At this moment, Liang Fenglan, who was outside the house, had no idea what kind of treasure Xu Zhizhi had snatched from her.
She gritted her teeth and stared intently at the door, her eyes venomous, as if she wanted to bore a hole through it.
“Is this brat possessed?”
Not only did they threaten her, they also stole her gold bracelet.
That was Old Xu’s betrothal gift to her; why should she just take it away?
She’ll definitely tell on Old Xu when he gets back tonight.
At 5:15 p.m., Xu Changgui arrived home on time. After a long day, he just wanted to come home for a hot meal and a sip of strong liquor to wash away the day’s fatigue.
Everyone in the factory said he was childless and couldn’t have a son.
His previous wife was fierce, and he didn’t dare to have any other ideas because he couldn’t have children. By the time he was able to have any ideas, he was already old.
A month after Xu’s mother died, Xu Changgui married Liang Fenglan, who had a son. He thought that Liang Fenglan’s son would also be his son in the future, and since he was familiar with people, he would have a son in the same way.
Life suddenly became hopeful. Recently, the factory underwent restructuring, and houses that could only be allocated in the past can now be bought with money.
His son, Liang An, doesn’t have a formal job, and he plans to buy a house so that he can have something to be proud of when he looks for a partner.
Today he inquired with his former colleagues and learned that the factory said it was a buyout based on seniority, and that by paying an additional 800 yuan, he could buy a one-bedroom apartment.
Originally, the family didn’t have this money, but since the son-in-law died, the daughter brought the funeral expenses home, and now they have it!
As usual, Xu Changgui sat down on a stool when he got home, and Liang Fenglan brought in the dishes. Liang An poured wine for Xu Changgui, his hands trembling.
Seeing that the mother and son were in low spirits, Xu Changgui tilted his head back, took a swig of wine, and grinned.
“Have you mentioned the funeral expenses to Zhizhi?”
Liang Fenglan put a piece of meat on Xu Changgui’s plate. There are four people in the family now, but only Xu Changgui has a stable job. She is a temporary worker and could be replaced by someone else at any time.
Although it was her second marriage, she hoped to continue living with Xu Changgui.
Upon hearing Xu Changgui’s question, Liang Fenglan pursed her lips.
“You should talk to her about this yourself. If I, as her stepmother, go and talk to her, I’m afraid Zhizhi will have some opinions.”
Xu Changgui heard the unspoken message, looked up at Liang Fenglan, and quickly noticed the wound on her neck.
“Did you have a fight?”
Liang Fenglan lowered her eyes and remained silent, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Seeing this, Liang An stood up and poured another glass of wine for his stepfather. “Dad, Mom talked to my sister about the funeral expenses, and she got upset. She even said that the baby in her belly should stay.”
Xu Changgui slammed his chopsticks down with a snap, his face instantly turning dark.
“Does she think she can just stay at home with her child and freeload?”
Both mother and son were intimidated by Xu Changgui’s imposing manner, especially Liang An, who cowered behind Liang Fenglan, not daring to utter a sound.
“Liang An, go and call Xu Zhizhi out!”
Xu Changgui looked at the young man who was as silent as a quail, and then took another big gulp of wine.
Xu Changgui disliked Xu Zhizhi’s domineering nature, but he also despised Liang An’s cowardice and weakness.
A real man’s word is his bond; what kind of man hides behind women all day?
“Dad, I’m scared.” Liang An’s legs were trembling like a leaf, and his fingers were still sore!
He was afraid of both Xu’s father and Xu Zhizhi.
“I’ll come out myself without him having to call me!”
Xu Zhizhi opened the door and sat down opposite Xu Changgui without any hesitation.
She had just packed all her valuables into her spatial storage and even ate some pregnancy snacks there. Now, she could have a good argument to help digest her food.
“Dad, Wenzhu’s funeral expenses are mine. If you want to force me, then let’s go to the county armed forces department and talk to them. Let’s see if the armed forces department will side with me, the family of the martyr, or with you, Dad.”
Li Wenzhu is a border guard. No matter is too small for a soldier’s family, especially since Li Wenzhu is now a “martyr”!
When the armed forces department came to deliver the funeral expenses, they said that we could go to them for help with anything.
We are still in a period of strict crackdown. If Xu Changgui tries to embezzle the funeral expenses of martyrs, he will at least have to write a self-criticism, and in serious cases, he may even be imprisoned.
Upon hearing the words “Armed Forces Department,” Xu Changgui indeed became obedient, picked up his glass, and took another sip of strong liquor!
The deadbeat son-in-law holds a high position and is now a martyr. If he really angers Xu Zhizhi, that money-loser, he might end up with nothing.
Well, if the funeral expenses aren’t going to be paid, then the factory accountant’s dowry can’t be related to being a martyr, right?
Xu Changgui tapped the table with his chopsticks, gesturing for Liang An and Liang Fenglan to sit down first.
“Alright, if you don’t want the funeral expenses, Dad won’t force you. But the accountant’s marriage is a major event in your life. You don’t have a job, and it’s not good for you to just stay at home doing nothing. You’ve seen our family’s situation. I’m supporting the whole family on my own. Please think about Dad’s feelings…”
When Xu Changgui realized that force wasn’t working, he resorted to emotional appeals.
After her dead wife left, Xu Zhizhi seemed to have suddenly grown up. She cooked and did laundry, and whenever she complained of being tired, her children would even fetch her water to wash her feet.
At the time, he thought, “What does it matter if I have a son or not? It’s good to have a daughter who understands how to pity her parents.”
Later, when Xu Zhizhi got a little older, the factory’s women’s director started arranging marriages for her.
Xu Changgui suddenly realized that daughters are never as good as sons; once a daughter marries, she is no longer part of the family.
Even if he adopts one, Xu Changgui will still need a son to break the pot for him.
Thus, Liang Fenglan, who brought her son along, came into being.
However, Zhizhi has maintained a good relationship with me over the past few years and listens to Fenglan’s advice, so the whole family lives in harmony.
Thinking of this, Xu Changgui spoke earnestly.
“Your Aunt Liang is a temporary worker in the cafeteria, so she deals with a lot of people. The accountant she chose for you is not old and is good-looking. The only drawback is that she has two sons. But in my opinion, that’s not a drawback. Look at Liang An, he’s very filial to me now that he’s married into our family. If you’re hardworking after you marry into the accountant’s family, those two sons will definitely treat you like their own mother.”
The two sons, when they grow up, will be the pillars of the family.
Once my daughter marries into the family, who will dare to bully her?
“I won’t marry him. Whoever accepts the betrothal gifts can marry him!”
Xu Zhizhi’s expression remained calm and indifferent. “You aborted your own child to become someone else’s stepmother. You’re addicted to being a stepfather, aren’t you!”
Because her beloved mother died, the original owner desperately wanted to cling to Xu’s father as a lifeline.
However, Xu’s father was unusually cold towards her, especially during the time when the original owner miscarried.
Xu Zhizhi even doubted whether that was the reaction a biological father should have.
Xu Changgui looked up at his daughter. She didn’t like hearing these words. What did he mean by “whoever receives the betrothal gifts is the one who gets married”?
She’s a widow whose husband has died. Her parents are giving her advice; would they really harm her?
Isn’t it all for your own good?
You just casually mention wanting to have a child, but who will raise it? Who will take care of it?
With a widow and children in the family, what will happen to Liang An’s marriage prospects? Will he still be able to find a suitable match?
She and Liang Fenglan had already agreed that once they bought the house, Liang An would change his surname and go back to his hometown to be included in the Xu family genealogy.
Now things are really messed up. The money for buying a house can’t come out, Liang An can’t become Xu An, and Xu Changgui has lived half his life and is still childless.
Thinking about the bullying he would face from the villagers when he returned to his hometown this year, Xu Changgui looked at Xu Zhizhi with a resentful expression.
“Your mother raised you to be too naive. Is having a baby so easy? Do you have a job, money, or connections?”
After saying that, he raised his hand and took a large gulp of strong liquor, then sighed heavily.
“I’m old and not in good health. To put it bluntly, Liang An will be taking care of you in the future. We can’t go too far. I can’t give him this job yet, but we have to leave him something. Old Huang next door said he’s moving his whole family south. I was thinking of spending some money to buy the house so that you can have a room in this house in the future. Liang An can move next door.”
“Go and see which married daughter still has a room at her parents’ home.”
He considered her needs in everything, even refusing to let her have a child…
My daughter is such a money-loser!