“Au—Aunt, what did you say?” Wang Xiangdong stammered, his throat tightening with fear.
When his aunt called him to the family compound with such a serious tone, he knew with his toes what this was about.
His uncle was being discharged from the hospital today—was he really going to settle the score this quickly?
Wang Xiangdong wanted to cry but had no tears. “Aunt, you have to help me with this. Look at me now—can I really go the day after tomorrow?”
He’d walk in standing and come out lying flat.
“You have to go! Yunfeng even wants you back tomorrow.” Wang Chunyan stared at her nephew with a blank expression. She’d given him a chance and he’d blown it—stupid fool!
“Aunt, I don’t care. I’m your nephew—you can’t just watch me lose an arm or a leg.”
Wang Xiangdong put on a pitiful act, reaching out to tug at Wang Chunyan’s clothes.
His arm stretched out as far as it could go, yet he still couldn’t touch the hem of her garment.
In the past, Wang Chunyan would have been heartbroken at the sight.
But things were different now.
The trouble Wang Xiangdong had stirred up this time was no small matter.
If Wang Chunyan didn’t come today, she wouldn’t be able to face the family when she got back.
“What’s all this about losing an arm or a leg?” The old lady was frightened by her eldest grandson’s words. This wouldn’t do!
“Mother, don’t get involved in this. If Xiangdong doesn’t learn his lesson this time, the Shen family won’t let him off easily.”
Wang Chunyan let out a helpless sigh as she spoke. “We can’t lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains. If Xiangdong wants to take over the position in the future, he has to admit his mistakes and apologize—and his attitude needs to be sincere.”
With that, Wang Chunyan’s gaze fell back on her nephew. “You can only blame your own bad luck. Don’t worry—no matter what, he’s still your uncle. He won’t really cripple you.”
Cold sweat ran down Wang Xiangdong’s back. Shen Yunfeng had a fiery temper, and his old man had killed people in his younger days. Would he even survive going there?
Getting schemed against by Lin Wanqing today was already bad enough.
Wang Xiangdong felt like this year was just his unlucky streak—nothing was going his way.
“No, this won’t do. Wang Chunyan, I’m warning you—if my grandson ends up with so much as a scratch, I won’t let you off!”
The old lady spoke up in defense. “No matter what mistake the boy made, we’re all family. What’s there that can’t be forgiven? Besides, the factory is counting on Xiangdong to take over in the future. If anything happens to him, you two won’t even have a successor!”
Wang Chunyan had prepared herself mentally before coming, knowing her mother wouldn’t agree to Xiangdong apologizing.
No matter what the matter was, the old lady only ever had her eldest grandson on her mind.
Wang Chunyan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “Mother, the fine grandson you raised tried to seduce Chongli’s wife and Yunzheng’s wife out there. Now the Shen family is demanding an explanation from us. What do you want me to do, stuck in the middle?”
“What?”
The old lady’s eyes went wide at the news. Clearly, she hadn’t expected her grandson to do something like this. This was trouble!
“Grandma, it was those women who came after me—it’s not my fault.”
“Say that again!”
Wang Chunyan cut Wang Xiangdong off sharply. Even now, he showed no intention of apologizing.
He didn’t even understand the principle that a real man should be able to bend and stretch.
Deep down, Wang Chunyan had hoped Xiangdong would succeed today, but he hadn’t.
“My grandson is right—it takes two to tango.” The old lady straightened her back. “Alright, I see it now. A married daughter is like water thrown out—she only looks out for her husband’s family. If you’ve got nothing else, go on back! Don’t disturb my grandson’s rest.”
Wang Chunyan: “…”
Her mother was clearly making things difficult for her on purpose.
Not sparing a single thought for the fact that she was also a daughter-in-law of the Shen family.
Wang Chunyan left in a huff, swallowing a bellyful of grievances.
Wang Xiangdong was still scared. He didn’t dare defy Shen Yunfeng. “Grandma, what do I do now? Do I go the day after tomorrow?”
“No.”
The old lady raised her hand and patted Wang Xiangdong’s hand reassuringly. “With Grandma here, nobody’s going to bully my grandson!”
Wang Xiangdong felt a slight sense of relief. He wouldn’t go for now, but this matter wasn’t over—he wouldn’t let Lin Wanqing off easily.
If one attempt didn’t work, he’d prepare for a second chance.
…
Wang Xiangdong didn’t go to the Shen residence. He didn’t even show his face that day. Before nightfall, Shen Yunfeng glared at Wang Chunyan and accused, “You think just because he doesn’t come to our house, this is over?”
Wang Chunyan had been at home these past two days with no one giving her a kind look, and she had her own share of grievances.
“Anyway, I told him the day before yesterday. The legs are on his body—if he won’t come, what am I supposed to do about it?
You know how my family is. My mother dotes on Xiangdong the most. She can’t bear to see her precious grandson suffer any grievance.”
Shen Yunfeng sat up straight, staring at Wang Chunyan in disbelief. “Say that again—who’s suffering a grievance?”
Wang Chunyan pressed her lips together tightly, not daring to speak.
“Wang Chunyan! We’ve been husband and wife for all these years—how is it I’m only now discovering that you can’t tell right from wrong!”
Shen Yunfeng snorted coldly. “You’re a woman too—how can you not consider this from Wanqing and Huixin’s perspective?”
Women are naturally at a physical disadvantage against men. In that kind of situation, the two of them must have been terrified.
“Then why don’t you consider things from my perspective?”
Wang Chunyan’s eyes were red as she instinctively shot back, “On one side is my natal family, on the other is my husband’s family—I’m the one stuck in the middle with no way to please anyone!”
“Hmph, you brought this on yourself.”
Shen Yunfeng slammed his hand hard on the table, clenching his jaw. “Don’t you dare cry and snivel in front of me. The ones who were truly wronged aren’t crying—what do you have to cry about?”
“Do I really need to spell it out? How many stupid things has Wang Xiangdong done over the years, openly and covertly? How many times have I turned a blind eye to protect him?”
Wang Chunyan dared not shed another tear. She sniffled.
“This time it’s Father’s decision. Crying in front of me won’t help.”
Shen Yunfeng added coldly, “And what about Yunzheng? How am I, as the eldest brother, supposed to explain this to him?”
Wang Chunyan: “…”
The couple’s quarrel in the room was loud enough that Song Huixin and Lin Wanqing could hear every word clearly.
Song Huixin was so irritated she wished she could stuff something in her ears, but that wouldn’t do any good.
“I think they’re deliberately making a scene for the two of us to hear—so we’ll step in and persuade the old man to drop the matter with Wang Xiangdong.”
Song Huixin rolled her eyes. “Dream on!”
Lin Wanqing gave a faint smile. “I actually think Shen Yunfeng is a fairly upright person—he probably doesn’t have that kind of intention. As for Wang Chunyan, whether she does or not is hard to say.”
“Qingbao, the two of us just sitting at home doing nothing isn’t right—it’s too boring!”
All day it’s nothing but eat and sleep, sleep and eat. Song Huixin was especially worried about her weight.
By the time she got in front of the camera, she’d have gained over ten pounds.
“Yeah.” Lin Wanqing had the same thought. She planned to go inquire about the college entrance exam tomorrow and buy some textbooks and materials to review.
Song Huixin, meanwhile, would go her “separate way.” In this era, actors had no agencies or studios—films were basically produced by state-owned studios, and most performers were selected from cultural troupes.
Song Huixin’s idea was to sign up for the military district’s cultural troupe. She had “connections” there, so getting in shouldn’t be too difficult.