Finally, on her third birthday—a third birthday filled with memories—He Ning'an celebrated with her beloved mother in the way she wanted.

I was so happy that I got home a little late.

As Yu Lian led the child into the house, she saw a scene that made her heart skip a beat—An'an's grandparents were sitting upright in the main hall, waiting for them.

Hello, Grandpa and Grandma.

The two elders smiled at their grandson's greeting and then had someone take An'an upstairs.

When she expected a barrage of insults, Li Ying's tone was surprisingly calm. It seemed she had finally given in after years of struggle: "From today onwards, you will take care of the child until the time is right, at which point the He family will allow you to leave."

Yu Lian never expected that they came to talk about this.

And they didn't stay long. After a brief exchange, the two left quietly without even saying goodbye to their grandson. Even the maid who was specifically there to monitor her left with them.

Yu Lian tentatively "acted recklessly," and indeed no one paid any attention to her.

Just when she thought she could live as she pleased, that dream started haunting her. It wasn't until the events of the dream happened to her sister that she had to start taking it seriously.

In order to even out the debts and to ensure that An'an could grow up safely and healthily, she plunged headlong into the battle to settle things with the He family.

Thinking about this, Yu Lian realized a fact—if anyone should be the rightful owner of the jade pendant, it should be her own An'an. If An'an hadn't cried so much, the hidden space within the jade pendant wouldn't have appeared.

However, remembering that An'an is still just a child, she dared not let him try. Perhaps he could inherit the space when he grows up, or when she herself grows old.

Yu Lian lowered her head, thinking about things a long, long time from now.

Her deep thoughts touched He Lin's heart, causing it to tremble and making him unable to stop his mind from wandering.

……

the next day.

The police arrested Jiang Qingke, who was hiding at her parents' home.

Gu Ran used his connections to escalate the matter, eventually reaching the higher authorities. The news even leaked out and reached the public's ears.

This incident caused quite a stir.

Rotten eggs were hanging all over the Jiang family's gate, and rotten vegetable leaves and red paint were scattered around the entrance.

Since the educated youth returned to the cities, too many young people have been unemployed. Finally, a company with several thousand jobs moved in, and everyone was hoping to get a piece of the pie, but it was ruined by a bunch of bad apples.

The people who were furious came from all walks of life. They were disorganized and disorderly, and they didn't care about day or night.

The Jiang family dared only hide inside the house and didn't even dare to go out into the yard. Because there were people guarding outside at all times, as soon as they heard any movement in the yard, they would immediately throw in fist-sized stones, breaking many of the roof tiles.

I reported it to the police, but they can't stay around all the time; they always manage to find an opportunity to cause trouble.

The situation outside was not peaceful, and the situation inside was no less chaotic, with a great deal of noise.

But now the two sisters-in-law have the upper hand. Both sisters-in-law feel that their husbands are unreliable, and in order to avenge their younger sister, they have now dragged their whole families into this mess. They are all taking their children back to their parents' homes, and they have threatened to divorce if the issue is not resolved.

The two were so angry that they scratched their heads in frustration.

But these two sisters-in-law were clearly kept in the dark at the most crucial moment. They left with their child, only to be taken away by the investigation team shortly afterward. The two retired parents were left alone at home, and were so angry they nearly fainted.

Outside the investigation room.

Fang Zhizhang looked at his wife and advised, "Confess honestly and try to get out as soon as possible."

Jiang Qing was hateful, but she didn't regret it: "I know I've dragged you into this. Next time you come, bring your divorce papers, or I'll apply for it myself."

In the end, Fang Zhizhang said nothing, nodded slightly, and quietly left.

After the person left, Jiang Qingke could no longer hold back her tears and burst into sobs. She had only been testing him, but she hadn't expected Fang Zhizhang to be so heartless.

She believed everything she did was for him, but now this was the result. Tears of regret streamed down her face, and her clenched fists tightened again and again.

The situation in the interrogation room next door was similar. The two brothers were now filled with regret and even started blaming each other, each claiming that the other was the mastermind behind the scheme.

This farce didn't last long, as irrefutable evidence was gradually uncovered as they shifted blame. From that initial statement, hatred ignited the subsequent massive upheaval.

This thorough investigation not only cleared away all the obstacles in Yu Lian's path, but also cleaned out dozens or even hundreds of corrupt officials in her husband's department.

In early July, Yu Lian arrived at the women's prison.

Jiang Qingke was escorted all the way to her before being released.

Looking at her former enemy, Jiang Qingke held back her tears.

Yu Lian didn't care at all. If she hadn't been too busy with work, she could have come and talked to her as soon as she was captured.

"To see me make a fool of myself?"

Yu Lian shrugged indifferently: "Think what you want. But no matter what you think, you're the loser right now."

"Hahaha, you better not let me go out. If I do, I'll drag you down with me even if it kills me."

Yu Lian had originally intended to sit down and have a calm talk with her, but now it seemed unnecessary. She had some rationality left, but only a fraction of it remained.

"Jiang Qingke, you're reaping what you sowed, yet you still try to pin the blame on me. Do we even know each other? Are we even close? If you're simply jealous of my abilities and family, you can just admit it openly, instead of making up a bunch of excuses to shift the blame onto others and justify your crimes."

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

Looking at the person whose sore spot she had hit, Yu Lian continued to add insult to injury: "Jiang Qingke, you fell for He Lin when he gave a speech at your school, right? But do you know what? He Lin was already in love with me back then. You tried everything to make things difficult for me and embarrass me, but in the end, it only made him hate you more. Do you know that your aunt's career and your own studies were ruined by He Lin himself because you offended me?"

She spoke without any smugness or victorious air, simply recounting these things—the career and honors that Jiang Qingke considered incredibly important.

Her attitude alone was enough to make Jiang Qing uneasy. What's more, these truths were like sharp swords, piercing her deeply.

In her excitement, the thought of dying together with others crossed her mind. Unfortunately, hatred overwhelmed her reason. Her hands and feet were now shackled, and even the simple act of standing up caused her to stumble several times.

Yu Lian stepped back, but the table in the middle blocked her from moving further.

Soon, the prison guards had her completely under control. Being pinned to the ground and subjected to such humiliating treatment caused Jiang Qingke to lose all dignity in front of them.

The moment she burst into tears, it signaled the end of everything.

Two weeks later, the verdict regarding Jiang Qingke became known throughout the city: he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, deprived of his political rights for five years, and his property was confiscated.

Jiang Qingke's two brothers, as state employees, abused their positions to provide her with assistance, constituting the crime of dereliction of duty—state employees colluding with criminals are treated as accomplices. In addition to corresponding civil compensation, they will be deprived of their political rights for five years and, upon their release, permanently banned from working within the system.

Upon hearing the news, the elderly couple from the Jiang family were so angry that they both ended up in the hospital, nearly dying, and their hair turned white overnight.

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