Chapter 39: The Fate of the Wu Family
After saying this, Wu Guanhai fell silent. He was waiting for the right moment to speak, and he still wanted to try to discuss the terms.
Sitting idly by and waiting for death has never been in his nature.
He has experienced the ups and downs, the glory and the shame of life, which is the best worldly experience for a fortune teller. He is confident that if he has the opportunity to extricate himself from this mess, with his talent and ability, he will be the best fortune teller in the world.
At that time, not only the Mo family, but no one else will dare to touch him.
It's heartbreaking to think about it now; he only realized he'd gone down the wrong path when he was just reminiscing! He seized upon that fleeting moment of inspiration!
His way of making a living wasn't by running around begging for help, but by being a fortune teller!
Those people used feudal superstition to put him in a difficult position because he hadn't reached the top in his field!
Otherwise, even if the people who report him line up from Beicheng to Qingshi, he would still be considered an extraordinary person, not a fraudster who engages in deception and feudal superstition!
Unfortunately, he was blinded by his own limited perspective and failed to notice this point.
He lowered his eyes slightly, not letting Shi Yuan see the hope that shone in them. Shi Yuan, more than the one from the Mo family, wanted him to be disgraced and die.
It doesn't matter. People admire strength. Just like how he abandoned Shi Yuan like a worn-out shoe back then, but now he's begging to acknowledge her. The current situation is only temporary. Once he becomes someone everyone looks up to, Shi Yuan will take the initiative to acknowledge him.
And he will be even more ruthless than Shi Yuan!
This is inevitable!
By then, he would have met more valuable people and encountered other extraordinary individuals with real skills. Surely someone could cure his hidden ailment.
He will remarry and have children, continuing his bloodline!
Moonlight streamed through the cave entrance, casting his long, almost distorted shadow on the mountain wall. The sounds of the mountain wind and nocturnal animals made the cave even more tranquil.
Wu Guanhai's fingertips trembled slightly as he became lost in his own thoughts, feeling excited and thrilled.
Shi Yuan looked at Wu Guanhai, who was in a state of self-congratulatory euphoria, speechless: "So? You choose to die now, right?"
Wu Guanhai: ...Shouldn't we be asking him about the Mo family's son? Why did we let him die again?
He can't die!
But Shi Yuan really would kill his father!
Although fortune tellers can advance more easily after experiencing the trials of the mortal world, death is out of the question.
After thinking for a moment, he tried again, unwilling to give up: "Shi Yuan, if I tell you about this, will you let me go?"
The moonlight illuminated the surprise on Shi Yuan's face clearly.
"Alright, I'll send you away right now!" Before Shi Yuan could even show her surprise, Wu Guanhai saw the talisman on Shi Yuan's fingertip.
"Two years ago, Mo Xun got into a scandal involving a woman!" Wu Guanhai blurted out without thinking.
Shi Yuan knew that Mo Xun had been drinking with He Tian for a long time that day. He said that Mo Xun had a standard square face, a broad back and thick waist, and looked upright, but in fact he was cunning and had a penchant for women. He was a typical example of someone who could not be judged by appearances.
The last point was kept extremely well hidden; there was not a single word or rumor about it from the outside world.
Therefore, Shi Yuan believed half of what Wu Guanhai said. She put away the talisman and gestured for Wu Guanhai to continue.
This time, Wu Guanhai dared not test the waters again. People must first survive before they can have a future.
“At Mo Xun’s age and with his experience, there aren’t many ordinary women who can catch his eye.” Fearing that Shi Yuan wouldn’t believe him, he first revealed some solid information: “He never touches the women around him, the only exception being his family doctor who has been with him for more than ten years.”
That was because Old Master Mo knew how cunning he was in private, so he specially assigned it to him in the name of the organization, leaving him no room to refuse.
"Old Master Mo has really put a lot of thought into this; the family doctor was chosen entirely based on Mo Xun's preferences."
He was well aware of his intentions and so-called good intentions. He accepted the person with a smile, but only with a smile; he didn't take anything back from her heart.
Two years ago, Mo Xun went to Haicheng for work, ostensibly for the selection of the military king of the Haicheng Military Region, but secretly to patrol the Haicheng black market in his private capacity.
If the black market in Qinglin Bay is a "Shangri-La," then the black market in Haicheng can be called a "money pit," magnificent and resplendent, no exaggeration to describe it as a small palace.
Those who have access to the black market are all extraordinary individuals; it's a place of handsome men and beautiful women, elegant attire, red wine and champagne, and boundless romance.
This is Mo Xun's favorite scene, and then, by sheer coincidence, he experiences a hero rescuing a damsel in distress.
The beauty wasn't exactly stunningly beautiful, but she had fiery red lips, a seductive figure, and a voice like a nightingale's song. Most captivating of all was the small, bright red mole at the corner of her eye, which truly seemed to have been placed on Mo Xun's heart.
Naturally, he fell in love.
Wu Guanhai didn't know Mo Xun's character before. Two years ago, Mo Xun had the idea of keeping him for his own use, so he took him to Haicheng.
Therefore, he witnessed this romantic affair from beginning to end.
"Back then, several people in the know even made a bet in private, wondering if this would be Mo Xun's last woman."
It was only at that time that Wu Guanhai vaguely glimpsed Mo Xun's unknown side.
Naturally, on the night Mo Xun rescued the damsel in distress, there was also a love affair with a beautiful woman in Wu Guanhai's guesthouse room.
Speaking of this matter, Wu Guanhai's tone was filled with regret and remorse: "If only I had known..." If he had accepted the beauty's favor that day and given Mo Xun a handle against him, he might be in a different situation now.
Don't overestimate Wu Guanhai's moral character. A man who can cheat on his wife has no concept of chastity. He only thought that this honey trap was a test from Mo Xun, so he tightened his belt.
Indeed, this is a test, but Wu Guanhai's approach is wrong.
In other words, he failed Mo Xun's test and was abandoned.
After that day, he was left at the guesthouse.
He had no idea what happened in between. All he knew was that when Mo Xun came to him again, he was pale and unsteady on his feet, as if he had been completely drained. Then, he asked Wu Guanhai to find a way to suppress a woman's soul.
"That's how it is. Mo Xun had a trusted confidant following him all along. I didn't leave any evidence, but I swear, this is true."
Huan Ni's small mouth seemed to be coated with poison: "What's the point of living like someone like you?"
"He's so good at betraying his promises, abandoning his wife and daughters, and being heartless and ungrateful, yet all he can do to get leverage over someone is verbal testimony!"
"Wu Guanhai, you deserve to end up like this!"
"Why don't you just stop struggling and die? That would save you from wasting air!"
"By the way, it's been two years since this happened, and Mo Xun only just got around to dealing with you. He must have truly loved you!"
Shi Yuan's eyes flashed, and she suddenly remembered something. He Tian had mentioned before that there were strange demons causing trouble in the Haicheng black market. She asked Wu Guanhai, "Where did you suppress them?"
"It's near the black market."
"Did you choose that place, or did Mo Xun choose it?"
"Mo Xun".
Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow, her impression of Mo Xun becoming more three-dimensional: lecherous and ruthless!
It seems the Mo family had been eyeing the black market for a long time.
But if the strange demons causing trouble in the Haicheng black market this time are related to the woman he suppressed two years ago, then things will get interesting!
"What else would you like to know?" Wu Guanhai asked.
"Don't be afraid," Shi Yuan reassured him kindly. "I'm a man of my word. I will help you reunite with Grandpa Wu."
Upon hearing Shi Yuan's words, Wu Guanhai suddenly recalled what he had said a few days ago when he promised to see Xie Minyin off, and couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
He originally intended to kill Xie Minyin, but who knew that Mo Xun would suddenly launch an attack and catch him off guard. He thought that Mo Xun would still be interested in this cat-and-mouse game for a while.
It's good that Xie Minyin didn't die. From now on, she can be sent down to the countryside with the Wu family and suffer together.
They're in the same place, and they have plenty of opportunities to do what they want.
Shi Yuan personally escorted the person to the North City Revolutionary Committee and exposed Xie Minyin's extramarital affair to the committee.
Don't misunderstand, she's not talking about Xie Minyin and Wu Guanhai's extramarital affair back then; that happened so long ago that it's impossible to get any evidence.
But when there is evidence, things change. Kang Nian'en is clear evidence!
Shi Yuan revealed that Xie Minyin gave birth to her lover's child shortly after her marriage while Wu Guanhai was away on a mission. She also said that Wu Guanhai was a soldier at the time, and Xie Minyin and her lover's actions constituted a violation of military marriage.
The revolutionary committee member's eyes widened in disbelief. He never expected that the Wu family, just like his surname, would have so many messy and chaotic affairs!
Quite coincidentally, this clerk was a native of Beicheng. His house was just one alley away from where Wu Guanhai and Shi Ling used to live. More than ten years ago, when Shi Ling opened the door and Wu Guanhai and Xie Minyin were making love, he "had the good fortune" to catch a glimpse of them.
I was young then and only half understood. When I got home, I told my parents, and then everyone in the alley knew that the fortune teller who could predict the future was someone who couldn't control his lower body!
However, back then everyone was hoping that Wu Guanhai would be in a good mood and offer some advice, so some things weren't discussed openly, but everyone was talking about them a lot in private.
What impressed him most was that his aunt had a fight with his mother years ago, the kind that involved a kitchen knife. After that, his aunt cut off all ties with his family.
Who can understand the shock he felt when he was so young, seeing his aunt squatting in the corner of their wall with a rice bowl, listening to gossip, and then being welcomed in by his mother to join in the conversation!
Who would have thought that gossip from over a decade ago would have a sequel!
It seems like his mom and his aunt are arguing again. This gossip is a real lifesaver. As long as he brings it up when he gets home, they'll be best friends again in no time!
"Comrade, breaking up a military marriage is illegal, right?" Shi Yuan tapped the table lightly, looking at the officer who seemed a bit lost in thought.
The officer snapped out of his daze, smiled sheepishly, and quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! This matter must be dealt with seriously!"
"Then I'll tell you about the man Xie Minyin cheated on with."
Shi Yuan calmly walked out of the North City Revolutionary Association amidst the stunned silence of the staff.
Another member of the Revolutionary Committee, carrying documents, nudged the member who was even more lost in thought: "What are you daydreaming about? Go to the morning meeting!"
"My goodness!" Shenyou, the officer, slammed his hand on the table in deep admiration. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" If the Wu family hadn't run into trouble, and if Xie Minyin's affair hadn't been exposed, she would have been a winner in life!
A husband of high social status, a handsome and capable lover, and a daughter who has been famous since childhood.
She's using her position to give her daughter a push; her future looks promising!
What a pity! He made a wrong move; the man's first wife's daughter returned, seeking revenge!
Tsk tsk tsk, that's ruthless. I heard the Wu family was caught at the train station. Shi Yuan was afraid the Wu family would use their abilities to escape, so he personally oversaw the operation!
He even turned his own father, who had already fled, into the police station, demonstrating his sense of justice!
That's ruthless!
"What's with the sudden outburst so early in the morning?"
"What's with this morning meeting?!" Shenyou, the officer, grabbed his coat, gathered a few red armband-wearing junior officers, and rushed out.
Kong Fan's cousin strolled into work, a toothpick in his mouth, and just happened to brush past Shenyou, the clerk. He asked the clerk who stayed behind, "What's wrong with him? Why is he so excited? Is there something big to do?"
"I don't know. Just now, a woman brought Wu Guanhai in to turn herself in and talked to him for a while. I guess she reported something." He lowered his voice. "I heard she's Wu Guanhai's own daughter. She's putting family members aside for the greater good!"
"What! She's here! Oh no! I should have come to work earlier!" He said, and hurriedly chased after her.
Ever since meeting Xie Minyin, Kang Mingfeng has been feeling uneasy. He has a premonition that the plan he made with Xie Minyin to leave Beicheng is going to fall through.
Ever since he received Xie Minyin's call, he had started paying attention to the Wu family's situation. Having been a policeman in Beicheng for so long, he had his own sources of information.
I was shocked to find out that the Wu family was on the verge of collapse!
No wonder Xie Minyin, who was always a proud swan in front of the father and daughter, showed weakness to him and left Beicheng with him. It turns out that her backer was about to fall.
After learning about this, he was no longer anxious. A phoenix with its feathers plucked is no better than a chicken. With Wu Guanhai gone, he no longer had the power to make things difficult for him, so he could stay in Beicheng!
He won't lose his decent job and stable life!
So when Xie Minyin hinted that he should save her, he avoided the question.
What a joke! How could he possibly go to save Xie Minyin!
Admittedly, she gave birth to a daughter for him, but she has never admitted to being the child's mother and has tried her best to distance herself from him!
Logically speaking, the turmoil surrounding the "family of three" should have been over with the downfall of the Wu family, but for some reason, he started to feel uneasy yesterday.
This unease subsided when the revolutionaries knocked on his door.
Oh, so he was reported for having an affair with Xie Minyin and ruining a military marriage!
That would be a very serious matter!
Kong Fan's cousin was a remarkable person. After finding out the whole story on the way there, he used his incredibly loud voice to tell Kang Mingfeng's story in a dramatic and dramatic way about Xie Minyin and Kang Mingfeng's affair, the birth of their daughter, the fabrication of an abandoned baby, and how Xie Minyin used her position to give her lover preferential treatment in arranging jobs for him.
The neighbors were thrilled to have melons to eat so early in the morning.
Upon hearing this, they were shocked to hear such explosive news. But then they realized that over the years, they had taken pity on Kang Nian'en's status as an abandoned child and had given her and her father a lot of food and drink. They had also helped out the neighbors quite a bit.
As a result, their kindness was taken advantage of!
There are no abandoned babies, only illegitimate daughters!
Deceiving kind-hearted people is absolutely outrageous!
Kong Fan's cousin gave a wink to one of his young men wearing a red armband. The young man understood and secretly slipped out of the crowd. When Kang Mingfeng was brought out, he threw a rotten egg at Kang Mingfeng's head.
Good heavens, I don't know where that young officer in the red armband got those rotten eggs from, they almost made my cousin Kong Fan throw up his breakfast!
The neighbors who had been exploited nearby got excited when they saw someone throwing rotten eggs, so rotten vegetable leaves and leftover food also made an appearance.
Kong Fan's cousin and others had experienced this kind of thing many times, so they skillfully dodged it, without getting a single leaf on them, though getting smelled was inevitable.
Kang Mingfeng had never suffered such a humiliation!
He did want to settle scores quickly and decisively, but when he saw the bulging muscles of the revolutionary committee members and young men, and the bulge at the waist of the loudest one, he immediately lost heart.
Kang Nian'en hid in her room, trembling. Her seemingly omnipotent father was experiencing humiliation. Logically, she should go out and defend him, but she didn't dare.
Kang Mingfeng was lucky; everyone was at work or school at that time, so after throwing the food for a while, everyone dispersed.
"Let's go!" Kong Fan's cousin glanced into the house, gave a mocking laugh, and thought that hiding inside would solve everything?
Kang Mingfeng was taken away, the neighbors went to work, and Kang Nian'en finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The neighbors did indeed go to work, and they all brought their stories with them, so their "deeds" were quickly spread.
After learning about the situation, the subdistrict office immediately notified Xie Minyin to be dismissed and made a profound self-criticism for her work mistake.
The story of the abandoned baby was reported in the newspapers back then. After the incident became a big deal, the newspaper immediately arranged for a reporter to visit and verify the story, and published an interview article. A case from more than ten years ago brought up the Wu family's scandalous affairs, causing a great sensation.
Gu Linyuan specially brought wine and knocked on Shi Yuan's courtyard gate: "Want to have a drink with you?"
Shi Yuan chuckled, "Drinking is fine, but no need for comforting." Although she hadn't expected things to turn out this way, she felt it was good that the truths buried by time were now being brought into the light.
Unfortunately, the matter of Wu Guanchao's actions against the Shi family elders was covered up so thoroughly that there was no evidence other than Wu Guanhai's admission.
Otherwise, she wouldn't mind adding fuel to the fire at the height of public opinion.
But it doesn't matter. Murderers pay with their lives, and those people will eventually get what they deserve.
Because of public opinion, Xie Minyin, who was originally only implicated by the Wu family, might be able to extricate herself from this disaster if she decisively severed ties with Wu Guanhai by publishing a notice in the newspaper.
But now, not only is she disgraced, but she and Kang Mingfeng have also been sentenced to three years in prison for seriously deceiving the public and disrupting a military marriage.
As a result of the uproar over public opinion, the Wu family was sent to a farm in the most arduous conditions in Northwest China for labor reform.
The night before departure, a vine climbed in through the iron window of the solitary confinement cell, and a colorful miniature bird perched on the vine.
The little bird circled around the sleeping Wu Guanchao once before landing on a vine and slowly leaving the solitary confinement room.
This is the second time Huan Ni has woven an illusion for the enemy; the last one to have this honor was Gu Zhao.
Members of the Seventh Division are indeed not allowed to lay a hand on ordinary people, but the Gu family and the Wu family are not among the ordinary people.
Needless to say, the Wu family are all fortune tellers. To classify them as ordinary people shows how much they are looked down upon!
As for the Gu family, let's not even talk about Feng Qing. With Gu Linyuan around, the Gu family can't be considered an ordinary family.
So, they didn't break any rules!
After the two left, Wu Guanchao began to suffer from nightmares. In his dreams, bizarre and grotesque creatures roamed freely. He was dragged by a minotaur, chained with chains that exuded eerie energy, to a cauldron of boiling oil the size of a football field.
The minotaur's sinister voice rang in his ears: "The murderer, Wu Guanchao, shall be subjected to eighteen years of boiling oil, eighteen years of volcanic purgatory, and eighteen years of rebirth as an animal..."
He didn't hear what was said after that because he woke up, drenched in sweat. He shivered, hugged Jiang Qiqiao, wiped his sweat, and fell back asleep. Then he woke up again with a start, feeling a burning smell emanating from his body, and rolled on the ground in pain.
The Wu family was all woken up by the noise. When asked what was going on, he gritted his teeth and didn't say anything, even though there were people locked up in both of the solitary confinement cells!
If he admits to killing someone, then he doesn't need to go to the Northwest; he can just wash his neck clean and wait to be reincarnated!
But the thought of suffering torture after death and being reborn as an animal made him feel hopeless, both in life and in death.
Huan Ni once said that her current abilities are limited. If the object of her illusion is more than one kilometer away from her, the illusion will lose its effect. However, Gu Zhao's case shows that illusions can also be a trigger. Once this trigger is exposed and amplified, the object of the illusion will fall into it.
Gu Zhao was lucky. He had a doctor to treat him, a stable environment, and family members who were willing to comfort and support him. In addition, he had received professional training, so he was able to escape from the illusion safely in the end.
But what about Wu Guanchao?
He had nothing, and was also deeply affected by recent events, so naturally, he never slept soundly again after that!
Shi Yuan was determined to kill him, so Huan Ni naturally wouldn't hold back. The hellish scene was so vividly woven that it would make Wu Guanchao feel as if he were there, unable to escape death.
As for Old Master Wu, Shi Yuan did not take action, not because she was soft-hearted, but because the journey to the Northwest was long and arduous, and he was not going on a trip but being sent down to the countryside, so the conditions on the road would definitely not be good.
Given his age and his pampered upbringing, it's uncertain whether he'll even make it to the Northwest alive.
Even if he safely reaches the Northwest, the harsh weather, the heavy labor, and the gossip that follows him will crush him.
Of course, if he can get through all this, then let him watch his beloved eldest son suffer torment, unable to live or die.
For some people, living is no easier than dying.
As for Wu Guanhai, when the talisman opened in his heart, a strand of metal-type supernatural power, thinner than a hair, burrowed into his heart meridian. Later, he would gradually weaken because he could not adapt to the climate and labor of the Great Northwest, but he would not die.
Let him dream of making a comeback in the Northwest.
As for the Wu family matriarch Jiang Qiqiao and Wu Xingzhou, Shi Yuan didn't care about their innocence. She only knew that they had enjoyed many years of good fortune because of the Wu family, so if the Wu family fell into trouble, they would have to suffer along with them.
Shi Yuan downed her drink in one gulp, letting out her pent-up frustration. Huan Ni said, "Drink slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
"By the way, according to Wu Guanhai, many members of the Wu family have been relocated to other places. Should we deal with them?"
Shi Yuan shook her head and poured herself another glass of wine: "The Wu family of Beicheng has declined, and the Wu family members scattered in other places won't have an easy time either." The implication was that she wouldn't deliberately chase after them to take action.
"However, I won't let that cousin of the Wu family in Haicheng, who cleaned up the mess for Wu Guanchao back then, get away with it."
“We really can’t let them go.” Huan Ni nodded. “Haicheng is a good place. If it weren’t for him helping to clean up the mess back then, their branch probably wouldn’t have been assigned to Haicheng.”
"So when are we going to Haicheng?"
"No rush." Shi Yuan swirled her wine glass. "Let's see if the Mo family can resolve the crisis in Haicheng's black market." If they can, they'll drive to Haicheng themselves. If not, then it'll be like going on official business; they can still boost their performance and maybe even get some extra pay.
"By the way, has there been any letter from Qinglin Bay?"
"No, I'll ask Little Grey again tomorrow."
"Should we go see what happened to Kang Nian'en?" Huan Ni asked.
Shi Yuan shook her head. The current Kang Nian'en was not the powerful metaphysical master in the story, but just a little girl who was spoiled by Kang Mingfeng and didn't know her place.
She will suffer as much ridicule and contempt as she gains from the abandoned baby incident years ago.
For a young girl whose mind is still unstable at this age, this would be worse than death.
What's more, Shi Yuan also prepared a gift for her.
Kang Mingfeng was taken away in the morning, and Shi Yuan's gift was delivered at about the same time the next day.
The impact of Kang Mingfeng's incident on Kang Nian'en was far greater than she had imagined. When the knocking sounded at the door around the same time, Kang Nian'en hadn't even reacted yet, and her whole body was already trembling.
"Is Kang Nian'en home? Open the door, I'm Kong Fan from the Dongcheng District Police Station. I'm here to deliver the notification of the processing result to you."
The legal system in the 1970s was not very sound. Cases like Kang Nian'en's were essentially closed when the charges were dropped.
However, Kong Fan's delivery of the case notification was not superfluous; it was simply his fulfillment of his duty.
When the old lady next door saw that the police had come to her door, she remembered what had happened yesterday. She held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help herself and opened the door to ask Kong Fan, "Comrade, what do you need Kang Nian'en for?" Could it be that Kang Mingfeng, that fraudster, has other cases on his hands?
Kong Fan gave a friendly smile and answered the questions from the public: "I'm here to deliver the case result notification. Is Kang Nian'en at home?"
"Yes, yes!" the old woman said hurriedly. "I haven't seen her go out since yesterday."
"Officer, I'll knock on the door for you!"
Kong Fan said "thank you for your trouble," feeling that he had really met a kind and helpful person, which made his loud voice worthwhile.
Kang Nian'en opened the door and saw that Kong Fan hadn't reacted yet when she was handed a pen and paper and asked to sign the receipt. Then she was given another document. After Kong Fan thanked the old lady next door and said goodbye, she left.
She paused, remembering her interactions with Kong Fan. She wanted to turn around and go inside immediately, but her hand was empty; the documents had been snatched away by her neighbor.
"Auntie, give me back my documents!"
“You’re too young to know anything, let me have your uncle take a look at you.” No sooner had the old woman finished speaking than her son came out with a pancake in his mouth.
"Kang Nian'en, you stole someone's wallet and got caught, but instead of apologizing, you turned around and slandered them because there was a little extra money in the wallet!" The neighbor's voice was penetrating in the quiet morning, startling the other neighbors who were listening behind the door.
After the door opened, a crowd once again gathered in front of the Kang family's house, and everyone started talking at once:
"My God! How can there be such a person!" They looked at Kang Nian'en as if she were trash.
"What's so strange about that? What good people can parents who are con artists and sluts give birth to?"
"They used to put on such a good act, greeting everyone they met warmly and even offering to help me carry my groceries."
"Oh dear, I lost a dollar or so and haven't been able to find it. Could it have been stolen?"
"Definitely! We'll make sure to close the door more securely from now on!"
"Let's go, let's go to work. Quickly check your pockets to see if you've lost anything."
The area in front of the Kang family's house suddenly became deserted again. Kang Nian'en felt a chill run through her body; she knew she was finished!
If anyone in this alley still sympathizes with the innocent child after what happened yesterday, then from today onwards, she will be a pariah.
She could guess what they were saying about her: an illegitimate child, dishonest, and of bad character. They would say that if anything went missing from this alley, it was because of her, and that even if a dog lost fur in front of her house, it was because of her wicked heart!
Kang Nian'en is facing the biggest crisis in seventeen years but is helpless. Kang Mingfeng, who used to protect her, will not be able to provide her with any protection for at least the next three years. However, after three years, when Kang Mingfeng is released from prison, will he still be able to have a decent job, receive respect from others, and provide her with a stable life?
None of this has anything to do with Shi Yuan.
With the Wu family's affairs temporarily settled, she was now lying on the rattan bed woven by Shi Meili, leisurely basking in the sun. Shi Meili had even thoughtfully planted a large flower to shield her face from the sunlight.
The eye of the storm was up to its old tricks again, blowing in swathes of withered leaves and petals. Shi Meili blocked them from falling around the rattan bed, adding a touch of autumnal elegance to the scene.
The rattan bed swayed from side to side, and Shi Yuan comfortably drifted off to sleep.
Gu Linyuan checked the time and prepared to go to the cafeteria for lunch. These past few days, he and Shi Yuan had been discussing matters concerning the Wu and Gu families, and they had been eating together. Thinking of this, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Ring ring ring!"
Gu Linyuan picked up the microphone and put the last document back in its place with his other hand.
"Seventh place, I am Gu Linyuan."
Even in autumn, the midday sun is quite strong, and Shi Meili has already built a dense net of branches above Shi Yuan's head to block the sun for her.
Shi Yuan was so comfortable that she didn't even want to move a finger.
There was a knock on the gate, and Shi Meili slithered to the back of the gate and opened it. After this skill was developed, she was given the responsibility of being a "gatekeeper".
"Thank you, Meili." Gu Linyuan said thanks smoothly, shaking the aluminum lunchbox in his hand. "There's fish today, and the chef prepared it in three ways."
Shi Yuan opened her eyes and felt a pang of longing for Shi Ling.
She arrived in this era during the summer, the hottest time of the year. At that time, she and Shi Ling were still strangers. She said that she was very good at grilling fish and wanted to grill fish for Shi Ling.
Shi Ling was worried that she would get too hot, so she said she would wait until autumn to eat her grilled fish.
Autumn has arrived, and fish are readily available, but she and Shi Ling, one in the south and the other in the north, have not received a reply to the several letters they have exchanged.
Perhaps she should go back to Qinglin Bay first?
However, Gu Linyuan had helped her a lot with the Wu family's affairs. Now that the Wu family's affairs were temporarily settled, the Gu family's affairs were just beginning to unfold, and it wouldn't be very kind of her to leave at this time.
"I ran into Uncle He when I went to the cafeteria." Gu Linyuan handed Shi Yuan a letter. "He asked me to give this to you."
"It was sent from Qingzhen."
Shi Yuan sat up in surprise, took the letter and opened it: "It's a letter from my mother!" She first skimmed through the letter, then read it carefully again. After finishing the letter, she looked up and smiled at Gu Linyuan, "My mother is preparing to move to Beicheng." It was a little unbelievable, yet also a kind of expected conclusion.
Beicheng is where Shi Ling was born and raised; the happiest time of her early life was spent here.
Gu Linyuan replied, "Then let's clean up the Shi family's old house after we finish eating."
"Okay, eat up!"
It's truly fortunate that the Shi family's old house wasn't taken away, thanks to Wu Guanhai's past identity. However, neither Shi Yuan nor Shi Ling will thank him, because he protected the Shi family's old house not out of old feelings, but because he was afraid that the Shi family might still have secrets hidden in some corner that would be discovered by others.
Now that Wu Guanhai has fallen from grace, his family compound has naturally been taken back, and the Wu family's old house has also been confiscated and taken over by the public.
Logically, the Shi family's old house should also be taken over, but since Shi Yuan is a member of the Shi family, and with Gu Linyuan's help in the process, the Shi family's old house was registered under Shi Ling's name, and the property certificate will be issued in a couple of days.
She left her phone number in the letter, wondering if Shi Ling would call her before she went north.
"It's alright, Shi Yuan. I'll have Xiao Hui keep an eye on the North City Railway Station," Huan Ni said. "He has many connections. Once there's news from the station, we'll go pick them up immediately."
As we were talking, the phone rang.
Shi Yuan hurriedly put down her chopsticks to take it, and Shi Ling listened!
"Shiyuan, I'm at Qingzhen Railway Station now, about to board the train. I'm giving you a call."
"When you arrive at the station, I'll come pick you up."
"If all goes well, it should arrive the day after tomorrow night."
"I understand. By the way, the Shi family's old house has been taken back, and the property certificate is in your name. Also, I have a wonderful courtyard at the seventh property. Where would you like to live?"
A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone: "I want to move back to the Shi family home."
"Shi Yuan, thank you, and thank you for your hard work."
"No need to thank me, I'm not tired at all." Shi Yuan smiled. "Then you go on the train first, be careful, I'll go tidy up the old house later."
"No need, I'll pack up slowly when I get back. You're already tired from work." Shi Ling's voice also had a bit more laughter. "You don't need to worry about safety. Shi Ming is with me."
"Okay, then we'll talk in detail when you get back." After hanging up the phone, Shi Yuan sat down with a smile on her face.
Huan Ni teased her, "I heard you talking about Qinglin Bay just the other day, saying you still liked it there and wanted to go back. Now that Shi Ling has settled in Beicheng, are you still going back to Qinglin Bay?"
Shi Yuan shook her head: "I'm not going back." She said with a smile, "My family and friends are all here, so of course I'm here too."
"Whenever you miss the mountains of Qinglin Bay, let's go and take a look. We can stay for a couple of days."
"I can visit it when I'm on a business trip in the future," Gu Linyuan replied with a smile.
"Yes!" Shi Yuan picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and swallowed it, her mood brightening.
"Oh, by the way, Grandpa Mo just called."
Shi Yuan looked up from the delicious food: "The Mo family couldn't solve the black market problem, could they?"
"Not only that," Gu Linyuan said with a smile, "I heard from He Tian that the black market is in even more chaos, and people have been injured. Many customers are dissatisfied, and some have even said they will never set foot in the black market again."
"The Mo family must be extremely worried, right?" Shi Yuan paused in her act of picking up fish, then suddenly said, "So, is Wu Guanhai being targeted by their anger?"
“Yes.” Gu Linyuan nodded. “Someone around Mo Xun mentioned the events of two years ago, suspecting that it was caused by the women who were banished to the town back then who were causing trouble.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
