“Xiao Nan, these are comrades from the Armed Forces Department. I heard you were sick, so they came specially to see you,”
introduced Union Chair Wang Qiuyue as soon as they entered.
Wei Nan immediately tried to sit up.
But she had just broken her fever and was drenched in sweat, still feeling extremely weak.
The moment she tried to rise, her vision darkened and her body swayed uncontrollably.
To anyone watching, it was clear without a word that she had suffered greatly and her health was in a very fragile state.
The three officers in military uniforms immediately furrowed their brows, their expressions growing even more serious.
Wang Qiuyue quickly stepped forward to support Wei Nan, speaking in an affectionate, reproachful tone: “Ah, don’t get up, don’t get up. You’re still sick, your health comes first.”
She then glanced back at the people behind her and smiled: “The comrades from the Armed Forces Department are here today just to show concern. They’re not here to hold anything against you.”
“Yes, Comrade Wei Nan, your health is important. Lie down and don’t move,”
said the youngest-looking officer, stepping forward.
Once Wei Nan was comfortably lying down, he continued: “Comrade Wei Nan, we’re here today representing the Provincial Military District to pay our respects. This is actually a lapse on our part; we didn’t know you were living here in Jinning City, otherwise we would have come sooner.
Comrade Jiang Sirui is a combat hero, and as his wife, you share in his military honors!
We’ve also heard that you are a recently returned educated youth, quietly dedicating your youth to the country, making significant contributions. You are a model for us to learn from…”
This officer was clearly responsible for political education in the military; he spoke passionately, one set of slogans after another.
Wei Nan could only stare blankly, completely bewildered.
She couldn’t understand how she had suddenly become a “model.”
Before this, she knew only that—
Her former self was just a unfortunate girl soaked in hardship, unnoticed by anyone, always trying to avoid trouble, fearful that any contact would bring endless problems.
And yet now, through someone else’s words, she was described as remarkable.
Listening, Wei Nan was still confused, while Factory Director Tang and Chair Wang were already starting to sweat on their foreheads from the intensity of his speech.
Just a few days after dealing with Liu Qiangquan and helping Wei Nan settle the debt, news came that the whole family had started fighting again.
To be honest, no leader wanted to get involved when they heard about it.
Factory Director Tang wasn’t completely in the dark, but he really couldn’t be bothered. Production work was already hectic enough, who had the patience to deal with these trivial personal matters every day?
Yet no one expected that little Wei Nan would have so much influence that the situation would escalate this far.
That morning, the local police officers came to the factory office to collect evidence, saying this was the most serious act of violence in the area so far this year.
It wasn’t just about the level of violence, the key issue was that the victims were military dependents, the wife and family of a combat hero. The repercussions were extremely negative.
It was only then that the factory staff realized Wei Nan was married, and to someone with such a notable background.
Director Tang immediately understood the gravity of the situation and promptly notified the factory leadership to hold a concentrated meeting as soon as the afternoon shift began to discuss countermeasures.
But before the meeting could even start, the Armed Forces Department sent representatives again.
When Tang Xiangyang and the other factory leaders saw the rank and credentials on the visitors’ IDs, their hearts sank, they knew there was no need to debate strategies. Whatever the higher-ups required would have to be followed, with full cooperation and careful handling.
The officer finished explaining.
Then the two comrades behind him stepped forward, pointing to the items that had been brought in, and explained: “Comrade Wei Nan, here are twenty jin of polished rice, twenty jin of white flour, and ten jin of eggs, as comfort supplies for military families.
We’re here today partly to see you, and partly to establish contact for the future. If you have any difficulties or unresolved issues that require the Military District to intervene, feel free to let us know.”
The visit from the Armed Forces Department was obviously related to Jiang Sirui.
Without needing to be told, they must have known what happened previously.
Even so, that matter was ultimately a family dispute, and it wouldn’t have been appropriate for the military to intervene directly.
So they didn’t mention a word about it. Instead, they brought the unit leadership along to accompany the visit, which clearly showed they were giving Wei Nan their backing.
At a moment like this, asking for anything further would have been considered naïve.
Wei Nan quickly propped herself up and shook her head, speaking earnestly: “Thank you for your concern, leaders. I don’t have any difficulties that require the organization’s help. My life is going quite well. As children of the textile factory, both my sister and I are well taken care of, and the factory has helped us solve many problems.”
Hearing this, Director Tang and Chairman Wang visibly relaxed, their gaze on her once again filled with admiration.
“That’s right, Xiao Nan is correct. Both of these sisters are our factory’s children. Leaders, rest assured, while we’re here, they will never be bullied,” Wang Qiuyue quickly promised.
The Armed Forces Department personnel left.
Not long after, the factory officials responsible for later-stage management arrived. As soon as they entered, they handed Wei Nan a stack of internal factory coupons, items in high demand such as cooking oil, cured meat, and smoked sausages.
They said these were nutritional supplies from the factory for the two sisters, and they could redeem them at the cafeteria anytime with the coupons.
Once the factory staff had left, night had completely fallen.
Wei Nan lay in the hospital room, quietly reflecting on the series of events that had happened today, waiting for Jiang Sirui to return.
She hadn’t seen him yet today, but she had already witnessed his way of handling matters.
What she had thought of as a mountain pressing down on her head, it turned out, was so trivial to him.
Wei Nan couldn’t quite put her feelings into words.
Even though her rational mind told her she owed him more and more, she had to admit that she felt a sense of ease and relief she had never experienced before.
Because she knew those people wouldn’t be able to get away with anything much longer, their good days were over.
Jiang Sirui returned a little late. By the time he entered the hospital room, it was nearly nine o’clock. The lights were already off, and Wei Nan was nearly dozing off.
He didn’t say a word as he quickly walked to her bedside, worriedly reaching out to feel her forehead.
It was clear he had already heard about her fever during the day.
Wei Nan, still half-asleep, was startled by the gesture and instinctively moved aside.
When she turned her head, she saw his hand paused in midair and his eyes, showing subtle signs of worry.
Feeling a little awkward, she lightly cleared her throat, pushed his hand away, and sat up: “Have you been drinking?”
Jiang Sirui was momentarily stunned by her words.
It seemed as if only now he realized what Wei Nan was trying to avoid.
He quickly withdrew his hand, brought it up to his nose to sniff, and then awkwardly stepped back a couple of paces, putting some distance between them.
After a pause, he explained, “Uh, I ran into a few acquaintances… couldn’t refuse, so I had two drinks.”
Then, worried she might be upset, he added, “Not too much, though.”
As he spoke, his expression was far more relaxed than before, and the look he gave Wei Nan could even be described as gentle.
Unfortunately, Wei Nan didn’t notice this. Her mind was fixated only on the part where he said, “ran into a few acquaintances, so I had two drinks.”
What kind of acquaintances?
Naturally, people who had helped him before.
Wei Nan understood that favors required reciprocity.
Today he had helped her so much, and as her husband, Jiang Sirui was clearly repaying that debt.
How he would repay it, simply by treating her to a meal, or through some other form of equivalent exchange, was unknown.
In any case, she already owed him far too much.
Too much for her to even know how to repay.
Wei Nan sighed quietly and softly said, “Thank you for what you did today.”
She didn’t over-explain, but they both understood each other perfectly.
Jiang Sirui didn’t respond with words to her thanks. He simply stared at her deeply, saying nothing at all.
The hospital room fell so silent that one could hear each other’s breathing.
Wei Nan felt restless; the silence made her uncomfortable.
She twisted slightly, trying to find a topic to break the quiet.
At that moment, Jiang Sirui suddenly let out a soft laugh.
He stood by the bedside and, from above, lightly poked Wei Nan on the top of her head with his finger.
With a teasing tone, he asked, “Am I really that scary-looking that you’re too frightened to even look me in the face while talking?”
Wei Nan never expected that while having a normal conversation, he would poke her head.
She certainly didn’t expect him to ask something like that.
She instinctively lifted her head to look at him.
Because of the drinks, Jiang Sirui’s face was slightly flushed.
Yet he didn’t have the coarse, rough manner that often comes with being drunk.
On the contrary, perhaps due to the alcohol, he seemed a bit more relaxed than usual, unlike the first day they met, when he still had a hint of stiffness.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, his eyes were clear and bright, and he stared straight at Wei Nan.
Even under her scrutiny, he showed no embarrassment at all.
When their gazes met, he winked at her and leaned slightly forward, asking, “So… not too bad, right? Presentable enough to show off?”
Wei Nan didn’t expect him to suddenly lean his head closer. Her heart leapt, and her face immediately flushed bright red.
She quickly leaned back and couldn’t help but glare at him fiercely.
Jiang Sirui burst out laughing.
Seeing Wei Nan’s face practically burning from embarrassment, he laughed even harder.
Not stopping there, he shamelessly ran his large hand through her hair.
He made no attempt to hide how good-humored he was at that moment.
Only when he clearly noticed that his little gesture had annoyed Wei Nan and ruffled her temper a bit did he pull back slightly.
He laughed, took two steps back, waved his hand reassuringly, and said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Go get some rest. Tomorrow morning I’ll make rib porridge for you both.”
After saying this, he even tucked her blanket back in properly before leaving.
Even long after he was gone, Wei Nan still felt his smiling face hovering in front of her eyes, making her feel both embarrassed and irritated.
The next morning, Wei Pei didn’t get to eat the nutritious meal her brother-in-law had prepared with his own hands.
Because it was just dawn, the nurse came to inform her that the factory would be sending a special vehicle to take her to the city’s People’s Hospital for a full-body checkup, and she would need to be fasting.
The People’s Hospital had the most advanced medical equipment in all of Jinning, and its medical standards were the highest.
After learning this, Wei Nan specifically inquired for more details, and the staff didn’t hide anything from her. They directly told her that the costs would be temporarily covered by the factory and would ultimately be deducted from the wages of the perpetrators, that is, the Wei family father and daughter.
She had originally wanted to accompany the trip, but Jiang Sirui and Ling Bailan both stopped her, insisting that she had just had a fever and shouldn’t be exposed to the wind.
It was because of this that Wei Nan learned firsthand the factory’s decision regarding Wei Shuangquan.
She found out while, under the man’s insistence, she obediently drank her second bowl of porridge.
“The factory’s first round of layoffs came out, your Second Uncle is listed first!”
Seeing the two of them, Ling Bailan didn’t come inside but leaned casually in the doorway, smiling as she said this.
Wei Nan lifted her head in surprise. “So soon? Didn’t they say the list wouldn’t come out until after the New Year?”
Ling Bailan raised an eyebrow. “Who knows? Maybe they brought it forward.”
She shrugged.
Wei Nan had never seen Ling Bailan make this gesture before, and it clearly reflected how pleased she was at the moment.
Actually, the textile factory’s layoffs had long been decided; it was an inevitable trend, and everyone understood the situation.
With a large number of educated youths returning to the city, the government faced enormous pressure and issued the policy: “Strictly control rural laborers from moving into the city for work, and limit the conversion of agricultural population into non-agricultural population.”
The meaning was clear: with so many educated youths returning to the city, there wasn’t enough work for them. Those without city registration should return to where they came from and not compete for jobs.
When this policy was issued, large factories like the textile plant, mostly employing migrant workers, were the first to feel the impact, and the government-assigned layoff quotas were largest for them.
Naturally, the non-city registered workers in the factory were anxious.
But since it was the end of the year, both workers and management wanted to enjoy the New Year, so everyone assumed the list wouldn’t be released until after the holiday.
No one expected it to come out so quickly.
As soon as the list was posted, the factory workers were in an uproar.
They discovered that Wei Shuangquan’s name was not only on the list but listed first.
By all rights, in his situation, he was someone who could be laid off or not, at the very least, he shouldn’t have been in the first batch.
After all, he wasn’t like the temporary workers recruited from the countryside; he had taken over his brother’s position and had a proper workstation.
Seeing the list, even a fool could tell that the reason the factory released it so quickly and put him at the very top of the layoffs was purely to vent on behalf of the Wei Nan sisters.
It was to give them some justice.
This girl really was capable!
She truly had skill.
As soon as she returned, she had already struck a blow against the old Wei family, wiping out her father’s debts and even scaring that old shrew Wang Sanhua into wetting herself.
And now, she had managed to get her Second Uncle fired!
People couldn’t help but gossip. The more they thought about what had happened over the past two days, the more they looked at Wei Nan with new respect.
It wasn’t that everyone necessarily bullied the weak, but the tendency to admire strength was always there.
At this moment, even though everyone in the factory understood that the early release of the layoff list, and the misery it would cause those affected, was mainly because of Wei Nan, no one was thinking of blaming her.
All their anger was directed at Wei Shuangquan and Wang Sanhua.
They believed it was this family’s misdeeds, their constant stirring up trouble like a pest, that forced the factory to make such an early decision.
At first, people had only complained verbally, but those being laid off were frustrated and had no outlet for their anger.
Then, without anyone knowing who started it, someone suddenly led the way and rushed to the small house where Wei Shuangquan and the others lived.
A crowd gathered around the house, demanding that Wei Shuangquan come out and give an explanation.
Either compensate for the lost wages of over a month, or come out so everyone could beat him up to vent their anger!
Otherwise, they threatened to smash the house!
Wang Sanhua, who had been tough all her life, never expected that in her old age she would finally meet someone who wouldn’t back down.
She dared to be fierce with her son and granddaughter, but she wouldn’t dare act up in front of a group of tough men armed with sticks who had come to tear their house apart.
It’s said that without much shouting from them, she fainted right at the doorstep.
Her head hit the stone threshold, splitting it open badly!
Whether Wang Sanhua fainted for real or was pretending, no one knew.
Anyway, Wei Nan stayed in the hospital room and didn’t move, yet throughout the entire morning several groups of people came to give her real-time updates.
Each one described the scene so vividly it was as if she were right there herself.
She didn’t even leave the room, yet she got to watch the whole spectacle unfold.
While Wei Nan was listening to the story, Jiang Sirui, with his good-natured temper, stayed by her side. His face wore a gentle smile, showing not the slightest hint of annoyance.
Not only did he not seem annoyed, but he would occasionally ask a few questions, which made the people giving the “report” even more enthusiastic, explaining everything more clearly.
Listening to them, Wei Nan felt her headache vanish, energy return to her body, and even her waist straighten up more than usual!
She wished she could be discharged immediately, to go see that family in person and witness the fate of that wicked old woman!
But Wang Sanhua’s fate came quickly, so fast that Wei Nan didn’t even need to request discharge before it happened.
The laid-off workers had already blocked the house’s entrance. Wei Shuangquan was too scared to move inside, and Wei Jing had no choice but to run to the factory for help.
Yet before the factory could send anyone to mediate, the local police officers had already shown up.
Of course, they weren’t deliberately targeting their family.
The police were conducting a joint sweep with the neighborhood committee, carrying out a large-scale check of outsiders in the entire district.
Once the policy was issued, it had to be enforced.
It was the end of the year again, and eliminating hidden risks and ensuring safety was the top priority for all grassroots units.
The commotion caused by the Wei family had already become a clear hazard, how could the authorities not pay a visit?!
When the police and neighborhood committee officers came, they didn’t say much; they only requested to check the family’s identification documents.
This inspection immediately revealed problems—
Among the Wei family, only Wei Jing was lucky. She had been registered early, taking over Wei Nan’s mother’s place, and had managed to get the last batch of household registration. She was now officially a citizen of Jinning City.
The others, whether Wei Shuangquan, Wang Sanhua, Wei Jing’s mother, or their precious Wei Dabao, their household registrations were still in their old village.
Now, with Wei Shuangquan dismissed from his job, the entire family met the “three-no” criteria for expulsion of returning villagers: no household registration, no job, and no legitimate reason to remain in the city.
And that’s not even mentioning the fact that they were now gathering a crowd and causing trouble!
If they weren’t cleared out first, who else would be dealt with?
So the neighborhood committee staff immediately registered the entire family on the spot, and the police issued instructions, ordering them to pack their things and leave Jinning City before dark.
Leaving at this point wasn’t a matter of going whenever you wanted, there were officials assigned to track and oversee the process.
In other words, once you were registered here, the local police would contact your original hometown.
Officials would escort you onto a train or bus, and upon arrival, there would be personnel at your hometown station to receive you.
After that, both sides would complete a formal handover procedure.
If someone got off early and wasn’t picked up, or was picked up but not properly watched and then returned to the city, then not only would the returning person be severely punished, but the official responsible for receiving them would also be held accountable…
So for the Wei family, leaving the city this time was easy, but getting back in would be extremely difficult.
And the dream that Wang Sanhua and Wei Shuangquan had, of having their precious child study in the city and eventually become a city resident, would inevitably be dashed.
This news was personally brought to Wei Nan by Mei Xiaolin.
She skipped her own duties, her little face flushed, just to come and explain the seriousness of the situation to her.
Needless to say, aside from their close relationship and Mei Xiaolin’s happiness for her, there was undoubtedly guidance from Chairman Wang behind the scenes.
But no matter the reason, Mei Xiaolin’s explanation, combined with the coordinated actions from all sides that morning, a whole chain of operations— truly stunned Wei Nan.
So much so that when Jiang Sirui came back halfway through, carrying a lunchbox he had gone home to prepare, he was completely taken aback by the bright, sparkling look in his wife’s eyes!