RIRW – Chapter 197

Some Chapters are password protected, please use - rirw2025c to unlock these chapters. This is to top theft of translations.

Li Wenchang was dumbfounded upon hearing her accusations, his entire face filled with disbelief.

He had never imagined that this was how his daughter saw him.

All these years, sure, he hadn’t raised her and her mother, but he had tried his best. He had lost his job because of Caiping, and even now, the reason he couldn’t find work was because she had framed him and landed him in prison.

He had forgiven Caiping again and again for the sake of this family.

And in the end, was this all he got in return? That he was useless?

“In your heart, this is the kind of father I am? You used to say I was your support…” Li Wenchang wiped away his tears.

This was his only daughter.

Li Xue bit her lip and said, “That was in the past. All I know is, I can’t rely on you now. I have to find a way to rely on my mom. Otherwise, my life is over. Don’t worry, once I go abroad, I’ll send you money.”

Anyway, she hadn’t left yet—anyone can say pretty words. Once she was gone, who would care about him? Completely useless.

Li Wenchang shouted through tears, “I don’t care! I don’t want Guo Caiping’s money!”

Li Xue rolled her eyes. “Then do you even have any money now? I still have to go out. There’s barely anything to eat at home. You’re not expecting me to eat porridge again, are you? Who even eats that anymore? Other families are all eating white rice.”

Li Wenchang numbly took some money from his pocket and handed it to her.

Li Xue took the money and left without even glancing back at him. If it weren’t for the money and needing a place to stay, she wouldn’t have come back to this dump.

After some effort, Li Xue finally figured out the process for going abroad and began preparing to go to Beijing City.

She just needed to inquire at the embassy to find out where her mom had gone all those years ago.

When she came back to pack her things, Li Wenchang had already gone out to look for work. She didn’t plan to wait for him anyway. After rummaging through the house and finding no money, she packed her bags and went to the Guo family instead. She couldn’t go to Beijing City without money.

The Guo family had always believed Guo Caiping was enjoying a good life overseas, so they treated Li Xue decently—hoping that when Guo Caiping returned to see her daughter, she’d help out her maiden family. But when Li Xue said she wanted to borrow money to go abroad, the eldest Guo sister-in-law’s first reaction was to refuse.

What if she went abroad and never came back? Who would repay the money?

Li Xue said, “Aunt, just lend me the money. If I find my mom overseas, I’ll remember your kindness. I’ll even help my cousins go abroad in the future. Besides, isn’t my dad still here? He can help repay the money too.”

The sister-in-law thought about it and realized that was true. Li Wenchang might not care about Guo Caiping anymore, but he couldn’t possibly turn his back on his only daughter. If the daughter owed money, he’d have to repay it.

“Alright then. Write me a promissory note. In case your dad denies it, I’ll show it to him.”

Li Xue agreed without a second thought. She wasn’t the one repaying it anyway.

After writing the note, she borrowed two hundred yuan—after all, she was going abroad, and a small amount wouldn’t do. Though it pained her, the sister-in-law handed over the money. “Xiao Xue, when you see your mom abroad, tell her not to forget her family.”

“Got it, Aunt,” Li Xue said, stuffing the money into her pocket and leaving immediately.

After leaving, she didn’t bother to say goodbye to Li Wenchang. She went straight to buy a ticket and boarded the train to Beijing City.

Over at Beijing University, Zuo Dan had been quite busy lately. She was attending all sorts of academic conferences with Professor Qin and also had to keep up with her studies.

She felt like a spinning top, constantly in motion. She couldn’t afford to stop—any pause meant falling behind.

At times like these, Zuo Dan truly felt how hard it was being a woman. Pregnancy made many jobs inconvenient, and even after giving birth, she had to breastfeed.

Shen Zhuzhu, the baby, was quite clever too. Three meals of milk a day, never missing one. If she missed even one, she’d start fussing with her little voice.

Everyone in the family treated her like a precious gem. Whenever she acted like that, their hearts ached.

Her grandfather, Chen Zhisen, came up with a solution—he accepted the university’s invitation to become an honorary professor. He even got a small house on campus.

Every day, Shen Youyou and Shen Zhuzhu would ride with their grandfather to this little house. Shen Youyou would study, and Shen Zhuzhu would be taken for strolls around the campus by the nanny.

When it was feeding time, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming would visit Professor Chen.

After school, everyone drove home separately to have dinner together.

Gradually, many at the university began to know that the newly arrived Professor Chen had an adorable grandson and granddaughter.

The little grandson wasn’t even three, yet he was already speaking foreign languages fluently, reciting the Three Hundred Tang Poems effortlessly, and was even learning arithmetic. The baby granddaughter was only a few months old, but she was already stunningly beautiful and very reserved—no matter how you teased her, she’d only smile faintly without showing her teeth.

What’s more, Professor Chen adored them. He’d carry the little one and walk the older one around campus whenever he had free time.

Zuo Dan slowly began to feel the pressure lifting. Life felt wonderful.

After school one afternoon, as Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming stepped out of the campus gate and prepared to drive home, they were suddenly blocked by Li Xue.

Seeing someone dart out, Zuo Dan initially thought it was a scammer pretending to be hit. She was startled. Once she realized it was Li Xue, she patted her chest. “What are you doing?!”

Li Xue visibly relaxed upon seeing her.

She had recently been in Beijing City trying to find her mother’s whereabouts through the embassy, but they refused to help her without proof. She hadn’t even brought her household registration—what proof could she offer? With no relatives in the city and her money running out, she had no choice but to wander around. Then she suddenly remembered her dad had once mentioned that Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming had both gotten into Beijing University.

More importantly, Zuo Dan had reconnected with her biological father, who had returned from abroad and was supposedly a wealthy overseas Chinese.

If he was an overseas Chinese, then he could definitely help her go abroad. So she came looking.

She hadn’t expected to find Zuo Dan so easily, but as soon as she asked around Beijing University, someone recognized her. After learning her school schedule, Li Xue waited—sure enough, she saw them.

Seeing Zuo Dan looking clean, tidy, and well-dressed, then looking at her own weathered hands, Li Xue felt a surge of resentment.

She was clearly just a rural girl—how had she managed to get into Beijing University?

Zuo Dan said coldly, “If you have something to say, say it. If not, move aside. Li Xue, we’re not even acquaintances.”

Li Xue gritted her teeth. “Zuo Dan, I want to go abroad to find my mom. Ask your dad to help me. Once I find her, I’ll repay you.”

Zuo Dan nearly choked. She had figured Li Xue would want to go abroad, but she never expected her to come looking in person. She was clearly dead set on it.

Zuo Dan sneered, “Repay me? With what? Do you think I care about your repayment? Comrade Li Xue, wake up. We’re not just strangers—we’re enemies. So stop dreaming.” She scoffed and pulled Shen Yiming toward the car.

Li Xue quickly shouted, “Zuo Dan, you wouldn’t want people to know you’re an illegitimate child, would you? What if everyone at school found out…”

Shen Yiming turned and stared coldly at her. Zuo Dan also looked back with a mocking smile.

Li Xue’s heart trembled, but she forced herself to say, “As long as you help me go abroad, I won’t say anything. Once I’m gone, I can’t say anything even if I wanted to. It’s a win-win. Zuo Dan, I know you’re smart. But my mouth is on my face—you can’t control what I say.”

She was sure that as a Beijing University student, Zuo Dan cared about her reputation.

Even if she didn’t, that rich overseas father of hers surely did.

Just thinking about it made Li Xue furious. He had come back just to reconnect with Zuo Dan, and he even believed she was really his daughter—how stupid.

Zuo Dan smiled at her. “Yes, I am smart. Good that you know. Since you’ve put it like that, I guess I have no choice but to help you. Wait two days—I’ll figure out how to send you abroad.”

Li Xue looked proud. “Okay, I’ll come back in two days.”

After she left, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming got in the car and drove off.

Another car parked inside the school gate also pulled out.

Chen Zhisen said, “That girl talking to Dandan just now didn’t seem like a student here.”

Xiao Qiu replied, “Didn’t seem very friendly either.”

Chen Zhisen cuddled the baby in his arms and patted Shen Youyou’s head while she played with an abacus.

“Young people’s business—I won’t meddle. Ask about it if you get a chance. If it’s not a big deal, just let it go.” He didn’t want to interfere in his daughter’s life too much. Young people had their own circles. A few conflicts here and there were normal.

Back with Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming, they were still discussing Li Xue.

Zuo Dan had reached one conclusion: Li Xue had to leave. There was no other way.

Of course, she didn’t plan on sending her to Africa or anything.

After all, Li Xue hadn’t committed some heinous crime like Guo Caiping.

“Shen Yiming, where do you think would be a good place to send Li Xue?”

Shen Yiming replied, “With someone like her, where could she possibly have a good life? She won’t bother learning the language, she has no education, no skills, and always looks for shortcuts. No matter where she goes, it’ll be the same.”

Zuo Dan sighed, “Why is everyone so obsessed with going abroad?”

“Maybe because the moon is rounder overseas,” Shen Yiming said.

Zuo Dan burst out laughing. “I’m being serious here.”

“I was serious too,” Shen Yiming said with a straight face.

Zuo Dan pouted, “Forget it. I’m done talking to you.”

When they got home, Zuo Dan didn’t mention the matter to Chen Zhisen. After dinner, she quietly asked Xiao Qiu about the process of going abroad.