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Solitary confinement was a method the military used to punish soldiers who had committed serious mistakes.
The small, pitch-black room offered only a toilet and a bed, forcing the offender to reflect on their wrongdoing in isolation.
Meng Shuanggou’s proposal was nothing short of cruel.
Lin Wanjun, such a delicate young woman, had just arrived and was already being locked away in a windowless confinement room. How could she possibly endure it?
“I will serve the confinement in her place!”
Song Zhanjin grabbed Lin Wanjun behind him, his voice firm.
“As her husband, it is my duty to shield her from harm.”
Never mind solitary confinement—he would consider it entirely proper to die in her stead.
Meng Shuanggou, aggressive and unwilling to back down, snapped,
“Whoever makes a mistake must be punished. Even if you are married, you cannot take their place!”
He had his reasoning too. Song Zhanjin’s status was no ordinary one. If in the future he succeeded in marrying Lin Wanjun, Meng Shuanggou would have angered his future son-in-law.
And further, if the Song family regained official positions later, what if they held a grudge and sought revenge?
So he dared only to pick on Lin Wanjun—the easy target.
Song Zhanjin wanted to argue further, but Lin Wanjun pulled him aside and stepped forward herself.
“It’s fine to punish me with confinement, but you cannot punish only me!”
She pointed at the bully and said sharply, “I hit someone, yes, but he hit people too—and he hit children and the elderly.”
“I barely tapped him on the head twice and you won’t let it go. But he beat old people and children until they were barely conscious. Shouldn’t he be punished even more?”
The bully shouted angrily, “I hit my own children, I hit my own mother—it’s only natural! Why should I be punished?”
“Just because they are your children doesn’t mean you can hit them at will! Just because she’s your mother doesn’t mean you can strike her! Your child calls you ‘Dad,’ your mother raised you with hardship—how dare you hit them?”
Lin Wanjun sneered, “If I were your mother, knowing you were such a beast, I’d have buried you with the placenta before you were even born!”
Then she turned to Wei Yifu.
“Principal, I accept my punishment, but I will not agree to this beast not being punished!”
Meng Shuanggou opened his mouth to argue, but Wei Yifu cut him off.
“Agreed! Punishment must be impartial. Either no one is punished, or both are punished. Director Meng, what do you think?”
The bully began to panic.
“Fine! I won’t pursue her responsibility. Let’s drop this matter!”
Three days in solitary confinement? Just thinking about it was terrifying.
But Meng Shuanggou had his own selfish motives. It didn’t matter whether the members were confined—the important thing was to punish Lin Wanjun severely, to make her know her place. How dare she bully his daughter? Hmph!
Meng Shuanggou said coldly, “Then they will be punished together. Let them both serve time in solitary confinement and reflect properly.”
The bully was dumbfounded.
“Uncle, I already said let it go, why are you still—”
“Shut up!”
Meng Shuanggou barked sharply, stopping the bully in his tracks, his eyes full of warning.
Song Yucheng and Song Zhanjin wanted to say something, but Lin Wanjun stopped them.
“I know exactly what I’m doing. I won’t be at a loss, so don’t worry,” she said quietly.
“We’ve been family for several months now. Do I look like someone easy to bully? Just wait and watch the show!”
Then she grinned mischievously at Wei Yifu and Meng Shuanggou.
“Just locking them up isn’t strict enough. I think it should be harsher—during solitary confinement, no meals or water should be delivered. Only by going hungry can they truly repent!”
“After all, as the old saying goes, ‘When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it first tests their heart, exercises their muscles, and starves their body…’”
Lin Wanjun shook her tiny fists, half-mischievous, half-righteous, and said, “Food is so scarce. I’m willing to set an example, saving grain, fasting for three days, and seriously reflecting on my mistakes.”
Hmm, even if I had to reflect for a hundred days, I still wouldn’t admit guilt. And if it happens again, I’ll hit him!
The bully’s face turned pale.
“What? Starve for three days? No way! Absolutely not! If I admit defeat, is that enough?”
Lin Wanjun snapped fiercely, “No! What kind of grown man chickens out like this? If you really won’t, then kneel before your children and mother, perform three kowtows and nine bows, and guarantee you’ll never hit or scold them again.”
The bully hesitated, thinking about whether to swallow his pride and kowtow in apology.
But Meng Shuanggou made the decision for him.
“Punish them, then punish them. Starve them, then let them starve! A man’s knees are worth gold, but I’ve never heard of a father kneeling before his children!”
He waved his hand. “Stop dawdling—lock them up now!”
Li Yuetang saw her daughter-in-law being taken away for solitary confinement and couldn’t help but cry.
“No! How can such a young girl endure this? Let Song Zhanjin take the punishment for her! Punish him for three, four days if you must!”
Lin Wanjun couldn’t help but laugh.
“Where have you seen a mother like this, pushing her own son into the fire?”
Li Yuetang cried, “He is my son, and you are my daughter-in-law. I care for you as if you were my own daughter. The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh!”
Those words broke through Lin Wanjun’s defenses.
She knew Li Yuetang cared for her, but she had never imagined it could be this deep.
Clinging to Li Yuetang, burying her face in her embrace, Lin Wanjun laughed through her tears. “Mother, with you saying that, I have no regrets.”
All the hardships that the story said Li Yuetang should bear, Lin Wanjun was ready to endure herself. Even if it ended badly, she accepted it.
As Lin Wanjun was led away, Song Zhanjin struggled desperately to stop it.
“Don’t make a scene! I know what I’m doing!”
Seeing her nearly frantic husband, Lin Wanjun smiled to soothe him.
“Remember what I said—endure. Endure through the bitter winter, endure until the rain stops and the sun rises, until the mountains bloom!”
Song Zhanjin’s voice was hoarse.
“Why should we endure, if you yourself won’t?”
Lin Wanjun grinned foolishly.
“Because… I know you’ll have my back, Zhanjin. I’m not afraid at all. We’ll see each other in three days!”
Watching Lin Wanjun being led away into the confinement room, Li Yuetang collapsed to the ground, tears streaming as she whispered to herself.
“The girl didn’t eat properly last night, and she didn’t touch her breakfast. What will she do when she’s hungry and thirsty?”
“Three days… three days without food or water. How much suffering will she endure?”
…
Song Zhanjin clenched his fists, taking deep, steadying breaths.
After a long while, he looked at the three trembling generations—the grandmother, mother, and child—and knew he had to do something.
He couldn’t let Lin Wanjun take the punishment alone.
“Principal, if these three remain under the bully’s care, it’s only a matter of time before something terrible happens.”
Dogs can’t stop eating filth—and after this bully is free, he will inevitably vent all his anger on innocent people, torturing children and the elderly even more mercilessly.
Expect Meng Shuanggou to help? If he could be relied upon, none of this would have happened today.
Wei Yifu said, “The school cafeteria happens to need a few miscellaneous workers. Let the elderly help out. There won’t be work points, of course, but what do you think, Elder?”
The elderly woman’s once lifeless eyes suddenly brightened.
“No work points! I don’t want anything. As long as the children aren’t beaten and have food to eat, that’s enough!”
Meng Shuanggou didn’t object.
After all, these old and young ones were useless anyway—just eating without working. Without the three of them, they could even save some grain!
Inside the confinement room, Lin Wanjun stared at the hard, unwelcoming bed with obvious disdain.
Tsk, how is one supposed to sleep on this?
She wasn’t a delicate princess who could be pricked by a pea through ten layers of bedding, but even she couldn’t tolerate such a crappy bedboard!
No matter—everything she needed was in her Spatial Ring.
Lin Wanjun pulled out a bamboo mat from the Ring as a base, followed by a wool blanket, then a brand-new quilt, and even laid a patchwork sheet on top…
With pillow and bedding all perfectly arranged, Lin Wanjun lounged comfortably on the bed, crossing her legs and humming a tune.
“You love me, I love you—so sweet, so sweet…”
Ah, her stomach rumbled. She spun around the White Palace, checking what delicious things she could eat.
Should she have sweet, soft, fluffy sponge cake? Or crispy, greasy sesame flatbread? Or maybe a bag of crumbly peach cookies?
Sigh, there’s no helping it. The life of the wealthy is… just this mundanely delightful.