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墨書 Inktalez
After the Zhang family left, Ding Cuiying hurriedly got up and ran to the front door to close and lock it. Immediately, all her strength drained away, and she collapsed onto the floor beside the door, her hair a disheveled mess, dark strands hanging limply over her face. Her clothes were already covered in dust, making her look no different from a shrew.
Wen Qian emerged from the house, followed closely by Lu Zheng, who acted like a bodyguard. She picked up a stool and placed it in front of Lu Fu before sitting down.
Lu Fu glared at Wen Qian with bloodshot eyes, his gaze cold and piercing. "You all know how your family has treated me. I believe we are all clear on that. You guessed correctly; Lu Zheng is the one I called back."
"You filthy woman, you bitch! I should have killed you back then," Ding Cuiying shouted as she rushed towards Wen Qian, only to be kicked down by Wen Qian. Standing tall, Wen Qian looked down at her.
"If you had killed me back then when Xiao Chen was born, if it weren't for Aunt Ying helping me get to the hospital, both of us might have been harmed by you." She stepped closer to the crouching Ding Cuiying, a faint smile playing on her lips while her eyes were filled with frost.
"During my confinement, you wanted nothing more than to strangle Xiao Chen. If I hadn't fought tooth and nail to protect him, he would have drowned in a bucket by now."
Ding Cuiying looked at her in fear and backed away. "Y-you stay away from me! Don't come any closer!"
"You and your family bullied me relentlessly; do you still expect us to help you? Dream on." Wen Qian squatted down closer to Ding Cuiying, observing her panicked face.
"In the past, I respected you and went along with you. You wanted our lives then; now you still expect me to comply with you?"
Wen Qian chuckled at her sudden change of demeanor. "Do you have any better options? Either agree to move your household registration or wait for your son to be reformed!"
With that, Wen Qian stood up and led Lu Zheng towards the thatched cottage. The courtyard fell into silence; it had already been turned upside down over the past few days, and Ding Cuiying was nearly scared out of her wits by Wen Qian.
How did this shameless woman change so drastically? Just a few days ago, she was still allowing herself to be manipulated and tormented. Cold sweat dripped from Ding Cuiying's forehead as she anxiously glanced towards the thatched cottage.
Lu Fu gripped the table tightly, closing his eyes as his body swayed dangerously close to fainting. Ding Cuiying rushed forward to support him. "Old man, let me help you inside to rest!"
"Mm!"
Ding Cuiying helped Lu Fu inside, both of them swaying unsteadily as they moved.
Lu Zheng looked at Wen Qian's red-rimmed eyes, unsure of what to think.
Wen Qian recalled the time right after she had given birth to Lu Chen. As soon as she returned from the hospital, she was forced by Ding Cuiying and Zhang Yan to wash clothes. It was winter, and having just given birth, the doctor had specifically advised her to take care of herself and replenish her nutrition, as the baby was small and her body was weak.
With no other choice, she carried little Chen on her back while washing clothes by the river. In the biting cold, her hands turned purple from the frostbite, and her fingers were raw and bleeding. Little Chen cried softly on her back, his whimpers weak and pitiful like a kitten.
When she stood up, her head spun, and she nearly collapsed. Little Chen almost slipped into the river; it was a close call. She struggled to hold onto him but twisted her ankle painfully in the process. Eventually, she managed to carry him home, but he developed a fever. Ding Cuiying and Zhang Yan blamed her for not bringing back the clothes and threatened to hit her. If it hadn't been for Aunt Ying's timely intervention, both she and little Chen might not have survived that winter.
Bringing herself back to the present, Wen Qian wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and looked at Lu Zheng with red-rimmed eyes. "Can you really bring them back?"
Lu Zheng pondered for a moment before replying vaguely, "It's hard to say. Let's visit the police station tomorrow and see them first."
That evening, while Wen Qian, Lu Zheng, and Lu Chen were having dinner, there was a knock on the door of their thatched cottage. Ding Cuiying stood outside, drawn in by the aroma of food wafting from within. Unable to resist, she swallowed hard as her gaze lingered on the dishes on the table.
"Your father agreed, but can you let us eat something first?"
Wen Qian stared at her expressionlessly and slammed her chopsticks down onto the table.
Ding Cuiying quickly changed her tone. "We won't eat then; we agreed, but we have conditions too."
The three of them moved into the inner room where they found Lu Fu lying on the bed, gasping for breath. When Lu Fu saw them enter, he sat up and fixed a fierce glare on Lu Chen as if he wanted to strangle him immediately.
Lu Zheng blocked his gaze and said firmly, "Speak."
"Cough cough," Lu Fu cleared his throat. "I have demands too. I want you to send back some money every month; otherwise, I won't agree."
"How much?"
"Ten yuan!"
Wen Qian looked coldly at both men as Lu Zheng replied resolutely, "No."
"You—at least one yuan a month."
Lu Fu stared at him before breaking into a fit of coughs. "What are you trying to do?"
Wen Qian stepped forward and said, "One yuan a month is what we can offer you, and this money will only be given for four months. As for the reason? No one knows better than you."
Lu Zheng turned to look at her, confusion evident in his eyes.
Lu's father shifted his thoughts, looking at her in disbelief. It was hard to believe that she could be so kind-hearted.
"Quickly say it, will you agree or not? If not, then we’re done here."
Ding Cuiying caught the look from Lu's father and hurriedly spoke up, "We agree. But you must give us all the money in one go."
"Okay."
Lu Zheng looked at them. "I will invite the village chief and the officials."
At this time, everyone should have just finished their meals and would have time to deal with this matter. Moreover, having them come was merely for the sake of being witnesses. This way, in the future, if the Lu family tried to turn things around and accuse them of being unfilial, the public opinion alone could drown them.
Not to mention Lu Zheng's military career and future.
Lu's father looked at Wen Qian and her little son in her arms, his gaze complex as if trying to see through her intentions.
Ding Cuiying smugly tidied her messy hair, looking at Wen Qian with a gaze that suggested she was a fool.
"So what if this wretched woman has changed? She's still under our control. A wretched person is always a wretched person; she will never rise above her station and will forever be suppressed by us."
While helping Lu's father catch his breath, Ding Cuiying looked at her and said, "Don’t think that just because you’re doing this for your family, you can completely sever ties with us. Don’t dream."
Wen Qian smiled at her. "Oh, I forgot to remind you that we still need to sign the severance agreement later."
Ding Cuiying’s eyes shifted slightly. "So what? As long as Lu Zheng has our Lu family's blood running through him, he is one of us. You can’t shake that off."
Wen Qian scoffed coldly. "The blood of the Lu family is truly filthy."
When Lu Zheng arrived with the village chief and village officials, Wen Qian, Lu's father, and Ding Cuiying were already sitting in the courtyard waiting.
The village chief frowned as he sat on a stool, looking at Lu's father and the others.
"Go ahead; we are here to witness."
Lu's father weakly leaned against the table and suddenly started coughing violently, as if he wanted to cough out his lungs.
He spoke hoarsely and weakly: "We don’t have much money at home—just this house and some furniture; there’s nothing else of value."
Lu's father looked at Lu Zheng. "The house was built with our family's money. You and your brother each own half of it. Since there’s not much money left, just give it all to your brother! He’s still at the police station! You can’t disregard any brotherly affection."
*Cough cough cough.* "And as for the things in the house, I imagine you don’t care for them either; just leave them for your brother!"
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