Nie Bozhao glanced at the Song couple sitting in the corner and asked directly, “Where is my wife?”

Section Chief Feng replied, “We found a fruit knife on her, and after investigation, it was determined that Xue Xiaoyue’s clothes were slashed by her. She admitted to it, and now both she and Wang Hongbing are detained.”

“And my sons?”

“We’ve arranged for them. Engineer Nie, why not persuade Manager Chen to concede? We can symbolically detain her for a few days and fine her to compensate the Song couple. Would that work for you?” Section Chief Feng suggested.

Nie Bozhao could afford the fine, of course, but what he cared about most was Chen Lina’s opinion on the matter.

Female detainees had their own holding cells, kept separate.

When Nie Bozhao arrived, he was in a hurry, imagining that the fearless Chen Lina might finally be scared this time.

Temporary detention cells had iron bars.

Section Chief Feng personally led Nie to her.

At first glance, Nie saw her handcuffed to the frame of an iron bed, unable to sit properly.

Seeing this, Nie Bozhao immediately said, “Open the door. Hurry up and open it. Tell me the fine amount—I’ll pay it now. Let her go immediately.”

“The fine is 500 yuan, standard procedure. But we also need to mediate with the other party and get their agreement,” Section Chief Feng said.

The moment the door opened, Chen Lina adjusted her hair, placed one hand on her hip, and despite being handcuffed, exuded her usual poised and elegant demeanor.

She was still the Chen Manager beloved by the educated youth and villagers alike.

“Manager Chen, I’m sorry for the trouble. If you could apologize to Engineer Song, admit fault, and pay a 500-yuan fine with some additional compensation, you can leave soon,” said Section Chief Feng.

“No, I won’t apologize, and I won’t admit fault. I demand judicial fairness,” Chen Lina declared firmly.

“I have three sons, and at least in my household, I must teach them that the law is just.”

Section Chief Feng looked at Nie Bozhao. “Old Nie, your Awaer Guli (heroine) is as strong-willed as ever. You try talking to her.”

“I also won’t agree to a fine or an apology. I insist that both parties meet for a public mediation. I trust my wife’s integrity,” Nie Bozhao said decisively.

If Chen Lina refused to bow her head, it meant she believed she wasn’t wrong.

And if she wasn’t wrong, why compromise?

After Section Chief Feng left, Nie reached out and picked up his wife.

“Stop it! Are you trying to reenact Casablanca?” joked Chen Lina.

Having been left hanging with her arm cuffed for hours, her wrist was swollen, and her arm would probably stay that way for some time unless Nie held her to let her catch her breath.

“Are you really going to pursue legal justice?” Nie Bozhao asked. “They found a weapon on you, and Director Guan’s statement claims you slashed someone’s clothes. Lina, this could be tough.”

“Not only will I pursue it, but I’ll make sure that bastard Song Jin ends up in prison. This is non-negotiable. By the way, how much did that plum blossom watch cost?” she asked.

“Uh, one hundred and twenty yuan.”

“Bull! That watch was one hundred and eighty yuan, and you didn’t even buy it—you scammed it off Minister Gao, didn’t you?” Chen Lina accused, pointing at him.

Nie Bozhao’s face turned red.

“Return it to him tomorrow. My salary went up by ten yuan this month; I’ll buy you a Zhongshan watch. And don’t you dare act like a bandit again, stealing watches off another man’s wrist—it’s disgusting.”

Old Comrade Nie had learned to self-soothe.

Being called a “stinking man” somehow felt oddly comforting.

Nie Bozhao propped his foot on the bed and served as a makeshift chair for Manager Chen, who had been cuffed for five hours straight.

People who haven’t experienced detention don’t know the discomfort of being cuffed to a bed frame.

Sitting down pulls painfully on your arms; standing up leaves you aching in the back and legs.

It’s pure torture.

“Well, I can now say I’m a woman who’s been in the slammer,” Chen Lina remarked.

“Yeah, and having a criminal record could affect Weimin’s schooling in the future,” Nie Bozhao replied.

Chen Lina burst into laughter. “You’re always thinking about your sons. By the way, has there been an oil or water leak at Oil Well No. 3 recently?”

“Not this year, but there was a flooding incident last year during the New Year. I rushed over to handle it and didn’t get back until the eighth,” Nie Bozhao said.

Good. Chen Lina now had a plan.

“Hey, Comrade Chen, can you stand up for a moment?” Nie Bozhao asked, looking a bit restless.

“Nope. I’m quite comfortable sitting here. I need to recharge. When I’m out there, I’m going to rip that bastard to shreds.”

“Could you at least stop wiggling? Don’t test the resolve of an international communist revolutionary. We only had sex three days ago, and I can’t start thinking about it now.”

Alright.

Comrade Nie was bracing himself for the next month-long trial of endurance.

Before long, Section Chief Feng announced that preparations were complete, and the public mediation would be held at the security team’s office.

Fine, thought Chen Lina.

If they don’t want a way out, I’ll take this chance to rid the public of a menace and send him to prison.

…..

“Brother, will they release Mom?” San Dan sat in Chen Lili’s lap, crying nonstop.

The security team had brought Nie’s three sons some steamed egg cakes.

The golden cakes, heavily sweetened with saccharin, had a strong sugary aroma. Such a treat cost two yuan per pack—quite a luxury.

The three little ones had only tasted something similar when visiting District Chief Gao’s house.

Gao Xiaobing had shared one with them, and Er Dan was so enchanted by the flavor that he couldn’t sleep well for days.

But today’s egg cakes tasted bitter.

They had no flavor at all.

Nie Weimin, though small, was determined.

Clenching his tiny fists, he declared, “If the security team really detains Mom, I’ll go to the People’s Court and sue them.”

“The People’s Court only tries criminals right now. If it goes to court, your mom’s records might not hold up to scrutiny,” Chen Lili said gloomily.

Liu Xiaohong, standing quietly in a corner, knew this was all because of her.

She kept her head down and didn’t utter a word.

Chen Lili, still getting used to fostering her new little girl, wasn’t sure how to bond with her.

She asked, “Xiaohong, if your aunt is detained, what will you do?”

Liu Xiaohong raised her head, biting her lip as she smiled bitterly. “Mom, I want to study and go to college. After I graduate, I want to become a judge. I’ll judge all the bad people.”

At first, Chen Lili had fostered the girl out of pity, thinking it would be nice to have a child to match her sister’s.

It was, admittedly, a mix of vanity and comparison.

But hearing her ambition, true or not, filled Chen Lili with comfort. “Don’t worry. As long as your dad and I aren’t starving, we’ll make sure you go to college.”

This made San Dan cry even harder.

Soon, in Captain Feng’s office at the security station, the case was about to undergo public mediation.

This mediation had been requested by Chen Lina herself, who specifically asked that her children be present to witness the process.

“Alright, once we go in, no crying,” Nie Weimin instructed his younger siblings.

It went without saying that the character of Song’s wife was tragic.

At first, she had some semblance of resistance, but now she seemed brainwashed by Song Jin, parroting his accusations with conviction.

“Director Chen’s punches are so strong. She held a knife to my throat and kept hitting me—one punch after another—until I couldn’t breathe. Wang Hongbing, meanwhile, held down my husband and kept beating him. Comrades, at that moment, I only felt pain, excruciating pain, like I was dying,” Song’s wife lamented.

Nie Weimin clenched his tiny fists. “We all know she’s lying. Those injuries were already there, and my mom only cut her clothes to save her.”

Song’s wife glanced at the children but said nothing, retreating to a corner.

Song Jin, on the other hand, wore a smug expression. “Young comrade, don’t develop the bad habit of lying at such a young age. Everyone knows my wife and I are the most loving couple in Base 3. We hold hands on walks every day, and I give her flowers on every holiday.”

Nie Weimin’s little fists trembled with anger.

“The love between Engineer Song and Accountant Xue is indeed well-known among the people at Oil Well No. 3,” added a security team member, whose brother worked there.

Song Jin grew even more self-satisfied, casting a cold, triumphant glance at Chen Lina.

He mouthed something obscene, words only she could lip-read: “I’ll rape you and make you beg for it!”

Life is hard enough without letting scum like him provoke you, Chen Lina thought to herself, silently reciting a calming mantra she’d learned from park-going grandmas in her past life: “Do not get angry.”

“Excuse me, let me through, comrades.” Enter Nie Bozhao, along with the head of the clinic, Dr. Ah, who was pushing through the crowd of onlookers.

Dr. Ah brought along two female doctors.

“Comrade Xue Xiaoyue, you keep accusing people of assault, but we can’t just take your word for it.

Even though most public security departments are now involved in manual labor, our clinic doctors can still conduct injury assessments.

We’ll analyze your injuries systematically—soft tissue damage, bruising patterns, swelling severity. Only then can we determine the cause,” Nie Bozhao explained, stepping directly in front of Song’s wife.

“No, I don’t want that! You can’t do this to me!” Xue Xiaoyue panicked.

Nie Weimin nearly jumped with excitement.

At that moment, he saw his father as a hero.

The examination took half an hour.

While waiting, Song Jin grew visibly uneasy and restless.

He muttered repeatedly, “Even if there were some minor disputes or accidents at home, the security team wouldn’t punish me just for that.”

Chen Lina only smirked coldly, refusing to answer.

“The most recent injury on her body happened last night, Song Jin,” the doctors concluded. “And just now, Xue Xiaoyue told us that you were the one who hit her.”

Song’s wife, now little more than a mess of nerves, resembled a pile of mud, willing to obey anyone stronger than her.

“Song Jin, don’t hit your wife again in the future. And don’t try to blame others for it. That’s low,” Captain Feng admonished. “Alright, Director Chen has been cleared. We’re letting her go.”

Other members of the security team chimed in, “Engineer Song, don’t resort to violence again. Your wife has it tough enough. If this goes to the public security bureau, you’ll be detained for three days.”