Chapter 56: Personal Safety Protection Order
When the fellow villager said this, the Zhang family instantly went into a frenzy.
What? That Zhang Laidi who owed debts and never repaid—not only had she not had her hands chopped off or been sold off, she had actually gotten married, given birth to a son, inherited her husband’s estate, and was living better and better?
How could that Zhang Laidi they’d always looked down on live better than them!
They marched over, swaggered at the entrance of Zhang Qingliu’s shop, and imperiously demanded she hand over the money.
Their only reason: they were Zhang Qingliu’s “relatives.”—Sheer ridiculousness and disgust.
With little Wen Ye, who had just started elementary school, at her side, Zhang Qingliu didn’t dare confront them physically. She had no way to overpower them, and since her situation had already been exposed, she couldn’t use the old “I’m in debt” trick anymore.
No matter what she said, the Zhang family firmly believed she had secretly hidden tens of thousands—no, perhaps hundreds of thousands—of yuan!
What use was it for her to keep it? Better to give it to them!
Especially Zhang Guangzong, who loudly claimed that only big investments brought big returns. He demanded she take out the money so he could “invest,” promising that in the future he could just lie at home and enjoy endless dividends.
With the Zhang family making a scene, parents from the school stopped coming to buy food. Even if someone stood up to chase them off, no one could watch the shop every day, and the Zhang family would always find a chance to come and cause trouble.
Gritting her teeth, Zhang Qingliu decided to run again.
She first pretended to give in, handing over small amounts of money here and there so the Zhang family let their guard down and came around less often.
Then, taking advantage of a lull, she packed up her things and prepared to flee with Wen Ye to another city.
However, she underestimated just how depraved the Zhang family could be.
In their hometown, there was an older man with azoospermia who had a bit of money. After hearing about Zhang Qingliu’s situation, he suggested to the Zhang family that they should marry her off to him—he’d pay 200,000 yuan for it.
The Zhang family discussed it and thought it was a great deal. They accepted a 30,000 yuan deposit from the old man, then grabbed Zhang Qingliu, intending to take her away to “marry” him.
“Animals!” Wang Jia’an gritted his teeth as he listened. “How is it possible that scum like that still walks the earth?”
Sister Liu slapped her thigh. “Exactly! If it weren’t for the fact that when those beasts caught Sister Qingliu and Xiao Wen, Su Lin—who lived nearby—saw them, helped them call the police, and alerted me, then physically held them back until the police arrived, I don’t even dare imagine what would have happened to Sister Qingliu and Xiao Wen.”
“What happened after that?” Gu Haiyan asked.
“When the Zhang family caught Sister Qingliu, they injured her right hand. Even after treatment, her right hand couldn’t function normally anymore.” Sister Liu sighed. “It was Zhang Guangzong who did it, but in the end his mother took the blame and went to jail for him, and they paid some compensation.”
“With the police involved, the Zhang family slunk away and didn’t show up again for several years. But with her right hand like that, Sister Qingliu couldn’t run the breakfast shop anymore. These past years she’s been trying other ways to make money,” Sister Liu said.
“Zhang Qingliu is really incredible,” Gu Haiyan said with heartfelt admiration. “Is she living well now with Wen Ye?”
“To be honest, not really,” Sister Liu shook her head. “Income aside, Xiao Wen… probably because he saw his mother get hurt and almost get kidnapped with his own eyes back then, his thinking has gotten a bit extreme.”
“By upper elementary grades, he was already often fighting with street punks. In middle school, he frequently clashed with classmates. After enough incidents, he started skipping school. But he didn’t hang out on the streets—he just stayed close to home, as if afraid that if he went too far from Sister Qingliu, something bad would happen to her.”
Gu Haiyan nodded. “From a child’s perspective, if he’s the only one left who can protect his mother, it’s natural for him to form that belief.”
“Yeah… I’ve known Wen for years, and I’ve always helped Sister Qingliu, but Xiao Wen still isn’t reassured,” Sister Liu said with a pained look. “After graduating middle school, he didn’t go on to high school. He found work instead, and whenever he’s free, he comes to help me out. Who would’ve thought that scum Zhang Guangzong would dare to come back?”
Gu Haiyan and Sister Liu began cursing Zhang Guangzong together. Gu Qinghuan lifted her head and glanced toward Wen Ye.
A table had just left, and Wen Ye was clearing away the leftover food. After taking the dishes to the back, he grabbed a rag and carefully wiped down the table.
Last time she’d seen him, there had been a bandage on his forehead—now it was gone, leaving no scar, only skin a shade lighter where the wound had been.
Once Gu Haiyan and Wang Jia’an had finished gossiping and eating, they left carrying the jar of egg sauce and a bag of leftovers.
It happened that Wen Ye was the one handling the bill. He glanced at the order list and reported the total: “218 yuan. Aunt Liu said she’d give you 20% off—that’s 172 yuan.”
Wang Jia’an scanned the QR code to pay. Gu Qinghuan studied Wen Ye for a moment before suddenly speaking. “Do you know about a Personal Safety Protection Order?”
Wen Ye didn’t react at first. He looked up and realized Gu Qinghuan was talking to him.
“Personal Safety Protection Order,” Gu Qinghuan repeated. “Look into it. The Zhang family has a criminal record—next time, if you’re prepared with evidence, I think you should be able to apply for one.”
Without waiting for his response, she ran toward Gu Haiyan, who was waiting at the door.
“What did you say to him?” Gu Haiyan asked.
“Nothing much—just mentioned the Personal Safety Protection Order. I think it’s something he should know about,” Gu Qinghuan explained.
Gu Haiyan thought about it and found it reasonable. Still, this was someone else’s family matter; a reminder was enough—they couldn’t interfere too much.
When they got home, Wang Jia’an cheerfully put the egg sauce in the fridge, then turned to Gu Qinghuan. “Huan Huan, where do you want to go this holiday?”
“I discussed some ideas with your mom. The first option is all about eating and drinking—we won’t go to any scenic spots, just try all the local specialty foods…”
He briefly went over the options and showed her the travel plan they’d prepared.
Gu Qinghuan did some research online about the locations and decided the first option sounded the best.
Mainly because during holidays there were always huge crowds at tourist attractions—she thought she’d rather spend the time eating delicious food.
As a student, she had both summer and winter vacations.
If she wanted to see natural scenery or cultural landmarks, or visit museums and exhibitions, she could do it during those long breaks, when there would be fewer tourists.
Her parents could take time off to go with her, and they could plan in advance.
“Let’s do it!” Since the trip was for their daughter, Wang Jia’an readily agreed and went to discuss the preparations with Gu Haiyan.
Gu Qinghuan, feeling full, flopped onto the bed. She didn’t want to move, but when her phone buzzed, she reflexively picked it up.
Xia He: Sister, how are you planning to spend your vacation?
Gu Qinghuan: Going out to eat with my family.
Xia He: How long will you be gone?
Gu Qinghuan thought for a moment and asked directly: Do you need something?
Xia He: It’s not a big deal…
Xia He: Sister, would you be interested in coming over to my house to play?
