The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Tang Qu slowly sat back down in his chair, looking as if he had suddenly aged several years.

He took out his cigarette case, pulled out a Pegasus brand cigarette, struck several matches to light it, took a deep drag, and his face became blurry in the swirling smoke.

"Qi Weiwei, you don't call us Dad or Mom anymore, very well! You've completely disowned us?"

He exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice hoarse.

"You're quite the actor. You've been pretending to be gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest for so many years, fooling us all. Today, you're finally showing your true colors, aren't you?"

Qi Weiwei sat back down, looking at him through the smoke: "Director Tang, you flatter me. Compared to your Tang family's ability to scheme against us to the point of near ruin, what is my little act?"

Tang Qu's fingers, which were holding a cigarette, trembled slightly, and ash fell onto the table.

"I can release the person." He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "But the money... 1,100 yuan is not a small amount, and I can't raise it in a short time."

"Then write an IOU." Qi Weiwei wouldn't budge an inch. "It'll be in black and white, with your name on it and your fingerprint on it."

Tang Qu looked at her with a sinister gaze: "An IOU? I, Tang Qu, have never written an IOU in my entire life!"

"Then let's fight to the death."

Qi Weiwei met his gaze.

"Director Tang, your current position must have been hard-won, right?"

The director of the land division committee is the object of envy and jealousy for many.

If this matter concerning your son gets out, do you think you can escape unscathed?

Harboring criminals, condoning adultery, and disrupting military marriages...

Any one of these is enough to give you a hard time.

At that point, forget about your director position; even retiring peacefully will be a problem.

Every word was like a needle piercing Tang Qu's most painful spot.

Of course he knows how dangerous it is.

Over the years, relying on his position in the quarrying committee, he has made things difficult for many people and offended a great many.

Once he falls out of power, there will be no shortage of people who will kick him while he's down.

Moreover, Tang Aijun is his only son. If he were to be executed for this, the Tang family line would end!

The cigarette burned out between his fingers, scalding them, before Tang Qu snapped back to reality and stubbed it out in the enamel ashtray.

"Pen, paper," he said in a hoarse voice.

Qi Weiwei took out the letter paper and pen she had prepared in advance from her handbag.

Tang Qu took the pen, his fingers trembling slightly.

He spread out the letter paper, hesitated for a moment, then looked up and asked, "What...should I write about?"

"Just write, 'Due to family matters, I owe Comrade Qi Weiwei RMB 1,100, which I will repay within three months.'" Qi Weiwei had already thought it through.

"Family matters?" Tang Qu frowned. "Too vague."

"Just write this." Qi Weiwei's tone left no room for argument. "Writing it too clearly won't do either of us any good."

Tang Qu stared at her for a few seconds, then finally lowered his head and began to write.

The pen nib scratched across the letter paper, making a soft, hissing sound.

He wrote very slowly, each stroke deliberate, as if every word weighed a ton.

IOU

I owe Comrade Qi Weiwei RMB 1,100 due to family matters. I promise to repay the debt within three months (starting from today).

Debtor: Tang Qu

November 18, 1975

After he finished writing, he took out ink from the drawer and pressed his red handprint heavily on his name.

Qi Weiwei picked up the IOU and looked at it carefully.

The handwriting is somewhat messy, but the content is correct, and the signature and fingerprint are clear.

She folded the IOU neatly and carefully placed it into the inner pocket of her handbag.

"Now, can we release them?" she asked.

Tang Qu leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they were filled with a mixture of exhaustion and ruthlessness.

"I'll make the call," he said, "but you'd better remember, Qi Weiwei, if you dare utter a single word about what happened today, or if that so-called 'evidence' appears in a place it shouldn't be..."

"Don't worry." Qi Weiwei stood up, interrupting his threat, "I just want my parents to be safe, and I just want the money I'm owed. I have no interest in spreading the dirty secrets of your Tang family. But—"

She walked to the door and looked back at Tang Qu one last time:

"Director Tang, you should remember this too."

From this day forward, I sever all ties with the Tang family.

I will divorce Tang Aijun.

Those two children, your Tang family can take them back yourselves.

"If you dare lay a finger on any member of the Qi family again, I, Qi Weiwei, swear that even if it means mutual destruction, I will drag the entire Tang family down to hell."

After saying that, she opened the door and walked out without looking back.

The chill in the hallway swept over her, but Qi Weiwei felt the pent-up frustration in her chest finally dissipate a little.

She walked down the stairs step by step, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway, firm and powerful.

Upon reaching the first floor, Qi Zhuangzhuang immediately rushed out from the shadows at the stairwell entrance, looking her up and down: "Are you alright, Weiwei? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

"It's alright, big brother." Qi Weiwei shook her head and grasped Qi Zhuangzhuang's hand, which was cold from nervousness. "Let's go back to Grandpa and Grandma's house first. Mom and Dad... will be back tonight."

Qi Zhuangzhuang's eyes lit up immediately: "Really? Tang Qu agreed?"

"Mm." Qi Weiwei nodded and glanced back at the window on the third floor.

Behind the curtains, a figure seemed to flash by.

She turned her head and looked up at the gray sky in the distance.

We've taken the first step.

Next, I just need to wait for my parents to come home, and then... completely sever ties with the Tang family.

And her daughters, Dandan and Xixi, she wanted to bring them back in style, so that everyone would know that they were her precious darlings, Qi Weiwei's treasures.

As for Tang Aijun, Tang Tiantian, and those two children...

Qi Weiwei touched the IOU in her pocket, a cold smile curving her lips.

There's still a long way to go.

Let's calculate it slowly.

The two walked out of the residential compound side by side and boarded the bus.

Qi Weiwei leaned against the car window, watching the familiar street scenes flash by, planning her next steps.

Divorce is necessary, but in this day and age, it's not an easy thing.

However, with evidence of Tang Aijun and Tang Tiantian's adultery, this is no longer a problem.

The key is how to operate in a way that protects yourself and your family to the greatest extent possible, while making those two scoundrels pay the price.

And that 1,100 yuan.

Although Tang Qu wrote an IOU, he's a greedy person and definitely won't pay back the money easily.

We need to find a way to force him to pay back immediately...

She wouldn't take a single penny of the Tang family's money, but she would get back every last penny from those who had schemed against her!

Just then, the bus arrived at the stop.

Qi Weiwei and Qi Zhuangzhuang got off the car. It was still a ten-minute walk to their grandparents' small courtyard in the suburbs.

As soon as they got out of the car, the two saw Ling Heping leaning against the door of a military jeep, anxiously looking around.

Upon seeing them, Ling Heping's eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over to greet them.

"Weiwei, Zhuangzhuang, how are you?" he asked urgently.

"It's settled." Qi Weiwei said succinctly, "Tang Qu agreed to release them, and my parents will be able to go home before midnight tonight."

Ling Heping visibly relaxed, but his brows remained furrowed: "He didn't give you any trouble, did he? I've heard Tang Qu is a very cunning person!"