The Divorced Wife of the Richest Man is Reborn - Chapter 41

Yan Xishan’s flashy red Xiali car cost 100,000 yuan when he bought it, but when he sold it to Chen Ping, Hu Xiaomei only took 80,000 yuan.

What does 80,000 yuan mean now? For the nouveau riche, like the wealthiest Yan Xishan, he had a total of 250,000 yuan. He spent 100,000 on the car, another 100,000 was with Chen Meilan, and he only had 50,000 left for himself.

As for Chen Ping, a nouveau riche and construction contractor, this 80,000 was more than half of the money he had painstakingly saved over the years.

There was no concept of transferring vehicle ownership at that time. Basically, you took the car and drove it. The law was imperfect, and no one thought about formally transferring car ownership.

So when Yan Bin drove the car away, it meant Chen Ping’s 80,000 yuan was gone.

Since they didn’t know where Yan Zhao lived, it was Hu Xiaomei who gave him the address to come to Yanguan Village.

However, Chen Meilan was always slow in these matters.

“Tell him to wait outside. Say we’re having dinner and it’s not convenient to see him,” Chen Meilan said with a smile.

Yan Zhao had installed a solar shower, and she wanted to take a bath first. The children hadn’t had dinner yet, so she needed to let them eat first.

As for Chen Ping, she wanted to keep him waiting this time.

Little Wang asked Chen Meilan, “Auntie, if I really tell him to leave, will he get angry? Will he leave and never come back?”

“He will.” Seeing Little Wang’s expression change, Chen Meilan added, “But don’t worry, he’ll come back in a while.”

For a slick nouveau riche making his first visit, you can’t see him right away. You must dampen his enthusiasm a bit.

Solar water heaters had become popular in recent years.

In Yanguan Village, Chen Meilan was among the first to have one.

She thought it must be very expensive, not just 100 yuan, and she wondered if Yan Zhao had pulled some strings or used connections to get it.

Although he didn’t seem like that kind of person, she still needed to ask.

“A comrade gave it to me,” Yan Zhao thought for a moment, then added, “He said it was the factory price, but if it’s not enough, I’ll pay him more later. We’re brothers.”

For someone like Yan Zhao, he had comrades all over the country. Now, with many demobilized soldiers, few could be assigned jobs. Most returned to their hometowns to make their own way, doing all sorts of work, all for the sake of milk money.

“Yuanyuan, do you want to take a bath?” Chen Meilan asked her daughter with a smile.

Little Lang pouted, “Dad said to let Mom bathe first, then us.”

The two little ones had been at home, watching Yan Zhao install the shower. They probably wanted to bathe earlier but were stopped by Yan Zhao.

“Why don’t we bathe together?” Chen Meilan suggested.

“Okay!” Yuanyuan immediately picked up Little Lang. “Today, big sister will give you a bath.”

Bathing Little Lang had always been Little Wang’s job, but Yuanyuan really liked it and just never got the chance.

Little Wang mustered up the courage to go out and send Chen Ping away. When he came back in, he saw his father standing at the bathroom door peeling onions.

Little Wang was a bit surprised. Would onions peeled at the bathroom door smell better?

But just then, a clear song came from the bathroom. It wasn’t Yuanyuan singing, but Mom, with the sound of running water. This proved that the solar water heater Dad installed today was already in use.

Little Wang also wanted to use the shower head at home, and he suddenly rushed to the door.

The door was locked from the inside.

“Dad, I want to go in and take a bath too,” Little Wang said, feeling upset.

But his father said, “You can bathe later.” Then, looking at his son, he added, “Boys and girls are different. From now on, you can’t sleep with Yuanyuan anymore. You should sleep alone.”

Little Wang felt quite upset. Of course, being a bit older, he knew that boys couldn’t be naked with girls, it felt embarrassing. But he felt that Dad also wanted to bathe together because Dad’s face was all red.

Little Wang crouched dejectedly at the bathroom door while his father went to the kitchen to cook.

Inside the bathroom, Yuanyuan and Little Lang were shouting loudly. Little Lang kept saying, “Ticklish, ticklish.”

Yuanyuan laughed heartily, “Mom, scrub slowly, it’s ticklish.”

So they were scrubbing.

Yan Zhao was especially good at making oil-splashed noodles. He was strong, kneading the dough until it was smooth and elastic. His hands were wide, and with one pull, he could stretch out a bowl’s worth of noodles.

When Chen Meilan came out of the bath with the two little ones, there was a bowl of oil-splashed noodles for each of them.

He had also prepared cold dishes – cucumber and sliced pork liver from outside. The cucumber, in particular, was very flavorful.

“How did you smash this cucumber?” Chen Meilan tasted a piece and couldn’t help asking because it was so flavorful.

Yan Zhao picked up a noodle from his bowl and said without changing expression, “I smashed it with my hand.”

Iron sand palm, indeed.

The family was eating at a table set up in the courtyard when they heard someone timidly knocking on the door outside. Chen Meilan gestured to Little Wang, “Go, open the door, let them in.”

Little Wang opened the door and his mouth fell open because not only was Chen Ping there, but also the chubby boy. Both father and son were smiling, and Chen Ping was carrying a large cardboard box. As soon as he entered, he walked towards Yuanyuan.

“This must be Zhaodi. I’m your father’s friend. I’ve always heard your father talk about you. Here, this is a gift from uncle,” Chen Ping said with a smile.

Chen Meilan took a sharp breath. It was a box of Barbie dolls, and they looked to be of very good quality. For a little girl like Yuanyuan, Barbie dolls were irresistible.

She gave her daughter a look, meaning she shouldn’t accept it.

Yuanyuan stood up and put her hands behind her back. “Uncle, my name isn’t Zhaodi. I’m Yan Shengnan, and I’m not Yan Xishan’s daughter. My dad is Yan Zhao!”

After saying this, she pulled Little Lang, “Come on, sister will take you to watch TV.”

Yuanyuan was angered by Chen Ping calling her Zhaodi, so she took her brother and left.

Giving a gift? He gave nothing but disappointment.

The first time Chen Ping came alone, thinking he could muddle through, but Chen Meilan ignored him. After going back and thinking it over, he brought his son along this time.

The chubby boy was named Chang Gui. Although he was fat, he was a good student, and Chen Ping treasured him like the apple of his eye. Today, he was brought here to apologize to Little Wang.

And since it had been so long, the apology was rehearsed.

Just outside, Chen Ping had already given Chang Gui several slaps on the ear, so Chang Gui naturally knew what to say.

Standing in front of Little Wang, Chang Gui bowed, “I’m sorry, Yan Xiaowang. I will never say such things again.”

Yan Zhao’s eyes blazed, looking at his son, then at Chang Gui, his eyes shooting daggers.

Little Wang was biting his lip tightly, his little fists on his shoulders, his expression exactly the same as his father’s.

Chen Ping looked at Meilan, his eyes pleading, “Meilan, the child has already apologized.”

“Not enough,” Chen Meilan, though seemingly weak, was very strong in this regard. Besides, she could guess that what the chubby boy had done was far worse than she could imagine.

Sure enough, Chen Ping slapped his son’s bottom, “Continue.”

“I will never call your mom a slu-” Before the chubby boy could finish, Chen Ping gave him a slap, “I told you not to say it, why are you still saying it?”

For a child raised with indulgence, suddenly being slapped by a parent is very frightening.

The chubby boy was both scared and aggrieved, and he burst into tears.

Chen Meilan saw that the child had been pushed far enough, so she decided to speak plainly, “Mr. Chen, nobody touches Xishan’s car until he gets out, and nobody meddles with Xishan’s coal mine until he gets out.”

Chen Ping had guessed this would be the result, but he had to deal with whatever came his way.

He smiled and said, “It’s not good to keep Xishan’s coal mine closed. Why don’t you let me manage it for him first? When he gets out, I’ll give him half the money. What do you think?”

This was the businessman in him, seeking profit, trying to fish in boiling oil.

Chen Meilan’s attitude towards this matter was very firm. No one could meddle with Yan Xishan’s coal mine.

And although she hadn’t discussed it with Yan Zhao, she felt this was Yan Zhao’s attitude as well.

In her previous life, after going to jail once, Yan Xishan became much more obedient and willing to follow the law in his business dealings.

This life, going to jail early might mean he could have a good ending, without burdening Yuanyuan.

But she still had to speak nicely.

“Xishan might be out soon. When he’s out, you can cooperate with him then. I can’t make this decision,” Chen Meilan smiled slightly. “If I were you, I’d go after the car money. Xishan isn’t someone to be trifled with, is he? If you take his coal mine, aren’t you afraid he’ll come after you when he gets out?”

As she spoke, she glanced at Yan Zhao.

Chen Ping was taken aback and looked at Yan Zhao: “Wasn’t it said that Xishan was sentenced to life imprisonment?”

“Who said that?” Yan Zhao asked in return.

This man, Yan Zhao, had only spoken this one sentence since Chen Ping came in, but it frightened Chen Ping.

His voice was very deep, and he kept staring at Chen Ping, as if staring at a criminal.

He looked sturdy and powerful, like a leopard about to pounce, making even an old hand like Chen Ping feel afraid.

Especially when he thought about the ambiguous relationship he once had with Zhou Xueqin.

“I… I just heard it from someone,” Chen Ping said with a smile, feeling guilty, and asked another question: “Isn’t there a manslaughter case against him?”

The current rumor outside was that Yan Xishan’s truck had killed someone, so he was likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Yan Zhao curled his lip: “No comment.”

Chen Meilan, however, said with a smile: “I think Xishan will definitely be out soon. He’s my ex-husband, and I can guarantee he hasn’t run anyone over.”

Chen Ping was so angry he almost went crazy. If Yan Xishan was to be released after just a few days, wouldn’t that mean he had not only failed to get any benefit but also brought trouble upon himself?

Yan Xishan, ah, a smiling King Yama who could kill people with a smile.

Chen Ping left with his son, still smiling as he went out the door, but his face had turned grim as soon as he turned around.

Forget about coveting the coal mine, he was going to demand money from Hu Xiaomei, demand his car money!

As for Little Wang, that night when he was bathing with his father, he also wanted his father to scrub him.

He wanted to experience the ticklish feeling too.

There was a bath mitt at home, originally used for public bathhouses. Little Wang, with a hopeful face, handed the bath mitt to Yan Zhao: “Dad, scrub me.”

Scrubbing?

In the army, everyone would turn and scrub one row, then turn and scrub another row. Yan Zhao especially liked to scrub others, enjoying the feeling of scrubbing a large red patch with one stroke. Although everyone said he was good at it, they were reluctant to trouble him.

Since his son wanted to be scrubbed, Yan Zhao was of course willing.

…

Little Lang and Yuanyuan still wanted to sleep on the spring mattress. They had just finished watching “Good Dad, Bad Dad” and were lying on the bed, chattering away, telling Chen Meilan about the plot.

Yuanyuan was describing vividly: “Little Huang Diandian brought a cricket to school, and whenever the cricket chirped, Huang Diandian would crow like a rooster…” Little Lang immediately imitated a rooster with a “cock-a-doodle-doo.”

Chen Meilan was listening intently to the children’s story when suddenly, a miserable cry came from the bathroom.

Not only were the two little ones scared, but Chen Meilan also instinctively got up and ran to the bathroom, fearing that the water heater might have leaked and someone might get electrocuted.

In that instant, she even wondered if she was about to become a widow.

Knocking on the door twice, Chen Meilan asked, “Little Wang, what’s wrong?”

Little Wang let out another “Ah,” not only heart-wrenching but also with varying tones, while Yan Zhao remained silent.

Chen Meilan knocked again, this time her voice stern: “Captain Yan, are you hitting the child?”

This family must be crazy, she thought. Zhou Xueqin abandons the child, and Yan Zhao beats him.

…

“If you’re doing what I think you’re doing, I’ll get angry. Open the door, now.” Chen Meilan started kicking the door.

This time the door opened, and Little Wang shot out like an arrow, covering his little privates and running away trembling.

“What’s going on? Were you hitting the child just now?” Chen Meilan had to ask what happened, seeing Little Wang run away so urgently. She pushed the door open.

Yan Zhao, however, slammed the door shut, but in that split second, Chen Meilan caught a glimpse of his chest muscles.

At that moment, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

The children were already asleep, one Superman, one She-Ra, and two small schoolbags placed on Chen Meilan’s kang bed.

As the two children started school, Little Lang could also be sent to kindergarten.

Money was handy because according to Chen Degong’s estimate, the project would be topped out in another week. They had only used half the scheduled time to complete a canteen.

Chen Meilan heard Yan Zhao come out of the bathroom and then enter the room next door. Just as she was about to turn off the lights and go to sleep, Yan Zhao pushed the door open and came in.

“Not asleep yet?” He had just finished his bath and smelled of fresh soap.

Chen Meilan, still sitting cross-legged on the kang calculating accounts, gave a “mm” and patted the edge of the kang: “Sit.”

Just for the matter of him hitting the child, they needed to have a good talk.

Yan Zhao sat down and said briefly: “I wasn’t hitting the child earlier, I was just scrubbing his back.”

Scrubbing his back to the point where the child fled in panic? He must not have been scrubbing, but skinning alive.

Chen Meilan couldn’t help but chuckle, but she was also angry: “Be gentler when scrubbing in the future, he’s still a child.”

Yan Zhao was wearing a tank top, covering his chest muscles, but Chen Meilan had to admit, ever since she saw his chest muscles, she not only felt flustered and didn’t dare to look at him, but also felt incredibly inferior.

Why did he, a man, have bigger ones than her?

The children should be asleep by now. Yan Zhao unconsciously smoothed out her wrinkled bedsheet.

“Chen Ping and Zhou Xueqin are old acquaintances, and Chen Ping once rented a room at Zhou Xueqin’s house for a while,” Yan Zhao said while neatly folding Chen Meilan’s clothes that were scattered on the edge of the kang, and then arranging the two small schoolbags perfectly straight.

He spoke calmly, but you could hear the suppressed anger in his voice: “Little Wang was once forced to drink alcohol by someone, almost to the point of alcohol poisoning. He was unconscious for a whole day. Another man dislocated his arm, causing it to be in a sling for three full days, nearly crippling the child’s arm. There was also a man who said he would treat him to lamb skewers, giving him one yuan for each skewer eaten, almost rupturing Little Wang’s stomach. These are things I found out through inquiries.”

After a pause, Yan Zhao suddenly moved a bit closer, his eyes covered with a layer of red mist, and said word by word: “I asked Little Wang but he wouldn’t say, probably wanting to help his mom conceal these things, after all, his mom was with those people at the time. Can you help me ask him if Chen Ping was among them?”

Chen Meilan didn’t know how she managed to listen to it all.

She had always thought Little Wang had a strange temper, but she never imagined he had been through so much.

Drunk people have no inhibitions, especially those tenants in the urban villages who love to joke around with children. If it’s the landlord’s child, it doesn’t matter much.

But although Little Wang was the landlord’s child, his grandfather was a foolish old man.

And his mother would be drunk too, not even knowing when her child was being bullied.

But Little Wang certainly wouldn’t tell his dad.

After all, those people were brought in by Zhou Xueqin, and Zhou Xueqin was his birth mother.

For a child, smoking, drinking, or being hit as a joke are just adults crossing the line.

Being able to hang out with adults made him feel quite capable.

The child might choose to live with his father after the divorce, but he would never tell on his mother to his father.

No child likes to see their parents argue, let alone fight.

“Okay, I’ll ask,” Chen Meilan said.

There was nothing left to fold on the kang, unless he wanted to fold the quilt Chen Meilan was using.

He couldn’t fold that too, could he?

Was he going to fold her up and put her in the cupboard as well?

Yan Zhao’s breathing became heavier, and his hand reached out again, this time cupping her face.