The brigade leader was speechless.

He stood right outside the door and shouted.

"Lin Jiandong, what are you hiding for? I see you! If you don’t come out right now, don’t blame me for having you escorted to the County Town!"

Inside the house.

Only then did Lin Jiandong reluctantly walk over, open the door, and step outside.

The brigade leader went up and gave him a kick.

"What are you hiding for? You want to go to jail?"

’This guy can’t possibly think that the evidence of him trafficking children has disappeared, and now he’s having second thoughts about severing ties, can he?’

Lin Jiandong really was having second thoughts.

When Chen Shulan came back, she had mentioned that Gu Jiaojiao had made new clothes for the two children.

Lin Jiandong hadn’t expected Gu Jiaojiao to care so much about two unwanted children. He figured that since their household registration was with him, he might be able to squeeze some benefits out of it later on.

Who knew the brigade leader would spot him?

The brigade leader was speechless again.

’It’s when an "honest" man acts like a scoundrel that he’s a real pain in the neck.’

He grabbed the man and dragged him to the donkey cart.

"Let’s go. Now."

They needed to sever ties immediately. He didn’t want to see this guy ever again.

Lin Jiandong shrank back and gave a hollow laugh.

"Brigade Leader, I just didn’t hear you."

Everyone: ...

If they hadn’t just seen him run faster than a rabbit, they might have actually believed him.

The brigade leader couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

"It doesn’t matter. As long as you can hear me now. Hand over the household registration booklet."

Lin Jiandong took out the household registration booklet.

The brigade leader snatched it.

He would hold onto it to prevent Lin Jiandong from pulling any tricks and only return it after everything was settled.p>The donkey cart traveled all the way to the County Town.

The brigade leader took Leng Yuan straight inside to handle the registration.

With the village’s official seal, and given that the two children had no one to support them and were on the verge of starvation, the commune officials didn’t make things difficult and registered them right away.

Holding the newly-issued household registration booklet, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Only Lin Jiandong looked displeased.

’It’s so unfair!’

He had adopted Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang intending to profit from it, but he hadn’t gained a single advantage. Instead, he’d lost grain and furniture.

Now his family was so poor they didn’t have a single decent piece of furniture.

Chen Shulan had already fought with him about it several times.

If they didn’t already have two children of their own, she might have actually divorced him.

Thinking about all this, Lin Jiandong felt a pang in his chest.

Leng Yuan still wanted to look around the County Town.

The brigade leader also had other business; he needed to attend a meeting in town.

Lin Jiandong was kicked straight off the donkey cart.

"We have things to do. You can walk back yourself!"

Lin Jiandong: ...

’Hey, this wasn’t your attitude on the way here.’

He wanted to lose his temper.

’Who acts like this, just casting people aside after they’re used?’

He put on a cold expression and raised his eyes to look at Leng Yuan. After two seconds, he immediately lost his nerve.

Leng Yuan had been a formidable fighter since childhood. Picking a fight with him would just be asking for trouble.

’Whatever. The village isn’t that far anyway. I can just walk back.’

He muttered to himself as he walked.

"I don’t believe you’ll genuinely be good to those two kids you’ve adopted."

When the time came, he wouldn’t just let it go.

Leng Yuan paid Lin Jiandong no mind.

’He’s less of an honest man and more of a petty one.’

"To the photo studio."

Leng ManCang didn’t dare say a word, dutifully following the order.

Leng Yuan said to go to the photo studio, so he drove the donkey cart all the way to its entrance.

Leng Yuan, Gu Jiaojiao, and the two children got down from the cart.

He had actually wanted to bring Gu Jiaojiao here for a photo on the day they got their marriage certificate. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But the photo studio was closed at the time, so they had to give up the idea.

Today was the perfect chance to make up for it.

They walked into the photo studio, wanting to take a wedding photo.

The studio staff set up a red backdrop, and Gu Jiaojiao and Leng Yuan took off their coats.

Gu Jiaojiao was wearing a white shirt underneath, and so was Leng Yuan.

The two of them stood together for their wedding photo.

The staff member took a look and couldn’t help but call out, "Could you two move a little closer?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but lean closer to Leng Yuan.

Leng Yuan lowered his gaze, unable to resist reaching out and wrapping an arm around the person beside him.

The image was frozen in that instant.

1975.11.23.