Chapter 370 The Orphanage's Lies: The Handsome Flower Boy 70

"Mom! Where's Dad?!"

Wang Xiuying's voice was sharp, unpleasant, and harsh; you could tell from it that she was in a bad mood.

The old lady didn't even look up; her hands never stopped moving. The whole family was waiting for dinner, but she was the only one cooking.

"I was taken away. They came this morning and said they were cooperating with an investigation and that I shouldn't have contact with outsiders."

Keep your voice down, it's not good for the neighbors to hear.

Wang Xiuying was furious!

"Cooperate with the investigation?! Investigate what?! Dad's retired, what's there to investigate?!"

The old lady was so angry that she threw the cabbage stalks into the basin. Why were they all yelling at her? Why didn't they yell at the people who were arresting her?

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Your brother is in jail, your father has been taken away, your husband is in the hospital, and now it's just the few of us left in this family.

If you yell at me again, you can cook for yourself!

Wang Xiuying was so angry that she was trembling all over. Why was everything going so badly for her whole family?

Today, the school leaders spoke with her, saying they received a report from the public that her job was arranged by her father through improper means.

Although she graduated from a teacher's college and her academic qualifications were not in question, there were procedural flaws, so it was decided to give her a probationary period during which she would only receive a basic living allowance.

What does this mean? It means she could be fired at any time! It means she has no money!

What should we have for dinner?

She asked irritably, "Now that there's no one in the family who can offer advice, we can only take it one step at a time."

The old lady stood up, carrying a bowl of cabbage, and walked towards the kitchen.

What else can we eat?

Cabbage stew with glass noodles, stir-fried shredded potatoes—we've run out of meat coupons, and haven't received any new ones this month.

Wang Xiuying followed into the kitchen and saw two dishes on the stove, which were the most common winter dishes: cabbage and potatoes.

She had eaten cabbage and potatoes all winter! Suddenly, she felt a strong sense of disgust, and a wave of nausea washed over her.

"Eating all this again! Zihan and Zixuan are growing!"

The old lady put the pot on the stove and got angry when she heard this. What can she do while she's still growing?

"What do you want to eat? It's good enough if there's anything to eat."

"We don't know what's going to happen to your dad yet, so save your money. You might not even be able to afford cabbage and potatoes anymore."

Wang Xiuying leaned against the kitchen door frame, looking at her mother's hunched back, and suddenly felt that this home was so unfamiliar.

In the entire Ministry of Education's staff housing compound, my family used to be the most prestigious.

Her father is a deputy director, she is a middle school teacher, her husband is a deputy section chief, and her younger brother is a school director.

During holidays and festivals, visitors come to our home in an endless stream, from morning till night.

But now? There's not a single person here. What's wrong with this world? It's really changed.

Who went to the hospital today?

She asked.

"Who's going? I'll go?"

The old lady poured the cabbage into the pot, clearly dissatisfied.

"I have to look after the children."

The two children said that hospitals were not fun and they didn't want to go.

"Tell me, what time is it? Why are you still being so picky?"

Wang Xiuying's heart sank little by little; she didn't want to go to the hospital to take care of people.

Every time she went there and saw Zhou Weimin lying on the hospital bed, his face ashen and his legs in thick casts, she felt like she couldn't breathe.

That feeling of being on the verge of death but not quite is unbearable; it feels like it's dragging the family down with it.

If you're going to die, die sooner rather than later, so your family can be busy with the funeral arrangements. If you're not going to die, get up quickly, don't get stuck in the middle, it's the most worrying thing.

She asked the doctor privately, and he said that even if Zhou Weimin's leg bone heals, he will be left with a disability and will definitely walk with a limp.

A cripple.

A cripple who might lose his job.

The old lady suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer.

"Xiuying, let me tell you the truth."

The doctor said that Weimin's leg will never fully recover to its previous state.

You'll be a cripple from now on. You're still young. Although our family isn't doing so well now, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

"You're good-looking, so we'll figure out a job. You can't spend the rest of your life with a cripple, can you?"

Wang Xiuying was stunned. Was this still her feudal and conservative mother?

The old lady continued to mutter as she added water to the pot.

"And this time, things have blown up."

Your father's situation is unclear, and Weimin will definitely lose his job.

"What if the whole family is unemployed and starve? You need to plan ahead."

Make plans early? What plans?

Wang Xiuying's heart pounded. She looked into the living room, where the two children were still playing checkers, seemingly oblivious to the conversation in the kitchen.

But she knew that Zihan was actually very sensitive and understood everything.

"Mom, stop talking, the baby is still here."

"What's wrong? They'll find out sooner or later." The old lady said dismissively.

"Your father won't be coming back, your brother won't be coming back either, but you still have two children."

This family needs you to hold it together. If you stay with Zhou Weimin, we'll both sink.

In the pot, cabbage stew with glass noodles was bubbling away, and the steam made the glass window blurry.

I can't see outside the window, and I can't see the future either.

Zhou Zihan's hand, gripping the checkers, trembled slightly. He heard it. He heard everything.

Grandma told Mom to make plans early, which meant she wanted to leave Dad?

He hated his own sharp ears and eyes, why did he always hear and see things he shouldn't see or hear?

But my younger sister always acts like a fool, knowing nothing at all.

Recalling everything that happened at the hospital and the memories that connected in his mind, Zhou Zihan had an idea.

Now, someone has come seeking revenge, and his home is falling apart.

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year.

The entire city of Beijing was filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year. There were more pedestrians on the streets, each carrying New Year's goods, wearing new clothes, and setting off firecrackers everywhere.

There's a lingering smell of fried meatballs in the air—the smell of the New Year.

A car belonging to the procuratorate was parked downstairs in the Ministry of Education's staff quarters.

The results of the investigation into the Wang family are in.

Wang Zhenguo, taking advantage of his position, accepted bribes totaling RMB 8,400 during his tenure and improperly arranged jobs for seven individuals on seven separate occasions; the evidence is conclusive.

Given that he has retired and has shown a good attitude in admitting his guilt, it has been decided to expel him from the Party, cancel all retirement benefits, and order him to return all the embezzled funds.

Due to his advanced age, he was exempted from criminal prosecution, but is restricted from leaving Beijing and is subject to investigation at any time.

Zhou Weimin, through his father-in-law Wang Zhenguo's connections, forged his work resume and illegally obtained the position of deputy section chief in the Ministry of Education.

It has been decided that he will be dismissed from public office and removed from all positions, pending further investigation due to his involvement in other cases.

Wang Xiuying obtained her job through her father's improper means; therefore, she is to be dismissed.

They were all from the education department, and these notices would be posted on the education department's bulletin board. Once posted, almost everyone in the residential compound would know about them.

The Wang family had been respectable and glamorous for so many years, but suddenly they had nothing left; they had lost both their reputation and their dignity.

The houses in the family compound were allocated by the Ministry of Education. Now, Wang Zhenguo has had all his benefits revoked, and the houses have been ordered to be taken back, restricting his family from moving out before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, we still don't have a place to stay at home, and we don't know where we'll be able to settle down in the future.