I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 536 - 532: Where are the Cold-Hearted People?

Qiao Qingyu had asked Secretary Chang to inquire about the current situation of Zhou Hai’s ex-wife, which was all within a permissible scope, considering her job was somewhat sensitive.

But to the almighty Secretary Chang, this was no trouble at all.

Most of his work overseas involved interacting with external departments, with whom he had developed particularly good relationships. Secretary Chang also had a wide network of connections.

Qiao Qingyu didn’t want to do much, but Liu Ying and Jiang Xin clearly weren’t like the other women at the base.

Neither of them could be described as extremely malicious, but they were certainly not kind-hearted either.

Especially Liu Ying, who harbored resentment against her, and Jiang Xin, who lusted after her husband—even if she did nothing, it was still better to have something up her sleeve.

It’s always good to be prepared.

Unexpectedly, Secretary Chang then shared another piece of history with Qiao Qingyu.

This story involved four people.

They were Liu Ying, Zhou Hai, a man named Zhang Zening, and another called Ye Hongyuan.

Back in the day, some of the children from the large compounds followed their elders who were sent down to the countryside, while others stayed behind, though some went to the factories as apprentices and some went to work.

Liu Ying’s family was also in the compound, and while her parents held ordinary positions, she was beautiful, and several young men who played with her liked her.

Although in that era, both men and women pursued love discreetly, not everyone was the same; among them, Ye Hongyuan pursued Liu Ying with exceptional fervor.

Liu Ying neither accepted nor rejected him outright, just hung around with everyone happily, but she spent more time with Ye Hongyuan, and their peers began to take that as an understanding, although a few boys were not content.

One day, they were at a club gathering.

Somehow an argument broke out, and Ye Hongyuan ended up pinning Zhou Hai to the ground and beating him. Zhang Zening, being close with Zhou Hai, charged with a knife and stabbed Ye Hongyuan.

The result was Zhang Zening received a ten-year sentence, and Ye Hongyuan, having his spine injured, lay bedridden for ten years to date.

Zhang Zening was engaged to a woman named Xiu Zhi; her parents were unlucky and tragically did not make it back to the countryside, dying in a foreign land. Additionally, with her fiancé in prison, she couldn’t cope with the shock and became mentally unstable.

During those ten years, Zhang Zening’s grandparents passed away one after the other, his father became seriously ill, his mother lived with his elder brother, who too had divorced, leaving a nephew and niece behind.

Ye Hongyuan’s family didn’t fare much better. Because of the incident involving their son, the Ye Family and the Zhang Family, who were once on good terms, became sworn enemies, refusing compensation or medical expenses, determined to have Zhang Zening locked away to face punishment.

Due to policy changes later, Ye’s parents were found to have problems and were imprisoned; they were only released a couple of years ago and now took care of their son, paralyzed in bed.

Zhou Hai was already married at the time, yet he swiftly divorced his ex-wife Xiao Wei just two months later, with both the daughter and son going to Zhou Hai.

A week after the divorce, Zhou Hai married Liu Ying.

As a result of that fight, the lives of a dozen people changed, but Zhou Hai and Liu Ying seemed unaffected, quite blissful and happy actually. Liu Ying had another daughter for Zhou Hai, who had since been transferred to Tenghai Research Base. It was said to be for training, which was very beneficial for Zhou Hai.

But Secretary Chang leaned more toward the idea that Zhou Hai had gone into hiding.

Because according to the schedule, a person called Zhang Zening was about to be released from prison.

After discussing these details, Secretary Chang told Qiao Qingyu that although Xiao Wei seldom returned to the country, each time she did, she would secretly visit her daughter and son, but it was unknown why she never showed herself. However, she had been consistently sending money and parcels to her daughter and son since the divorce.

Secretary Chang had been thorough in his inquiries, tracing Xiao Wei’s actions from the divorce until she regained her strength, always mailing things to the children. There was not much food, mostly things they could use, like clothes, books, various toys, dolls, and later, items specifically for her daughter that a girl would need, quite comprehensive, from inner to outer and top to bottom. In years past, when mailing things was inconvenient, if she couldn’t come herself, she would ask others to deliver to the Zhou Family. Or maybe it would take a circuitous route of several months, but the items would still be sent to the Zhou Family.

That was all Secretary Chang had found out. As for what exactly happened in that year’s dispute, nobody in these few families mentioned it, and the three families had become sworn enemies, constantly trying to suppress each other. Yet, the Zhou Family had kept the other two underfoot over these years.

Qiao Qingyu thanked Secretary Chang and, after hanging up the phone, stood in the study and looked out of the window towards the right corner, where the Zhou Family’s gate was located. Liu Ying, ah, one could put it bluntly that she was indeed a femme fatale, but what exactly happened back then, Qiao Qingyu also didn’t know. Therefore, she couldn’t make any definitive statements.

As for Zhou Hai’s character, she placed a big question mark over it.

It felt somewhat inconsistent with her current impression of him upon hearing this story.

A fly doesn’t land on a cracked egg. Liu Ying, to protect herself, clung to Zhou Hai. If Zhou Hai could have resisted, that family of four might not have ended up like they were today.

Moreover, Zhou Hai seemed quite cold and detached.

Zhang Zening must have done it for him, but ended up with such a fate.

Qiao Qingyu wondered if Zhou Hai ever intervened.

But what Qiao Qingyu was really focused on was that aside from not seeing them directly, Xiao Wei loved her son and daughter.

Yet to the outsiders, she appeared to have neglected her son and daughter completely.

Zhou Zijiao and Zhou Pengcheng’s clothes weren’t particularly fashionable either, all domestically made. So where did all the things Xiao Wei sent go?

After a long while, Qiao Qingyu sighed. But what could she do, even if she knew?

Zhou Hai was not He Xiuyu, and the Zhou Family was not the He Family.

It was none of her business to intervene in their affairs.

Despite saying that, since that day, Zhou Zijiao seemed exceptionally affectionate towards Qiao Qingyu.

She even brought two bags of popping candy to knock on Qiao Qingyu’s door.

Afraid that Qiao Qingyu would not let her in, she lifted the popping candy in her hands and urgently said, "Aunt Qiao, this popping candy is so much fun. If you put it in your mouth, it will pop and jump around non-stop. These two bags are for Rongrong and Chaoxuan."

Popping candy, huh? In recent years, it has indeed been very popular.

Whether or not they eat it is secondary, the gesture itself is precious.

Qiao Qingyu promptly pulled her inside, her little hands were icy cold so she quickly dragged her into the house.

Rongrong and Xiao Hu were doing homework in the study, and Little Chaoxuan was frolicking in and out of the rooms. Qiao Qingyu took Jiao Jiao by the hand and let her sit on the kàng.

Jiao Jiao seemed a little shy holding the popping candy because she wasn’t aware that Xiao Hu was also there. Rongrong was not shy at all, she directly took over the two bags of popping candy, gave one to Xiao Hu and kept one for herself, then she turned around and took out a pack of bubble gum, sweetly said, "Sister Jiaojiao, give Chaoxuan the bubble gum to play with. We’ll join him after we’re done with our homework. Otherwise he won’t let us study."