Chapter 121: This Matter Might Not Be Simple

Shi Xiaonan said this while pulling a thick stack of Big Unity notes from her pocket: "Weidong, here is one thousand yuan. No matter what, you must help me out."

Ning Weidong glanced at it and hurriedly reached out to push it away: "Sister Shi, what are you doing?"

Shi Xiaonan said: "Weidong, this isn't for you. Sister knows that nowadays, you have to spend money to get anything done outside; you can't handle things here with just empty words."

Ning Weidong smiled bitterly: "Sister Shi, it really isn't like that. We are all old neighbors; if you want me to ask around, that is certainly no problem, but... this time, Wang Kai's situation has had a very negative impact. He was caught red-handed holding a kitchen knife on the street; this isn't just a regular fight."

Shi Xiaonan's heart tightened. She knew everything Ning Weidong was saying; the Police Station had the same explanation, and it was even more severe.

This was unexpected.

At first, Wang Kai and Wang Dama didn't take it too seriously, thinking it was just a fight and wondering what could really happen.

But the trouble lay in that kitchen knife; the nature of the incident changed instantly.

Shi Xiaonan could only plead bitterly: "Weidong, Sister begs you..."

As she spoke, her eyes welled with tears, looking pitiful.

Even though Ning Weidong had seen and experienced much, his heart was stirred.

He thought to himself that it was no wonder Wang Kai was so neurotic; if one didn't have absolute confidence, marrying a woman like this was purely asking for trouble.

This was still with Shi Xiaonan having a relatively pure nature and not yet knowing how to utilize her own assets.

In a few years, when the social climate became more open and Shi Xiaonan reached her thirties, becoming even more mature and beautiful, it would be even harder to keep her in check.

Ning Weidong pressed down on Shi Xiaonan's hand, which was holding the money.

Her hand was smaller than Zhao Ruyi's and softer than Bai Fengyu's.

As they tugged, Shi Xiaonan realized it was improper; her two hands were enveloped by Ning Weidong's two large hands.

She couldn't help but blush, but it was difficult to react too strongly, so she could only lower her head and stay silent, letting Ning Weidong push her hand back.

Ning Weidong didn't have any other intentions; no matter how good someone else's wife was, the prerequisite was that there be no trouble.

Someone like Shi Xiaonan, saddled with a man who wasn't clear-headed, who acted impulsively and without regard for consequences, was the easiest to cause problems.

Moreover, although Shi Xiaonan was pretty, she wasn't necessarily better than Bai Fengyu.

Ning Weidong had no need to risk piercing his own mouth just to taste a piece of new seafood.

Furthermore, besides Bai Fengyu, there was still Zhao Ruyi~ and that girl was legitimate and legal.

Ning Weidong pushed Shi Xiaonan away and let go of her hand, saying sincerely: "Sister Shi, I know what you are worried about. But this money... I really cannot take it."

Upon hearing this, Shi Xiaonan wanted to open her mouth to argue, but Ning Weidong interrupted her first: "Sister Shi, listen to me first."

Shi Xiaonan pursed her lips and nodded.

Ning Weidong continued: "I promise you, tomorrow when I get to my unit, I will immediately make a call to help you ask about Wang Kai's situation."

Shi Xiaonan hurriedly nodded in thanks.

Ning Weidong said: "Sister Shi, don't thank me yet. It's hard to say what the situation is with this matter; I dare not give you any guarantees."

Shi Xiaonan said: "I understand. It's enough that you can help Sister ask."

After finishing, she didn't stay long; after all, it was late at night, and they were a lone man and woman.

Shi Xiaonan stood up, and Ning Weidong saw her to the door.

He noticed a figure flicker behind the window of Bai Fengyu's house across the way; she had probably seen Shi Xiaonan coming out of his room.

Shi Xiaonan thanked him again, then turned and left.

Ning Weidong closed the door.

Hearing the movement behind her, Shi Xiaonan looked back, couldn't help but let out a long breath, and squeezed the money she hadn't managed to give away in her pocket, sighing faintly.

She stepped out of the Moon Gate and walked quickly back to the Wang Family.

By this time, the lights were already on at the Wang Family.

Shi Xiaonan pushed the door open and entered; inside, under the orange-yellow light of the incandescent bulb, Wang Dama sat by the Eight Immortals table with a gloomy face.

Lu Daye and Lu Dama were there too.

Seeing Shi Xiaonan return, Lu Dama was the quickest, immediately asking: "Xiaonan, what did the Ning Family's third boy say?"

When Shi Xiaonan returned, she first glanced at Wang Dama.

Wang Dama believed that Wang Kai's arrest this time was Shi Xiaonan's fault; especially after learning the situation was very serious and he might go to prison, she lost control of her emotions and blamed everything on Shi Xiaonan.

Although Shi Xiaonan didn't say anything, a deep rift had formed in her heart.

Supposedly, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had gotten along quite well over the past few years; previously, Wang Dama had always felt that Wang Kai being able to marry Shi Xiaonan was a sign of the old Wang Family's ancestral graves smoking with good fortune.

But times had changed, and their marriage had become what it was now; Wang Dama had also completely given up the idea of mediating and continuing to maintain it.

In the end, the times had changed, and Wang Kai could no longer hold onto a woman like Shi Xiaonan.

This was just the present; if they continued to be deluded, all sorts of bizarre troubles would only keep emerging one after another.

With this mindset, Wang Dama naturally wouldn't give Shi Xiaonan a good look anymore.

Shi Xiaonan sensed Wang Dama's meaning and felt uncomfortable, but she couldn't say anything.

She had been without a father or mother since she was young, following her master to learn her craft; later, after her master met with misfortune, she married into the Wang Family and truly intended to treat Wang Dama like her own mother.

The two of them had gotten along very well, and she hadn't expected it to come to this.

Wang Dama urged: "Your Lu Dama is asking~ why don't you say something!"

Shi Xiaonan sighed: "He said he would help ask tomorrow."

Wang Dama's eyes lit up, as if Ning Weidong helping to ask could solve a huge problem.

But immediately after, Shi Xiaonan's words made her expression stiffen.

Shi Xiaonan took the one thousand yuan she hadn't given away out of her pocket and said: "But he didn't take this money."

Wang Dama's expression stiffened, and she stood up at once: "Oh my, my little grandmother, why did you bring it back exactly as it was! If the money wasn't taken, this matter... this matter is likely in bad shape!"

Shi Xiaonan remained silent; in fact, she had the same thought in her heart, fearing that Ning Weidong not taking the money was just a brush-off, and that he actually didn't want to get involved in their family's affairs at all.

Last time, when Ning Weidong ran into her in the middle of the night and gave her a ride back, Wang Kai had run into them and almost splashed dirty water all over her.

Wang Dama was relentless: "Xiaonan, hurry up, send the money to him. No matter what, you have to send it out!"

Shi Xiaonan felt helpless inside. Is this something you can just send out whenever you want? Even if we want to send it, the other party has to be willing to accept it!

Seeing her remain silent, Wang Dama grew even angrier, urged her a few times, then changed her face: "Xiaonan, what is your intention? Do you want Wang Kai to rot inside for a lifetime? So no one will be an eyesore to you anymore?"

Shi Xiaonan's expression changed, and she immediately refused to take it: "Mom, what kind of talk is this! What do you mean I want him to rot inside for a lifetime? Did I tell him to carry a kitchen knife onto the street? Did I tell him to get into a fight with people?"

Wang Dama was speechless for a moment.

Shi Xiaonan continued: "Besides, what can I do if Ning Weidong is unwilling to take the money? If you're so capable, go send it yourself."

It was the first time Wang Dama had been retorted by her daughter-in-law; her two cheeks trembled with rage, and she couldn't speak for a long time.

Lu Daye and Lu Dama hurriedly tried to smooth things over.

It was just that the conflict earlier had already caused Wang Dama and Shi Xiaonan to fall out, and the two of them didn't dare to speak too deeply, fearing they would get burned themselves.

Lu Daye said: "Well, Old Sister Wang, since Ning Weidong promised to ask about it tomorrow, let's just wait for now. Maybe it will be good news~"

Wang Dama nodded; things had reached this point, and this was all she could do. She couldn't act like a mad dog, biting whoever she saw~ If she really did that and offended people, who would dare to help her family in the future?

Seeing Wang Dama soften her stance, Lu Daye and Lu Dama took the opportunity to find an excuse to leave, leaving only Wang Dama and Shi Xiaonan behind.

Wang Dama opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Shi Xiaonan looked silently out the window, not knowing what she was thinking in her mind.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, in Ning Weidong's small earthquake shelter.

Just as Shi Xiaonan left, another person snuck in; it was none other than Bai Fengyu.

Ning Weidong had just closed the door and was still thinking about Wang Kai's matter when he was startled by her.

Bai Fengyu, however, came straight up, boldly wrapped her arms around Ning Weidong's neck, gave him a kiss with a smack, and then asked: "What did Shi Xiaonan want with you just now?"

Competition is everywhere.

In different regions, in different fields.

Even in this small Dazayuan, Zhou Kun and Wang Ziyi had fought since they were children, and back when Ning Fu was alive, he had also competed with Lu Daye for a lifetime.

As the two most beautiful women in the courtyard, the competition between Bai Fengyu and Shi Xiaonan, whether overt or covert, had begun the day they married in.

At first, it was just others in the courtyard comparing them, but after a while, they started comparing themselves.

Not only comparing their looks and figures, but also what big items were added to the home, whose man earned more, who had more face outside...

And this competition seemed to have come to an end last year when Ma Liang abandoned Bai Fengyu and ran off; Bai Fengyu had been completely defeated.

But given Bai Fengyu's situation at the time, she hadn't been in the mood to care about such things.

It wasn't until she stabilized again that Shi Xiaonan got into the fight with Wang Kai, which brought the two of them back to the same starting line.

One man had run away, and the other was getting a divorce.

Just now, when Shi Xiaonan came to Ning Weidong's place, Bai Fengyu could more or less guess what she had come for.

She felt secretly pleased inside: No matter how arrogant you, Shi Xiaonan, are, at the critical moment, you still have to come and beg my man.

Ever since Ning Weidong helped her get a job at the Neighborhood Committee, Bai Fengyu felt completely secure, convinced that Ning Weidong was her man.

That saying was absolutely right; the tides really do turn. Before, when Ma Liang ran off, her life was simply unlivable, especially during those most difficult days, when she even wanted to find a rope and just hang herself from the rafters.

Fortunately, she had pulled through in the end.

Now she had everything: a house, a job, and a man.

Seeing Shi Xiaonan come to find Ning Weidong, she simply let herself be bold and snuck in.

Ning Weidong was taken aback by her actions and laughed: "Missed me?"

Bai Fengyu didn't put on airs; she let out a "Hmm" like a cat, lowered her head slightly while stealing a glance at him, her eyes shimmering with charm.

Even Ning Weidong felt his heart tremble from her gaze.

He thought to himself, it's a pity for Bai Fengyu; her one-in-ten-thousand talent for seduction was buried by the era.

Ning Weidong patted her bottom: "Is Fengqin not home again today?"

Bai Fengyu shook her head, pouted, and whispered: "She is~ I just... I just couldn't stand that Shi Xiaonan had just come out of your room. Why can she come, but I can't?"

Ning Weidong didn't know whether to laugh or cry; he hadn't expected Bai Fengyu to be competing with Shi Xiaonan over this, and said: "She had business with me."

Bai Fengyu rolled her eyes: "I have business with you too."

Ning Weidong glanced at her: "What business do you have?"

Bai Fengyu's cheeks flushed slightly, but she was willing to go all out; she puffed out her chest and said coquettishly: "These past two days, I've felt a bit swollen here. Help me rub it."

With a "gulp," Ning Weidong swallowed his saliva.

This enchantress didn't play by the rules; using this to test him—who could stand that?

Especially that final "bei" sound; he didn't know if it was his imagination, but it seemed to curl and tickle his heart.

Fortunately, Ning Weidong still had some self-control and quickly regained his senses.

Yet he discovered that, without knowing when, his hand had already reached inside automatically.

Ning Weidong was speechless; he applied a little force and pinched it.

Bai Fengyu winced in pain.

Ning Weidong immediately pulled his hand out and slapped her on the bottom.

He said irritably: "Hurry back. If you provoke me, I'll go over tonight and have my way with you right in front of Fengqin."

Bai Fengyu wasn't afraid; she reached down to check Ning Weidong's reaction, but didn't pester him further. She stood up, turned around, and reached the door.

She knew her limits; this time and this place were not appropriate. If she really caused a scene, neither she nor Ning Weidong would be able to clean up the mess.

Coming over just now was also using Shi Xiaonan as an excuse to show her presence.

Since she had a relationship with Ning Weidong, she could count on her fingers that it had only happened two or three times.

This relationship was not stable, and with Ning Weidong being promoted to Deputy Section Chief this time, Bai Fengyu hoped even more to maintain the relationship for the long term.

Don't look at how it was only a minute or two from the moment she entered until she left; she had used every trick in the book.

She stirred you up, then drifted away, leaving you able to see and touch, but unable to take a bite.

Yet at this moment, Ning Weidong had no extra channels for relief.

Bai Fengyu was certain that even if Ning Weidong dreamed tonight, the person he dreamed of would be her.

At the doorway, Bai Fengyu chuckled softly: "If you have the guts, come over. Never mind doing it in front of Fengqin; if you really have the ability, I wouldn't even mind if you took that girl along too." As she spoke, she threw a flirtatious glance with a hint of provocation: "I'm just afraid you wouldn't dare!"

After finishing, she let out a "giggle," and without waiting for Ning Weidong to respond, she pushed the door open and ran off.

Ning Weidong let out an "hey," only to be met with the wind and snow that rushed into the room the moment the door opened.

With a "bang," the door closed.

Ning Weidong gritted his teeth in secret; it turned out this woman had come here just to play around, leaving after stirring things up, only caring about the kill and not the burial.

He calculated in his heart that next time he found an opportunity, he would definitely make this woman pay the price.

As for Bai Fengyu mentioning Bai Fengqin, he hadn't taken it to heart at all.

It was just talk leading to more talk; no normal person would take it seriously, unless their brain was filled with lust.

The "blessing of having two wives," since such an idiom exists, shows that it is a quite difficult achievement to attain.

The legends of Ehuang and Nüying are just that—legends; in reality, anyone who tries to light up this achievement ends up with a chaotic mess ninety-nine percent of the time, ending in a miserable state.

……

Bai Fengyu returned home, and as soon as she opened the door, she saw Bai Fengqin standing by the Eight Immortals table drinking water.

"Sister, where did you go?" Bai Fengqin put down her water glass and asked.

Bai Fengyu felt a sudden, inexplicable panic and lied: "Uh, I went to see Lu Dama in the front yard to ask about something."

Bai Fengqin said "Oh," and didn't ask any further.

In fact, she had just seen with her own eyes from the window that Bai Fengyu had come out of Ning Weidong's room.

If Bai Fengyu had told the truth, she wouldn't have thought much of it, but because Bai Fengyu lied, it was like a sign saying "there is no silver three hundred taels buried here."

However, Bai Fengqin didn't take it too much to heart.

With the start of the semester, there were only four months left until the college entrance exam, and she had no extra energy to think about anything else.

With her current grades, if she wanted to get into university, she had to go all out.

……

The next day, Ning Weidong rode his bike to his unit early in the morning.

Entering from the first floor, people greeted him constantly; those older or in higher positions called him "Weidong," while those younger, in lower positions, or at his same rank called him "Section Chief Ning."

This treatment was a world of difference from before.

Ning Weidong arrived at the third-floor Office with a face full of smiles.

After a simple cleaning, he stood by the window, lit a cigarette, and watched the Factory Protection Team line up for drills below.

From his angle, he could see the open space inside the South Gate of the factory perfectly.

It had snowed for most of the night yesterday; although it wasn't heavy, it had covered the ground.

After the Factory Protection Team lined up, besides their routine drills, they also had to shovel snow.

Ning Weidong, however, could stand in the warm, clean Office and watch them working with great enthusiasm.

No one has inherent value; it is the resources one controls that define the person.

Controlling large amounts of money allows one to do business or run enterprises, making that person a merchant or entrepreneur.

Controlling knowledge makes that person a scholar, professor, or teacher.

Controlling a certain position and obtaining organizational resources makes that person a bureaucrat.

In essence, Ning Weidong didn't feel he was any different from the young people in the Factory Protection Team below, even if he was a reborn person or a transmigrator.

He just had a bit more time-sensitive information resources than others.

Ning Weidong took a deep breath, withdrew his gaze from the window, turned back to the desk, picked up the phone, and dialed out.

A moment later, the call connected: "Hello, Dajun, this is Ning Weidong..."

Zhang Dajun reported the situation of sending off Wang Kaifeng yesterday in detail, and after finishing, he didn't forget to chuckle: "You didn't see it, the look on the face of the Bureau Chief at the district level; that old fox reacted even faster, and before he even got off work, he had already sent him to the city."

Listening to this, Ning Weidong couldn't help but smile.

It seemed there were quite a few people who understood the situation.

But on second thought, if they didn't have some ability, they wouldn't be able to reach that position at the Sub-bureau.

After finishing this, Ning Weidong asked about Wang Kai's situation.

Since he had promised yesterday, he had to understand the situation one way or another.

As it happened, Wang Kai's case was at the Suifu Police Station.

Zhang Dajun said in surprise: "Wang Kai? Did someone ask you for help?"

Ning Weidong said: "A neighbor from the courtyard. Judging by your tone, is the situation quite serious?"

Zhang Dajun said: "Holding a knife in the street, making threats, and even refusing to follow orders after our people arrived..."

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow.

He really didn't know about this situation.

How much did that guy Wang Kai drink that day? Seeing the Police Station people coming and still acting so boisterous—wasn't that just asking for bad luck?

Considering there was a knife involved, this matter could be big or small.

If one wanted to gloss over it, it could just be a drunken brawl combined with a family dispute.

But if someone really took it seriously, Wang Kai would be in real trouble this time.

Ning Weidong listened while pondering how to decline Shi Xiaonan later.

However, what Zhang Dajun said next made his heart tighten.

Zhang Dajun said, "And this matter this time might not be simple!"

"Not simple~" Ning Weidong said, "How do you say that?"

(End of chapter)