"What did you say? You scumbag, judging others by your own low standards! How could I ever be someone like that?"
Zhang Hongyang was fuming with rage, pointing at Liu Zhizhong's nose and starting to berate him in a low voice.
But Liu Zhizhong looked entirely unfazed and calmly responded, "When you mentioned your wife, there was a lustful gleam in your eyes, so of course I have to suspect these things. After all, haha, I certainly don't want her tainted by you." Thıs content belongs to 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
"Your mom... your mom..." Zhang Hongyang was so angry he couldn't say anything coherent.
He had never seen someone so shameless!
It was clear that he, Zhang Hongyang, was the husband, and Liu Zhizhong was the adulterer, and yet he had the audacity to speak to me about Zhao Han's purity?
My God, what in the world is happening here?
At a loss for words, Zhang Hongyang simply stormed off, flinging his sleeves behind him. Liu Zhizhong immediately said, "Take care, County Head Zhang, no need to see you out!"
When he reached the door of the villa garden, he turned back to point at Liu Zhizhong and said grimly, "Tell Zhao Han she'd better return home before noon today, or else... the City Disciplinary Committee will definitely trouble her!"
By the time he finished speaking, his face was filled with a cold and fierce aura—truly intimidating.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Zhizhong quickly went back inside the house and went upstairs to inform Lu Yumei about the situation.
Lu Yumei was also very angry upon hearing the news.
She had been planning to go out to cool off and relax for three to five days, but here it was, her father-in-law's 66th birthday in the middle of it all, cutting her plans short.
Regardless, Zhao Han and Zhang Hongyang were not yet divorced, and he was still her father-in-law after all.
The Zhang Family from Yangzhou was a powerful clan with huge influence in officialdom, and it would be highly inappropriate for Lu Yumei and Liu Zhizhong, along with Zhao Han, not to attend the birthday banquet.
Even if there were conflicts and struggles, they shouldn't be displayed in such settings, right? Otherwise, it would truly show a lack of understanding of customary social etiquette.
When Zhao Han returned from work and learned about the situation, she too was angry, frustrated, and furious. She really didn't want to go back to the Zhang Family home and help with any arrangements.
Liu Zhizhong also didn't want her to return, fearing that Zhang Hongyang would harm her.
Lu Yumei was also worried about her daughter, so she made a decision: since the Zhang Family wanted to maintain the pretense of a son and daughter-in-law being together, they would satisfy them. She would accompany Zhao Han to the Zhang Family Mansion and help out with the arrangements.
That way, Liu Zhizhong would have peace of mind, and Zhao Han agreed. After all, Lu Yumei was capable of handling situations, and the Zhang Family would have to show her some basic courtesy.
The Zhang Family's birthday banquet was traditionally held at their ancestral home, which was in the city's eastern district, at the Zhang Family Mansion.
These days, the Zhang Family Mansion was part of Yangzhou City's tourist development zone, bustling and prosperous. The Zhang Family owned a separate piece of land where they built a villa and grand mansion, quite impressive indeed.
Of course, this grandeur was only considered impressive in a place like Yangzhou. In Liu Zhizhong's eyes, the villas and estates of Qian Xuan were the real definition of luxury and magnificence!
That day, Lu Yumei and Zhao Han each drove their own cars to the Zhang Family Mansion to help with the preparations.
Zhang Hongyang felt awkward seeing his mother-in-law arrive but managed to handle the situation passably on the surface. In reality, he was profoundly irritated; with his mother-in-law present, he had no chance with Zhao Han.
The old family patriarch, the former Mayor, happily greeted his in-law mother Lu Yumei— at least on the surface. Similarly, he also expressed a hope that the mother-in-law would give Zhao Han a chance to return to the Zhang Family permanently.
Lu Yumei knew just what to say, "Oh, this matter, father-in-law, I really can't handle it! When Zhao Han was insisting on suing for divorce, it was tough enough for me just to keep it under control—she didn't even want to speak to her own mother for quite a while! Ah, young people's matters should be left for them to decide! Sometimes, we elders worry over nothing, wasting our efforts!"
By saying this, she appeared entirely reasonable and sympathetic, leaving Mr. Zhang at a loss for how to proceed. Old Man Zhang could only scold Zhang Hongyang behind his back, telling him to figure out a way to win back Zhao Han and have children.
Poor Zhang Hongyang, his plight was beyond words. To think that his own actions had caused Zhao Han such misery—how could he possibly resolve it? To make matters worse, he had messed up and had a child with another woman; the baby would be born in a few months. Sigh...
On the first day, after dinner, Lu Yumei took her daughter Zhao Han straight home.
The same happened on the second day.
Zhang Hongyang was desolate but powerless; he was truly hopeless about his wife and hated his mother-in-law thoroughly.
The third day was Father's Day, and it was also the day of the Zhang Family birthday banquet. Celebrating the 66th birthday, the event was planned for the evening.
From the City Committee and City Government all the way down the ranks, virtually all of the city's officials, along with the Zhang Family friends and relatives, all gathered together for the grand event.
Even Luo Tianlin personally made the trip from the Provincial City to offer his congratulations, showing significant respect. Of course, Minister Luo had also given Old Zhang his fair share of cuckolding in his younger days, ah...
At such a time, a program on the provincial station paid tribute to Father's Day by airing an animated version of Liu Zhizhong's "Shadow".
At the same time, Xinghai Company's new media matrix went into overdrive, celebrating fatherly love and evoking family sentiment. Mr. L's animated voice acting project, coupled with an aggressive campaign for free and charitable fund promotion, saw Liu Zhizhong gain explosive popularity once more...