Hearing this, Director Liang’s face instantly turned cold. “This is utterly ridiculous! We’re in a new society now. Who gave you permission to engage in such backward and corrupt practices?”
As she spoke, she turned to look at Lu Changzheng, her expression stern.
“Lu Changzheng, and you call yourself a soldier! Don’t you even understand such a basic principle?!”
“It’s all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding! Director Liang, rest assured, we won’t act recklessly!”
Lu Baishun said this while turning to look at Jian Ning. “You’ve made your scene, you’ve fought—you should be satisfied now! Let’s hurry up and hold the wedding ceremony. I’m begging you, alright?”
Director Liang glanced at the Lu family members, then at Jian Ning. “Jian Ning, since they’ve already recognized their mistake, why don’t you give Changzheng another chance? After all, you two are already legally married. Today, I’ll stand up for you—no one can bully you!”
Hearing Director Liang’s words, Lu Baishun immediately felt relieved.
He put on a paternalistic air and advised, “Jian Ning, just listen to the director. You and Changzheng already have your marriage certificate—we’ve been family all along.”
“Jian Ning, let this matter end here.”
Lu Changzheng stepped forward, standing right in front of Jian Ning, and threatened in a lowered voice, “If you still want to marry into our family, apologize right now. Then I might consider forgiving you!”
“Apologize?”Jian Ning let out a cold laugh, grabbing Lu Changzheng by the collar and also lowering her voice. “In your dreams!”
“You!”
Enraged, Lu Changzheng raised his hand to push her away.
“Ah, it hurts—” Jian Ning took the opportunity to fall to the ground, swiftly slipping her hand into Lu Changzheng’s pocket.
As she fell, she also tossed out what she was holding.
With a soft thud, it landed right at Director Liang’s feet.
Director Liang glared. “Lu Changzheng, how dare you hit your wife!”
“I didn’t—” Lu Changzheng stared blankly at Jian Ning, who was now pitifully on the ground.
He hadn’t used any force at all.
Director Liang reached out to help Jian Ning up, but then heard her exclaim in surprise, “Oh, Director, what’s that?”
Director Liang followed her pointing finger—there lay a small, square red booklet.
Someone couldn’t help but comment, “What is that? It looks like it fell out of Lu Changzheng’s pocket.”
“Gasp, it looks just like a marriage certificate.”
“Lu Changzheng carries his marriage certificate with him? It seems he does have feelings for Jian Ning after all. They can still make this work.”
But both Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun instantly changed expressions.
Lu Changzheng lunged forward to snatch it, but Director Liang picked it up first.
“Director Liang, that’s my marriage certificate with Jian Ning. Please give it to me!”
As he spoke, Lu Changzheng eagerly reached out.
Director Liang nodded casually and was about to hand it over when Jian Ning suddenly spoke up in surprise.
“That’s not right, Director! Our marriage certificates are with me! Both of them!”
With that, Jian Ning directly pulled two marriage certificates from her pocket, unfolded them, and handed them to Director Liang.
They clearly registered her name and Lu Changzheng’s.
“What’s going on here?”
Director Liang frowned, opening the marriage certificate she had just picked up.
When she saw its contents, she froze in shock right where she stood. This… this couldn’t be!
It bore the names of Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun.
The onlookers had crowded around Director Liang, craning their necks to see what was happening. Someone couldn’t hold back an exclamation, “This… this is Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun’s marriage certificate? Aren’t they uncle and sister-in-law? How could they get married?”
“That can’t be right. Didn’t Lu Changzheng just marry Jian Ning three years ago? How could he marry Lin Hongyun too? This is complete chaos!”
“No wonder Jian Ning is making a scene. Anyone would be furious. The Lu family is practically bullying her to death!”
Jian Ning suppressed her inner satisfaction, forcing a pained expression as she tearfully pointed at Lu Changzheng.
“Lu Changzheng, how could you do this to me! All these years, I’ve devoted myself to taking care of your family. To marry you, I even cut ties with my own parents. Don’t you know this is bigamy? It’s against the law!”
The crowd couldn’t help but look at Jian Ning with sympathy while casting disdainful glances at Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun.
Only Director Liang caught the key point in Jian Ning’s words.
Her face darkened as she turned to Lu Changzheng. “Lu Changzheng, do you realize how serious bigamy is? As a soldier, your crime is even more severe!”
“No, Director Liang, I didn’t commit bigamy!” Lu Changzheng weakly defended himself.
Lin Hongyun bit her lip and stepped forward. “Director Liang, this has nothing to do with Changzheng. I did everything!”
“Changzheng and Jian Ning’s marriage certificate is fake. I forced him to do it, and I forced him to marry me. If you want to arrest anyone, arrest me. Don’t touch Changzheng – he knew nothing about this!”
“Hah, Lin Hongyun, do you take us all for fools? Do you think we’re that easy to deceive?”
“Exactly! How could Lu Changzheng not know as the person involved? Clearly, Lu Changzheng wanted to trick Jian Ning into being their family’s workhorse, so he deliberately used a fake certificate to fool her.”
“So Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun have been carrying on together all along. Tsk tsk tsk, brother-in-law and sister-in-law – how scandalous!”
Lu Changzheng glared darkly at the crowd. “Watch your language!”
Someone curled their lip and muttered, “What’s there to be proud of? If you dare do it, you should dare to face the consequences…”
“You!”
“Changzheng, shut up!”
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Lu Baishun immediately stepped in to mediate.
“Ningning, we’ve all seen your dedication over these years. The Lu family only recognizes you as our daughter-in-law! Tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll make them get a divorce.”
“Too late!”
Jian Ning rolled her eyes at him before turning to Director Liang. “Director Liang, things have gone too far now. There’s no way I would ever marry Lu Changzheng again. I just want you to give me justice.”
Director Liang nodded. “The Women’s Federation will definitely ensure you get justice.”
Jian Ning’s cold gaze swept over the family of vampires. “For three years, I worked during the day and took care of this family’s every need after work. Converted to money, asking for five hundred yuan isn’t too much.”
“Plus, I handed over my entire monthly salary of forty yuan every month. That adds up to over a thousand yuan. Altogether, two thousand yuan.”
“Jian Ning, have you gone mad? Why don’t you just rob us!”
Lu Baishun revealed his true ferocious nature. Two thousand yuan – that was enough to buy three of her!
“If you don’t want to give it, that’s fine too. Then I’ll have no choice but to report Lu Changzheng to the military for the crime of hooliganism!” Jian Ning spread her hands, wearing an expression that said “suit yourselves.”
Anyway, no matter what happened, she wouldn’t be at a loss.
“You…” Lu Baishun was so angry his blood pressure skyrocketed, wishing he could strangle Jian Ning right then and there.
Over these past three years, how had he failed to see that this wretched girl was such a vicious and ambitious creature!
“What Jian Ning is asking for isn’t much. If it were anyone else, they’d probably have reported you already!”
“Exactly, Jian Ning is actually being quite considerate by doing this!”
Director Liang spoke in a deep voice, “Do as Jian Ning says. Give her the money, and this matter will be settled! Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to report the bigamy case!”
“Director…” Lu Baishun was unwilling to part with the money.
“Fine, I’ll give it!”
Lu Changzheng suddenly cut off Lu Baishun, gritting his teeth as he glared venomously at Jian Ning. “So it’s just about money, is it? I’ll give it! But Jian Ning, you’d better think carefully—once I give you the money, we’ll truly have no connection left!”
“That’s exactly what I want!” Jian Ning sneered.