Chapter 766

Early morning

After eating two bowls of wontons and three meat pies in one go, Cao Cao Weiguo patted his stomach and pushed his bicycle out the door.

A long line had already formed at the public toilet in the alley, and many people were carrying chamber pots. The smell gathered together was truly pungent.

There were only two public toilets in this alley, but they served several large residential compounds nearby. If you got up late and went late, you’d just have to wait in line slowly. By the time you got home, your breakfast might already be cold.

If you happened to have an upset stomach in the morning, the experience would be unforgettable, and you’d end up soiling your pants regardless of age or gender.

Fortunately, Cao Cao Weiguo had his own private courtyard with a latrine, a fact that made all the neighbors envious.

Passing by the public toilet, he happened to see Sha Zhu holding his nose in line, with Bang Geng holding a chamber pot behind him. Suddenly, Bang Geng lunged forward, swung the chamber pot, and Sha Zhu, who was standing in front, was splashed with the aged brew.

"Damn it!"

"Whose chamber pot spilled!"

"Bang Geng!"

The neighbors hurriedly dodged and covered their noses. Sha Zhu, stunned, let out a heart-wrenching roar.

Bang Geng said with a cheeky grin: "Uncle Sha, I’m sorry! Someone pushed me! I didn't mean it!"

Sha Zhu clenched his fists, suppressed the anger in his heart, and gritted his teeth to squeeze out a few words: "It’s fine, I believe you didn't mean it. Be careful next time."

I’m giving Qin Qin Huairu face; I can endure this, I won't get angry.

If you can't endure small things, you'll ruin the big plan!

Bang Geng, you just wait for me!

Bang Geng covered his nose and laughed: "Got it. Uncle Sha, you should go back and change your clothes quickly; the smell is too strong."

Sha Zhu, with a dark face and head hung low, hurried back to the compound. Along the way, the smell was so strong that neighbors kept dodging him.

Once home, he quickly took off his coat, sweater, and pants. The thick stench of urine hit him in the face.

This detestable Bang Geng, he couldn't even be careful while holding a chamber pot. If it weren't for Qin Qin Huairu’s sake, if I didn't beat the crap out of you, my name isn't He.

Qin Huairu, I’m doing all this for you!

Sha Zhu held his pants and suddenly paused, instinctively raising them to his nose: "Qin Huairu, I can smell your scent!"

Smelling the heavy scent, Sha Zhu felt inexplicably excited. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and the plump figure appeared in his mind—the way she would quietly get out of bed in the dead of night...

Smelling the scent on the pants, Sha Zhu not only lost the feeling of disgust but instead became more impulsive the more he smelled it, his expression becoming more lewd. He didn't know what he was thinking, but he felt inexplicably shy.

On the other side, Cao Cao Weiguo was pedaling his bicycle toward the Red Star Rolling Mill. The closer he got, the more workers he encountered. These workers walked in twos and threes, chatting about family matters, while some talked loudly, worrying about national affairs. When they met acquaintances, they would greet them and stop to chat for a while. Almost everyone had a smile on their face, as if they had no worries or pressure at all.

Accompanied by loud and passionate singing, Cao Cao Weiguo entered the factory with a smile. In the parking shed, he ran into Cui Cui Dake. Ever since Cui Cui Dake was transferred to the Procurement Section, he had truly been like a fish in water. Relying on his status as a purchaser for the Red Star Rolling Mill, he flexed his muscles in the Nantai Commune, buying ingredients from the villagers at low prices and reselling them at a markup to the Red Star Rolling Mill. Buying low and selling high, he profited from both ends and made a fortune. Before long, he bought a bicycle and added a lot of new furniture to his home. Now he is asking matchmakers everywhere to introduce him to a partner, preparing to start his second spring.

Cui Cui Dake rubbed his hands and approached Cao Cao Weiguo: "Leader, Director Li Yongbao of the Nantai Commune wants to invite you to a meal."

Cao Cao Weiguo said indifferently: "Oh, Director Li wouldn't invite me to a meal for no reason, would he? Tell me, what is he inviting me for?"

Cui Cui Dake: "Leader, Director Li’s son is getting married. Director Li cares about face and wants to hold a grand celebration in the village. He heard that your culinary skills are superb, so he wants to invite you to do him the honor of being the head chef..."

Cui Cui Dake talked at length, the central idea being that Director Li wanted to invite Cao Cao Weiguo to "contract" the wedding banquet.

Cao Cao Weiguo: "Thirty tables for a wedding banquet, at a standard of eighteen Brother Yuan per table. With such a grand celebration, isn't that Director Li afraid of being reported?"

Cui Cui Dake whispered mysteriously: "Leader, you don't know this, but Director Li’s family background is extraordinary. His uncle is a founding father, one cousin holds an important position in a ministry, and another cousin is a municipal leader. There isn't a single idle person in the whole family. If it weren't for taking care of the elders, Director Li would have moved to the city long ago. Besides, such a wedding banquet is nothing in the countryside; no one would be bored enough to report such a thing."

Good heavens!

No wonder he is so fearless!

Listening to Cui Cui Dake’s introduction, the background of Director Li’s family is even deeper than the Gao and Ding families.

Having accepted Director Li’s invitation, Cao Cao Weiguo tucked his briefcase under his arm and walked into the office building.

After drinking tea and reading the newspaper for a while, Cao Cao Weiguo went to the staff canteen before the meal started.

While inspecting the food, he took the opportunity to give some pointers to his apprentices.

"Liu Lan, what happened to your eye?"

When Cao Cao Weiguo arrived at the canteen, he ran into Liu Lan, whose eye socket was bruised and black.

Liu Lan said listlessly: "Leader, can I ask you for a favor?"

Cao Cao Weiguo: "Go ahead."

Liu Lan: "I want to divorce my husband. Can you help me issue a certificate?"

Cao Cao Weiguo frowned: "Did your husband do this?"

He had heard a little about Liu Lan’s family situation. Her maternal family had many people, her parents were in poor health, and her younger siblings were young. As the eldest, she had to help her maternal family often even after getting married, and her husband was a gambler who didn't work. Whenever he lost money, he would come home and beat his wife...

Liu Lan said with tears in her eyes: "Yes, he owed gambling debts outside, and not only did he snatch away my salary, but he also wanted to sell the house. When I didn't agree, he started beating people. Not only did he beat me, but he also beat the child into the hospital. I really don't want to live with him anymore."

Cao Cao Weiguo said with a straight face: "Let’s go, I’ll take you to the Director of the Women’s Federation right now, and we’ll go to your neighborhood office together."

In this day and age, divorce requires the consent of both parties. If one party does not agree to the divorce, it is quite difficult to process.

Coupled with ideological concepts, there were few divorces, but many cases of people hanging themselves with hemp ropes, jumping into wells, or drinking pesticides.

Otherwise, Liu Lan wouldn't have dragged it out until now to make up her mind to divorce.

Liu Lan bowed deeply to Cao Cao Weiguo: "Thank you, Leader!"

Cao Cao Weiguo led Liu Lan to find the Director of the Women’s Federation. After informing her of Liu Lan’s situation, the Director was so angry she slapped the table.

As the saying goes: It is better to tear down a temple than to destroy a marriage.

But that depends on the actual situation. An unequal marriage like this, full of domestic violence and bullying, should not exist.

The basic function of the Women’s Federation is to represent and defend women’s rights, promote gender equality, and also maintain the rights and interests of children...

The Director of the Women’s Federation, who was nearly fifty, had also experienced an unhappy marriage and hated men who committed domestic violence against their wives the most.

After questioning Liu Lan repeatedly and receiving a firm answer, the Director of the Women’s Federation and Cao Cao Weiguo led Liu Lan away from the rolling mill by car and arrived at the neighborhood office where Liu Lan lived.

With the support of the workplace, the Women’s Federation, and Liu Lan’s own request, the Director of the neighborhood office dragged Liu Lan’s husband to the office with a livid face.

Liu Lan’s husband was a gambler addicted to gambling, a rotten person to the core, and naturally, he didn't want to let go of Liu Lan, a woman who could earn money to support the family.

But his actions had already lost the hearts of the people, and under Liu Lan’s insistence, this marriage had to be dissolved whether he liked it or not.