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By the time Wen Nuan had gathered everything, the sky was beginning to brighten. The eastern horizon was bathed in a brilliant red, and the sun was about to rise.
She quickened her pace, determined to return to her small room before anyone else in the Wen household woke up.
“Thump… thump…”
For the past few days, this had been the most thrilling thing Wen Nuan had done, but it was just the beginning.
Lying on her rickety little bed, sleepiness overcame her, and soon she drifted off. By the time the daylight had fully brightened, Tan Xiulian leisurely walked out of her room, yawning as she made her way toward the kitchen.
Since the commotion the night before, Tan Xiulian no longer dared to rely on Wen Nuan to get up and cook. Her daughter was too reluctant to do so, so Tan Xiulian had to handle it herself.
As the smoke from the cooking fire began to rise, Wen Nuan was the first to be woken up. Her small room was so close to the kitchen that she could hear every movement clearly.
Moreover, Tan Xiulian didn’t make any special effort to be quiet, so the noise was still quite loud.
Since she couldn’t fall back to sleep, Wen Nuan simply got out of bed. Everything in her room that belonged to her had already been stored in her space.
Aside from a shabby blanket and some miscellaneous items, there was nothing of value. At this point, Wen Nuan had prepared herself to leave at any moment.
Today, there was much to do. After washing up, Wen Nuan left her room and, taking advantage of the fact that Wen Changming had not yet woken up, headed straight for Li Haiyang’s house.
“Uncle Li, wake up! It’s Wen Nuan!”
While brushing his teeth in the yard, Li Haiyang heard the sound and immediately put down his toothbrush, rushing to open the door.
“Come in, come in!”
The front door opened, and Wen Nuan stepped inside.
“Uncle Li, there’s something I want to discuss with you. Is it convenient?”
“Of course, of course!”
Seeing Wen Nuan come over, Li Haiyang looked as though he saw the team leader position waving at him again, his eyes shining brighter than before.
“Let’s go inside and talk,” he suggested.
“Alright!”
Following Li Haiyang into the living room, Wen Nuan didn’t hesitate. She immediately shared what she had overheard the night before — Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian’s private conversation.
With tears in her eyes, she looked deeply aggrieved as she spoke:
“Uncle Li, tell me, what did I do wrong? Why does my father dislike me so much? He’s actually planning to sell me off as a wife to a cripple.
I had already agreed to help Wen Qing by going to the countryside. Even though I was angry at them and that I have already severed ties with them yesterday, they’re still my closest blood relatives! How could they treat me like this?”
Seeing Wen Nuan cry so heartbrokenly, Li Haiyang felt sympathy, but more than that, he was filled with anger.
“Human trafficking is illegal! How could Wen Changming do something like this? This is nothing but a disgrace to our Machine Factory!
Don’t worry, Little Nuan. Tonight, Uncle Li will keep a close watch on your family. As soon as they make a move, I’ll bring people over to rescue you!”
“Uncle Li, should we report this to the police?”
Li Haiyang pondered for a moment before replying:
“We don’t have solid evidence yet. Here’s what we’ll do: tonight, I’ll invite a few friends from the security department over for drinks. I’ll try to keep them there as long as possible, and they can serve as witnesses. We’ll catch them in the act and then take them to the police station. We’ll just have to play it by ear and cooperate with each other.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your plan, Uncle Li. I’ll head back now so we don’t raise any suspicions later.”
“You’re always so thoughtful. Go on, and stay safe!”
“Yes, thank you, Uncle Li. If it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t know what to do!”
“This is what I should do, but I didn’t expect Wen Changming to be so monstrous. Looking at it now, it seems highly suspicious that when Sister Chunmei’s parents from the Qi family passed away, it could have something to do with this.”
“I’ve suspected this as well, but we have no evidence. I just hope that the police will give Grandpa and my mother justice.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to speak to the police. I’ll urge them to investigate thoroughly.”
“Thank you, Uncle Li. I’ll be going to the countryside soon, so if there’s any news, please be sure to inform me.”
“You’re leaving soon? So quickly?”
“Yes, Wen Changming signed me up earlier, so I have to leave soon.”
“Alright, given the circumstances, there’s no point in saying anything else. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on this matter for you.”
“Thank you!”
After leaving Li Haiyang’s house, Wen Nuan had just stepped into the Wen family’s front gate when she ran into Wen Changming, who was about to go out.
“Where are you going so early?”
“Stomach ache, going to the public restroom—do you need to supervise that too? We have no relationship anymore, so please know your place!”
Wen Nuan’s sharp retort made Wen Changming suppress his anger. He said flatly, “I’ve taken your mother’s dowry box back. When are you going to have Qingqing handle the transfer procedures?”
“You give me the things first, and I’ll take Wen Qing to handle the transfer this afternoon.”
“Why not go in the morning? What are you planning to do in the morning?”
“Please, Team Leader Wen, I naturally have to go to the supply and marketing cooperative in the morning. As someone about to go to the countryside, shouldn’t I buy a few things? You know how the supply and marketing cooperative is, if I wait until the afternoon, who knows if I’ll even be able to buy anything!”
Wen Nuan had already thought of this excuse. Once she had the things, even if they found out she had sold the job in the afternoon, they wouldn’t immediately turn on her. After all, Liu the cripple was still coming in the evening!
Wen Changming frowned. Although he wasn’t happy with Wen Nuan’s response, seeing her stubborn expression, he knew there was no point in changing her mind.
“Fine, then. Don’t forget in the afternoon, after lunch, go over and take care of it.”
“Mm.”
She casually responded, then walked toward the room. The breakfast was already laid out on the table, just waiting to be eaten!
Three sets of bowls and chopsticks—obviously, Tan Xiulian hadn’t set aside a portion for her. But if food was there, she wasn’t going to be polite.
She picked up the bowl of porridge and grabbed a steamed bun. By the time Tan Xiulian came out with the pickled vegetables, Wen Nuan had already started eating.
“Hey… Who told you to eat? Didn’t you see that there wasn’t any for you?”
Wen Nuan moved quickly, and by the time she was talking, the bowl of porridge was already empty.
“I’m eating, what are you going to do about it? Don’t forget, I still haven’t handed over my work to Wen Qing! Hmph!”
Throwing down her chopsticks, Wen Nuan walked out with a justified attitude. Before leaving, she purposely rummaged through the drawer, took the padlock, and locked her small compartment.
Tan Xiulian was so angry that Wen Qing’s face turned red from the action.
“Mother, what does Wen Nuan mean by this? Locking the door? Who would steal her things? What does she have worth stealing!”
Wen Qing grumbled, completely forgetting that last night Wen Nuan had gotten that large sum of money from Wen Changming.
Tan Xiulian’s expression darkened as she looked at the padlock on the door. As Wen Nuan walked out of the front gate, she suddenly remembered—she still hadn’t gotten the dowry box!
Just as she was about to turn back, she saw Wen Changming coming out of the public restroom.
“You’re here?”
Wen Changming furrowed his brows and looked at Wen Nuan standing by the roadside, his tone stiff.
“I’m waiting for you. Where is my mother’s dowry box? Hurry up and give it to me!”
“The box is naturally at home. What, should I bring it with me to the restroom? You’re becoming more and more unreasonable!”
Not bothering with Wen Changming’s words, Wen Nuan followed him into the Wen family’s small courtyard.
“Hey, you shameless little wretch, what are you doing back here again!”
Seeing Wen Nuan, Wen Qing couldn’t hold back and cursed. Wen Nuan wasn’t one to let such things slide. If someone dared to insult her, they had to be ready for a lesson.
“Smack!”
Without saying a word, Wen Nuan slapped her across the face.