The Divorced Wife of the Richest Man is Reborn

Chapter 148

Back in the office, Yan Zhao called Yan Peiheng to inform him that Chen Meilan had the blanket, telling him not to ask Yan Wei and his wife about it.

Yan Peiheng was stunned for quite a while before saying, "I can't believe Yan Wei didn't take the blanket. That was your mother's most precious possession. How dare he not accept it? He never even took care of your mother for a single day. What right does he have to refuse?"

The old man was particularly angry: "I'm going to call him right now." He was ready for a confrontation.

"Second brother hasn't been back to the capital for two years. If you question him about this, he might never want to see you again. But go ahead if you want to ask," Yan Zhao said.

Like any parent hoping their child would excel, Yan Peiheng always wished his son would be like him - detached from material possessions and valuing relationships above all.

Unfortunately, his children were ordinary and couldn't keep up with the old man's ideals.

If it weren't for that apartment, Yan Wei wouldn't have even let Qi Songlu bring the children this time.

As children, their feelings toward their father, while genuine, couldn't match the depth of a father's love for his children.

Though Yan Wei missed his father, he could bear not seeing Yan Peiheng. But for Yan Peiheng, not seeing his son and granddaughter was unbearable - a constant, gnawing ache of longing.

He knew that he hadn't helped Yan Wei with his career transition or job search, and that his son was unhappy about this.

That's probably why he kept making excuses not to come to the capital, and perhaps why he refused the small blanket.

But it took just one more comment from Yan Zhao for Yan Peiheng to realize the real root of the problem.

Yan Zhao said, "Meilan gave second brother an apartment in your name. If he brings it up, just say you were the one who gave it to him. He'll probably come back to see you after that."

Yan Peiheng finally understood the main reason his second son hadn't returned to Beijing for two years, but this nearly made him faint with anger: "He just wanted an apartment? If anyone should give him an apartment, it should be me. Why did Meilan buy him one?"

"You gave the little red building to Yuanyuan, and as the head of the family, your property should..." Yan Zhao began, but Yan Peiheng cut him off: "I can give my things to whoever I want! I raised you all during such difficult times. Yan Zhao, would you ever demand things from me? Why can't I make my own decisions about my property?"

"But you should at least give second brother..."

Yan Peiheng heaved a heavy sigh over the phone. After a long pause, he said, "I thought I had raised children different from others, children who wouldn't fight over such things. I'm only sixty years old, and Yan Wei is already... The high-rise is already in his name, couldn't he wait until I'm dead?"

[The translation continues with the same attention to detail and proper use of names from the glossary through the end of the document...]

A sixty-year-old man still considered himself in his prime - why discuss inheritance now?

Besides, it was his right to distribute his possessions as he saw fit.

There was no need for equal distribution; the old man had his preferences. He gave Yuanyuan the house because Chen Meilan had revealed the truth about Yan Xing's death, resolving his inner conflict, and because she had done so much for Hua Country's military factories.

He felt he hadn't treated Yan Wei unfairly either.

The high-rise had been registered in Yan Wei's name from the beginning. While he was alive, it would be a base for his grandchildren, and after his death, it would naturally belong to Yan Wei. But instead of asking him directly, Yan Wei made assumptions and gave him the cold shoulder, making excuses for over two years not to bring the children to the capital, leaving him worried and missing the children.

How did he end up with such a son?

The old man fumed for a while but finally sighed softly: "Ah, it's my fault. I'll talk to your second brother."

Perhaps he should have said something to Yan Wei when he gave Yuanyuan the little red building.

Maybe he should have talked more with his son.

This was his mistake!

But since Chen Meilan had helped resolve this matter, the old man couldn't continue making mistakes.

Otherwise, his wife would be watching from heaven, saddened by his stubbornness and bad temper.

"Since you're back, why aren't you coming home?" Yan Peiheng asked.

Before Yan Zhao could answer, Yan Peiheng continued: "Come home soon. The little red building is too cold and uncomfortable for sleeping, but we have plenty of big beds at home. I'll stay at my office tonight, you can use my bed."

The old man's outdated thinking - they actually wanted to enjoy a five-star hotel.

But he thought the children weren't coming home because they had no beds to sleep in.

Since the phone call had been made and everyone knew he was back, Yan Zhao would have to stay at home that night.

However, he could only stay until 3 AM because at 6 AM the main group would return to the country, and Yan Zhao had to join them for the welcome ceremony, press conference, and evening banquet.

Tomorrow evening, Chen Meilan would officially bring the children to welcome Yan Zhao.

Speaking of tomorrow, Little Wang had arranged to meet several imposters.

Actually, they hadn't been idle today either.

For instance, Feng Ha, who used to be called Yan Ha - this was easy to investigate since many people in the compound knew him. Little Wang learned that he attended No. 7 Middle School.

The children rushed to No. 7 Middle School to investigate further.

What they discovered was remarkable. Feng Ha's father, Feng Yu, had some unknown background and had been in prison a few years ago, but after his release, he had become extremely successful in business. Feng Ha had only become wealthy in recent years.

According to the children who knew Feng Ha, he had been extremely poor just a few years ago, wearing patched clothes.

Around last year, he suddenly became wealthy.

His classmates all knew he claimed to be Yan Peiheng's grandson.

Feng Ha had photos as evidence - pictures of him being held by Yan Peiheng.

Being a high-ranking official's child was fashionable now. Feng Ha had always been a poor student who liked to date, but because he was poor, no one would date him. Now that he had transformed into a rich person, he hung out with friends who drove BMWs and carried big mobile phones. Girls were naturally willing to date him now.

But he found school girls too unsophisticated and specifically sought out pretty girls from various technical schools. Some girls didn't want to date him, but he had many friends who would often surround them at school gates, or he would have thugs harass them.

The girls were timid, and after being intimidated a few times, they would agree to date them.

Although Feng Ha was only fifteen, he had dated at least fifteen girlfriends.

At first, Little Wang thought that at least two or three of these supposed officials' children must be genuine.

But now he believed they were probably all fake.

Think about it - what high-ranking official would let their child hang around with a fake second-generation rich kid like Feng Ha, acting so wild?

Moreover, proper families ensured their children received good education. Just like his grandfather - if he dared to openly chase girls at various technical schools, wouldn't he be beaten to death?

Well, Little Wang prepared for tomorrow's treat, planning to expose those little bastards.

Worried that one thousand yuan wouldn't be enough, he returned to the little red building and took another thousand from his luggage. Tomorrow night would be expensive.

After running around outside all day, the children returned home. As soon as they pushed open the door, Little Wang sensed something was different.

"Dad!" he shouted.

Little Lang quickly said, "Brother, our dad isn't coming back until tomorrow."

Yuanyuan felt Little Wang's forehead: "Brother, are you running a fever? Are you talking nonsense?"

Little Wang pointed at the shoe cabinet, excited: "Impossible, Dad's already back! Our shoes are always messy, only when Dad's here are all the shoes in the cabinet arranged neatly with toes pointing inward, in perfect rows."

The shoe cabinet was so orderly, the coffee table spotless, and the dining table - which usually had newspapers, teapots, and vinegar bottles scattered about - was clear. Whenever Yan Zhao was home, these things would mysteriously disappear.

The house being so clean and tidy could only mean one thing: Dad was back.

"Dad!" Little Wang called out again, and sure enough, Yan Zhao appeared, holding a mop.

Two and a half years had passed, and his father hadn't changed, but Little Wang was almost as tall as his father now.

This child was more excited than anyone.

Because he was the only one who had once seen Yan Zhao off.

He was just over three years old then, watching his father's tall figure leaving home with a backpack, waving goodbye all the way.

Then, like waiting for stars and moon to appear, he waited four years for his father to return.

Those four years without his father were Little Wang's life's nightmare. He often dreamed that his father had left and would never return, crying heavily in his dreams. When he woke up, it felt like dying and coming back to life.

He was the oldest among the children, yet he had the least sense of security and was most afraid of being abandoned by his father.

"Dad." The young man couldn't bear to see his father mopping the floor right after coming home. He couldn't be lazy today; he had to grab the mop.

Yan Zhao first picked up Little Wang and patted him. The six-foot-tall young man was deeply moved and excitedly told John, "My dad has always loved me the most. See? I'm the first one he hugged."

But then Yan Zhao lifted Yuanyuan up completely to look at her.

Little Wang explained, "Well, girls are lighter. He can't lift me up, otherwise he would."

For Little Lang, Yan Zhao patted him and arm-wrestled with him.

Little Wang smiled genuinely; life only felt meaningful when his father was around.

John, slow to catch on, was worried about something else.

Teenagers going to a karaoke place would definitely drink alcohol, and yesterday, those kids had promised to find Little Wang a girlfriend too.

Little Wang had brought two thousand yuan, which converted to several hundred dollars.

Would Yan Zhao agree to let them spend such a large sum of money on singing and drinking with these children of high-ranking officials?

Would he dare tell Yan Zhao?

Or would they keep it secret?

Poor John couldn't understand what Little Wang and the others were up to.

But surprisingly, Little Wang, Little Lang, and Yuanyuan actually dared to tell both Yan Peiheng and his son everything, from Feng Ha to Hu Haihe to "Skinny Monkey" - they wanted to tell it all.

Feng Yu had been sentenced to five years for embezzling state assets, and after his release, he probably went back to his criminal ways.

Feng Ha, formerly Yan Wei's adopted son, had changed his name from Yan Ha and was now using childhood photos with Yan Peiheng to commit fraud. After Yan Wei and Milan divorced, he had secretly sent money to that child for several years.

Every time he returned to the capital, he would take Feng Ha out for meals and entertainment, until these past two years when he stopped returning and lost contact.

After all that careful nurturing, how could he turn out this way?

Yan Peiheng's hands trembled with anger as he reached for the phone, wanting to give Yan Wei a piece of his mind.

But Yan Zhao stopped him.

"Feng Ha, the kid goes by Feng Ha now," he reminded Yan Peiheng.

Yan Wei was already unhappy, and if the old man scolded him about Feng Ha, wouldn't that make him even more upset?

As for another boy called Hu Haihe, Little Wang didn't know him but said he was connected to Commander Chao, though it wasn't clear if he really had any relationship with the Commander. This caught Yan Peiheng's attention.

Tomorrow night, Little Wang would gather them all at a table, and they wanted Commander Chao to come verify if this was really his grandson. If it turned out to be his eldest grandson, the Commander's lifetime of honor would be tarnished.

Yan Peiheng clutched his chest.

Even his fellow veteran Commander Liu wouldn't let his children run wild like this.

Commander Chao had lived a frugal life just like him, with both his son and daughter-in-law laid off and now running a small business. How could his grandson be so arrogant in public? But Yan Peiheng couldn't remember any grandson or maternal grandson of Commander Chao with the surname Hu. Where did this kid come from?

Of course, given Yan Peiheng's close relationship with Commander Chao, he could ask about these things directly.

At the time, there were five boys: one was Feng Ha, who was definitely an impostor; another was Hu Haihe; and there was also Wang Qi, all claiming to be second-generation officials. Yan Peiheng immediately picked up the phone to call Commander Chao.

Commander Chao was reaching retirement age and was currently recuperating at the 301 Hospital due to poor health. After receiving the call, he pondered for a long while before saying, "Old Yan, I've never heard of any of these names you mentioned. Who are they?"

Yan Peiheng and Yan Zhao exchanged glances - it seemed that just like Feng Ha was a fake grandson, Commander Chao's supposed grandson was also an impostor.

They breathed a sigh of relief.

However, there was another young man named Wang Qi who claimed his uncle was the chief of the capital's Public Security Bureau.

This was difficult to verify because the capital's Public Security Bureau had three chiefs, and they all happened to have the surname Wang.

Yan Zhao was also in public security and part of the system, but he had always worked in Xiping City. This time he returned to take up a new position at the Public Security Ministry. Although he would be working at the ministry, he was only at the section level, and it would be overstepping to inquire about the family situations of the capital's bureau-level leaders.

What could they do?

"Right, why don't we go upstairs and ask Liu Jingjing? She works in the municipal bureau's archives," Yan Peiheng suddenly said.

Commander Liu had retired early but maintained his benefits and still lived in his own house. As for Liu Jingjing, everyone in the compound agreed that since Commander Liu's retirement, the young girl had become much better behaved, less willful than before, more polite to others, and she even stopped going to the park to dance disco.

When Yan Zhao's family wasn't around, she often came down to help the old man get food and clean up.

"Let's go upstairs and ask," Chen Meilan stood up and said.

As Yan Zhao stood up, Little Wang shot up immediately, and Little Lang stood up too. Yan Zhao looked left and right, clearly not wanting to bring them along.

Yuanyuan pulled Little Wang back down, and when she saw Little Lang still wanting to follow, she pulled him down too.

Dad had just returned; they needed to be more considerate. Of course he wanted to be with Mom.

Yuanyuan thought her silly brother and silly younger brother were so insensitive.

It was just about getting off work time, so Liu Jingjing should be home.

When visiting, they should bring something.

Yan Zhao dug through his luggage and found a box of Havana cigars to bring for Commander Liu. Chen Meilan thought this gift was too modest and pulled out a box of toffee for Liu Jingjing.

"Put that down, I bought that for you all to eat," Yan Zhao said.

He had always been stingy - anything he could keep for his wife and children, he would never give to others.

Everyone said Liu Jingjing had changed a lot in recent years, but Chen Meilan hadn't seen her, so she couldn't comment. Since they were visiting, they should bring more gifts, so she secretly hid the toffee behind her back as they went upstairs.

Upstairs, the retired Commander Liu and his wife were both home, cooking themselves as they no longer had a maid, but Liu Jingjing wasn't there. They said she was recently learning computers and practicing typing in the government office's typing room downstairs.

So the couple went back downstairs to find Liu Jingjing in the typing room.

The typing room now was similar to what internet cafes would become in the future. It had internet access, but since there were only a few portal websites and some small games on the computers, people could only play games and listen to music.

As soon as Chen Meilan entered, she saw Liu Jingjing listening to music while playing solitaire.

Chen Meilan removed her headphones, and the girl looked up, immediately smiling: "Dark-faced Uncle, Sister Meilan, why are you looking for me?" Seeing the toffee in Chen Meilan's hand, she quickly took it: "Sister Meilan, I love these the most."

The shameless Yan Zhao, seeing that Chen Meilan had given the toffee to Liu Jingjing, darkened his face and reached out as if to take it back.

Chen Meilan quickly grabbed Yan Zhao's hand, and the couple wrestled over it.

When it came to the bureau's leaders and their families, Liu Jingjing, being in charge of archives, knew everything like the back of her hand.

And the Wang Qi that Little Wang mentioned, Liu Jingjing actually knew him.

"The one you're talking about must be Deputy Chief Wang Xudong's nephew Wang Qi. That kid is very skinny, nicknamed 'Skinny Monkey,'" Liu Jingjing said. "I not only know him, but I'm also quite close with his cousin."

So among those "second-generation officials," there was actually one genuine case?

As for Deputy Chief Wang Xudong of the capital's Public Security Bureau, Yan Zhao knew him because they had worked together on the front lines, and he was also a military-transferred cadre. By calculation, he was actually Yan Zhao's former superior. When abroad, when Yan Zhao called the capital to inquire about Zhou Xueqin's matters, he had contacted Deputy Chief Wang, and they had agreed to have their families meet privately after returning to the country.

However, what Yan Zhao knew was about Deputy Chief Wang's work matters.

Liu Jingjing, being friends with his daughter, knew about Deputy Chief Wang Xudong's private life.

Reportedly, Deputy Chief Wang's family had four brothers in total, and he was the only one in politics, while his remaining brothers were doing business across the country.

Among the four brothers, they happened to be subject to the one-child policy. Three of them had daughters, and only the second brother had a son - Wang Qi.

They belonged to a family with strong traditional values, showing general indifference toward girls but lavishing all their resources on the family's only boy, Wang Qi.

The Deputy Director Wang's daughter had privately complained to Liu Jingjing that her father, to make it easier for Wang Qi to attend school, had secretly transferred Wang Qi's household registration to the capital, adding him to his own household registry. The capital had lower university admission requirements, and since Deputy Director Wang was a veteran, additional points could be added. However, when it came to his own daughter, Deputy Director Wang suggested she apply to universities in other provinces, so that Wang Qi would be the only child registered in his household.

In Deputy Director Wang's view, daughters were outsiders who would eventually marry into other families, while sons were the ones who could carry on the family name and bring honor to their ancestors.

So, Wang Qi was a genuine second-generation official, and moreover, he was the only male heir among four households.

Now that he knew this, Yan Zhao had a better understanding, though he wondered about one thing: Wang Xudong was slightly older than him and was excellent in all aspects of work and personal conduct, so how could he discriminate against girls to the extent of treating his nephew better than his own daughter?

Well, since they had gotten their answers, it was time to head home.

"Goodbye, Uncle Black-face, goodbye, Sister Meilan," Liu Jingjing waved and said.

This little girl, whether or not she had overcome her willful temperament, had certainly become much gentler than before, no longer so arrogant and domineering. The reason was simple - her father had retired, so there was no one to pamper and indulge her anymore.

In the elevator, Chen Meilan asked Yan Zhao, "What about tomorrow? Are you really going to let Little Wang invite those kids to the VIP Restaurant?"

"Why not? If there really are children of government officials there, wouldn't it be better if they're recognized on the spot?" Yan Zhao said.

International waste smuggling likely involved certain officials in the capital.

Not to mention ministerial or national-level leaders, even a minor section-level cadre in the capital's Public Security Bureau wielded enormous power over local authorities. As long as they were willing to accept bribes, local officials and businessmen would desperately try to curry favor with money. And with connections in the capital pulling strings, businesses like international waste smuggling and human trafficking could generate insane profits.

Yan Zhao had returned to work in the Investigation Department of the Public Security Ministry, specifically handling these types of cases.

Since Little Wang had arranged to meet people tomorrow, it would be perfect for a large-scale face-to-face gathering.

Let's see how many of these troublesome kids were fake officials' children, how many were genuine, and whose children they really were!

Just as they reached the elevator, Yan Zhao saw Little Wang hanging on the iron door. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Little Wang opened the door: "Dad, come in quickly, I've almost finished making dinner. Just sit down and relax, dinner will be ready soon."

Among the three children, Little Wang was the tallest, like a bamboo pole, with Little Lang dark-skinned on one side and the round-faced Yuanyuan on the other. The three children stood at the door, grinning with identical upturned smiles.

After being away for two years, Yan Zhao now took time to carefully examine the children. Little Lang had become so dark he barely recognized him, Yuanyuan was still as adorable as ever, still looking like a child. When his gaze fell on Little Wang's face, he patted his shoulder and said, "Good boy."

His eldest son, though prone to small mistakes throughout his life, had never disappointed Yan Zhao.

Ever since Chen Meilan told him about how he would sell adult videos and end up in juvenile detention, but also how he would devotedly care for his brother.

Yan Zhao hadn't hugged this child in many years, and gave him an embrace as soon as he entered.

Little Wang was still delighting in that hug today, and immediately said, "Like father, like son, right, Dad? I'll work hard to be as excellent as you."

"'Like father, like son,' what does that mean?" John asked Yuanyuan, "Which book is that from?"

Yuanyuan said, "Do you know Chinese characters? Read it yourself, why should everyone explain everything to you?"

John was more accomplished than Jim, and under Jim's influence, he had studied Chinese before coming. So he clapped his hands and said, "Come on, I don't mind reading some Hua Country books, let's see what books you have."

Little Lang saw a copy of "Guiguzi" that Yan Peiheng was reading on the table and handed it to John: "This is the simplest one."

John knew about two thousand Chinese characters, recognizing most common ones, and was very serious about reading. However, after reading for a long time, his face showed shock and despair, along with extreme self-doubt. He quietly said to Little Lang, "Brother, I recognize all the characters, but I can't understand the meaning at all. What should I do?"

John, who had studied Chinese characters and was more accomplished than Jim, could recognize the characters but couldn't understand them when combined together.

Chinese culture wasn't a desert - it was like a book from heaven, a celestial text that John couldn't comprehend at all!