Su Tingyun returned to the old Su family mansion, exhausted and weighed down by complex emotions.
Seeing Wang Guihua sweeping the ashes from the burned books, he frowned. “Xiao Wang, what’s going on here?”
“Master,” Wang Guihua replied, “Miss moved a lot of books and paintings from your study and told me to burn them. They’re all done. She said it was to get rid of the old things.”
Su Tingyun understood immediately. He put on a pained expression and said, “Burn them, burn them then. Xiao Jin is right—this is a new society now.” He clutched his chest dramatically and walked toward the living room.
He sat on the sofa to rest, pulling out a patriotic award from his embrace, the red stamp still vivid.
He sighed and shook his head…
Su Jin left her room and saw Su Chengshan feeding the chicks and ducklings. She wanted to laugh but held it in, having secretly taken two herself. She wondered what expression Su Chengshan would have when he realized a few were missing.
Turning toward the living room, she saw her grandfather sighing. “Grandpa, why are you sighing? What happened? Did everything go smoothly?”
Su Tingyun handed her the “Patriotic Award.” “I donated all the houses, shops, and factories.
This old mansion has been lent to the government for ten years—after that, we’ll see.
They even gave us three days to organize everything.”
Su Jin looked at the award with a complicated feeling. It was a token of their family’s legacy. “Grandpa, three days is enough for us.
We can pack up some personal belongings, nothing too conspicuous. The rest can stay for them.
By the way, Grandpa, where are we moving after leaving the old mansion?”
“To the west side of the city. There are three houses there; that’s where we’ll move. It’s lively and a good place to live.
This afternoon, you’ll go somewhere with me.”
Su Jin understood. “All right.
Oh, Grandpa, you haven’t forgotten about the small Western-style house where Hong Jianguo and his family live, right?”
“How could I forget? I even told them today they could move their things out. If nothing unexpected happens, many people should already be moving stuff.”
A smirk tugged at Su Jin’s lips—she could imagine Hong Jianguo’s family in utter chaos.
At that moment, a commotion rose from the courtyard. Hong Jianguo’s furious voice cut sharply through the air. “Move aside! A servant really thinks they’re the master! I have urgent business with the master!”
Su Jin and Su Tingyun exchanged glances—he was the first to arrive at the scene.
“Grandpa, he’s definitely here to question you,” Su Jin said.
Before she finished, Hong Jianguo charged like a wild beast, roaring at Su Tingyun. “Su Tingyun, you’re completely senile!
Who told you to donate all the houses, shops, and factories? Some of that was mine!
You didn’t even ask me—how could you donate it! Do you still see me as a son-in-law?!”
Su Tingyun looked at him coldly, his gaze void of warmth, full only of contempt. “Yours?
Hong Jianguo, after all these years of comfortable living, have you forgotten? You’re a live-in son-in-law.
You married into the Su family. Everything you’ve eaten and used has come from us.
The Su family’s wealth was accumulated over generations—what does it have to do with a son-in-law like you?
How we handle our property is none of your business.”
Hong Jianguo was livid. He knew this old man never considered him part of the family and was guarding against him.
But thinking about the things Su Tingyun had donated—those houses, shops, and factories—he felt blood rage to his head.
Those were supposed to be his. He had been waiting for the old man to die, but instead, he quietly donated everything without telling him.
How dare the old man not even say a word! His face flushed as he shouted, “I… I am part of the Su family! I’m Su Jin’s father-in-law! There should be a share for me in the family property! You donated everything—what do you expect us to do?
Starve? Have you thought about us? You won’t live much longer, but we still have a long life ahead! What are we supposed to do?
And what about Su Jin? She’s your granddaughter! You can’t just ignore her!”
Su Jin, listening to this shameless speech, felt nauseated. “Comrade Hong, I won’t bother you with how I feel.
You should worry about yourself first.
If nothing unexpected happens, people with proper authorization should already be moving your stuff.
If you’re fast, maybe you can grab some scraps. If you’re slow… forget it, nothing will be left.”
Su Jin’s words made Hong Jianguo’s eyes widen, almost popping out of their sockets. He realized it—those two wretches had even donated his little Western-style house.
He screamed in agony, “Ah! You want to kill me, you wretches!”
He bolted without another thought, stumbling all the way. That house contained a lot of his secret cash and valuables moved from the Su family. He ran frantically, fearing that even a second’s delay would cost him precious items.
Su Jin watched his disheveled, frantic escape and smirked. “Grandpa, his good days are over.”
“Yes. The higher-ups gave me a hint—it seems action will be taken in the next couple of days.”
At that moment, Su Chengshan handed Su Tingyun a ledger. “Master, everything you instructed has been handled. Here it is.”
“Hm.” Su Tingyun flipped through a few pages and handed the ledger to Su Jin. “These are records of Hong Jianguo embezzling public funds. He has quite a bit of real cash at home!”
Su Jin flipped through some pages, sneering. The time had come—Hong Jianguo would finally be “exposed” in this campaign.
“Grandpa, let’s do it today. The weather’s good.”
Su Tingyun nodded. “All right, I’ll head to the street office and the revolutionary committee…”
Before he could finish, Su Jin interjected quickly. “Grandpa, I’ll go. You rest at home.”
Su Tingyun looked at his granddaughter, confident and ready. “Good, we’ll leave it to Xiao Jin. Grandpa will wait for you to return for dinner.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Jin grabbed the letters left by Su Qingli, the ledger documenting Hong Jianguo’s embezzlement, and the evidence from today—Hong Jianguo’s threats at home, questioning the state, dissatisfaction with government decisions, and attempts to seize state property.
She was sharper now, no longer as impulsive as before—she would present the evidence directly to the authorities.
Her eyes reddened, tears glimmering with grievance, as she entered the street office. “Leaders, you must help me!”
The officials, seeing Su Jin, knew she was a young lady and likely wronged by someone.
But they also knew the Su family had just handed all their property to the state. Perhaps some had remarked that the family had lost influence.
A woman in her forties, seeing Su Jin’s mix of grievance and resolve, felt a pang of sympathy. Having had five sons, she had longed for a gentle daughter. Her voice softened. “Comrade Su, come, tell me—did someone bully you?”