Chapter 20: This Unfortunate Wretched Kid

"You’re telling everyone that Old Sun not only owes me money but also made me issue a statement claiming he doesn’t?" Mr. Jing had been annoyed for days because of a quarrel with Wang Zhong, and he’d never done anything underhanded to claim power, so he wouldn’t admit it. If push came to shove, he’d just withdraw his shares, go solo, and make up for the lost profit from tempered glass—that would settle it. Therefore, he was unaware of the small video that had spread through Sun Yinrui’s social circle and had exploded in popularity, nor did he understand the reason behind Old Sun’s actions. No sooner had he finished speaking than his cellphone started to ring. Sun Yinrui hadn’t connected the dots between the debt and the scandal that had been exposed at all. It was clear to him that this was a planned and organized attack against him. He understood Lao Jing, who he’d known for over 20 years, all too well. Lao Jing was as clueless as a block of wood when it came to these things. What’s most important is that he had indeed bragged to his son without missing a word, and now it had appeared in his social circles. It must be that damned thing leaking the information! And the person who blew his cover was a pro, likely a rival. This expert reveals just one thing a day, first creating public opinion to grab attention, arousing public outrage, hiring internet trolls, and finally nailing him with one solid piece of evidence after another, leaving him no chance to survive. Therefore, he had to start by refuting the debt issue first, then proceed to clear his name, one by one. Today, when Sun Yinrui got home, he beat his son, Sun Zijian, mercilessly with a belt. The beating left the boy’s skin split and flesh gaping yet did not satisfy his anger when he eventually found out that his damn son habitually boasted to his girlfriend, Xiao Cao, inflating tales of his father’s business. And now, Xiao Cao was the very person bought off by the opposition! "Spend the money, keep spending! Make Xiao Cao testify that she only said so because she took the money! You damned fool!" Sun Zijian wailed. He genuinely couldn’t remember whether he had mentioned it to Xiao Cao, but if he didn’t confess now, he’d be beaten to death! Sun Zijian was innocent too! 「...」 When Jing Shu saw the call was from Uncle Sun, she promptly answered and started recording. Uncle Sun’s string of unbearable curses flowed through the phone, berating her for taking his money and not delivering, for acting holier-than-thou, and demanding she delete her Moments or she’d get shot, and so on. Mr. Jing’s face darkened. "I don’t understand why you’d give me 200,000 to fabricate a lie that you don’t owe me money. I’m keeping 100,000 because that’s what you owe me. The rest I’ve transferred back to your Alipay. That’s it, Old Sun. From now on, you follow your path, and I’ll cross my bridge." BEEP. BEEP. Mr. Jing hung up the phone, and 100,000 yuan was transferred back. After calming down, Sun Yinrui began to fear. He had lost his reason in anger. He’d always thought Lao Jing was easy to bully—upright and honest, not someone who’d stoop to dirty tricks. But that statement in the Moments... it didn’t sound at all like something Lao Jing would say. Sun Yinrui began frantically calling Mr. Jing, bombarding him with WeChat messages, apologizing and admitting he was wrong, but it was too late. The recording of their phone call had been uploaded online, including the threats of gun violence. That night, it sparked massive public outcry, and the next day the Wu City Police Department’s social media account announced that they had opened an investigation into the matter. Not only did Sun Yinrui’s first move fail to clear his name, but he’d also hammered the final nail into confirming his attempt to bribe Mr. Jing. One plot twist a day, and the last day even held a surprise. Let the situation slowly ferment until it emits an enticing scent... It was the day Jing Shu had arranged to go to the countryside to pick up Grandma Jing and Grandpa Jing. Since it was all planned in advance, there were no complications. Grandma Jing and Grandpa Jing lived in a town over 100 kilometers away from Wu City. Aunt Jing Pan was married off to a local fruit grower, while Jing Zhao, the second aunt, married into a family in a city 50 kilometers away, where they ran a tobacco and liquor shop. Third Aunt Jing Lai married into Wu City over twenty years ago. After five years, she gave birth to a daughter but then ruined her health and couldn’t bear any more children. Her in-laws, favoring sons over daughters, despised her and the child. Being a strong-willed woman, Third Aunt took her daughter and got a divorce. She lived with Grandma Jing and Grandpa Jing, helping to take care of the elderly couple. Third Aunt had a two-bedroom apartment in Wu City, a piece of property from her divorce. Her daughter, Wu You’ai, who was attending graduate school, would stay there over the weekends. So, not only did they pick up Grandpa Jing and Grandma Jing today, but they also took Third Aunt to her Wu City apartment so she could take good care of her daughter during this time. It took an hour and a half by car to reach the town. Jing Shu urged Grandma Jing and Grandpa Jing to pack more of their usual belongings, considering they would be staying for over a month. "Child, I’m packing you some apples and bananas to eat on the road." "Your Third Aunt fried you some twisted dough strips. Take them with you in case you get hungry on the way." "I fried some fish cubes for you, afraid you might get hungry on the road." "Come, have a sip of crucian carp soup first. I’ve been simmering it since early this morning," Grandma Jing offered, showing her wrinkled and veiny hands. The best thing an elderly person can do for you is probably to never stop offering you food. When it comes to elders, there’s no need for lengthy speeches or warm inquiries. Just one word: act! Whatever the elderly hand you, you eat up, and if they tell you to have some more, you just nod and do it. After hastily drinking a pot of crucian carp soup, gnawing on a crucian carp, polishing off a plate of fried fish cubes, and five large twisted dough strips, Grandma Jing’s mouth hung open for a while before she finally said, "Stop eating now! Wait for lunch when we get home, I’ll cook for you again!" "Okay." Jing Shu revealed a row of white teeth, smiling happily. Ten years had passed, and it felt so good to see Grandpa and Grandma again. It was really wonderful. Jing Shu’s eyes brimmed with tears as she quickly said, "You guys keep packing, I’m going to take a walk," and then ran off. Jing Shu, having controlled her emotions, drove to the bee farm located some 15 kilometers away. The beekeepers were dedicated and bombarded her with questions about the source and area of nectar, pollen sources, and more. Jing Shu knew nothing about it... In the end, under the guidance of the beekeepers, Jing Shu chose the Italian bees, which produced the most honey and had the strongest ability to secrete Royal Jelly, requiring a large nectar source with a long honey flow period. She bought a box of bees and tools: hive scraper, bee broom, feeder, foundation, honey extractor, bee hive, and frames. The box contained a queen bee, and the beekeeper gave her many tips, such as the importance of having the bee yard close to nectar-producing plants and not far from a water source. Jing Shu immediately combined a 1-cubic-meter bee house space with six fields, put water next to it, and added a drop of Spiritual Spring, giving the bees something to eat and drink as soon as they opened their eyes. Moreover, there needed to be a large source of nectar and pollen; the fields in the Magic Cube Space guaranteed to satisfy that every day of the year. Moreover, the bee yard had to be on flat, dry land facing the sun. Jing Shu declared the Magic Cube Space more than satisfied these conditions. The bees quickly adapted to the new environment and had already begun to fly chaotically around Jing Shu’s fields. Having resolved yet another pressing matter, Jing Shu’s living conditions were further improved in preparation for the upcoming apocalypse, and she headed back to Wu City with Grandma Jing, Grandpa Jing, Third Aunt, and a carful of luggage. After drinking diluted Spiritual Spring, Jing Shu’s appetite had clearly doubled, and her digestive system had become much stronger. However, the most noticeable change was in her physical condition. Jing Shu seemed to have more strength than before, and her reaction time had improved. These past two days, her speed at solving the Five-stage Rubik’s Cube had increased. At this rate, she had confidence in unlocking the fifth stage of the Magic Cube in a month, when the apocalypse was to begin. In the evening, Grandpa Jing and Mr. Jing had an argument again... The two had not seen each other for a month and had missed each other tremendously. After exchanging comforting words, they drank tea together, watched the news together, and discussed national affairs together. The problem arose exactly from this discussion of national affairs!