Breakfast was light.
There was red date millet porridge, steamed red date blossom buns, stir-fried shredded potatoes, cold cucumber salad, and two boiled eggs.
It was quite a spread, and Qiao Zhenzhu finished everything.
Her stomach was full, but her mouth still felt a little lonely, so she took some pastries out of her space. She kept one for herself and handed another to Lu Huai.
Lu Huai accepted it with a smile. “What do you want to do today?”
“Today—”
Before she could finish speaking, Qiao Zhenzhu suddenly looked toward the door.
Someone was coming!
Lu Huai followed her gaze. Sure enough, the next moment, someone knocked on the door.
Lu Huai got up to answer it.
Standing outside was Director Xu, smiling from ear to ear.
The moment Director Xu saw Lu Huai, he froze briefly, but quickly recovered and greeted him warmly.
“You must Comrade Qiao Zhenzhu’s husband. Truly handsome and impressive. No wonder you’ve already become a regiment commander at such a young age.”
Qiao Zhenzhu was twenty-five this year, while Lu Huai was three years older—twenty-eight.
A twenty-eight-year-old regiment commander was indeed exceptionally young.
But Lu Huai had already served in the military for thirteen years.
With his sharp, resolute features and military bearing, his presence alone was intimidating.
When he wasn’t smiling, even Director Xu felt somewhat pressured.
Fortunately, Lu Huai quickly restrained his imposing aura and smiled lightly.
“Hello. I’m Zhenzhu’s husband. Is there something you need?”
“There is, and it’s actually good news. In recognition of Comrade Qiao Zhenzhu’s generous contribution and exemplary political awareness, the higher-ups have decided to award her a commendation. These are the certificate, medal, and honorary documents, along with some prizes.”
The moment Qiao Zhenzhu heard there were rewards involved, she immediately supported her lower back and slowly shuffled over with exaggerated difficulty.
Naturally, the act was entirely for Director Xu to see.
“It’s so hot outside, and yet Director Xu personally made the trip here. We’ve really troubled you!” Qiao Zhenzhu said with a smile.
“Not at all.” Director Xu handed the items to Lu Huai before looking at Qiao Zhenzhu again. “Actually, there’s another matter I came to tell you about.”
Qiao Zhenzhu’s expression immediately turned serious.
“Director Xu, please go ahead. If there’s anything I can help with, I definitely will. Anything I know, I won’t hide.”
“With those words from you, I’m relieved.” Director Xu chuckled. “Though we don’t need your help. I came to inform you that your father, together with the Xie family, was involved in illegally transferring assets. The circumstances are extremely serious, and the verdict has already been issued. He’s been sentenced to twenty years of reform through labor at a farm in the Northwest.”
Wuhu!
That was absolutely wonderful news!
Qiao Zhenzhu was laughing wildly inside, but her face instantly filled with sorrow as she forced herself to appear strong.
“Thank you for informing me, Director Xu. I absolutely obey the organization’s decision! My father did something wrong, so it’s only right that he be punished!”
“It’s good that you think this way. It’s just…”
“Just what?” Qiao Zhenzhu asked.
“Well, you’ve just received official commendation, and yet you’re father and daughter with someone like him. This…”
Director Xu didn’t say it outright, but the meaning was obvious.
How could an award-winning comrade still be related to a labor camp criminal?
They had to sever ties!
Qiao Zhenzhu’s eyes instantly reddened, tears trembling within them.
After a long moment, she finally choked out the words.
“I must sever the father-daughter relationship with someone like him!”
“Good!”
Director Xu praised her loudly.
“It’s best that you have this level of awareness. Are you free right now? Come with me immediately. Better to avoid complications later on, haha…”
Qiao Zhenzhu nodded tearfully.
“Alright. Let’s go now.”
After putting the items back inside, Qiao Zhenzhu and Lu Huai followed Director Xu to meet Wang Anquan.
They hadn’t seen him for only two days, but he already looked like a completely different person.
Previously, Wang Anquan had been a pampered middle-aged man—well-fed, fair-skinned, clearly someone who had never suffered a day in his life.
But now, his hair looked as though it had been hacked apart by a dog, uneven everywhere. His face was bruised blue and purple, and even his eyes were swollen shut.
The moment he opened his mouth, they could see he was missing two front teeth.
He looked absolutely miserable.
Qiao Zhenzhu carefully admired his current state.
Seeing him suffer this badly put her completely at ease.
Her heart even felt warm with satisfaction.
The moment Wang Anquan saw Qiao Zhenzhu, he became agitated.
“Qiao Zhenzhu! Zhenzhu! You took all the things from the house, didn’t you?”
“Hand everything back! Otherwise I’ll have to undergo reform for twenty years!”
“Your father is already fifty this year! If I spend another twenty years in labor reform, I’ll die there!”
“I’m your biological father! Can you really bear to watch me die?”
Hearing this, Qiao Zhenzhu’s eyes reddened even more.
“Dad, even now, you still refuse to hand those things over? Are those possessions really more important than your life?”
“I truly never expected that even at a time like this, you’d still be so stubborn and unrepentant!”
“I originally couldn’t bear to do this, but now you’ve disappointed me too much! I want to sever ties with you!”
Her voice trembled with emotion, and her face was full of grief.
Anyone hearing her would feel heartbroken for her.
Very quickly, Qiao Zhenzhu wrote out the severance agreement.
With Director Xu standing nearby, Wang Anquan had no choice but to sign and press his thumbprint onto it, no matter how unwilling he was.
Director Xu handed the agreement to Qiao Zhenzhu.
“Your father is hopelessly stubborn. Fortunately, you’re a smart one.”
Qiao Zhenzhu accepted the document and silently nodded.
After hesitating briefly, she still asked,
“Director Xu, what happened to my younger sister Wang Sinian and her husband’s family?”
Director Xu sneered.
“They were caught red-handed. They’ll all be eating peanuts.”
Qiao Zhenzhu nearly burst out laughing.
“Eating peanuts” was slang for execution by firing squad.
“However,” Director Xu continued, “the old couple from the Xie family insisted their son knew nothing, and their son also swore he was innocent. In the end, he was sentenced to twenty years of labor reform too—also in the Northwest. Maybe he’ll even be able to look after Wang Anquan there. After all, he is his father-in-law.”
Qiao Zhenzhu almost laughed out loud.
Director Xu’s tongue was vicious indeed.
“What about Sinian? And Aunt Chen…”
Director Xu glanced at Wang Anquan and suddenly smiled.
“Wang Anquan refused to loosen his grip and took all the blame onto himself. Chen Wan is fine, and Wang Sinian is fine too.”
Qiao Zhenzhu let out a sigh of relief and said meaningfully,
“My dad… Wang Anquan really treats them well.”
Wang Anquan abruptly lifted his head.
That’s right!
How had he forgotten Chen Wan and Wang Sinian?!
Why should he suffer twenty years of labor reform while that mother and daughter pair walked away completely unharmed?
Qiao Zhenzhu had never been scheming, and she had only returned to Shanghai two days ago. There was no way she could’ve hidden all those things.
But Chen Wan was crafty, and Wang Sinian took after her.
Maybe it was the two of them who had orchestrated everything—sending him to prison so they could run away with the Qiao family fortune!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
“Director Xu, I have something to say!”