Chapter 22 Fire
"Xiao Meng, there are people with red armbands outside who say they want to take you away."
The old woman lowered her voice anxiously and frantically, "You run out the back door quickly, I'll go and stall them first."
Su Meng paused for a moment as she bent down to put on her shoes, her two beautiful eyebrows furrowing.
In just a moment, she figured out what had happened.
It must be that troublemaker, Zhong Wanrou, causing all this trouble.
Hmph! She was merciful enough not to crush her to death, but instead she's jumping around causing trouble for her.
She probably wanted to use Hu Wangqing to get her into the group that the Su family had been sent to.
That's wishful thinking!
Su Meng opened the door and glanced at A-Da's room. "Grandma, please help me stall them for five minutes. We absolutely cannot let them barge in."
Ah Da was injured and couldn't withstand their torment.
Grandma: Okay!
Su Meng smiled, patted the old woman's arm, and left through the back door.
Hu Wangqing's home was in the bustling Shanghai, just two streets away from Yangliu Lane.
When Su Meng went to the street, she saw Zhong Wanrou and Hu Wangqing hiding under a big tree next to Yangliu Lane, pointing and gesturing triumphantly at her maternal grandfather's house.
She averted her gaze and quickly moved through the streets.
At that moment, she was dressed in a trendy teenage outfit.
Wearing a green military uniform, a military satchel, and liberation shoes, with a canvas belt loosely tied around his waist, he could both conceal his large waist and make it easier to move around.
"Auntie, could you tell me which courtyard Hu Wangqing lives in? I'm her boyfriend."
Su Meng raised her thick, dark eyebrows and, in a fawning manner, slipped a piece of candy into the hand of the old woman sitting at the alley entrance.
The old woman glanced at her, then chuckled and pointed to the discolored lantern hanging on the courtyard gate, saying, "That's the one."
Young man, you're her boyfriend, how could you not know her family's address?
Su Meng kept a blank face and pretended to be embarrassed, "I am her childhood betrothed from her hometown."
I am not good enough for her, and I am here voluntarily to annul the engagement. Thank you, ma'am!
The old woman sighed softly, "The world has changed! Even though her family are officials, they can't be so unethical."
Su Meng chuckled as she walked into the alley, glanced back at the old ladies gossiping with someone, and before they could notice, she took a running start and entered the courtyard.
Didn't the red armbands surround her maternal grandfather's house?
She then went to Hu Wangqing's house and set it on fire.
Hu Wangqing's father was the most active figure in the harvest committee, and he touted himself as honest, impartial, and selfless.
But when Su Meng saw the letters and account books in his study, she scoffed, "What a public servant who serves the people!"
When the committee members raided homes, they were also responsible for confiscating the personal property of the targets.
Hu Wangqing's father, Hu Fusheng, often walked along the river, and inevitably his shoes got wet.
How could a newly rich ordinary citizen resist the temptations of sugar-coated bullets and money?
His secret stash was in his study, containing two safes with gold bars and cash, and a large chest of drawers filled with valuable antiques, paintings, and jewelry.
Rolls of polyester fabric, silk, and cotton cloth, which are hard to buy even with money, were piled up in the corner, with a layer of dust on the bottom.
Su Meng put them all into her spatial storage.
Then, a fire was set on fire to his study, woodshed, and kitchen.
Thick smoke billowed, and flames burned fiercely in the autumn wind.
Standing in the gentle autumn breeze, Su Meng glanced at the crowd of people carrying buckets of water and heard exclamations of alarm. Judging that the fire would not spread, she felt relieved and headed home.
"Oh no! There's a fire over there."
When Su Meng returned, she happened to hear Zhong Wanrou exclaim in alarm as she pointed in the direction from which the thick smoke was rising.
Hu Wangqing's smile vanished instantly. "That's the direction of my home."
"Dad, Dad, our house is on fire!"
Hu Wangqing ran quickly toward the red armbands surrounding Xie Jingming's courtyard gate, his hair flying wildly and one of his shoes gone. "Dad, something terrible has happened! Our house is on fire!"
"Don't talk nonsense! Get out of here, can't you see we're working?" the middle-aged man in the lead snapped coldly.
Hu Wangqing roared, "Our house is on fire, look!"
Someone turned to look at the thick smoke not far away.
"Brother Hu, that is indeed the direction of your home. Do you want to go back and take a look?"
Hu Fusheng was very dedicated; without even turning his head, he said, "Don't spread rumors, get on with your work."
Hu Wangqing pounded the ground in panic, "It really is our house. No one's home, it'll burn down."
It's unclear which word triggered Hu Fusheng's reaction, but he withdrew his hand from the door and turned around in shock.
One glance was enough to send him into a frenzy: "It really is my house! Quick! Go back and put out the fire! Quick!"
In the blink of an eye, the red armband-wearing person disappeared.
Su Meng never expected that the man in the red armband who led the trouble was Hu Wangqing's father.
She originally just wanted to buy some time by putting out the fire, and then report her family.
After all, these days, people with a little bit of influence aren't exactly clean.
Even though the red armband had left, Su Meng did not relax.
She turned around and went to the quarrying committee, where she quietly placed Hu Fusheng's letters and account books on Jiang Weimin's desk.
Based on her limited social experience, she judged that Jiang Weimin loved money, but acquired it ethically; he loved power, but did not abuse it to oppress others within the scope of his duties.
He can be considered a good official.
By reporting Hu Fusheng, she could not only punish the Hu family but also contribute to Jiang Weimin's achievements.
A win-win situation!
As for Zhong Wanrou, who has lost her support, she can be dealt with at any time.
Su Meng went home happily, and with a triumphant running start, she jumped onto the wall.
"Sister Su, what are you doing on the wall? What scenery are you looking at?"
Su Meng: "......"
I was careless!
She was afraid her grandmother would worry, so she wanted to go home as soon as possible.
I didn't expect to be discovered while taking a shortcut.
Her ladylike image!
It's completely ruined!
"I...uh, I'm looking at the smoke over there, swaying and hazy, it's so beautiful!"
Nie Pingting rolled her eyes. "Keep making this up. Sister Su, are you too scared to jump down? Do you need a ladder?"
Su Meng: "...Thank you so much."
Such thrilling and dangerous actions can be performed in one go.
But halfway through, his initial courage to break through the sky receded like the tide, and coupled with the burden in his heart, he hesitated and couldn't bring himself to jump, even under the watchful eyes of several people.
My legs went weak.
I chickened out!
Afterwards, Ah Da commented expressionlessly: "Too weak! Looks like you've been wasting your time all these years!"
Su Meng chuckled awkwardly, "I'm a lady!"
Back when her father asked her to practice martial arts, A-Da pleaded on her behalf, saying, "Xiao Meng is just a little girl, she doesn't need to practice martial arts. She just needs to be a happy little lady."
Clearly, Ah Da had also remembered things from the past.
He sighed softly, "Now that you're older, you need to stand on your own. Keep practicing every day from now on."
Su Meng wailed, yielding to Ada's unquestionable gaze, "Fine!"
Nie Pingting's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. "Sister Su, who is he?"
"My uncle just came from our hometown."
Nie Pingting didn't press the matter further; after all, everyone has a few relatives.
"Let's eat breakfast quickly, maybe my dad will come to pick you up soon."
Su Meng took a bite of rice and asked, "Are you coming with me?"
If she hadn't been preoccupied with the translation work, she definitely wouldn't have given Zhong Wanrou another chance to cause trouble.
"Go ahead! But I definitely can't get into your meeting room." Nie Pingting said with a hint of regret, "I also want to see it. Oh dear! The horn is honking, they must be here."
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