“I know you won’t admit it, but that’s fine. The wrongs you’ve done to me go far beyond just this. I don’t mind laying them all out for everyone to judge, just letting everyone see just how malicious you truly are, Ding Lan.”
Ding Lan felt a surge of panic.
How could this be happening?
Wasn’t Wen Nianxin always the most obedient to her before?
“Nian Xin, these are all misunderstandings. Mom truly never did those things.”
“If you’re upset with me because I didn’t reply to your letters, let’s go home and talk it out, alright?”
“I apologize, I’m sorry. Can we please go home?”
“Go home? What home?”
“When you secretly signed me up for the rural assignment behind my back, weren’t you already plotting to drive me out?”
“You agreed to go to the countryside yourself!”
“Yes, I agreed!”
“Only because you promised to send me money and supplies every month!”
As she spoke these words, Wen Nianxin kept her eyes fixed on Ding Lan’s reaction. Seeing the panic on her face, she knew her gamble had paid off.
“You claimed you never received my letters, so you didn’t reply.”
“But when you registered me for the rural assignment, you went to the Zhiqing office yourself, Ding Lan. How could you not know my address?”
“Since you knew the address, did you ever write me a single letter? Send me a single cent?”
“You didn’t! Because you never intended for me to return!”
“Not only did you never plan for my return, you also secretly transferred my job to your own son, Zheng Ming!”
“Because you knew that without doing this, it would have been Zheng Ming going to the countryside, not me!”
“Oh my, listening to the Zheng family’s eldest daughter, it does seem to make sense.”
“Don’t listen to her nonsense! She’s making it all up!”
“Why are you so anxious? I haven’t finished yet!”
“That job Zheng Ming has was left to me by my birth mother. You signed an agreement, black and white, clearly stating that the job would be returned to me when I turned eighteen, so I could work in the factory.”
“Now that you’ve secretly let Zheng Ming take over my job, if you expect me to just accept it, I can’t get over this injustice.”
“All these years, I’ll consider it as him renting my job. For the sake of our past as family, I won’t cheat you. I’ll charge you fifteen yuan per month in rent. For fifty-nine months, that comes to a total of eight hundred eighty-five yuan.”
“Don’t even think about it!”
“I’m not asking for your opinion; I’m unilaterally notifying you to repay the money!”
“I won’t force you to give me the money today. You have three days. If you don’t come up with the money in three days, I’ll sue you for illegal occupation of another’s job. Then don’t blame me for not only making you vomit up all fifty-nine months’ wages but also compensating me for my losses from going to the countryside!”
“As for whether I’ll do it, whether I dare to do it, you’re welcome to test me!”
After finishing, Wen Nianxin didn’t bother to look at the anger on Ding Lan’s face or listen to the murmurs of the onlookers. She turned and entered the Zhang family’s house.
“This Zheng family’s eldest daughter seems like a completely different person now.”
“The way she speaks and acts is nothing like before.”
“Probably had an awakening. She only mentioned some typical incidents; Ding Lan must have done other shady things behind her back.”
“True. I actually used to praise Ding Lan for being such a good stepmother—turns out it was all an act.”
“I never thought she treated this eldest daughter well in the first place.”
“If they truly cared for her, would they let her run wild all over the Family Compound? Allow her to quarrel with people every single day?
I also heard that this girl didn’t do well in school, and Ding Lan even told her it was no big deal.”
“Tsk tsk~~”
“Isn’t this just a roundabout way of making the child incapable of anything?”
“Exactly, this is even more terrifying than those who beat or scold their children.”
“Let’s go, let’s go, no point watching. Who knows, they might turn around and demand compensation from us later.”
The source of the drama had left, and with no more excitement to witness, the onlookers gradually dispersed from the scene.
Though the people were gone, the gossip slowly began to spread unchecked throughout the entire Family Compound.
This was exactly the effect Wen Nianxin had intended.
Getting the money was one thing, but more importantly, she had to make everyone see Ding Lan’s true colors. She had to make sure the Zheng family faced social ruin in this compound!
……
“Nian Xin, why did you suddenly ask Ding Lan for money again?”
When Zhang Wei mentioned this to her in the morning, Wen Nianxin hadn’t yet formed this idea.
“Why shouldn’t I ask!
I think Nian Xin’s approach is absolutely right. If you ask me, fifteen yuan a month is too little!
Given how underhanded the Zheng family has been in private, they should pay back every bit of what’s rightfully owed!”
Yu Yaqin now firmly stood on Wen Nianxin’s side.
She had been deceived by Ding Lan before, truly believing that she treated Nian Xin well. Little did she know that beneath that kindness lay such malicious intentions.
Without laying a hand on her or raising her voice, she had deliberately fattened the child and led her astray—something Yu Yaqin would never have imagined.
If Xiao Man knew that her only child was treated this way after her death, her heart would surely break.
“I originally wanted to ask for more, but if I did, Uncle Zhang might be accused of abusing his authority to help me profit. You know what kind of people they are.”
“Nian Xin is right. Even if you asked for more, they wouldn’t be able to pay.
Don’t worry, the factory can back you up in this matter. After all, they signed the agreement.
If Zheng Taiping and Ding Lan don’t pay up, I’ll deduct it directly from Zheng Taiping’s future wages. You’ll get every cent you’re owed.”
“Thank you, Uncle Zhang. Without your help, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“I accept your thanks. Your Aunt Yu and I were good friends with your mother. We only hope that from now on, you’ll stop making foolish choices, live your life well, and stay out of the Zheng family’s mess.
Now that you know you’re not their biological child, don’t entangle yourself with them over money or possessions. With people like them, you won’t gain anything. Don’t hurt yourself just to spite them—it’s not worth it.”
“I understand, Uncle Zhang. Once I leave this time, I won’t have any contact with the Zheng family in the future.
But Zheng Taiping didn’t show up today. I suspect once he finds out, he won’t let me off so easily.”
In the past, although Ding Lan never hit or scolded her, she often stirred up trouble behind the scenes, inciting her own children to pin the blame on the original host.
As a stepmother, she couldn’t lay a hand on the original host, but Zheng Taiping, the so-called “biological father,” didn’t hold back—his fists and slaps landed squarely on her.
They usually dealt with the original host behind closed doors. Coupled with the neighbors’ dislike for the troublemaking, loud-mouthed girl, few knew that Zheng Taiping used to beat her regularly.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the Guest House now to pack your belongings. You’ll be staying at our house for the next few days.
Your Uncle Zhang is, after all, a factory director and Zheng Taiping’s superior. He wouldn’t dare act recklessly in front of your Uncle Zhang.”
After careful consideration, Wen Nianxin followed Yu Yaqin to check out of the Guest House.
“Uncle Ma, these are apples I bought for you. You weren’t here yesterday afternoon, so I forgot to give them to you.”
“Child, I appreciate your kindness, but you should keep the apples for yourself.”
“Uncle Ma, you once said I was like your niece.
How can you refuse a few apples from your niece?”
Seeing her insistence, Old Ma stopped declining and accepted the apples with a smile.
“By the way, Uncle Ma, a male comrade might come looking for me on Tuesday morning. If he shows up, could you please tell him I’m at Director Zhang’s house?”
“Alright, don’t worry. I’ll be on duty that Tuesday and will pass along the message for you.”