Chapter 103: Gu Tingxiao’s Official Visit
Without uttering another word, Gu Tingxiao stepped up, twisted Wang Chaofan’s arm behind his back, and marched him straight toward the local public security bureau.
A man like this didn’t deserve to hold a prestigious position or live a comfortable life; when filth made a mistake, it needed to be broken and punished. This was exactly how the Wang family had promised to settle accounts after the incident with Gu Tingxiao’s cousin, yet they had covertly manipulated the system. The Gu family had absolutely no intention of letting this debt slide.
“Gu Tingxiao! Let me go!” Wang Chaofan shrieked, his voice cracking with terror. “What do you think you’re doing? Where are you taking me?”
He was thoroughly terrified now. If the higher-ups in the Gu lineage discovered that he had managed to bypass his sentence at the remote labor farm, they would systematically dismantle his family’s remaining leverage.
“Go on home and wait for me,” Gu Tingxiao said, completely ignoring the prisoner as he turned back to look at his little girl. Giving her clear instructions, the stark worry shining in her eyes sent a deep wave of warmth through his chest. “Don’t be afraid. Leave everything to me.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded reassuringly. Judging by Wang Chaofan’s sudden, absolute panic, it was obvious he knew exactly what kind of formidable power Gu Tingxiao wielded.
“I’ll be waiting for you at home,” she replied softly.
The moment the word “home” left her lips, Gu Tingxiao’s gaze softened with immense, unadulterated tenderness. One day soon, the two of them would anchor a home entirely their own.
“Alright,” he murmured. “Wait for me at home.”
Wanyan mounted her bicycle and pedaled away. Gu Tingxiao tracked her silhouette until she vanished down the lane, only then withdrawing his gentle expression. The literal second she was out of sight, his entire aura turned freezing and lethal. Wang Chaofan slumped against his grip, instantly realizing that his run of luck had officially run out.
He had deployed every ounce of his family’s remaining political capital just to secure this comfortable administrative transfer to Chengdu, only for his entire existence to be shattered because he targeted Sheng Wanyan. If he had known she was bound to Gu Tingxiao, he wouldn’t have dared to cast a single glance in her direction. Had he kept his hands to himself, he would still be the high-and-mighty Logistics Director, enjoying a prosperous, elite life in the city.
But regret was entirely useless now. Gu Tingxiao had caught him red-handed, and a reckless wolf was never going to let him slide. The Gu family would undoubtedly drag the Wang clan through the mud for this breach of terms. He bitterly realized he should have listened to his grandfather’s strict orders to keep his head down and remain invisible upon arriving in Sichuan.
The moment Wanyan stepped back into the apartment, she reached into her spatial inventory, retrieving two bottles of her aged peach blossom wine and three plump wild rabbits. Since Gu Tingxiao was making his first formal appearance at the household tonight, it was only right he share an excellent drink with her elders.
Mother Sheng had already finalized the baseline dinner preparations and was waiting for her daughter to return. The moment she saw the three fresh rabbits Wanyan had “brought back,” she immediately took them to the kitchen to skin and prep them.
“Mom, can we make spicy braised rabbit tonight?” Wanyan called out, leaning against the doorframe.
Mother Sheng shot her a mock glare, entirely exasperated. This girl truly didn’t occupy her mind with anything besides her stomach every single day. “I think what you really need is a serving of stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots!”
Despite her sharp tongue, Mother Sheng still reached into the pantry for a generous handful of dried chilies, meticulously preparing her daughter’s favorite dish. Watching her work, Wanyan smiled happily. Her mother was the epitome of a woman who was fiercely sharp on the outside but incredibly soft on the inside, always quietly turning herself inside out to satisfy her children’s cravings.
The women of this generation possessed a spectacular talent for turning basic ingredients into culinary masterpieces. While managing a kitchen at home was fine, translating that skill into opening a private restaurant would be far too exhausting. Wanyan mentally mapped out her long-term strategy: she would wait until the economic reforms of 1977 officially kicked in, then purchase a storefront for her parents to sell commercial goods. She could hire two or three reliable clerks to handle the heavy labor, leaving her father and mother with the simple task of counting the daily profits. She had absolutely zero intention of letting them break their backs at the steel plant and textile mill forever. If they resisted the business, she would simply force them into an early retirement to travel the country; they had toiled through the first half of their lives, so they earned the right to enjoy the second half in absolute luxury.
Exactly one hour later, Gu Tingxiao arrived at the Sheng family’s threshold, his hands laden with an immense assortment of premium gifts.
He had moved with military efficiency. One of his former battlefield comrades currently served as the Deputy Director of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau, and his maternal uncle’s lineage held immense bureaucratic sway in the province; making the necessary phone calls to permanently handle a piece of garbage like Wang Chaofan was trivial.
The moment the logistics director was delivered to the station precinct with a specialized file detailing his explicit evasion of state labor reform, the public security officials instantly understood how to process the case. Wang Chaofan was slapped with a secondary, severe felony charge and immediately reassigned to the most grueling, hostile labor camp in the western frontier.
No one at the textile mill could have ever predicted that the arrogant, domineering Director Wang would be stripped of his title in an afternoon and cast into chains as a common convict. Ironically, Wang Chaofan had spent his marriage looking down on his own wife’s parents for being sentenced to forced labor, routinely weaponizing their political misfortune to beat and verbally abuse her. Now that he had tumbled into the exact same humiliated status he despised most, the psychological devastation would likely be the hardest pill for him to swallow.
The moment he crossed the threshold, Mother Sheng greeted him with an incredibly radiant, welcoming smile. “You’re finally here! But my goodness, why on earth did you cart so many heavy bundles to our door?” She issued the standard parental scolding, but her heart was singing with absolute delight. Gu Tingxiao’s willingness to spend a small fortune on these luxury goods proved precisely how much he revered her daughter.
“It’s truly nothing extravagant, Auntie,” Gu Tingxiao replied respectfully, offering a polite bow. “Just a few basic tonics and supplements to help strengthen Uncle and Grandfather’s health.”
Mother Sheng’s smile stretched wider. This youth carried himself with perfect elegance and handled social protocols flawlessly; he was exactly the type of man she approved of. She had felt a deep affinity for her future son-in-law from the literal second she laid eyes on him. Look at that exceptional posture…
Pah!
Look at that dignified, gentlemanly temperament and his deeply thoughtful nature. He was an absolute pleasure to look at.
“Come inside, good boy. The food is hot and waiting for you,” Grandma Sheng chimed in enthusiastically. She caught Gu Tingxiao by the hand and warmly guided him toward the dining area, where the entire household had already taken their places.
Grandpa Sheng and Father Sheng sat at the head of the wooden table. The moment Gu Tingxiao stepped into the room, he stood at attention and greeted them formally. “Good evening, Grandpa Sheng. Good evening, Uncle Sheng.”
“Sit down, sit down quickly,” Grandpa Sheng cheered, his eyes shining with absolute approval.
Father Sheng, however, looked profoundly uncomfortable. He glared silently at the young officer. This brat had shamelessly weaponized his status as his son’s comrade-in-arms to systematically infiltrate their compound and steal his precious daughter. As the old military adage went: An officer should never covet his brother’s wife. But apparently, this punk figured coveting the brother’s sister was fair game! The boy certainly understood how to maximize his leverage, walking away with the grand prize.
“Mhm,” Father Sheng grunted stiffly.
Despite his intense private reluctance, he still issued a basic verbal response. After all, the rest of the clan had already formed a unified front to approve the courtship; his singular dissent was entirely useless now. More importantly… his daughter’s heart was clearly anchored to this brat. While the father felt a deep, instinctive ache over losing his girl, he would never actively sabotage her shot at lifelong happiness. If this young man treated his daughter with flawless devotion down the line, he would gladly embrace him as a son; but if the boy ever dared to inflict a single drop of misery upon her, Father Sheng was entirely prepared to resign from the steel plant, march back to the agrarian fields, and deploy his own hands to extract a bloody vengeance for his child.
“Come now, eat while it’s steaming,” Mother Sheng urged warmly, placing a heavy, succulent rabbit leg directly into Gu Tingxiao’s bowl. “Try the spicy braised rabbit. My Wanyan is always pestering me to prepare this exact recipe.”
Hearing that the flavor profile was a favorite of Sheng Wanyan’s, Gu Tingxiao immediately locked the detail into his memory. “Thank you so much, Auntie.” He lifted his bowl with both hands to accept the offering with perfect manners.
Sheng Wanyan sat quietly by his side, contentedly chewing on a rich, fiery piece of meat. She adored aggressively seasoned, heavy flavor profiles; strong, bold spices were her absolute favorite.
Without a second thought, Gu Tingxiao smoothly transferred the plump rabbit leg from his bowl straight into Wanyan’s dish. Watching the silent, natural gesture of devotion, Mother Sheng’s face lit up with absolute satisfaction. It was beautifully clear that this future son-in-law carried her daughter in his thoughts every second, instinctively surrendering the choice cuts to ensure she was provided for first.
“You eat your own portion, Xiao Gu. There is plenty of food on the table,” Mother Sheng smiled, gesturing to the massive serving bowls. Wanyan had brought home three full rabbits, meaning there were exactly twelve drumsticks to go around. “Eat up. If she wants more, she can easily reach out and grab it herself.” She placed a fresh rabbit leg into his bowl, forcing him to accept the hospitality.
“Grandfather, Dad, you must try a cup of this peach blossom wine,” Wanyan noted, uncapping the first glass bottle.
The literal second the seal broke, a rich, intensely sweet floral aroma filled the entire room. Grandpa Sheng’s nose twitched, his eyes widening as he caught the premium scent. With Gu Tingxiao anchoring the table as an honored guest tonight, the old man realized he could finally drink to his heart’s content without facing a single, terrifying lecture from Grandma Sheng.
“Grandpa Sheng, Uncle Sheng,” Gu Tingxiao announced, standing up formally while raising his wine glass with both hands. His expression turned profoundly solemn as his eyes swept over the elders of the Sheng line. “Allow me to offer a formal toast to your household.”
