After the divorce, he went on a motorcycle trip, and his ex-wife and daughter were filled with regre

Several days have passed.

Jiang Ye's state of mind underwent a dramatic change.

Those hurdles that seemed insurmountable now appear to be nothing more than a ripple in the water. All the scheming and intrigue, all the romantic entanglements, are nothing compared to the exhilaration of taking control of one's own life.

It just so happens that it is the anniversary of the death of the grandfather who adopted him.

Jiang Ye turned down all social engagements and work, and did not bring a driver or bodyguards.

He drove his understated black Mercedes-Benz G-Class out of the bustling city of Hanzhou, heading towards his hometown in the countryside.

It's a two-hour drive.

The view outside the window changed from skyscrapers to rolling green hills and vast farmlands.

The car drove onto a bumpy dirt road and eventually stopped at the entrance of a remote mountain village.

Jiang Ye got out of the car and took a deep breath.

There are no car exhaust fumes here, and no piercing horns.

Only the fragrance of earth and the occasional bark of a dog could be heard.

The village was very quiet, so quiet that it seemed as if time itself had slowed down. The young people had all gone to work in the city, leaving only a few elderly people behind, sitting in their doorways basking in the sun, their eyes somewhat clouded.

Jiang Ye, carrying the incense, candles, paper money, and a bottle of fine wine he had prepared beforehand, followed the overgrown path from his memory and arrived at the back mountain.

Grandpa's grave is overgrown with weeds.

Jiang Ye squatted down and pulled out the weeds one by one with his bare hands.

He lit incense and candles, poured the wine from the bottle in front of the grave, and then kowtowed three times heavily on the bluestone slab.

"Grandpa, I've come back to see you."

Jiang Ye looked at the somewhat blurry black and white photo on the tombstone, his voice a little hoarse.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I have enough to eat and wear now, and no one dares to bully me anymore."

He didn't mention Shen Qinghan, nor the messy things that had happened recently. He didn't want the old man in the afterlife to worry about him.

Jiang Ye sat in front of the grave for a long time, until the incense and candles burned out, before standing up, patting the dirt off his knees, and walking down the mountain.

Return to the east end of the village.

There was a dilapidated old brick house there.

This is the place where he, his grandfather, and his eldest sister Han Qingru lived and grew up together.

Several roof tiles were broken, half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, and the red paint on the wooden door had long since peeled off. The yard was overgrown with waist-high weeds, making it look extremely desolate.

Jiang Ye pushed open the creaking, dilapidated wooden door.

Looking at all this familiar yet unfamiliar place, I felt a deep sense of tranquility and an indescribable feeling of belonging.

After a moment of contemplation.

He took out his phone and dialed Lei Heng's number.

"Old Lei, where are you?"

"Boss! I just finished reviewing Xingchen Technology's data at the company! What are your instructions?" On the other end of the phone, Lei Heng's voice was always as strong and energetic as ever.

"I have a task for you."

Jiang Ye looked at the dilapidated courtyard in front of him and said calmly, "Immediately contact a top-notch construction team and the best ancient building restoration designer in the country."

"Bring them to my old home in the countryside."

"I want to renovate this old house that I've lived in since I was a child."

Lei Heng on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, clearly not keeping up with Jiang Ye's leaping train of thought.

"Huh? Renovating an old house? Boss, this is a remote, impoverished area. Are you planning to build a manor or a villa?"

"We will not build manors or villas."

Jiang Ye interrupted him without hesitation.

"I want to keep the exterior as it is, to restore it to its original state. But the interior facilities, the water and electricity systems, all need to be replaced with the best. I want to turn it into a place where people can live and retire."

"Understood! I'll get right on it! I guarantee I'll arrange everything perfectly for you!" Lei Heng patted his chest and assured him.

I hung up the phone.

Jiang Ye stood in the courtyard, looking at the old locust tree that had already withered and died.

However, it was still inevitable that I would think of Han Qingru, whom I grew up with.

At that time, the tree was still lush and leafy.

In the summer, he and Han Qingru would sit under this tree to cool off and catch cicadas.

Those were truly carefree times.

I have no money, but I'm happy every day.

Moreover, my eldest sister, Han Qingru, is really good to me.

If there's anything delicious, it's always the first thing they put in his mouth; if anyone dares to bully him, Han Qingru will definitely rush up and fight them like a little female leopard.

If it weren't for Han Qingru, I probably would have starved to death under some bridge long ago.

Thinking about this...

Jiang Ye sighed.

Jiang Ye felt that his last reply to the text message was indeed a bit too abrupt.

At that time, he had just gone through a series of terrible things and was extremely irritable, like a hedgehog, pricking anyone he could. Now, looking back calmly, I realize that his older sister was just concerned about him, and his aloof attitude was indeed quite hurtful.

I was just thinking about whether I should call Han Qingru to apologize.

"Click".

Suddenly, the crisp sound of high heels clicking on gravel came from outside the courtyard gate.

In the quiet rural courtyard, the sound seemed particularly abrupt.

Jiang Ye frowned and turned to look.

Suddenly a woman appeared.

She pushed open the half-open, rickety courtyard gate and stood abruptly in Jiang Ye's line of sight.

The woman was dressed beautifully, wearing a beige trench coat over a black turtleneck sweater. Her long legs were encased in tight jeans, and she wore nude high heels with a 7-centimeter heel.

With her long, wavy hair casually draped over her shoulders and wearing large sunglasses, she exuded a powerful aura, completely out of place in this dilapidated rural courtyard. She looked like a female star straight out of a movie.

Jiang Ye was completely stunned.

He stared intently at the figure at the doorway.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than his eldest sister, Han Qingru!

Jiang Ye was stunned, his face full of disbelief, and he even wondered if he was hallucinating.

"Big sister?"

"What are you doing here?!"

Jiang Ye strode over, his voice filled with shock, "Weren't you abroad??"

Han Qingru took off her sunglasses, revealing her beautiful peach blossom eyes.

She looked Jiang Ye up and down, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was alright.

Then, she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Han Qingru glared at Jiang Ye playfully, "You brat!"

"What kind of nonsense question is that?"

"Can I not come back on the anniversary of my grandfather's death?"

Han Qingru walked into the yard in high heels. Looking at the overgrown weeds, she frowned slightly and spoke with a hint of reproach.

"This is the grandfather who raised us! Even if it's a huge business deal, I have to drop everything and rush back!"

Jiang Ye touched his nose, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Then...why didn't you tell me? I could have picked you up from the airport."

Han Qingru snorted coldly upon hearing this.

She turned her head, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Jiang Ye.

Han Qingru frowned, her tone filled with undisguised resentment and grudge.

"You're sulking with me, why should I contact you?"

"That night, someone replied to my WeChat message in a very cold tone! 'I'm fine, eating well and sleeping soundly, big sister, get some rest early.' Wow, that official tone, I thought I was reporting to some business partner!"

"Since you're so unwilling to talk to me, why should I bother trying to be nice to you by telling you I'm coming back in advance?"

Han Qingru's barbed and sarcastic rebuke left Jiang Ye speechless.

Jiang Ye smiled wryly and helplessly shrugged.

"You can tell that?"

"Big sister, with your ability to read people, it's a waste that you're not a secret agent."

Jiang Ye quickly stepped forward, took the purse from Han Qingru, and smiled ingratiatingly.

"That day... I was indeed in a bad mood that day, and something bothered me, so I spoke a bit harshly. I was just regretting it when you showed up."

"You've got some conscience after all." Seeing Jiang Ye back down, Han Qingru's anger subsided considerably.