After Su Jingsong left, Han Jingchen left the courtyard alone.
This house was part of the dowry from the Gu Family when he and Wanqing got married. Because Wanqing liked quiet places and the scenery here was nice, with mountains and water, the Gu Family financed the construction of this courtyard. Unfortunately, after they got married, he returned to the East Province, and Wanqing rarely came back to live here.
But during their honeymoon, the two of them always stayed here. It bears her traces, so ever since he was transferred back to the Capital, he would return here whenever he had time off.
Through his efforts, the matters concerning the Gu Family have now been resolved, and the assets belonging to the Gu Family have been returned. Although some losses were sustained, most have been recovered.
He firmly believes in his heart that his Wanqing will be fine, surely hiding somewhere, and this belief is what sustains him even now.
Sitting on the swing he personally made for her in the courtyard, memories of their time together came flooding back.
*
At the Mechanical Factory, Bai Cuilin was beaten so badly by Qiao Shuanzhu that he couldn’t get out of bed.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Wang Lanhua lost her temporary job after being exposed for stealing from the cafeteria. This incident nearly prompted her husband, Gao Tianbao, to send her back to her parents’ home out of shame.
In fact, Wang Lanhua often took leftover food home from the cafeteria, but everyone turned a blind eye. Her courage grew, moving from leftovers to garlic, ginger....
He Jinxuan had heard about the situation in the cafeteria before. During patrols in the past few days, he paid special attention to that area.
After today’s patrol, he specifically walked past the second cafeteria on his way back to the security section, only to discover Wang Lanhua sneaking out of the back door, looking around to ensure no one was watching, and hiding a large piece of pork in the coal pile. Her adeptness indicated it was not her first time.
Recalling seeing Wang Lanhua’s nephew playing basketball during the patrol, he surmised a few things.
Using some minor tactics, he incited unrest at the second cafeteria.
After discovering discrepancies in the meat inventory, no one admitted to it, so all second cafeteria staff were detained. They were allowed to continue their work but couldn’t leave the cafeteria, and the matter didn’t reach outsiders.
Wang Lanhua thought a search would occur inside the second cafeteria and felt proud, thinking she was smart to stash the goods outside beforehand, figuring her nephew would retrieve them as usual, making a mess of the locker room in vain.
What she didn’t know was that comrades from the security section had been waiting in hiding for Wang Daqing to retrieve the things.
Indeed, as expected, after finishing the basketball game, Wang Daqing came over. Just as he grabbed the meat and was about to leave, both the security section and the second cafeteria director caught him in the act.
The investigation by the security section revealed that since Wang Lanhua started at the second cafeteria, she frequently smuggled items out—from vegetables to rice, growing bolder with time.
Most of the embezzled goods went to her family, leaving her household with little benefit. This is why Gao Tianbao beat her, benefiting the Wang Family but embarrassing the Gao Family, making him furious.
If not for the sake of the children, he would have sent her back to her parents long ago.
Wang Lanhua lost her job, and the second cafeteria demanded triple compensation according to Wang Daqing’s confession, threatening to send the aunt and nephew to the authorities if unpaid.
The Wang Family was furious, clamoring for Wang Lanhua to pay.
But Gao Tianbao stood firm, warning, "If the Wang Family doesn’t pay, they can both go to jail together; he won’t interfere."
In the end, the Wang Family had no choice but to pay the compensation, cursing Wang Lanhua as a troublemaker who only harmed her own family, forbidding her from returning home, disowning her as if she never existed.
Wang Lanhua lost her job, face, and both her husband and children resented her, while her own family disowned her, leaving her life in unbearable misery.
Meanwhile, Wang Daqing, spared by the Wang Family, got beaten up badly while out playing cards one night, ending up bedridden for days, maybe weeks.