“Wu Zhengyi once tried to molest me, but Shengshun rescued me,” Zhang Ru confessed, her face streaked with tears as she covered it, her voice choked with sobs. She trembled as she produced a letter, as if she had never imagined that the evidence of her husband’s suffering, and her own revenge, would finally come to light.
Secretary Zhang rushed forward, gently taking the letter from Zhang Ru’s shaking hand.
“Secretary, this is a threatening letter Wu Zhengyi wrote to us!” a voice cried out from the crowd.
“Secretary Zhang, the Xu family are good people in our village, and what they say is true!” another added.
“Secretary Zhang, after my cousin was struck down that day, I was also hit and knocked unconscious. This was deliberate murder, and I beg you to give us justice!”
By the time Deputy Director Wu arrived, the chaos had escalated beyond his control. He stared at his son, his face contorted with anger. “Did you really write a threatening letter to those people?” he demanded.
Wu Zhengyi visibly shrank, fear making him cower. He had boasted and threatened in the past, never conceiving that such a day of reckoning would arrive. Seeing his son’s silence, betrayed by his panicked expression, a cold dread seized Deputy Director Wu’s heart.
“Go back quickly! Tell your mother to move everything away!” Deputy Director Wu shouted, his voice laced with desperate urgency. A wave of profound regret washed over him. If only he had known that one girl’s actions could unleash such a torrent of disaster, he would have killed her sooner, or sold her to a remote mountain village. His eyes, fixed on Xu Ying, narrowed with a venomous hatred, like a snake preparing to strike.
At his father’s frantic words, Wu Zhengyi’s expression shifted dramatically. He turned and bolted towards home. But his heavy frame made him slow, and by the time he reached his house, the doorway was already swarming with people, some in the uniforms of the Public Security Bureau.
Wu’s mother was also at home, having rushed back as soon as she heard the unfolding calamity. She stood in the yard, consumed by anxiety. When she saw that the things these people were searching for were gone, a flicker of surprise, then a fleeting sense of relief, crossed her face. She thought her husband, sensing trouble, had hidden everything in advance. But her brief moment of relief was shattered as the officers swiftly uncovered several large boxes of stolen goods from other hiding places. Wu’s mother watched in horror as the damning evidence was carried into the yard, her face ashen, her body trembling until she could no longer stand.
Wu Zhengyi’s face twisted into a grotesque mask of fury. “What are you doing?!” he roared, struggling against those restraining him. “These belong to our family! Let me go!” The thought of losing his ill-gotten wealth, of not being able to live a life of luxury, eclipsed any understanding of the gravity of the situation.
The Public Security Bureau officers quickly loaded the stolen goods and transported them to the bureau. Secretary Zhang stared at the boxes, still grappling with the full extent of the revelations.
“Secretary Zhang, I am Wu Zhengyi’s daughter-in-law,” a woman stepped forward from the crowd. She was slender, and the cold wind seemed to buffet her, threatening to make her fall. Her eyes burned with anger. “I want to report that Deputy Director Wu deceived, coaxed, and raped me.” After uttering these damning words, she broke into soft, choked sobs. “I was an employee of the publicity department of the Meat Factory. Deputy Director Wu told me that he and his wife had no relationship, and promised to marry me. Then he committed these inhumane acts against me. But after it happened, he did not keep his promise. When I demanded that he take responsibility, he branded me with a terrible reputation, claiming I had seduced him. As a powerless girl, I had no way to resist him. I could only marry into the Wu family through Wu Zhengyi.”
She held up several account books, her hands trembling. “I have evidence of the Wu family’s corruption, and evidence that Wu Zhengyi and his father have defiled countless others. I ask Secretary Zhang to severely punish them!” These books were the fruits of her long, agonizing years under the shadow of these two men, preserved as a desperate bid for her own vindication, a hope that one day she could destroy the father and son. She had thought it would take a long time, but now, it was happening so swiftly. Looking at Xu Ying in the crowd, the woman’s face was filled with admiration. If only she had possessed Xu Ying’s intelligence and bravery, she would not have stood by helplessly while the father and son harmed so many.
Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd. People were stunned by the daughter-in-law’s incredible endurance, and equally by her cunning intelligence. Xu Ying, too, was surprised by the woman’s remarkable strength.
Secretary Zhang’s face was ashen. There was no need for further interrogation. Every piece of evidence, every accusation—corruption, seduction, rape, murder—pointed unequivocally to the Wu family.
Deputy Director Wu’s face turned ghastly pale. He stared at the woman, a look of utter disbelief etched on his features.
The entire Wu family was swiftly sentenced to death. The director of the meat factory was also immediately placed under investigation. All personnel in Xiang County who had been connected to Deputy Factory Director Wu were scrutinized. Punishment was meted out, dismissals followed. This incident sent shockwaves not only through the county but also through all the surrounding regions.
Cheng Yinglan’s family, who had harbored thoughts of begging Xu Ying to release their daughter and son-in-law, were utterly terrified after witnessing the unfolding events. They dared not utter a single word.
The Wu family was compelled to compensate Xu Shengshun for his medical expenses over the years, and also for his lost wages. But no amount of money could truly heal Uncle Xu’s enduring sorrow, or alleviate Aunt Xu’s profound helplessness and heartbreak at watching her son turn into a shell of his former self.
Xu Ying and Mrs. Xu returned home in Director Sun’s car. On the way back, Director Sun was still fuming. “That fellow surnamed Wu is truly despicable! He has committed so many evil deeds. He deserves to die!”
A deep sense of satisfaction settled over Xu Ying as she reflected on the Wu family’s punishment. Thinking of her own earnings, she asked curiously, “Director, do we have orders from other counties for our duck products?”
At this, Director Sun’s face lit up, and he beamed with a broad smile. “Xiao Xu, why didn’t you tell me about this method sooner? You wouldn’t believe it—after I sent the duck products to those contacts, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing! Calls from all over, discussing cooperation. We’ve sold more orders in the past few days than we have in the past six months!”
He continued, “Xiao Xu, as long as you work hard, your salary will definitely be substantial. The boss has already said you’ll receive a bonus next month. With your commission, salary, and bonus, you’ll earn a considerable sum this month!” Director Sun sighed, acknowledging that this young girl was earning more than he was.
Xu Ying smiled cheerfully. “Thank you very much, Director, for speaking kindly to the boss on my behalf. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have received the bonus. After my wages are paid, I’ll treat you to a meal, and I’ll personally cook.”
Director Sun’s eyes twinkled with delight. “Excellent! Excellent! Then I certainly want to sample your renowned cooking skills.” He had often heard his subordinates praise a chef in the state-owned restaurant who was said to cook better than Chef Ge. At the time, he had scoffed, but since tasting the duck products, he had grown increasingly curious about Xu Ying’s culinary talents.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu were waiting anxiously at home. Were it not for their frail health, they would have joined the others.
Xu Ying and Mrs. Xu were the first to arrive. As soon as they heard the familiar sounds of their return, Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu rushed home, their faces etched with worry. “Yingying, where are your parents? What did your brother Shengshun say about all this?”
“Grandma, this matter has been resolved. The bad guys have been caught and sentenced to death.” Xu Ying took a deep, cleansing breath, releasing all the pent-up resentment that had weighed her down for days.