I Have a Lake as I Walk Through the Courtyard

Just as it was time to eat, the police brought two lunchboxes and placed them in front of the two siblings. "Eat while I explain the situation to you."

When it comes to food, Yu Shui has always taken it seriously. Years of life have taught her when to be polite and when to fight for what she wants. Without hesitation, she opened her lunchbox and wolfed down her food.

I sighed as I looked at the girl with the blond hair. "Your father will be back tonight. Yi Zhonghai has confessed everything. According to our statistics, your father sent back a total of 1030 yuan! A few years ago, he sent 5 yuan a month, then 10 yuan, and sometimes 20 yuan on your birthday, and even 30 yuan sometimes! It was marked as being for buying you daily necessities. These are the letters we recovered; most of them were destroyed by Yi Zhonghai. Take a look yourself!"

Despite the pile of letters beside her, Yushui didn't slow down her eating pace. Her mouth was stuffed full, and tears kept flowing from her eyes. Only when a lunchbox was completely cleaned did Yushui stop, wipe her mouth, pick up the letter, and slowly read it.

Despite the limited number of letters, Yu Shui still managed to glean quite a bit of information. After his adoptive father went to Hebei, his circumstances improved slightly, and he sent a considerable amount of money home—tuition fees, living expenses, money for his birthday, and money for clothes. He thought of everything! As Yu Shui read, tears blurred his vision.

Meanwhile, Sha Zhu's mind went completely blank. He could forgive Yi Zhonghai for interfering with his marriage before, but he didn't know how to convince himself to forgive him for this! If he dared to say a word now, his sister would definitely turn against him! Besides, he still had to face his own father.

The long-lost family affection finally gave Yu Shui a sense of purpose in life. These letters were like treasures to her, and her long-frozen heart slowly thawed, forcing in a blurry figure.

After a long afternoon of travel, facing the completely subdued police, He Daqing didn't dare to ask a single question. When he finally got off at the police station, upon returning to the long-missed capital, his first action was to close his eyes and take a deep breath.

The police officers didn't explain much to He Daqing, and He Daqing wasn't too flustered. He hadn't broken the law, and he already had some guesses in his mind about how the police had managed to find him.

Just as he expected, he saw his long-lost son and daughter as soon as he entered the office! The three of them had not seen each other for more than 10 years, and for a moment the room fell silent, no one knowing how to start a conversation.

"Alright, you probably guessed why we came back early. We still have some questions to ask you. Let's reunite after we've asked them!"

He Daqing gave his children a look, then slowly followed the police out of the office. Yu Shui looked at her father's back, raised her hand, and finally made a muffled sound in her throat.

Sha Zhu sat down again, placed his hands on the table, lowered his head, and didn't say a word, feeling extremely confused.

Under police interrogation, He Daqing quickly explained his situation clearly. The police checked the numbers with He Daqing and the case was almost a done deal!

After signing his confession, He Daqing couldn't wait to walk to his office, where he saw his two children awkwardly picking their toes.

"We can go back now! Let's talk about it when we get back!"

The two siblings nodded, neither knowing what to say. The three walked in silence. He Daqing walked ahead, looking at the familiar road, his heart filled with a mix of emotions.

The three of them returned to the house at 9 p.m. Starving, He Daqing instinctively went to his kitchen, and after running around for a while, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

He Daqing, annoyed, called his son over. "It's New Year's Day, and we don't have any food in our kitchen?"

"Your good son gave it all away to curry favor! Wait a minute, I'll go out and borrow some!"

Anyway, she had already paid back all the money she owed Lin Feng, and Yu Shui had let go of her worries. Her own father had returned, so she could repay what she owed him. When she knocked on Lin Feng's door and saw that familiar face again, Yu Shui felt like she had been reborn.

"Is there anything wrong with the rain?"

Rainy Day hung his head awkwardly. "We're out of food at home, could you lend me some?"

"I thought it was something serious, you just wait."

Soon, Lin Feng brought out two large bags, which Yu Shui tried to lift but couldn't even budge. "How much stuff did you stuff in these?"

"It's the Lunar New Year, and everyone's on holiday. You can't even buy it now. Now that your father is back, you don't have to worry about those two widows trying to take advantage of you again."

Rainwater nodded. "I'll pay you back after the New Year."

"Let me help you carry it home!"

Rain chuckled. "No need!" she said, calling out towards the moon gate. "What are you still hiding there for? Come and move your things!"

A figure awkwardly emerged from the darkness and nodded at Lin Feng. "Little Lin, you've grown so much!"

"Hehe, Uncle He, what a rare guest!"

He Daqing's face darkened; this kid's mouth was just as sharp as his own son's. "I won't say thank you; I'll come and thank you after the New Year!"

The father and daughter carried two bags back to their hometown. When He Daqing got home and put down the bags, he was astonished! There were all kinds of vegetables and neatly arranged sections of lotus root in one bag, and another bag of mixed flour weighed at least 50 jin. This stuff was not needed to feed livestock in Lin Feng's space, and he didn't like to eat it himself. It had been brought from the black market and hadn't been touched much.

What excited He Daqing the most was that there was a big fish weighing over 20 kilograms, packed in a separate bag, which made He Daqing's hands itch to grab it!

"Girl, this boy treats you quite well! Does he have feelings for you? Tell your father what he thinks of him?"

Rain blushed slightly. "What nonsense are you talking about? She's just feeling sorry for me! Go and cook!"

He Daqing didn't hesitate; almost instinctively, he patted his son's head. "What are you standing there for? Come and help!"

The long-lost feeling made Sha Zhu feel strange. Looking at his father's wide eyes, he couldn't utter a word of protest and followed He Daqing into the kitchen with his head hanging low.

As the aroma wafted from the kitchen, the fragrance of stewed fish filled the courtyard. Yu Shui, smelling the long-lost aroma, sat in the living room, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility, free from the previous anxiety.

As Yu Shui expected, Qin Huairu soon came over following the scent. The news of her father's return had not yet spread, and thinking of this, Yu Shui's smile became even brighter.

"Oh dear, Rain, why are you sitting here all alone? Where's your brother?"

Rain glanced at the large bowl in her hand, and a strange smile inexplicably crept onto her lips. "My brother? He's in the kitchen!"

"Oh my, your brother's cooking! It made my son so hungry! Look, he's already making a fuss again after we just finished eating, really!" Qin Huairu said, carrying a bowl towards the kitchen. "I'll go check on your brother in the kitchen!"

Yu Shui didn't even move, her eyes narrowed like a little fox, just quietly watching Qin Huairu walk into the kitchen.