Rebirth of the Fierce, Pampered Wife

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Mr. Mu’s Face

"Okay."

Wen Xiu sighed. She was still worried about her daughter, but she knew that after the divorce, her daughter couldn’t rely on her parents and brothers for everything. There were many things she would have to learn to handle on her own.

They talked as they walked, and before long, they were near the police station.

"Qiangzi, I think you should go in alone to find that contact Mr. Mu told you about. This isn’t exactly a glorious occasion. If all of us swarm in there, we’ll be too conspicuous. We might even cause them trouble." Zhang Dazhuang felt uneasy seeing the police station gate right in front of them. He really didn’t want to set foot inside.

"Okay. There’s a small park a few dozen meters ahead. Why don’t you all wait for me there?" Zhang Wei Qiang saw it wasn’t just his father who was hesitant; even his mother and sister looked timid and reluctant, so he didn’t insist.

Watching his family walk on ahead, Zhang Wei Qiang wheeled his bicycle over to the guard post at the main gate.

"Come in."

Inside the director’s office, a man in his fifties was looking down at a case file. A cup of tea sat beside his hand, steam rising from it and releasing the clean fragrance of jasmine. Hearing a knock, he called out a response and looked up just as Zhang Wei Qiang pushed the door open. A look of confusion crossed his face. "And you are?"

"Hello. Are you Director Lu, Lu Yongfeng?" Zhang Wei Qiang asked politely.

"I am." The man suddenly recalled something and shot to his feet, a flicker of excitement on his face.

"My name is Zhang Wei Qiang."

Zhang Wei Qiang had only just introduced himself and hadn’t yet mentioned Mr. Mu, but the man was already on his feet. Beaming, he came forward and enthusiastically shook Zhang Wei Qiang’s hand.

"So, you’re Zhang Wei Qiang! Hahaha, it’s true what they say, meeting you in person is much better than just hearing your name. You really are... Come, come, have a seat. And none of that ’Director’ stuff. We’re practically family. Just call me Uncle."

"Uncle Lu." Zhang Wei Qiang replied with a smile, going along with it easily.

"Mm, that’s more like it."

Lu Yongfeng beamed and nodded in approval. He ushered Zhang Wei Qiang to the sofa, personally brewed him a cup of tea, and then moved his own cup over, sitting down opposite him with an incredibly friendly air.

"Wei Qiang, you must be here for a reason today, right? Whatever it is, just say it. Don’t be formal with your Uncle. Rest assured, if it’s something I can handle, I absolutely won’t drag my feet.

You might not know this, but Mu Xin Hua—your Uncle Mu—has called to give me specific instructions more than once. He said if you ever came to me for anything and I dared to give you the runaround, I should just wait for him to come over and beat me to a pulp. He and I go way back; we were classmates for years. You’re like a nephew to him, which makes you like a nephew to me."

He wasn’t just being polite—his delight was genuine.

’I never would have imagined he’d seek me out so soon,’ he thought. ’In fact, I was just mulling over how to find an excuse to visit him if he didn’t make the first move.’

’Although the man before me is just an unassuming farmer, he supposedly saved Mr. Mu’s life.’

’I’d heard he could have left this godforsaken little town for a much brighter future in the city.’

’But the man is stubborn. Mr. Mu went to great lengths to arrange things for him, only to be met with a lack of appreciation. He’d rather give up a promising future and willingly hole himself up in this small town as a mere warehouse keeper at the grain depot.’

The director’s eyes narrowed into a happy smile. ’No matter what, if I get a chance to help this man, Mr. Mu will hear about it and be indebted to me... That’s what really matters.’

"Thank you, Uncle Lu. I’m actually here about the case from yesterday—the one where my brother-in-law had acid thrown on him." Since he had come this far and used the connection from Mr. Mu, Zhang Wei Qiang decided not to beat around the bush. He stated his purpose directly, "I’d like to get a more detailed understanding of the situation."

"Gu Lihui is your brother-in-law?" Lu Yongfeng’s expression was priceless, a mixture of shock and sympathy. He knew Zhang Wei Qiang had living parents, two younger brothers, and one younger sister, but his knowledge wasn’t that detailed.

’As soon as the case broke yesterday,’ he recalled, ’the victim’s family identified the suspect. Our officers moved to arrest him immediately but came up empty-handed... Then a call came from on high, pleading his case. Later that evening, the suspect, under close surveillance, was escorted by his family to "turn himself in"...’

’Frankly, the victim in this case was a real piece of trash. He had it coming.’

’The suspect, on the other hand, was actually rather sympathetic. After all, what man could endure something like that? Still, the law is unforgiving. He acted impulsively, and now that he’s broken the law, he can’t escape its harsh punishment.’

’The most pitiful one in all of this was the victim’s wife. I heard he almost dragged her in front of him as a human shield. To think that she happens to be...’

Seeing the sympathy on Lu Yongfeng’s face, Zhang Wei Qiang gave a wry, helpless smile. "It was my little sister who was unfortunate in her marriage. She only found out the truth yesterday, and she immediately took her child and returned to our parents’ home. Just a little while ago, I accompanied her to her workplace to ask for a leave of absence. We ran into the Gu Family, and they tried to turn things around, falsely accusing her of having an affair with the man who threw the acid..."

He knew the old saying about not airing one’s dirty laundry in public really depended on the time, place, and person.

He knew it was crucial to clearly state his family’s position now, so he spoke without mincing words. "If I hadn’t been with my sister at that moment, she would have been at a huge disadvantage. After something like this, and with such unreasonable in-laws, there’s nothing worth staying for. That’s why my parents and I all support my sister in getting a divorce."

"They did that? That Gu family... they’re truly shameless and have no respect for the law!"

Hearing this, Lu Yongfeng’s face filled with indignation. He slammed his hand on the coffee table, causing the two teacups to rattle and splash out a bit of tea. He said angrily, "To be honest, if that adulterous pair, Gu Lihui and that woman, had been caught a couple of years earlier during the Strike Hard Campaign, they could have been executed for hooliganism.

The Campaign may be over, but for this kind of behavior that openly flouts national laws and social morals, locking them up for a few years of re-education would be getting off light."

As he spoke, he stood, walked to the door, and hailed a passing police officer. "You, go get Zeng Liming and tell him to come see me right away."

He returned to Zhang Wei Qiang and explained, "Zeng Liming is the one in charge of this case. He’s a veteran officer with a wealth of experience. Perfect. I’ll have him come over now, and we can ask about the current progress of the interrogation. For instance, how did Lin Dong suddenly discover those two kids weren’t his?"

...

At the entrance to the small park, Zhang Minzhen tried to coax a restless Zhang Dazhuang, "Dad, it’s spacious enough here. You don’t have to keep standing there and staring."

"Exactly," Wen Xiu added. "Aren’t your legs tired after that long walk? Stop getting up and staring over there. The smart thing to do is rest while you can. It’s not like Qiangzi can find the person and come back so quickly."

Wen Xiu sat on a stone bench in the park, patting the empty space beside her for him to sit.