The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 149 If you implicate your son, you might as well not live.

As soon as she entered the house, she scolded her son. Chang Xidi was also upset. She plopped down on the sofa, covered her face with her hands, and said in a suppressed voice, "Jianzheng, don't make your mother worry. Leave first thing tomorrow morning. Be good."

Seeing that his mother looked very tired, Jian Zheng didn't say anything. He went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, handed it to Chang Xidi, and said with concern, "Mom, look at you, how come you're so tired? That's enough, why are you making yourself work so hard?"

Chang Xidi took the cup, took a sip of water, and sighed softly, "Sigh, you don't understand. Have you had dinner? I'm tired and don't have the energy to cook for you. There doesn't seem to be much food at home. If you're hungry, go to the gate of the courtyard and have a bowl of wontons."

Jian Zheng sat down opposite Chang Xidi and said, "I just cooked myself a bowl of noodles. I was starving. Soy sauce noodles are quite delicious. Have you not eaten? Or should I go outside and buy you a bowl of wontons?"

Chang Xidi shook her head and said, "No need, I have no appetite. You should pack up and go to bed early, and go back first thing tomorrow morning."

Jian Zheng hesitated for a moment before asking, "Mom, I want to ask you something?"

Before Chang Sai-tai could agree, he asked again, "You arranged for me to pass the Hong Kong Island Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, didn't you?"

Chang Xidi wasn't surprised; she seemed to have been prepared for Jian Zheng's question. She placed her cup on the coffee table and said, "Yes, and not entirely. First of all, my son, you have the ability. If you don't do well on the exam, it won't help me ask anyone for help."

Upon hearing this, Jian Zheng's eyes lit up, and the anger that had been weighing on his heart instantly dissipated. He let out a heavy sigh of relief and said happily, "Hehe, of course I have the ability. I knew it! My Mayor Chang is such a principled person, why would he ask someone else to do this?"

After saying that, he stood up and squeezed to sit down next to Chang Xidi.

Chang Xidi forced a smile, ruffled her son's soft hair, and said affectionately, "How old are you? Don't act like a child with me. Don't believe everything you hear. You need to be able to judge for yourself. From now on, you'll be all alone in Hong Kong Island. You'll have to learn to take care of yourself. Go get ready and go to bed. It's the middle of the night, and you have to get up early tomorrow."

Jian Zheng said happily, "I forgot to take some things with me, I'll pack them up. Mom, you should get some rest too."

Chang Xidi pinched her temples and said, "Yes, I am a little tired. I'll sit for a while and then go to sleep."

After watching her son return to his room, she slowly closed her eyes and fell into deep thought...

Only Chang Xidi herself can truly understand the arduous journey she took to rise to the position of Vice Mayor. In her early years, through tireless efforts, she distinguished herself from the countryside and was admitted to a city university, choosing the then-unpopular major of "civil engineering". After graduation, as a woman, she resolutely worked on construction sites, enduring five or six years of wind and sun.

Fortunately, she caught the wave of large-scale infrastructure construction across the country and was subsequently transferred to the demolition office, taking on the highly challenging position of a door-to-door surveyor, where she worked diligently for three years. During this time, she was conscientious and responsible, not only completing her assigned demolition tasks on time but also ensuring that no economic compensation disputes arose during the demolition process. As the phase of demolition work came to a successful conclusion, her abilities and achievements were recognized, and she was noticed by the area leaders and transferred to the district's investment promotion office.

In the field of investment promotion, Chang Xidi once again demonstrated her talent and ability, quickly rising from an ordinary staff member to the director of the investment promotion office. Due to her outstanding performance, she was subsequently transferred to the municipal investment promotion office. Coinciding with the golden period of rapid economic development, Chang Xidi, through her unremitting efforts and keen market insight, achieved remarkable results and eventually took up the post of Vice Mayor Chang.

Thinking of this, Chang Xidi couldn't help but sigh deeply.

The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang, breaking the silence in the room. Chang Xidi struggled to sit up from the sofa, reached out and answered the phone, her voice trembling slightly: "Hello, is this... Lao Jian?"

On the other end of the phone came Jian Fangze's familiar and deep voice, tinged with concern: "Xidi, how are things on your end? Haven't you been able to come home these past two days?"

Chang Xidi sighed softly, her tone full of helplessness and self-blame: "Yes, we haven't been allowed to come back for two days. The situation... is worse than we expected. It was just one wrong decision that led to the whole disaster. I'm in a complete mess right now."

Jian Fangze was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then gently comforted her, "Xidi, don't blame yourself too much. What's done is done, there's no point in thinking about it. What you need most right now is rest. You haven't been home for two days, go take a hot shower first, and then get a good night's sleep. We can talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

Chang Xidi nodded slightly. Although the other person couldn't see her, she was in low spirits and said in a muffled voice, "I don't want to think about it anymore. It's no use thinking about it."

At this point, she suddenly thought of her son, Jian Zheng, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart, a mixture of worry and heartache. So she continued, "Oh, by the way, my son came back today."

Upon hearing this, Jian Fangze's tone immediately became tense: "Jian Zheng? Why is he back? Didn't he go to Hong Kong to report for duty? It's only been less than a week, why is he suddenly back home? Did something happen to him there? Have you asked him?"

Faced with her husband's barrage of questions, Chang Xidi finally couldn't contain her emotions and said in a trembling voice, "Old Jian, I really can't take it anymore. My superiors have already spoken to me and plan to suspend me from my duties. I expect the disciplinary committee will be here soon. I admit my mistakes, I will resign as required, and I will accept whatever punishment is given. This is my own fault; I couldn't resist the temptation and made such a big mistake. But what I fear most is that it will implicate our son. My heart is aching so much! If Jian Zheng is ruined because of me, I really can't go on living."

Jian Fangze quickly comforted her, "Xidi, don't think like that. Jian Zheng got what he deserved through his own hard work, it has nothing to do with your actions, the organization will investigate thoroughly. Our son's abilities are obvious to all, he doesn't need anyone's special arrangements, he can stand out based on his exam scores and interview evaluations. These things can't be faked, what are you still worried about?"

Chang Xidi continued, choking back tears, "Cheng Agen went on a rampage, reporting everywhere and even joining other aquaculture companies to file complaints with the provincial authorities. I am willing to fully cooperate with the investigation and take full responsibility without complaint. Cheng Agen went to the Hong Kong Island Talent Admissions Office without permission to cause trouble, and he was the one who retrieved Jian Zheng's admission notice for me. At the time, I mistakenly thought he was doing me a great favor, and hesitated before refusing. Now that I think about it, I was so foolish! I didn't believe in my son's abilities and thought I was helping him, but it may have ended up harming him instead."

"Clatter!" The sound of a glass falling to the ground startled Chang Xidi, who turned around sharply and saw Jian Zheng standing behind the sofa, staring at her blankly.