My Youth Began With Him

“Yes, I have brought it.”

“Give it to me.”

“Where’s the money?” the man asked in a low voice.

“Here. You count it.”

Huo Yanyan tossed a canvas bag at him and the man caught it.

He opened the bag, and shining his flashlight into it, he touched the cash to see if it was fake.

Assured the money was real, he handed Huo Yanyan a black earthen jar.

“This thing is very powerful. You must be careful when you handle it.”

“I know,” said Huo Yanyan.

“You’d better not open it in curiosity, or you’ll regret it.”

“Stop babbling. Take your money and go.” Huo Yanyan was impatient.

Seeing her cold face, the man spoke no more and left with a snort.

Huo Yanyan brought the black earthen jar to her car and drove back home.

When she got home, Tiantian was still up.

“Mom… You’re back!”

The kid ran over and hugged Huo Yanyan’s leg.

“Yeah,” she answered impatiently.

“Mom, what’s this thing?” The little girl was curious about the black earthen jar in her mom’s hand.

She was about to touch it when Huo Yanyan slapped her hand, which reddened immediately.

“Don’t touch it.”

“Wu… Mom, why are you so mean to me?”

“You can’t touch it, understand?”

“Yes, Mom…”

Seeing her wronged face, Huo Yanyan softened.

She put the black earthen jar away, squatted down, and drew Tiantian into her arms.

“Honey, Mom is doing one last thing. When it’s done, we’ll leave this place, okay?”

“Why must we leave here? This place is nice. Here I have kindergarten, good friends, and Uncle Shen…”

“We can’t live here anymore. You and Mommy will leave this place after we avenge your grandma. We won’t come back ever again.”

“Mom, what’s avenge?” Tiantian looked at her innocently.

“Uh… Mommy will explain it to you later.”

After comforting her daughter, Huo Yanyan went upstairs to pack.

She had bought tickets to fly to S City and rented a house in that city through an agent.

After this thing was done, she’d leave with her daughter; she had authorized someone to sell the house and the car for her.

She had changed her stuff into cash and planned to live in S City with her daughter.

They would live there for at least a few years.

She knew Qin Chu would hunt her down wherever she went after she did that thing…

When she packed, she happened upon one of Shen Mingxi’s ties.

It was his favorite tie; she had saved for a long time to buy it for him, and it had special meaning for him.

But today, he even left this tie behind…

Huo Yanyan stared at the tie for a long time and folded it carefully before putting it into her suitcase.

It was probably the last thing she would have of Shen Mingxi.

When everything was packed, she tucked her daughter into her bed.

At 4:30 AM, she got up in the dark and came to the secluded path behind the backdoor of South Side.

She handed over a Kraft paper bag with money in it.

“This is 50,000 yuan,” she said.

That person didn’t speak.

“No matter what method you use, you must put this thing in Huo Mian’s office,” Huo Yanyan instructed.

“Deputy Director is on vacation; she’s not been here for a long while.” The person’s voice sounded old.

“I have a way to make her return today. Your job is putting it in her office.”

That person hesitated for a moment and reached out slowly, taking the heavy bag containing 50,000 yuan in cash.