Chapter 28: Grudges

Sun family.

Sun Hao has spent a lot of money lately, but the matter hasn't been resolved, leaving him very anxious and uneasy.

After his daughter-in-law went to rest in the evening, he sat in the main hall, looked at Sun Hongqi, and asked coldly.

"Are you hiding something else from me?"

Sun Hongqi saw his father's stern gaze, suppressed his guilt, and shook his head.

"No, Dad. I've inquired about it. That day Hongwei really just happened to run into Yang Qing. Yang Qing's estate organized a fishing trip that day and had a good catch. He must have seen it, wanted to steal his fish, then saw he had a wife and made a verbal pass at him."

"That was out in the open, with people coming and going. Even if you gave him ten guts, he wouldn't dare cause a scene on the street."

Sun Hao's gaze drifted away from Sun Hongqi toward the outside, and he spoke firmly.

"There must be something we don't know."

"If it were that simple, after spending so much money we should have seen results by now."

"Yet now we see no effect."

"Something must have gone wrong."

His fingers tapped the table, making a tat-tat-tat sound, as if striking Sun Hongqi's heart.

Sun Hongqi hesitated, then said.

"Should we send more money?"

Sun Hao shook his head.

"We can't send more; sending more would be drawing fire upon ourselves."

Sun Hongqi thought about those people at the police bureau.

"Dad, do you think Ge Liang might be interfering?"

Sun Hao still shook his head.

"He doesn't have that kind of influence."

Sun Hongqi asked again.

"Or is it because we didn't grease his palms?"

Sun Hao glared at him.

"Ge Liang and his men are all retired soldiers."

"These people are stubborn and unpleasant; giving them gifts is just asking for trouble. Don't approach them, or they might trace it back to you."

"Money only works when given to the right person."

"Remember that."

"My income plus yours can't sustain our spending like this."

"So we must be careful with money, give it to the right people, and not expose ourselves."

Sun Hongqi also had no idea what to do.

"What should we do? Just keep watching?"

Then he said fiercely.

"Should we find a chance to kill Yang Qing?"

Sun Hao, hearing that, kicked him.

"Don't even entertain that thought."

"He's being watched. If someone really dies, we won't be able to get away."

Sun Hongqi exclaimed in surprise.

"Someone's watching him?"

Sun Hao nodded.

"Yeah, otherwise why would we have you play those childish tricks?"

"I've already taken care of him."

"That Director Wang has been stationed at the subdistrict office for over ten years, just to keep an eye on him."

Sun Hongqi wondered.

"What are they watching him for?"

Sun Hao shook his head.

"I don't know either."

"Back when I saw the Yang family being taken away by the Nationalist army, I thought they were finished, so I joined others in looting the Yang household."

"Back then I secretly hit him with a blunt blow, thinking he was dead, never expecting..."

He regretted it immensely.

"It would have been great if he'd died; everything would have been settled."

"Not dying leaves a hidden danger."

"Although he wore a mask back then, he was a servant of the Yang family, and Yang Qing knew him too well, so he lacked confidence."

"Later he became so restless he couldn't eat or sleep, feeling he had to do something."

"So, he had people report the Yang family as capitalists."

"All to make his life impossible and drive him to death."

"To achieve his goal, he even secretly stirred up the Siheyuan residents to harass Yang Qing."

"But who knew this kid's fate would be so tough?"

"No matter how much injustice he suffered, how much hardship, how poor and difficult his life, he just wouldn't die."

"He would occasionally bully Yang Qing with his own two children, turning a blind eye, hoping they'd become the final straw that broke the camel's back."

But it still didn't break Yang Qing's resolve.

This child, his psychological resilience is chilling to the bone.

This father-son conversation ended without result.

A few days later

Sun Hongwei's conviction came down.

Looking at the various charges on the notice, Sun Hao's legs went weak and he collapsed into his chair.

He angrily shouted at his eldest son.

"Speak, tell me the truth—what does Hongwei usually do?"

Sun Hongqi was also drenched in cold sweat, because many of these things were done by him bringing his brother along.

Now he's in the clear, so he can only say his brother didn't give him up.

"Dad, I'm working now, I really don't know exactly what Hongwei does."

Sun Hao sat slumped in his chair, eyes vacant, deeply blaming himself.

"Your mother left early; it's my fault I didn't educate you well."

He weakly shouted.

"Twenty years—how many twenties does a life have? Your brother is ruined."

"Hongqi, you must not get involved with these things anymore."

"Now our family needs work—if we have work, we have money; fine porcelain doesn't clash with pottery."

"From now on we can't do what we used to do."

"You understand we can't do it anymore, right?"

His voice was unusually gentle.

Having said this, he still feared he hadn't been clear enough, so he explicitly told Sun Hongqi.

"Although no one is coming for you now, our family is surely on the police watchlist."

"Especially this time, to save your brother we did a bit too much, so suspicion is inevitable."

"From now on you have to keep your tail between your legs, understand?"

Sun Hongqi also knew what it meant to be watched by the police, and he firmly promised.

"Dad, rest assured, I will work steadily from now on."

"Then give you some grandsons."

Hearing about grandsons, Sun Hao's complexion recovered considerably.

"As long as you understand."

Seeing his father improve a little, Sun Hongqi quietly voiced his worry.

"Dad, what about Yang Qing? Are we just going to ignore him from now on?"

Yang Qing is ultimately a threat.

Sun Hao glanced at him.

"Wait—maybe when the winds shift we can take advantage."

"For now, just pretend it never happened."

"We can't let anyone catch our tail."

After Sun Hongwei's case was settled, Yang Qing also breathed a sigh of relief.

Twenty years—not the death penalty, though it's a pity, but it's enough for him to vent his hatred.

Exactly, Sun Hongwei's rape and murder were what he leaked.

This shows that over these years he hasn't wasted his time—he knows Jingcheng well and is well-informed.

Many things were secret to the police before, but elsewhere they are common knowledge.

Chen Hong saw his red eyes, looked at the verdict, and asked.

"How is it?"

Yang Qing handed the verdict to her.

"It's decided."

Chen Hong glanced at it and tossed it aside.

"It's fine that it's decided; to avoid the Sun family we've already delayed many things."

Yang Qing smiled along.

"Isn't this because we're afraid they'll be cornered, grab us and threaten us into writing a letter of understanding?"

"People like them have no scruples."

Chen Hong gave him a white-eye look.

"So now we're not afraid?"

Yang Qing.

"Now the guilt is set—what's there to fear? When their family produces a criminal, few are willing to work for them; that's 'when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.'"

"Even old-timers won't help people like them."

"Because the risk is too great, too easy to expose."

"As long as we avoid deserted places like the black market, we won't run into big trouble."

Chen Hong heard this and showed a pleased expression; having stayed at home this whole time, she felt her body was about to rust.

Looking at the outside sunshine and the already-melted snow.

She wanted to go out right now.