Chapter 73: The Curtain Falls and the Curtain Rises Again

"What's going on!"

When Cao Shengli saw the scene before him, he was more confused than shocked.

Cao Chunjuan leaned against the left pillar, while there was a person wrapped in a blanket by the right wall, with their head drooping, making it impossible to tell who it was.

In the middle of the aisle, Gao Nianping was putting a shoe on Cao Chunjuan.

“Uncle Cao.” Chen Yun gently pushed Lu Xingyan’s head back against the wall, then turned to Lu Kang: “Dean Lu, this is what happened…”

As he spoke, his gaze slowly shifted to the people behind him, starting from when Chen Yun overheard Zhang He and Lu Xinggui talking inside the house.

As Chen Yun recounted the events, Gao Ming entered the house, grabbed Zhang Xinggui by the collar, and dragged him out, along with the bottle and bag containing the drugs.

Zhang Xinggui's intelligence is truly worrying; the bottle even has the words "For Renmin University Hospital Use Only" printed on it.

"..."

“If I hadn’t taken a nap with the child in the house, Cao Chunjuan and Dr. Lu would probably be in a completely different situation… Zhang He, don’t you think so?” Chen Yun asked directly.

Zhang He's face was as pale as paper, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't utter a sound.

Fear made him unable to even find a way to defend himself, and his body was so stiff that even turning around and running away became difficult.

Because at that moment, a wrinkled hand was resting on his shoulder... the hand belonged to the person he feared most in the entire Cao family.

Don't let Uncle Cao's usual smiling face fool you; he's a veteran of decades, and dealing with him would be easier than crushing an ant.

"You bastard, I must have been blind to marry my daughter to you!" Cao Shengli gritted his teeth in anger.

His eldest son lay unconscious beside him, while the one who had drugged him was his second son. At this moment, who had the most complicated feelings...? It was definitely Lu Kang.

Chen Yun was so close that she could almost hear the squeaking sound of his teeth clenching.

After a long pause, Lu Kang gritted his teeth and called out the name of the culprit.

"Lu Xinggui!"

Lu Xinggui shuddered, his legs buckled, and he knelt down.

Chen Yun asked, "In the heat of the moment, I dislocated his arm. Are you going to reattach it now?"

"No need!" Lu Kang reached out to stop Chen Yun, his voice icy: "I'll personally take over after this is all settled. Right now, I need to find out the whole story."

At this point, there was basically nothing left for the couple to do. Chen Yun picked up Gao Nianping and stepped aside to stand properly.

Even though nothing's wrong, we still have to watch the excitement.

Lu Kang stepped forward and grabbed Lu Xinggui's ear: "Why don't you tell the truth? Why did you drug your brother? He's your own brother!"

"I didn't really mean to do anything to my brother. It's just... it's just... Zhang He promised to help me pay off my debts."

Zhang Kang was caught red-handed again right in front of him. Lu Xinggui dared not hide anything anymore and could only honestly tell Zhang He's plan in detail.

Zhang He didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so he only quietly told the Cao family and Lu Kang that he saw his wife hugging and kissing Lu Xingyan.

He didn't really want a divorce; he just wanted to use it as leverage to control the Cao family.

With wealth and honor right before his eyes, how could Zhang He bear to let it go?

Lu Xinggui agreed to help Zhang He harm his elder brother because he owed gambling debts, and Zhang He promised to help him pay them off after the deed was done.

"Dad, I had no choice... If I don't pay back the money, those people will definitely not let me off the hook. If they cause trouble at the hospital, how can you be the hospital director..."

Zhang Kang looked up at the sky and sighed self-deprecatingly, "My students are all over the world, but I'm the one who reaps the bitter fruit!"

Outsiders envy Lu Kang for being the president of the largest hospital in Beicheng and even the whole country, but little do they know that his family has been plagued by two bitter experiences.

The eldest son is almost thirty-eight and doesn't think about marriage; he's focused entirely on his work.

The second son was idle and lazy, and actually framed his own brother for gambling debts.

"Well--"

A low groan escaped his lips as Lu Xingyan, who was leaning against the wall, stretched out his stiff limbs and slowly pulled his hands out from under the covers.

Overdose of dung may cause drowsiness and headaches. Obviously, Lu Xinggui did not dare to use excessive force, and Lu Xingyan woke up in less than ten minutes.

I stretched as if waking up from a lazy nap, and only after feeling the chill did my mind slowly clear.

"Xingyan, is anything wrong?" Lu Kang asked anxiously.

Lu Xingyan's expression was surprisingly calm without the slightest flaw. He shook his head, then stood up, wrapped in a quilt.

“We can talk about Lu Xinggui's matter later.” A barely perceptible, contemptuous smile slowly appeared on Lu Xingyan's lips. “The most urgent matter is to find out the source of the drugs. How could controlled substances so easily leak out of the hospital, Dad…”

Lu Kang's expression suddenly changed drastically.

He had completely forgotten the most serious part of the whole thing, and his expression immediately crumbled: "Go home and give me a proper explanation of who you bought the drugs from."

The leaked information concerned management loopholes at Renmin University Hospital. Lu Kang didn't want to ask about it in front of everyone, so he immediately pulled Zhang Xinggui to his feet.

"Old Cao, once I'm done with the hospital business, I'll definitely give you an explanation for this."

Cao Shengli waved his hand: "You go ahead and do your work, no need for any explanations." His tone still carried a hint of anger.

Lu Kang was about to leave.

Lu Xingyan pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he had made a decision in his heart, and slowly walked up to Zhang He: "Even if you want to frame me for having an affair with Cao Chunjuan today, you will not succeed."

Lu Kang stopped walking, and everyone looked at him in confusion.

Lu Xingyan uttered three words, each one enough to make everyone present drop their jaws in astonishment: "I can't get it up."

"..."

"The reason I broke up with Cao Chunjuan back then was because I was suddenly diagnosed with this disease, and I didn't want to hold her back, so I broke up with her."

Even when talking about embarrassing flaws, Lu Xingyan's expression remained calm and composed, as if he were talking about someone else's problem.

After dropping this bombshell, Lu Xingyan walked into the house step by step.

"We...we're going to find the children!"

The Gao couple were probably the most awkward outsiders at this moment; they seemed to have gone a bit too far with the commotion.

Neither of them wanted to see how the Cao family would deal with Zhang He next, so they quickly made up an excuse and left the backyard.

After picking up Gao Nian'an, the family spent their time outside until sunset before returning to Zaogou Hutong.

The Cao family home was once again bustling and cheerful. The guests seemed unaware of what had happened that afternoon, and gathered in twos and threes in the middle of the courtyard, exchanging pleasantries.

Cao Chunjuan weaved through the crowd, handing out candy and melon seeds to everyone with a big smile.

"Director Chen."

Seeing Chen Yun and her family approach, her smile grew even brighter, as if she had just met them and her eyes were filled with surprise.

Didn't the Cao family tell her about what happened that afternoon?

The curiosity was fleeting; Cao Chunjuan's next words immediately dispelled all doubts.

"Thank you all this afternoon." Cao Chunjuan pulled Chen Yun aside and squeezed Chen Yun's hands tightly. "If it weren't for you, I might have become famous in Zaogou Hutong today."

Are you alright?

"It's nothing." Cao Chunjuan smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "My back and neck are a little sore after getting up, but everything else is fine."

Chen Yun: "..."

If I'm not mistaken, it was caused by the friction against the ground when she dragged the person out...

"Shall I take a look?" Chen Yun asked, smiling sheepishly.

"No need." Cao Chunjuan waved her hand with a smile and looked up at the yard: "Even if I had two more cuts on my body, I would be happy."

"you……"

"My parents have agreed to my divorce from Zhang He!"

No wonder he was so happy after being drugged in the afternoon; it turns out his family finally agreed to a divorce.

"Would Zhang He agree?"

"Hmph!" Cao Chunjuan's smile froze, and she snorted coldly indignantly, "How could he possibly agree? But I've already made up my mind to divorce him."

"Are you really determined?"

"To tell you the truth! My marriage to Zhang He wasn't based on a love marriage. You probably also know that I dated Xingyan before..."

Chen Yun instantly recalled the scene when Lu Xingyan revealed the shocking secret without any expression, and an awkward expression crept onto her face.

Cao Shengli met Zhang He through work. He heard from others that Zhang He was reliable and capable and had a younger brother, which made him want to arrange a marriage between his daughter and Zhang He.

At that time, Cao Chunjuan was heartbroken and married Zhang He hastily, partly out of spite and partly out of despair.

Ultimately, there was no emotional foundation between the two.

Zhang He was attracted to the Cao family's background, and Cao Chunjuan, in order to spite Lu Xingyan, forced the two of them to live together.

“I’m afraid Zhang He won’t agree to a divorce easily, since the transportation company he wants might not exist in the future!” Chen Yun said.

“I’m not afraid he won’t agree.” Cao Chunjuan patted Chen Yun’s shoulder: “But you two! You’re at least in the same courtyard as the Zhang family, aren’t you afraid my mother-in-law will cause you trouble later?”

"Does Zhang He dare to tell Aunt Liu what happened today?" Chen Yun asked with a smile.

The image of Zhang He trembling with fear that afternoon was still vivid in my mind. This kind of insidious villain only ever shows his glorious and valiant side to others; how could he dare to mention a single word of his own pathetic deeds to Aunt Liu?

“My uncle warned Zhang He that if he dares to set his sights on you again, he’ll make sure he never has a good day for the rest of his life,” Cao Chunjuan said, raising an eyebrow.

Uncle Cao is a man who, once he speaks, will absolutely do what he says.

Zhang He almost knelt down, repeatedly swearing that he would never dare to cause trouble for Gao Ming and Chen Yun again, and even used Aunt Liu's life as part of his oath.

"I swear on my life," the Cao family felt nauseous upon hearing this.

“If he dares to cause you any trouble, just tell me.”

“We’re not worried,” Chen Yun replied, but after a moment’s thought, she finally asked, “Do you know about Lu Xingyan?”

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Cao Chunjuan suddenly threw her head back and laughed, attracting several curious glances from the courtyard. She laughed so hard she bent over, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

The laughter gradually subsided, and he slowly exhaled a sigh of frustration from his chest.

"He just didn't want Zhang He to use this as leverage to threaten me anymore. He's the kind of person who... never cares about his reputation."

To prevent Zhang He from spreading any further rumors, he directly stated that he was unable to participate in "personal affairs."

Lu Xingyan is really ruthless... He can say it himself because he's not afraid of Zhang He spreading it.

"If he cared so much about you, why did you two break up in the first place..."

"Incompatible personalities".

Chen Yun: "..."

“It’s really a clash of personalities.” Cao Chunjuan sighed: “His life revolves mostly around his studies and work, while I’m someone who prioritizes family above all else. Otherwise, how could I have listened to my father’s arrangement and married Zhang He?”

Their life goals were completely opposite, which led to many heated arguments over work. When they finally realized that neither of them was willing to compromise, breaking up was a natural outcome.

Chen Yun couldn't help but look at Gao Ming, who hadn't uttered a single word throughout the entire process.

The couple were just Lu Xingyan and Cao Chunjuan, but the outcome was different because Gao Ming was willing to support Chen Yun's work and had been silently compromising.

"There's nothing to talk about with him. We couldn't be together before, and there's no way we can get back together now."

Gao Ming grabbed Gao Nianping's little hand, which was about to put a twig in its mouth after picking it up from somewhere, and then took out some candy from his pocket: "Just play in the yard."

"Little brother, go eat some candy."

Gao Nian'an, who had been standing at the door listening to the adults talking for a long time, was already impatient. He took the candy and hurriedly pulled Gao Nianping to run under the eaves.

As it was getting late, the Cao family began to urge their guests to head to the restaurant.

"I'll go get Leilei." Seeing this, Cao Chunjuan stopped talking and turned back into the house to get the child.

We booked a casual restaurant at the entrance of the alley for dinner; it was bustling with customers.

The Cao family greeted the guests with smiles as if nothing had happened. Only Madam Lu remained from the Lu family. When someone asked her about the situation, she brushed them off by saying there was an emergency at the hospital.

After the meal, Gao Ming and Chen Yun, like the other guests, said their goodbyes and left.

Cao Shengli and Uncle Cao only said they would treat the couple to a meal separately later and did not ask them to stay any longer. Cao Chunjuan, however, insisted on seeing the whole family into a taxi.

Zhang He did not appear at all throughout the entire process.

In the taxi, Chen Yun was still wondering if Zhang He would return to Guanming Hutong.

When they actually stepped into the yard and saw Zhang He wolfing down noodles at Aunt Liu's door, they both tacitly ignored each other.

Zhang He stayed there after that night.

***

Two months later, Zhang He and Cao Chunjuan officially divorced, and he rented an empty room in the west wing to live in.

The reason, however, is somewhat unexpected.

With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, every household in the courtyard is busy taking apart and washing their quilts and re-fluffing the cotton.

Dong Qiaoying found a sunny day to take apart the old cotton wadding, beat it, and air it out again.

Chen Yun had just finished her night shift yesterday and woke up late. After waking up this morning, she sat by the door in a daze for a long time. Then she heard Dong Qiaoying and Aunt Luo talking about Aunt Liu's family.

“His wife, who lives in the countryside, has already gone to her family. How can they possibly tolerate that?”

Chen Yun instantly snapped out of her daze and pretended to comb her hair as she slowly moved closer.

Aunt Luo, having somehow heard the whole story, recounted it in great detail to Dong Qiaoying.

Zhang He's wife from the countryside brought their son and daughter to the Cao family looking for him. Only then did Cao Chunjuan and her parents realize that he still had a wife in the countryside and that they were not divorced at all.

Before returning to the city, Zhang He only said that he would come back in a few years to bring his wife and children to the city for a reunion, but he never returned.

"Tell me, if it were you, could you tolerate it?"

Dong Qiaoying clicked her tongue twice and glanced sideways at the Zhang family: "The 'Chen Shimei' often mentioned in operas refers to someone like Zhang He, right?"

Thump thump thump—

The wooden stick pounded hard against the old, yellowed cotton, kicking up countless specks of dust hidden within the cotton fibers.

Washing blankets nowadays isn't like in the old days when you could just take off the cover and wash it. The cotton wadding is sewn onto the cover, so you have to take it apart, remove the cotton, and then wash it.

After washing, the cotton has to be sewn back into the quilt cover.

In short, washing a quilt is quite a hassle, so if a family washes a lot of quilts, the neighbors in the courtyard will come to help.

Aunt Luo spread the cotton inside the new quilt cover, rubbed the embroidery needle in her hair, and then passed it through the first stitch before continuing, "And guess what? When Aunt Liu saw that she couldn't keep her city wife, she brought her rural wife back... and now she has grandchildren."

"Auntie," Chen Yun asked curiously, quickly moving closer, "Have you ever met Zhang He's first wife?"

"What's the rush? Do you think your Aunt Liu would hide her grandson from everyone now that she's got a grandson?"

Aunt Liu has no concept of her son being a "Chen Shimei" (a notorious womanizer in Chinese folklore). As long as she has a grandson, anyone can be her daughter-in-law.

Dong Qiaoying stuffed the last wad of cotton into the quilt cover and then sat cross-legged on the edge of the quilt.

"There's still some porridge warming up in the kitchen, have some breakfast first."

"Look how good Old Dong is to you. If it were any other mother-in-law, she would be waiting for her daughter-in-law to serve her!"

Aunt Luo didn't even have time to lift her head; the needle in her hand would sometimes disappear into the quilt, and sometimes pull out a snow-white cotton thread.

Chen Yun smiled.

"Bring your quilts out of your room first, I'll wash them together, so it won't be a hassle when it snows in a few days," Dong Qiaoying said again.

Chen Yun was just as obedient as Gao Nian'an when she asked for pocket money. She skipped and hopped into the house to tidy up the quilt.

Dong Qiaoying, Chen Yun's mother-in-law, was absolutely wonderful.

Even when she learned that her second daughter-in-law was going to bring her parents to live with her husband's family, she never said a word. Instead, she did her best to take care of the whole family's daily life.

Seeing Chen Yun happily humming a song, Aunt Luo couldn't help but laugh along.

"Old Dong, your second daughter-in-law really knows how to handle things!"

"Look at what you're saying. If your Suyun heard this, she'd make a scene." Dong Qiaoying laughed.

"She still has the nerve to make a scene? If they earned even half as much as Erming and his wife, believe it or not, my husband Jiang would be laughing in his sleep."

Living close by has many advantages, but it also has many disadvantages.

What annoyed the children of several families in the compound the most was the comparison; even if one child bought their parents a new outfit, it could become a trigger for others to be scolded.

Of course, Jiang Heping once asserted that this bad trend was spread by Gao Ming and Chen Yun.

“Er Ming and Chen Yun are filial.” Dong Qiaoying couldn’t hide her pride as she spoke, casually touching the gold ring on her ring finger.

"Just bought it?" Aunt Luo caught Dong Qiaoying's little action out of the corner of her eye and said sourly, "Erming is quite capable... I wonder when we will be able to enjoy the blessings of the next generation."

"Aren't your eldest son and his wife quite filial?"

"Filial piety is not enough if you only have the intention; you have to show it out in public."

Dong Qiaoying smiled without saying a word. What parent doesn't like their children to be filial?

"Chen Yun!" Aunt Luo suddenly shouted into the house, then added, "The blankets aren't ready yet?"

"Here I am!"

Chen Yun assumed that Aunt Luo was urging him to buy a quilt, so he haphazardly hoisted the quilt onto his shoulder and then picked up a small wooden box from the table.

The quilt had just been taken out when Aunt Luo pulled it over and piled it on top of the new cotton quilt.

"Didn't you want to see what Aunt Liu's rural daughter-in-law looks like? Here she is..."

Chen Yun didn't have time to look up; she was frantically searching through the quilt for the medicinal wine that had been wrapped in it earlier.

"What are you looking for?"

"The medicinal wine, I specifically asked Dr. Wang from the Traditional Chinese Medicine department of our hospital for it. It's good for Dad's knees!"

"Don't spill it!" Upon hearing this, Dong Qiaoying quickly helped search for it as well.

The woman who had just entered the house came out holding the hands of her two children, seemingly wanting to greet the neighbors, and walked directly in front of them.

The bitter smell of herbs wafted over first.