It's also strange that Li Yajuan met her ex-husband, but there was nothing special about it. However, there was no need for Xu Heng to call Jiang Yuexi to tell her, as she didn't even have time to make a phone call herself?

  "Teacher Xu, I am Xiang Tianliang, where are you now?"

  "Oh... it's Xiaoxiang, I'm already home."

  "You just told Jiang sister that Li sister was taken away by her ex-husband, what's going on?"

  "I was just looking for you to talk about this, I feel a bit strange about it, you're clever, analyze it."

  "Would you mind telling me in detail?"

  Xu Heng said: "Our group has five people, led by Deputy Director Wu from the Information Department. We went to Longqiao County Construction Bureau for a three-day inspection. Li Ya Juan told me that her ex-husband wanted to see her, but she didn't tell me what it was about. This afternoon, after we finished our inspection and returned to the city, Li Ya Juan received a message through a pager on the bus, which seemed to make her unhappy. I guessed at the time that it must be her ex-husband bothering her again. Sure enough, after we reported back to the office and I walked home with her, as soon as we left the office building, we saw her ex-husband waiting by the road in his car, looking fierce, with two other people inside. He asked Li Ya Juan to get in the car, saying they hadn't seen each other for a long time and wanted to have dinner together and talk about something. At first, Li Ya Juan refused, but her ex-husband got out of the car and tried to drag her away. I advised him to stop, but he glared at me and cursed, telling me to mind my own business. Li Ya Juan saw that she couldn't win the argument, so she reluctantly agreed."

  Xiang Tianliang hastily asked: "What happened next?" He was annoyed that Xu Heng was being too wordy, but couldn't say so directly.

  "Before Li Yajuan got on the bus, she handed me a bag of chestnuts from Longqiao County and asked me to pass it to you. She said, 'Tell Xiao Xiang to help me remove the weeds from that pot of blue flowers, and also help me sweep the dining hall'."

  "Say it again."

  "Tell Xiao Xiang to help me remove the weeds from that pot of blue flowers, and also help me sweep the dining room."

  "What else?"

  After a brief pause, Mrs. Xu said: "Oh... right, after her ex-husband pulled her into the car, she shouted at me again, 'Mr. Xu, roasted chestnuts are 90 cents a pound, raw chestnuts are 50 cents a pound, remember to help me collect the money'."

  "Is that all?"

  "It's gone."

  "Thank you, Teacher Xu."

  Put down the phone and said to Jiang Yuying: "Quickly get paper and pen."

  Jiang Yuying quickly fetched paper and pen.

  "Jiang sister, can you help me remember these two sentences? First one: 'Mr. Xu, roasted chestnuts are 90 cents a pound, raw chestnuts are 50 cents a pound, don't forget to collect the money.' Second one: 'Tell Xiao Xiang to remove the weeds from that pot of blue flowers and also help me sweep the dining hall.'"

  Jiang Yuying said, "Xiao Xiang, don't you feel that Ah Ya is in trouble?"

  "It's definitely going to happen." Xiang Tianliang responded with a sentence, looking at those few words, forcing himself to calm down, his brain quickly thinking.

  Before long, a pleased smile appeared on his face.

  Jiang Yuying also looked at it, but she couldn't see anything special about it. "Xiao Xiang, hurry up and tell us what's going on."

  "Sister Li likes to read detective stories and her hobby is guessing riddles. I also think she has the analytical skills required of a criminal police officer. I once taught her about ciphers in espionage, which involves using ordinary everyday language to convey pre-arranged content that only the intended recipient can understand. I think she's already mastered it, so these two sentences must be conveying some important information to me."

  "Jiang sister, look, 'help me remove the weeds from that pot of blue flowers and also help me sweep the dining room', this sentence is actually conveying bad news. Because Li sister doesn't even grow flowers, where did she get the blue flowers? And her house has a small area, the living room is also the dining room, there's no separate dining room at all. If anything, it should be said to sweep the living room, so she's reporting to me while conveying bad news."

  "First, let's look at the first sentence: '熟板栗九毛一斤，生板栗五毛一斤' (chestnuts are 9 cents a pound for cooked ones and 5 cents a pound for raw ones). The word 'jiu' in 'jiu mao' sounds similar to 'rescue', while the word 'wu' in 'wu mao' sounds similar to 'me'. This sentence is clearly saying that she's in danger and wants me to rescue her... Next, let's look at the second sentence: '帮我把那盆蓝花上的草除掉，还有，帮我打扫一下餐厅' (help me remove the grass from that pot of blue flowers, and also help me sweep the dining hall). The word 'lan' in 'lan hua' sounds similar to 'prison', while 'dining hall' specifically refers to a place where people eat. This sentence is hinting at a specific location, which I believe is a restaurant located on the square of the train station, called Rongxin Hotel. When I arrived in Qinghe City, I stayed at Rongxin Hotel for one night, and I know that it's a hotel run by the labor reform farm affiliated with Qinghe Prison."

  Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuying anxiously said: "Xiao Xiang, quickly go take a look at Rongxin Hotel."

  Tian Liang said, "I heard from Sister Li that her ex-husband was the deputy warden of Qinghe Prison and the head of the labor reform farm. He used to be in charge of Rongxin Hotel, which is his turf. Can I handle it alone? Besides, they were husband and wife after all, and I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to go there rashly."

  "I'll go with you." Jiang Yuying volunteered.

  "What's with you? Just standing there, are you going window shopping or something?" Tian Liang glared at Jiang Yuqing.

  Jiang Yuying didn't retreat, instead she pulled on Xiang Tianliang's arm and whispered: "I knew it, you still don't believe me, can't trust me like you trust Ya Juan."

  Turning back to Tian Liang, he gently stroked Jiang Yuying's face with his hand and smiled:

  "Jiang Jie, trust is a process, not just an emotional judgment. From your performance at the teahouse this afternoon, I already believe you are faithfully executing my decisions. I hope you can continue to help me, using the tactic of delay to exhaust their last bit of patience. At that time, I may consider trusting you 100%... but for now, you are still within the probation period I set."

  While speaking, he made preparations for departure towards Tian Liang.

  He picked up the car key on the tea table and swung it at Jiang Yuying, "I want to use your car for a while... remember, before I come back, don't do anything or go anywhere."

  Hurriedly left towards the bright sky.

  Just as Tian Liang was about to leave and enter the elevator, within a dozen seconds or so, the doors of another elevator opened, and two men, one tall and one short, came out.

  Two men looked around and exchanged a glance before the shorter one stepped forward and pressed the doorbell of Jiang Yuying's house.

  Jiang Yuying must have thought it was Xiang Tianliang, she quickly opened the door.

  Just as she opened the door, it was pushed open and two men rushed into her home...