Xiaonian, who didn’t have a care in the world, lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep after listening to what Xiaofeng said.
Xiaofeng watched her fall asleep and didn’t ask any more questions, feeling a sigh of relief. If Xiaonian had been a bit more meticulous, Xiaofeng really wouldn’t have known how to explain things.
The next morning when they got up, Ye Cheng had already checked out and left.
"Feng, did you offend someone in Imperial Capital, and that’s why they lured you here to teach you a lesson?" Su Peng had overheard a bit yesterday and roughly understood the situation.
"Yes, a few days ago I helped the police take down a den, and I guess they held a grudge against me, so they probably arranged this whole scenario."
"Then we need to be more careful in our actions going forward. They didn’t succeed this time but they will surely look for another opportunity to strike." If that was the case, Su Peng was somewhat worried.
The other party had failed this time but would definitely try again. Although Xiaofeng was skilled, if the opponents resorted to underhanded tactics or some abnormal methods, it would still be hard to guard against.
"Brother, I will be careful."
Mr. Wang came in with an apologetic face, and said regretfully to Xiaofeng: "Mr. Su, to be honest, I didn’t want to call you to handle this, but the other party is the local serpent, and I couldn’t resist. Thankfully, you all are okay, otherwise, I really couldn’t forgive myself."
"Actually, I should thank you." Xiaofeng smiled at him: "If you hadn’t had someone follow me that day and then reported the situation here to the police, the police wouldn’t have arrived so quickly."
The police were able to arrive so quickly because of Mr. Wang’s efforts. If he hadn’t been cautious and had someone follow Xiaofeng, the police wouldn’t have arrived so promptly without any leads.
"I was afraid you guys would get into trouble." Mr. Wang smiled sheepishly: "But from this incident, I can confirm that Pear Blossom Brand is a trustworthy brand. Although this incident has damaged our reputation, fortunately, we acted quickly and minimized the loss."
Doing business, no one can guarantee it always goes smoothly; being able to earnestly resolve issues as they arise is good enough.
"We should continue our cooperation in the future." Xiaofeng smiled: "When you have time, come to the factory and watch our production process in person."
"Definitely, definitely."
On the way back, Su Peng drove the truck back.
Xiaofeng and two others took a train back from Tianma Train Station.
"You’re finally back." Once back home, He Ximei was relieved to see Xiaofeng and Su Peng were safe: "Since you left, there’s been no news; your dad and I haven’t been eating or sleeping well, just worried about you encountering trouble out there."
If something had actually happened, what could they possibly do from so far away?
"Doing business isn’t always smooth; there are often some difficulties, but luckily, we’ve resolved them." Xiaofeng walked over to the table, poured a glass of cool boiled water, and drank it in one gulp.
"Hello, Mom He." Xiaonian and Xiaoyan greeted He Ximei.
Xiaonian glanced at the kitchen and suggested to He Ximei: "Mom He, can we have braised pork for lunch? Your braised pork tastes even better than what our aunt makes, and I’ve really been craving it."
Listening to his sister, Xiaoyan’s mouth twitched: "You never forget about food wherever you go."
"It sounds like you don’t eat at all."
Xiaoyan chose to ignore him.
This was his sister’s house, and there were no strangers around.
"Okay, I’ll go buy some meat soon and make plenty so you can eat your fill."
That evening, after dinner, Xiaofeng stood in front of the window looking outside.
After the big fire, the house was rebuilt; this building was newly constructed, and they had only recently moved in.
The layout of the house had been designed by Ye Cheng earlier—it was a modern two-story house, with bathrooms in every master bedroom.
In the yard, He Ximei hadn’t planted flowers again, instead, she grew necessary kitchen herbs like green onions and chives.
"Xiaofeng, it’s good you’re back this time." Old Man Su clacked his tobacco pipe: "We’ve planned to choose a date for the fire ritual. Now that you’re back, I was thinking of picking a day soon to carry it out. Next time, you won’t need to rush back."
In the countryside, there’s a tradition that when someone builds a new house, they must hold a ceremony called the fire ritual, meaning that life in the new house will be prosperous and thriving.
"I guess my timing was as good as it gets." Hearing her father, Xiaofeng quickly took out the old almanac: "Dad, look at it now, see which date suits best?"