After finishing her meal, Shu Yao took a shower before returning to the room. Shen Zhongyue was sitting before the vanity, seemingly looking at something. The floor bedding had already been laid out, while Shen Huaiyu slept soundly in the small rocking cradle.
If this scene had taken place in an ordinary household, it would certainly have been happy and warm. But the person standing here now was Shu Yao.
When all was said and done, her relationship with Shen Zhongyue was nothing more than a dream. As for Shen Huaiyu, he could at most be considered her convenient son, her guarantee of a beautiful future, and the human key that had unlocked her Storage Space.
Perhaps there was also a little heartache mixed in—for the two of them, who shared the same misfortune. Back then, Gao Xiu had abandoned her without hesitation and left, not asking about her for ten years. Yet children naturally yearned for maternal love. She, too, had once secretly gone to pry into Gao Xiu’s new life, just as Shen Huaiyu had.
The only difference was that she had eventually let go completely, while Shen Huaiyu had not.
Shen Zhongyue turned his head and looked at Shu Yao, who was leaning against the doorframe.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go get the divorce certificate.”
Shu Yao was startled. He had figured it out so quickly?
But she could not have wished for anything more. She nodded in agreement.
Although he had never intended to drag things out with her, seeing how impatient Shu Yao was still made Shen Zhongyue’s heart seize. Even his voice revealed a cold hardness.
“Come here.”
“What for?”
Shu Yao spoke provocatively, but her feet had already carried her over.
She saw a tin box. Based on her experience, she knew that it definitely contained money.
Who would refuse money? Shu Yao certainly would not.
Besides, as the father, shouldn’t he provide some child support?
Shen Zhongyue lifted the lid. Inside were indeed bundles of Da Tuanjie Banknotes, along with various coupons held together by clips.
“There’s a total of 2,067 yuan and 45 cents here. I saved it over all these years of military service.”
“The money I mailed home before was kept for me by Mom. After we got married…”
Shen Zhongyue let out a mocking laugh.
“Whether you wanted my money or not, Mom still kept it.”
“I won’t have any use for it from now on. Take it with you.”
Nearly 2,100 yuan was a huge sum in an era when the average salary was only thirty or forty yuan.
Shen Zhongyue had managed to save it all because he had very few expenses. He ate at the canteen while serving in the Military Unit and ate at his parents’ home when he was there. Everyone in the family had a salary, and no one needed his subsidy.
“Yaoyao.”
Qin Shu’s voice came from outside the door.
Shu Yao glanced at Shen Zhongyue, then went to open the door.
Qin Shu and Su Zhiyun stood one behind the other at the doorway, each holding a tin box.
Shu Yao’s eyes twitched. What kind of day was this?
Why was everyone bringing her money?
She rummaged through the Old Madam’s memories. Oh, it seemed there really had been such a thing.
However, the Old Madam had not wanted to remain involved with the Shen Family and had not taken a single cent.
What a pity. In the end, it had all benefited the people who carried out the property confiscation.
“Yaoyao, this is half of your father’s and my savings from half a lifetime. One half is for you. As for the other half, if anyone from the Shen Family can return someday, please give it to them.”
“This is the money Zhongheng and I saved over the years. Just like Mom, Yaoyao, we’re counting on you.”
Both women wore pleading expressions.
The Shen Family was not the first to suffer misfortune. They knew exactly how thoroughly the homes of those who had come before them had been searched and looted.
The Shen Family could remain as peaceful as it was now partly because this was the military compound, and partly because of Shu Yao’s grandfather, Senior Commander Shu.
But once word spread tomorrow that they had divorced, those people would probably rush to their door.
At least if they gave the money to Shu Yao, half of it might still remain.
It was not that they did not want to find somewhere to hide it. The problem was that whenever they stepped out of the house, there would be eyes watching them.
Shu Yao accepted the Tin Boxes from them and nodded.
“I’ll keep them for you.”
“Thank you, Yaoyao.”
The two women thanked her repeatedly, their attitudes so humble that even Shu Yao felt unable to bear it.
She did not know how to offer words of comfort, so she could only put on a cold expression.
“There’s no need to thank me. Didn’t half of it belong to me anyway?”
That awkward appearance looked extremely adorable in Qin Shu’s eyes.
She had lived under the same roof as Shu Yao for a year, so she naturally knew what kind of girl she was. Shu Yao had not even wanted to touch the allowance Shen Zhongyue had sent home.
Money might tempt people’s hearts, but for this girl, perhaps what she wanted even more was to sever all ties with the Shen Family.
“Yes, it belongs to you. It all belongs to you.”
Qin Shu patted Shu Yao’s arm with affectionate kindness.
“Mom won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
Pretending not to see the floor bedding, Qin Shu tugged at her eldest daughter-in-law and turned around, closing the door behind her.
Shu Yao froze, overwhelmed by Qin Shu’s affectionate gaze and intimate gestures.
Since her grandfather and grandmother had passed away, no one had treated her so intimately. The way Qin Shu had looked at her just now had been remarkably similar to the way her grandmother used to look at her.
This was bad. They treated her as their daughter-in-law, while she wanted to treat them as her grandparents. Everything was completely mixed up.
Shu Yao shook her head, feeling that the two boxes in her hands were quite heavy.
She placed them on the vanity and opened them.
“Wow!”
They were packed to the brim!
Qin Shu’s box in particular was overflowing.
Shu Yao looked at Qin Shu’s, then Su Zhiyun’s, and finally Shen Zhongyue’s. An unmistakably disdainful look involuntarily appeared in her eyes.
Shen Zhongyue’s face darkened, and he slammed the lid shut.
What did she mean? What did she mean?
Did she think he had earned too little?
He had even emptied the loose change from his pockets and given it to her!
Besides these, there were also the 800 yuan of betrothal money originally given by the Shen Family, the 1,000 yuan bridal bottom-of-the-trunk gift given to her by Old Master Shu, and various scattered sums of money and coupons.
Shu Yao thought for a moment. She had to transfer the money and coupons into her Storage Space in a reasonable manner.
She went to the wardrobe and took out a square silk scarf meant for autumn, intending to put all the money and coupons inside.
No wonder Qin Shu’s box was overflowing. The entire bottom layer was made up of gold bars! On top of the gold bars were several jade and jadeite ornaments wrapped in velvet. Unless they were counterfeit, judging by their color and luster, they had to be extremely valuable.
For the first time, Shu Yao gained a profound understanding of what it meant to be the daughter of a capitalist.
Not counting the gold bars, jewelry, and loose change, there was a total of 13,700 yuan here.
Father Shen would occasionally supplement his old subordinates. Although Shen Zhongheng and Su Zhiyun both had incomes, Su Zhiyun spent money rather freely and also had to raise two children. The money they had saved over the years was not much more than Shen Zhongyue’s.
It took three square scarves to pack everything.
“I’m going back to the Shu Family.”
Of course, she could not possibly put the money under the eyes of Wen Xia, that old witch. It was merely a smokescreen.
“Wait.”
Shen Zhongyue stopped her.
“Take the child with you.”
“What for?”
Shu Yao was rather unwilling. She was not really going to the Shu Family, so why did she have to bring along a little nuisance?
Then she saw Shen Zhongyue wrap the child and the money and coupons in Shen Huaiyu’s baby swaddle.
“…”
“Is someone watching the Shen Family?”
Shu Yao was no fool. She guessed it immediately.
“It wouldn’t be convenient for me to accompany you. Can you manage on your own?”
It was only a few steps away within the compound. What could possibly be difficult?
If someone was watching them, then that meant she absolutely had to enter through the main door of the Shu Family, right?
Shu Yao did not really want to go anymore. She was not yet prepared to meet the Old Madam’s relatives.