Two days later, after getting off work, Li Mingliang returned home with 5,000 yuan in his pocket, walking with swagger.
He kicked open the east room door arrogantly.
Taking out an envelope from his chest, he tossed it in front of Liu Meiling.
“I’ve given you the money. Stop making trouble from now on!”
Like a lord, Li Mingliang plopped onto the kang. A foul smell spread as he casually stripped himself naked, tossing his underwear, socks, and work clothes all over the floor.
With a haughty tone, he ordered:
“Go on—wash my clothes!”
Liu Meiling kicked him straight off the kang. Her temples throbbed as she took the envelope with visible disgust, opened it, spat on her fingers, and began counting.
“Ten… twenty… thirty…”
Exactly five thousand yuan. Liu Meiling narrowed her eyes, already making calculations in her mind.
The old man handed it over quite readily—meaning he definitely had more money hidden!
“Liu Meiling, don’t push it! I already gave you the money—why are you still kicking me?!”
Li Mingliang shouted angrily, brushing dust off himself.
“You’re still short two thousand!”
Li Mingliang snorted, climbed back onto the kang, and casually placed his filthy feet on the table, making Liu Meiling’s temples twitch even more.
After fumbling around for a while, he suddenly shouted:
“Where’s my money?Where’s my money?!Liu Meiling, did you take my money?!”
Liu Meiling threw the five thousand back onto the kang and lunged at him, grabbing him as they started fighting.
“Cut the crap! I’ve lived with you this long—how come I never knew you had money hidden away?!Say it!When did you stash it? Where is it?!”
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Three loud slaps landed. Li Mingliang covered his head, whining:
“I remembered wrong! I remembered wrong!”
But judging from Liu Meiling’s reaction, she didn’t seem to be the one who took it.
Then who was it?
Li Mingliang gritted his teeth. Whoever took his 3,700 yuan—once he found them, he’d make them pay it back with interest!
Liu Meiling got off him, sniffed her sleeve in disgust, then kicked him again.
“You’re in your forties or fifties and don’t even know how to bathe. Don’t tell people you’re my husband—it’s embarrassing!”
With a flick of her head, she quickly tied her hair into a small braid. She still had to go handle a job handover today—no time to waste arguing with him.
Just as she stepped out, she smacked her forehead, turned back, and quickly stuffed the stack of cash into a hidden pocket sewn inside her pants, then put on a pair of flared trousers before leaving.
She hadn’t even walked out of the residential compound when two police officers stopped her.
The thinner one on the left looked familiar—he had been on duty when Zhan Dazhuang was arrested.
Liu Meiling had a good memory and immediately recognized him.
“Comrade Mao, here on a case?”
Mao Gang nodded. “Comrade Liu Meiling, we’re here to see you this time.”
“To see me?” Liu Meiling asked excitedly. “Has Zhan Dazhuang been sentenced?”
Mao Gang nodded again. “Yes. He confessed to his crimes and was sentenced to ten years and three months. Since he’s a minor…”
He didn’t finish, but Liu Meiling understood. During the current crackdown, if he hadn’t been a minor, it would’ve been treated as hooliganism—severe punishment, even execution.
“But don’t worry,” Mao Gang added, “Zhan Dajun, who instigated the crime, has also been sentenced to six years and eight months.
However, that’s not why we came to see you.”
The officer beside him, He Wei, stepped forward and revealed the person behind him.
“Comrade, take a look—is this your son? He seems to have amnesia and only remembers you.”
The moment Liu Meiling saw him, she felt like she’d been struck by lightning. In her heart, she cursed 0928 countless times.
“No, no—that’s not my son!” she waved her hands quickly.
Xiao Yunchen’s eyes lit up when he saw her. Though Liu Meiling was fierce, to his amnesiac self, she radiated a strong sense of safety.
He immediately called out loudly:
“Mom!”
He Wei let out a breath of relief, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“It’s like this—he’s lost his memory and only remembers you and this compound. The police station is short-staffed lately, so could you take him in temporarily?”
If it had been anyone else asking, Liu Meiling would’ve refused. But this was the police… she couldn’t help but regret introducing herself earlier.
“Alright… but please make sure to find his family soon. I can’t keep him for long…”
..
Not only did she fail to leave, she even brought back a “grown son,” making the Li household lively again after just two days of peace.
Li Baoguo stared wide-eyed at the man following behind his mother, calling her “Mom” over and over, and let out a shrill scream:
“Dad! Mom brought home a bastard!”
Liu Meiling’s temples throbbed as she jumped up and slapped him.
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
Li Baoguo’s eyes turned red with anger. “I heard him call you Mom!”
So what?! Liu Meiling rolled her eyes. Honestly, she wished Xiao Yunchen was her son—then she’d have put a green hat on Li Mingliang for real!
Too bad he wasn’t.
Li Mingliang quickly got dressed. The moment he saw Xiao Yunchen, he exploded.
He jumped onto the table, pointing at Xiao Yunchen in breakdown:
“Liu Meiling, say it! Who did you have this kid with?! Where did this bastard come from?!”
Xiao Yunchen looked left and right, then pointed at himself.
“Mom, is that old geezer talking about me?”
Hearing him call her “Mom” again, Li Mingliang completely lost it.
He had thought he’d hidden everything perfectly, even smugly believing the child he had with Qin Xiangru was being raised well by Liu Meiling.
But in the end, he was the biggest joke of all.
Liu Meiling had somehow ended up with such a grown son behind his back!
“Liu Meiling! You must give me an explanation today! Who did you have this bastard with?!”
Over and over—just that one sentence. Liu Meiling was already annoyed.
How would she know where this guy came from?!
“I don’t know! I don’t know! I don’t know!”
Xiao Yunchen wasn’t about to back down either. Hands on his hips, he shouted back:
“You blind old fool! You’re the bastard! Got two eyes just for decoration? My mom is right here!
You’re the damn bastard! Even if I were one, I’d still be better than trash like you!”
He might have lost his memory, but he wasn’t stupid. He could clearly feel the hostility—why would he just stand there and take insults?
Li Baoguo stared at Xiao Yunchen, thoughts racing.
Could it be… his mother didn’t want him anymore because she had this new son?
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
He had to drive this “bastard” out and restore peace to the Li family!
Li Baoqing curled her lips and walked out as if she hadn’t seen anything. None of this concerned her anyway.
Li Mingliang was trembling with rage, breathing heavily.
“Liu Meiling, you’ve got some nerve—bringing a bastard home without even hiding it! I’ll beat him to death!”
He took off his shoe and hurled it at Xiao Yunchen.
But Xiao Yunchen wasn’t an idiot—he dodged easily and even mocked him:
“Come on, old man! Your aim sucks! Come hit your grandpa if you can!”
Li Baoguo, furious, rolled up his sleeves and charged at him.
“You bastard! How dare you insult my father—I’ll beat you to death!”
But in less than a single exchange, he was knocked flat on the ground.
Watching Xiao Yunchen’s skilled movements, Liu Meiling fell into deep thought.
These moves… they looked like military combat techniques.
Back then, her second brother had forced her to practice them quite a bit.