Chapter 34 Something Happened to the Li Family
The next morning, Shen Huai'an got up as usual. Since there were more people at home, he couldn't sleep in with her like he did in the family compound. After he got dressed and went downstairs, Zhuang Meiying only glanced at him and didn't ask why Bai Zhenzhen hadn't come down.
No one else in the Shen family made a fuss about urging her to get up and eat breakfast, and Bai Zhenzhen slept soundly as usual.
Unfortunately, some people are just oblivious. A phone rang urgently, and when no one answered the first time, it rang a second and a third time.
Bai Zhenzhen reached for the phone with a look of annoyance. She glanced at the number and her morning grumpiness worsened. She left the other person waiting for a while before slowly answering the phone.
On the other end of the phone, Liu Lihua's voice was extremely urgent: "Hey Zhenzhen, where are you? Something's happened at home, come quickly!"
"What happened? What exactly happened?" Bai Zhenzhen had a guess in her mind, but she still pretended to be calm and said, "Aunt, please tell me slowly, don't rush."
He thought to himself that Zhu Jie was quite quick, but he wondered how many members of the Li family had been arrested.
When asked why, Liu Lihua stammered and said vaguely, "No, nothing much, it's just that your cousin made a small mistake at the company. We've already scolded him, but now someone has brought it up and reported it. Zhenzhen, you have to help me think of a solution! Your cousin and your uncle were both taken away by the police for investigation today. We're all family. If he did something wrong, your dad can just teach him a lesson. Why should he go to jail? You have to find someone to get them out!"
"Aunt, you didn't even tell me what my cousin did wrong. How am I supposed to get someone to bail him out?" Bai Zhenzhen snorted coldly. Her embezzlement of public funds was dismissed with a casual "it was a small mistake." She still had the nerve to call them family. Did she really think the company was run by them?
“Zhenzhen, your cousin has no choice. Please help him. He's always treated you better than his own sister. You can't just watch him go to jail,” Liu Lihua refused to tell the truth, instead crying and appealing to her emotions, even bringing up her grandmother to pressure her. “Your grandmother was so shocked when she found out about this that she fainted. The doctor said she can't handle any more stress. Zhenzhen, for your grandmother's sake, you have to find a way to help your brother!”
In the past, Bai Zhenzhen would have been extremely anxious upon hearing that her grandmother was sick, but now she was completely indifferent and didn't even want to listen to Liu Lihua's nonsense anymore.
"My husband and I went back to our hometown and we're not in Pengcheng right now. Besides, I don't care about company matters anymore, so it's no use you calling me, Auntie," Bai Zhenzhen said dismissively before taking her phone away and pretending to have a bad signal, calling out, "Hello, Auntie, can you hear me? Hello, hello, the signal is bad in the mountains, I can't hear you. Hello, Uncle...!"
No matter what Liu Lihua said on the other end, she decisively pressed the hang-up button, and her ears were immediately quiet.
Disturbed from her sleep, Bai Zhenzhen couldn't lie down anymore, but she was in a pretty good mood. After thinking for a moment, she dialed Bai Chuxiong's secretary's number.
After asking around, Bai Zhenzhen learned that Liu Lihua had already called Bai Chuxiong, but her secretary stopped her, so she had no choice but to ask her for help again.
“Good job. I’ll give you a bonus when we get back,” Bai Zhenzhen said, her face darkening again. She then instructed, “Next time she calls, hang up immediately. We absolutely cannot let them disturb my father.”
The Li family members haven't reached a dead end yet, so they probably don't dare to cause trouble in front of Bai Chuxiong. The phone call was probably to test his attitude.
They might come back to her for help to plead their case, so it's best to keep them out of the loop for a while as long as it doesn't disturb my father's recovery.
After the secretary agreed, Bai Zhenzhen's expression softened. Remembering that she hadn't visited her father this week, she wanted to ask about Bai Chuxiong's health.
Before he could even ask the question, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and Shen Huai'an walked in.
Bai Zhenzhen glanced at him briefly before quickly cutting off the conversation, "Let's leave it at that for now. You know what to do. We'll talk about the rest when I get back."
Bai Zhenzhen didn't plan to tell Shen Huai'an about her father's illness; she couldn't fully trust him yet.
"You don't look well. Who called just now?" Shen Huai'an walked to the bedside and sat down, glanced at his phone, and then his gaze fell on her face.
“Oh, it’s my aunt,” Bai Zhenzhen deliberately pursed her lips, “It’s because my cousin got into trouble again and wanted my help, but I couldn’t be bothered with him.”
"Let's leave it for now," Shen Huai'an said, seeing that she was no longer sleepy. He got up and went to the wardrobe to get her clothes. "If she contacts you again, you can tell me."
Shen Huai'an remembered that Bai Zhenzhen had a good relationship with her maternal relatives, and if she wanted to help, he would help her as much as he could.
But seeing that she didn't seem inclined to say anything more, he didn't ask any further questions.
Bai Zhenzhen didn't take his words to heart. She sat up to change her clothes, but saw that he was still sitting on the edge of the bed without moving. She couldn't help but stretch out her leg and kick his waist, "You...ah!"
Just as she kicked him, Shen Huai'an reached out and grabbed her foot. The man's warm palm pressed against her ankle, and his slender fingertips gently caressed the soft flesh of her calf. The slightly itchy sensation made Bai Zhenzhen subconsciously pull back.
Shen Huai'an then let go of her hand. "Mom made duck soup this morning. I'll cook you a bowl of duck blood and vermicelli soup later."
"Okay, you go out now, I need to change my clothes!" Although they had done intimate things many times, Bai Zhenzhen still felt awkward changing her clothes in front of him, especially since it was broad daylight.
After chasing the people away, Bai Zhenzhen picked up the clothes from the bedside, changed, and casually combed her hair before leaving.
Just as she finished washing up, Zhuang Meiying came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of freshly cooked duck blood and vermicelli soup, and in her other hand she was carrying a plate with five or six golden-brown fried eggs.
The Shen family members all got up early in the morning. At this moment, only Shen Huai'an was having breakfast with her at the table. After putting down her things, Zhuang Meiying left, afraid that she would feel uncomfortable.
Shen Qing was sitting under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard reading a book. Her second uncle and eldest brother Shen had gone to the orchard to catch chickens, saying they would take them with them when they left.
This morning, while having breakfast, Shen Huai'an told his family about Bai Zhenzhen's plan to fund road repairs in the village, and also explained why she wanted to repair the road.
The Shen family was overjoyed and filled with gratitude towards her, and wanted to give her the best things in their home as a thank you gift.
While Zhuang Meiying was moved, she was also worried that Bai Zhenzhen might spend a lot of money.
Shen Huai'an had also considered these matters. He planned to go to the village committee after breakfast to discuss the road repair with the village officials. Bai Zhenzhen was not afraid of spending money, but she could not let others fool her.
While having dinner with Bai Zhenzhen, Shen Huai'an also told her about the discussions he had made with the village officials.
The village officials were delighted to learn that someone was going to fund the road repair project. Road repair is a major event concerning the future development of the village, and no one dared to have any ulterior motives.
Shen Huai'an came from the village, and he knows most of the village committee cadres. With him coordinating things, there's no need to worry about anyone making trouble.
“They are very grateful for your donation and plan to erect a monument in your name at the foot of the mountain once the road is repaired, so that everyone who walks this road will remember your kindness,” Shen Huai’an said slowly, explaining the village’s decision.
"Pfft...cough cough," Bai Zhenzhen almost choked on the vermicelli in her mouth when she heard his words. Before she could catch her breath, she quickly refused, "What monument? I don't need one!"
A few years ago, when Bai Chuxiong donated money to help build primary schools in remote areas, the locals named the schools Zhenzhen Hope Primary Schools. Now there are probably more than a dozen schools named Zhenzhen.
Although it was a good deed, naming it after her is too shameful; she doesn't want this kind of fame.
"Don't worry, I'll help you reject them if you don't like them." Shen Huai'an poured a glass of water and placed it next to her. He knew about Zhenzhen Hope Primary School, but Bai Zhenzhen probably didn't know that the scholarship program that sponsored him was also called the Zhenzhen Scholarship Fund.
Bai Chuxiong truly cherishes and dotes on his daughter at all times.
“He dotes on Zhenzhen so much. As long as Zhenzhen pleads for Zhiqiang, Bai Chuxiong will definitely not pursue the mistake Zhiqiang made. Call Zhenzhen again quickly!” Zhao Xiuhua always knew that her son-in-law loved his only daughter the most. In the past, she had used this to keep Bai Zhenzhen by her side and had won many opportunities for her two sons.
She still wants to use this to continue to exonerate her son and grandson.
Liu Lihua certainly knew she needed Bai Zhenzhen's help, but the problem was that she couldn't get through to her on the phone.
I finally got through, but the call was cut off after only a few words. I couldn't get through again after that.
"Mom, Zhenzhen said on the phone that she and her husband went back to their hometown. The Shen family lives in a remote mountain village with a bad signal, so I can't get through to them." Liu Lihua's husband and son had been arrested, and she couldn't contact Bai Zhenzhen at this critical moment. She was so anxious that she was like an ant on a hot pan, running around in circles without finding a way out.
Li Zhenzhu chimed in, "Haven't she always disliked the husband her uncle found for her? How could she possibly go back to her hometown with him? Is she just making up an excuse because she doesn't want to help?"
She used to get into the circle of wealthy people in Pengcheng because of Bai Zhenzhen's connections. Now that Bai Zhenzhen is unwilling to associate with her, Li Zhenzhu is still unaware of the Wang family's affairs. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said those words.
“Impossible, Zhenzhen always listens to me,” Zhao Xiuhua said, disbelieving her granddaughter’s words. She then asked her daughter-in-law with a long face, “Did you mention me to Zhenzhen just now?”
“I did mention it. I even said you were so worried you fainted,” Liu Lihua wiped the sweat from her forehead. “If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go directly to Cuihu Bay to find her. Tie Jun and Zhi Qiang’s matter can’t be delayed.”
“I’ll go with you.” Zhao Xiuhua also stood up.
Li Zhenzhu didn't really want to ask Bai Zhenzhen for help, as she still remembered what happened last time. But if Li Tiejun and Li Zhiqiang got into trouble, her life wouldn't be easy either. In the end, she couldn't help but go out with them.
However, they were destined to make a wasted trip. Bai Zhenzhen was leisurely strolling through the orchard with her sister-in-law and didn't plan to go back so soon. She wanted to make them anxious.
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Author's Note: [doge][doge with a rose in its mouth]
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