Su Wanqing couldn’t quite remember for a moment and couldn’t answer right away.
Lu An’an spoke up: “Mom often gets bullied at home. They either splash water or break our windows, and the worst time, they even pointed at Mom’s nose and yelled at her.”
In the past, Lu An’an resented his mother and never mentioned these situations to Lu Changfeng. But now it was different—he felt sorry for his mom.
Lu Changfeng frowned deeply and looked at Su Wanqing. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Su Wanqing asked curiously, “What would you have done if I had told you?”
Lu Changfeng said, “I would have reported these incidents to the leaders at my workplace and asked them to warn their subordinates to keep their family members in check. If that didn’t work, I’d confront them one by one to reason it out. And if reasoning failed, I know a thing or two about fighting.”
Su Wanqing smiled, surprised that this man could be so responsible.
“You don’t need to report it. I can handle it myself. If I can’t, I’ll let you know.” In this era where the boldest often got their way, Su Wanqing wasn’t afraid at all.
“Alright!”
Lu Changfeng took a piece of paper from his room and wrote down his office phone number for her. “If anything happens at home, go to the guardhouse and call me. I’m usually in the office most of the time.”
“Mm!” Su Wanqing took the note and placed it under the glass on the desk in her room.
She then continued with the household chores. Yesterday was a deep clean, and today she was tidying up the wardrobe. The children’s clothes were in Lu Changfeng’s room.
She knocked on the door, and Lu Changfeng opened it, puzzled by her sudden politeness.
Su Wanqing asked, “May I come in to organize the wardrobe?”
Lu Changfeng said, “Sure.”
Su Wanqing strode in and started tidying up. Before long, the awkwardness of being alone together in the room became too much, and Lu Changfeng retreated to the living room.
Su Wanqing thought to herself: He really is afraid I’ll pounce on him, scared enough to run out. Hmph, even though you look like a male model, I’m not that desperate.
But Su Wanqing didn’t mind. After all, this man would eventually belong to Lin Yunshi.
The next morning, after breakfast, Lu Changfeng headed out, saying he was taking a few people to confront Su Daqiang about the money.
Su Wanqing asked, “Do you want me to come with you?” She was worried that Lu Changfeng might be too soft-hearted and let Su Daqiang and his family get away with their usual tantrums.
Lu Changfeng said, “No need. It might actually make it harder to get the money if you come.” This was advice from his friend Qiu Mingjie.
Qiu Mingjie was a well-known “factory second-generation” in the area. His father was the director of a textile factory, and his mother was a professor at Fuxing University.
He himself was a troublemaker, notorious for being ruthless.
As soon as Lu Changfeng mentioned confronting Su Daqiang about the money, Qiu Mingjie immediately said, “I’ll get a dozen or so people for you. I don’t believe that old man won’t cough up the money. As for your wife, don’t bring her along. If her parents start crying, making a scene, or kneeling, she might soften up.”
Lu Changfeng arranged to meet Qiu Mingjie at Su Daqiang’s place.
Su Daqiang lived in the employee dormitory of the machinery factory. Everyone knew Lu Changfeng was his son-in-law, but he had never visited before.
Seeing Lu Changfeng arrive with such a large group, all looking fierce and imposing, the neighbors couldn’t help but snicker. Su Daqiang’s good days were coming to an end.
Over the years, Su Daqiang’s family had been leeching off their daughter, living a comfortable life with meat on the table almost every meal.
Their three grandchildren, however, looked like little beggars. It was truly heartless.
Su Jianjun had even managed to win over the “factory belle” of the machinery factory. Hearing that his brother-in-law had a good job and the family was well-off, she couldn’t wait to marry him.
Su Jianjun had already delivered the “three rounds and one sound” and given the three hundred yuan betrothal gift. They were just waiting for the wedding in a few days.
Qiu Mingjie barged into Su Daqiang’s home with his men. The room wasn’t large, and it was now packed with people.
“Pay back the money,” Qiu Mingjie said with a fierce glare, frightening the three members of the Su Family into trembling.
Su Daqiang had thought Su Wanqing was just making empty threats that day, never expecting Lu Changfeng to actually follow through.
Over the past five years, the Su Family had grown accustomed to living extravagantly. Whenever they ran short of money, they would simply ask Su Wanqing for it.
They did have savings—around four thousand yuan, all from the father and son’s wages. This time, Su Jianjun’s wedding had cost over eight hundred yuan, leaving just over three thousand in the bankbook.
As Su Daqiang tried to grab Lu Changfeng, Qiu Mingjie swiftly slapped his hand away and snarled, “Stop making excuses. Pay up now, or I’ll ruin your son’s wedding.”
Seeing the situation turn sour, Chen Cai’e immediately began wailing and crying. “You even want to take back the money our daughter gives us every month as filial support? Is there no justice left? You beast, you won’t even let a child care for her parents!”
Lu Changfeng frowned and was about to argue when Qiu Mingjie waved his hand and said to the men behind him, “Shut her up.”
Two men rushed forward from the crowd, twisted Chen Cai’e’s arms behind her back, and forced her onto a stool. Another man stepped up, pulled off her socks, and stuffed them into her mouth.
Chen Cai’e felt so disgusted she nearly vomited the previous night’s dinner.
Lu Changfeng couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. “You really know how to handle things.”
The father and son of the Su Family exchanged glances, shocked that Qiu Mingjie would do something so terrifying. Their faces instantly turned ashen.
Lu Changfeng declared loudly, “Pay back the money. No negotiations.”
Su Daqiang went into the room to fetch the bankbook, his expression troubled. “We only have a little over three thousand at home. If we give you three thousand, how will our family survive?”
Lu Changfeng retorted, “That’s your problem. What about when your son stole Su Wanqing’s job? Why didn’t you say anything then?”
Yesterday, Su Wanqing had made a splash at the machinery factory, using fluent English to secure a contract with a foreign client. Moreover, Director Wang had immediately hired her as his secretary, news that spread throughout the factory.
Su Daqiang argued, “But Wanqing found a better job, didn’t she?”
Ordinary workers in the workshop earned only 35 yuan a month. Even after all these years, Su Daqiang only made 45 yuan. A secretary’s salary was several grades higher.
Lu Changfeng shot back, “That’s because she’s capable herself. What does that have to do with you? Hurry up and get the money.”
Left with no choice, Su Daqiang, under the “protection” of Qiu Mingjie and the others, withdrew three thousand yuan and handed it to Lu Changfeng. It was a thick stack of bills, and Su Daqiang’s heart ached at the loss.
Lu Changfeng exchanged ten ten-yuan bills for smaller change and gave each person five yuan as compensation for their trouble.
Everyone was delighted. In just a short while, they had earned several days’ wages for a worker.
“Thanks, Brother Changfeng. If you need us again, just call.”
They happily headed back to their respective homes.
Qiu Mingjie, however, refused Lu Changfeng’s money. “We’re brothers. If I took money for something like this, what kind of brother would I be?”
Lu Changfeng didn’t press further and pocketed the money, preparing to ride his bike home.
Qiu Mingjie asked, “Didn’t you come back this time planning to divorce Su Wanqing? Why the sudden change of heart?”
Lu Changfeng replied, “She’s changed a lot since I returned. She asked me to give her three months. If she doesn’t change her attitude toward the children, then I’ll divorce her.”
Qiu Mingjie seemed to have heard the biggest joke of all time. “That fat pig will change? If she changes, I’ll cut off my head and give it to you as a stool. Come on, let’s go to your place and see.”
With that, he rode his bike over with Lu Changfeng. When they arrived at Lu Changfeng’s home, the windows were spotless, and the house was clean and tidy.
Qiu Mingjie sneered, “Did you clean this yourself?”
Lu Changfeng replied, “I haven’t done any chores during this leave. She did all the cleaning.”
Su Wanqing had just finished wiping down the house and emerged from the inner room, looking a bit dusty.
The original host had met Qiu Mingjie once at the wedding but didn’t have a deep impression of him.
She asked Lu Changfeng, “Is your friend staying for lunch?”
Qiu Mingjie said, “You don’t even recognize me?”
He was quite famous in the Family Compound, but Su Wanqing genuinely couldn’t recall him. She asked, “Is it strange not to know you?”
Lu Changfeng introduced, “This is my friend, Qiu Mingjie.”
Qiu Mingjie? In the book, he was Lu Changfeng’s good friend early on, but later he fell for Lin Yunshi, and the two brothers became enemies.
Su Wanqing secretly rejoiced in her heart: “Now there’s going to be a good show to watch.”