A thousand-mile dike crumbles from an ant’s hole.
The Wen family was far from a “thousand-mile dike.” It was only through Wen Dongrong’s efforts that they scrubbed off the rural mud and settled as city folk.
A big family just finding its footing in a small city was riddled with weak spots if someone wanted trouble.
The core was taking down Wen Dongrong. If the family faced a crisis, her parents wouldn’t have the heart to send Wen Ying to Rongcheng for school. Studying at the provincial key school let her mingle with rich kids—back in their small hometown, her schemes would have nowhere to play out!
This was pulling the firewood from under the pot. Since Wen Ying rejected Zhao Dong’s aid, he’d trap her at the bottom forever.
Zhao Dong didn’t pick this route out of lingering conscience—it was too loud. If Wen Dongrong were greedy, Zhao Dong would’ve dangled money to drag him down without hesitation. But investigations showed Wen Dongrong was a stickler for his reputation at work.
He loved power more than money—a total bureaucrat.
If Zhao Dong could control Wen Dongrong’s promotions, he wouldn’t need to cling to the Xie family—he’d be plenty badass himself.
Since the firewood trick was off, Zhao Dong turned his sights on the whole Wen clan.
Where were their cracks?
Wen Dongrong had two brothers and a sister.
The brothers seemed clean, but the sister’s family was a mess.
Shu Guobing—arrogant, lazy, a drunk—was Zhao Dong’s target.
Digging deeper, Shu Guobing had a daughter, Shu Lu, pretty and clever, but a mirror of her dad’s flaws. At school, Shu Lu claimed her dad worked in a government office and her mom was a bank manager—straight-up stealing Wen Ying’s family story. A girl with talent, born poor, wouldn’t just accept her lot!
Jealousy, greed—these were ripe for exploitation.
Zhao Dong picked up Shu Lu’s file, tapping it, “Wait and see, I’ll get your revenge.”
Zhao Qian beamed, “Bro, you’re the best!”
…
Wen Ying’s TV stint, hyped by Grandma Wen, was family-wide news.
To the old lady, Wen Kai was still the golden grandson.
Wen Ying was climbing toward second-favorite.
Why? She’d been shining lately—acing the provincial key school entrance without costing Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru a fortune.
Then, easing their burden, she’d started a stall to earn cash.
To Grandma Wen, that was “having a conscience.”
Old folks favoring boys wasn’t just feudal leftovers—it was the environment.
Daughters belonged to others once grown, spilled water once married. In the countryside, they didn’t owe parents care. Wen Hongyan lived that perfectly—not only skipping care for her mom, but scraping what she could from Grandma Wen’s “skinny chicken leg.” The old lady practically prayed thanks.
With “money pits” like Wen Hongyan, Grandma Wen’s bias was natural. Without strict birth limits, she’d have pushed Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru for a son—she tried, but Chen Ru shut it down, and Wen Dongrong wouldn’t risk it, so she dropped it.
Grandma Wen fretted for her second son and daughter-in-law—no son, who’d care for them later?
Wen Dongrong said daughters could too—Grandma Wen didn’t see it.
Girls couldn’t match boys’ promise, etched deep in her mind.
Now she was wavering, thanks to Wen Kai’s daily preaching.
“Wen Ying got into the provincial key—college entrance is no worry. Getting into a top-tier school’s easy there. Three years from now, she might outscore me!”
A granddaughter outdoing her grandson?
The world felt unreal—Grandma Wen needed a minute, grabbing Wen Kai’s arm, “So you’re saying Wen Ying could care for your second uncle and aunt?”
Her logic was blunt: good college, good job, good pay—then you can support your folks.
Wen Kai laughed, torn, “Grandma, it’s all only kids now—who doesn’t care for their parents? It’s not gender, it’s conscience!”
He didn’t want to judge elders, but cases like Aunt Wen Hongyan were outliers.
Grandma Wen latched onto “conscience.”
Meanwhile, Wen Hongyan, rare as it was, splurged—buying Grandma Wen summer clothes, baffling her.
Just praising Wen Ying’s conscience and reliability, now her stingy “iron rooster” daughter showed some too? Grandma Wen was stumped, “I’ve got clothes, save your money for Shu Lu’s studies.”
She said it, but what elder doesn’t crave filial piety? She touched the fabric, pleased.
Seeing her mom happy, Wen Hongyan endured the praise for Wen Kai and Wen Ying—how Wen Ying’s TV stall must’ve been tough.
She soured.
“Wen Ying’s stalling—does Second Brother’s family need that cash? It’s just showing off poverty, especially to us. Mom, can you sweet-talk Second Brother? This summer, Lu Lu wants tutoring. Wen Ying got into the key school—Lu Lu’s so smart, how could she not? We’re strapped, I’ve got no choice but to ask you.”
Grandma Wen clicked it.
A favor—hence the clothes, unseasonal as it was.
She didn’t refuse outright, asking what tutoring Shu Lu wanted.
“I heard Wen Kai say a summer’s just a few hundred yuan—your family can’t scrape that together?”
If they were broke, Grandma Wen could cover Shu Lu.
Last month, she gave Wen Ying 2,000—she’d spare 1,000 for Shu Lu.
No fairness lectures—one’s a Wen, one’s a Shu, that’s her fairness.
But Wen Hongyan went big, wanting Shu Lu to join Wen Ying’s tutoring.
Smugly, “One student or two, it’s the same lesson. Lu Lu’s sharp—she’ll get it.”
One fee, two kids—only Wen Hongyan saw that as fair.
Before, a good plea to Wen Dongrong might’ve worked. Now? He was still mad.
Grandma Wen shoved the clothes back, “Hongyan, I can’t enjoy these. Talk to your second brother yourself—if he agrees, I’ll be glad for you.”
Wen Hongyan was sent packing.
With the old lady out, she dragged Shu Guobing to apologize to Wen Dongrong.
Drunk and flushed, Shu Guobing scoffed at it, “Me apologize? I’ve got a big shot lifting me up—soon he won’t even deserve to lick my boots!”
