1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

"Xu Yanran, tell me yourself, what have you been like all these years? We taught you to read and write since you were little, and we taught you all sorts of etiquette, but you haven't learned a single thing properly. You're bad at studying, you have no talent, and when we asked you to learn how to do business, you didn't have the brains. You messed up so many things and then blamed us for being too strict. All you think about is shopping, eating, drinking, and having fun, or you're up to some underhanded schemes. You're always looking down on everyone and everything. You have absolutely no real skills, but you're really good at putting on airs. What's so likable about someone like you?"

"Don't tell me your cousin is an outsider. She's my daughter's child, with half the blood of the Xu family flowing in her veins. She's no different from you. If you were even a tenth as good as your cousin, I wouldn't be so biased towards her!"

Xu Yanran was clearly very dissatisfied, gritting her teeth as tears streamed down her face.

She hated it! Why didn't her grandparents like her no matter how well she did?

She's a young woman, and all she thinks about is climbing higher, meeting more capable people, and marrying an outstanding husband to bring honor to the family. Isn't that enough for her? Why don't her grandparents ever see that?

Grandpa Xu watched this scene, his gaze sharp as he looked at Second Uncle Xu. "Second son, do you think I'm too old to know about the scum you've been up to? Your sister and brother-in-law are fine except for losing their jobs. Bai Zhengxiong is dead, and the Bai family wouldn't dare to mess with our family or the Qiao family now. Do you think we still don't know what you've been doing? Do you think Boss Qiao and your older brother are pushovers?"

Uncle Xu stiffened, pursed his lips, and stubbornly denied it, "I...I really didn't!"

Seeing his pathetic state, Grandpa Xu didn't even want to talk to him anymore. He looked at Xu Yanran and said sternly, "Don't put on this pitiful look here. Nobody in the family owes you anything."

"I have carefully nurtured every child in the Xu family. It is your own fault for being lazy and idle all day long, achieving nothing. You even dare to dream of being treated the same as those hardworking, ambitious, and capable children. Don't even think about it. If you are so restless, then stay at home obediently and don't go anywhere."

"I don't..." Xu Yanran screamed.

"You want me to deal with you myself?"

Xu Yanran felt a chill run down her spine when she saw her grandfather's cold gaze. She remembered that her grandfather was the head of the household and that even her powerful uncle didn't dare to contradict him, so she immediately shut her mouth.

Auntie was about to speak, but Grandpa Xu looked at the family and knew that they hadn't learned their lesson at all.

"You don't need to do any work anymore. Come back and participate in labor properly, so that you can get rid of your bad habits."

The second uncle's family screamed in unison, but there was nothing they could do. They couldn't defy the old man. This was the ancestral home of the Xu family, and the old man had built his business here all his life. He still had connections. Unless it was a special case like Bai Zhengxiong, it would be too easy to make the second uncle of Xu lose his job.

Not long after, Xu Erjiu's family lost their jobs and their house, and had to move to their old house in the countryside to work in the fields with his parents.

By this time, it was completely dark. Lu Mingzhou went into the city to deliver pork and mutton to his two comrades. He chatted with them for a few minutes. They had already eaten, so he didn't need to stay for dinner. He simply said he was passing by, which made it easier to control the timing of his departure.

By the time he got home, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening.

On the way, he detoured to an abandoned residential area.

These are now abandoned houses, many of them collapsed beyond recognition, overgrown with weeds, and in a state of great decay.

There used to be people living here, but it was bombed and turned into a mess, so they were relocated to other places and this place was abandoned.

Lu Mingzhou found the place, went down into a dry well, and dug out a stone in the wall. Inside was a hollow hole with a wooden box inside. Lu Mingzhou took out the box and opened it. Inside were several layers of things wrapped in kraft paper, along with ten large yellow croakers and two gemstone rings.

Inside the kraft paper were the money and tickets he had hidden.

This is only a part of it. Of course, he couldn't possibly keep all his money in one place. He couldn't have killed Bai Zhengxiong and only gotten this little bit of money.

Bai Zhengxiong was rolling in money. He had known all along that he had killed many people, and he also knew that the guy was licentious and tyrannical. Many people whose homes were raided had their daughters killed by him, and many wanted revenge.

Originally, he wanted to wait until he was more fully prepared before finding an opportunity to bring him down, so that he could also improve his own connections. But since this bastard dared to covet his people, he could only send him to hell.

Only if he dies will things escalate, the Bai family will hesitate to act rashly, the girl he likes will be safe, and his future will not be affected.

He has already exposed several major issues surrounding Bai Zhengxiong. If the Qiao family can still be defeated at this point, then the Qiao and Xu families would be too useless. Even without these two families, he alone can maintain the Qiao family's status.

He arranged the people, he provided the opportunity, and he arranged for them to leave quickly. Of course, he also wanted a share of the benefits he received from Bai Zhengxiong, and he would take the lion's share.

Shouldn't we give him the lion's share?

Ah!

That means the other party has no chance of escaping!

Lu Mingzhou put some of the banknotes into his pocket, took two gold bars, put the rest back, restored the cave entrance to its original state, and left quietly.

Back at the family compound, Qiao Wanqing had already eaten dinner, and the remaining meat had been prepared and placed in the kitchen. She was currently sitting on the sofa knitting. The TV was on in the living room, and she was waiting for him on the sofa. It was a very ordinary scene, but every time Lu Mingzhou saw it, his heart felt warm.

On the battlefield, he had imagined countless times what kind of life he would lead after starting a family, and now, it seemed even better than he had imagined.

When Qiao Wanqing saw him return, she smiled and said, "You're back! The food's in the pot!"

Lu Mingzhou nodded, went to the kitchen to quickly eat dinner, cleaned up, and came back to find his wife still knitting. He turned off the TV and took her upstairs.

"It's late, let's go upstairs!"

It was indeed getting late, so Qiao Wanqing followed him upstairs.

Once inside the bedroom, Lu Mingzhou closed the door, then closed the window and drew the curtains before approaching Qiao Wanqing and taking out the money from his pocket to hand to her.

"Wife, here you go!"

Qiao Wanqing was shocked when she saw the thick stack of money and tickets, as well as two large yellow croakers. She involuntarily lowered her voice and asked, "Where...where did you get this?"

Lu Mingzhou laughed and said, "I earned it. I saw that you haven't dared to spend any money lately, so I just went and got some back. I have enough money for you to spend. Don't worry about not being able to afford to raise the children in the future. Spend as you like, just be careful not to be too ostentatious, so as not to cause trouble."

"Marrying me is already a hardship for you, so I can't make you even more careful with money. This is just part of it. I have some more, but I didn't dare take too much, in case something happens. You can take this first and buy more things for our wedding."

After saying that, he added, "Buy it secretly."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."