This was a real hornet's nest they had stirred up. Yan Zhao picked up a piece of clothing from the ground and sniffed it.
Although Zhou's father was hard of hearing, he wasn't deaf. Hearing Chen Meilan's words, he picked up a leather shoe and sniffed it. The old man had never smelled such a stench before and, gagging, vomited up the tea he had just drunk.
The shiny leather shoes looked glossy on the surface, but even Yan Zhao couldn't help but retch at the smell.
Zhou's father was an honest man, an intellectual, who believed his daughter had made a fortune and was living well. He never imagined she would buy such things for the children. His already unsteady head shook even more violently.
Mentioning leukemia, Little Wang also remembered.
In the capital, the doctor had told the whole family that Little Lang had almost contracted leukemia, but Chen Meilan's meticulous care had prevented it. They should avoid renovations and not let Little Lang inhale too many harmful gases, as paint contained toxins like formaldehyde, which could trigger leukemia.
Little Wang might not know what formaldehyde was, but he could tell how foul these clothes smelled.
He also couldn't let go of Zhou Xueqin, his biological mother. He wanted to ask if she was really doing well, if the children she raised were as obedient as him, if they helped with housework.
His sudden anger earlier was because Zhou Xueqin, as a mother, valued a meal more than Little Lang being beaten. This reminded him of his childhood, when he was beaten and Zhou Xueqin would say, "If your father had money and was a wealthy man, you could hire someone to beat them back. But poor people deserve to be beaten. You're beaten because your father is poor. Blame fate."
Little Wang had been triggered and suddenly erupted.
Earlier, Zhou Xueqin called him a "white-eyed wolf" and a "worthless thing."
Because he genuinely hated his mother, he felt guilty and accepted it.
But after Chen Meilan's words, Little Wang suddenly felt he wasn't a good person, but neither was Zhou Xueqin. She was still so vain and concerned with appearances, never caring about him or Little Lang.
She claimed the 8 yuan shoes were worth 80, and the paint-smelling clothes were for Little Lang to wear.
This mother, even if she had money, wouldn't change her nature.
He didn't want to see her again, not even for a moment. So he started throwing clothes and shoes again.
"Get out, Zhou Xueqin, get out," the child muttered through gritted teeth, tears welling up.
Zhou Xueqin took Little Lang's test results, glanced at them, and realized her son had just narrowly escaped illness.
But the clothes and shoes were a misunderstanding by Chen Meilan.
Little Lang was her son; what benefit would she get from harming him?
She was always very busy, and Lu Jingyu had helped her buy the clothes and shoes.
They cost over 2,000 yuan in total.
If these were all fake, had Lu Jingyu embezzled her money?
In their second marriage, she had been sincere with Lu Dabao and Lv Erniu, buying them brand-name clothes and shoes, yet Lu Jingyu bought fake leather shoes and substandard clothes for her son?
He clearly loved her; why couldn't he treat her children well?
How could Zhou Xueqin explain this to everyone now?
She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
But she never expected Little Wang to shout at her like this.
Because of Little Wang's shouting, Zhou Xueqin suddenly remembered the past hurts inflicted by Little Wang.
In his previous life, Little Wang had a formidable nickname: Truant Dragon.
From a young age, he skipped school, dealing in porn, drugs, fake cigarettes and alcohol. He secretly wronged all of Zhou Xueqin's friends. With many cases against him, he was frequently sent to juvenile detention. He even planned to kill someone on his 16th birthday, knowing juvenile offenders wouldn't face execution.
It was only after Yan Zhao discovered and dislocated his arms, tying him up at home, that he abandoned that crazy idea.
A white-eyed wolf, even if he now studied well, didn't skip school, and stopped dealing in porn, he was still a white-eyed wolf.
That Little Tyrant learning machine was bought with her own money, carried thousands of miles on the train.
He actually threw it away, smashing it to pieces outside the door?
Such a son, better to have been born a piece of roast pork.
Yan Zhao stood up and said to Chen Meilan, "Let's go to People's Department Store."
Chen Meilan took Little Lang's medical records from the drawer, ready to confront the bully.
Both Zhou's father and Zhou Xueqin were driven out, clothes and all.
Earlier, to show off to the villagers, Zhou Xueqin had stood at the village entrance for a long time with her bags. Now, she was kicked out, shoes and all.
Zhou's father asked Zhou Xueqin to pick up the shoes and clothes and take them away, but she refused, still sulking, annoyed and snapping, "Can you stop talking?"
She then knocked all the smelly clothes and fake leather shoes out of her father's hands.
At that moment, Sister-in-law Mao, who had chatted earlier, walked over and looked at the shoes, saying, "What's going on, don't want them?"
Zhou Xueqin, always concerned with appearances, tried to save face, "They're just a bit low quality, but they're still wearable. Why don't you take them, Sister-in-law?"
Meanwhile, Second Sister Liu picked up a pair from the ground to try on her son Yan Fen.
Yan Fen, the same age as Little Wang, slipped his foot in, thinking it was a rubber shoe and stomped twice. The shoe immediately split open, the front part resembling a duck's beak.
"This is too fake, can't even wear it," Second Sister Liu said, throwing the shoe away.
Now, not only was Zhou Xueqin's dignity lost, but so was her face.
Temporarily setting aside how angry she was with Lu Jingyu and how disappointed she was in him.
After all, Little Wang was doing well in his studies, not skipping school, looking quite obedient, and Little Lang was so healthy—that was her son.
What was Chen Meilan? Just a latecomer picking the fruit.
Hearing that Little Lang had been beaten, Yan Zhao's family went to stand up for him.
Zhou Xueqin, as Little Lang's biological mother, unlike Chen Meilan who was timid and afraid of trouble, was bold and argumentative. If it came to standing up for her child, she was far more capable than Chen Meilan.
So, hiring a tricycle to send her father home, Zhou Xueqin also rushed to People's Department Store.
Here, once on the car, Little Lang couldn't wait to tell Chen Meilan.
It turned out that today, to wait for Chen Meilan, Yan Wei had taken Little Lang and Qi Songlu to roam the entire mall. On the top floor, the fifth floor, there was a section selling electronics, including a store selling pagers.
Wang Yuhan was sitting behind the counter eating ice cream, with her grandmother, mother, and father accompanying her.
Little Lang was clever; he didn't alert Wang Yuhan and didn't tell Yan Wei and Qi Songlu about it.
After returning home, he chose to tell his mother.
"Little Lang hasn't forgotten, he's always remembered Wang Yuhan," the child said earnestly.
Chen Meilan patted his little head, "You did very well."
Today was a pity; Yuanyuan wasn't present.
School bullying was a pain in Chen Meilan's heart, as Yuanyuan dropped out of school later largely due to bullying. One reason was her beauty, making her easy to isolate, and another was Lv Erniu spreading rumors, leading to her being bullied and insulted by classmates. She chose the worst way to handle it, fearing Chen Meilan's worry, silently bearing it alone. Eventually, unable to take it, she started skipping school and then running away from home.
Now, everything Chen Meilan did seemed to be repaying the debt from her previous life to Yuanyuan.
Yuanyuan's story could wait. On-site education, Chen Meilan hugged Little Lang and told Little Wang, "Yan Wangqi, Yan Minglang's approach was very correct. You should also remember, even if you go to university, if there's anyone bullying you at school, even if you can handle it yourself, come back and tell me, okay?"
Little Lang nodded, "Yes!"
Chen Meilan's swift and decisive attitude gave the child confidence, treating seeking justice from Wang Yu as a very important matter.
"Brother, say something," seeing Little Wang turn his head, Little Lang nudged him.
Today, Little Wang had shouted at Zhou Xueqin and driven his biological mother away.
He had been breastfed by Zhou Xueqin and had lived with her, so shouting at her was like denying himself. The anger that had built up to confront his mother was still pent up, not daring to relax.
"Brother..." Little Lang called again.
Chen Meilan spoke softly, "Alright, let your brother rest for a while. He's not in a good mood today, so let's all be quiet, okay?"
Little Lang, though young, sensed that his brother must be upset about the auntie who had just visited.
He even reached out and patted Little Wang on the shoulder, "It's okay, brother. The bad auntie has already been sent away by mom!"
That gentle touch set off a flood of tears that had been brimming in Little Wang's eyes for over two hours. He quickly closed his eyes.
He couldn't understand why Zhou Xueqin, with her wealthy life, would come to disturb him.
Oh, and he remembered, Zhou Xueqin had just threatened that if he didn't treat her well, she would sue to take him back. His mind was in a whirl as he tentatively asked Chen Meilan, "Mom, if she really sues to take me back, will you give me to her?"
"No," Chen Meilan replied without hesitation. Worried that Little Wang might still have doubts, she added, "The court has already ruled that you belong to your dad. She's remarried and has her own children; she can't take you away."
Little Wang nodded and then said, "Can we not tell Little Lang that he's her son?"
The child's eyes were full of hope, waiting for Chen Meilan's promise.
But this question was difficult, it stumped Chen Meilan.
Yan Zhao suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road, placing one hand on the passenger seat and turning back to look at Chen Meilan.
This problem not only stumped Chen Meilan but probably also the formidable Yan Zhao. He glanced at Little Lang, who was innocently peeling his honey-glazed rice dumpling.
Little Wang added again, "Can we never tell Little Lang, please?"
"No," Chen Meilan said.
Just as Little Wang's face changed, ready to cry again, Chen Meilan continued, "But let's not tell him when he's young. We'll talk about it when he's older, like you. It's not a big deal who his biological parents are; what's important is that he learns from his dad and becomes a righteous, useful person to society."
Even if Little Wang grew up to be ungrateful, Chen Meilan didn't mind. She never expected her children to support her in old age, but she was afraid Little Wang might become a good-for-nothing.
Every parent hopes their child will grow up to be a useful member of society.
This simple statement suddenly made the anxious Little Wang happy: "Yes, I'll work hard and be like dad... No, I don't want to be a policeman, it's too poor. I want to be a big boss like Yuanyuan's dad."
Yan Zhao's expression softened and then hardened as his son spoke.
"By the way, dad, I don't need anyone to buy me a Little Tyrannosaurus learning machine," perhaps still worried about disappointing his father, Little Wang suddenly stood up and fished out a woolen wallet from his back pocket, "Look, I already have over seven hundred yuan, enough to buy two Little Tyrannosaurs."
Yan Zhao was greatly shocked and asked Chen Meilan, "Where did he get so much money?"
Every summer, Little Wang secretly sold ice cream. Recently, with Xue Mingfang and his comrades clearing inventory, Little Wang would join them whenever he finished his summer homework. According to Xue Mingfang, the soldiers were mostly shy and couldn't muster the courage to call out, so Little Wang would warm up the crowd first, and only then would the soldiers dare to shout a few words.
For this, Little Wang also made a significant contribution to the development of the 271 Factory.
"Don't let him go out to do business anymore," Yan Zhao said as they got out of the car and walked side by side, "You need to teach him that a man should dedicate himself to the country, not always think about making money."
Chen Meilan paused, thinking that people who didn't love money and preferred to dedicate themselves to the country ended with Yan Zhao's generation. Nowadays, everyone looks towards money. She liked Little Wang's attitude towards making money; if he followed Yan Zhao's path, wouldn't he be poor all his life?
Who in this world would be as foolish as her, willing to make money to support a man?
"I really can't do that," she retorted.
They hurried upstairs, everyone moving quickly, and on the fourth floor, Little Lang suddenly pulled Chen Meilan, "Mom, look, it's Wang Yuhan."
It was a booth selling Ximei mattresses, newly opened today. Zou Jie was sitting behind the counter, overseeing sales. Wang Yuhan was there too, holding an old lady's hand, chatting as if they knew each other.
Yan Zhao glanced over and said, "That's Wang Gang's mom."
"Who's Wang Gang?" Chen Meilan asked.
Yan Zhao explained, "A nephew from Wang Gebi's maternal family, related to Director Mi. He originally worked at the Jindong Branch Bureau but later transferred to the Jinxi Branch Bureau because he found the work too tiring."
There's no such thing as love or hate without reason. How could a little girl bring a big boy to hit Little Lang for no reason? This doesn't make sense, especially since Little Lang is neither naughty nor known for mischief in kindergarten.
It turned out that after a big circle, the one who hit Little Lang was a relative of Director Mi, Milan, and Wang Gebi.
Little Lang wasn't just randomly beaten; he was targeted by people who disliked his dad.
Chen Meilan rolled up her sleeves, ready to step forward, but Yan Zhao pulled her back, signaling her to wait.
The old lady was chatting with Zou Jie, "Zou Jie, life must be tough without your husband, right?"
Sun Nutao had died of cancer, so Zou Jie's life was indeed tough, but there were also things that made her happy. She smiled and said, "I'm doing fine because my daughter just finished her college entrance exams and scored high enough for Peking University."
"Oh, impressive," the old lady chuckled and then said, "Yan Zhao is heartless. Director Sun was so good to him, yet he didn't introduce you to anyone?"
Clearly, this was a group that hated Yan Zhao. They quickly brought him up.
Zou Jie was beautiful and efficient, loyal to her late husband. Many people noticed, including the city's Director Zhang, whose wife had died of breast cancer the previous year. Middle-aged people don't talk about love, but Director Zhang wanted to live together with her. Recently, he had been frequently extending offers, but Zou Jie couldn't let go of Sun Nutao and had been refusing.
There was no need to discuss personal feelings with outsiders, so she chose to stay silent.
But this old lady was one of those who really disliked Yan Zhao. She took a big detour, bringing up Wang Gebi from Zou Jie: "Being a widow is good, but you also have to watch out for some people with bad intentions. My auntie in the capital's military region has been a widow for decades for an old martyr. Just because she made a little money from the military, those scoundrels in the military locked her up. To me, this government is still too dark, with umbrellas and black forces everywhere."
Zou Jie knew about Director Mi's situation and had vaguely heard of Wang Gebi but didn't know the specifics. She asked, "How old is she? Should be around sixty, right? Can she endure prison at this age?"
"Of course not, but it's not a big problem. She should be out of prison next month. It's just a pity, all her money was taken by the military." the old lady said.
Wang Gebi was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and was serving his sentence in jail. How could he be out next month?
Chen Meilan couldn't help but feel that Wang Gebi's mother was quite formidable, managing to wiggle out of prison.
However, matters related to Wang Gebi, Yan Zhao would naturally handle.
Yan Peiheng was currently the second commander of the military region, and Wang Gebi was imprisoned in a military prison in the capital. No matter how formidable, could she really turn the sky upside down?
Chen Meilan's main task now was to educate Wang Yuhan's parents on how to behave.
Considering Yan Zhao's identity, she gave him a look, signaling him to stay back. If someone recognized him, they might think he was using his position to bully others.
"Oh, it's little Yuhan. What a coincidence, we meet here?" Thinking of this, Chen Meilan stepped forward.
Zou Jie saw Chen Meilan and greeted her with a smile, "Meilan, are you also shopping?"
Chen Meilan greeted Zou Jie and reached out to hold Wang Yuhan's hand, "Yuhan, why aren't you in your old kindergarten anymore? Which kindergarten did you transfer to?"
Wang Yuhan was still a child, influenced by her parents to bring her cousin along to bully Little Lang. Chen Meilan, who had picked up Little Lang before, used to enjoy teasing her, so she remembered Chen Meilan: "Hello, Auntie. I've transferred to Cihua Kindergarten."
"Is Cihua Kindergarten fun? Has anyone bullied our Yuhan?" Chen Meilan asked again.
Adjusting to a new kindergarten always takes time, and new friends are never as good as the old ones. Seeing Little Lang standing not far away, Wang Yuhan blurted out, "No, I want to play with Little Lang. I want to go back."
Grandma Wang, who didn't often pick up the kids, was a bit familiar but not entirely acquainted with Chen Meilan. However, upon seeing Little Lang, her face changed dramatically, and she quickly pulled Wang Yuhan away.
But Chen Meilan suddenly grabbed the little girl, smiling and said, "You find Little Lang soft and fun to hit, don't you?"
Grandma Wang sensed something was off and exclaimed, "What are you talking about, missy? My well-behaved granddaughter would never hit anyone!"
Wang Yuhan, being a little girl, was scared silly by the tug-of-war between the two women and was about to burst into tears.
At that moment, Chen Meilan bent down and grabbed the child's shoulder: "Our Yuhan didn't hit Little Lang. It was her cousin, right?"
"Yes, yes, it was the cousin," Wang Yuhan repeated.
"The cousin pushed Little Lang down the stairs and beat him up, several times even causing him to bleed, right?" Chen Meilan continued.
Wang Yuhan, in a mechanical repetition, wailed, "It wasn't Yuhan, really not."
Ma Yuan, Wang Yuhan's mother who ran a pager shop, probably got wind of the situation and came down the stairs, rushing over and exclaiming, "Oh, isn't this the wife of Director Yan from Jindong Branch Bureau? Here to bully us with your power?"
The mall was crowded, and many onlookers gathered. In such situations, controlling the narrative was crucial, as people would spread rumors, each version more exaggerated than the last.
The terms "director" and "bullying with power" were particularly effective in stirring public excitement.
In an instant, many people gathered around.
But Chen Meilan was well-prepared. She knew Ma Yuan and didn't intend to cause trouble. She simply said, "Ma Yuan, your daughter just admitted that her cousin pushed and hit Little Lang."
"I'm so scared, Mrs. Director. Your son being the bully king at kindergarten is one thing, but now you're accusing my daughter of hitting. Clearly, big leaders with protection are different from ordinary people. What, do you want to kill me? Come on, do it!" Ma Yuan instantly went into a dramatic act, tearing at her clothes as if ready to throw a tantrum.
Wang Yuhan was so scared by her mother that she burst into tears and even wet her pants.
Little Lang and Little Wang, standing not far away, also took a few steps back in fear.
Just then, Zhou Xueqin arrived, seeing the crowd and the two boys standing at the stairwell. She rolled up her sleeves and asked Little Wang, "Who hit Little Lang?" She thought teaching the bully a lesson would earn her points in her son's eyes.
Little Wang didn't respond, but Little Lang pointed and said, "That auntie."
Zhou Xueqin looked in the direction the child pointed and was stunned when she saw Ma Yuan: "Why would it be her?"
"It's her," Little Lang confirmed.
What a coincidence. Zhou Xueqin produced pagers, and Ma Yuan was her distributor. In the business world, even if Ma Yuan's child had hit Little Lang, Zhou Xueqin couldn't afford to break ties with her. After all, there were so many pager brands; if Ma Yuan got angry and switched to another brand, it would be a loss.
So in Zhou Xueqin's mind, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and protect her business.
She needed to make money, big money, and she could make up for her children later.
She even feared that Ma Yuan would recognize her and her children, leading to a fallout that would jeopardize her pager sales.
Covering her face with her small bag, she turned and slipped away.
Little Wang and Little Lang, innocent children, had no idea what Zhou Xueqin was thinking.
As their mother scurried away, Little Wang glanced back at her, feeling somewhat relieved. She was running so hastily, hiding and dodging; she probably wouldn't come looking for them again.
And at that moment, Chen Meilan opened the large envelope she was holding, revealing a series of ultrasound scans, X-rays, and photos, all of Little Lang.
Every time the child was injured, Chen Meilan took photos and had him undergo ultrasounds, X-rays, and blood tests.
In just three months, Little Lang had been beaten and had his fingers poked so many times at the hospital that they looked like sieves.
The cause? Mi De had been taken down by Yan Zhao, and the interests of his small faction were damaged, leading to this retaliation.
Chen Meilan couldn't even imagine how Little Lang and Little Wang had survived in the past without her, in an era where everyone acted based on benefits, and the police and gangsters were intertwined.
Now that the incident had occurred, it needed to be resolved once and for all.
She had to use Little Lang's beating to send a strong message to the small factions harmed by Yan Zhao, ensuring they wouldn't dare to harm the children again.
