DBTHDCAR Chapter 100

“I am your Second Uncle.”

“I am your Second Aunt.”

Both of them said it in unison.

Ning Xiaobei raised his chin, furrowed his brows, and felt his heart, long in suspense, ease a little.

Not his biological parents?

“What the heck? Uncle Ning was an only child, wasn’t he? Where did these so-called siblings come from?”

Fan Xia’s mouth twitched upward, thinking, What kind of nonsense is this? Are scammers really this bold nowadays? They don’t even check the facts before trying to extort someone?

“Wait a minute, you said the other day you were Uncle Ning’s wife, and now you’re claiming to be a sister-in-law?”

Fan Xia immediately spotted the inconsistency.

In the blink of an eye, Ning Xiaobei suddenly guessed the key behind it all—it was because of that!

“Ha… hahaha… hahahaha…”

Amid everyone’s shocked stares, Ning Xiaobei suddenly burst into laughter.

He doubled over, one hand clutching his stomach, the other on his chest, laughing so hard that tears seeped from the corners of his eyes, and even breathing became difficult.

“So that’s it… so that’s it…”

He said.

Then he started repeatedly patting his thighs, mumbling, “How did I not see it? I should have figured it out ages ago!”

Across from him, Wu Changrong and Jin Ju looked dumbfounded, thinking this little money god had gone mad. Fan Xia was even more terrified, pacing anxiously around Ning Xiaobei.

“I’m fine.”

Ning Xiaobei waved his hand. After catching his breath, he set his chin down and smiled calmly.

Sitting directly across, Wu Changrong suddenly felt a chill of fear…

Not for anything else, but the young man’s composed demeanor reminded him strongly of his eldest brother when he left home years ago. Especially that righteous chin and the faintly pursed lips, exactly like his brother at seventeen or eighteen when he joined the army.

“You two…”

Ning Xiaobei reached out and slid the tea cups and pot on the table aside.

“Get ready to face a lawsuit.”

Though his voice was calm, there was still an unstoppable glint of humor in it.

Before the couple could even grasp the meaning behind his words, the door to the private room opened. The server who had just poured Ning Xiaobei’s tea respectfully stood in the doorway, making a polite gesture inviting them in.

A group of men came pouring in from the doorway. The couple jumped to their feet, utterly startled, unsure what was happening.

“Dad, Uncle Zhao, Lawyer Wang.”

Ning Xiaobei also pulled Fan Xia to his feet and gave a nod to the three of them.

Ning Jianguo glared fiercely at the couple, while Zhao Jingwen quickly took the seat that Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia had been occupying.

A server immediately brought over a chair from outside, positioning it across from the four of them so that Lawyer Wang could sit, while the two younger ones automatically stood behind their respective adults.

Another server came in and cleared away the old tea set, replacing it with a freshly brewed pot, along with three extra cups.

All of this happened in an instant. The Wu couple barely had time to react before the whole situation flipped on them.

Just moments ago, they were scheming how to handle the little money god; now it looked like they themselves were about to be handled.

“What’s going on?”

Even Fan Xia was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. He leaned toward Ning Xiaobei and whispered.

“This teahouse was co-invested by Uncle Zhao and others. We came here when it first opened, even took a photo with that server girl just now, you forgot?”

Ning Xiaobei said quietly.

Fan Xia really couldn’t remember. Over the past few years, too many people had dragged his uncle into business openings, hotels and boutiques, how could he remember them all? Mostly, he just went along for the free food and drinks. But now, looking back, weren’t those qipaos the waitresses wore all the way in the classic Dream Jiangnan style from his uncle’s stores?

“The waitress just poured my tea, and I asked her to bring over the Second Boss while she was at it…”

“Ah…”

Fan Xia’s mouth dropped open, belatedly nodding in recognition.

Boss was really incredible, better at calculating and planning than the White Paper Fan in Hong Kong movies. No wonder he’d been so calm; all the contingencies were already thought out.

“My surname is Wang. I am the legal counsel for Mr. Zhao Jingwen’s company. Here is my business card.”

Lawyer Wang worked on an hourly rate and wasted no time. He went straight to the point, taking a white-and-blue business card from his holder and pushing it gently toward the couple.

They looked down. Sure enough, it said something about a law firm and listed him as a senior partner.

The couple exchanged glances, catching each other’s panic and ignorance. Lawyers? They’d only ever seen those on TV or in movies. How could one suddenly appear in front of them?

“These are the police report filed by Ms. Xiang Xiaomei and the hospital injury assessment form. Preliminary evaluation shows severe soft tissue bruising on the face, as well as injuries on the arms and legs. Here are the medical expenses she’s incurred so far. Please take a look…”

As he spoke, Lawyer Wang pushed the stack of documents toward them.

When the couple read the words police report, it was as if their souls had flown out of their bodies. Seeing the detailed bills, they couldn’t even speak.

“How… how is this possible? It was just a light slap! Why did she report it? The police didn’t even contact us!”

They shifted nervously in their seats.

“True, these injuries wouldn’t qualify as bodily harm in criminal law. But that doesn’t prevent us from pursuing civil liability and compensation on behalf of Ms. Xiang. Additionally, that night, neighbors and members of the Ning family can attest that you made insulting accusations against her, which harmed her reputation. We will also pursue this matter, issuing an official lawyer’s letter afterward.”

“A lawsuit… we’re really getting sued? Am I going to jail?”

Jin Ju, a rural woman, had never seen such a setup. Her legs went weak, her waist buckled, and she collapsed into her seat.

Her husband, Wu Changrong, fared slightly better, though not much; he just held himself up with sheer willpower.

“Also, regarding a case of extortion… Mr. Zhao, Mr. Ning, do you want the two children to step out?”

After outlining everything, Lawyer Wang sipped his tea and addressed Ning Jianguo and Zhao Jingwen.

“I…”

Before Ning Jianguo could speak, Ning Xiaobei stepped forward. “Dad, I’m an adult now. Whatever happens, I can handle it.”

He glanced at Fan Xia and continued, “Fan Xia isn’t an outsider, he should know all of this as well.”

Hearing this, Fan Xia felt a warmth surge through him.

If it weren’t for all the people standing there, he would have thrown himself at Boss and held him tight, really tight.

“According to Mr. Zhao and Mr. Ning’s statements, you two allegedly attempted to use Ning Jianguo’s adopted son, Ning Xiaobei’s identity, as leverage to threaten and extort 500,000 yuan in cash or ownership of half of a relocation apartment in Pudong. Did you say such things? If so, we will need to file a separate report.”

The couple’s faces went ashen.

“Let me explain: threats fall under Article 42 of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law. Extortion, according to Article 274 of our Criminal Law, involves coercing public or private property. If the amount is particularly large or there are other serious circumstances, it carries a sentence of ten years or more in prison, plus a fine.”

Having recited all of this in one breath, Lawyer Wang smiled kindly, lifted his teacup, and waited for their reaction.

“Adopted son?”

Fan Xia, the only person in the room unaware of Ning Xiaobei’s background, was completely dumbfounded. All the legal jargon flew over his head, he only heard those two words: adopted son!

Xiaobei was adopted. He wasn’t Ning Jianguo’s biological child. How could this be?

Fan Xia’s shout made Ning Jianguo drop his head completely. His hands trembled on his knees, and he didn’t dare look at his son.

The scheming couple across the table never expected this. The leverage they had planned to use to control Ning Jianguo for life and extort him whenever they wanted was now openly exposed in broad daylight. They shrank in panic like rats crossing a sunlit street, their teeth chattering.

—What did the lawyer say just now? Jail? Ten years in prison?

Heaven above! They had spent all these days wandering around Shanghai and had gained nothing, and now they faced jail time and financial liability.

“No, no, we didn’t say it. We never said that.”

Wu Changrong kept waving his hands, pulling Jin Ju’s arm along with him.

“Our eldest nephew is in Brother Jianguo’s care, and we’re very, very reassured. That’s why we came to Shanghai this time… just… just to see the child. His grandma passed away last year. Before she left, she couldn’t rest, still worrying about my poor big brother and his son. We just came to fulfill her last wish. Money? House? None of that matters, there’s nothing of that sort.”

All nonsense from Ma Guixiang’s husband!

Exactly, everything came from him drunkenly babbling nonsense and causing trouble. He said things like maybe one day he’d have to rely on Guixiang’s child for support, and when there wasn’t enough money, he’d send Guixiang to Shanghai to beg, if she refused, he’d hit her.

He even said he had checked the Shanghai demolition policies: an only child counts as one and a half people for household registration, meaning the relocation apartment would be at least half the child’s. Isn’t the son his? Isn’t Guixiang’s child also his?

Isn’t the son still mine? And Jin Ju, she’s technically the child’s foster mother too.

According to the laws back then, a single man under thirty couldn’t adopt on his own. If it weren’t for Jin Ju and that Shanghai man faking a marriage and getting a false marriage certificate to complete the adoption, how could he have gotten such a fine boy for free?

By that logic, he and Guixiang’s family could also be considered benefactors to Ning Jianguo.

They say, “A drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring”. Now it’s time for Ning Jianguo to repay the kindness.

Right, so clearly it was supposed to be Ning Jianguo repaying the favor, not extortion! How did a good deed turn into a bad one?

“Yes, yes, seeing how big brother raised Baosen… oh no, Ning Xiaobei, so well, growing up to be so capable, already a university student, we were really happy. Money? He raised the child for us, we wouldn’t dare ask for money!”

Jin Ju immediately grabbed her husband and stood up, bowing repeatedly to Ning Jianguo and apologizing. She even tried to grab Xiaobei’s hand, but he flatly swatted it away.

“Who is your child?”

Ning Xiaobei’s eyes glimmered red, his teeth clenched tight.

“My surname is Ning. I am Ning Jianguo’s son. Ning Jianguo is my father.”

He stepped to his father’s side, crouched down, grabbed Jianguo’s trembling hands, and looked up, whispering, “I only have one father. I only have him and Grandma as my blood relatives… Dad, don’t worry. I won’t acknowledge them. Even if my real mother comes, I still won’t recognize her!”

“Xiaobei…”

Ning Jianguo bent down, firmly cradled Xiaobei’s head against his chest, tears streaming, “Good child… good child… You knew all along, didn’t you?”

Two days ago, they had already arranged with Lawyer Wang, planning to confront Wu Changrong and Jin Ju today. That morning, while organizing the documents, Ning Jianguo opened the long-forgotten leather folder and noticed that Xiaobei’s adoption certificate had a patch of blue ink he hadn’t seen before, it looked as if it had soaked in over the years.

This adoption certificate was his most treasured possession. He remembered clearly that the last time he saw it, there had been no ink blotches.

As he carefully reviewed the rest of the documents in the folder, it was clear they had been haphazardly stuffed in, completely unlike his usual methodical organization.

His heart sank. He racked his brain, trying to recall who could have touched these documents.

Finally, he remembered: it was back when Xiaobei was in elementary school. One day, while at work, he received a call from a neighbor in Jiande Lane, saying Xiaobei had tumbled down the stairs from the second floor and that he needed to come home immediately.

That was the first time Xiaobei had an asthma attack. Ning Jianguo abandoned everything else and rushed to the hospital, holding his son in his arms.

Later, when he returned home to prepare the child’s hospital supplies, Grandma Ning complained that Xiaobei had made a mess upstairs, rummaging through drawers, playing with ink, leaving the place in complete disorder.

By the time Ning Jianguo and Xiaobei were at the hospital, Grandma Ning had already packed everything up. Ning Jianguo, worried about returning to the hospital to care for Xiaobei, didn’t ask further questions.

Thinking back, it must have been then… that Xiaobei had already seen the adoption certificate.

Ning Jianguo realized that a child had managed to keep a secret from him for nearly ten years!

The child had concealed it, yet still treated him as his biological father… even able to accept his relationship with Zhao Jingwen.

A child like that, how could anyone not feel a deep love, a strong protectiveness…?

“Yes. I’ve known for a long time. But it doesn’t matter, it really doesn’t matter, Dad. We are father and son. Whether or not there’s a blood connection, we are father and son. Even if the law didn’t allow it, we are still father and son.”

He had already figured it out: his father must have faked a marriage with Jin Ju back then because he didn’t meet the legal adoption requirements.

Just looking at the vile faces of his so-called second uncle and aunt, he understood that they must have received some benefits back then. Now, dissatisfied with the amount, they were trying to extort his father again.

He would give them no chance. He was no longer an ignorant child who knew nothing. He would protect his father, protect Ning Jianguo.

“Child… yes, you are my son, my only child.”

With that, father and son embraced and wept together.

This secret had been buried in their hearts for far too long; neither dared to lift that thin veil.

Who says only blood defines family? These more than ten years of deep fatherly affection, these more than ten years of mutual support, the emotions accumulated over time—far surpassing any biological tie. This is the love that comes from the heart!

Zhao Jingwen and Fan Xia watched, tears welling in their eyes; pained for them, yet relieved.

Watching the police take the couple away, Fan Xia sniffled, choking back tears, and asked Ning Xiaobei, “Boss, back then, their fake marriage… that was illegal, right? What if your adoption certificate gets invalidated?”

He worried Ning Jianguo would be at a disadvantage.

“Let’s not even discuss proving it was a fake marriage. Even if it was fake, my dad couldn’t have done it alone. If they were really to sue him, Jin Ju would have to get involved too. She wouldn’t want two lawsuits on her hands.”

Just as Ning Xiaobei had guessed: to adopt Xiaobei, Ning Jianguo needed a marriage certificate, so he faked a marriage with Jin Ju, Wu Changrong’s then-girlfriend, bribing the village office to issue the certificate.

Of course, Jin Ju didn’t do this for free. She had been with Wu Changrong for years, but because the housing issue was unresolved, they could never officially be together. They agreed: Ning Jianguo had to help resolve the housing matter. Otherwise, Jin Ju, a young and unmarried woman, would have been at a huge disadvantage.

After returning to Shanghai with Xiaobei, Ning Jianguo, according to their original agreement, gradually sent them money for three years, basically half of his salary. He didn’t dare let Grandma Ning know, so after work he helped out at small restaurants to earn extra, picking up cooking skills along the way.

Using the money from Ning Jianguo, along with the compensation from the Forestry Bureau after Wu Changsheng’s sacrifice, Wu Changrong and Jin Ju built a house and got married.

By rights, that should have been the end of their debt of gratitude, but who could predict the endless greed of some people? That’s how today’s trouble came about.

“What kind of relatives are these? Some relatives are better off not having. Blood ties don’t mean a thing sometimes.”

Fan Xia said indignantly.

“Xiao Mei and Grandma Ning aren’t even related by blood, right? Yet look how close they are, it’s even closer than some biological mother-daughter relationships. And Zhao Jingwen is my uncle, but in my heart, he’s even closer than my real father.”

The debt of care outweighs the debt of birth. The father-son bond between Ning Jianguo and Xiaobei cannot be severed by anyone.

Ning Jianguo and Zhao Jingwen still had to go with Lawyer Wang to the police station. Ning Jianguo affectionately patted Xiaobei’s head and told him to go home and rest. The biggest troubles were over; good days lay ahead.

“Dad, I still have something to tell Fan Xia. You two go ahead.”

Zhao Jingwen thought Ning Xiaobei might still be processing the events of earlier. He turned to give Fan Xia a few instructions, telling him to look after Xiaobei, and then left with Lawyer Wang.

After today, with everything finally settled, should he also tell Jianguo about Xiaobei and Xiaoxia’s relationship? What if Jianguo knew his nephew had taken Xiaobei? He might fly into a rage, after all, Xiaoxia could never fully replace his own son.

Zhao Jingwen kept glancing back, torn inside.

“What do you want to tell me? Is it… about the future?”

After the servers brought fresh tea, Fan Xia sat beside him, running his hands over his lover’s shoulders, full of concern. “Actually, after everything that happened today, we’re not in a hurry to—”

“Fan Xia.”

Ning Xiaobei took both his hands, drew a deep breath, and said, “I’m going to tell you a story…”

………………

Author’s Notes / Legal Footnotes:

1. China Criminal Law, Article 274: Extortion of public or private property, if involving a relatively large amount or repeated acts, is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, criminal detention, or control, with fines possibly applied. If the amount is huge or the case particularly serious, imprisonment ranges from three to ten years, plus fines. For extremely large amounts or particularly severe circumstances, the sentence is ten years or more, plus fines.

The final chapter will be released tomorrow~~ followed by a side story about Comrade Ning Jianguo.

====================