Chapter 255: Going to the Countryside

The bicycle couldn’t fit entirely into the car’s trunk, so Qin Yi simply left the trunk lid slightly ajar and took the driver’s seat.

Qin Ran had no objections to her brother taking over the driving. She sat in the passenger seat but couldn’t help voicing her concern, “Bro, are you sure you can drive?”

Qin Yi didn’t respond. With a press of the accelerator, the car lurched forward unsteadily, swaying and speeding up unpredictably like a drunkard. Terrified, Qin Ran didn’t dare say another word, her eyes fixed nervously on the road ahead, only occasionally reminding Qin Yi at critical moments. While accompanying her brother to the countryside sounded fun, his driving skills had deteriorated so badly that her heart was practically in her throat.

The original Qin Yi certainly hadn’t been this terrible at driving. After Qi Biao took over his body, though he retained the original owner’s memories, theory and practice were two different things. Over the past year, he had been too busy searching for Lin Fang to practice driving much. Moreover, after rejecting the marriage his family had arranged for him, his furious parents had stripped him of everything. As a low-ranking police officer, he wasn’t entitled to a company car, leaving him with almost no opportunities to drive.

Only when the car finally stabilized did Qin Ran ask, “Bro, where exactly are we going this time?”

“The same place I took you last time—the one with the delicious lamb soup,” Qin Yi replied, eyes on the road.

Qin Yi’s destination was the small county town where Lin Fang’s family lived. He had visited three years ago, but back then, it had been Qin Yi himself, not the current version inhabited by Qi Biao’s soul.

Three years ago, on New Year’s Eve, Lin Yong’s family had been robbed by four men. Sun Siyuan and his team had caught three, but one escaped. On the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, two policemen—one middle-aged, the other young—visited the Lin household to inform them that the escaped robber had been caught and asked Lin Yong to identify him. The young officer had been Qin Yi.

While reviewing household registration records the previous night, Qin Yi had come across the name Lin Fang. The family composition matched the old monk’s description—parents and two older brothers. Though he had encountered this setup many times before, each ending in disappointment, he couldn’t pass up another chance.

According to the original Qin Yi’s memories, he had seen a little girl during that visit three years ago, but he couldn’t recall her appearance at all.

Leaving Qin Ran to explore the county town on her own, Qin Yi was accompanied by Lao Zhu, the same middle-aged police officer from the county bureau who had joined him last time, as they drove toward Yiping Village.

The scenery along the road had changed drastically compared to his memories from three years ago. Numerous shops now lined the streets, and new residential buildings were under construction in the distance.

Yiping Village had also transformed. Many new courtyards had sprung up on the village outskirts, and even across the secondary highway, rows of uniform brick houses stretched into the distance. The muddy path leading into the village had been replaced by a concrete road, allowing cars to drive straight in—unlike last time, when they’d had to abandon the vehicle and walk.

Yiping Village was a transportation hub in the area.

To the west lay the county town, where hot springs on the outskirts were said to cure skin diseases. Leveraging this resource, the county government had developed various tourism and leisure projects, driving up land prices around the hot springs and bringing prosperity to nearby villages.

To the east was another administrative district rich in metal ore. The secondary highway passing through Yiping Village had been built specifically for resource transportation.

About two li (a Chinese unit of distance, roughly 1 kilometer) north flowed a wide river, dammed years earlier to form a natural reservoir. A peculiar plant with root nodules had once grown on the dam, rumored to cure rare diseases. Since these nodules fetched exorbitant prices, many risked their lives to harvest them, leading to the plant’s extinction.

In recent years, entertainment facilities had sprung up around the reservoir, boosting the local food industry. The Lin family’s “Lin’s Home-style Cuisine” had a branch there, while the flagship location in Yiping Village had expanded significantly. Lin Tuo had purchased adjacent land to build an inn.

Lin’s Home-style Cuisine had gained fame far and wide. Without advance reservations, tourists often missed out on the authentic experience.

The most authentic dishes were those personally cooked by Dong Huixin and Lin Yuanmin. However, with so many tourists, even working around the clock wouldn’t suffice. The elderly couple now focused on preparing seasonings for their branches, leaving most cooking to their apprentices.

South of Yiping Village stretched mountainous terrain where the government had invested heavily in road construction to transport local specialties and accommodate tourists. The first stop for trucks leaving the mountains was Yiping Village.

Of course, Yiping Village now hosted more than just the Lin family’s businesses. Along the secondary highway stood over twenty establishments—Lin Tuo’s “Two Lin’s Store” and “Lin’s Home-style Cuisine,” an expanding gas station, noodle shops, lamb soup restaurants, auto repair shops, tailor stores, hardware shops, and more.

Rumors suggested the county government, considering Yiping Village’s growth and strategic location, was planning to upgrade it to a town.

When the car stopped outside Lin Fang’s courtyard gate, Lao Zhu knocked. An elderly man answered.

“Hello, sir. Is Lin Yong home?” Lao Zhu asked.

“Wait a moment,” the old man replied before closing the gate.

While waiting, Qin Yi studied the vastly transformed entrance. The original narrow, low wooden gate—barely wide enough for a motorcycle—had been replaced by a grand, widened structure with a black iron gate, topped by a plaque reading “Lin’s Kindergarten.”

The sight of “Lin’s” tugged at something in Qin Yi’s heart.

Soon, the gate reopened, this time revealing Yan Ping with four-year-old Yuan Yuan behind her.

Yan Ping looked puzzled. “I’m Lin Yong’s wife. What business do you have with him? He’s away at school—not on break yet.”

“I’m from the county police bureau. We’re following up on your family’s robbery case,” Lao Zhu explained, then introduced Qin Yi: “This is a colleague from the provincial bureau.”

“Wow, this uncle is so handsome! I want to be a policeman when I grow up!”

Before Qin Yi could speak, Yuan Yuan was already circling him in admiration. Staring down at the child who barely reached his thigh, the inexperienced Qin Yi froze, unsure how to react.

Lao Zhu chuckled. “Kid, you want to be a cop just to look cool?”

“Of course! I’m a boy. Only handsome boys get girls to like them,” Yuan Yuan declared matter-of-factly.

“Haha, how old are you to worry about that?” Lao Zhu laughed.

“Uncle Meatball said if boys aren’t handsome, no girls will love them,” the boy insisted.

“Uncle Meatball? Sounds like someone who’s bitter about being fat and unattractive!” Lao Zhu couldn’t get enough of the child’s antics.

“Yuan Yuan, go practice your calligraphy, or your aunt won’t buy you that camera,” Yan Ping interjected, ending the banter.

Eager for his aunt’s camera, Yuan Yuan hurried back inside. Yan Ping turned to the men. “That robbery case was settled three years ago. Why reopen it now?”

Qin Yi frowned. “Are you sure it’s safe to talk here?”

Only then did Yan Ping notice onlookers peering from the alley. She ushered them inside but hesitated. “This is a kindergarten. Every room has people—not ideal for private talk.”

Qin Yi scanned the courtyard. Houses with pink and blue walls adorned with playful cartoons encircled a central playground featuring slides, swings, and a small trampoline. Though relatively quiet, children’s laughter and teachers’ instructions still drifted from various rooms—clearly class was in session.

Realizing the compound had been converted into a kindergarten, Qin Yi asked, “Where does your family live now? There must be a private space.”

Yan Ping grew more uneasy. “My in-laws live in town. My brother-in-law and his wife are here, but they run businesses—no privacy there either. My place is empty, but…” She trailed off, uncomfortable being alone with two men.

Three years earlier, Lin Guicheng had secured Lin Yong a spot in adult education. After six months of preparation, Lin Yong enrolled in a provincial university’s continuing education program, majoring in civil engineering. Now in his fifth semester, he was set to graduate next summer.

Two years ago, Lin Yong built a new house on village-allocated land, converting the old courtyard into the kindergarten.

After Yan Ping’s mother passed away last year, Lin Yong invited her father to live with them, easing her worries and providing companionship while he was away at school.

The elderly man who’d answered the door was Lin Yong’s father-in-law.

Lin Tuo had married this autumn—a middle school graduate wed to a college-educated accountant from the Lin Talent School.

Yan Ping’s bluntness embarrassed Lao Zhu, though Qin Yi remained unfazed. Her words, however, gave him an opening to mention Lin Fang.

Coldly, he asked, “Don’t you have a sister-in-law? With her present, gossip shouldn’t be an issue.”