Su Weimin's face flushed red instantly. He was speechless, caught off guard by the rebuke. They were clearly in the wrong, and given Fang Xu's intimidating identity, Su Weimin was at a loss for words. He could only turn to Su He for help, hoping his niece could extricate him from this predicament.
Su He felt a pang of pity for Su Weimin. However, after learning the truth about her grandmother's disappearance, Su He was utterly disappointed in her uncle's family, especially her aunt He Chunzhi. She had made up her mind to take her grandmother to Rongcheng this time. She would simply take on another job and rent a place near the school to take care of her grandmother.
But Su He was ultimately a kind and soft-hearted girl. When she saw the helpless look in Su Weimin's eyes, her heart softened again. At this moment, Tongtong opened her innocent big eyes and asked in confusion:
"Sister Xiaohe, don't you want to go home? Don't you love Tongtong anymore?"
Suhe hugged Tongtong tightly and said softly:
"How could that be? Sister loves Tongtong the most! It's just..."
Chen Yang, who had seen everything, said calmly:
"Suhe, you can go home for a day. Anyway, Grandma needs to pack some clothes. We'll take Grandma back to Rongcheng tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, He Chunzhi, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly raised her head. A flash of surprise appeared in her eyes, quickly turning into a look of fear. In her eyes, Grandma was a huge burden, something she couldn't stand no matter how she looked at her. If Suhe could take Grandma to Rongcheng, it would be a great thing for her. If it were her old self, she would definitely have gone along with it. But the situation was different now. The two young men Su He brought were incredibly powerful. Someone who could be on friendly terms with Secretary Han of the county committee—that was no ordinary person. The one named Fang Xu was the son of a high-ranking provincial leader, and the one named Chen Yang, though a local, was clearly no ordinary person either. He Chunzhi felt a chill run down her spine; her lips moved a few times, but she ultimately didn't dare speak.
Upon hearing this, Su Weimin said urgently:
"Xiao He, are you going to take Grandma to Rongcheng? How can you do that? You still have to go to school and don't have any income. How can you take care of an elderly person? Xiao He, we were wrong this time. I promise you, I will take good care of Grandma from now on. Just let her stay in Nanpu! Otherwise, people will talk behind my back!"
Chen Yang could tell that Su Weimin's words were sincere; his tone was genuine. His dislike for Su Weimin lessened somewhat, but Chen Yang had already planned ahead when he left Rongcheng. He had driven the RV to ensure his elderly relative's comfort during the journey, and he was genuinely worried about leaving his grandmother at Su Weimin's house.
Although Su Weimin was essentially a good person, and He Chunzhi seemed terrified, Chen Yang couldn't guarantee that He Chunzhi wouldn't revert to her old ways or even become more aggressive over time. Chen Yang knew that his grandmother was the most important person to Su He, and he couldn't take the risk. Therefore, before Su He could speak, Chen Yang said directly:
"Director Su, you don't need to worry about Grandma's matter. We will take good care of her."
Chen Yang's tone was calm but carried an undeniable air. Su Weimin, hearing this, hurriedly said:
"Fang...Fang, you can't say that! That's my mother. I have an obligation to support and care for her. How can I push an elderly person onto my niece who's still in school? What kind of person would I be?"
He Chunzhi, seeing Su Weimin's stubbornness, was also very anxious. She wished Su He would take the elderly woman away right now, but because Chen Yang and Chen Yang were present, she couldn't speak up. She just glared at Su Weimin resentfully. Su Weimin, seemingly oblivious, continued,
"I promise you, I will take good care of the old lady! If any more problems arise, I will resign and go home to care for my mother!"
After saying this, Su Weimin glared at He Chunzhi and said,
"This is all your doing! Hurry up and apologize to Xiaohe!"
He Chunzhi stiffened her neck, wanting to retort. At home, she was used to Su Weimin's tolerance, and his unexpected assertiveness today made her very uncomfortable. However, she immediately realized that this was clearly not the time for her to unleash her power, so she reluctantly raised her head, stammering for a long time without uttering a complete sentence.
Chen Yang, observing coldly, spoke directly:
"Alright! This matter is settled! Director Su, Secretary Fang of the Provincial Party Committee is inspecting Nanpu, and you must be very busy with your work. We won't keep you any longer. Su He will take Grandma back to stay for the night this evening, and we'll return to Rongcheng tomorrow."
Seeing this, Su Weimin knew it was impossible to persuade him to stay any longer. He sighed deeply, stood up listlessly, and said:
"Very well then! We'll take our leave!"
After saying that... Su Weimin bowed deeply to his mother, Su He, and the others, saying with shame,
"On behalf of my family, I apologize for her behavior and her appalling attitude last night!"
Without waiting for a response from Su He and the others, he knelt down, picked up Tongtong, ignored He Chunzhi, and walked straight out the door without looking back. He Chunzhi quickly stood up and followed, then turned back to give Fang Xu and Chen Yang an awkward smile before leaving the room with her head down.
As soon as Su Weimin left, the room fell silent. Fang Xu, standing to the side, scoffed,
"What kind of person is he? He can't even manage his own wife, and he's a deputy director of the county committee office?"
Nai Nai remained sitting on the bed, completely bewildered, not understanding a word the group had said. But with Su He by her side, she seemed at ease, simply holding Su He's hand tightly and looking curiously at Chen Yang and Fang Xu.
Chen Yang knew that Su Weimin wasn't inherently a bad person; the whole mess was He Chunzhi's fault, the shrewish wife's fault. Besides, even if Su Weimin wasn't good, he was still Su He's uncle. Therefore, he said,
"Alright, Fang Xu, stop talking. You drove all night; go back to your room and get some sleep!"
He then turned to Su He, his expression softening, and said,
"Su He, you should rest with Grandma a bit more. Go back to pack your things this evening. Then stay at your uncle's house for the night and keep Tongtong company! Don't worry, your aunt will definitely behave herself."
Su He stroked... Grandma nodded obediently, her hands thin and withered, and then asked,
"Well, what about you?"
Chen Yang smiled slightly and said,
"Of course I'm going home to see my mother! I haven't been home since I left for school after the New Year! Now that I'm back, I'll stay home with my mother tonight!"
After saying that, Chen Yang looked at the bored Fang Xu and said,
"Fang Xu, you can have dinner at the hotel yourself! I'm going home to see my mother. We'll contact each other by phone tomorrow after you make your appointment with Brother Dahai!"
"Alright, don't worry about me! Go on!" Fang Xu said casually.
...
At the Nanpu County Party Committee Guesthouse, Building No. 1, which is rarely used, was under martial law. Almost the entire armed police squadron was deployed around Building No. 1, and sentries were set up at every intersection leading to the building. Many plainclothes officers were also observing the surrounding area warily. Building No. 1, located at the far end of the county government guesthouse, is a three-story villa. In stark contrast to its drab exterior, the interior is exquisitely decorated; though understated, it exudes a subtle luxury.
This is the legendary "Chief's Building" of Nanpu County, used only by provincial and ministerial-level leaders for inspections. The high level of security today is due to the fact that Fang Hongda, the guest of honor, is not only the Secretary of the Southeast Provincial Party Committee, but also the third son of the founding father, Mr. Fang—a pure-blooded second-generation Red. With such a powerful figure visiting Nanpu, the county government leaders naturally have to be on high alert.
Fang Hongda's room is on the second floor. To be precise, the entire second floor is a large suite, including a huge bedroom, a living room, a classically styled study, and rest rooms for secretaries and security personnel. Other entourage members stay on the first floor.
Fang Hongda was currently sprawled shirtless on the soft leather sofa in the reception room, receiving a massage from a healthcare professional. Fang Hongda suffered from severe cervical spondylosis, which had compressed his nerves—an occupational hazard resulting from years of sitting in an office. Whenever the weather changed, his arms would become numb or even throb with pain. Therefore, he was always accompanied by a healthcare professional when he traveled, and whenever he had free time, he would have the doctor perform physical therapy.
Fang Hongda's eyes were slightly closed, a look of pure enjoyment on his face, occasionally letting out a comfortable sigh as the healthcare professional massaged him. He was simply too busy; such moments of leisure were rare.
The daily schedule of a provincial party secretary was unimaginable for ordinary people.
At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door, and Guan Weiping tiptoed into the reception room. The healthcare professional glanced at Guan Weiping, shook his head slightly, and gestured for silence. But Fang Hongda had already opened his eyes sharply.
Upon seeing Guan Weiping, Fang Hongda sat up abruptly and said to the doctor,
"Xiao Liu, that's enough for today! You've worked hard!"
Xiao Liu gave Guan Weiping a slightly disgruntled glare, but said nothing more, silently packing his things and leaving the room.
Fang Hongda casually picked up a shirt from the sofa and put it on, buttoning it as he asked,
"Weiping, is everything arranged?"
Guan Weiping quickly stepped forward and replied,
"Secretary, everything is arranged. You...are you really not going to reconsider?"
Guan Weiping wasn't usually a talkative person, but today he couldn't help but subtly remind Fang Hongda, mainly because what Fang Hongda wanted to do was rather shocking.
Fang Hongda smiled slightly, not angry, and simply said,
"That's good, let's go!"