Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 313 The Truth About to Surface

With Wang Chengpeng's intervention, Wang Chun'an's punishment was announced quickly, and he even returned home that same day.

Seeing Wang Chun'an return, Zhao Yuju was extremely pleased and deliberately shouted at the top of her lungs:

"Chun'an, you're finally back."

"Acquitted, huh? I told you there's nothing in this world I can't solve with money."

Despite Zhao Yuju's current arrogant demeanor, she is actually incredibly guilty and hasn't even dared to tell Wang Degong that she paid someone to pull strings.

Father, like son!

Many scams go unnoticed when you're actually in the thick of it, but once you look back, you can quickly realize that something is amiss.

For example, why did I happen to run into "Captain Wang" just as I left the teahouse?
For example, why is it that Wang Chun'an is scheduled to be transferred tomorrow morning?
For example, why can something that I couldn't solve with three thousand yuan be solved with two thousand two hundred yuan?

……

When Zhao Yuju came to her senses, her face turned ashen, and she immediately wanted to rush to Hetian Town to fight Zhou Delai to the death.

That was the last bit of money her family had left. How could it have been swindled away by this damned fraudster?

She was still clinging to a sliver of hope, gambling on that one in a billion chance, and decided to wait until tomorrow. If Wang Chun'an still hadn't returned, she would then go to the police station to report him missing.

Many things haven't reached the point of no return, but it's precisely because of the people involved' wishful thinking that they escalate until they become completely irreversible.

So when Zhao Yuju saw Wang Chun'an return, her first reaction was not joy, but rather astonishment.

He then became smug, thinking to himself that he was indeed the most capable person in the family.

The fact that others can't accomplish something even with a lot of money, but I managed to do it with a little money, is the best proof of my abilities.

Little did Zhao Yuju know that what awaited her was merely a sugar-coated bullet; once she licked away the sugar coating, that would be the moment when the carefully prepared bomb exploded.

However, despite Zhao Yuju's surprise, Wang Chun'an showed no joy whatsoever and immediately began to complain to her:

"Grandma, did you take care of this?"

"What exactly happened to you? I may have been released, but I'm not safe and sound."

"I was sentenced to two years in prison, with a one-year suspended sentence. That will leave a record on my file."

Upon hearing Wang Chun'an's words, Zhao Yuju was immediately taken aback. She was about to say, "How come this is different from what we agreed on?"
However, she discovered that Zhou Delai had only promised to help her rescue Wang Chun'an from beginning to end, but had not said that he would release him without charge.

Thinking this, Zhao Yuju gently comforted him, "Chun'an, don't think too much, it's good that you're back."

"After all, you haven't actually gone to jail yet, so the impact on you isn't that significant."

"And Ya Fang, she's been waiting for you to come back so you can go to her parents' house to pick her up."

“You’re alright now, and tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so it’s a good time to bring her back.”

Faced with Zhao Yuju's attempts to comfort him, Wang Chun'an erupted in a hysterical roar:

"Good? I'm in a very bad state right now!"

"What do you mean it won't have much of an impact? I'll be an unclean person from now on."

Why were you so biased towards your younger brother back then, giving him all the good things?

"I spent several thousand yuan on my brother, and all I wanted was a bracelet. How did you treat me back then?"

"Why can you spend so much money on him, but I can't even get a bracelet?"

Upon hearing Wang Chun'an's roar, Zhao Yuju was instinctively stunned.

After Wang Chun'an overheard her conversation with Wang Jinshan, he did take some action. However, he was caught red-handed by Zhao Yuju while searching for the bracelet, and Zhao Yuju scolded him for it.

Little did anyone know that Wang Chun'an, who seemed not to care at the time, had actually planted the seeds of hatred in his heart, which quickly took root and sprouted, completely burning away his reason.

Zhao Yuju reached out her hand, wanting to give Wang Chun'an a hug, but Wang Chun'an dodged it by turning to the side.

Seeing the hatred in the other person's eyes, Zhao Yuju turned pale and began to explain in a trembling voice:
"Chun'an, how could you think that way?"

“We’ve said it before: we gave the job to Xia An simply because he was more suitable.”

"You know there's still money at home, so we can help you get a job later, which will be an easy thing."

With a cold snort, Wang Chun'an glanced disdainfully at Wang Xia'an's room.

"Suitable? He's more suitable than me, so how did he end up being fired?"

Wang Chun'an's words immediately rendered Zhao Yuju speechless. She wanted to explain further, but then she heard Wang Chun'an speak again, dissatisfied:

"The family spent a full three thousand yuan to help my brother get out of trouble."

"That was a job at a sugar factory, with a bright future ahead of it. Look at what he did this time, he actually managed to get that job by cursing people out of it."

"His actions have already proven that he is unworthy of this job, but what did you do?"

"Instead of giving him a proper talking-to, you're planning to spend a lot of money to get him back to work just because he ran away from home once."

"That's three thousand yuan! Give me that money, and I'll do anything with it!"

“I didn’t want three thousand yuan, I was just going to take a bracelet that was only worth a few hundred yuan, but you scolded me like that.”

"Even if we take a step back and say that my brother has already wasted one opportunity, why not help me find a job this time?"

Wang Chun'an glared hatefully at Zhao Yuju and continued to sob:

"If you have no ability or skill, why do you try to show off by doing those worthless things?"

"If you had any ability, you would have given away that three thousand yuan. How could I have possibly robbed you afterward?"

Wang Chun'an's unreasonable yet assertive words left Zhao Yuju speechless. For the first time, she realized that even someone as eloquent as herself could be speechless.

Wang Chun'an was, after all, her grandson, so she couldn't say anything too harsh and could only continue to explain:
"Chun'an, how could you think that way?"

“We are a family, how can we calculate our interests so clearly?”

"You're the older brother, and the family has always treated you well. How can you be so calculating about everything?"

Wang Chun'an strongly disagreed with Zhao Yuju's teachings, saying:

"Family? What, does being family give you the right to infringe upon my interests with impunity?"

"That's fine too. You spent so much money on me and so much money on Wang Xia'an, and now we've both become useless. This is the fairest plan."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Chun'an ignored Zhao Yuju and rushed straight to his room.

Watching Wang Chun'an's furious, raging figure, Zhao Yuju's eyes were filled with disbelief as she murmured:

"That's not how it is, a family isn't like that."

In a daze, she seemed to recall what Wang Chengpeng had said:
"If a family calculates everything so meticulously, then what's the difference between us and strangers?"

The teachings of Zhao Yuju and Wang Jinshan were like an invisible seed, quietly planted in the lives of Wang Chun'an and Wang Xia'an.

Those seemingly insignificant little things in daily life—Wang Jinshan's petty grievances with his neighbors,

Zhao Yuju's sharp and sarcastic remarks while gossiping at the village entrance

The exploitation of the Wang Yinshan and Wang Tieshan families

The practice of prioritizing interests over family ties
These actions were like drops of poison, eventually seeping into the hearts of the two children.

Over time, these seeds eventually bore a deadly fruit, clinging tightly to the home like vines, making it hard to breathe.

The upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked!
After figuring everything out, Zhao Yuju's face turned deathly pale, as if she had been drained of all her blood.

Her body swayed suddenly, her legs went weak, and she ended up sitting down on the ground.

Her palms rested on the cold, muddy ground, her fingertips trembling slightly, her eyes vacant as if she had lost her soul.

"What a disaster! How did things get to this point?"

Zhao Yuju's voice trembled, filled with despair and regret.

Her cries echoed in the courtyard, as if she were shouting out all the pain in her heart.

The yard was empty, except for a few sparrows that had been startled and flown away; there was no other response.

Images from the past kept flashing through her mind:
Wang Jinshan argued heatedly with his neighbor over a few kilograms of grain;

In order to save a few work points, she secretly hid the village's farm tools;

They themselves ate meat and fine grains, and were all fat and chubby, while the Wang Yinshan and Wang Tieshan families were starving and emaciated.

And all these years, the smug look on his and Wang Jinshan's faces in front of their two children after they've benefited from each other...

These images were like knives, stabbing deeply into her heart.

Zhao Yuju finally couldn't hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the muddy ground, splashing up a small patch of dust.

She raised her hand and pounded her chest hard, her voice hoarse:

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault! Why didn't I understand sooner?"

But her regret came too late.

Wang Chun'an and Wang Xia'an have gone astray, like two crooked trees that, no matter how much they are pruned, can never return to their original state.

Zhao Yuju sat on the ground, crying her heart out, but her cries could no longer bring peace back to the family.

However, at that very moment, a choked voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Yuju, is this you? What's wrong with you? Why are you crying all alone here?"

Zhao Yuju's crying stopped abruptly, as if someone had choked her.

She looked up in surprise, her vision blurred with tears, and saw two people standing at the gate of the courtyard.

The man in front was wearing a smart Zhongshan suit, shiny leather shoes, and a fine cane.

His hair was neatly combed, his face showed concern, but his eyes were somewhat fidgety.

The man next to him was dressed in a dark long robe, carrying a leather suitcase, and bowed slightly, looking respectful, like the servant of the man in front.

Zhao Yuju was stunned. She rubbed her eyes hard, thinking she had seen wrong.

But the man in front of her clearly resembled Guo Wei from her memories—the man who had haunted her dreams in her youth.

However, Guo Wei's face was now covered with wrinkles, deep crow's feet were around his eyes, and several lines of time were etched on his forehead.

Although his hair was combed meticulously, his temples were already turning white, as if they had been hit by frost.

Those eyes that once captivated her have now become much more cloudy, their youthful sharpness replaced by a sense of vicissitude and weariness.

Although time has left its mark on Guo Wei's face, making him look much older than he was remembered, his refined and scholarly demeanor remains unchanged.

Looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, Zhao Yuju felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

She remembered that when Guo Wei was young, he always wore a clean white shirt, his hair was neatly combed, and when he smiled, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, giving him a scholarly air.

At that time, he was one of the few educated people in the village. He spoke gently and acted methodically, which made her fall in love with him at first sight.

“Guo…Guo Wei?” Zhao Yuju’s voice trembled, tinged with uncertainty.

The man nodded, a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes held a complex emotion that was hard to conceal.

His voice was deep and gentle, as if carrying the weight of years, as he slowly spoke:
“It’s me, Yuju. After all these years, I’ve finally found you.”

He paused, his gaze lowered slightly, as if recalling something, his tone tinged with helplessness and regret:

"My family was pressuring me to leave back then, so I had no choice but to leave early."

"You know, my parents have always hoped that I could go to another place to develop my career and find a girl of equal social standing to marry."

"But I... I can't let you go in my heart."

As he spoke, his voice choked with emotion, and he raised his hand to gently wipe the corner of his eye, as if trying to erase the tears he didn't want anyone to see.

His fingers trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was somewhat agitated, but he still tried to remain calm.

"But when I wanted to come back to find you, I couldn't find you anywhere in Zhoujia Village."

"Everyone in the village says you married a suitable man and are living a happy life."

"After thinking about it, I've decided not to bother you and let you continue to live a happy life."

Although his tone was calm, every word seemed to be squeezed out from the bottom of his heart, carrying a deep sense of helplessness and forbearance.

His gaze never left Zhao Yuju's face, his eyes filled with a hint of longing and reluctance, as if he wanted to imprint her image deeply in his mind.

“But…” He suddenly stopped, his throat felt like it was blocked, and his voice became a little hoarse, “But all these years, I have never truly let go of you.”

“Occasionally, when I look in the direction of Zhoujia Village, I can’t help but take a few more glances, wondering if you are still there, if you still like to sit under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, staring blankly at the distant mountains, just like before.”

As he spoke, he took out a quick portrait sketch from his pocket and carefully handed it to Zhao Yuju.

The photo shows a young woman wearing a floral print dress, smiling brightly.

That's what Zhao Yuju looked like when she was young. The corners of the photo are worn, clearly indicating that it has been handled repeatedly.

“I’ve always carried this portrait with me; I drew it from memory.” His voice was low and trembling slightly. “Every time I miss you, I take it out to look at it.”

"But I know you already have your own life, and I shouldn't bother you anymore."

After Guo Wei finished speaking, he let out a long sigh, as if he wanted to release all the emotions that had been building up in his heart for many years.

His eyes held a hint of relief, yet also a deep sense of reluctance.

His fingers unconsciously rubbed the handle of his cane, as if trying to hide the turmoil in his heart.

(End of this chapter)