Chen Ping finally saw his wife and daughter.
Qin Yue’s subordinates had notified Chen Ping’s wife, Wang Man, and informed her of the truth behind Chen Ping’s fatal fall years ago.
The day after receiving the call, Wang Man arrived at the administration building and was politely invited into a conference room by the officers.
Coming along with her was a young girl wearing a school uniform and carrying a backpack.
It was Chen Ping’s daughter, Chen Xi.
She was twelve years old this year. Girls developed early, and she looked a head taller than boys her age.
Her facial features were inherited from Wang Man, but her eyes were exactly like Chen Ping’s.
Wang Man was only in her early forties, but her heavy makeup made her look five or six years older than her actual age.
The first thing she said upon meeting Qin Yue was a series of apologies.
“I just got off work. I had an appointment with a client for a facial, so I was delayed a bit. I’m really sorry. My father-in-law is in the hospital for surgery, and my mother-in-law is there looking after him, so I couldn't find anyone to watch the child. I brought my daughter along, but don’t worry, she’s very well-behaved. She can just wait outside.”
“It’s no problem. We have other empty conference rooms here. It’s too hot outside, and the conference rooms have air conditioning. Let the young lady go there to do her homework for a while.”
Qin Yue glanced at the computer on the table, which was currently in a call, and spoke warmly to Chen Xi: “Chen Xi, I have something very important to discuss with your mother. Why don't you let this sister take you to another conference room? We have fruit and snacks prepared there, so you can take a little break.”
Chen Xi nervously gripped the hem of Wang Man’s clothes. Only after receiving an encouraging look from her mother did she pluck up the courage to nod and follow the female officer to another conference room.
—There, of course, was another computer currently in a video session.
Wang Man also breathed a small sigh of relief as she watched her daughter leave.
“No need to be nervous. Please, sit down and let's talk. Xiao Chen, go pour a cup of tea.”
Qin Yue tried her best to make her voice sound as gentle as possible.
Noticing Wang Man’s tension and unease, she smiled and added, “I am Qin Yue from the Qianli City criminal investigation detachment. You can just call me Xiao Qin. Ms. Wang Man, my colleague has already communicated with you over the phone. The main reason I asked you here today is to understand if you and your child have any difficulties in your daily life, or if you have any requests?”
“Requests?”
Wang Man looked a bit dazed, not quite understanding Qin Yue’s meaning. “Didn't the insurance people already come by to talk about compensation?”
In fact, Wang Man had received a call from the insurance company a few days ago.
During that call, the business manager who had previously refused the claim had a complete change of heart. The manager claimed there had been a major oversight in their work and that they were now not only willing to pay the full insured amount but also willing to pay a certain amount of compensation to make up for their previous mistake.
Their attitude was almost unbelievably good.
Wang Man still remembered that when her husband, Chen Ping, passed away, the insurance company had adamantly insisted that "suicide is not within the scope of coverage."
She wasn't some naive girl; she didn't believe the insurance company had suddenly found its conscience. Could it be... that the insurance company’s attitude was related to today’s conversation?
Recalling Qin Yue’s self-introduction, Wang Man’s voice sharpened slightly. “You’re a criminal investigator? Then, then my Chen Ping’s death—”
“Ah, you’ve misunderstood, Ms. Wang Man.”
Qin Yue explained softly, “I am simply representing the organization to see if the family of a comrade has any difficulties. I am very sorry for Comrade Chen Ping’s death, and the organization is also deeply saddened.”
As she said this, Qin Yue paused, casting a strange glance at the computer. Saying these words felt a bit odd.
“But our Old Chen was just an ordinary person. He never joined the Party, he wasn't even a member of the Communist Youth League.”
Wang Man became even more confused.
How could this be explained? Should she just tell her directly that her husband was indeed dead, but that after death, he had actively dedicated himself to social construction and made many contributions?
Of course, Chen Ping’s existence was a secret. Qin Yue couldn't reveal a single detail. So, she simply skipped the topic.
“Actually, there is another matter for bringing you here today. When Comrade Chen Ping passed away, the employees of Xinchuang Game Company accidentally put his personal belongings into a storage room during the cleanup process.”
Qin Yue lifted a cardboard box from under the table. It was filled with various items of all sizes:
A stainless steel thermos, a sky-blue file folder, a vintage-style brass alarm clock, hardened moxibustion patches, a large pink three-tier lunch box, a desk lamp covered in little red flower stickers, a beautifully framed family photo, a pair of knee pads, toilet paper, a mouse with a broken cord...
It seemed they had been in the storage room for a long time, as a thick layer of dust covered the surfaces of the items.
Looking at these things, Wang Man seemed to fall into a memory, speaking blankly: “Ah, so these things were with you all. I was wondering why I couldn't find them...”
Her eyes slowly reddened, and she gave a soft sniff. Then, she reached in and pulled out the large pink three-tier lunch box.
It was a very bulky lunch box, chubby and round, covered in various pink heart stickers. On the top tier, someone had used a small knife to carve a line of crooked words:
【Daddy must eat well or Mommy will be angery】
“Angry” was even misspelled.
Wang Man had been able to control her emotions, but upon seeing this line of text, she froze in place as tears burst from her eyes.
“This lunch box is still here?”
“Back then, to save money, Old Chen had me cook at home so he could bring it to work the next day. I heard that heating plastic in a microwave is toxic, so I bought a better lunch box. Old Chen nagged me for a long time because of that, saying that two hundred yuan could have bought three catties of cherries for Xi Xi.”
“You know, this man was just too honest. He always took the short end of the stick and let people bully him. When others asked him to work overtime, he’d agree without a second thought. When the boss asked him to change a proposal, he never made excuses to push it off.”
“Going out with him was exhausting. If he saw someone lost, he had to give them directions. If he saw a lost child, he wouldn't be at peace until he personally saw them home. That night, his college roommate got married, and Old Chen gave two thousand yuan as a wedding gift. I even had a fight with him over those two thousand, telling him not to come back if he was so capable—”
At this point, Wang Man covered her face, her back heaving as she practically convulsed. “Two thousand yuan... two thousand yuan. Why did I have to fight with him? Tell me, when Old Chen fell, how much must it have hurt...”
Qin Yue did not speak, simply allowing the woman’s calm yet desperate narrative to continue.
Even though Chen Ping had been dead for a year, the grief of losing her husband was still like a maggot on the bone, firmly attached to Wang Man. At a certain moment, or in a certain scene, this grief would surge out and completely overwhelm her.
On the other side of the computer screen, Chen Ping had long been covered in tears.
He had never blamed his wife.
The pressures of life weren't just his; his wife had them too. Chen Ping had seen Wang Man cry for an entire night because she lost a three-hundred-yuan attendance bonus. He hadn't taken the argument that night to heart.
When he thought of his wife and daughter, his mind was only filled with those beautiful, cozy, and warm memories of happiness that made him feel like he was melting.
In the dark, something seemed to shatter.
At the same time, Nan Zhi received a system notification.
【Random Mission Completed】
【Ghost Chen Ping’s Wish (2): Clear the rumors and restore Chen Ping’s reputation (Completed)】
【Mission Reward: Five Thunder Protection Curse (Blue quality), Heavenly Treasure Tree Lottery Ticket ×5】
【Ghost Chen Ping’s Wish (3): Chen Ping finally remembered what he had lost in the mansion. His wife’s cooking wasn't very good; there were always eggshells in the tomato and eggs, and there were always bits of garlic skin in the garlic cabbage that couldn't be picked clean. But he remembered that the happiest part of every day was opening his lunch box to enjoy his meal. Seeing his daughter’s encouragement, Chen Ping would always feel full of energy.】
【Mission Reward: Heavenly Treasure Tree Lottery Ticket ×5, Upgrade EXP ×200】
Rate on N.U.
