Wen Dongrong peeked and looked.
Wow!
The turtle, no, this mythical Xuanwu beast drawn by his wife, was truly vigorous and powerful, capturing the majesty and mockery of Xuanwu.
Du Li, who had dealt with all sorts of people, was encountering someone like Chen Ru for the first time. Even a lawyer as eloquent as Du was momentarily speechless. Han Qin noticed their odd expressions and hurried over to look. On the blank space of the settlement agreement, the turtle was baring its teeth and claws. A surge of anger shot from Han Qin’s feet to the top of her head!
“You—”
“What about me? You think I’m a fool, bullying my kid because no one’s standing up for her, huh? 350,000 to make me sign a settlement? You think people from small places haven’t seen big money, is that it?”
Chen Ru grabbed the settlement agreement, tore it to shreds with force, and with a flick of her hand, scattered the paper scraps all over Han Qin and Du Li’s heads and faces.
“You two are just the same kind, treating others like idiots and expecting gratitude. Even a turtle or a bastard is more decent than you!”
Is 350,000 a lot?
Yes, a lot!
If you’re not aiming for a new flat with a lift, you could buy a decent second-hand house in Chengdu with that money, or two houses back home. Even for Chen Ru, with her salary increase, earning 350,000 was no easy feat.
But for Wen Ying’s future, 350,000 was as light as a feather!
Chen Ru threw the paper scraps in Han Qin and Du Li’s faces, pointing at their noses and cursing them thoroughly. Her words were so fast and her tone so impassioned that they had no chance to retort, leaving Wen Dongrong’s legs trembling.
Thank goodness!
Thank goodness there were two fearless people to bear his wife’s wrath!
If that fire wasn’t vented and turned on her own family… Old Wen suspected he’d be sleeping on the balcony for a year.
Now, with Han Qin and Du Li as the targets of her骂, Wen Dongrong could stand by with his hands in his pockets, watching the show. When his wife was tired of cursing, he promptly handed her a cup of tea at just the right temperature.
“Here, soothe your throat.”
Chen Ru gave Wen Dongrong a sidelong glance, took the teacup, gulped down a big mouthful, grabbed her bag, and left with a flourish.
Wen Dongrong was worried Han Qin might snap back and start a fight, so he followed closely behind. At the door, he suddenly turned back and gave Du Li a meaningful smile.
That smile was so loaded that Du Li’s veins throbbed.
Han Qin wiped the paper scraps off her face, incredulous. “How dare they? Are they insane? Du Li, this isn’t what you said would happen!”
Indeed, it wasn’t what he predicted.
Du Li brushed the paper scraps off his shoulder, recalling the first time he met Chen Ru at the bank when she asked if he had children.
Du Li didn’t understand her meaning then, but now he did.
Chen Ru had given her answer long ago, dragging it out for three days just to curse Han Qin to her face and vent her anger!
“Well, I got it wrong.”
Du Li was someone who could admit his mistakes and reflect.
He admitted it quickly, but Han Qin’s lips trembled. “What do we do now?”
What to do?
Nothing could be done!
Du Li gathered his personal items from the table. “Now we wait for the court’s judgment. If you want to appeal, come find me, and we’ll sign a new contract. You have my contact details, right?”
Han Qin was stunned.
Du Li said no more, picked up his briefcase, and left.
“Du Li… Surnamed Du, stop right there!”
Han Qin’s frantic appearance did bear some resemblance to the turtle Chen Ru drew.
Du Li went downstairs and saw Zheng Zhihe’s car in the distance. Their eyes met, and Du Li gave a provocative smile: being a lawyer is a long game, and Zheng Zhihe’s small victory was no big deal. They could still go head-to-head next time!
By the time Han Qin chased after him, Du Li had already driven off in his Mercedes.
Han Qin wanted to cause trouble for Wen Ying, but deep down, she was a bully who picked on the weak. Even if Zheng Zhihe and Wen Dongrong, two grown men, didn’t lift a finger, Chen Ru might still give her a beating!
Han Qin stood there, clenching her fists.
She wasn’t wrong!
The ones at fault were Lawyer Xiong and Du Li, both useless and incapable of winning the case.
…
“Mum, you drew a turtle on the settlement agreement?”
Wen Ying couldn’t believe it, while Zheng Zhihe was full of admiration: such a move was incredibly insulting, more painful than a physical beating!
Thinking of Du Li’s expression when he saw the turtle, Zheng Zhihe nearly burst out laughing.
Chen Ru sneered coldly. “Drawing a turtle suits them perfectly!”
Wen Dongrong clapped his hands, nodding in praise. “It was drawn so well, so fitting, the highlight of the entire meeting. Han Qin and Du Li’s faces were a sight to behold.”
Wen Ying looked at her mum with pure admiration.
Absolutely brilliant!
Forget Han Qin, but Du Li—what a figure! A future giant in the Southwest legal world, respected for his professional prowess despite his rivalry with Wen Ying’s mentor’s faction. Wherever he went, people treated Du Li with deference.
Many schemed to build connections with the great Lawyer Du, and he’d only respond if he was in a good mood. But Chen Ru was likely the only one who’d dare mock him with a turtle drawing.
It could be said that Chen Ru had accomplished what Wen Ying hadn’t in her past life, making Wen Ying utterly worshipful!
Sensing Wen Ying’s unreserved admiration, Chen Ru was in high spirits.
“I thought they were something special, but they’re just bullies who pick on the weak.”
“Exactly! How can Han Qin compare to my mum? You’re so professional at work, while she lets personal biases affect her job. You’re leagues ahead of her in that alone—she’s so unprofessional!”
Wen Ying’s flattery was spot-on, and Chen Ru agreed with her.
Over the years, Chen Ru had never made a single accounting error. Her past achievements might not have been grand, but she was undeniably responsible at work.
Her current job required more financial knowledge, and to live up to Wen Ying’s praise, Chen Ru knew she had to keep studying hard.
In this atmosphere, the family happily headed home. Zheng Zhihe, stifling his laughter, shared the story with his teacher, who was at a loss for words.
“Du Li must be furious.”
But Du Li wouldn’t hold the family accountable. He was too proud for that. Only someone worthy could be his opponent, so this grudge would ultimately fall on Zheng Zhihe.
The teacher asked if Zheng Zhihe was scared. Thinking of Du Li’s aggression, Zheng Zhihe did feel a slight chill at the back of his neck.
But in front of his teacher, he had to keep up appearances.
“When you’ve got too many lice, you stop itching. He’s always had it out for me anyway.”
The teacher patted his student’s shoulder. “Don’t stress. He’s more experienced and knows the law better than you. You only won this time because he got involved too late. If you meet him in another case and lose, it’s no shame.”
“…”
What a true mentor, always so blunt, speaking the unfiltered truth!
With the teacher saying that, it seemed the first judgment was really coming.
Du Li had timed it precisely, giving Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong only three days to consider because, the day after talks collapsed—1 September 2005, the first day of school—the court’s judgment was announced: Plaintiff Wen Ying won, while *Aige* magazine and Han Qin lost!
