Volume One, Chapter Twelve: Reporting the Shen Family—None Shall Escape

If not for Wang Cuilian acting on her own initiative, having the paternity test done for them and Shen Ruzhi, and even putting it together with his own, things wouldn't have turned out so badly. If that hadn't happened, they could have simply found an excuse to go out, left Shen Ruzhi at home, and still made her take the blame for the whole family.

"You! What nonsense are you spouting? What paternity test? Weren't you the one who did it? You're the one who didn't trust me from the start, didn't believe Yaoyao was your biological daughter." Wang Cuilian knew her husband was deeply suspicious by nature, and she had been nervous too when the paternity test was being done. She'd been terrified they might test the wrong person—thankfully, Yaoyao was indeed her daughter.

"I'm not talking about Yaoyao's test." Shen Zhongguo gnashed his teeth, wishing he could tear the woman to pieces—never able to achieve anything, only good at ruining things.

"What does that have to do with me? When have I ever done a paternity test? Shen Zhongguo, all these years I've followed you, and you didn't even ask before hitting me, you bastard!"

Shen Zhongguo frowned, staring at Wang Cuilian. "If you didn't do it, then where did that paternity test come from?" Even the fact that he had hidden the test in "How the Steel Was Tempered" was known—no one but Wang Cuilian could have known that.

"How should I know? Shen Zhongguo, you're just blaming me without any evidence. Are you senile? The paternity test was clearly done by you yourself."

Shen Zhongguo calmed down, and after a few seconds of thought, he said, "I'm talking about Shen Ruzhi's test."

Seeing her husband's grave and serious expression, Wang Cuilian also realized there was something strange about all this. "You mean the paternity test with Shen Ruzhi wasn't done by you?"

Shen Zhongguo shook his head, a chilling and bold suspicion forming in his mind. That test must have been done by Shen Ruzhi herself and placed inside that book.

Wang Cuilian, puzzled, asked, "If you didn't do the test, then who did? It can't be Jin Lin, can it?"

Shen Zhongguo replied with certainty, "No, it couldn't possibly be him." He knew his own son too well—he didn't have the brains for something like this.

Wang Cuilian muttered, "If it wasn't him, then who could it be? Surely not Shen Ruzhi herself... right?"

As this thought occurred to them, the couple exchanged a knowing glance. Wang Cuilian clenched her fists in fury. "Could it be that wretched girl knew her true identity from the very beginning, and everything today was orchestrated by her—including signing Yaoyao up for the countryside program!"

They had never considered such a possibility. All along, Shen Ruzhi had seemed obedient and sensible—what schemes could a girl like her possibly have? But if all this had been her plot, then what was her plan? For the first time, Wang Cuilian felt a sense of unfamiliarity toward the daughter she had raised for eighteen years. Shen Ruzhi!

Shen Zhongguo frowned and stood up. "Leave that aside for now—call them at once and tell them to come get their things. Xiaoyong, go buy tickets for tonight." He turned to Wang Cuilian and Wang Yaoyao. "You two, hurry and pack your things. Only take what's valuable and easy to carry—don't bother with clothes or shoes. Quick, we leave at once."

Wang Cuilian and Wang Yaoyao nodded frantically and rushed upstairs to pack. Wang Yaoyao knew there were quite a few valuable things in Shen Ruzhi's room—things that should have been hers. She would take them all. The 538 yuan that had been taken from her, and the Shanghai-brand watch worth over 200 yuan.

Wang Yaoyao entered Shen Ruzhi's room, rummaging through boxes and cabinets in search of money—in the closets, in the drawers, everywhere. But everything was empty. The whole room looked as if it had just been looted.

How could this be? Where was the money?

Shen Ruzhi had been outside just now and hadn't been carrying a bag. She couldn't possibly have taken the money with her.

Meanwhile, Shen Ruzhi was desperately running toward the disciplinary bureau. Faster, she had to be faster—she could not let the Shen family escape. In her previous life, she had learned from others about the things Shen Zhongguo had done—how much money he had embezzled, how he had abused his position to commit all manner of crimes.

What she remembered most about the farm was the son of a former landowner who hated her and bullied her daily, simply because her family had once been landlords. According to national policy, as long as they handed over all their money and property, they could live like ordinary people. But their assets had never been handed over—instead, they served over ten years in prison. His parents, hoping to pull strings to investigate, were killed in prison by people sent by the Shen family. Only after the Shen family's downfall was their innocence finally proven.

When he heard that the Shen family was being sent down to the farm, he had volunteered to work there, solely to avenge his parents.

As dusk began to fall, Shen Ruzhi's anxiety grew—time was running out! She glanced at the passing cars, then ran into the middle of the road, gritted her teeth, and spread her arms to stop a car.

Song Qinian, eyes closed, was dozing when the car suddenly lurched to a stop. He frowned and opened his eyes in annoyance. "Uncle Zhou, what's going on?"

"Young master, someone is blocking the car up ahead."

At that moment, Shen Ruzhi, gasping for breath, ran up to the window. "I'm so sorry, but I have an urgent matter. Could you please take me to the disciplinary bureau? I can pay you. Please!"

The girl, drenched in sweat, black hair plastered to her face, her fair cheeks flushed, lips parted in anxious entreaty.

"Miss, you'd better ask someone else. We're in a hurry." Uncle Zhou glanced at the back seat. Since the young master hadn't spoken, he clearly didn't want to give her a ride. Uncle Zhou gave her an apologetic look.

Shen Ruzhi, undeterred, looked toward the back seat, where a young man sat—about nineteen or twenty, in a white shirt, remarkably handsome and refined, with sharp brows and bright eyes, a pair of phoenix eyes radiating cold impatience.

"I can pay. Please, could you give me a ride?"

Song Qinian's sharp gaze landed on Shen Ruzhi—so it was her! He was about to refuse, when the words changed: "How much?"

Shen Ruzhi was taken aback. They didn't seem to lack money, but then again, it was reasonable to pay for a ride from a stranger. Everything had happened so suddenly, and she really was in a hurry.

Gritting her teeth, she said, "Ten yuan! I'll give you ten yuan for the ride."

A monthly wage was usually only fifty or sixty, so ten yuan ought to be enough.

Song Qinian glanced sideways at her anxious eyes. "Thirty."

Uncle Zhou's eyes widened—when had the young master ever... been this outrageous? Such a sky-high price! And he didn't need money, did he? Shouldn't he be willing to help?

"What!" Shen Ruzhi thought she must have misheard.

"Thirty! Why not just rob me instead!"