Chapter 124 It's time to get solid evidence...
Having obtained conclusive evidence, Mingxi immediately had the photos developed. When developing the photos, she specifically asked the photo studio to develop several copies.
The photo studio charges per print. When they heard that Mingxi wanted to print more, the photographer was overjoyed and printed ten prints for her right away.
Mingxi found Tong Wanjun with a stack of photos and handed them to her.
The photo was taken very clearly; Jiang Xu was carrying a bag of money in one hand and was about to hand a scroll to Mike with the other.
Tong Wanjun became excited when she saw the photo. She asked eagerly, "Can we take the photo to Jiang Xu now?"
Mingxi shook his head calmly: "No rush, let's wait a bit longer."
Tong Wanjun asked, puzzled, "Wait for what?"
Mingxi: "The more unknown something is, the more afraid and panicked they become. Jiang Xu and Ning Feng discovered that their business of trafficking in cultural relics had been discovered, but they don't know who found out or what the person who discovered it wants. That's what's making them feel so bad. Now is not the time for Jiang Xu and Ning Feng to be most panicked and afraid. If you go to them now, it's like telling them that you're the one who discovered it. They'll actually feel more at ease. If Jiang Xu isn't scared enough, he might drag things out regarding the divorce. Wait a little longer, push them to the limit, and Jiang Xu will be more willing to agree to the divorce."
Tong Wanjun nodded thoughtfully.
She wasn't as quick-witted as Mingxi, but she knew that if you're not quick-witted, you should listen to those who are.
Anyway, Mingxi won't harm her.
Tong Wanjun obediently accepted the photos and remained silent, intending to leave Jiang Xu and Ning Feng to their fate for a few days.
As it turns out, Mingxi was right.
The longer she ignored Jiang Xu, the more anxious he became.
Jiang Xu had been extremely anxious these past few days. He had initially thought that the person who secretly filmed his transaction with Mike was Lao Zhang, who was competing with him for the training spot. So, during work hours, he secretly went to Lao Zhang to test the waters.
“Brother Zhang, we work in the same unit and have been working together for so many years. Although we sometimes have minor conflicts, I think they are all trivial matters and there is no need to make a big deal out of it or to make it a fight to the death, right?”
Old Zhang was a seasoned veteran. Although he didn't know what Jiang Xu meant by those words, he didn't answer Jiang Xu's question directly. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and gave a knowing laugh.
Jiang Xu: "To be honest, Brother Zhang, I don't want that training spot. I'll go tell the leader in a bit that my work ability and experience are still too shallow, and I'm not qualified to go for training. It's a senior colleague like you with excellent work ability and rich experience who should be recommended for training."
"No, no, no," Old Zhang said with a smile. "Young Jiang, you're too modest. The leaders all think you're qualified to participate in the training. How can you still think you're not good enough? Are you questioning the leaders' decision?"
Jiang Xu cursed inwardly, but on the surface he still had to smile and say, "No, no, the leader's decision is definitely correct. I just feel that I'm too young and definitely can't compete with you. If we compete with each other to the end, this spot will definitely be for you. Please, just be considerate of me and don't make me lose face in public, okay?"
Old Zhang: "Hehehe, we should have competed first. Otherwise, if others find out you're withdrawing, they might think I used some means to threaten you and force a newcomer like you to withdraw from the competition."
He said it casually, but he didn't expect it to hit Jiang Xu's sore spot.
Jiang Xu had already assumed that Lao Zhang had taken photos of him and Mike and was going to use them to blackmail him. Now that Lao Zhang had brought up the threat again, he felt even more that Lao Zhang was implying something.
He was thoughtful and prone to overthinking, and subconsciously suspected that Lao Zhang was not satisfied with him simply withdrawing from the advanced training selection process, but wanted more.
Jiang Xu cursed Old Zhang inwardly for being too greedy, but because the other party had dirt on him, he had no choice but to humble himself.
"No, no, how could it be you threatening me, Brother Zhang? Anyone with eyes wouldn't think that. To be honest, Brother Zhang, I still have a lot to learn from you. How about this, after get off work tonight, you and I can have a couple of drinks, and you can give me a chance to ask you for some advice?"
"There's no need for drinking."
Jiang Xu grabbed him: "No way, we have to drink. You wouldn't even give me this much face, Brother Zhang, would you?"
Old Zhang: "Alright, alright."
Jiang Xu insisted on taking Lao Zhang to a state-run restaurant for a meal. At the dinner table, he subtly hinted that he would agree to whatever Lao Zhang asked him to withdraw from the competition for the advanced study spot or to ask for money, as long as Lao Zhang did not hand over the photo to the leaders.
Old Zhang had no idea what Jiang Xu was talking about, so of course he didn't respond. Jiang Xu wasted the whole night without getting a clear answer, and his temper flared up. He decided to fight Old Zhang to the death.
“Brother Zhang, this is not right. It’s just some worthless calligraphy and paintings. Who in our unit hasn’t done this kind of thing? Have you cleaned up your mess yet? You’re trying to use this to blackmail me? If you report this to the higher-ups and they investigate, do you think you’ll get away with it?”
Old Zhang had been drinking heavily with Jiang Xu all night, and his mind was a bit muddled, but when he heard Jiang Xu's words, he immediately snapped back to reality.
"What calligraphy and painting? Jiang Xu, what nonsense are you spouting?!"
Even if Lao Zhang didn't know what was going on, he realized what was happening after hearing Jiang Xu's words.
Jiang Xu stole cultural relics from the warehouse to sell, but he was discovered. And the guy doesn't even know who found out.
Old Zhang suddenly stood up, feeling extremely regretful. If he had known it would turn out this way, he shouldn't have agreed to go out drinking with Jiang Xu today.
Damn it, this drinking session could easily kill someone!
He wasn't exaggerating.
Yes, the Cultural Palace's warehouse management was lax, and many people from the Cultural Palace had casually "taken" one or two items. A few years earlier, not only people from the Cultural Palace, but even people from outside the Cultural Palace could freely enter the warehouse and take whatever they wanted.
But wasn't that from a few years ago?
Can the situation be the same as before?
The Revolutionary Committee is gone. Many of those whose homes were ransacked back then have been exonerated. Who knows, someone might come looking for the things that were taken from their homes during the ransacking.
At this point, Jiang Xu still dared to defy the rules and steal things from the warehouse, and he was so careless that he was caught red-handed?
This is incredibly audacious!
Old Zhang could see clearly that Jiang Xu was doomed sooner or later, and he didn't want to get involved with Jiang Xu.
Old Zhang put on his coat and hurriedly headed out. Jiang Xu, realizing what was happening, stood up groggily and called out to Old Zhang, who was already some distance away, "Hey, what did you mean by that..."
Old Zhang turned around and sneered, "Jiang Xu, I'm telling you this out of kindness, the person you're looking for isn't me. I don't know what you're up to behind the scenes. As for what you're talking about—the warehouse and the paintings—I know nothing about them. You'd better think this through, watch your mouth, and don't talk nonsense. Don't try to drag everyone at the Cultural Palace down with you. If things get really bad, we'll have people protecting us, but you might not be so lucky."
He left in a hurry after speaking, leaving Jiang Xu alone, still shaken.
Jiang Xu understood perfectly. Before leaving, Lao Zhang's words were twofold: first, to clear himself of any involvement and deny that he had taken any artifacts from the small warehouse; and second, to warn him that even if the matter came to light, he shouldn't even think about implicating others who had taken things from the small warehouse.
There are no outsiders here. Since Old Zhang said that, it means he is definitely not the one who secretly took his picture.
Jiang Xu's face turned pale instantly, and his heart pounded with anxiety. If it wasn't Lao Zhang, then who could have taken the photos of him?
He didn't make enemies with anyone.
Could it be that the other party isn't seeking revenge, but rather money?
But if they're looking for money, why hasn't anyone contacted them yet?
If the other party came looking for him, Jiang Xu could feel at ease. But now there's no news at all, as if the filming never happened. This superficial calm is even more terrifying, like a storm brewing.
This feeling of unease deeply plagued Jiang Xu, making him unable to sleep at night or find peace during the day. He dared not even breathe loudly, and his mind was constantly tense, especially at work, where the feeling was even more severe.
Every time someone pushes open the office door, he immediately turns his head away, fearing that it's his boss coming to find him after receiving a report, or even more so, that the police are coming to arrest him.
Jiang Xu was constantly worried and his mental state was not good. He made frequent mistakes at work and was called into the office by his boss for criticism several times.
But the number of mistakes was too many, and the mistakes were too basic. The leader couldn't help but ask, "Jiang Xu, what's wrong with you lately? You seem to have no energy at all. Is something wrong at home? I heard you and your wife had a fight, and she went back to her parents' house. If you and your wife have any problems, communicate well and you can definitely solve them. Even if you can't solve them, you can't bring your emotions into your work!"
The leader stood up, patted Jiang Xu on the shoulder, and said, "Xiao Jiang, I have high hopes for you, which is why I included you in this year's training program. But if you continue to develop like this, forget about the training program; I'll have to consider whether you're even suitable to stay in our office."
Jiang Xu looked dazed. After a moment of reaction, as if he finally understood what his superior meant, he raised his head and said, "Sir, I understand. I definitely won't..."
He looked up, and his supervisor noticed his sallow complexion and dark circles under his eyes, which startled him. He softened his tone and said, "Ahem, as I just mentioned, work is important. Besides work, your personal health is also very important. You don't look well. I'll grant you two days off. Go home and rest well, and take care of your family matters. You can come back to work after you've settled them."
Without a word, the leader sent Jiang Xu home. Not long after Jiang Xu returned home, Ning Feng came to his door.
Jiang Xu had been having a bad time these past few days, and so had Ning Feng. When the two of them got together, they both had sallow complexions and looked completely listless.
On the other hand, Tong Wanjun was the exact opposite.
Having found a way to get rid of Jiang Xu, Tong Wanjun breathed a sigh of relief and began to think about the future.
She had only thought about divorcing Jiang Xu before, but hadn't considered what to do after the divorce.
Tong Wanjun's family was of modest means. Only her father had a job, and they also had an older brother who had settled in the countryside and needed financial assistance, making the family's burden already heavy. When she took her daughter back to her parents' home, it added even more weight to her father's load.
Although her parents supported her decision after she told them that Jiang Xu liked men and that she wanted to divorce him, and even told her to come home and stay as long as they had enough to eat, Tong Wanjun still felt guilty.
She's only 27 or 28, almost 30, and she hasn't been able to fulfill her filial duties to her parents. Instead, she's dragging her daughter along and living off them. It's really heartbreaking for her.
Tong Wanjun made up her mind to find a job and support herself. But it was easier said than done. In the city these days, there were young people all over the place who couldn't find work and were unemployed after graduating from high school. Factories didn't need any workers and weren't hiring.
In the end, Tong Wanjun had no choice but to go to the neighborhood office to see if they could introduce her to a job. She was willing to do any job as long as she could earn money.
She'd be willing to do anything, even sweep the streets or clean toilets!
The neighborhood office didn't have any suitable job offers, so they submitted her information to the Women's Federation. Mingxi happened to see Tong Wanjun's information when she was working.
Mingxi was taken aback. After get off work that evening, Mingxi found Tong Wanjun and asked, "I saw your information at the Women's Federation. Are you looking for a job?"
Tong Wanjun nodded.
Mingxi knew about her family's situation, so she had nothing to hide from Mingxi.
Mingxi: "If you're looking for a job, you can check out the Ministry of Labor's service company. They provide training and employment opportunities for unemployed youth."
When Tong Wanjun's information was submitted to the Women's Federation, all the Women's Federation could do was pass on Tong Wanjun's information to the labor service company; they could not directly assign Tong Wanjun a job.
In Beicheng—no, that's not right—even just in the steel mill's residential compound area, there are quite a few unemployed young people. If the Women's Federation were to introduce jobs to them one by one, they simply wouldn't be able to keep up.
The only option is to hand over the information of these job seekers to the labor service company and let them handle the arrangements.
Mingxi asked Tong Wanjun to go to the labor service company, thinking that it would be faster for her to go by herself than to wait for the labor service company to make arrangements.
Tong Wanjun nodded. She really didn't know that labor service companies could arrange jobs for people. Now that she heard Mingxi say it, she carefully wrote it down in her mind.
"Thank you, thank you, Comrade Ming. You are such a good person. The luckiest thing in my life is meeting you. If it weren't for you, I would be... I would be..."
Tong Wanjun choked up as she spoke.
She genuinely wanted to thank Mingxi. If it weren't for Mingxi, she might have already obediently listened to Jiang Xu and gone home with him, let alone found a job.
Before this, Mingxi and she were complete strangers, they didn't even know each other, but Mingxi was willing to help her come up with ideas, help her find solutions, and even risk her life to secretly film Jiang Xu making deals with foreigners.
It's no exaggeration to say that Xi was her greatest benefactor in this life.
Mingxi is even helping her find a job right now, and Tong Wanjun doesn't know how to thank Mingxi enough.
She choked back tears, gripping Mingxi's arm, and said, "Thank you, Mingxi, thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you enough. I can never repay your kindness in this lifetime, but I will..."
Before Tong Wanjun could finish speaking, Mingxi interrupted her urgently: "No, no, I didn't do anything, it's really not that serious."
Mingxi was embarrassed. She hadn't done anything wrong, but Tong Wanjun's words made her feel ashamed.
Seeing Mingxi's expression, Tong Wanjun didn't continue speaking.
It was enough for her to remember Mingxi's kindness in her heart.
Mingxi came here today to talk to Tong Wanjun about the labor service company. After she finished speaking, she said goodbye to Tong Wanjun and left. She walked home with light steps. As soon as she turned into her alley, she saw Guan Lixin riding a bicycle back from outside, looking dusty and tired.
Mingxi stopped and exchanged a greeting with Guan Lixin: "Where have you been, covered in dirt?"
Guan Lixin: "Hey, stop talking, I'm going to oversee the shop's renovation."
The shop he bought before was in a good location, had a large area, and was good in every way, but there was one problem: the building was too old.
If you really want to calculate it, the house is at least forty or fifty years old since it was built. Even if it is well protected, he will have to renovate the whole thing if he wants to open a shop. The electrical wiring and pipes inside the house will have to be rearranged. This is no small project. Guan Lixin has been keeping an eye on the renovation of the shop lately.
Mingxi: "Oh yeah, I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to ask how your shop is going and when you'll be able to open for business?"
Guan Lixin hissed and said, "I estimate it won't be until before the New Year at the earliest. My shop needs a lot of renovation, both the soft furnishings and the hard furnishings. It'll be almost December by the time everything is done. And the newly renovated place needs to air out to let the smell dissipate, which will take another month. My conservative estimate is that it won't be until before the New Year at the earliest."
He shook his head and said, "I was thinking of opening in December, taking advantage of the end of the year when everyone is willing to spend money, to sell more and try to break even as soon as possible."
Guan Lixin had a good plan. Clothes sell best at the end of the year, since everyone likes to wear new clothes for the New Year. In previous years, his stall business was booming at this time.
Unfortunately, the renovation couldn't be completed in time.
Mingxi: "Don't worry or get anxious. We've already bought the shop, so it's only a matter of time before we break even."
Guan Lixin waved his hand: "Hey, I'm not in a hurry. If the shop doesn't work out, I'll just keep setting up a stall."
Guan Lixin had a good attitude. If the shop couldn't open in time, he would just continue setting up a stall. Anyway, he wouldn't miss this good period before the New Year.
Mingxi: "...Okay."
Mingxi really admired Guan Lixin's drive.
Guan Lixin used to be afraid of hardship and fatigue, complaining that studying was tiring and doing homework was hard. But now, in order to do business, he has never complained about any hardship.
No wonder he's able to make money.
Mingxi could not do what Guan Lixin did.
-
Tong Wanjun trusted Mingxi, who told her to go to the labor service company. She packed her things and went to the labor service company early the next morning.
Although Tong Wanjun hasn't worked for many years after getting married, she is actually quite well-off. She graduated from high school, so her education level is not low. Moreover, she is quick and skillful, and she is good at everything from needlework and sewing to cooking and doing odd jobs.
The labor service company had been observing Tong Wanjun for a long time before arranging for her to work in a branch of the textile factory, which was a newly opened factory that made parts.
On the day she reported for duty, Tong Wanjun nervously completed the onboarding process and went to work in the workshop with the workshop director.
At first, she was worried that the job would be difficult, she wouldn't be able to get the hang of it, she would make mistakes, and she would upset her boss...
Unexpectedly, the work was surprisingly simple. She was used to needlework and soon she was able to complete the task independently without anyone's guidance.
At five o'clock in the evening, Tong Wanjun finished her workday and went to a department store. With the money she had saved over the years, she selected some snacks and canned fruit, and carrying these things, headed towards Mingxi's house.
Mingxi had a hard time getting home from get off work, and she had to hitch a ride with Weining. As she rode her bicycle wobbling to the alley entrance, Mingxi immediately spotted a familiar figure. She raised her hands to her mouth and called out, "Tong Wanjun!"
Tong Wanjun looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mingxi's figure. She immediately raised her hand and waved to Mingxi.
"Comrade Ming!"
Mingxi jumped off the back of the bicycle: "Why are you here?"
Tong Wanjun: "I've come to share some good news with you."
Mingxi: "What good news?"
Tong Wanjun: "I have a job! The labor service company found it for me. I sew buttons at a branch of the textile factory. The monthly salary is eighteen yuan. I reported for work today. The job is not difficult, I adapted quickly, and my colleagues are easy to get along with."
Mingxi smiled brightly, happy for Tong Wanjun: "That's great!"
Tong Wanjun smiled and said, "I think it's great too."
She is already very content with what she has.
Tong Wanjun: "Oh, right, this is a small token of my gratitude. Thank you for your help and care during this time."
Mingxi's gaze shifted to the net bag in her hand, and her expression turned sour.
"Take it back, take it back! You just started work, you haven't even received your salary yet, where would you get the money? What are you trying to give me? Take it back right now, otherwise this will be considered bribing an official! I'm not that kind of corrupt comrade, I won't accept your bribes!"
Mingxi spoke with righteous indignation, and Tong Wanjun immediately panicked.
"I...I...these are all worthless things, just food, really worthless. Is this considered a bribe?"
Mingxi put on a stern face, feigning seriousness: "Fine!"
Tong Wanjun: "Then I won't see you off, that's fine."
She quietly put the net behind her back, pursed her lips, and whispered to Mingxi, "I ran into my neighbor at the department store just now."
Mingxi nodded, not quite understanding yet. It wasn't until she saw Tong Wanjun's awkward expression that she realized Tong Wanjun wasn't talking about her family's neighbors, but rather the neighbors of the house she and Jiang Xu lived in after their marriage.
Mingxi: "What, did she say something to you?"
Tong Wanjun nodded and said, "She told me to stop arguing with Jiang Xu. Jiang Xu has been in a bad state these past few days. He's listless and has no energy. He can't even work properly and his supervisor advised him to go home and rest."
The neighbor was unaware of Jiang Xu's messy affairs. From her perspective, after Tong Wanjun argued with Dongxu and went back to her parents' home, Jiang Xu's mental state deteriorated. He became depressed and couldn't concentrate on his work.
She naturally assumed that Jiang Xu was worried about Tong Wanjun, which was why he advised her to go back when he saw Tong Wanjun.
Tong Wanjun didn't explain anything to the other party, but after seeing Mingxi, she immediately reported the matter to Mingxi.
She asked, "Can we begin the next step?"
Mingxi stroked her chin and nodded solemnly: "It's time."
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