The parents' kneeling had placed immense pressure on Yang Jian. He felt ashamed to face his desperate fellow villagers if he didn't rescue the young men and women.
He decided to depart for Mengla after the Lantern Festival. Through Yang Fan, he would connect with more military personnel and executives of fraud companies to track down Wan Quan and his associates.
He wasn't idle before the Spring Festival either. Yang Jian, accompanied by Biao Biao and Liang Liang, visited Afeng, Anan, and Jun Jun, who were serving sentences. He also delivered dividends from the trading company to their families.
Finally, he drove three hundred kilometers to Shayang Prison to visit Li Jin, whom he hadn't seen in over four years. Li Jin was surprised to see Yang Jian. He had been incarcerated for over four years, and Yang Jian had never visited him. Li Jin assumed Yang Jian was either on the run or afraid of being implicated in the gambling case.
"Brother Jin, you've lost so much weight."
Yang Jian felt a pang of guilt. Li Jin had taken all the blame for him, yet he hadn't visited him for so long.
"Little Yang, your visit means you're fine. How have you been these past few years?"
"It's a long story. My experiences have been quite rough these years, and I never had the chance to visit you. Please accept my apologies first."
"No need for apologies, Little Yang. It's good that you're alright. Let the past be the past; no need to mention it."
"Thank you, Brother Jin. I remember everything you've done for me. Give me your home address. From now on, your family will be my family. I'll ensure they live a life of comfort and security. You focus on your rehabilitation and strive for a reduced sentence. I'll wait for you to be released."
As there were surveillance cameras during the meeting, Yang Jian dared not speak of their past. They understood each other implicitly.
"Little Yang, your words put my mind at ease. To be honest, my family's situation is quite dire. My wife took all the money and left the two children with my frail parents. After I was arrested, all relatives and friends distanced themselves from them. Some even took the opportunity to bully them. So, I hope you can help them."
Speaking of his family, Li Jin's face was filled with sorrow. When he was prosperous, distant relatives flocked to him. Once he was in trouble, everyone avoided him. Even the wife who bore him children abandoned her young offspring, absconded with all the money, and left.
Yang Jian sensed his heartache. "Brother Jin, I'll bring your parents and children to my place today. Since the elders are not well, I'll admit them to the hospital. My child is also four years old, so they can have companions in your son and daughter."
"Little Yang, I have no words to express my gratitude. I entrust my family to you. Having a friend like you in this life is enough for me. I have no regrets, even if I never get out."
As he spoke, Li Jin's eyes welled up with tears. His greatest worry was his sickly parents and young children. Now that Yang Jian was willing to care for them, he was completely at peace. His decision to take all the blame for him at the time now seemed absolutely correct.
The meeting, limited to half an hour, concluded. Yang Jian gave him a thousand yuan and immediately returned to Hancheng with Biao Biao and Liang Liang, heading directly to Xunsi River.
In the resettlement housing complex in Xunsi River, the three found Li Jin's parents and children.
From the moment they entered, tears streamed down their faces. The elderly couple, both over sixty, were frail. Li Jin's father, Li Kuan, was in a wheelchair, clearly paralyzed. His mother, Yu Lianxiu, was bent over, tidying up the house, moving slowly and coughing incessantly.
Li Jin's six-year-old twins were hunched over their desks, doing homework.
The room was filled with the foul odor of excrement, indicating that the old woman lacked the strength to move her husband, making even using the toilet a difficult task.
"Who are you looking for?"
Although paralyzed, Li Kuan was still mentally sharp. He was surprised to see Yang Jian and the other two standing at the door with fruit. Community volunteers had visited earlier, so he didn't expect anyone else. He had never seen these three young men before.
Yang Jian placed the fruit on the table and then helped the old woman to sit on the sofa.
"Uncle and Auntie, we are friends of Brother Jin. We've been away for these years, so we haven't visited you. We went to the prison today, and Brother Jin entrusted me to look after you."
"You just returned from prison? Is Ah Jin doing well?"
Li Kuan was somewhat agitated. He hadn't seen his son in years. A community official had visited the prison once and informed him of the family's situation.
"Uncle, please rest assured. Brother Jin is doing well inside and is actively rehabilitating to earn a reduced sentence. His only concern is you, which is why he sent me to take care of you."
"Take care of us? How will you take care of us? I'm paralyzed, and his mother is also quite ill. If it weren't for her pension and the help of community volunteers, we would have starved to death long ago. It would be a release for us to die, but it's a pity for the two children who have just started primary school and have no one to look after them."
As Li Kuan spoke, tears streamed down his face.
"Uncle, my name is Yang Jian. I don't know if Brother Jin mentioned me to you. We are here today, entrusted by Brother Jin, to first send you to the hospital for treatment and arrange for dedicated caregivers to attend to your daily needs. I will take these two children home with me to study at Xinhe. I will treat them the same as my own children, providing them with the best educational resources and living environment."
Before Yang Jian could finish speaking, the old woman beside him became agitated. "You want to take my grandchildren away? That won't do. Who knows if you are human traffickers?"
The twin siblings, Li Feng and Li Hu, also moved closer, glaring at Yang Jian.
Yang Jian was at a loss for words and knew it was impossible to explain. He asked Biao Biao to fetch the community officials, as their testimony was crucial for the old woman to believe him.
A moment later, Biao Biao returned with a man and a woman, both around thirty. The man was the community secretary, and the woman was the director of the Women's Federation.
Yang Jian handed his ID card to the secretary and explained his purpose.
"Yang Jian, you are Yang Jian. I know you. You are quite famous in this area of Xunsi River."
The secretary carefully compared the ID card with Yang Jian's face and then shook his hand with a smile.
"Secretary, it's good that you know me. Please quickly explain to the elders, otherwise, they won't believe me."
"It's alright, we'll vouch for you. Honestly, with the elderly and the young, we've been troubled. None of their relatives are willing to help look after them. You are a wealthy boss, and we are relieved that you are stepping in to assist them. It also lightens our workload."
The secretary spoke sincerely. Whether as officials or as neighbors, seeing this family of old and young was a troublesome matter. They couldn't ignore it, but managing it was too difficult. The elderly could be sent to a hospital or a nursing home, but what about the children? They couldn't be sent to an orphanage.
With the confirmation and persuasion of the community officials, Li Kuan and his wife finally agreed to Yang Jian's plan.
The community would facilitate sending the two elders to the nearby district hospital for treatment and hire four caregivers to attend to them in rotation. Yang Jian would regularly transfer funds to the community, which would oversee the funds.
Yang Jian would take the two children to raise them and would periodically report their living situation to the community, so that they could inform the elders, thus alleviating their worries.