RYEY – Chapter 185 A Good Opportunity

Qiu Jianguo had no idea that he no longer had a home. After the doctor discharged him, he first went to the Public Security Bureau to confirm he was fine, then made a fuss about divorcing Daying. Feeling relieved, he happily headed back home.

But when he pulled out his key to open the door, no matter how he tried, the lock wouldn’t budge. The neighbor aunt next door quickly came over and told him that his father had already sold the house.

“Sold it? Then what about all the things inside?”

“Your dad dumped everything belonging to the four of you by the open space near the communal water room. Go pick them up yourself. If you wait another two days, nobody will bother to watch over them anymore.”

It turned out that Qiu Min’s father had even given the neighbor fifty cents to help keep an eye on the belongings—ten cents a day. After five days, she didn’t need to care anymore.

Qiu Jianguo stared helplessly at the locked door, suddenly overcome with panic. If he hadn’t divorced earlier, he could at least have stayed at his father-in-law’s place for a few days. But now…

“Auntie, please watch over my things for me. I’ll go find my father.”

Qiu Jianguo rushed toward his father’s factory. He had to ask that old man why he had sold the house without even discussing it with him.

Meanwhile, Cheng Liguo was standing at the edge of the windbreak forest, looking at the endless expanse of sand. The only way to stop desertification was to plant more greenery.

But whenever he planted a hundred saplings, a sandstorm would sweep through, wiping them out completely. After several such failures, Cheng Liguo fell into deep thought—only to be interrupted by someone saying that the office director wanted to see him.

Cheng Liguo felt nervous. He quickly recalled his recent work performance—he hadn’t made any mistakes, had he? But since someone had come to fetch him, he had to go.

“Reporting to the Director: Cheng Liguo present!”

He stood at attention with perfect military posture, which pleased Director Shi from the office. What a pity that this man had been wronged—otherwise, someone like him could have been of great use in the construction of the windbreak forest.

“Comrade Cheng Liguo, hello. Get yourself ready. A car will come for you in three hours.”

“Director Shi, may I ask where they’re taking me and for what purpose?”

“Well, I received a phone call from someone named Li Bing. He said there’s something important and you need to go to the garrison. The car will arrive in three hours. You should go back and prepare, then return here on time.”

“This…”

For days, Cheng Liguo had felt like someone was secretly helping him behind the scenes. Now he understood—it was Li Bing all along.

In good spirits, he returned to his cave dwelling, scooped water to wash his hands and face, and changed into clean clothes. While fixing his hair in the mirror, he pondered.

Though he didn’t know what this was about, Li Bing surely wouldn’t harm him. Thinking about it over and over brought no answers, so he simply decided not to dwell on it.

“Hello, Uncle Cheng. I’m Li Bing.”

The screech of brakes sounded outside. A man in uniform stepped in. He had a square, solid face—though not exactly handsome, it radiated dignity.

The moment Li Bing saw Cheng Liguo, he felt a sense of familiarity—of course, it came from Cheng Qiao, as father and daughter bore quite a resemblance.

“Hello, Comrade Li Bing.”

They shook hands. Then Li Bing turned to Director Shi, who had stood up, and shook his hand as well in gratitude. Noticing the insignia of two bars and one star on Li Bing’s shoulder, Director Shi realized he was a battalion commander and immediately offered both hands in greeting.

“Director Shi, thank you for your help today. I’ll take Comrade Cheng Liguo with me. Tomorrow, at this time, I’ll return him.”

“Of course, of course.”

Cheng Liguo followed Li Bing into the car. Only then did Li Bing explain that Xia Fen had arrived—she was here to process a divorce with him.

Cheng Liguo was shocked. Wasn’t divorce supposed to be handled at the local Civil Affairs Bureau? Besides, he didn’t even bring their marriage certificate—how could they divorce?

But as a former deputy director of a large steel factory, he knew some matters could be handled as exceptions. Considering the status of the person backing him, it must be someone of considerable influence.

“I’d like to know who’s behind this,” Cheng Liguo whispered to Li Bing.

“Ye Chengying.”

At that name, Cheng Liguo’s heart warmed. So his old leader had not forgotten him after all. If he ever regained his freedom, he must repay him well.

The car stopped in front of a building. Cheng Liguo got out, and Li Bing led him into a spacious room, telling him to wait while he fetched officials from the local Civil Affairs Bureau.

Xia Fen, meanwhile, was still drowning in the pain of being betrayed by her own daughter. Like a walking corpse, she was escorted onto a train, then off again onto a truck, and finally locked into a small room.

“I need to pee! Let me out to pee!”

Seeing that she was the only one taken off the truck and locked into this small room, Xia Fen felt something was terribly wrong. A nameless fear gripped her, and she pounded on the door, shouting.

But no one responded. Inside the room was a chamber pot—if she needed to go, she could use that. No one would care.

After knocking for a long while without an answer, Xia Fen slumped into a corner, staring blankly at the door, imagining what torment awaited her.

Suddenly the door opened. Two young soldiers stood there and ordered her to follow. She quickly scrambled up and trailed them to another room.

“Reporting: Xia Fen has been brought.”

“Let her in.”

Xia Fen stepped inside. The first thing she saw was Cheng Liguo, dressed in a thick cotton coat, calmly seated behind a table with three soldiers at his side.

“Liguo! So Cheng Qiao wasn’t lying—you really became a factory director here?”

“Xia Fen, sit down. I’ll ask you a few questions.”

“Alright, alright, ask away. I’ll answer honestly.”

“Why did you report me?”

Xia Fen’s heart sank. How could she answer? Should she say it was revenge for sending her daughter to the countryside? Or because she wanted him out of the way? Either way, it was hopeless.

No—she couldn’t say that. Here, alone and helpless, such words would be a death sentence.

“It wasn’t me who wanted to report you. Someone told me to do it—I had no choice.”

“Who told you to report me? Why did you have no choice?”

“It was Xu Laidi’s mother. She said if I reported you, my daughter Wang Ping wouldn’t have to go to the countryside. But she tricked me.”

“And that English book used to report me—where did you find it?”

Another jolt of panic. If she said she found it in his room, that would contradict what she had just claimed.

Her eyes darted about, then she decided to protect herself and said Xu Laidi’s mother had given her the English book to frame Cheng Liguo.

“That Xu Laidi’s mother—isn’t her name Liu Peili?”

“Yes, yes. Liu Peili said her husband had friends in the steel factory who could help get Wang Ping’s name removed from the list. And besides, you said you wanted to divorce me, so…”

“So you slandered me, accused me of hiding foreign books, and called me a spy inside the steel factory.”

“Liguo, I was wrong. I won’t ever dare again.”

“Since you admit to framing me, then sign this document.”

Xia Fen took the pen, about to write her name—when she suddenly froze. Lifting her head, she looked at Cheng Liguo with calculating eyes. Such a good opportunity—how could she not make use of it?