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“Changming! There are so many people watching—don’t blow this out of proportion!”
At this critical moment, Tan Xiulian’s shrewdness surfaced.
Sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control, she quickly grabbed Wen Changming’s arm, whispering urgently to remind him.
Following Tan Xiulian’s gaze, Wen Changming naturally noticed the growing crowd gathering at the courtyard gate. He couldn’t help but frown, his face filled with irritation.
“What are you all standing around for? Haven’t you ever seen someone disciplining their child before? Get moving—disperse, all of you!”
Wen Changming mustered his bravado and shouted with false confidence.
“Team Leader Wen, you can’t say it like that. It’s not that we’ve never seen someone discipline their child, but the things Wen Nuan just said—this isn’t as simple as educating a kid!”
Li Haiyang, Wen Changming’s archrival, couldn’t resist the opportunity to chime in. Back in the day, the two had vied for the position of team leader, with Wen securing the spot by a single vote.
Even though years had passed, Li Haiyang still held a grudge. Living in the same alley for all these years, their families had often clashed, though mostly over trivial matters.
Today, however, Li Haiyang had finally found a chance to catch Wen Changming in a serious bind. There was no way he’d let this golden opportunity slip away so easily.
The crowd began to murmur in agreement, with many insisting that Wen Changming explain himself clearly.
Li Haiyang’s gaze darted back and forth between Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian.
An affair during the marriage, bringing in a mistress who caused the original wife’s death, and abusing his biological daughter.
If even one of these accusations were proven true, it would completely ruin Wen Changming’s reputation, leaving him with no hope of recovery.
Seeing Li Haiyang’s malicious expression, Wen Changming’s face darkened further.
However, given the current situation, he had no choice but to swallow his anger and speak with forced calm:
“A child doesn’t understand the gravity of things and was simply exchanging harsh words with her younger sister in a moment of anger. It’s not worth blowing this out of proportion,” Wen Changming said, trying to smooth things over.
“Comrade Li, why don’t you head home for lunch? And everyone else, please disperse—there’s nothing to see here! The child was just speaking thoughtlessly out of frustration. Chunmei passed away due to heart disease, as confirmed by the hospital’s official diagnosis.”
As Wen Changming spoke, he moved to shut the gate, but Wen Nuan quickly stepped forward and blocked his way.
Outnumbered and in a disadvantageous position, Wen Nuan knew she needed an ally. At this moment, Li Haiyang was her best choice—after all, the enemy of her enemy is her friend.
“You ungrateful girl, what are you doing!” Wen Changming bellowed, his voice laced with fury.
Wen Nuan paid no attention to Wen Changming’s furious scolding and replied confidently, “Father, I just want to have a word with Uncle Li. Why are you so nervous?”
“What’s there to talk about? Does he even know who you are?” Wen Changming snapped, clearly uneasy and eager to prevent any interaction between them.
But his efforts were a step too late.
Li Haiyang, of course, wouldn’t miss such a golden opportunity. If he could bring down Wen Changming, the position of team leader might very well be his next.
Hearing this, Li Haiyang’s eyes gleamed as if he had discovered a treasure while looking at Wen Nuan.
“Team Leader Wen, how can you say such a thing? Sister Chunmei did so much for me when she was alive. Little Nuan is her daughter! If I don’t recognize anyone else, I certainly recognize her.
Little Nuan, Uncle Li is right here. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to tell me. If I can help, I absolutely won’t refuse!”
Qi Chunmei had been kind, gentle, and approachable in her life, building good relationships with the neighbors. Li Haiyang’s words weren’t just pleasantries; they carried a genuine acknowledgment of her character.
But to Wen Changming, Li Haiyang’s words had an entirely different implication.
Given the long-standing tension between them, hearing Li Haiyang bring up Qi Chunmei only made Wen Changming’s expression darker, the atmosphere around him growing more oppressive by the second.
Sensing the situation heading in a bad direction, Tan Xiulian quickly stepped in to mediate. Putting on a facade of gentle warmth mixed with guilt, she said, “Nuan Nuan, it’s all because Qingqing was too willful. It was her fault for upsetting you. Auntie apologizes on her behalf.”
“I promise, Auntie will make sure to compensate you properly and never let you suffer any grievances again. Let’s go inside and discuss this calmly, alright?”
Wen Nuan could instantly see through Tan Xiulian’s ploy. She simply wanted to coax her back inside and then find a way to deal with her in private.
Unfortunately for her, Wen Nuan was no longer the same naive girl she once was. Instead of resisting, she decided to turn this into an opportunity—to collect some interest first. After all, slow and steady payback was far more satisfying.
“Oh? Compensate me? How exactly do you plan to compensate me? Are you going to return my mom’s bankbook to me? I distinctly remember that it had over 1,000 yuan in it when you took it!”
Wen Nuan intentionally brought up the bankbook, fully aware that Tan Xiulian had already siphoned off the money. She mentioned it deliberately to put her on the spot.
Wen Nuan’s intentions went beyond simply asking for money; she aimed to sow discord between Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian.
“Nuan Nuan… this… You’re still young. Having that much money in your possession could be dangerous, I…”
“I’m already eighteen, an adult by any measure, capable of managing my own belongings,” Wen Nuan interrupted, her tone resolute. “Besides, that money was my mother’s dowry saved for me. Naturally, I should be the one to keep it, shouldn’t I?”
Her attitude was unyielding, leaving no room for Tan Xiulian to refuse.
“Yes… yes, you’re right… but…” Tan Xiulian stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.
“There’s no ‘but.’ I want to see the passbook now. Otherwise, I don’t mind having a good chat at the front gate about our family matters! Let everyone know how this legitimate daughter of the first wife lives in the Wen household!”
Tan Xiulian’s face turned pale, sensing that the situation was about to spiral further out of control. She looked pleadingly at Wen Changming, hoping he could step in and smooth things over.
But Wen Changming was also barely holding back his anger, restraining himself only because of Li Haiyang and the gathered neighbors.
“Father, what do you think? Shouldn’t the things my mother left for me be under my own care? Or do you want me to pay a visit to the Revolutionary Committee?” Wen Nuan’s voice was firm, her gaze unwavering.
“If I accidentally let slip some secrets that shouldn’t be said, that wouldn’t end well, would it?”
Though the Revolutionary Committee wasn’t as rampant as it had been in recent years, if they got hold of some incriminating evidence, they could still return to ransack and seize property.
And if it came from a report by his own daughter, Wen Changming knew that even if he survived, he’d be left in shambles!
Wen Changming never imagined that one day he’d be threatened by his own daughter. His heart burned with fury, and after a long moment of gritting his teeth, he finally spat out:
“You’ve really grown some wings, haven’t you? Now you’re even using the Revolutionary Committee to threaten me. Fine, you’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that!”
Wen Changming, after speaking, turned to Tan Xiulian and ordered:
“Since Wen Nuan wants the passbook, just give it back to her. It’s just a passbook, nothing more!”
Wen Changming made it sound simple, but Tan Xiulian was wracked with guilt!
The empty passbook, aside from exposing everything she had done, was completely useless now.
Seeing Tan Xiulian standing frozen in place, Wen Changming’s irritation grew even stronger.
“Go! What are you standing there for!”
Wen Changming’s shout startled Tan Xiulian into an instinctive shiver.
Without daring to hesitate further, she hurried back into the house and returned with a passbook in hand.
At this point, Tan Xiulian could only hope that this wretched girl, Wen Nuan, wouldn’t bother to check the passbook, allowing her to muddle through without consequence. Otherwise, she would be in serious trouble!
Unfortunately for Tan Xiulian, her wish was destined to go unfulfilled.
Wen Nuan knew exactly what Tan Xiulian was up to. In her previous life, she had stumbled upon Tan Xiulian secretly funneling money to her brother, Tan Yuming, more than once. Back then, however, Wen Nuan had been too timid and weak to speak up!
But now, she wouldn’t hold back. What she once endured in silence would now be wielded as a sharp weapon.
Wen Nuan was determined to tear away Tan Xiulian’s facade and let her fully experience Wen Changming’s “affection.” She would make Wen Changming see what kind of person he had been trusting by his side all along.
“Here, take it. The passbook is yours. Let’s go inside, shall we?”
Feigning composure, Tan Xiulian handed the passbook to Wen Nuan and tried to coax her.
“Heh, I haven’t even checked it yet. Who knows what tricks you’ve pulled!” Wen Nuan retorted with a cold smile.
“You…”
Tan Xiulian hadn’t expected Wen Nuan to be so unyielding, and for a moment, panic flashed across her face.
“Changming…” she murmured, seeking help.
“It’s just a passbook. What’s the big deal? Let’s go inside and talk this out properly,” Wen Changming said, picking up on Tan Xiulian’s pleading gaze. Though slightly puzzled, he still chose to follow her lead.
Wen Nuan, of course, understood their intentions perfectly well—they wanted to drag her inside to deal with her in private. After a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded, agreeing to enter.
When a cat catches a mouse, doesn’t it play with it a little before finishing it off? Besides, she still had other demands to bring up.
“Uncle Li, I’ll have a proper talk with my father first. I’ll come find you at your house before work resumes this afternoon,” Wen Nuan said with a subtle hint in her tone.
Catching on to her implication, Li Haiyang gave a faint smile and replied generously, “Alright, I’ll head back for now. The door to my house is always open for you. If something urgent comes up, just shout from the courtyard—I’ll hear you.”
“I understand. Thank you, Uncle Li!” Wen Nuan responded politely.
“No need to thank me. I’ll head off now!” Li Haiyang said, taking his leave.
As Li Haiyang left, the other onlookers gradually dispersed as well. Wen Changming shut the door and immediately dropped his facade, his expression turning stern.
“Wen Nuan, you’ve really grown bold now, haven’t you? You dare threaten your father and even demand the passbook!”
“Well, at the very least, I spared you some dignity,” Wen Nuan retorted with a calm smile. “Look at your beloved partner handing me an empty passbook—did I make a fuss about it?”
She opened the passbook and handed it over to Wen Changming.
“An empty passbook? Impossible!” he blurted, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Wen Changming took the passbook and examined it closely. Sure enough, it clearly showed that the original balance of 1,200 yuan had been withdrawn in increments over the past few years until nothing remained.
“Xiulian, where did the money go? Why did you withdraw it? Didn’t I tell you that money was not to be touched?”
“Changming… I… I…”
Tan Xiulian’s eyes welled up with tears, and she put on an expression of deep grievance, hoping to soften Wen Changming’s stance.
But at this moment, all of Wen Changming’s focus was on the passbook. There was no room in his mind for pity or sympathy.
“What I’m asking is—where did the money go? Speak up!”
“Changming… you know how tough things are for my family. My younger brother needed money to get married, so I…”
“You gave all that money to your family?”
Wen Changming stared at Tan Xiulian in disbelief. He had always seen her as obedient and gentle, the perfect wife. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that behind her meek exterior, she was secretly funneling money to her family like a classic enabler of her brother’s expenses.