Chapter 21: The Indictment (Part 2)

His wife, Zhang Yanli, was his second wife. As the saying goes, “All second marriages are about scheming.”

Zhang Yanli traveled frequently for business, but all their company shares were in Chen Fanshi’s name. She managed the cash flow, while he controlled the equity in every single company they invested in.

If he ever fell out with Zhang Yanli, she would be left with nothing.

At present, the amount of money he could access was about five thousand yuan—this was his dividend from the real estate company for the year.

If he gave that money to his daughter, would she stop making a fuss?

It was strange—when did his once naive and silly daughter become so sharp-tongued?

Chen Fanshi was completely bewildered by her.

“Feng’er, you just want money, don’t you? You absolutely cannot let this matter get out, but Dad can give you money,” he said.

Chen Yufeng handed him his suit jacket but replied, “Dad, isn’t Aunt Zhang the one managing the household finances? What money do you have? Stop dreaming and just go home.”

Chen Fanshi’s emotions had swung from initial joy to outrage and now to gratitude.

Clearly, she only wanted to stand up for Zhou Yafang and had no intention of blowing things up.

But if things did escalate, how would the military district leaders see him?

The companies he invested in were highly profitable, all in emerging industries, so he would still have money. However, the reputation he had cultivated among the military district leaders—built through careful networking—would be gone.

Upstarts only care about profit, but a true tycoon values both wealth and reputation.

As long as his daughter didn’t make a scene, his reputation would remain intact.

Feeling grateful, Chen Fanshi said, “Dad has money. I can give you five thousand yuan tomorrow.”

“Dad, do you really have five thousand yuan? Stop fooling yourself. I know Aunt Zhang manages all the finances at home,” Chen Yufeng said, deliberately provoking him.

As expected, Chen Fanshi took the bait immediately. Right now, he was still feeling grateful, so he blurted out, “I may not have much cash in hand, but I am worth far more than you imagine. I make all the big decisions at home. If you don’t believe me, just wait—Dad will bring you the money tomorrow.”

“Really, Dad? I thought you were completely under Aunt Zhang’s thumb,” she said, provoking him again.

Only between a father and daughter could a conversation continue like this, even after tearing into each other.

Chen Fanshi spoke sincerely, “If it weren’t for Aunt Zhang giving birth to Yuhuang, I never would have left you. She means nothing to me—it’s Yuhuang I couldn’t leave behind.”

A son. A boy.

As she helped her father to the door, Chen Yufeng said, “Dad, be careful on your way home. You’ve been drinking—don’t trip and fall.”

Chen Fanshi was not a particularly generous man, but at this moment, his heart was full of gratitude. He was determined to bring his daughter some money the next day.

After seeing her father off, Chen Yufeng curled her lips into a smile.

That’s how he was—her father. He wouldn’t give in unless he was pushed to the edge. As long as she didn’t force him into a corner, he wouldn’t willingly hand over any money.

Of course, she wanted money. After all, Chen Fanshi hadn’t just profited from the Daqingshan Wholesale Market.

Money breeds more money, just like chickens lay eggs and eggs hatch into more chickens. His outside investments were where his real fortune lay.

She wanted to open a restaurant, which meant renovations, purchasing ingredients—everything required capital.

Her father had been absent for nearly twenty years, and in all that time, she had never received a single cent from him. This money was rightfully hers.

But she wouldn’t be satisfied with just a small sum.

Her ultimate goal was to make Chen Fanshi cough up every yuan he had earned from antique dealings.

Turning back inside, she saw the kitchen was a mess—plates and bowls everywhere. She hadn’t eaten yet and was starving. She needed to roll up a few silk dolls to eat while washing the dishes.

Just then, Han Chao entered the house, glanced around, and suddenly asked, “Feng’er, where are our kids?”

Since having children, this was the first time—if Han Chao hadn’t mentioned them, Chen Yufeng would have completely forgotten about her daughters.

“Maybe they went next door to watch TV?” she guessed.

Han Chao thought so too. He stepped out and asked, “Sister Bao, are my daughters at your place?”

“They’re not here,” Sister Bao replied. “Maybe they went to someone else’s house?”

The two girls had only arrived recently—at most, they would visit Sister Bao’s house. Where else could they have gone?

A chill ran down Chen Yufeng’s spine. She quickly wiped her hands, stepped into the courtyard, and called out loudly, “Mimi? Tiantian?”

A faint whimper came from the small bedroom.

Only then did she remember—after Tiantian arrived earlier, she had put both girls in the small bedroom.

Could it be that they had stayed inside for hours without going anywhere?

She rushed inside and pulled the light cord.

On the edge of the bed sat her two little girls, snuggled together. Their wide, bright eyes glistened like grapes, but their mouths were tightly shut.

“Why didn’t you answer when I called you?” Chen Yufeng asked.

Mimi traced a line across her lips with her finger before saying, “There were guests at home, so we zipped our lips shut.”

Tiantian simply said, “Mom, I’m thirsty.”

The girls had been dancing at Teacher Wang Liyuan’s house for an hour before coming home, and they hadn’t had a single sip of water since.

“Come on, Mommy will make you some honey water,” Chen Yufeng said.

In the living room, the girls gulped down their drinks, glanced at each other, and yawned.

Noticing Mimi’s eyes light up, Chen Yufeng quickly said, “Wash your face, wash your feet, and brush your teeth before bed.”

Even the most mischievous little girls were still better behaved than boys. The two glanced at each other, took off their shoes, and stretched out their little feet, waiting for their mother to wash their faces and brush their teeth.

As she cleaned up the girls, Chen Yufeng heard the sound of water splashing in the kitchen.

Once the children were tucked in, she peeked into the kitchen and saw that the pots and pans had all been scrubbed spotless.

Han Chao was now wiping down the jars of brown sugar, osmanthus sugar, spicy oil, and various pickled peppers—red chopped peppers, green chopped peppers, fermented chili, and pickled vegetables.

The jars were lined up on the counter, which was greasy after cooking.

According to the book, Han Chao was a straight-laced, straightforward man, but he was also remarkably diligent when it came to household chores.

In contrast, the book’s male lead, Zhang Songtao, was naturally romantic but disliked housework.

That’s why the book said Han Chao was “a good man without a good wife.”

Straight-laced or not, a man who liked doing housework—Chen Yufeng absolutely approved of that.

“Feng’er, what exactly do you plan to do about the antiques?” Han Chao asked, wiping his hands clean as he stepped out.

“Brother, what do you think?” Chen Yufeng asked.

Han Chao had a habit of constantly wiping things clean. The coffee table had already been scrubbed with alkaline water by Chen Yufeng, yet he was still wiping it repeatedly with tissue. He had fair skin, an obsession with cleanliness, and always looked fresh and tidy—a stark contrast to the rough and tanned men in the military district. He was an anomaly among them.

But he didn’t respond.

“I’m planning to go to the military court tomorrow to file a lawsuit. What do you think?” Chen Yufeng asked again.

Han Chao’s hand suddenly paused, his long eyelashes quivering slightly. He wiped his hands clean and said, “I’ll write the complaint.”

“You know how to write a legal complaint?” Chen Yufeng asked in surprise.

Han Chao had just finished washing the dishes and was still wearing an apron. He took it off and said, “It’s all standardized. I have reference books—I just need to follow the format.”

“Then I’m off to wash my feet. Brother, you should get to bed early too,” Chen Yufeng said, suppressing a laugh.

As she turned to leave, she noticed Han Chao looking at her with half-narrowed eyes, his lips red and his teeth white.

Chen Yufeng knew that even though this stubborn man hadn’t said a word, his emotions had been all over the place today.

Bringing a superior home and arguing about family matters in front of him—it was quite embarrassing.

Not only had Chen Fanshi assumed she was going to play the victim, but even Han Chao had thought so. After all, with only a middle school education and limited exposure—having never traveled farther than Anyang County—she probably didn’t even know where the military court was located.

When he invited his superior over, he never expected her to resolve things through argument.

His initial plan had been simple: Commander Xu was one of their own, so he’d let his wife vent her anger. Even if she embarrassed herself, he could handle it.

Later, he held down Chen Fanshi for her, but deep inside, he was uneasy.

He feared she would break down, fall to her knees, and cry.

Of course, even if she did, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Commander Xu and Director Ma would try to console her, and in the end, Han Chao would still take legal action to resolve the matter.

However, they would inevitably judge him—”A good man married the wrong wife, ending up with an uncultured woman.”

Han Chao hadn’t had time to discuss things in detail with her. Everything had been decided on the spot.

She had put someone on the spot right in front of the leadership.

But the wisest choice was not to argue and make a scene—it was to sue and solve the problem legally.

Commander Xu and Director Ma weren’t benevolent officials who could directly intervene.

They were witnesses. Once the case was accepted by the military court, they could testify for her in court!

The book had said that this stubborn man looked down on her and had only stayed with her out of gratitude for the seven years she had waited for him.

As for why he admired Qi Cailing, it was because of her exceptional abilities.

But now… could there be even a sliver of admiration for her in his heart?

Regardless, Chen Yufeng was thrilled today—not only had she exposed her father, but she had also secured two key witnesses.

As she climbed into bed, Tiantian was already fast asleep, while Mimi was still sucking on her finger.

Chen Yufeng took off her clothes and unhooked her bra.

The little girl looked at her mother and suddenly reached out, saying, “Mommy, don’t take it off. I like looking at the ‘peek-a-boo’ cover(refer to her bra). Look, there are two little white bunnies inside! They bounce up and down!”

Outside, Captain Han, who had been about to leave, froze at the doorway of the living room. Every single hair on his body stood on end.

“Go to sleep now,” Chen Yufeng said.

“Mommy, sing me a song. I can’t sleep without one,” Mimi said.

Softly patting her daughter, Chen Yufeng hummed an old folk song and soon drifted off to sleep herself.