Chapter 4

The next morning, after waking up, Deng Zhi Lan realized that Wei Yanzhen still hadn’t returned. When she went downstairs, she found only Qin Ping and Wei Jinyue at home.

“Xiao Lan, you’re up?” Qin Ping said. “There’s breakfast on the table. You eat first. Jinyue and I need to pack some things.”

Deng Zhi Lan glanced over to see mother and daughter packing up their belongings, piled in the living room. It was obvious that Qin Ping had also learned about the upcoming “downplacement” (reassignment).

She withdrew her gaze and walked to the dining room. On the table were steamed soup dumplings, a bowl of porridge, and a plate of shredded chicken salad.

Even in such a critical moment, the Wei family hadn’t forgotten to prepare breakfast for her. Deng Zhi Lan felt warmth in her heart and made up her mind: this time, when the Wei family was sent down, she would go with them.

After finishing breakfast, Qin Ping arrived at the dining room. Her face looked heavy, eyes red-rimmed. She took Deng Zhi Lan’s hand, handing her a jewelry box and a bankbook.

“Xiao Lan, I have something important to tell you.”

“The Wei family is about to be sent down. You’re pregnant now, and if you go with us to the countryside, it will be really hard on you.”

“These things are what I’ve saved up for most of my life. Now I’m giving them to you. Take the money and the bankbook to Hong Kong—don’t come back to Guangdong Province again.”

As Qin Ping spoke, tears streamed down her face.

She had just learned she was going to have a grandson, but that morning, her husband and son broke the devastating news. The two men were still out trying to negotiate to stop the downplacement, but Qin Ping knew chances were slim.

She had to prepare for the worst. Even if the family was sent down, she couldn’t let her pregnant daughter-in-law suffer with them.

Besides, once the Wei family was sent down, all their property would be confiscated. Qin Ping didn’t want half a lifetime of hard work to fall into someone else’s hands.

“Mom, I’m not going,” Deng Zhi Lan said firmly.

“You want me to go to Hong Kong alone? I don’t know anyone there, and I’m carrying a big belly. Can you really be okay with that?”

“Mom, I want to go with you all to the countryside.”

Tears fully spilled from Qin Ping’s eyes. This daughter she had taken in years ago had long been like her own. She never expected her to be so kindhearted.

In this crisis, she didn’t abandon the Wei family or take advantage of their misfortune; instead, she wanted to suffer through it together.

“Mom, if she wants to come, then let her. My brother is here anyway. With how much he likes her, he’ll definitely take good care of her,” Wei Jinyue said.

She had also learned the family’s situation and, seeing her mother and sister-in-law so emotional, felt uncomfortable. Though she’d never been fond of this sister-in-law—who always fought with her for things and gave her brother disdainful looks—at critical moments, she hadn’t run away.

So, Wei Jinyue still accepted her as a sister-in-law.

“Mom, haven’t you heard the saying, ‘A child carrying gold in the busy city finds everyone a devil?’ She’s pregnant, why would she go to Hong Kong?” Qin Ping quickly came to her senses. Her youngest daughter’s words made sense.

“That’s right, Jinyue is right!”

“Xiao Lan, we’re going down together. Don’t worry. The whole family will take good care of you!”

Deng Zhi Lan nodded heavily.

She wanted to return the jewelry box and bankbook to Qin Ping, but Qin Ping refused.

“These things were always meant for you. You should keep them. After we go down, your father and I won’t need money anymore.”

Deng Zhi Lan didn’t argue further.

She remembered that soon after the downplacement news was confirmed, officials from the Red Committee came to confiscate property—probably the next day.

Back in her room upstairs, Deng Zhi Lan used her mind power to place the jewelry box and the bankbook with the money into her secret space.

At this moment, she held all the Wei family’s assets in her hands—three thousand yuan from Wei Yanzhen, eight thousand yuan in the bankbook from Qin Ping, plus various jewels and certificates. She was now, essentially, the lifeline of the Wei family.

That night, Wei Xiaotian and Wei Yanzhen finally returned. Both looked exhausted, clearly the downplacement was inevitable.

Deng Zhi Lan stood upstairs and saw Qin Ping and Wei Jinyue crying in each other’s arms.

Her gaze accidentally met Wei Yanzhen’s eyes. The man’s expression was filled with despair.

Seeing her, Wei Yanzhen strode upstairs and came before her.

Though they hadn’t seen each other for just one night, he realized how much he missed her—wanting to reach out and hold her but afraid of offending her—so he stayed about a meter away.

His throat felt choked with an invisible cotton wad. His voice was hoarse and rough:

“Mom said you’re not going, that you want to be sent down with our family—is that true?”

Deng Zhi Lan nodded firmly.

“I already said yesterday, I have no ulterior motives. I just don’t want to be alone, carrying a big belly and raising a child by myself.”

After saying this, she looked Wei Yanzhen straight in the eyes, her expression resolute:

“Wei Yanzhen, I want you to take care of me, and to take care of our child as we raise them.”

Hearing her words, Wei Yanzhen felt a mixture of emotions—surprise that she was willing to stay, guilt for misunderstanding her before.

“My wife, thank you for trusting me.”

Finally, he mustered courage, took a step forward, and held her hand.

Deng Zhi Lan trembled slightly but didn’t pull away.

That whole night, Wei Yanzhen and Wei Xiaotian stayed in the study, handling many confidential documents.

Meanwhile, Deng Zhi Lan wasn’t idle—she quietly went downstairs to the living room, where Qin Ping had already packed everything: pots, bowls, clothes, antiques, paintings, daily necessities, bedding…

She put everything into her space.

The next morning, before dawn, a large group of people from the Red Committee arrived at the Wei family’s small house.

The leaders wore green military uniforms with red armbands, looking imposing and righteous.

But when they pushed open the Wei family’s door, their behavior was more like brutal robbers.

“Search everything!” the leader ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

The crowd stormed inside, overturning everything.

Wei Xiaotian and Qin Ping’s faces turned even grimmer.

Their carefully packed belongings were inexplicably gone, and their home looked ransacked. The Red Committee’s arrival was so swift, it was like adding insult to injury.

Wei Jinyue had never seen such a scene before, standing terrified on the side, barely daring to breathe.

Wei Yanzhen stood protectively by Deng Zhi Lan, like a guardian, not allowing the Red Committee to touch her even an inch.

Suddenly, one leader’s eyes brightened when he saw an old painting hanging on the wall.

“That’s definitely feudal rubbish. Take it down!” he shouted.

His men immediately took down the painting.

They also tore down all the “Double Happiness” paper cuttings pasted on the windows.

Soon, the Wei family’s little villa was turned into an empty shell—sofas, cushions, bedding, everything swept away.

As the Red Committee finished and prepared to leave, the leader suddenly stopped.

His eyes swept coldly over everyone before fixing on Deng Zhi Lan…