Chapter 15: Oh no, did she reveal something?

Wei An could only say, “Your dad is right. From now on, you should find a son-in-law who can do everything.”

Qu Xiurong and Su Jin exchanged glances, both wanting to cover their faces. Who has a daughter so carefree and blunt, telling the son-in-law when to speak and when to stay quiet?

Su Yuping laughed heartily, clutching her belly. “Xixi, how old are you now?”

Wei An’s early engagement was because her family couldn’t bear to let her go to the countryside. Xiao Xixi should be no more than two years older than Wei An.

“Twenty-one.”

Xiao Xixi’s expression flickered with a hint of thoughtfulness. “Second sister, are you trying to set me up? My requirements aren’t high: at least 1.75 meters tall, about my dad’s height, a high school education should suffice. I only joined the Performing Arts Troupe after graduating high school.”

She tapped her left fingers with her right index finger. “Preferably someone from a family with at least two brothers. I’m the only child, so after marriage, I’d likely live mostly at my parents’ home. As for his family background, I’m not picky, as long as he’s a good person.”

Listening to her list off her criteria so matter-of-factly, Wei An clapped her hand. “My second sister is too busy to introduce you to anyone. Aren’t you in the Performing Arts Troupe? Isn’t there anyone in the military you’re interested in?”

With a military district commander as a grandfather, would she really need someone else to set her up?

Xiao Xixi chuckled shyly. “I trust your judgment, second sister.”

She hadn’t planned to tell the Su family, but recently her father had thoroughly investigated the Su family’s situation and naturally knew about what had happened to Su Yuping.

“But Wei An, when will you visit your fiancé in the army?”

It was only after her father’s investigation that she learned of Wei An’s early engagement.

Wei An shot her a cold glance. “Comrade Xiao, you know too much!”

Xiao Xixi quickly covered her mouth, worried she might have revealed something.

...

When Xiao Wenguang came to pick up Xiao Xixi, he deliberately invited the Su family for a weekend dinner, naturally to thank Wei An and Du Haibo for saving Xiao Xixi.

Su Yuping decided to visit her in-laws at the Du family immediately after work the night before, returning by noon the next day to prepare lunch.

Wei An couldn’t find an excuse to follow Su Yuping to the Du family late at night, so she told Su Yuping about the textile factory’s recruitment.

“The textile factory is hiring? How come I haven’t heard about this?”

Qu Xiurong was particularly surprised when Wei An mentioned the textile factory’s recruitment. She had just visited Qu Xiuying’s house yesterday afternoon and hadn’t heard anything about it from her eldest daughter-in-law.

Wei An blinked. “I don’t remember who mentioned it, but I thought if someone said it, it must be true.”

A pang struck Wei An’s heart. She had forgotten her eldest sister-in-law was the deputy director of the textile factory!

The news about the textile factory’s recruitment was something Wei An recalled from the original story’s plot, but very few knew about this hiring.

“It seems they’re hiring an accountant for the finance department.”

“That means Qingyan isn’t qualified?”

Du Qingyan, like Wei An, graduated from high school this year. There was no way she could handle a finance job.

Su Yuping frowned. Her in-laws and Du Haibo had been worrying about Du Qingyan’s employment recently. If she couldn’t find a job by next month, her only option would be to go to the countryside.

“Second Brother Du must have a way.”

Wei An raised her eyes and spoke slowly.

“What way could Second Brother Du possibly have?”

Su Yuping couldn’t help but be skeptical.

Before retiring, Du family’s old couple had been the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau and an obstetrician at the hospital, both rare educated people in these times. Yet, their second son, Du Haijun, was the least educated among the three siblings. After graduating from middle school, no one knew how he ended up working as a purchasing agent at a collection station.

Others couldn’t understand why he chose such a job, but those close to him knew he used it as cover to operate in the black market.

This had caused the Du elders to worry themselves gray.

“No wonder your eldest sister-in-law never mentioned it. So, they must have already hired someone, right?”

Qu Xiurong mused. Nowadays, a good job opening was highly sought after. Without even a hint, it would be filled in less than half a day.

“Probably not. Anyway, I believe Second Brother Du has a way.”

Wei An knew the job hadn’t been filled yet but couldn’t say so outright. After all, she had only heard it as a rumor.

“Why don’t you come with me?”

Su Yuping’s suggestion hit exactly what Wei An wanted to hear.

“That works. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Aunt Zhang and the others. I can take the chance to visit the elders.”

Wei An glanced at Qu Xiurong, seemingly asking for her opinion.

Qu Xiurong looked at her visibly pregnant second daughter and thought for a moment before nodding. “Remember to bring some gifts.”

When Wei An was still a student—a child—it wasn’t a big deal to visit relatives empty-handed. Now that she was working, she couldn’t just show up at her brother-in-law’s house empty-handed.

With the plan settled to her satisfaction, Wei An finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If not for the fear that Su Jin, a former soldier, would see through her, she wouldn’t have felt so constrained in everything she did.

Still, before going to the Du family, she had one important thing to do.

...

The next day, Saturday afternoon before work, Wei An asked Deputy Section Chief Jin for leave. Carrying a bag and under the scorching sun, she left the mechanical factory.

She found a secluded spot to quickly change her appearance.

Of course, she only altered her makeup slightly and changed into less conspicuous clothes.

She then put on a straw hat and a pair of plain glasses, heading toward the courtyard she remembered.

After turning left and right for over half an hour, she stopped outside a somewhat dilapidated courtyard.

Lowering the brim of her hat, she looked around cautiously. Seeing no one nearby, she quickly slipped around the front gate to the side.

By the side wall stood a massive banyan tree, too large for an adult to embrace. It was late summer, the branches lush, providing cover for Wei An’s entrance.

She rubbed her hands together nervously, glanced around again, then swiftly climbed the tree like a nimble monkey. Reaching the wall’s height, she carefully peeked into the courtyard.

The courtyard was silent, just as she expected. A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

Taking a hemp rope from her space, she tied it to a branch, ready to slide down the wall with it. Suddenly, she paused and pulled her foot back.

She hadn’t changed her shoes.

She wasn’t sure if the police could use shoe prints to trace suspects nowadays, but to be cautious, she slipped on a pair of larger cloth shoes over her feet.

With everything prepared, she slid down the wall and carefully bent low, making her way to the front door of the main house.

She remained alert.

First, she checked the locks on several rooms in the main house. Seeing they were all securely locked, she returned to the door of the room on the left side of the main building.

The lock-picking tools she had prepared in her space now came into play.