The Art of Teasing - Chapter 156

Chapter 156

Wen Zhengyu was quite delighted to have an extra little one in the house.

After dinner, she invited the child to play in her courtyard, directing Ye Ling to act as manual labor and dig out the toys from her own childhood for the little girl.

Ye Ling was astonished: "You still have your childhood toys packed away?"

Wen Zhengyu said: "Of course they're packed away. When I was little, my courtyard even had a slide and a swing set. Later, after many years of sun and rain exposure, they broke down and were dismantled." She led the child to her storage room and had Ye Ling open the chest where she kept her toys.

Wen Zhengyu generously told the child to choose whatever she liked.

Ye Ling said to the child: "Let me help you pick." She started by rummaging through Wen Zhengyu's childhood toys and selecting a few herself. In her imagination, Wen Zhengyu should have been the type who held dolls, groomed and dressed them, and sewed little clothes and skirts for them as a child. When she opened Wen Zhengyu's chest, she first saw a mountain of children's books and countless comic strip books — these volumes were brimming with childhood memories. These children's books filled more than half of a large solid wood chest standing a meter high. There were also many jigsaw puzzle models dissected into pieces and stored in boxes, architectural models, and all kinds of toys.

As she helped the child select things, she asked Wen Zhengyu: "Where are the things from your adolescent years?"

Wen Zhengyu told Ye Ling: "I stopped playing with toys in adolescence."

Ye Ling asked: "Then what were you busy playing with?"

Wen Zhengyu said: "Painting."

Ye Ling thought of the paintings in Wen Zhengyu's Painting Hall and couldn't help but smile softly.

The child chose her gifts. When she saw something she liked, she lifted her palm-sized little face and asked Wen Zhengyu: "Cousin-Aunt, may I borrow this to play with?"

Wen Zhengyu said: "I'm giving it to you."

The child said: "Grandma says you can't just accept things from people."

Wen Zhengyu said: "First pick out what you like, then take them to ask your grandma if you may keep them."

The child immediately became overjoyed and went to pick out the things she liked. She chose seven books and a wind-up wooden toy that could hop when wound. That toy was a little puppet figure with a built-in spring and chain mechanism; when wound up, its limbs and head all moved.

Wen Zhengyu saw that she had finished choosing and had Ye Ling escort the child back.

Ye Ling first escorted the big child Wen Zhengyu back to her room, then escorted the little one back.

Wen Shili and Wen Shishu were still in the main courtyard's living room. The two sisters were sitting there drinking tea and chatting.

The child, hearing her grandmother's voice, ran in joyfully, calling: "Grandma, Grandma." Once she ran inside and saw that Wen Shili was still there, she first called out: "Grand-Aunt," then placed the books and toy on the sofa to show them, saying: "Cousin-Aunt gave them to me." She looked at Wen Shishu and asked: "Grandma, may I keep them?" She then added in a whisper: "Baby likes them."

Wen Shishu stroked her head and said: "Then you may keep them. Remember to go thank your Cousin-Aunt tomorrow. Cousin-Aunt gave you gifts; don't you also want to give a gift to Cousin-Aunt?"

The child nodded vigorously with an "Mm," happily accepted her books, and remembered that Ye Ling had escorted her back, saying to Ye Ling: "Thank you, Auntie Ye."

Cui Dong returned and was surprised to see the child. He asked: "Did Cousin Bai come?"

The child recognized Cui Dong and chirped sweetly: "Uncle-Cousin."

Wen Shishu said: "He came, and I sent him packing again." As she spoke, she saw the child look up at her, seemingly puzzled, and explained: "Your father made a mistake, so he had to be punished. It's just like when you make a mistake and have to have your palm slapped."

The child immediately hid her hands behind her back, saying: "I didn't make any mistakes." She even lifted her little face proudly.

Cui Dong patted the child's head, and as was his habit, pulled a red envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket and gave it to the child. He set the child on his knee and said: "Give Uncle-Cousin a kiss."

The child protested with distaste: "You're a boy, I'm a girl, no kissing." She ran over to give her own grandma a "mwah" kiss, then nestled in her arms, looked at the big red envelope in her hand, and thanked Cui Dong again.

Wen Shili saw that Cui Dong had not stayed the night over there and had returned alone, and already had a good sense of how his visit to his father's place had gone today. Her son had been an adult for many years, with his own standards of judgment and ways of handling matters. This was between father and son; let him manage it himself.

Cui Dong hesitated briefly, then asked: "What does 'Returning to the ancestral roots and acknowledging the ancestors' represent?"

Wen Shili explained: "Returning to the ancestral roots and acknowledging the ancestors can be seen as a folk custom, and also a form of cultural heritage. Tracing back, it reaches the ancient Chinese clan system — it is a fusion of cultural and bloodline heritage." She explained in thorough detail the origins of Returning to the ancestral roots and acknowledging the ancestors, its development to the present day, and what influence it holds for those families that still preserve this tradition. "When I divorced your father, I obtained custody of you and took you away from the Cui family. Your name is recorded in the Wen family's Clan Genealogy Register; you are a descendant of the Wen family. If you Return to the ancestral roots and acknowledge the ancestors within the Cui family, you will become a formal member of the Cui family household. In the future, when Cui family descendants are in need, you will have obligations and responsibilities to provide them with assistance. Moreover, should anything happen to you, rendering you unable to make decisions regarding your person or your property, they will have the right to make decisions on your behalf."

Cui Dong had a sudden realization. "Father's intention is to make me switch families?"

Wen Shili neither confirmed nor denied Cui Dong's phrasing. She only told him the result: "If you agree to Return to the ancestral roots and acknowledge the ancestors within your father's family, I must seriously consider whether you would bring the wealth belonging to the Wen family into the Cui family through inheritance, and I must re-evaluate the disposition of my estate after my death." From the fact that the Cui family wanted him to Return to the ancestral roots and acknowledge the ancestors, she could already deduce their motive. If they truly couldn't bear to part with Cui Dong, and the Cui family had stubbornly refused to let go back then, it would have been very difficult for her to take Cui Dong away in the first place. Now, more than thirty years later, they were coming to pick the ready fruit — they could keep dreaming their grand spring and autumn dreams.

Once Cui Dong understood that Returning to the ancestral roots and acknowledging the ancestors was essentially equivalent to switching families, he was so shocked his eyes bulged like bronze bells. He had lived with his mother for over thirty years. His mother had raised him, protected him, helped him when he faced difficulties, provided him with educational resources, provided him with work, provided him with capital to help him develop his own career. Now, suddenly, that father he had only met a handful of times wanted him to "Return to the ancestral roots and acknowledge the ancestors," to leave his mother's family and leave his mother. Cui Dong asked incredulously: "Why?"

Wen Shili cast him a faint glance.

Cui Dong asked, completely unable to understand: "Why? He wants me to Return to the ancestral roots and acknowledge the ancestors. What benefit is there for me in this? I would even have to lose my mother, lose the wealth that comes from my mother." His expression clearly telegraphed: this is nothing short of a human tragedy.

Ye Ling looked Cui Dong up and down. From Cui Dong's reaction, he was probably close to losing his mind; he found his father's reasoning utterly incomprehensible.

Cui Dong, catching Ye Ling's look, immediately sought her insight.

Ye Ling replied with utter calm: "Your father only needs to consider what benefits he can obtain."

Cui Dong immediately negotiated with his mother in a grave, firm, and emphatic manner. He did not agree. He resolutely did not agree. If his father came to protest to his mother, he implored his mother to absolutely not agree, to absolutely respect his decision.

Wen Shili remained as unshakably composed as ever and said: "You may consider this carefully before making a decision."

Cui Dong said: "I don't want to lose my mother. I am not willing to lose the wealth that comes from my mother. My mother has a very formidable family. I have a maternal grandfather's family with a huge house, a younger female cousin whose residence is filled with antiques and who even owns antiques, and that younger female cousin has many very formidable older male cousins…" He extended a hand toward Ye Ling: "She also has a partner who possesses great wealth… We have significant mutual interest in launching business collaborations, and Lian Xin is also an excellent business partner. I am very satisfied with my family and my family members. I do not need to consider."

Wen Shishu held her forehead and looked at her elder sister. Truly, compare goods and you throw some away! Cui Dong understood so clearly — his accounts were calculated with perfect clarity.

Wen Shili told Cui Dong: "You are an adult. The decision is yours."

The great stone hanging in Cui Dong's heart fell to the ground. He let out a long sigh of relief, threw his arms around his mother, and said: "Thank you, Mother."

Wen Shili said: "Your father's family also has wealth for you to inherit."

Cui Dong hurriedly said: "No, no, no. My father has three children. He also has a wife. My father never raised me, never fulfilled any fatherly duties, never provided me with any help. His family is unfamiliar to me, and his way of thinking is something I cannot understand." He told Wen Shili with a solemn expression: "If you lose me, lose your only son, you will be very pitiable."

Wen Shili looked at him with a sympathetic expression: "If you lose my wealth, you will be even more pitiable."

Cui Dong said: "Then let us not lose each other." He stood up and kissed his mother on the forehead, saying: "I love you, Mother." Better express his love quickly to calm his nerves — this was simply too terrifying.

Wen Shili turned her head and called out to Cui Dong, who had already reached the doorway: "Your father has three children? Not two?"

Cui Dong said: "He also has an illegitimate son." If he went to his father's family, after losing his mother and his mother's family, he would still have to compete for assets with his father's other two children. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

He immediately pulled out his phone and called his father, rejecting his father's damned proposal of Returning to the ancestral roots and acknowledging the ancestors with absolute clarity.

Ye Ling hadn't expected that escorting a child back would lead to witnessing such a scene. After she returned, she told Wen Zhengyu about Cui Dong's situation, saying: "Your cousin was scared out of his wits."

Wen Zhengyu concurred deeply: "I'd be scared witless too if it were me." Take herself, for example. If the Lian family told her to leave the Wen family and go live with the Lian family, she wouldn't be willing either. The environment one grows up in from childhood, the accustomed lifestyle, the emotional bonds between family members — these are very hard to change in adulthood.

She was also speechless that the Cui family, after all these years without a word, suddenly wanted Cui Dong to Return to the ancestral roots and acknowledge the ancestors.

What left Wen Zhengyu most speechless was that the very next day, just after Kang Bai had been driven out by her Second Aunt, her former uncle-in-law actually came to their house in person, hoping to persuade her Second Aunt not to withdraw her capital.

Lao Kang's argument was: "Cooperation benefits both sides; separation harms both. Separating helps no one, and the harm to Kang Bai and the children is even greater. Bai's career has just started. If this happens, he's completely finished."

"Dad's matter… it's already done. He had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. No one wished for it. Matters always need resolution. Our large family can't all go down together. I know you're grieving, and I'm grieving too, but can you solve anything by recklessly plunging in regardless of everything?"

"This 'mutual destruction' helps no one."

Ye Ling said leisurely: "At most, you all die. Even if it goes to the Discipline Inspection Commission, my Second Aunt can still get credit for reporting misconduct. Her income was all earned through legal business operations. As for your share dividends, the Civil Service Law records those very clearly."

Lao Kang's face darkened as he said: "Miss Ye, this matter is none of your concern."

Ye Ling said: "How is it none of my concern? I am now, more or less, half a member of the Wen family. The Cen family matter — that wasn't cleaned up by you. Don't slap gold onto your own face. If you want to act like a big shot, at least pick the right situation. What the Cen family couldn't contain, Your Excellency actually claims to have cleaned up. Impressive!" He actually had the gall to come here and say such things, repeatedly dragging Wen Zhengyu, a sick and injured patient, out into this mess. Did he truly think she had a clay temperament? If she didn't cut him down, she'd write the character Ye upside down.

Lao Kang's face instantly turned ashen.

Ye Ling continued her bombardment: "First you sold out your former father-in-law, then your ex-wife, then your ex-wife's niece, and now you come knocking to have people continue earning money and paving the way for you. Only a face as thick as Your Excellency's could pull this off. Harming three generations of one family wasn't enough — you still want to keep harming them. Do you truly think the Wen family has no one left, or do you believe that just because a wild pheasant transforms into a phoenix, it can ascend to heaven!"

"I've seen plenty of social climbers, and even more who burn bridges after crossing them. But to fully embody both, to even dig up your father-in-law's ashes and gnaw on them, and still come knocking to drink blood and extract marrow, to push things to the absolute extreme — in this, Your Excellency is truly one of a kind."

"Oh, and let's add the word 'former.' Former father-in-law's family! Former wife's family! All already 'former,' yet still shamelessly coming to the door. The city wall at the corner gate would have to admit its face is three feet thinner than yours."

"If you want to partner in business, then show the sincerity and capital of a partner. Speaking of capital — do you have capital? Speaking of investment — are you worth investing in? Don't you know in your heart whether your Kang family's business dealings are clean or not? Has chewing on steamed buns made from the blood of three generations of your former father-in-law's family become so delicious you're addicted? Go back and take a good look at your abacus. Figure out clearly how much principal and interest you owe the Wen family all these years and pay it back yourself. Don't wait for the creditors to come collecting. If you really include the blood debts, you won't be able to pay."

"Zhan Cheng, see the guest out."

Ye Ling rolled up her sleeves slightly and said: "If you can take one cent from Second Aunt, my surname isn't Ye — I'll take yours." She waved her hand, signaling Zhan Cheng to show the guest out.

Wen Zhengyu stared at Ye Ling, completely dumbstruck. She had never seen anyone so utterly strip a person of face right in front of them like this.

Lao Kang forcefully slammed the table, stood up, and bellowed: "You are insolent!"

Ye Ling smoothly picked up a teacup from the table and hurled it with precision to shatter an inch in front of his shoe tip. Tea water mixed with tea leaves splashed, soaking his shoes and trouser legs completely. Without any courtesy, she shot back a single word: "Refusing face when it's offered — get lost!"

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhengyu reflexively touched her own face, thinking: "This is a complete and utter face-tearing, isn't it."

Wen Shili withdrew her gaze from Ye Ling and said to Wen Shishu: "Second Sister, learn from this. When it's time to turn hostile, turn hostile. When it's time to strike, strike. Kill them off early, then you can have a peaceful and quiet New Year."

Lao Kang's expression softened as he called: "Eldest Sister."

Wen Shili said: "Who is your Eldest Sister? When you sold out my father, when you Kicked my niece when she was down, when you bullied my sister — did you remember I was your Eldest Sister then? When the mercenaries chased Wang Zidao from Mexico to Laos, where were you? When Zhao Er was dealt with, where were you? Now you come calling 'Eldest Sister' — don't you think it's a bit late?"

Hearing Wen Shili mention Wang Zidao and Zhao Er, Lao Kang's heart and brow jumped simultaneously. He instantly understood that the eldest of the Wen family had been involved in these matters. And what that signified, he understood immediately as well. He sat down, softened his tone, and said: "I was at fault for not asking clearly beforehand. There were indeed oversights on my part — things I didn't handle properly. If blame is to be assigned, blame me. But Bai, after all, is flesh and blood of the Wen family. Please…"

Wen Shili said: "As for flesh and blood of the Wen family, there's still one squatting in the detention center." She specially emphasized: "Properly surnamed Wen, a direct and legitimate member of the Wen family."

Upon hearing this, Lao Kang immediately dropped the familial card. He said: "Fine, then let's deal with this matter on its own terms. Eldest Sister and—" Seeing the look Wen Shili shot him, he hastily corrected himself: "Madam Wen," and said: "How do you want this matter resolved?"

Wen Shili said: "Little Ye, you handle the negotiation." After speaking, she rose and said to Wen Shishu: "With your good nature, don't get involved. Bullied for over thirty years — your own son dragged into it — isn't it enough?" She took Wen Shishu's arm and said: "Come, let's go find the old matriarch and spend some time." And she led Wen Shishu out the door.

Wen Zhengyu stared wide-eyed, unblinking, at Lao Kang, utterly amazed. After Ye Ling had peeled his face off and stomped on it like this, he could still sit back down and talk calmly. Ye Ling saying his face was three feet thicker than the corner of a city wall wasn't even an insult — it was the plain truth. Against the thickness of her former uncle-in-law's face, her Second Aunt would also be completely defeated.

Then Wen Zhengyu watched as Ye Ling, just moments after peeling someone's face off, throwing it on the ground, and ruthlessly stomping on it, now not blushing or gasping for breath at all, ordered tea to be served and even amiably told Lao Kang to moisten his throat first, putting on an especially sincere face as she instructed the kitchen to prepare dinner for Lao Kang.

Only then did she realize that Ye Ling's speed in flipping her face and the thickness of her skin were in no way inferior to Lao Kang's.

Lao Kang immediately said, with a mild and pleasant tone: "Preparing a meal won't be necessary. Let's finish this discussion early and resolve this matter early."

Wen Zhengyu glanced at the teacup still shattered on the floor, then at these two people who now appeared perfectly amicable. She suddenly felt as if she was having an illusion — as if her brain hadn't healed and she was hallucinating again.

Before long, the household staff brought tea and cleaned up the shards on the floor.

After the household staff had tidied everything and left, Ye Ling invited Lao Kang to drink tea and said: "Then let's deal with the matter on its own terms. What is due shall be due."

Lao Kang said: "Fine."

Ye Ling said: "I recall there is a regulation stating that family members of civil servants cannot engage in professions related to his work. Those several nephews of yours, including your brother-in-law — many of their businesses overlap with your work duties. When I returned to the capital before New Year's, I took the liberty of having someone collect the relevant materials. They've been packaged and organized."

Wen Zhengyu watched as, upon hearing Ye Ling say this, Lao Kang's hand tightened around his teacup, as if he very much wanted to splash the tea onto Ye Ling's face. She wondered: Should I call Zhuo Yao in? She glanced again and saw Zhuo Yao just outside the door nearby, watching the room vigilantly.

As if utterly oblivious, Ye Ling continued: "You see, my Second Aunt has had a very hard time doing business these years. Now, her son is also a worthless thing she can't count on, leaving her with only a bit of retirement money."

Wen Zhengyu looked at Ye Ling, who was cursing someone's son as worthless right in front of the father, and then looked at this Lao Kang, whose son was being cursed as a worthless thing right to his face. He actually steadied his teacup and didn't splash that scalding tea onto Ye Ling's face. Wen Zhengyu truly didn't know how to react.

Lao Kang sighed: "She has indeed had a hard time these years. I have many things for which I've wronged her."

Ye Ling, with a smile of pure delight, said: "Well then, don't quibble over those trifling bits and scraps. Just leave them all for my Second Aunt. It'll also spare the Discipline Inspection Commission from investigating your accounts and save your family's relatives and your daughters-in-law from fighting over assets. I'm thinking of your interests here too."

Wen Zhengyu covered her forehead and eyes, utterly unable to listen further, yet also enjoying it immensely.

Lao Kang sighed: "I haven't managed to save much in this lifetime. What few things I have, I left with Shishu for safekeeping. In a few more years, I'll be retiring too…"

Ye Ling advised with a beaming smile: "Being able to retire peacefully is better than anything." Her tone shifted. "But as an old saying goes well: people die for wealth, birds perish for food. How many people are willing to risk their lives for those three melons and two dates?"

"Of course, don't you feel heartache over it. My Second Aunt has no other children. Zhengyu, Wen Li, and Cui Dong all have their own family estates and assets. The sum Wen Li earned previously is enough for her to retire comfortably right now. They have no designs on Second Aunt's assets. Even if this money goes to Second Aunt, it will ultimately fall to the descendants of her branch. However, given that Kang Bai entangled himself in your matter, he can forget about it. Don't you still have a granddaughter? A ready-made individual. Second Aunt mentioned before that she wanted to leave her estate to this little granddaughter, but just feared you wouldn't agree. Of course, if you don't agree, we won't force it. After all, more money never burns the hand. If Zhengyu and the other two split the money, it would also be a case of adding flowers to brocade." Ye Ling saw the veins bulging on Lao Kang's forehead, throbbing violently, and hurriedly urged him: "Former Uncle-in-law, drink your tea."

Wen Zhengyu, hearing Ye Ling still call him "Former Uncle-in-law" at this moment, immediately understood where the rumor that Old Master Ye had been angered to death by Ye Ling came from. That Lao Kang could still hold it in — truly, what remarkable self-restraint.

Lao Kang lowered his head, blew aside the tea leaves, and drank for a while with an ashen face before saying: "Don't beat around the bush. Speak plainly."

Ye Ling's smile remained unchanged as she said: "Former Uncle-in-law, all these years you've kept your sleeves clean of corruption. Your shares with Second Aunt — they don't exist. Those things of your nephew's — well, that's just our own family taking a private look and chatting among ourselves. They can't be taken seriously, wouldn't you say?"

Lao Kang gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, the words grinding out from between his teeth: "This… you…"

Ye Ling asked with feigned surprise: "Could it be that you actually engaged in embezzlement or bribery?"

A mouthful of old blood choked in Lao Kang's chest — unable to spit it out, unable to swallow it down. His expression twisted into something fierce.

Ye Ling glanced at him, smiled, and said: "As for that little granddaughter of yours — change her surname to Wen, enter her into the Wen family ancestral registry, and make her the sole heir of the Wen family's Second Branch. If she is part of the Wen family, Second Aunt's estate will be inherited by her. If she is not part of the Wen family, the Wen family fortune will be inherited by Wen Zhengyu, Wen Li, and Cui Dong. Of course, if you're willing to have Kang Bai change his name to Wen Bai, that's also negotiable."

Lao Kang said: "I'll discuss this with Shishu."

Ye Ling said: "Apologies, but the leverage is in my hands. With Eldest Aunt at home, Second Aunt doesn't get to make the decision."

Lao Kang remained silent.

Ye Ling glanced at Lao Kang again and spoke in a conversational tone: "Honestly, civil servants are everywhere. Even the elderly men sweeping the streets might be on the official roster. But the vast majority just earn a salary and live their lives. As for those whose family members can do business and earn money — well, those family members must also have the business acumen and capability to do so. How many civil servant family members start businesses and lose everything down to their last pair of pants?" She said gently: "My Second Aunt, after leaving you and returning to her hometown, is still thriving. This is originally territory she knows inside out. A little more money, a little less — it doesn't matter. The reason for fighting for this principle is because your family's actions went too far."

"You had your eye on Old Zhao's position. A word to Second Aunt, and we could've handled it along the way. Such a significant matter — having Old Zhao shift positions — he would have had to shift anyway. He couldn't hold onto it regardless. Whether the position goes to you or someone else, it's still giving it away. If you had opened your mouth about this, we might have had to concede some ground. Maybe Cen Xun wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. The Cen family wouldn't have any particular grudge against you, our two families' relationship could have been even closer, and I wouldn't have had to send people over the New Year to dig into your past."

Lao Kang raised his head and looked at Ye Ling, who could openly admit, right to his face, to digging into his past. He said through gritted teeth: "You are truly a figure to reckon with."

Ye Ling replied with a smile: "You flatter me, you flatter me." She advised: "Former Uncle-in-law, just accept defeat. It's the New Year, after all. We're still relatives, even if you've become the 'former.' But Kang Bai — there's a blood tie there. We have to leave some path for him to walk." Noticing that more than half the tea in Lao Kang's cup was gone, she even warmly refilled it for him.

Lao Kang asked: "And my nephew's things…"

Ye Ling said generously: "Don't worry. Knowing you don't want idle chatter from your brothers and sisters, I'll give you half to take back and shut their mouths." She made a sound of recollection and said: "There are some electronic documents. You can take a look first." She pulled out her phone, pulled up the files, and said: "Nothing too critical. The critical stuff isn't stored here." She handed the phone to Lao Kang.

After Lao Kang reviewed the contents on Ye Ling's phone, he returned the phone to Ye Ling. He pondered silently for a long moment, then gritted his teeth and said: "Done."

Ye Ling smiled and said: "Straightforward. Then I'll also let you in on some news. Regarding the Wang Zidao matter — Zhengyu's Youngest Uncle and Cen Lang's youngest uncle couldn't contain it either."

Lao Kang gulped audibly. Despite the cold weather, cold sweat broke out. He nodded, rose, and said: "The money — it all goes to Shishu. All of it to her." He stood up and left.

Wen Zhengyu watched her former uncle-in-law, who could barely walk steadily, then looked at Ye Ling and asked: "The negotiation is done?"

Ye Ling said: "Mm, it's done."

Wen Zhengyu stared blankly at Ye Ling, finding it a bit unbelievable. Ye Ling had just stripped her former uncle-in-law of his entire foundation like that.

Ye Ling said: "That was originally earned by your Second Aunt. Saying he doesn't get it means he doesn't get it. Whether he accepted defeat today or not, he wasn't getting this money. On one hand, I'm investigating his past. On the other, Qi Wei is helping handle Second Aunt's business assets. Once Second Aunt sells her holdings and takes the money back to develop her hometown — her own territory where she knows everyone — his hand can't reach there. If he doesn't accept defeat, what's he going to do? Run to the court and sue, claiming that he violated the Civil Service Law by secretly taking shares in a business and his business partner won't give him his cut? With that lawsuit, not only would he lose his job, but all his illegal income would have to be surrendered to the state. Besides, his shares were all verbal agreements — nothing in black and white. They don't hold weight." And he actually dared come to their door to threaten them — did he truly think the Wen family had no one left to take threats?

Wen Zhengyu asked: "Then what about the Wang Zidao matter?"

Ye Ling laughed: "Just frightening him a bit to keep him from recklessly jumping around any further." She still explained: "Wang Zidao had account ledgers. Your Youngest Uncle handed them up. For this, your Youngest Uncle gained some merit and was promoted one rank. If he stirred trouble toward the Cen family, it was very possible the Wang Zidao matter would implicate him. Right now, he's feeling the lingering fear." Seeing Wen Zhengyu looking a bit dazed, she asked: "What are you thinking about? Or are you dizzy again?"

Wen Zhengyu sighed: "My horizons have been broadened." Today, she had seen a face three feet thicker than the corner of a city wall.

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