24
It’s You: Ex-Husband
The bath took longer than expected. By the time Wang Xiao stepped out of the bathhouse, night had already fallen.
Chen Yanqiu decided it was too late to prepare elaborate dishes, so she declared they’d have dinner at the canteen instead.
Of course, they ordered specialty dishes and sat in a private room. The environment was no worse than outside restaurants, yet much more affordable.
A basin-sized serving of Fatty Fish cost 7 yuan; a heaping plate of Pineapple Sweet and Sour Pork was 3 yuan; and the Mutton Offal Soup with generous amounts of mutton was 8 yuan. Worried they couldn’t finish so much food, they only ordered a cold spinach salad as a side dish.
Having endured bland hospital meals, Wang Xiao devoured the Fatty Fish with relish. As she might have put it using Li Kui’s (or maybe Lu Zhishen’s?) words, her mouth had been so deprived it could’ve grown mold.
Fortunately, her appetite was substantial—otherwise, with three dishes and one soup for four people, they might have needed takeaway containers.
After dinner, Chen Yanqiu returned to the medical office for night duty. Wang Tiejun hadn’t even left the factory grounds when someone called him back to troubleshoot a malfunctioning machine—as an experienced fitter, his expertise was needed.
That left Tang Yicheng to offer seeing Wang Xiao home, though he’d rather have parked his car by the bathhouse and spent fifty cents watching a movie at the nearby video parlor.
Wang Xiao didn’t stand on ceremony.
Mainly because the steel plant complex was vast. Having arrived by car earlier without paying attention to the route, finding her way home in the dark would have been like asking her to perform miracles.
She unapologetically got into the car, and Tang Yicheng dropped her off at the residential building.
Normally, Wang Xiao would have just gotten out and gone inside.
But up ahead, noisy commotion erupted. A neighbor shouted hoarsely, “No one’s come downstairs—they must still be in this building!”
Who was it?
A thief, of course!
Thieves these days were downright brazen, daring to target the steel plant’s residential area. The culprit had dashed out when the homeowner entered, and though everyone gave chase, no one knew where they’d gone.
A yell came from the rooftop: “Nothing up here—no one on the roof!”
How strange. If they weren’t upstairs and hadn’t escaped, could they have vanished into thin air?
A seasoned veteran worker asserted confidently, “They’re hiding—must be concealed somewhere in the building, maybe inside one of the apartments.”
This startled everyone. How was that possible? Wouldn’t homeowners know if an outsider slipped in?
The old worker argued emphatically, “Who’s to say? When you heard the noise and rushed out, did you close the door behind you? Thieves are quick-fingered—they might’ve slipped inside in that split second.”
Good grief, that was terrifying.
To be blunt, thieves themselves weren’t the scariest part. At worst, you’d lose some money. But if cornered by the homeowner, one might panic and pull a knife.
Wang Xiao found it baffling. Were thieves these days not thinking straight?
It was only seven o’clock—far from the dead of night. Some families were just having dinner, the busiest time at home. Attempting theft now was like walking into a trap.
Even broad daylight, when most were at school or work, or deep night when all was quiet, would’ve been better choices.
Tang Yicheng, drawn by the noise, approached with a frown.
This was troublesome.
In hotter weather, he could’ve left Wang Xiao outside briefly—with so many people around, nothing would likely happen.
But it’s cold now, and she just got out of the hospital. What if the chilly night wind makes her sick?
“I’ll walk you up,” he decided. “I’ll leave once Master Wang returns.”
Wang Xiao thought this was fine. After all, there was a TV at home currently airing the Hong Kong drama “Looking Back in Anger,” which was quite popular. Although Wang Xiao thought Ding Youjian was a neurotic masochist.
As the two walked upstairs, a neighbor warned Wang Xiao: “Be careful, don’t let him hide in your place later.”
Wang Xiao laughed: “We just got home, and the door’s been locked since morning.”
“Can’t be sure about that,” the neighbor said. “He might have climbed over from your neighbor’s balcony.”
Tang Yicheng immediately asked Wang Xiao for the keys: “Let me open the door.”
As the saying goes, bad omens often come true. Before even opening the door, Tang Yicheng shot Wang Xiao a meaningful look, signaling her to step aside.
Sure enough, when he pushed the door open and forcefully shoved it inward, the door panel emitted a loud “bang” followed by a pained cry.
There was someone behind the door.
“Grab him!”
The neighbors who had been vigilantly searching immediately reacted – after searching high and low, they’d found him without any effort.
The Wang residence shouldn’t have had anyone inside. Who else could be hiding there but a thief?
A crowd rushed forward, punching and kicking the captured man.
This was serious – if they didn’t teach this thief a lesson, he wouldn’t know who he was dealing with.
Did he think the steel factory was some place where any random lowlife could cause trouble?
They’d beat him until he wished he were a ghost!
In these old residential buildings, common areas were minimal and staircases extremely narrow. Wang Xiao, as the homeowner, couldn’t even squeeze through the crowd and was forced down several steps. Even standing on tiptoe, she couldn’t get a clear look at what this idiot thief actually looked like.
She could hear the thuds of beating and cries of pain. At first the man shouted: “Stop hitting me, I’m not a thief!”
But nobody paid him any mind. The man who first caught the thief actually beat him more fiercely.
Wang Xiao forced her way up and pulled Tang Yicheng aside, shaking her head to signal he shouldn’t get involved.
Judging by the situation, the man was probably a thief, but whether he was stealing people or money was hard to say.
If she wasn’t mistaken, this man was the factory’s purchasing agent who often traveled on business.
Sure enough, the man’s wife came stumbling over, grabbing her husband’s arm while crying: “Enough, enough, Old Zhao, stop hitting him!”
The man said nothing, slapped her aside, and viciously kicked the man on the ground.
Wang Xiao had to speak up: “Brother Zhao, I just got out of the hospital. I’m feeling dizzy, and the doctor told me to rest.”
She had no objection to beating the adulterer to death, but please don’t let him die in her home.
Once he was out the door, whether they pushed him down the stairs or stabbed him to death, she wouldn’t say a word.
Brother Zhao remained silent but kicked the already bruised and battered man out of the Wang residence.
The adulterer let out a mournful cry, desperately crawling toward the doorway: “I’m not, I’m Ruan…”
Wang Xiao unhesitatingly slammed the door shut.
“Bang—”
Not sure if it hit the adulterer’s head.
Couldn’t worry about that now – better hurry up and watch TV.
Although the younger brother in “Looking Back in Anger” was terrible, the young Wenzhao Lun during his pretty boy phase was really handsome. Moreover, he was born to be an actor – his acting skills were unquestionable.
Tang Yicheng was horrified to discover that college students were still college students—they never forgot to study no matter the situation. Even while watching a Hong Kong TV drama, she was constantly taking notes, scribbling away endlessly.
He didn’t understand that this was a professional habit of internet influencers—staying on top of the latest trends. Before the Korean wave swept across Asia, big sister culture was dominated by Hong Kong and Taiwan, meaning the current fashion standards were largely imported from these regions (primarily the former).
If she wanted to make money in the 1990s, she naturally had to understand what people liked during this era.
After an episode of “The Unyielding Love” finished, someone shouted from downstairs: “Xiao Xiao, Wang Xiao, come get the phone! Your mom’s calling.”
In this era, public phone booths on the streets were rare, but the steel mill was doing well financially. The residential area had a public phone installed downstairs, with someone specifically assigned to answer calls and notify residents.
Wang Xiao was quite surprised. Wasn’t Doctor Chen Yanqiu at the factory? What emergency required a phone call right now? She knew that answering the phone would cost her twenty cents as payment for the attendant’s service.
Tang Yicheng followed her downstairs: “Come on, I’ll walk you down.”
Worried that something might have happened to Doctor Chen, Wang Xiao didn’t stand on ceremony. She hurriedly pocketed her keys and clattered down the stairs to answer the phone.
Chen Yanqiu sounded like she was suppressing anger as she snapped: “Get over here right now.”
Wang Xiao was completely baffled: “Mom, I’m not feeling unwell. I don’t need to go to the infirmary.”
“Who said anything about the infirmary? Get yourself to the security office now!”
She wanted to ask what was going on, but the phone had already been hung up.
See? Mothers who have patience with their children are truly rare creatures in this world.
As if saying a few more words would kill them.
Tang Yicheng speculated: “Maybe that guy got seriously injured, and they want you to describe what happened? Never mind, you go back home. I’ll go explain the situation.”
After all, the thief threat had been neutralized, and she should be fine staying home alone.
Wang Xiao thought for a moment and decided that for her future safety, it would be better not to go against Doctor Chen’s wishes. She shook her head: “Never mind, I’ll go with you.”
When they both arrived at the steel mill’s security office, Doctor Chen, who was waiting at the door, immediately shooed Tang Yicheng away: “Xiao Tang, you go back and rest. This matter has nothing to do with you.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, she directly dragged her troublesome daughter inside and closed the door behind them.
Wang Xiao protested as she was dragged: “Ow, ow! This is so unfair! Mom, I really didn’t get involved—I was just watching from the side. He climbed into our house from the balcony! It’s not like I could have avoided him!”
Before she finished speaking, an angry roar came from inside the room: “What lock picking? What balcony climbing? I used a key and entered through the front door properly!”
When Wang Xiao looked up, she was surprised to find the security office wasn’t as crowded as she had imagined.
There were only a few people present, including the steel mill’s security guards and her father. The former wore subtle expressions, while the latter’s face was as dark as if it had been smeared with engine oil.
But Wang Xiao didn’t immediately ponder why her father was so angry, because her attention was captured by the last remaining man in the room.
Really, he was too conspicuous.
His overcoat was covered in footprints, his face swollen like a pig’s head, and the corner of his mouth was split open. He probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy meals for the next few days.
Oh my god, theoretically speaking, someone beaten up so miserably should deserve sympathy.
But because his face looked absolutely ridiculous, Wang Xiao couldn’t help it and burst out laughing.
Sorry, sorry—she usually cared about her image and wasn’t this mean-spirited, at least not openly.
The swollen-faced man jumped up at the sight of her, his hands trembling: “Wang Xiao, tell them you’re the one who gave me a copy of your house key. What thief?! I, Ruan Rui, act with integrity—I entered the house openly and honestly!”
It took Wang Xiao a moment to register who Ruan Rui even was.
Oh, the male lead of this trashy Mary Sue novel.
Well, he should count as the male lead, since in a heroine-centered “choose-your-love-interest” story, whoever ends up with the heroine is the male lead.
Lately, she’d been too busy making money, and since she’d already called off the engagement ages ago, she’d long forgotten about this character.
Hearing him introduce himself so abruptly now, it took her a second to process.
Why was he showing up again? And what did he mean about having a key?
Ruan Rui sneered, “Tell them it was you who gave me a copy of your house key back in September, saying it would be more convenient later. What are you trying to pull now, turning around and blaming me?”
Wang Xiao looked at her parents’ darkening, almost murderous expressions and wailed internally: Don’t glare at me like that—this mess was created by your precious daughter!
Just based on this alone, she felt the original owner in the novel deserved every bit of her miserable fate.
Collaborators are worse than the invaders themselves.
How dare he? This is your parents’ home—what right did you have to make a key for an outsider?!
Did you take it for granted that everything your parents worked for would be yours, so you could freely give it away to please others?
Have you no shame? Your parents aren’t even dead yet, and you’re already acting like you’re in charge?
She hated people with no sense of boundaries.
Children who eagerly seize control of their parents’ assets are just as shameless as parents who use their children’s property to play the benefactor!
If anyone ever tried to mess with her money, she’d beat them to death!
Now, seeing the old Wang couple on the verge of collapsing from rage, Wang Xiao couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
They’d lived respectably their whole lives, only to have their daughter drag their reputation through the mud.
They’d become a laughingstock.
But so what? Wang Xiao had a mouth, and she knew how to spin lies.
She sighed and pointed at Ruan Rui without hesitation, “You’re utterly shameless—you actually made a copy of our house key in secret! Mom, remember when you said a few hundred dollars went missing from our wardrobe? Maybe he stole it.”
Doctor Chen finally rallied again, “That’s right! No wonder our money kept disappearing mysteriously. I thought we had a rat problem—that rats were stealing it.”
Ruan Rui nearly exploded on the spot, his pointing finger trembling, “Y-you—you’re the one who forced it on me!”
Back then, he’d suspected this shameless woman was testing him like some prospective son-in-law, wanting him to become a dutiful servant to her parents.
What gave her the right? He couldn’t be bothered to humor her, so he’d firmly refused.
But that bitch had secretly slipped it into his pocket anyway.
And now she was turning the tables, pinning all the blame on him!
Wang Xiao didn’t even blush as she retorted, “Why would I be crazy enough to give you my house key? I have nothing to do with you. Stop spouting nonsense and ruining my reputation.”
They’d already beaten him up—what more could they do?
Breaking into someone’s home with a secretly duplicated key—you’d deserve death even if beaten to death.
Yet Ruan Rui let out a cold laugh and calmly pulled a certificate from his coat pocket. “No relationship? You’re a college student after all—how could you be this ignorant? We’re legally married with a marriage certificate.”
Huh?
Everyone present was stunned.
Wang Xiao hastily snatched the certificate from his hand to examine it.
Oh my god, it really was a marriage certificate.
Even a pig would kneel before its original owner and call him master—just how many pits had she dug for herself?
Weren’t people in the 80s and 90s supposed to not care about marriage certificates? Many lived their whole lives without getting one.
Why did she have to rush like this to get a marriage certificate?!
Wang Xiao felt so desperate she wanted to kill someone.
If she claimed now that Ruan Rui had obtained the marriage certificate behind her back, would anyone believe her?