Chapter 83 Catching Adultery (1)
creak—
Chen Yun gently closed the door and, using the dim light, took off her coat and hung it behind the door.
"You're back."
Gao Ming, who was lying on the large bed, was quickly awakened. Even though his head was still foggy, he subconsciously knew that his wife had returned.
After Gao Nian'an started primary school, he moved to the side room to sleep. Later, when Gao Nianping started primary school, he also moved in.
A curtain separates them, and the siblings sleep on opposite sides.
Chen Yunxian walked to the bedside and gently patted Gao Ming's shoulder: "I'll go check on the child." After saying that, she quietly pushed open the door and went in.
Gao Ming hummed in agreement and nodded, his eyes half-closed.
He soon woke up completely.
I put on my coat and got out of bed. I poured half a basin of water, which was only slightly warm, from the water bottle and put it on the stove to heat it up. Then I went to the shelf, grabbed a towel, and threw it into the basin.
When Chen Yun returned, the toothpaste had already been squeezed out.
"Did you stay up all night yesterday?" Chen Yun took the toothbrush, her gaze lingering on the dark circles under Gao Ming's eyes for a moment before tenderly stroking them: "We don't need you to work so hard in our family."
Gao Ming chuckled, "I know my wife can make money." He then wrapped his arm around Chen Yun's waist. "Things have been quiet at the company lately, but I always feel a bit empty without anyone around."
"I'll rest until the tenth day of the Lunar New Year..."
The toothpaste foam made Chen Yun's voice sound a little muffled, and the crunching sound immediately made the two children in the side room open their eyes.
One second I was running in my dream, the next I was jumping out of bed.
"mom!"
Gao Nian'an was the fastest; he jumped off the bed and rushed barefoot to the next room, his little feet making a loud pattering sound.
Gao Nianping was much more reserved. She put on her coat and shoes, and even took her elder sister's cotton-padded coat with her before going out.
"Mother."
Chen Yun stood in the middle of the room like a tree, with her father hugging her mother and her older sister also hugging her mother.
Gao Nianping threw his clothes on the bed and ran over to hug his mother, whom he missed very much.
"Gao Nian'an, put on your shoes."
Chen Yun was being choked by the father and sons until she could hardly breathe. It took a lot of effort for her to break free and continue washing up.
"Aren't you getting up yet?"
A 1.5-meter double bed is really crowded with four more people, so Chen Yun kicked her feet and lay down next to Gao Ming.
Gao Ming lazily pulled the blanket tighter around himself: "There's nothing to do during the New Year, why get up so early?"
"Mom, are you going to work for New Year's Eve dinner today?" Gao Nian'an squeezed between her parents and nudged her father with her bottom: "Grandma also bought a goose, we're having goose for New Year's Eve dinner."
"Mom will be able to rest for ten days this time," Chen Yun said with a smile.
"Ten days!" Gao Nianping, who was leaning against the wall, excitedly crawled into the quilt: "Then I want to sleep with Mom tonight."
"I want to sleep with Mom too!"
"Gao Nian'an!" Gao Ming, whose body was half hanging off the bed, pinched his daughter's cheek in annoyance: "You're twelve years old, aren't you ashamed to still sleep with your parents?"
“Shameless!” Gao Nian’an retorted confidently, “Dad is over forty years old and he still sleeps with Mom.”
"How can that be the same!"
The older the daughter gets, the better she becomes at talking back, especially when facing her "kind" father. She always manages to say one thing and then three, leaving her father speechless.
"Nian'an." Chen Yun quickly hugged her talkative daughter and winked at Gao Ming: "I just came back and saw that Grandpa had pushed the snow to the middle of the yard."
"What!" Gao Nian'an sat up in surprise, nudged Gao Nianping past Chen Yun, "Go and call Li Shuaishuai, let's build a snowman."
Since Mom's home anyway, building a snowman is the most important thing right now.
Gao Ming smiled as he dressed the siblings, putting scarves and hats on them, and then happily opened the door.
He pushed the person towards the door and quickly closed it.
Children's cheers rang out in the courtyard, and soon Gao Xiaojuan from the next house was summoned out, followed by a group of children running to the next house.
The sound faded away, and the room finally quieted down.
Chen Yun moved further into the bed.
After lifting the covers from Chen Yun's bed and crawling inside, Gao Ming finally embraced his wife and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Since it's not a company matter, why were you so worried about it last night that you couldn't sleep?"
My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and a belated sleepiness washed over me, blurring everything around me.
The hospital has a rest room and beds, but I can never sleep soundly after changing to a different bed.
Perhaps it's because there's no familiar scent beside me...
Chen Yun subconsciously moved closer to the heat source, but was startled awake by Gao Ming's words.
"I suspect that Protector Li has someone outside... I don't know if I'm just overthinking it."
"What!"
Chen Yun struggled to sit up, but Gao Ming grabbed her waist and pressed her down again: "Don't worry, I was just guessing."
"What happened?" Chen Yun asked hurriedly.
Do you remember Cui Niang who moved away a few years ago?
"Of course I remember!" Chen Yun replied decisively, even instantly recalling Cui Niang's appearance: "Didn't Cui Niang always help out at Gao Lan Restaurant?"
"Listen to me first," Gao Ming gently patted Chen Yun's back to comfort him. "It's like this..."
Five years ago, Cui Niang started helping out at Gao Lan and Zhou Jianguo's small restaurant. Because she was hardworking and eloquent, she attracted many single men from the surrounding transportation companies to patronize the business.
Logically speaking, Li Huguo and Cui Niang are two completely unrelated people who shouldn't be associated with each other at all.
The first thing that aroused suspicion was that Li Huguo was skipping the company cafeteria and going to restaurants every day.
One or two times is understandable, but after a while, Zhou Jianguo noticed something was wrong and quietly told Gao Ming.
Gao Ming observed it privately for a while, and the more he looked, the more he felt that something was wrong.
Cui Niang works at a restaurant and earns two hundred yuan a month. The salary is certainly not low, but it's not enough to support her son's university education.
Zhang He used the 10,000 yuan compensation from the Cao family, claiming it was to invest in a garment factory on the coast, but he almost lost it all and had to pawn his pants.
Expecting him to provide money for his eldest son's university education... is harder than climbing to heaven.
According to Gao Lan's observation, Cui Niang was living a very comfortable life, and not long ago she even wore a gold necklace.
On the other hand, Li Huguo's rough old man, who used to be unkempt, has recently started to pay attention to his appearance. Gao Ming noticed that the old man has also started using the hair mousse that young people love most these days.
“Last week, when the company distributed dividends, Li Huguo immediately went and bought a car. He even took his brothers to the mall to buy New Year's goods for their families…” Gao Ming paused, then continued, “I heard from Su Weiming that Li Huguo bought a not-so-cheap women's watch. Go ask Ruanqiu tomorrow if she has received the watch?”
Gao Ming didn't want to suspect Li Huguo of having an affair, but after thinking about it over and over last night, he felt something was wrong.
"I'll go right away."
After such a big incident, Chen Yun couldn't sleep at all. She was so nervous that she felt even more anxious than if she were delivering a baby.
Ruanqiu was her best friend in this world, and Li Huguo was Gao Ming's childhood friend; she couldn't just ignore her.
Chen Yun frowned, quickly dressed, and got out of bed.
Gao Ming regretted not waiting until everyone was awake before speaking... Now he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore.
As he pushed open the door, he ran into Zhang He and his group.
"Mr. Cui, look, aren't these rooms in our house spacious enough?"
The man called General Manager Cui scoffed and shook his head: "Selling the whole courtyard would be more like it, what would I do with these few rooms..."
"I can go by myself," Chen Yun winked at Gao Ming.
The couple had discussed it long ago; if someone in the neighborhood wanted to sell their house, they would buy it if the price was right.
The children were having a snowball fight in the alley, and their laughter echoed throughout the entire alley.
Chen Yun quickly spotted the two children among them, but didn't disturb them. She turned and slipped into the neighboring yard.
"Is Uncle Li writing Spring Festival couplets?"
The courtyard was bustling with activity. Li Yi was writing Spring Festival couplets in the courtyard, with many sheets of red paper spread on the table, making quite a spectacle.
"Take one back and put it up later too." Li Yi looked up and saw Chen Yun. He subconsciously looked behind her and asked, "Why didn't Nianping and her brother come?"
"They're having a snowball fight outside!"
Li Yi especially likes Gao Nianping. When he buys food or drinks, he always asks Li Shuaishuai to get some for the neighbors. He really treats the two kids like his own grandchildren.
"It's cold outside, make sure the children wear more clothes."
"You're all bundled up!" Chen Yun approached and glanced at the Spring Festival couplets, then casually asked, "Where did I see Li Huguo and Ruan Qiu?"
"Huguo said he had something to take care of at the company and just left a short while ago... Ruanqiu is inside with the child!"
"Then I'll go talk to Ruanqiu for a while."
A few days ago, Chen Shu had Gao Tiejun bring back the Spring Festival couplets for the family. Chen Yun, the old father and Uncle Li, naturally chose the former without hesitation.
After Li Huguo and Ruanqiu moved back to the Li family home, they lived in the second room of the main house.
Fang Fang was already in the kitchen preparing the New Year's Eve dinner when she saw Chen Yun enthusiastically stuff a sticky rice cake into her hand.
Chen Yun hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so she took a bite as soon as she got it.
creak—
"I heard your voice just now."
When I first met Ruanqiu ten years ago, her round face still had a bit of baby fat. In recent years, I don't know if it's because she's too busy with business or because she's getting old and losing collagen, but she has developed a pointed chin, and fine lines around her eyes are faintly visible in the light.
"Come in quickly."
Ruanqiu opened the door, and sunlight slanted in through the door, illuminating her bright red headband.
When did you get your hair permed?
“The day before yesterday.” Ruanqiu ran her hand through her curly hair, which still smelled of medicine, and then flicked Chen Yun’s long hair that was draped over her shoulders. “Look at you. You should get your hair permed and buy yourself some new clothes. How can you always look so plain…”
"Then I'll get my hair permed in a couple of days." Chen Yun certainly loves beauty and won't refuse to spruce herself up when she has the time.
"I'll take you to the place where I get my hair permed. They're good and cheap."
The house is about the same size as Chen Yun's house, but it's so crammed in that it feels very cramped everywhere.
The double bed and single bed were arranged in an L-shape against the right wall, with a curtain in the middle, and a living room was separated on the left.
With the sofa and coffee table so close together, you have to find a place to sit as soon as you enter the room, otherwise you'll bump into something if you just take a few steps to the side.
Where is Li Shuaishuai?
“My father-in-law is watching TV in his room.” Ruanqiu pulled Chen Yun to sit down and couldn’t wait to start sharing interesting stories from her business: “You know how dangerous it was… If I were any dumber, I would have been swindled out of my deposit by that little bastard.”
Ruanqiu rented a stall in Xuedaokou Shopping Mall to wholesale children's clothing. Business was so-so in the past few years, but this year she won the domestic agency rights for a foreign brand of women's shoes in the coastal area, and suddenly her business became very successful.
Chen Yun listened to her talk about work for a full ten minutes, without mentioning her child or husband at all, clearly indicating that her focus had shifted to work.
"I heard from Gao Ming that Shuai Shuai's grades have dropped significantly this semester. What exactly happened?"
Li Shuaishuai is a quiet, reserved person. He keeps everything to himself and no one but Gao Nianping can hear a word of his inner thoughts from him.
Although my grades haven't been outstanding since I started elementary school, they've always hovered in the middle to upper range. But this year, my midterm exam results have dropped by more than twenty places.
Ruanqiu looked extremely surprised, as if she had just heard the news. She even grabbed Chen Yun and pressed her for answers: "How much have your grades dropped? Has something happened to the child?"
"Have you been away from home lately?" Chen Yun asked.
Ruanqiu: "..."
"Li Huguo didn't know about Shuai Shuai's declining grades?"
“He…” Ruanqiu hesitated for a moment before glancing guiltily at Chen Yun: “Li Huguo and I are both busy. Recently, the transportation company has been busy, so he has been staying in the company dormitory.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yun's heart skipped a beat.
Gao Ming said at home this morning that the company wasn't busy, but Li Huguo was so busy that he didn't have time to go home. Who was telling the truth...? It seems Chen Yun doesn't need to think about it at all.
Chen Yunqing cleared her throat and tentatively asked, "We can deal with Shuai Shuai's grades after the New Year. But you... you and Li Huguo didn't have a fight, did you?"
The person who had already stood up sat down again, covered their mouth and coughed lightly, their eyes involuntarily turning to the side.
"Did you really have a fight?"
"No argument! Li Huguo is so busy, we hardly ever see each other, where would he find the time to argue?"
"He didn't give you anything, like clothes... or a watch..."
“We’re an old married couple, who would still send those things? Besides, I sell clothes myself, why would I need him to buy them?” Ruanqiu looked around, cleared her throat, and stood up: “Let’s go to the kitchen to talk, I haven’t even washed the breakfast dishes.”
She hurriedly wiped her face and stood up, when she heard Chen Yun sigh behind her.
The sound of the cartoon next door drifted into their ears along with the sigh, followed by the shouts of Gao Nian'an and her brother rushing into the yard, telling Li Shuaishuai to go build a snowman.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" Chen Yun asked.
Ruanqiu walked to the dressing table, opened the rightmost drawer, and took out a gleaming silver mechanical watch.
"I understand," she heard herself reply, her voice sounding like it was being squeezed out between her teeth.
Ruanqiu took the watch and sat back down next to Chen Yun, then casually tossed it onto the coffee table: "I found the receipt for the watch in Li Huguo's pocket, and I asked him..."
Having worked in finance for many years, Ruanqiu's eyesight was far superior to that of ordinary people. She immediately noticed the watch signal and money on the receipt with just one glance.
Li Huguo calmly explained that the watch was kept in the company office and was originally intended as a New Year's gift for his wife.
"He brought this watch back to me the next day," Ruanqiu said coldly, her gaze sweeping across the coffee table. "It's this one."
Later, Ruanqiu felt something was wrong, so she took the watch and went to the store on the receipt to ask if the watch strap was too small and could be replaced.
The sales clerk told Ruanqiu that the watch and the receipt did not have the same model number.
The model on the receipt is currently out of stock. Although it looks almost identical to the one that Ruanqiu has, it is more than 100 yuan cheaper.
"At least Li Huguo knew to buy slightly more expensive things for his wife at home."
Ruanqiu covered her face, her whole body trembling.
"You checked later?"
"Mmm!" The voice that came through her fingers was already tinged with sobs. Ruanqiu suddenly looked up, revealing a face covered in tears: "I secretly followed Li Huguo, and after following him several times, I finally saw that woman!"
"Cui Niang?"
Ruanqiu nodded: "Did Gaoming tell you that?"
"Gao Ming isn't sure; he only recently started to have doubts."
"Li Huguo is good at hiding things... He even rented an apartment for that woman, and he has no time to take care of his own children, as he is busy being a stepfather to that woman's daughter."
The guess was confirmed, and Chen Yun looked at Ruan Qiu with concern.
What are you going to do?
“What should we do…” Ruanqiu leaned closer to the sofa, gripping the fabric tightly with one hand, and sighed almost in a murmur: “I don’t know either.”
The two have known each other since they were young, and have been dating and married for over twenty years. It would be more painful for them to give up Li Huguo than to cut off their own flesh.
Ruanqiu was very confused... This confusion had lasted for several days and she still couldn't find a solution.
Just then, Gao Ming's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
The door was pushed open, and Chen Yun shook his head at him: "The person who is with Li Huguo is indeed Cui Niang."
Gao Ming's expression was gloomy. Chen Yun saw his Adam's apple bob several times before he finally spoke in a low voice: "No matter what you choose, from now on, Chen Yun and I will stand by your side!"
"Okay." Ruanqiu forced a smile.
"..."
The room was very quiet; Chen Yun and Gao Ming even slowed their breathing.
Perhaps a few minutes later, Ruanqiu suddenly turned to look at Chen Yun: "If it were you, what would you do?"
"Divorce!" Chen Yun uttered the two words without hesitation, her icy tone sending a chill down Gao Ming's spine.
What about the child?
"Ruanqiu." Chen Yun grasped her still trembling hand: "What you need to consider now is not what will happen to the child without a complete family, but what will happen to you... If Li Huguo admits his mistake and never repeats it, can you get that person to forgive him, can you still sleep in the same bed with him and live together..."
"I feel disgusted!" Ruanqiu suddenly shouted.
"So, regarding your relationship with Li Huguo, you should only consider yourself for now and not others."
Ruanqiu: "..."
"Take your time to think it over. We'll have to wait until after the New Year to figure out how to resolve this. There's no need to rush to a conclusion."
Chen Yun stood up, intending to go home with Gao Ming first.
"No need to think about it." Ruanqiu suddenly reached out and grabbed Chen Yun's hand, a slightly bitter smile appearing on her face: "Just the thought of having to pretend nothing happened and live with Li Huguo in the future makes me sick!"
Chen Yun had actually guessed Ruan Qiu's decision long ago. The reason the two could become good friends was largely because they had similar attitudes toward relationships.
"Have you thought it through?"
"I've thought it through!" Ruanqiu grabbed Chen Yun's hand and stood up, her tears already dried. "I don't rely on Li Huguo for my livelihood anymore. I can live without anyone."
Perhaps from the day she discovered Li Huguo's disloyalty, Ruanqiu had already cried all her tears, and now that she has made up her mind, she feels relieved.
"Has Gao Ming's car come back yet?" Ruan Qiu suddenly asked.
"At the entrance of the alley."
"Then...shall we go?"
Where to?
"Go catch them in the act!"
Gao Ming could never have imagined that Chen Yun was driving this new car for the first time to help Ruan Qiu catch her cheating.
Chen Yun drove, with Ruan Qiu sitting in the passenger seat directing the way, while Gao Ming could only shrink into the back seat, not daring to utter a sound.
Even though he wasn't the one who cheated, I still feel like I did something wrong.
Bihe Residential Area.
The residential complex was only built a few years ago, and downstairs is a particularly noisy open-air market, bustling with people every day.
Cars can only be parked at the intersection and people can walk in.
"Although I don't want Li Huguo anymore, I'm going to teach those two scoundrels a lesson today. When we go in, we won't say a word. We'll drag Cui Niang out and beat her up first. If Li Huguo dares to protect her... Gao Ming, you stop him."
Gao Ming nodded quickly.
There are three buildings in total. The entrance to one of them is on the street, and several elderly people are sitting at the stairwell, sheltering from the cold wind.
"It's this room on the first floor."
After climbing just a few steps, Ruanqiu pointed to the blue wooden door on the right and said to the group.
Chen Yun turned her head to look at the stairwell and then at the door, and made up her mind.
clever:"……"
Chen Yun started rolling up his sleeves, then unbuttoned a few buttons on his military overcoat, and finally stretched his arms.
It seems... they're preparing for something big.
"Gao Ming, knock on the door." Chen Yun swung his somewhat stiff arms and gestured with his chin towards Gao Ming.
Many people believe that cultured people should solve problems by reasoning, but Chen Yun believes that reasoning is not applicable in every situation.
Condemning a third party for interfering in someone else's family... is less satisfying than pulling someone's hair.
Knock knock knock—
Ruanqiu also followed Chen Yun's example, unbuttoning her cotton-padded jacket and starting to stretch her arms; there was no trace of sadness on her face anymore.
I haven't made much money in business these past few years, but my mindset is much stronger than before.
Who is it?
The woman who opened the door looked to be in her forties or fifties, with an indigo headscarf wrapped around her hair and a face covered in wrinkles.
“I’m looking for Li Huguo,” Gao Ming said.
"Li Huguo? Oh... he's cooking inside. Who are you?" The woman's expression shifted from blank to enlightened, then she asked with some curiosity, "Why are you here looking for him?"
"Tell Li Huguo that Gao Ming should go to him."
"You must be the boss of Li Huguo's company?" The woman recognized Gao Ming and opened the door with a smile: "Come in quickly, Li Huguo and Cui Niang are making New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen."
"What is your relationship with Cui Niang, Auntie?"
"I am Cui Niang's mother." Cui Niang's mother looked behind Gao Ming and asked, "And who are these two?"
"When is Li Huguo getting married to Cui Niang?" Ruan Qiu suddenly interrupted the woman's question: "You have to invite us on the day of the wedding banquet."
"Soon, soon!" Cui Niang's mother said with a big smile, warmly welcoming them to the sofa. "My Cui Niang said they'll get married once Li Huguo becomes the deputy manager. Look at this house, Huguo bought it for Cui Niang, and he even brought this old woman out of the village to enjoy a life of luxury..."
In Cui Niang's mother's eyes, it was showing off her future son-in-law, but the other three found it quite ironic.
"Li Huguo is truly filial." Ruanqiu's voice grew even more composed, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"Aunt Chen!"
A gasp rang out in the living room, and Cui Niang's daughter, Zhang Qiuxing, stood there stunned, her face full of shock.
The young woman, already seventeen, must have known for a long time that her mother and Li Huguo had an improper relationship, which explains her shock and fear upon seeing them.
The next second, he yelled towards the kitchen, "Mom!"
A loud crash.
The soup bowl fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, splashing chicken pieces into the soup.
Li Huguo stared in horror at the group of people who had suddenly appeared in the living room.
"Ruan...Ruanqiu!"
"Li Huguo, what excellent cooking skills!" Ruanqiu's gaze fell on the pot of golden chicken soup that had spilled all over the ground: "Your mother also killed a chicken to make soup today. It was just starting to cook when we came out."
A figure quickly flashed back into the kitchen.
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