Chapter 135

This item had always been worn by Zhang Xiangming's mother. At this moment, Zhang Xiangming also thought of Hu Xiaohua.

Imagine, Hu Xiaohua, who has been in prison and likes to steal small items, would he not like to steal something by chance?

Zhang Xiangming was so angry that he was trembling all over.

Although leaders have said that both black cats and white cats are good cats as long as they can catch mice. Hu Xiaohua is indeed very good at selling goods, a money-making machine, which is why the whole family has been currying favor with him.

But at this moment, Zhang Xiangming wished he could handcuff him and personally send him back to prison.

Yan Peiheng naturally recognized the keepsake of his late wife. He took the jade pendant with trembling hands and asked Yan Zhao, "Where did this come from?"

Chen Meilan said, "Hu Xiaohua gave it to me." Then she added, "He took it from Zhang Xiangming's mother."

This was an item close to Su Wen's heart, the most precious thing in her life, a keepsake from her own mother.

Yan Peiheng understood at once that this was a gift from Yan Jun to Liu Peng.

How ridiculous, while Liu Peng was busy building relationships everywhere, even using his wife's only keepsake to secure his son's position in the army, Yan Peiheng, for the sake of the greater good and national peace, kept sending his sons to the front lines, eventually having to cut them out of the military.

So, even under socialism, there are such things as "gold belts for those who kill and set fires, and no remains for those who build bridges and roads"?

Zhang Xiangming and his wife felt guilty. Liu Peng quickly explained, "Uncle Yan, this item was bought by Xiangming from Pan Family Garden and given to his mother. We don't know where it really came from."

Zhang Xiangming's eyes darted around and he quickly said, "Yes, yes, Uncle Yan, this is just a trinket I bought from Pan Family Garden. If you like it, I'll give it to you."

As he spoke, he pulled Liu Peng by the arm.

The truth was about to be revealed. The two of them had caused trouble and didn't dare stay, wanting to leave quickly.

Yan Peiheng, at this moment, showed an unusually calm demeanor, calm to the point of being frightening. He waved his hand and said, "Go ahead."

Liu Peng was about to leave but turned back and added, "Uncle Yan, you should retire in another five years, but I can still work for another twenty. Don't worry, when your grandsons grow up and want to join the army, I'll take care of them."

His implication was that Yan Peiheng should not pursue him.

In return, he was willing to promote Little Wang and Little Lang when they joined the army, fully exploiting the power of nepotism!

That was Su Wen's keepsake, with the clumsy handwriting of Yan Zhao carved on it with a knife, stroke by stroke, the name Su Wen.

Yan Zhao was, of course, very angry, but at this moment, he also had to pay attention to his father's health.

After all, this old man had worked in the army all his life. Out of the nine members of the same leadership team, his attendance rate was the highest, and his style was the strongest. The reason there weren't many cases of backdoor deals, relationship building, and internal contracting of military assets and smuggling of various military supplies was precisely because of leaders like Yan Peiheng.

If he were alive, Yan Zhao wouldn't care, but if the old man really died, it would be detrimental to the current situation in the army.

He was afraid that his father would be so angry that he would collapse on the spot.

Fortunately, the old man was very calm. He waved his hand and said, "Xiao Peng, go ahead, go upstairs, go home."

Zhang Xiangming and his wife exchanged glances. Liu Peng glared fiercely at his wife.

Because Wang Gebi not only wanted the temple property but also liked this piece of jade very much and was willing to pay three hundred yuan to buy it back.

But Zhang Xiangming himself also liked it and didn't want to give it away. And because he was afraid that Yan Peiheng would recognize it, he didn't dare to wear it, so he had his mother wear it. As a result, what was originally a dead-end case was suddenly brought to light because of this jade.

Now, what should they do?

The two of them stared at each other, then turned and went upstairs.

The children had already finished eating. Little Wang was clearing the dishes, and Yuanyuan served a bowl of rice to Chen Meilan and Yan Zhao, signaling them to come and eat.

The little girl was very considerate. Before they started eating, she had already set aside some of each dish for her parents.

Just then, Yan Peiheng stood up. The old man didn't have the habit of using a cane, and there wasn't one at home, but he was unsteady on his feet.

Yan Zhao watched coldly, probably thinking that even if his father fell flat on his back, he would just watch coldly and not help.

The boys were carefree. Jim was still saying, "Grandpa, do you want to dance?"

Little Lang also said, "Yeah, Grandpa is dancing disco."

Only Yuanyuan ran over, took Yan Peiheng's hand, and placed it on her shoulder, saying, "Grandpa, where do you want to go? Lean on me, I'll take you there."

"Good child, take Grandpa to the study," Yan Peiheng said.

After walking for a while, the old man stopped and turned back to Yan Zhao, saying, "Go about your business, leave the rest to me."

The old man's tone sounded quite normal.

The jade was tightly pressed against his chest.

Yan Zhao still had to report to the Party School. If he didn't go now, he would miss the deadline and have to study for an extra day, and that would mean more cases piling up in Xiping City.

So he had to leave.

Worried about Yan Peiheng, he asked Chen Meilan to stay at home with the children.

Chen Meilan was also worried that the old man's health might be in trouble. Since she didn't have the hospital's phone number, she prepared to go next door to ask Aunt Cui if she had it. If Yan Peiheng felt unwell, she needed to call the doctor right away.

But as soon as she stepped out of the house, she heard a commotion in the hallway.

Someone upstairs was arguing.

She then climbed the stairs and saw Zhang Xiangming, Liu Jingjing, and Madam Liu standing in the corridor.

Liu Jingjing was holding a tape recorder, looking like she was about to go out.

Zhang Xiangming was chasing after Liu Jingjing, saying, "Jingjing, right now, you must go and make up with Hu Xiaohua. You have to tell him to coordinate their stories and say that the jade pendant he gave to Chen Meilan was bought by himself from Pan Family Garden, it has nothing to do with us."

Madam Liu also said, "Jingjing, this is not a joke. You can't break up now. Go find Hu Xiaohua quickly."

Chen Meilan was on the stairs and could see the Liu family, who could also see her.

Normally, they shouldn't be arguing about this in the hallway.

But the situation was too sudden.

Once, when Zhang Xiangming thought Hu Xiaohua was a cash machine, he never imagined that he would also be a thief.

Of course, he never thought that such a piece of jade would end up being seen by Hu Xiaohua.

Now, if they didn't want Liu Peng to be prosecuted, they had only one way: to persuade Hu Xiaohua to give false testimony.

Change Hu Xiaohua's testimony and see if Liu Peng could escape this disaster.

However, since Liu Jingjing had been well-protected by her family and was an innocent young girl, her willfulness could be used by the Liu family, but it also meant they couldn't control her.

Liu Jingjing's interest in Hu Xiaohua had recently waned. Instead, the trend in the capital was to dance and sing disco in the park. Young people wore big sunglasses, wide-legged pants, and floral shirts, each holding a tape recorder, which was the height of fashion. She was part of this fashionable crowd, busy going to the park to play.

So she said, "Mom, I've already lost interest in Hu Xiaohua. I definitely want to break up with him. Besides, why, and what's this about a jade pendant? You should explain clearly what's going on. I'm in a hurry to go to the park."

Poor Madam Liu and Zhang Xiangming knew they shouldn't talk about this in the hallway, but Liu Jingjing wouldn't go home.

Zhang Xiangming was about to explain the whole story when he suddenly turned around and saw Chen Meilan on the stairs, looking at him and smiling.

The truth was out, and it couldn't be hidden anymore.

But Zhang Xiangming and his wife were also victims.

When they bought the temple property, Wang Gebi was a god-like figure in the military compound, capable of turning the clouds and rain. Just as Yan Jun wanted to sell something and Wang Gebi wanted it, they had to buy it to stay in the army.

Now, how did it become an illegal act?

Zhang Xiangming couldn't say anything in front of Chen Meilan, so he stomped his foot in anger and couldn't pull Liu Jingjing back home, finally scolding his mother, "Mom, you spoil your daughter too much. Look at her, she's twenty-something and doesn't understand anything."

Liu Jingjing had been spoiled since she was a child and was the little princess of the family.

No one dared to speak loudly to her, and she immediately snorted: "Sister-in-law, how dare you speak to me like that? I've already stopped liking Hu Xiaohua. A forced melon doesn't taste sweet, and he's not as honest as Xue Mingfang, always touching and grabbing. Do you really want him to take advantage of me?"

"You... you are shameless!" Zhang Xiangming was anxious and pushed Liu Jingjing towards the house, cursing as she pushed: "One day you're with one person, the next day with another. Who do you think you are, some prostitute from the Eight Great Alleys?"

This remark infuriated Liu Jingjing, who raised her hand to strike: "Zhang Xiangming, you're a tigress, and you're greedy for money to the point of risking your life. The milk powder you produced made us all have diarrhea for days, and you still have the nerve to talk."

It was hot, and Madam Liu was short of breath. The old lady had been having diarrhea recently after consuming the milk powder produced by Zhang Xiangming. Normally, in a quarrel between sisters-in-law, she should side with her daughter, but now she had to support her daughter-in-law.

"Jingjing, hurry and find Hu Xiaohua. You can break up later, but this time he must help your brother, or your brother will be finished," Madam Liu said, pulling her daughter close. "Your good life now is thanks to your older brother and father. Once they retire, you'll have nothing, understand?"

Liu Jingjing finally understood: "Mom, has my brother done something illegal? You should have told me earlier. Let's go home quickly."

This was the right approach. Spoiling a child also has its limits. Without explaining the consequences, how would she understand?

After much commotion, the three women finally decided to go home.

Chen Meilan found the situation amusing. She was wearing jeans, and her pager was tucked in the pocket on her backside. Without going downstairs, she took it out and, in front of Madam Liu and the other two, directly called Hu Xiaohua.

Addressing the phone, and also Madam Liu and the others, Chen Meilan spoke slowly and clearly: "Hello, is this the 126 pager service? I just want to leave a message. Please tell the owner of pager number 38572, Hu Xiaohua, that his sister-in-law, Chen Meilan, has heard that the milk powder from their factory causes diarrhea in adults. If given to infants, the consequences would be unimaginable. As the legal representative, if such an incident occurs after the product is on the market, the police will investigate, and he will go to jail. Do you understand? If he doesn't believe me, let him take the business license to the Industrial and Commercial Office and ask the staff there if what I'm saying is true."

The legal representative, also known as the legal representative, is the person responsible for legal liabilities.

In a company, if illegal activities occur during operations, the first person to bear legal responsibility will be the legal representative.

Hu Xiaohua had mentioned this morning that he was the legal representative of Food Factory 81.

However, unlike Yan Xishan, who studied and understood the implications, Hu Xiaohua thought that being the legal representative was a sign of trust from the Liu family.

In fact, Zhang Xiangming made Hu Xiaohua the legal representative because, if the milk powder factory violated regulations and an accident occurred, the police would arrest Hu Xiaohua, not her.

She would make the money, and Hu Xiaohua would serve the time.

Although Zhang Xiangming was not as adept at maneuvering as Wang Gebi, when it came to ruthlessness, she was no less than Wang Gebi.

So, while Chen Meilan was on the phone, Zhang Xiangming, who had been unlocking the door, slowly collapsed to the ground.

Liu Jingjing, seeing her sister-in-law's pale face and sitting on the ground, was also frightened and asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you?"

"Jingjing, you probably have to marry Hu Xiaohua. You must marry him," Zhang Xiangming said.

Liu Jingjing suddenly laughed: "Sister-in-law, a while ago, when I wanted to marry Hu Xiaohua, you wouldn't let me. Now that I'm tired of him, you want me to marry him. Are you out of your mind?"

Zhang Xiangming suddenly looked up at Madam Liu and pulled at her clothes, saying, "Mom, persuade her, hurry and persuade Jingjing."

If Madam Liu were smart and cunning, she wouldn't have been suppressed by Wang Gebi.

She also wanted to make money, but marrying Liu Jingjing to Hu Xiaohua? That was impossible.

So she said, "Jingjing, it's not a real marriage. Just humor Hu Xiaohua."

Liu Jingjing was confused by her mother and sister-in-law, looking from one to the other, and suddenly raised her voice: "Are you both crazy?"

Seeing this, Chen Meilan turned and went downstairs.

As soon as she got downstairs, she heard heart-wrenching cries from upstairs.

It was Zhang Xiangming. How happy she had been when she used Liu Jingjing, and now she must be equally devastated.

Downstairs, she happened to run into Yan Peiheng.

Chen Meilan was startled by the old man's attire.

He was not only wearing a military uniform but also had numerous medals pinned to his chest, dressed as if for a grand occasion.

Born in 1935, the old man had been delivering messages for the Eighth Route Army at the age of 8, running errands and engaging in guerrilla warfare. At 15, he joined the army, serving his entire life, including participating in the Korean War and going to Qinghai in 1962.

At home, he was just an ordinary grandfather, but in his work, the medals on his chest were the sum of all his accumulated honors over the years.

The old man's steps were light, and seeing Chen Meilan coming down the stairs, he frowned and asked, "Are they arguing upstairs?"

"Yes, you're having a meeting and need witnesses, right? Are you going to ask Hu Xiaohua to testify?" Chen Meilan said.

Yan Peiheng was definitely going to sue Liu Peng, but the Guanyin pendant was stolen by Hu Xiaohua, and its origin needed a witness.

Earlier, Chen Meilan had called Hu Xiaohua's pager, specifically pointing out the implications of Zhang Xiangming making him the legal representative, hoping to secure Hu Xiaohua as a witness for her father-in-law.

The legal representative is the person who shoulders legal responsibilities for a company.

Why did Zhang Xiangming dare to mess around with the milk powder factory? Because the legal representative was Hu Xiaohua, not her.

If an accident occurred at the factory, the police would arrest Hu Xiaohua, not Zhang Xiangming.

Poor Hu Xiaohua, who liked drinking but not studying, didn't understand this and thought being the legal representative was a great honor.

However, Hu Xiaohua feared nothing more than going to jail.

After Chen Meilan explained the consequences, she should have woken him from his dream.

He would definitely attend and testify for Yan Peiheng.

Yan Peiheng also said, "I think you can get the jade pendant from Xiaohua and make him testify for us, right?"

The good thing about this old man compared to Yan Zhao was that.

Yan Zhao didn't trust Chen Meilan much, always doubting her in many matters.

But Yan Peiheng was different. He seemed to believe that anything Chen Meilan was willing to do, she could do well.

Just then, the elevator door opened, and out came Secretary Mao: "Chief, what's going on? Are you going to the Military Commission to report?"

"Not to report, go to Food Factory 81 and find Hu Xiaohua. Take him with me. I'm going to report to the leaders of the Military Commission about how Commander Liu has been appointing people based on favoritism, pulling strings, and forming cliques, and how shamelessly he has been aligning with capitalism. Let's go," Yan Zhao said.

"This, is it that serious?" Secretary Mao's voice changed.

Yan Peiheng said, "If we don't take action, the discipline of the military will really be in jeopardy!"

So the situation was really serious.

Normally, since Commander Liu was still the head, to maintain the harmony of the team and consider the feelings of old colleagues, they would discuss and punish Liu Peng within their team.

But Yan Peiheng's temperament meant he wouldn't do that. For him, there was no room for maneuver, no room for compromise.

He was going to the Military Commission with his full array of medals to report the situation. He was going to impeach his superiors directly!

Upstairs, Zhang Xiangming and Madam Liu were still arguing.

Entering the house, the children, Jim and Little Lang, were playing cards, while Yuanyuan was playing with Su Wen's small jade pendant. Seeing Chen Meilan come in, she proudly presented it: "Mom, look, Grandpa gave it to me."

The jade itself was probably not very valuable.

Just an ordinary little thing.

But it was Su Wen's personal relic, and Yan Wei was about to have a little daughter soon.

Although Yan Peiheng treated Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan well, Chen Meilan had to admit that the old man was quite good in his work, being strict with others and also with himself.

However, his partiality was the key factor causing disharmony within the family.

"This belongs to your grandmother, and although Grandpa gave it to us, we can't keep it. Let's return it to Grandpa tonight, okay?" Chen Meilan said.

"Okay," Yuanyuan replied cheerfully.

Children of this era have seen all sorts of fun things and didn't place much value on a jade pendant.

Chen Meilan rolled up her sleeves, ready to head to the kitchen, when she saw Little Wang coming out of it.

The kitchen, which had been a mess at noon, was now clean and tidy. While the younger kids were playing, Little Wang had been the one cleaning up.

Tomorrow was the registration day, followed by exams the day after, and then Gu Xiao and Yan Jun's family would arrive.

Chen Meilan noticed that Little Wang had been working hard lately and wanted him to take a break, relax a bit, and then go to the exam. So she said, "Yan Wangqi, it's too hot, and there isn't even a popsicle in the fridge. Go downstairs and buy us some popsicles."

"I'm busy, I still have to review my lessons," Little Wang replied without raising his eyebrows.

Ever since the incident last month, not only had he been in a huff with his father, but he had also barely spoken to Chen Meilan. Yan Zhao was a workaholic who could also communicate, but Little Wang had become a silent workaholic.

Chen Meilan suddenly felt something was off.

Little Wang had also thrown tantrums before, but they usually passed in a few days. This time, his tantrum seemed to have lasted too long.

"Jim, you and Little Wang are close. Do you know what's wrong with him lately? Why is he unhappy?" Chen Meilan asked Jim.

Jim was busy playing cards and exclaimed, "Auntie, don't bother me! Why would Yan Wangqi be unhappy? You didn't decorate his room."

Chen Meilan stood there, suddenly realizing.

During the renovation of the new house, Little Wang hadn't chosen his own room.

But he must have sneaked a look and found that Little Lang and Yuanyuan's bedrooms were beautifully decorated, while his was just an empty room.

Effective communication is essential, even with children.

Chen Meilan had planned to buy Little Wang the most expensive item, but if she didn't tell him, how would he know?

Little Wang must have been worried because of Yuanyuan's situation, fearing he would be sent away and that Chen Meilan would no longer want him.

She had been too busy and forgot to tell Little Wang about it, which was a failure she needed to reflect on.

You can choose not to have or raise a child.

But if you do, you must be responsible for them.

For over a month, this child had not only lost face due to the early love issue but also knew that Chen Meilan hadn't decorated his room. He worried about many things but still had to study hard.

How much pressure must he have been under?

How much did he struggle every night?

No wonder he had become even thinner in the past month, tall and skinny, almost alarming.

From the 18th floor, the view was incredibly broad.

By chance, outside the high wall of the first-class family compound, a dozen-story building's rooftop had someone installing an advertisement. Half of the advertisement was painted with: "Inteli486 - Price: 19800."

There was a picture of an old-fashioned computer with a telephone underneath, and below the picture was a small line with the address of the computer store.

Chen Meilan saw Little Wang at the balcony, writing his homework at Yan Peiheng's usual desk. She pointed at the advertisement and asked, "Little Wang, can you see the address clearly? Where exactly is it? I want to buy you a computer, like the one in the advertisement, okay?" seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

On such a hot day, with the window open, a cool breeze blew in from the high-rise.

Little Wang was stunned: "What?"

"I'm buying you a computer. Your bedroom in the new house is the smallest, but I think it doesn't matter for a boy your age. Your world isn't just in your bedroom. I heard that computers can be used not only for work but also for communication with people abroad through a telephone line. With a computer, your world will be even broader, and you and Jim can communicate every day." Chen Meilan said in one breath.

Little Wang, who had been holding his breath and acting coldly for a whole month, suddenly turned his head away, quickly wiping away his tears. After a long silence, he said, "I have five thousand yuan, I can give it to you, and the rest, I'll pay you back when I grow up and earn money."

"Okay," Chen Meilan said, ruffling his crew cut.

Little Wang had indeed sneaked a look at the new house. He saw that Yuanyuan's bedroom was being soft-packed, and Little Lang's bedroom had a big Doraemon painted on the wall, but he couldn't find his own room.

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He thought his mother hadn't decorated his room because of Yuanyuan and was going to abandon him.

He had been silently preparing for the future, planning to live alone and independently.

But he never expected that his mother was going to spend twenty thousand yuan to buy him a computer.

"I'll definitely get the first place this time," Little Wang said, lowering his head.

In the background, Yuanyuan hummed a tune, and Jim and Little Lang played cards with a clapping sound. The pen scratched on the paper, and Little Wang said again, "I'll definitely be your proudest son, you just watch."

Two drops of tears fell onto the paper, but he remained expressionless and said, "I'm not crying, it's leaking from the ceiling."

Only Chen Meilan would believe such a lie.

"It must be leaking from upstairs, I'll go check," she replied seriously.

As she walked away, the leak got worse, dripping loudly, soaking the entire exam paper.

Little Wang covered his face, his small shoulders trembling violently.