentice. He knew the ins and outs—hardship was inevitable, but life would be safe.

“Don’t worry. Just for your thoughtfulness, I’ll make sure to keep your man safe.”

Cheng Qiao blushed; her bribe had been discovered. The car started moving, the faint blue smoke disappeared, and Cheng Qiao and the children could still hear Hu Lata’s unrestrained laughter.

Hu Lata had no idea that his laughter had brought Cheng Qiao and the children a beam of light, a ray of hope. They knew their father was only away temporarily and would surely return home.

Hantong’s eyes brightened too. As long as Li Huan returned safely, Mai Sui would also be back. Unless the injuries were too severe, Cheng Qiao would restore them fully.

“Xiaonuan, Ye Jing, tomorrow Mom will leave. I’ll stay in Chuncheng for a while. Call me if you need anything.”

“Mom, Dad will be back soon. You mustn’t miss him too much—it’s bad for your health.”

Ye Jing reminded Cheng Qiao seriously. He knew his parents shared a deep bond.

“Little one, with such heavy thoughts at your age, you should actually relax more. That way you can learn more.”

“Mom, are you really going to stay in Chuncheng for a while?”

Li Ming looked at Cheng Qiao with bright eyes. He felt uneasy—he was only eight and might not be able to take care of the older and younger children.

“Yes. Mom plans to renovate the grocery store and tidy up the yard behind it.”

Cheng Qiao was finally going to renovate the grocery store, transforming it into the way it had been in her previous life, fulfilling her rebirth.

“Renovating the grocery store, that’s great!”

Li Ming almost clapped with excitement. Renovating a store wasn’t a one- or two-day job; it would take at least a month, maybe two or three. Now he no longer had to worry about his abilities being insufficient.