August is the busy farming season in the countryside. The seedlings planted at the end of July have been maintained for half a month, and the roots have become firm. Now it is time to add enough water and put the seedlings into the fields.
The black car was driving on a brand new road. Through the car window, you could clearly see the busy work in the fields. The sky was full of gorgeous sunset glow, dyeing the towering Phoenix Mountain orange.
"Is this Shixi Village?" Aunt He asked, her face full of curiosity, enjoying the sight. Having always lived in the city, this was her first time in the countryside, and she was filled with admiration at the pristine countryside.
"Yes, once we reach the big banyan tree in front, we have officially entered the village." Su Ling, who was sitting next to her, pointed ahead.
Aunt He looked through the car's windshield and saw the huge banyan tree that looked like a giant umbrella. She asked in surprise, "Oh my! Such a big tree! Could it be a spirit?"
Su Ling smiled and said, "I asked the village chief, and he said that this banyan tree is about two hundred years old."
"Wow, that's a long time!" Aunt He sighed.
The car was driving fast and soon arrived under the big banyan tree. It was even more shocking to see it up close.
"Aunt He, do you want to get off the car and take a look?" Su Ling asked.
"No, no, let's go home first." Aunt He looked at her watch. "It's almost six o'clock. I have to make dinner."
Su Ling glanced at Lin Feng in the driver's seat in front of him, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly: "Fortunately, Aunt He gave me some advice at noon, otherwise I don't know what kind of noodles Lin Feng would cook."
Lin Feng frowned, turned the steering wheel, and drove the car onto the cement road leading to the Su family's old house.
"I thought about buying instant noodles," he said.
"Instant noodles? Instant noodles are not nutritious, they can't be eaten." Aunt He couldn't help but feel distressed. What kind of hard life did the two young masters live in the countryside? They even ate instant noodles!
Su Ling knew she was overthinking it, and hurriedly said, "Except for eating it once or twice when I first came here, I stopped eating it after I learned how to cook."
However, his words not only failed to comfort her, but made Aunt He even more sad.
Such a primitive rural area is completely different from the prosperous city. The houses are old, the public facilities are simple, and it is very inconvenient. Mr. Su came here alone at the beginning and didn't know anything. He had to cook, do housework, and farm in the fields by himself. I wonder how difficult it was and how much hardship he endured?
Seeing Aunt He's eyes moist, Su Ling comforted her, "The place where I live is very nice. It's the new garden built by my second grandfather. You'll know when you get there."
Aunt He took out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Okay."
When the car arrived at the basketball court, Aunt He saw the glazed tile wall outside the house and felt excited.
"We're here." Su Ling got out of the car first and walked around to the other side to help Aunt He open the door.
Aunt He got off the car and stood on the basketball court surrounded by green trees, breathing the fresh mountain air and feeling refreshed.
“The environment is really nice.”
There are mountains, water, trees, flowers, fields and land. An ancient and charming garden sits alone at the foot of the mountain, full of poetic and picturesque beauty.
Lin Feng opened the trunk and took out Aunt He's luggage. "It's better in the courtyard."
"I'll go open the door." Su Ling took out the key, walked quickly forward to unlock it, pushed open the gate, and gentlemanly invited Aunt He into the yard.
Aunt He was dazzled as she stepped through the threshold. The rockery, potted plants, ponds, pavilions, and verandas—it was a tranquil and elegant Jiangnan garden. No wonder Mr. Su and Mr. Lin were so reluctant to leave.
"How beautiful!" She looked around as she walked.
"Woof woof——" King came out from somewhere, pricked up his ears and barked alertly when he saw the stranger.
"King, be quiet." Su Ling walked forward, bent down and touched its head, "This is Aunt He, she will live here with us from now on."
King made a "woop" sound, sniffed at Aunt He's feet, and ran away with his tail wagging.
Aunt He asked in surprise, "Where does Mr. Su keep pets?"
Su Ling said: "Yes, it's King. There is also a tabby cat named Lion. He was just sterilized and has been locked up at home to recuperate these days."
Aunt He subconsciously looked at Lin Feng who was carrying the suitcase.
She was a nanny from the Lin family and knew that Mr. Lin had a phobia for small animals. When Mr. Su and him first got married, he mentioned getting a dog, but Mr. Lin politely rejected the idea. Now Mr. Su has two small pets in the countryside. How can Mr. Lin live with them peacefully without batting an eyelid?
When I entered the house, I saw a fat tabby cat sleeping on its belly in the cat bed in the corner of the living room.
Aunt He sighed. Mr. Lin really loves Mr. Su.
Su Ling took Aunt He to familiarize herself with the house.
"This is the living room, this is the study, and across from it is the dining room, which is connected to the kitchen. There's no gas, so I use an induction cooker to cook. Outside the kitchen is the backyard, and I can pick vegetables directly from the vegetable garden."
"Go around this screen and you'll find the back hall of the living room. There's a staircase leading up here. Be careful...it's a bit steep, go slowly..."
After going up to the second floor, Su Ling took her to the guest room on the west side. "Aunt He, please stay here. There are new quilt covers in the cabinet. I'll help you change them later."
The day before yesterday, Zhan Yang returned to the town to stay at the hotel. The guest room was empty, but he hadn't had time to clean it up.
"No, no, I can change myself." Aunt He was very satisfied and asked Lin Feng to put her luggage in front of the cabinet. "I see that the house is very clean. Does Mr. Su usually do the housework himself?"
Su Ling shook his head: "When Second Grandpa was here, he hired Aunt Zhang from the village to clean the place. After I came here, I continued to hire her to take charge of the cleaning work. I do the laundry and cooking myself."
"So that's how it is." Aunt He suddenly understood. No wonder the house was so tidy, it turned out she had hired someone to take care of it.
Now that she is here, she should do all the housework, but everything should be done on a first-come-first-served basis. She cannot take away other people's jobs. The cleaning work is still given to "Aunt Zhang", and she is responsible for washing clothes, cooking and taking care of pets.
She mentioned her idea to Lidya Su, and Lidya Su agreed without hesitation.
After leaving the living room and passing the master bedroom in the middle, Aunt He asked in confusion, "Why is this room unused?"
The room was very large, but completely empty without even a bed.
"This was originally my second grandfather's bedroom. I've always wanted to renovate it, but I haven't had the time. In a few days, I'll go to town to find a decoration company to turn this into a children's bedroom." Su Ling said.
"Huh? A children's bedroom?" Aunt He was puzzled. Where did the child come from? Mr. Su and Mr. Lin were both men, so they couldn't possibly have children, right?
"Ling wants to adopt a child." Lin Feng, who was standing next to Su Ling, said.
"Adopt?" Aunt He asked, "Is it a child from the countryside?"
"No, he's from the town. Both his parents are dead, and he has few relatives at home. He was abused by his adoptive mother and is now lying in the ICU ward of the hospital." Su Ling told Aunt He about Fang Qi's life story and experiences with a sad expression.
Aunt He was filled with righteous indignation after hearing this. "If they can't even abuse their own children, they're not worthy of being parents."
Su Ling pursed his lips and said, "So, I won't let her have an easy time!"
Aunt He nodded: "That's right, she must be punished by law!"
"Yeah." Su Ling held Lin Feng's hand to suppress the anger in his heart.
After they had almost finished touring the house, Aunt He rolled up her sleeves and started cooking dinner.
Su Ling took the initiative to help and picked some fresh vegetables from the backyard garden. Paired with the seafood he had bought at the supermarket in town, dinner finally returned to the sumptuousness it had been at the villa.
Everyone in the Su family's house was in a happy mood, but public opinion online was heated.
On Weibo, major media outlets reported the news that Xiao Fangqi was abused by her adoptive mother. After the reporter learned about Xiao Fangqi's injuries from the hospital, he choked up several times during the live broadcast.
With the hospital's consent, he took several horrific photos and uploaded them online, which made netizens furious.
Is that adoptive mother named Zhang Man still a human being?
She herself had a five or six-year-old biological son, yet she was so cruel to her adopted son. The photo showed the child's back covered in old and new needle marks, making one's scalp tingle, not to mention the other injuries. His skin was red and swollen, with not a single intact spot.
A former neighbor of Xiao Fangqi was interviewed by a reporter and said that the child originally had a happy family. His grandmother died of illness two years ago, and his parents also died unexpectedly two months ago. He had no other close blood relatives. Zhang Man took advantage of being a distant relative and got the adoption permit.
Just a few days after the child passed away, the neighbors noticed something was wrong.
Because Xiao Fangqi's family was well-off, she attended a high-end private kindergarten and wore branded clothes. However, after she went to Zhang Man's house, the kindergarten closed down and she was not allowed to go to school. Her clothes became tattered and she was locked up at home every day. Sometimes, even standing downstairs, she could hear Zhang Man beating and scolding the child.
"Didn't you report the situation to the Women's Federation?" the reporter asked.
"Well... we're neighbors, we see each other every day. What if I report this to the Women's Federation and she finds out? How embarrassing would it be to run into her in the elevator in the future? Besides, that Zhang Man..." the neighbor asked hesitantly, "Will they blur my name when the show airs?"
The reporter said: "If you have a request, you can censor it."
The neighbor whose video was censored said: "It must be censored. Zhang Man has a strong personality. If she knew someone was gossiping about her behind her back, she would make a scene and even spit on them when she saw them on the street. She is very immoral."
The reporter said: "The police have already intervened in the case of her child abuse. If it constitutes a crime, she will be punished by law."
Neighbor: "Really? Then put her in jail right away, preferably for a few years!"
The reporter asked: "Who will take care of her own children if she goes to jail?"
The neighbor curled his lips: "Her husband! If not, there are still her parents and in-laws!"
Reporter: "How does her husband treat Xiao Fangqi? Does he participate in the abuse?"
Neighbor: "That... I'm not sure. Her husband goes to work every day and is rarely at home. But I heard that he knows some powerful people and acts very arrogantly. In our Liuxian Town, he's considered a bully."
Reporter: "A bully?"
Neighbor: "Yeah, no one dares to mess with him... Oops, I've said too much today. I have something to do and I'm leaving now."
No matter how much the reporter asked, the neighbor waved his hands and ran away.
When netizens saw this interview, they immediately turned on Sherlock Holmes mode and looked for clues everywhere. Once Tianyancha came into play, Zhang Man and her husband were completely exposed.
My goodness, the Xinghong Company run by her husband is not a legitimate company at all. On the surface, it is a security company, but in fact it mainly engages in violent debt collection, usury, and uses the guise of forced demolition to hire thugs in the town to disturb the residents. A few months ago, it was also suspected of a murder case.
Netizens dug deeper and deeper and found that the murder was actually related to the Lin Group.
Yes, it was the accidental murder that was caused by the forced demolition of a piece of land bought by the Lin Group in H City.
At that time, the reputation of the Lin Group was in jeopardy and its stock price dropped by several percentage points. Later, it was found out that a group of gangsters disguised as a demolition team attempted to extort money, which led to a physical conflict and the murder.
Although the police cleared the Lin Group of all charges, many netizens felt that the story was not that simple and that the Lin Group was wealthy and had bribed the police.
Now that Xinghong Company has been exposed, the voices questioning the Lin Group have disappeared, and netizens have focused their firepower on Zhang Man and her husband.
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