Return to the Day When My Pregnant Wife Jumped Off the Building-Chapter 367 The Bitterest in the World_1

"Miss An, you should know that human greed is limitless,"

Xiao Ming took a drag from his cigarette and spoke to An Kefang, "Before the war, your four families did indeed make a living by producing forgeries.

But during the war, they discovered that tomb raiding and smuggling relics were quicker ways to make money, even if it meant aiding the enemy."

Afterward, as the national crackdown intensified and associated costs escalated, that’s when they turned to legitimate business.

However, it’s easy to switch from frugality to extravagance, but difficult the other way around; conducting legitimate business is not only laborious but also risky, with the potential of losing everything. How could that compare to profiting without any investment?

So they began to steal, and when stealing wasn’t an option, they resorted to robbing, and when robbery proved difficult, they simply resorted to murder, step by step, until today, becoming puppets behind Jiang Nanxi."

"At least sixty percent of your four families’ industries are tainted with the blood of innocents."

An Kefang seemed to be stunned into silence by the shock, remaining still for a long while like a stone sculpture, unmoving.

Xiao Ming didn’t bother with her and flicked his cigarette butt out the window, closing it before sitting back and closing his eyes to rest.

After some time passed, a weak voice rose beside him again, "The things you just mentioned, do you have evidence?"

Xiao Ming shook his head, "I don’t need to provide any evidence to you, nor do I have the obligation to do so.

You’re forcing me to answer the doubts in your heart simply because you want to understand why I can be so arrogant in Qingyang while your four families don’t even dare to let out a fart, right?"

"So what you’re saying is, you have their incriminating evidence, and that’s why they don’t dare to touch you?"

"No, they don’t dare to touch me because of Jiang Nanxi’s orders.

And the reason they kowtow to Jiang Nanxi is because of those evil deeds worthy of decapitation."

An Kefang fell silent again.

Driven by personal feelings, she didn’t want to believe what Xiao Ming had said, but her subconscious told her that only that could explain everything.

After all, everything she knew about the four families in the past twenty years had crumbled to pieces last night.

The man she secretly adored in her girlhood was actually a despicable scoundrel.

The sisters who showed warm concern on normal days were all shameless and ugly.

She felt as if she was trapped in an unending nightmare, everything around her was false.

She was terrified but didn’t know what to do, even crying seemed insufficient for release.

"Uncle, we’ve arrived."

The car slowly pulled over to the side of the road, Xiao Ming turned his head to look and saw a modest stall across the street, where hand-carved trinkets made of wood and stone were being sold.

The stall owner, sitting cross-legged on a wooden board with wheels, was eating, taking bites of a steamed bun and sips of water.

Next to him sat a pudgy teenager, about fifteen or sixteen years old, gobbling down a packed meal. Occasionally, he raised his greasy face, flashing a senseless smile.

Seeing this, the stall owner tore off some paper towels, cursing while wiping his face clean, the boy would just laugh naively, obviously mentally challenged.

Yet all this was not the main point. What drew the most attention was a large cardboard sign erected on the tricycle next to the stall, with a big pink baby’s face printed on it, and above the picture, two big characters were written in red lacquer: "Searching for Child."

It looked like blood.

Disability, mental impairment, lost children - any one of these could be considered a great misfortune, but they all befell one man.

There is no greater sorrow in this world.

Xiao Ming opened the door and got out, crossing the street to squat in front of the stall. He saw that the wooden and stone carvings, though simple animals like the zodiac creatures, were clearly expertly crafted, even to someone unversed like him.

The stall owner, seeing a customer, immediately shooed his son away, then approached with a smile, "Boss, why don’t you buy a little toy for your kid?

All of these are handcrafted, each one unique, and they’re not expensive at all. Definitely worth it."

"Indeed, not bad," Xiao Ming picked up a carved wooden rabbit and asked, "How much for this one?"

"Ten bucks."

"And that one?" Xiao Ming pointed to a dragon next to it.

"That one’s a bit more difficult to carve, so fifteen. If the boss buys a few more, I can give them to you for ten each." The stall owner, flashing his big yellow teeth, was honest but with a hint of cunning.

"Wow, this craftsmanship is really good! Did you carve them all yourself, uncle?"

An Kefang squatted beside Xiao Ming, picking up one animal after another, her face filled with surprise.

"Yeah, I did all the carving; which one do you like, miss?" The stall owner’s smile grew even brighter with another customer.

"How much?"

"Ten for the wooden ones, twenty for the stone ones."

"So cheap?"

An Kefang was even more shocked, tracing her finger over the carvings of the wood and said, "Uncle, do you know, with your skills, you could easily earn the title of ’master’ in our association. One piece could be worth at least a few hundred bucks!

Here, let me write down a phone number for you, and you can call him later..."

The girl enthusiastically dug out a small notebook and a pen from her pocket, unaware that the stall owner’s expression had darkened.

"Are you from the Jiuzhou Ancient Appraisal Association?"

"Yes! You know about the Ancient Appraisal Association? Then even more so..."

The stall owner suddenly slapped An Kefang’s notebook out of her hands, grabbed a wooden stick, and bellowed angrily, "Get out! A bunch of bastards raised by bitches, why hasn’t Heaven taken you lot yet?

Get farther away! If you dare to play good Samaritan in front of me again, I’ll kill you all with my crutch!"