Chapter 101: Pressing the Question: What Punishment?
Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Pressing the Question: What Punishment?
’At this moment, even though Mom was weak, she must have still loved me and Nuanyang in her heart.’
Tears streamed down Zhao Nuanyue’s face as well, but before she left, she didn’t forget to take a parting shot at that family. "Goodbye, Mom. Take care of yourself. If things get too hard in that house, you can come back. After all, you still have a son and a daughter. You don’t have to be afraid of people with foul mouths."
"Okay," Xia Yingyu said, gratified. ’She’s my daughter, through and through, always thinking of me.’
They were about to part, so Xia Yingyu quietly gave her many last-minute instructions. Then, Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuanyang got into the jeep Zhao Jinghai had arranged and returned to the courtyard house in Jincheng City.
The property, with its front and back courtyards, was very large. One courtyard even had peach trees and flowers, though it was a bit of a mess from long neglect. The furnishings in the other rooms were all intact. Zhao Nuanyue led Zhao Nuanyang through the rooms, inspecting them one by one.
However, there was no bedding, so they couldn’t possibly sleep there. Not that Zhao Nuanyue planned to stay; they were preparing to leave by train that night.
But before leaving, Zhao Nuanyue went to the neighborhood office and the property management bureau to personally verify if the transfer documents were genuine.
When she found that the official files matched the documents in her hand, Zhao Nuanyue finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had already accomplished three major things in this new life.
Her brother was still alive. Although he was traumatized by this incident, Zhao Nuanyue believed that he would get better as long as he returned to Nianqiao Village to recuperate, surrounded by beautiful scenery and his drawings.
Second, while protecting herself, she had helped an influential figure, and with his help, her and Nuanyang’s future prospects wouldn’t be too bad.
The third was this house right here. It was what their father had left for her and Nuanyang, and now it truly belonged to them.
Although life was hard, Zhao Nuanyue firmly believed that things would slowly get better.
After checking the documents, Zhao Nuanyue went to the store and used the ration tickets and money her mother had given her to buy many things. Afterward, the two of them went to see Station Chief Liu again, found several large locks at the salvage station, and replaced all the locks at their house.
When they received two train tickets from Station Chief Liu, Zhao Nuanyue finally couldn’t hold back her question. "Station Chief Liu, Zhao Jinghai tried to marry me off to Li Jianfeng’s foolish son just to curry favor with them and get a promotion. So why was he only detained for one night and then released completely unscathed?"
Looking into Zhao Nuanyue’s innocent eyes, Station Chief Liu felt a pang of guilt. But some matters weren’t about utterly destroying the enemy to claim victory; they had simply used Zhao Jinghai to maximize their own gains.
"The truth is, Zhao Jinghai is just a small fry in this matter. It wouldn’t have been difficult for us to get rid of him," Station Chief Liu explained. "But in the grand scheme of things, only by taking down Li Jianfeng can we gain control of the entire Du Xi Unit. Do you understand what I mean?"
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue had a sudden realization. Station Chief Liu and the others had saved her merely as a means to an end. Their main goal was to take down Li Jianfeng, install their own people, and seize firm control of the Du Xi Unit.
"I understand now," Zhao Nuanyue said with a nod. "Zhao Jinghai must have exposed Li Jianfeng from behind the scenes and become a witness. That’s why you agreed to protect him—in order to bring down Li Jianfeng."
"Yes, that’s more or less the gist of it," Station Chief Liu replied. "It might seem unfair to you, but try not to get bogged down in the small battles. Our objectives are much bigger, and you will eventually benefit from this."
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue gave a faint smile. "Even though Nuanyang and I were used in this matter, it’s not so bad to have been useful. We were saved, after all. If we had no value to you at all, I really would have been doomed this time, and Nuanyang’s situation wouldn’t have been much better! So, I must still thank you, and thank the organization."
Zhao Nuanyue’s words lessened the guilt in Station Chief Liu’s heart, and a smile spread across his face. "It’s rare for someone so young to understand these things so clearly," he laughed. "When you get back to Nianqiao Village, continue to protect Elder Gu. There will be rewards for you in the future."
"I will," Zhao Nuanyue replied. "And could I trouble you to keep an eye on my house in the east of the city, Station Chief Liu? It’s what my father left us. My mother, feeling guilty, has transferred the property into my and Nuanyang’s names. I’m just worried that someone might try to vandalize it while we’re away."
"Oh, so that’s it. That’s simple enough. In a couple of days, I’ll have the relevant department make a plaque that says ’Former Residence of a Martyr’ and hang it up. No one will be bold enough to mess with it then," said Station Chief Liu. "This time, although you suffered a great deal coming back, you also performed a great service. It’s not yet time to hand out rewards, but this merit will definitely be recognized in the future. My authority at this salvage station may not be great, but I can scrounge up a lot of things. Even if they’re secondhand, they’ll be very useful for you in a place like Nianqiao Village. I’ve prepared two large bags for you. Take them with you for the train tonight, and I hope you won’t mind."
Despite what Station Chief Liu said, everything inside the bags was new.
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. "You’re too kind, Station Chief Liu. Resources are so scarce right now, and these are all things we can use. We would never mind!"
"As long as you don’t mind," Station Chief Liu said with a laugh. "Go on, have something to eat. After dinner, I’ll take you to the station." He was especially pleased, as he himself had benefited from the great service Zhao Nuanyue had rendered.
Zhao Nuanyue hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Station Chief Liu, how is Hua Yusen now?"
"He deserted his post, but fortunately, he brought back important intelligence, so his merits and demerits cancel each other out," Station Chief Liu said. "However, he has other matters to attend to and hasn’t returned to Nianqiao Village yet. He disobeyed orders and broke protocol, so he will have to face the appropriate disciplinary action."
Hearing the word "punishment," Zhao Nuanyue’s heart ached. She asked anxiously, "But he only did it to save me and Nuanyang. If there’s a punishment, can it be given to me instead? I’ll work hard to atone for it."
Station Chief Liu looked at the pitiful sight before him and offered some comfort. "It’s not what you think. Protocol prevents me from saying too much, but even if Hua Yusen is punished, it won’t be too severe. For now, just go back to Nianqiao Village, do what you need to do, and take good care of those people."
After hearing Station Chief Liu’s words, Zhao Nuanyue didn’t dare ask any more questions. Still, she believed that fortune favors the righteous and that Hua Yusen would surely get through this.
’After all, he was her peerless, omnipotent hero.’