Chapter 35 Farce: You Can't Leave! Explain Things Clearly
The farce at the Dongcheng Department Store warehouse got so intense that someone called the police.
Li Zhenliang and Jiang Ling were already at the scene, and immediately took He Meina, Chen Anping, Wang Zhirong, and Tu Ying to the police station.
After notifying the family to pick her up, Zhao Hongxia and her husband He Gaoliang rushed over.
As soon as she entered the police station's lobby, Zhao Hongxia lunged at Chen Anping and slapped him across the face.
"I'll kill him—"
Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Hongxia suddenly stopped, realizing that the slap hadn't landed on Chen Anping's face.
Chen Anping actually dodged it!
Zhao Hongxia then looked directly at Chen Anping, only to be immediately taken aback by the anger in his eyes.
Li Zhenliang slammed his fist on the table: "You still dare to hit people when you get to the police station? Zhao Hongxia, you better behave yourself!"
When Zhao Hongxia saw Li Zhenliang's face clearly, she was immediately startled.
She scanned the area again and spotted Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei, two familiar faces, which made her even more uncertain.
The person who came to the store last time to praise Chen Anping and forcibly dragged him to drink was actually a policeman?
What incredible luck Chen Anping has accumulated to attract the attention of these policemen? With their help, he might be harder to control in the future.
Thinking of this, Zhao Hongxia plopped down on the ground and began to cry and sing.
“I’m so pitiful. I worked so hard to raise you, but you’ve forgotten all the kindness you showed me as soon as you’ve grown up. Chen Anping, Chen Anping, you’re just not likable. Your biological parents don’t want you, and your adoptive parents don’t want you either. Only I took pity on you and provided you with food, clothing, and education. I never thought you would even dare to hit your own sister… Who have I worked so hard for?”
Zhao Hongxia's voice, like He Meina's, was sharp and high-pitched, and very jarring.
Chen Anping's brow began to twitch.
Tu Ying, who was sitting to the side taking a statement, sneered: "Oh dear, this mother and daughter are really cut from the same cloth. They did shameless things themselves, and now they want to turn around and blame others!"
Zhao Hongxia's crying suddenly stopped.
She raised her head and spat at Tu Ying: "You can't control your man, yet you have the nerve to blame my Mina? Nobody wants a shrew like you!"
Wang Zhirong's current wealthy and carefree life was only possible because of his wife's family. In order to please his wife, he immediately said, "Don't talk nonsense. My Yingying is very good. I would never leave her. It was that bitch He Meina who seduced me. I was ruined by her."
Upon hearing this, He Meina, who was already deeply affected, withered instantly, like a trampled blade of grass.
He Meina was trembling all over: "You, you didn't say this before. You said you couldn't stand your shrew wife at home, you said you liked me and wanted to be my husband. You even said that once your father-in-law retired, you would divorce your shrew wife and marry me..."
With a sharp "smack!" Tu Ying, filled with rage, slapped Wang Zhirong hard across the face.
"Wang Zhirong! You gigolo, you dare to dream of marrying me? Divorce me! You're a coward if you don't! I'll make sure you get out of here wearing only your underwear, just like before we got married!"
Wang Zhirong knelt down with a thud, pleading desperately.
Born into a farming family, his parents were in poor health but had a large family. As the fourth child, he started working at a young age. With only a junior high school education and no family connections, he could only do manual labor on construction sites at first, then work as a waiter in a restaurant, and later as a salesperson in a women's clothing store. No matter what he tried, he couldn't change the fact that his income was low, and life was very difficult.
Later, Wang Zhirong met Tu Ying in a women's clothing store.
Tu Ying does not conform to current aesthetic standards.
She has an average appearance, is tall and strong, and has a loud voice, but she is the only daughter in her family, doted on by her parents, and has a relaxed job with a high income.
When Tu Ying appeared at the women's clothing store and looked Wang Zhishi up and down with great interest, Wang Zhirong knew that his opportunity had come.
Tu Ying likes pretty boys.
Wang Zhirong was tall and thin with a handsome appearance. After working in sales for several years, he became very good at reading people. He spoke sweetly and acted attentively. He was immediately smitten with Tu Ying at first glance.
Tu Ying began her financial offensive, visiting the women's clothing store every day and specifically requesting Wang Zhirong's services. She bought a bunch of clothes from him, and then treated him to meals and took him shopping.
Tu Ying wasn't worried at all about her parents' disapproval.
Her father had been worried about his daughter's marriage for a long time. He had introduced Tu Ying to countless men, but she didn't like any of them. Now, finally, his daughter had found someone she liked. Although his family was poor and his education was low, he was obviously gentle and easy to manipulate.
Without hesitation, Tu's father agreed to their marriage and even used his connections to get Wang Zhirong a job at the Dongcheng Department Store, promising to promote him to a leadership position after Tu Ying gave birth.
Wang Zhirong tasted the joy that money and power brought for the first time. Although it was a marriage into the family and his daughter's surname was Tu, he was happy.
But as time went on, he began to have some restless thoughts after becoming the mall manager.
Power has given him a halo. He is no longer the meek and submissive saleswoman in a women's clothing store. He has the power to fire, promote, and adjust bonuses.
This aura gave him the ability to choose women.
He and the vain and snobbish He Meina hit it off, and the two quickly became involved.
He Meina, having submitted to him, was naturally attentive and flattering, showering him with compliments as if they were free, making him feel utterly overwhelmed. He, who had once tried so hard to please Tu Ying, finally regained his masculine confidence in front of He Meina.
For a moment, he genuinely wanted to be married to He Meina for life. He planned to divorce Tu Ying after his father-in-law retired, and he also considered having He Meina give birth to the child first and raise it secretly, so that the three of them could reunite as a family after his divorce.
However, the truth came out.
Tu Ying pounced on him like a tigress, and he was terrified.
Tu Ying said he would beat him back to his original form, and Wang Zhirong panicked.
Wang Zhirong was well aware of his father-in-law's influence. Tu Ying was an only child, spoiled and pampered since childhood. If she asked for help, her father-in-law would definitely use all his connections to make her suffer a fate worse than death.
At this moment, Wang Zhirong was nowhere near the dashing figure he had been with He Meina. He groveled like a lapdog, begging Tu Ying to forgive his mistakes.
Consequently, Wang Zhirong also came to hate He Meina.
If she hadn't been so persistent and high-profile, how could things have escalated like this?
If she were to be more honest and restrained, she could quickly marry Chen Anping. With an honest man like Chen Anping providing cover, who would suspect they had an improper relationship?
As long as he could keep it a secret and wait a few more years, Wang Zhirong was confident he could balance all his relationships. He could enjoy the wealth and power of the Tu family, as well as the submission and flattery of women.
How infuriating! He Meina couldn't even handle Chen Anping.
He Meina couldn't even control such an honest and simple person; she's such a useless person!
Wang Zhirong now only wants to distance himself from He Meina and appease his wife. As for He Meina's life or death, he doesn't care at all.
At this moment, He Meina was stunned after being slapped by Wang Zhirong. Her face turned pale, and she stood there trembling as if she would fall over with a gust of wind.
how so?
Wasn't everything perfectly fine before?
Why did Wang Zhirong hit him, and why did Chen Anping yell at him?
Zhao Hongxia was also exhausted by the scene before her.
He felt both regret and resentment.
What I regret is that I shouldn't have allowed He Meina to associate with Wang Zhirong. Who knew that he looked respectable, but he was a coward who would go weak in the knees whenever he saw his wife?
What's infuriating is that things have escalated so much that even the police have gotten involved, and she doesn't know how to handle the situation.
The tricks I usually use don't seem to work today.
She was already sitting on the ground crying, but Chen Anping acted as if he didn't see her. That damned thing, how dare he disregard her!
Zhao Hongxia's eyes darted around, and she crawled to Chen Anping's side on all fours, grabbing his leg and starting to cry, "Anping, you're my most beloved son! You have to help Meina and help me get revenge! Your Aunt Zhao is useless; she only gave birth to one girl, Meina. You've grown up by my side since you were little; you're the pillar of our family!"
Chen Anping's body trembled.
Instinctively, he wanted to reach out and help Zhao Hongxia.
It was as if an invisible force was pulling him, compelling him to submit and do as Zhao Hongxia said.
Li Zhenliang couldn't stand it anymore, so he went over and pulled Zhao Hongxia up, saying, "Comrade Zhao Hongxia, please be mindful of your behavior. This is a police station. Let's talk this out!"
Distracted by Li Zhenliang, Chen Anping finally snapped back to reality.
He stood up and shrank behind Li Zhenliang. It seemed that only by relying on the police did he have the strength to resist.
Jiang Ling slapped the table: "Quiet down."
Although her voice wasn't loud, she seized a break in the noise and immediately drew everyone's attention to her.
Zhao Hongxia looked at Jiang Ling, her pupils shrinking.
She felt that the policewoman looked familiar.
However, she was certain that she did not know any of the police officers at the Jinwu Road Police Station.
Zhao Hongxia stared at Jiang Ling for a long time, and for some reason, a sense of unease welled up in her heart.
Today was the worst day ever; it was the first time in my life I'd ever been to a police station!
We also have to listen to this little policewoman's ramblings.
Jiang Ling spoke up: "The matter is already very clear. Wang Zhirong had an extramarital affair and met with He Meina in the mall warehouse. Tu Ying, what are your demands?"
Tu Ying kicked Wang Zhirong, who was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, to the ground: "I want a divorce! I want him to leave with nothing. As for that bitch He Meina, I want her to write a guarantee that she will not have anything to do with Wang Zhirong, and she will also get rid of that bastard in her belly."
Jiang Ling remained noncommittal, then looked at Chen Anping: "And you?"
Chen Anping wanted to speak, but having been subjected to PUA for a long time, he couldn't utter a single word after seeing Zhao Hongxia.
A man in a security guard uniform spoke up: "The warehouse incident had a terrible impact. The security department received instructions from the chairman to dismiss Wang Zhirong and He Meina and to file a claim for damages because the two damaged the mall's reputation."
Zhao Hongxia was in a real bind.
She was already trembling with anger because of Tu Ying's demands, and now the mall security guards are also jumping out to demand compensation. What exactly is going on?
Jiang Ling asked Chen Anping again, "And you? What are your demands?"
Zhao Hongxia finally reacted and pulled Chen Anping, who was hiding behind Li Zhenliang, out: "What does this have to do with you? Mina has suffered so much, and instead of comforting her, you dare to make demands?"
Looking at Zhao Hongxia's harsh face, Chen Anping struggled to find his voice: "The child in Meina's belly isn't mine at all. You knew that all along, didn't you?"
Zhao Hongxia was very uncomfortable with Chen Anping's questioning. She grabbed his arm, frowned, and scolded him, "At a time like this, you're still worrying about such trivial matters? You should hurry up and plead with the police to take Meina home. Meina was also deceived in this matter. She has lost her job. You have to help her."
A small matter?
The whole family conspired to scheme against him, got him drunk, and sent him to He Meina's bed. Is that a small matter?
Deceiving him by saying that the child in Mina’s belly was his, coaxing him to take responsibility, and treating him as a sucker to take over is a small matter.
Perhaps it was the praise from Li Zhenliang and the others, or perhaps it was the solemn atmosphere of the police station, that finally gave Chen Anping the courage to resist.
He raised his hand, firmly breaking free from Zhao Hongxia's grip: "This is no small matter!"
Zhao Hongxia replied impatiently, "Okay, okay, it's not a small matter, it's a big one. Aren't I doing this for your own good? You're ugly and have no skills, where will you find a wife? If Meina marries you, her child will be your child too, so why are you arguing with your sister?"
Chen Anping's hands and feet began to tremble.
After a long silence, he managed to squeeze out a single sentence: "You, you've all been lying to me!"
Zhao Hongxia then realized that Chen Anping was very different from usual.
She disliked this feeling of losing control.
"So what if I lied to you? I raised you with all my heart, and you think I raised you wrong? You keep saying you want to repay my kindness in raising you, is this how you repay me?"
Jiang Ling slammed her hand on the table again: "Zhao Hongxia! Don't disturb the police mediation."
Zhao Hongxia had no choice but to shut up, giving Chen Anping a warning look not to say anything out of line.
Chen Anping looked at Jiang Ling: "I... I want to register my own household."
As soon as this request was made, He Meina and Zhao Hongxia both exclaimed at the same time, "No way!"
He Meina is now being forced to have an abortion by Tu Ying and has been fired from the mall. Chen Anping is her last lifeline, so how could she let him leave?
Zhao Hongxia knew perfectly well that the restaurant relied entirely on Chen Anping's culinary skills to survive. What would happen to her restaurant if he left?
But Chen Anping was adamant: "I, I only have this one request."
He could no longer marry He Meina.
It's impossible for me to go back to that "home".
After listening to everyone's demands, Jiang Ling began to lead the mediation.
Unlike Qian Darong's mediation case, Jiang Ling's attitude was more moderate this time. She appeared less often, and most of the time Li Zhenliang and Liu Haoran communicated with the others present.
Finally, the mall's security team leader left the police station with the compensation notice.
Tu Ying took He Meina's guarantee, threw down a thousand yuan as compensation, and dragged Wang Zhirong away. Before leaving, she glanced at He Meina's stomach and spat, "This money is for you to have an abortion. Don't shamelessly pester me again."
Wang Zhirong looked at He Meina with icy eyes: "A slut like you, who knows whose child is in your belly? Get rid of it as soon as possible. If you're so stubborn as to insist on giving birth to this bastard, you won't acknowledge it when you're old!"
After saying that, he bowed and scraped to Tu Ying obsequiously: "Wife, I only love you, and I promise to be obedient from now on."
Tu Ying pinched his waist angrily: "If you dare to mess around again, I'll castrate you! Without those two ounces of flesh, I'll see if you'll stay home obediently."
Wang Zhirong winced in pain, clenching his legs together, and pleaded, "Yes, yes, I know I was wrong. I will never dare to do anything reckless outside again."
He Meina stood there blankly, looking completely dazed.
She never expected Wang Zhirong to be so heartless!
She's been fired from the department store; how will she live in the future?
If Wang Zhirong refuses to acknowledge the child in her womb, what will become of her in the future?
Thinking of this, He Meina looked at Chen Anping pitifully: "Brother Anping, you're all I have now, you can't abandon me."
Chen Anping felt like his heart was being fried in oil, and he stood silently to the side without saying a word.
When only Zhao Hongxia, He Meina, and Chen Anping remained in the police station, Jiang Ling's attitude changed.
Jiang Ling looked at Zhao Hongxia with a cold face: "Zhao Hongxia, do you still recognize me?"
Zhao Hongxia stared blankly at the policewoman in uniform in front of her: "You, who are you?"
Jiang Ling's gaze was icy, and her voice was low: "My surname is Jiang, and my name is Jiang Ling."
Zhao Hongxia repeated the name: "Jiang Ling, Jiang... Ling?" She suddenly realized something, her eyes widened, and her expression became flustered.
Jiang Ling said, "It seems you still remember me."
Zhao Hongxia stared intently at Jiang Ling's face, trying to discern something from it: "You, you're from the orphanage..."
Jiang Ling's eyes darkened: "You recognized me?"
Zhao Hongxia silently calculated in her mind: "Ah, ah, Jiang Ling, you've grown up."
Fifteen years have passed, and Zhao Hongxia has almost forgotten everything about the welfare home.
But when the child she had abused grew up and stood before her in a police uniform, Zhao Hongxia's memories were instantly awakened.
Jiang Ling remained silent, simply watching Zhao Hongxia.
Her eyes were dark, like a deep pool. Calm and still, yet unfathomable.
Zhao Hongxia felt uneasy under her gaze, and her throat tightened. She cleared her throat and forced a smile: "Well, Jiang Ling, you've grown up now. Let bygones be bygones."
Before Jiang Ling could speak, a clear voice rang out from the entrance of the police station: "Pah! You old hag, you may be in the past, but my sister Ling can't get over it!"
Jiang Ling looked up and saw that Liang Jiushan had come over.
With his schoolbag on his back, Liang Jiushan took a long stride and charged towards Zhao Hongxia like a cannonball. His beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with rage: "Zhao Hongxia! You old hag, you abuse children at the orphanage, you're worse than a pig or a dog! You think my Sister Ling will let you off? Don't even think about it!"
Jiang Ling raised her hand and gently patted Liang Jiushan's shoulder: "Go do your homework."
Seeing Jiang Ling reach out and pat Liang Jiushan's shoulder, Li Zhenliang couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh?" Normally, the rest of them were very careful around Jiang Ling, afraid of being disliked. They never expected that this little rascal, Liang Jiushan, would win her favor.
Damn it! Liang Jiushan beat me to it.
Taking the initiative to touch her was something Jiang Ling did all the time.
Liang Jiushan clearly knew that Jiang Ling was very tolerant of him. After being patted by her, he felt like he had lost more than ten pounds and wanted to jump up and shout with joy.
—Hehe, Sister Ling patted my shoulder again!
Ah, Sister Ling treats me like one of her own.
Since they were on his side, Liang Jiushan was naturally unwilling to back down.
He stood firmly in front of Jiang Ling, glaring fiercely at Zhao Hongxia, his eyes practically spitting fire: "You were fired for abusing Sister Ling, and I doubt anyone else knows that, right? With your viciousness, what kind of good child could you possibly have! I heard people outside cursing you even before I entered the police station, calling your daughter shameless for seducing a married man, getting pregnant, and then framing him. Bah! You've done evil, haven't you gotten your comeuppance?"
Zhao Hongxia was verbally abused by a teenager, and she was furious.
Unfortunately, this was a police station, so she couldn't actually do anything. She could only resort to her old tricks, plopping down on the cold cement floor of the police station and wailing, "Where did this brat come from? This is outrageous! Chen Anping, you heartless bastard, you just stood by and watched your Aunt Zhao get bullied..."
Liang Jiushan wasn't afraid of her tantrum and launched into another tirade: "Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. You old shrew, you've treated your adopted son like a farmhand, exploiting and oppressing him for over a decade, and you still want him to marry your shameless daughter? And you still have the nerve to call Chen Anping heartless?"
"Pah!" He suddenly stretched his neck and spat on Zhao Hongxia.
Zhao Hongxia was startled and tried to dodge, but she couldn't. The spit landed right on her shoe, making her feel nauseous.
Liang Jiushan made a face at her: "If you don't get up, I'll throw up again! I'll throw up all over you and make you feel sick."
Jiang Ling knew that Liang Jiushan was standing up for her. Although it was childish, she couldn't help but feel like laughing.
Well, she did laugh.
The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, her eyebrows curved, and the lines of her face softened from their previous hardness.
Zhao Hongxia couldn't just lie on the ground and let Liang Jiushan spit on her; she couldn't bear the humiliation. This teenager was clearly spoiled by Jiang Ling, which was why he was so arrogant. Zhao Hongxia didn't dare to retaliate and could only slink to her feet, glaring at Chen Anping: "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it when we get home."
Chen Anping stiffened his neck and said, "No."
Liang Jiushan stood in front of Jiang Ling, unable to see her smile, but he was clever and perceptive. He knew that Jiang Ling's silence meant he was right, and without hesitation, he sided with Chen Anping: "Let's talk about it when we get home? If we go home, an honest man like him will just get bullied by you again. You're all so good with your mouths, you can embezzle his wages of over ten years with just a few words, and you still claim to have raised him? Bah! How shameless!"
Unable to win the argument with Liang Jiushan, Zhao Hongxia could only turn to Jiang Ling: "Officer Jiang... tell me, how do you want to mediate? This kid isn't a policeman, what is he doing causing trouble here?"
Jiang Ling pushed Liang Jiushan aside: "Alright, go study."
Seeing that he had succeeded, Liang Jiushan gave a salute and said, "Alright—" He then sat down obediently and took out a book from his bag to read it seriously.
Jiang Ling acted swiftly and decisively, quickly getting her colleagues in the household registration department to assist Chen Anping with the separate household registration procedures.
Chen Anping held his own household registration booklet, his eyes slightly red.
From that moment on, he was free.
With the police involved, Zhao Hongxia dared not cause any more trouble and gave Chen Anping five thousand yuan.
After cooking in the kitchen of Hongxia Restaurant for ten years, Chen Anping only earned five thousand yuan, but he was content. With that five thousand yuan, he could rent a house and settle down in his own little home.
As for the rest, consider it a severance of all ties, a clean break from now on.
Zhao Hongxia's heart was bleeding.
That's a solid five thousand yuan!
Why did Chen Anping suddenly become so useless? If he had separated his household registration, why would he be willing to go back to work for free at the restaurant!
Zhao Hongxia was about to leave indignantly, but Liang Jiushan blocked her way by hooking his foot.
Zhao Hongxia stumbled and almost tripped, unable to hold back her anger any longer, and burst out cursing: "You little brat, are you trying to rob and kill me?"
Liang Jiushan was a sensitive and sharp-tongued person, and he was not about to suffer this loss. He raised an eyebrow and said, "You shrew, who are you calling names? My foot has been sticking out here the whole time. Are you blind? You almost stepped on my foot and broke it. I haven't even settled the score with you yet, and you're already trying to extort money from me!"
Although Zhao Hongxia was usually tough, she was actually only a bully at home, only daring to bully honest people. When she encountered a real villain, she wouldn't dare utter a sound. Seeing that Liang Jiushan had come with ill intentions, she immediately shut her mouth and walked around him to leave.
Liang Jiushan called out to her, "Hey, old woman, when you picked up my sister Ling back then, did you steal anything from her?"
Zhao Hongxia froze, her whole body trembling involuntarily.
Liang Jiushan immediately noticed her unusual behavior and jumped up to block her way: "You can't leave! Explain yourself."
Jiang Ling always felt that her background was shrouded in mystery.
This fog of mystery was finally torn open after fate brought Zhao Hongxia to her side, and under Liang Jiushan's persistent questioning.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com