RIRW – Chapter 198

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“There are many procedures for going abroad. For example, you can go abroad for studies, for work, to join a relative, or to settle down overseas… Miss Dandan, are you planning to go abroad? That’s quite simple. You already have a household registration overseas, it’s just that your green card is under the name Chen Dandan.”

“……” Zuo Dan hadn’t known she actually had dual household registrations. “I can have dual nationality too?”

“Ahem, that was arranged by Mister. You can go abroad anytime, and it won’t affect your domestic identity.”

Zuo Dan found it all rather mysterious. Her father had secretly pulled a lot of strings.

But that wasn’t the main point right now—there was still the messy issue with Li Xue to deal with.

“It’s not that I want to go abroad myself. There’s someone else who wants to go abroad. I want to send her out and make sure she never comes back.”

Xiao Qiu raised his eyebrows slightly. “Which country?”

“Anywhere. As long as it’s outside the country and she doesn’t come back, that’s fine.”

Xiao Qiu said, “There are plenty of options. African countries are the easiest to get into. Then there are Southeast Asian countries, European and American countries, or Oceania…”

“Somewhere far away. And it should be the kind of place where if you don’t work hard, you can’t live well.” She certainly wasn’t sending Li Xue abroad to enjoy a good life.

“She could go to the U.S. If you don’t want her to return, we can pull some strings to prevent her from coming back. Miss Dandan, you’ve been quite busy lately—why don’t you let me handle this? I’m already assisting Mr. Chen with import-export matters, and it’s quite convenient for me to arrange things.”

Zuo Dan shook her head. “No need, no need. We’re not that close. It’s not worth the trouble to get her a nationality.”

Xiao Qiu had a sudden realization. “I understand now.”

Zuo Dan said, “Understand what?”

“To make her undocumented.”

Two days later, Li Xue showed up again outside the school gates. When she saw Zuo Dan, she went straight to the point. “Zuo Dan, how’s it going? When are you sending me abroad?”

Zuo Dan crooked her finger at her and brought her to Xiao Qiu. If you’re going to hoodwink someone, you should let the professionals handle it.

Li Xue looked at Xiao Qiu in his suit and tie, her cheeks flushed a little.

Xiao Qiu didn’t even glance sideways. “Miss Li, regarding your trip abroad, we can make arrangements. In a few days, you’ll go to Shenzhen with our people. We have a fleet over there. Once you’re there, you’ll go abroad with them.”

Li Xue asked suspiciously, “That easy? Don’t I have to go through the embassy or something?”

“As far as I know, your record isn’t exactly clean, Miss Li. Your parents both have criminal records. You can’t go through official channels—you can only go abroad through our special means.”

Li Xue’s face flushed red at his words.

“Aren’t you overseas Chinese? You can’t even handle something like this?”

“Even overseas Chinese can’t go against the entire nation.”

Li Xue thought about it and figured this could work. As long as she could live abroad, that was enough. If life didn’t go well, she could just come back.

She looked at Zuo Dan and said, “Alright, I’ll go with you. But I have a request—I need money. I don’t have any money on me right now.”

Zuo Dan curled her lips slightly, feeling like she was still being too soft on someone like Li Xue. “Comrade Xiao Qiu will give it to you then. I’ve got class.” As if I’d actually give you money!

She turned and walked off immediately.

In front of Xiao Qiu, Li Xue didn’t argue with Zuo Dan. She just bit her lip and stood there. Xiao Qiu gave her a sidelong glance, his eyes meaningful.

Now that the matter was taken care of, Zuo Dan no longer gave it any more thought. Just two days later, Xiao Qiu told her that Li Xue had boarded the ship and would be sent straight to the U.S.

Zuo Dan muttered, “This is basically smuggling, isn’t it?”

Xiao Qiu looked surprised. “Miss Dandan, you really know a lot.”

Zuo Dan coughed. “I’ve only heard others talk about it. Are you sure it’s okay to just ship her over like that?”

“She’s just a young woman. They’ll turn a blind eye. Miss Dandan, the outside world isn’t as strict as you imagine. In many ways, it’s less strict than here. If you want to learn about all this, I’ll find time to explain it to you. You’ll be handling these matters in the future too—you should get familiar.”

Zuo Dan smiled faintly. She didn’t want to get involved in any of this. Let Shen Youyou handle it instead.

After sending Li Xue abroad, Zuo Dan called home to ask about the situation in the provincial capital.

Turns out, things were okay. Li Wenchang hadn’t caused any trouble.

Provincial Capital, Nanjiang Province.

Li Wenchang hadn’t seen Li Xue for several days and was starting to worry. He went out to look for her, but couldn’t find her anywhere. When he finally reached the Guo family’s place, he learned that Li Xue had gone abroad—and had left behind a debt of 200 yuan for him.

Sister-in-law Guo said, “I’ve been thinking it over, and I really think you should pay me back. What if we can’t contact that ungrateful girl again? She and her mother have no conscience. They’ve gone off to live the good life and definitely won’t think of us again. I need to get my money back first. At worst, if she sends money back later, I’ll give it to you then.”

Li Wenchang didn’t hear anything else she said. All he knew was—his only daughter had abandoned him. She’d gone to find her mother and didn’t want him as a father anymore. She didn’t even say goodbye.

What exactly had he done wrong? He had wholeheartedly broken ties with his family for the sake of that woman and her daughter—so why were both of them treating him like this? What had he done wrong?!

“Li Wenchang, why aren’t you saying anything? I’m telling you, you must pay back the money!”

Sister-in-law Guo grabbed him and shouted, worried he would try to avoid the debt, seeing how dazed and foolish he looked.

Li Wenchang gave a bitter smile. “I don’t have any money. Not a single cent. It’s all been spent long ago.”

He had nothing now—no wife, no daughter, no family.

In a few more days, he wouldn’t even have a place to stay.

“That won’t do. If you don’t pay back the money, I’ll go to the university and cause a scene with your parents. They’re professors anyway, they have money!”

“You’re not allowed to go!” Li Wenchang shouted emotionally. Now that he had fallen to this state, how could he face his elderly parents?

He had given up everything—and this was the result.

Sister-in-law Guo snorted coldly, “If you don’t have money, I’ll go ask them. You’d better find a way to gather the money fast.”

Li Wenchang took a deep breath. “I’ll pay it back. Just give me a few days.” After saying that, he walked out of the Guo family’s house.

He wandered aimlessly along the provincial capital’s main street, not knowing where to go.

The streets were crowded with people, each one seemingly with a home to return to. Only he—his wife gone, his daughter gone—had no home to return to.

“Yidao, you and Xiaodao watch the stall. I’m heading back to cook. Later this afternoon, go to the freezer and get some more meat. Business is good—we can’t afford to delay.”

As he passed by a meat stall, Li Wenchang heard someone talking and instinctively glanced over. He saw Su Yidao cheerfully wiping sweat off a petite woman with a towel.

The woman swatted his hand away in annoyance and wiped her own sweat with the towel. Then she turned around, picked up a basket, and left.

Su Yidao blushed and turned back to watch the stall. Seeing someone standing there eyeing his meat stall, he asked, “Comrade, would you like to buy some meat?”

When he recognized Li Wenchang’s face, he immediately froze, his expression dropping. “Li Wenchang, what are you doing here? Our two families have nothing to do with each other anymore.”

Su Xiaodao also glared at him angrily. Back then, it was because of this man that his mother had abandoned him and his father.

Li Wenchang opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Thinking he was here to buy meat, Su Yidao said coldly, “Our meat is not for people like you. You and Guo Caiping, shameless as you are, don’t deserve even a bite.”

Hearing the name Guo Caiping, Li Wenchang immediately covered his face and began to cry. “Guo Caiping… Guo Caiping is gone…”

“Gone?” Su Yidao asked in surprise.

“She went abroad.”

The pain and grievance that had been bottled up in Li Wenchang these past days suddenly surged out upon seeing Su Yidao. After all, they were both men who had been hurt by Guo Caiping.

Su Yidao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, “That woman—I knew it. If she could abandon me, she could abandon you too. As soon as she found something better, she would ditch you again. Li Wenchang, you deserved it!”

Li Wenchang covered his face, overwhelmed by sorrow.

Su Yidao turned to instruct Su Xiaodao, “Xiaodao, we must always live with a clear conscience. Don’t ever become someone as heartless as that.”

Su Xiaodao nodded firmly. He would never become such a bad person.

Li Wenchang didn’t even know how he left the Su family’s meat stall. He found himself wandering toward the provincial university.

Only then did he truly understand how much he had wronged his parents. He had broken ties with them. He had been abandoned by Xiaoxue, just as he had once abandoned them. What difference was there?

Classes were still in session at the university. Li Wenchang stood at the gate for a long time until he saw his parents return.

When Grandfather Li saw him, his face immediately darkened. He put his hands behind his back, opened the door, and walked in as if he hadn’t seen him. Grandmother Li glanced at him but only sighed.

“Mom, Dad… I know I was wrong. Mom, Dad…” Li Wenchang burst into tears.

Grandfather Li ignored him and went straight inside. Grandmother Li just shook her head and sighed, following behind without saying a word.

Li Wenchang hurried to follow them. He was still young and quick on his feet, so he pushed his way into the house.

Before, he never would’ve dared to do this. But now, he was homeless and had nothing left. This was the only home he had.

Seeing he still had the audacity to force his way in, Grandfather Li became furious. “Li Wenchang, have you no shame left?!”

“Dad, I was wrong…” Li Wenchang dropped to his knees and sobbed bitterly.

Grandmother Li turned her back and quietly wiped away her tears.

Grandfather Li took a deep breath and said sternly, “Li Wenchang, do you know what you did wrong? You were heartless and ungrateful. You showed no filial piety to your parents, no affection for your sister. You were led around by the nose by a woman with ill intentions—and in the end, you hurt others and yourself.”

“I was wrong, Dad. I truly know I was wrong. I’ll never do it again…”

“It’s too late. The debt you owe—you can’t repay it.”

Li Wenchang shook his head. “Dad, you can’t be so heartless. You even forgave Chen Zhisen…”

“You have the nerve to bring up Zhisen?!” Grandfather Li’s face turned red with rage.

“You brought nothing but suffering to him and Xiaohui! Back then, Zhisen wrote a letter asking Xiaohui to come reunite with him in Guangzhou. It was your wife, Guo Caiping, who destroyed that letter! If it weren’t for Dacheng, Xiaohui wouldn’t have survived. And there wouldn’t be a Dandan today. Even if she lived, all the suffering she endured over the years can’t be wiped away by you simply saying you were wrong. The person you protected with all your might harmed Xiaohui. How can we ever forgive you?”

Li Wenchang’s face was full of shock. “Dad… I didn’t know…”

“I don’t care whether you knew or not. I can no longer acknowledge you as my son. Wenchang, you’re a grown man. You should have matured by now. Don’t come running to your mother and me when you have troubles, and treat us like enemies when you don’t. If you keep acting this way, people will only look down on you more and more. Get up. Go. Now that you know everything—do you still have the face to stay here? Think about all the suffering Xiaohui went through. Do you still have any shame?!”

Shame?

Li Wenchang felt that any sense of dignity he had was long gone.

It had all been lost the moment he let himself be blinded by selfishness.

Li Wenchang slowly stood up from the ground, and step by step, walked out.