The motorcycles sped through the main street of the small town. The New Year wasn’t over yet, and the road was still covered with red firecracker debris.
The couplets and window paper-cuts on the doors and windows of the shops on both sides were still a bright red. Many seemingly elegant small shops hadn’t even switched back to their own style of music, still playing all sorts of cheerful New Year songs.
However, there weren’t as many people on the road as in the past few days. Many tourists had gone back to work. The lively street scene and the slightly deserted crowd were a unique characteristic of the New Year.
Because there were only a few cars on the street, the Pigsty Party drove very unruly. Sanbing in the front was driving down the center line, with Lao Si and Lao Wu on either side, each taking a lane. Lao Si was driving against traffic. Chen Jian in the back was in the right lane, but even when he made room for Chen Erhu, he didn’t come over, still driving against traffic in the opposite lane.
The road in the small town was only so wide. If you wanted to see the people in the car on the opposite side, you could almost see clearly from the sidewalk here. None of them were nearsighted.
So, it was just to maintain a symmetrical formation.
However, in a place like this small town, people had never been too concerned about traffic rules. Cars would stop and go as they pleased, and many would just park at an angle on the side of the road.
They drove all the way to the town entrance but didn’t see the ex-husband Zhang.
None of them got off their motorcycles. They all sat with their legs on the ground, watching the direction of the incoming traffic.
Besides a few small roads that only locals knew, this was the only main road into the town. Whether driving or taking the shuttle bus, you had to go through here. As long as they guarded this spot, they could block the ex-husband Zhang.
His phone rang in his pocket. Chen Jian took it out and saw it was Shan Yu.
“Hello?” he answered the phone.
“You went out to play without me,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian laughed. “Are you coming then? We’re at the bus stop at the entrance.”
“Did you block him?” Shan Yu asked.
“Not yet,” Chen Jian said.
“Tell him, the best outcome is an agreed-upon divorce. I’ve seen Sun Nana’s agreement. She’s basically leaving with nothing, not asking for anything. For the house, she only asks that the man compensate her for half of the mortgage payments that have already been made,” Shan Yu said. “Don’t be ungrateful.”
“When did you see the agreement?” Chen Jian was very surprised.
“Just now,” Shan Yu said.
“Oh,” Chen Jian was stunned for a moment. “What if he’s not willing?”
“Then we’ll go to court,” Shan Yu said. “We’ll talk about how she got her mental illness, how she got the injuries on her body. The other day at the restaurant, he started it with us, and we have witnesses. Not sending him to jail for a few days is out of consideration for old times. Tell him to go find out who the best divorce lawyer is. If he runs into him, he won’t get any advantage.”
“Who is the best divorce lawyer?” Chen Jian asked.
“Who knows, but he won’t be able to hire him anyway,” Shan Yu said. “If he asks, we’ll go find one. If he doesn’t know either, I’ll have President Liu introduce one. It’s just a matter of crossing a city, not a big deal.”
“…Mhm,” Chen Jian responded.
“It’s best not to get to this point. Sun Nana definitely doesn’t want to trouble us to this extent,” Shan Yu said. “Zhang is a contract worker at the tax bureau. If he doesn’t cooperate, we can have people pull up a banner at his workplace. He can forget about this job too…”
“Nana wouldn’t do something like that, would she?” Chen Jian hesitated.
“She definitely wouldn’t,” Shan Yu said. “It has to be us… you shameless bunch.”
“Shan Yu?” Chen Jian was shocked.
“How exciting,” Shan Yu suddenly became interested. “I’ve even thought of the words. I can even help you write them…”
“Give it a rest!” Chen Jian interrupted him in a low voice.
“I think he’s here!” Chen Erhu turned his head and shouted at Chen Jian. “Who are you talking to on the phone for so long!”
Chen Jian looked ahead. A white car was on the road about twenty or thirty meters away from them. It suddenly slowed down when it saw them.
“He’s here,” Chen Jian said. “I’m hanging up now.”
“If he’s not honest, give him a little push,” Shan Yu said. “Just to scare him. The reason this has been going on for so long with Sun Nana is that there has never been anyone tough enough on her side.”
“Push?” Chen Jian felt it was a good thing Shan Yu hadn’t come.
“A proper shove, manager,” Shan Yu said. “You know more about this than I do.”
“Mhm, got it,” Chen Jian said, remembering how Shan Yu had almost choked the ex-husband Zhang at the restaurant last time.
The white car pulled over to the side of the road.
Chen Jian and the others, on their motorcycles, slowly approached and also stopped about ten meters away. The group of them got off their bikes.
Chen Erhu, with a very imposing air, swung his shoulders and walked towards the front of the car.
After a few steps, he tilted his head. “Fuck, Chen Jian, he brought people.”
There were people in the back seat. Chen Jian had seen them too.
But when he got closer to the front of the car and saw the people in the back seat clearly, he was stunned.
This Zhang was really disgusting. If he had brought a few goons over to cause trouble, it would have been easier to deal with. But the people he had brought were actually Sun Nana’s parents, whom they had met at dinner that day.
How were they supposed to “properly shove” now?
“What do you want!” The ex-husband Zhang got out of the car, pointing at them, then at the dashcam on the front of the car. “The dashcam is on.”
“The other day in the hotel corridor, you hit someone,” Chen Jian raised his voice and leaned over to look into the passenger window. “The hotel’s surveillance was also on!”
After speaking, he smiled at Sun Nana’s parents, whose faces were grim. “Happy New Year, Uncle and Auntie.”
“I don’t want you guys getting involved,” the ex-husband Zhang said. “You tricked Nana into coming here…”
“Spreading rumors is against the law, big brother,” Chen Jian said, turning to look at him.
“Watch what you’re saying,” Chen Erhu glared at the ex-husband Zhang. “What kind of kidnapped person can go back to the city to shop and play around?”
“Then what do you mean by blocking us from entering?” the ex-husband Zhang questioned.
“You’re the one who parked the car. We thought your car broke down and wanted to help,” Lao Wu said. “What? Why did you park so far away? Feeling guilty?”
“Where is Nana? We want to see her,” Sun Nana’s mother asked from inside the car, not getting out, just looking at Chen Jian.
“Sister Nana is at work,” Chen Jian said. “If you want to see her, we can take you there. But this man, she doesn’t want to see him, so…”
“Mom,” the ex-husband Zhang came over and pushed Chen Jian away. “Don’t listen to them. This is a bunch of thugs in this poor, remote place. It’s too unsafe.”
“The police station is a hundred meters from the entrance,” Chen Jian said. “Do you want to go there and file a report first?”
“I won’t let you take them away,” the ex-husband Zhang said, pointing at him.
Point your damn finger at your dead grandpa!
Chen Jian didn’t speak. He directly raised his hand, grabbed his finger, and bent it back. The ex-husband Zhang’s face twisted in pain. He immediately grabbed his wrist, trying to pull him towards the front of the car while shouting, “You—”
Before he could finish, Sanbing from behind suddenly shouted first, “What are you doing!”
Then he threw himself onto the hood of the car. The phone in his hand hit the hood and flew out.
“Sanbing, are you okay!” Lao Wu immediately rushed over, helped Sanbing up, and turned to point at them. “What are you doing, hitting people!”
Lao Si, from behind, blocked the ex-husband Zhang, who was trying to retreat towards the front of the car.
Although the Pigsty Party was not very smart, they could still see in this situation that the ex-husband Zhang’s dashcam was not a 360-degree one and could only record what was in front.
Chen Jian released the ex-husband Zhang’s finger, twisted his hand, and grabbed his wrist, pressing it down. The ex-husband Zhang stumbled forward and almost fell on him.
Chen Jian grabbed his collar and said in a low voice, “Go get the divorce. If you’re stupid enough to drag it out to court, you’ll be the one to lose. How did she get her mental illness? How did she get the injuries on her face? Do you want your leaders and colleagues at the tax bureau to analyze it together?”
“What do you mean! You want to play dirty, right!” The ex-husband Zhang tried to break free from his grip but failed.
“Who can play dirtier than you? Let me tell you, these things, forget about divorce, they’re enough to send you to jail,” Chen Jian leaned close to his face and said in a deep voice. “Don’t be ungrateful. Go find out who the best divorce lawyer is. Don’t regret it when you’re sentenced to leave with nothing.”
Before the ex-husband Zhang could react, Chen Jian shoved him hard against the car door.
The ex-husband Zhang’s head hit the car with a thud.
Sun Nana’s parents in the car jumped in fright.
Chen Jian paused.
Did I go too far?
This is in front of Sun Nana’s parents…
Lao Si, who was blocking the ex-husband Zhang from behind, reacted quickly and also fell back onto the hood of the car.
“Ouch!” he even shouted.
…Fuck, that’s even more over the top.
The ex-husband Zhang was now a bit overwhelmed by their “shoving.” It was probably as Shan Yu had said; this person had never encountered anyone tough enough on Sun Nana’s side.
Especially a bunch of “thugs.”
The “gentleman” image he had always maintained was on the verge of collapsing.
He gritted his teeth and lunged at Chen Jian. Chen Jian took a step back. Just as he was about to kick him, Chen Erhu stepped in, wrapped his arms around the ex-husband Zhang, and they rolled onto the hood of the car together.
Such a sense of camera.
Maybe he really could make short dramas…
“Stop fighting, stop fighting,” Sun Nana’s mother finally couldn’t take it anymore and got out of the car. “Xiao Zhang, don’t argue with them.”
“Auntie,” Chen Jian glanced at the ex-husband Zhang, who was being held by Chen Erhu and looked inseparable. “Sister Nana received a threatening text message at our guesthouse and was very scared. That’s why we came over to check.”
“You guys…” Sun Nana’s father scanned the group of them.
Sorry, Uncle. This group of people does look a bit like thugs.
“We really don’t have a good impression of Mr. Zhang,” Chen Jian said. “Because the last time we met at the restaurant, after the matter had already been resolved, he suddenly hit our boss. The waiters all saw it…”
“Really?” Sun Nana’s mother was a bit skeptical.
“You can ask anyone, Auntie,” Chen Jian said.
“How about this,” Sun Nana’s father frowned and looked at the ex-husband Zhang. “Let’s not make a scene for now. It’s too improper… Xiao Zhang, you wait here. We’ll go in…”
“No!” the ex-husband Zhang shouted. “Dad, you can’t go alone.”
“Auntie, why don’t you call Sister Nana first?” Chen Jian said.
“She doesn’t answer our calls,” Sun Nana’s mother sighed.
“One moment, please,” Chen Jian said, taking out his phone, dialing Sun Nana’s number, and putting it on speaker.
“Manager Chen, how is it?” Sun Nana’s voice came through.
“Nana,” Chen Jian looked at Sun Nana’s mother. “Your parents are here. They’re in the car…”
“I’m not seeing them, I’m not seeing them, I’m not seeing them…” Sun Nana said in a string.
“It’s just them,” Chen Jian said. “Mr. Zhang is not going in.”
Sun Nana was silent.
Chen Jian handed the phone to Sun Nana’s mother. Sun Nana’s mother walked to the side and spoke to Sun Nana for a few moments. When she turned back, her eyes were red.
“Manager Chen, then please take us in,” Sun Nana’s mother said.
“Okay, then…” Chen Jian glanced at the car next to them. He didn’t know if he could drive it. He could only drive the two cars at the shop. “Let’s take our motorcycles.”
“Okay,” Sun Nana’s mother looked at Sun Nana’s father and nodded.
“Sanbing, you guys stay here with Mr. Zhang,” Chen Jian looked at the ex-husband Zhang. “Erhu and I will take Uncle and Auntie in.”
When Chen Jian and the Pigsty Party had driven out in formation, not many people had looked at them, probably because they were used to it. But now, as he and Chen Erhu each gave Sun Nana’s parents a ride into the small town, several shop owners on the side of the road looked over curiously.
When they returned to the guesthouse, Sun Nana’s parents stood in the courtyard, looking up at the guesthouse building for a long time.
“Happy New Year, Uncle and Auntie. It must have been a tiring journey,” Hu Pan came out of the house. “Sister Nana is resting in the dorm. I’ll take you up.”
The group walked into the lobby. Shan Yu was standing at the front desk.
“Isn’t that…” Sun Nana’s mother pointed at Shan Yu.
“Our boss,” Chen Jian said. “We met the other day.”
“Right,” Sun Nana’s father looked at Shan Yu. “It’s him.”
This attitude was a bit strange. Shan Yu, who normally wouldn’t have gotten into the elevator, probably sensed something and got in last.
“Is Nana okay?” Sun Nana’s mother asked Shan Yu.
“She was fine before, but she’s not doing so well right now,” Shan Yu said.
No one else spoke in the elevator. They silently reached the fourth floor and entered the dormitory.
Sun Nana was sitting in the girls’ dorm. She didn’t move when they came in.
“Talk to your parents. Call us if you need anything,” Shan Yu said, then turned to leave.
“Don’t go,” Sun Nana stood up.
Both Shan Yu and Chen Jian stopped. Chen Erhu, who had already walked out of the dorm, also came back in.
Sun Nana probably felt that she was not in a good state and hoped someone could speak for her.
“What is your relationship with Nana?” Sun Nana’s father asked Shan Yu, looking at him. It was clear he had been holding it in the whole way.
Shan Yu looked at him. “I’m her boss.”
“Just… the boss?” Sun Nana’s mother also seemed to not believe it.
“What else?” Shan Yu said. “Are you asking if Sun Nana cheated?”
Sun Nana’s father was silent.
“After all… we also want to know if Nana was at fault,” Sun Nana’s mother sighed softly.
“Regardless of whether she was at fault or not, she has already made all possible concessions in the agreement,” Shan Yu glanced at Chen Jian. “Also…”
Chen Jian almost instantly understood the meaning of Shan Yu’s glance.
He didn’t speak, just nodded slightly.
Say it!
I don’t care!
He even felt inexplicably excited.
“This is my boyfriend,” Shan Yu said, looking at Chen Jian. “So besides being colleagues and friends, there can’t be any other relationship between me and Sun Nana.”
When he said this, both of Sun Nana’s parents were stunned.
And also Chen Erhu.
Chen Jian could even feel the sound in Chen Erhu’s gaze as he looked at him: “What the hell? Chen Jian? Is this for real? Or is it a ploy? How should I cooperate!”
“Is that so…” Sun Nana’s mother said after coming back to her senses.
“Yes,” Chen Erhu, befitting his status as a leader, quickly recovered from his shock. He nodded. “We all know.”
