After Director Lu left, Liu Song couldn’t help but laugh. That guy must be fuming back home—who would’ve thought he’d end up giving them an unintentional boost?
Earlier, Liu Song had openly praised Lu Wei in front of Nan Sheng, which meant Director Lu couldn’t publicly contradict those words now. Nan Sheng was truly… delightfully cunning.
"Director, how do you plan to assign Lu Wei? Will he be temporarily transferred here, or…?"
Since Lu Wei had a military background, Liu Song could tell Nan Sheng held soldiers in high regard. Still, he wasn’t entirely sure of her intentions, so the best approach was to ask directly.
Nan Sheng didn’t hide her thoughts. "He’s not suited for desk work. Starting tomorrow, you’ll take him to investigate the Grain Bureau thoroughly. Once that’s done, he’ll return to his original post."
"Understood. I’ll wrap things up there as quickly as possible."
The longer Liu Song worked with Nan Sheng, the more he appreciated how easygoing she was. She held a high position but never feared her subordinates might undermine her authority. Instead, she actively supported those who’d been with her for a while.
Liu Song was deeply moved. If Nan Sheng knew what he was thinking, she’d probably say:
"What’s the big deal? Only a fool would hoard all the work and exhaust themselves."
Nan Sheng was swamped—county government affairs demanded her attention, and every major decision required her approval. Finally, after a week, the Grain Bureau situation was resolved.
Director Lu was rewarded with a two-part package: getting stripped of his position and sentenced to labor reform. Those connected to him were also dealt with, leaving over half the positions vacant and in need of filling.
Lu Wei, credited for his role in exposing the corruption, was promoted and became part of the management team. That day, he made a special trip to Nan Sheng’s office to thank her. Though their interactions had been limited, he wasn’t blind—he knew Director Nan had been supporting them behind the scenes all along.
"Thank you for your trust, Director Nan. You have my word—the Grain Bureau won’t repeat its past mistakes as long as I’m there."
Nan Sheng, rarely one to smile, stood and patted Lu Wei’s shoulder. "No need for formalities. Besides, your promotion wasn’t my call alone. From now on, just call me ‘sister-in-law’ in private. Keep up the good work!"
By the time Lu Wei left, his eyes were red. He’d heard from his mother that Nan Sheng’s husband was the former Battalion Commander Lin, now promoted to deputy regimental commander. But he’d never intended to leverage that connection.
Still, everything "sister-in-law" had done for him would stay etched in his heart forever.
With Director Lu’s downfall, the reputation of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection soared to new heights—feared by insiders but trusted by the public.
For people like Liu Song, every day was a whirlwind of nonstop cases, training newcomers, and overtime becoming the norm.
Other departments, seeing the Discipline Inspection Commission working late, felt pressured to follow suit. They’d linger for an extra half-hour or hour before heading home, all claiming, "Just finishing up some work!"
After a grueling week, Nan Sheng decided to let everyone rest for the night and regroup the next day. She was surprised to find so many still in the government building.
"What’s keeping everyone so busy?"
Su Jie rubbed her sore arm. "Probably rushing to fill the vacant positions."
The moment they left, other departments seemed to coordinate their exits, each silently praying for this exhausting routine to end soon.
Back home, Little Hou had already prepared dinner. Lin Han, discharged from the hospital the day before, now only needed check-ups every other day to monitor his recovery.
Seeing Nan Sheng, Little Hou quickly set the table. Qiqi insisted on sitting next to her mother. "Mama, are you done with work? Will you come home early from now on?"
"Not a chance. I’ll be busy for at least another month."
Between Lin Han’s injury and her own workload, their children’s school exams had been neglected. Siqi’s school situation was manageable, but for Sizhe, Nan Sheng would need to look into local policies—would he need make-up exams?
Dinner was hearty. While Lin Han had dietary restrictions, everyone else enjoyed the meal, especially Little Hou, who, influenced by Nan Sheng, had started indulging in meat dishes without hesitation.
Mid-meal, Nan Sheng remembered something. "Little Hou, I need a favor."
"Just say the word, sis! I’ll get it done right away!"
Nan Sheng chuckled. It was amusing how much more weight her words carried at home compared to Lin Han’s.
"No rush. When you have time in the next couple of days, could you run some errands for me? Go back to the town and the military housing area to check for any packages or letters."
"Got it! I’ll head out tomorrow."
Lin Han also asked him to pass a message to the military district: he’d be back on duty in a week.
"Isn’t that too soon?" Nan Sheng worried it might hinder his recovery.
"It’s fine, dear. I won’t be training—just supervising. Staying home all day isn’t doing me any good."
Truthfully, with Nan Sheng gone all day, Lin Han found home life dull, limited to taking the kids for walks around the neighborhood.
Nan Sheng thought it over. "Let’s see how your follow-up goes. If the recovery’s on track, I’ll agree to you returning. Sizhe, Qiqi—do you want to stay with me or go back to the housing area for a few days?"
"Stay with Mama!"
"I’m not going back!"
The children answered in unison, adamant about not leaving their mother. Qiqi simply didn’t want to be apart from Nan Sheng, even if it meant fewer playmates. Sizhe, ever the little protector, felt his mother shouldn’t be left alone.
Nan Sheng, however, wasn’t comfortable with Lin Han staying by himself either. She suggested Sizhe go back with him for a few days while they assessed the situation.
"But what about little sister?"
Sizhe frowned, glancing at Lin Han. Honestly, Dad was too much—at his age, still making Mama worry. If only he could split himself in two to take care of both!
"Yeah, Mama! I don’t want to be home alone. I’d be scared!" Qiqi chimed in.
Nan Sheng pinched her daughter’s chubby cheek. "Then I’ll take you to the government office with me. It’s really fun there."
And fun it was—so much so that Qiqi later grew so accustomed to the place, she didn’t even want to go back to school…
