“Honey, I wasn’t talking to you just now.
This is a habit I’ve developed over the years.” With such a beautiful woman by my side, what does it matter if it’s cold or not?
I rubbed my nose, a little foolishly: “Let’s go, let’s go.” I led Xi Dong and Nick to the neighboring courtyard, but I kept stealing glances at Xi Dong.
Seeing him put on that aloof, unapproachable expression again, I couldn’t help but recall the emotional journey Xi Dong had told me about.
In truth, Xi Dong’s cold expression was just a disguise for her gentle heart.
Her cold and aloof exterior allowed her to ward off unwanted attention, both during her school years and now as CEO of a large corporation, earning her the utmost respect from her subordinates.
But she reserved her true, gentle heart for her family, for me, and for those behind her… Thinking of this, I glanced back at Nick, noticing his somewhat infatuated gaze fixed on Xi Dong’s slender back, and a surge of annoyance rose within me.
Just as I was thinking of finding a reason to say something to him, I realized we had entered the neighboring courtyard.
As soon as we entered, we saw a fat woman, as thick as a vat but not as tall, standing with one hand on her hip and the other holding a broom handle, pointing at Harry and cursing.
As the saying goes, even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner.
This fat woman, named Niu Hongxia, lived up to her name—utterly vulgar and crude.
Her hair was tied up in curlers, she wore a white nightgown, a toothpick dangling from her lips, and her face was full of menacing flesh.
Seeing me walk in first, she gave a sarcastic snort: “Oh, Secretary Yue’s eldest son, here to help your mother with the dog again today?!” I smiled coldly: “Niu Hongxia, it’s pointless for you to be so sarcastic here.
Wait until my mother comes back, and then you can curse her to her face.” “I wonder if your spineless husband will be so scared that he’ll kneel on the ground again.” Speaking of Niu Hongxia, she and my mother really have a history.
Her father, Niu Baichuan, was originally the county magistrate of Huashan County, under the jurisdiction of Handong City.
Because of his misconduct and corruption, he was taken down by my mother in collusion with Aunt Sheng, who worked at the Provincial Procuratorate—my childhood friend’s mother, two capable and beautiful mature women.
That woman has held a grudge ever since.
Then there’s Niu Hongxia’s husband, who works at the city’s Cultural Bureau.
He could have been promoted, but because of his connection to Niu Hongxia’s father, he’s remained stuck in a lowly clerk position for almost ten years without any sign of advancement.
The only thing I can’t understand is why Niu Hongxia, who should be avoiding my mother like the plague, went to great lengths to pull strings and become her neighbor.
After that, this damned woman would cause trouble for my mother every few days.
Who knows who gave her the audacity?
Fortunately, my mother, as the third-highest-ranking official in Hanzhong City, a city with a population of tens of millions, sees Niu Hongxia as nothing more than an ant.
Crushing her is just a matter of a glance.
If my mother simply nodded, countless people would be vying to take care of this shrew for her.
Actually, I had suggested this to my mother before.
She told me that some things shouldn’t be done to the extreme, otherwise it will give others grounds for criticism.
If you were a leader, would you entrust an important task to a subordinate who is too ruthless and insidious?
At the time, I nodded in agreement.
This Niu Hongxia becoming my mother’s neighbor was just a pretext for my mother to spend a fortune on her.
Gradually, I also realized, what abilities or influence could a widow of a fallen official possibly have?
My mother, Yue Luhua, was standing right there.
If she really had the ability, she could come at me.
If not, all she could do was shout.
My mother could silence her with just a slight move.
This would not only repeatedly crush her but also highlight my mother’s magnanimity and courage.
There was another point my mother didn’t tell me at the time: the reason she kept Niu Hongxia around was twofold.
First, she had a hidden agenda, and second, this clownish shrew had someone backing her—my mother’s political rival.
Niu Hongxia had been placed by my mother’s side specifically to annoy her.
Getting rid of this shrew was easy.
This wretched shrew hadn’t committed any major offense.
If my mother, under Niu Hongxia’s repeated provocations, had acted rashly, she would have fallen into her rival’s trap.
But a shrew is a shrew.
My mother’s leniency, coupled with Niu Hongxia’s awareness that she was being manipulated and her hatred for my mother, made her increasingly brazen.
She wanted to seduce my mother into attacking her one day.
The person behind Niu Hongxia, however, possessed evidence that my mother had used her position to harm others.
After publicizing this evidence, they could destroy even the strongest defenses.
That day, I deliberately mentioned her husband, precisely to make Niu Hongxia wary of the power wielded by my mother, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.
At the time, seeing her dark, fat, and ugly face soften slightly, I still felt utterly disdainful, assuming it was my mother’s status that frightened this shrew.
But later I learned that her expression changed so rapidly, like turning the pages of a book, only after she saw the tall figure of Nick standing at the door.
Seeing Niu Hongxia’s change in expression, I thought today’s matter would be resolved.
Unexpectedly, she rolled her triangular, slanted eyes upwards, spat out the toothpick in her mouth, and spat out, “Pah!
You scoundrel, thinking you’re so great just because your mother’s the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission?” This unreasonable, crazy woman suddenly went berserk, tearing her hair curlers to shreds, and plopped down on the ground, yelling, “He’s hitting someone!
He’s hitting someone!
There’s no law!
Yue Luhua’s son, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Handong, is hitting someone…” Her piercing, hoarse voice, combined with her shrewish, street-smart shouting, carried far and wide, and instantly a crowd of onlookers gathered around the doorway.
“Niu Hongxia, what’s wrong with you!
Which eye of yours saw me hit you?!” Realizing that this shrew was trying to smear me, I glared at her, gritting my teeth in anger.
Xi Dong was aware of Niu Hongxia’s notorious reputation and, fearing I might impulsively fight with that shrew, quietly stepped past me, arms crossed, looking down at Niu Hongxia with a cold, expressionless face.
As the CEO of a group managing nearly a thousand people, Xi Dong’s anger exuded a chilling aura, in no way inferior to those high-ranking officials.
Niu Hongxia’s hoarse voice abruptly stopped.
Xi Dong’s cold, pretty face and voice were as icy as a thousand-year-old block: “Niu Hongxia, do you want to tear off all ties with us over a dog?!” “Make a scene, we can play along, but you’ll definitely suffer the consequences.
Even if you’re being used as a pawn, you need to understand the value of that pawn.” “Shut your mouth now, and I can give you 20,000 yuan.
As for what you choose, weigh it up yourself.” Xi Dong’s words struck a chord with me.
We were practically husband and wife back then, truly in sync.
It wasn’t that we were afraid of trouble, but we didn’t want to step in dog poop with our good shoes, lest we attract unnecessary trouble, or even scheming behind our backs.
I patted Xi Dong’s delicate hand, giving her a reassuring smile, and was pondering how to bargain with Niu Hongxia, who was making such an outrageous demand.
Just then, Nick suddenly appeared from behind me with a phone, having secretly recorded what had happened.
He strode over to Niu Hongxia, and without warning, raised his hand to slap her across the face.
Niu Hongxia felt herself enveloped by a dark shadow.
Instinctively, she stopped screaming.
Then she saw Nick raise his large hand, and fear immediately crossed her ugly face: “What are you going to do?” “Stop screaming?” “Look at this!” Nick played back the video he had secretly filmed earlier.
Niu Hongxia, covering her swollen cheek, looked at the crowd gathered at the door and shouted, “Get out!
Get out!” Seeing the commotion had died down, the crowd gave Niu Hongxia disdainful looks and dispersed.