Yang Zhigang rolled his eyes in frustration. “Is it really you bullying Han Xiaorui, or Han Xiaorui bullying you? If your brain isn’t working, just stay inside! I’m sick of cleaning up your messes every single day.”
“If you get sentenced, I’ll save 50,000 yuan. I, Yang Zhigang, don’t want a wife who’s been to prison; I’ll just apply for a divorce in court. Don’t think that just because I’m honest and kind, I won’t replace my wife.”
After saying this, Yang Zhigang made a move as if to leave.
Zhang Xiufang was so terrified that her face turned pale and her lips trembled. “Yang Zhigang, you heartless man! I’ve been with you for nearly thirty years. Back when you were injured, if I hadn’t saved you, you would have been dead long ago.”
Yang Zhigang sneered. “You did save me back then, but you also clung to me shamelessly. Otherwise, would a young, handsome guy like me have ever fallen for you?”
“I only came to see you because I wanted to save you and explain the severity of this. The money at home isn’t enough. If you want to get out, I have to sell all your gold jewelry, and I still have to go borrow money.”
“By the way, if you still go looking for trouble with Han Xiaorui after you get out, I don’t see any point in seeking her forgiveness. It’ll save me the trouble—don’t pay, just go to jail.”
Yang Zhigang’s words psychologically dismantled Zhang Xiufang.
Zhang Xiufang was furious and heartbroken, but she didn’t want to go to prison!
“Zhigang, I beg you, save me. I’ll listen to everything you say. From now on, whenever I see Han Xiaorui, I’ll walk the other way. If I can’t afford to provoke her, I can at least avoid her, right?”
She was scared; she had completely caved in!
Yang Zhigang sighed. Ultimately, he couldn’t bring himself to go through with the divorce; after all, Zhang Xiufang had saved him from the sea, and that was a debt of gratitude.
“This is your last chance. If you act like you did before, I will definitely divorce you.”
Yang Zhigang left, sold all of Zhang Xiufang’s gold jewelry, and even sold the gold bars they had kept as a rainy-day fund. He also borrowed money from the village and finally scraped together the 50,000 yuan.
Han Xiaorui hadn’t been idle either. She went out fishing and sold her catch directly to Boss Zhang in the county seat, earning over 3,000 yuan.
Within three days, with Chen Nanyang as a witness, Han Xiaorui signed a letter of reconciliation in triplicate.
Han Xiaorui paid Chen Nanyang 6,000 yuan according to their agreement, making him so happy he nearly jumped for joy.
“Ms. Han, I’ll start scouting for shopfronts for you as soon as I get back. I guarantee I’ll get you a cheap location with high traffic,” Chen Nanyang promised. This was a major client.
Over the past two days, Chen Nanyang had learned that Han Xiaorui knew how to fish; as long as she went out to sea, she would have an income, and not a small one at that.
Serving a wealthy client like this meant his law firm could stay afloat.
Han Xiaorui smiled. “Then I’ll leave it to you!”
After Chen Nanyang left, Han Xiaorui took the money and went straight to the county bank to deposit it. Adding the money from selling the fish over the last few days, she deposited a total of 50,000 yuan.
After all, with a family of four, daily expenses were quite high, so she kept a little aside for emergencies.
It was the weekend, so there was no need to go to the hospital for therapy.
Han Xiaorui locked the door. “Come on, let’s go to the zoo! Pingping and An’an have never been to the zoo before!”
Pingping’s eyes lit up, and she whispered, “Big panda!”
Yesterday at the hospital, their teacher had shown them a giant panda and told them there were giant pandas at the zoo.
Han Xiaojing laughed. “Pingping is so smart, remembering what the teacher said! Let’s go—today, Auntie and Mom are taking you to see the giant panda!”
An’an’s big eyes rolled around, gaining some spirit. “Big tiger!”
“Okay, we’ll see the big tiger, too,” Han Xiaorui laughed, leading her daughters onto the bus.
There was a bus stop at Jinshan Bay, which was the terminus. It had seats, though the bus only ran every half hour.
When Han Xiaorui and her sister boarded the bus with the girls, everyone on the bus turned to look at them.
Nowadays, no one in Jinshan Bay dared to look down on this scrawny, out-of-town bride, Han Xiaorui.
Zhang Xiufang, known as the “tough nut” of Jinshan Bay, hadn’t even lasted two rounds against Han Xiaorui before being sent inside.
It had cost 50,000 yuan in settlement money, and she still hadn’t been released. The police had said that even if she didn’t face a prison sentence, she would still be detained for fifteen days according to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law.
Han Xiaorui became famous in one battle, knocking down the “tough nut” Zhang Xiufang and becoming the number one “tough person” of Jinshan Bay!
Han Xiaorui smiled. “Pingping, An’an, say hello to your Big Auntie and Little Auntie.”
Holding their mother’s warm hand, the two children seemed to find strength. Even though they were still very shy and leaned against their mother, they summoned the courage to say hello.
“Hello, Big Auntie!”
“Hello, Little Auntie!”
Their voices weren’t loud, but they were pleasant and sounded like little milky babies.
Under Han Xiaorui’s deft hands, her two daughters were styled with pretty princess hairstyles, decorated with shimmering hair clips. Beneath their sparse bangs were big, watery eyes.
Their noses were small and delicate, and their lips were red. Their little faces were fair, and after being well-fed for a few days, they had gained some meat, looking soft and cute.
The middle-aged woman called Big Auntie, Xu Hongxia, was the village’s head of women’s affairs. A smile appeared on her face. “Oh my, aren’t these beautiful little girls great? So polite!”
Han Xiaorui looked embarrassed. “In the past, life was a complete mess. I didn’t care for the children properly, so they became shy. From now on, I’ll raise them well. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I’ll have to ask you for advice on raising children, Sister-in-law.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Hongxia was quite proud. Both of her children had been admitted to university, which was the first time that had happened in the village.
“Children certainly need more care. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just come and ask me. I think Pingping and An’an have bright, alert eyes. If you teach them well, they’ll become very articulate in the future.”
Han Xiaorui thanked her. “Then I’ll take your kind words, Sister-in-law.”
The woman called Little Auntie was Liang Xiaoyu. She had seen Pingping and An’an before, when they couldn’t speak and were unresponsive. But now, not only could they talk, but aside from being shy, they also seemed quite sharp.
“Xiaorui, is going to the hospital for treatment really effective?” Liang Xiaoyu’s youngest son was the same; he was four years old and still couldn’t speak.
She also had an older daughter who was normal, but she hadn’t expected her long-awaited son to be a “little fool.”
Her mother-in-law was always throwing things around the house, saying she had given birth to a “bad egg,” which caused her to suffer many grievances for no reason.
Han Xiaorui looked at Liang Xiaoyu. “Sister Xiaoyu, in any case, my two children have been going for a week. Before, they wouldn’t say a single word, but now they can call people.”
Liang Xiaoyu was excited and gripped Han Xiaorui’s hand tightly. “Xiaorui, when are you going to the hospital next? I… I want to take my son.”
Han Xiaorui replied, “On Monday. My family hired Uncle Song the Sixth’s van. You can bring your child and come along with us then. The cost is a bit expensive, but I think it’s very worth it.”
Xu Hongxia chimed in to persuade her: “Xiaoyu, don’t feel bad about the money. If he can get better and take care of himself, you’ll have peace of mind.”
Liang Xiaoyu choked up. “Yes, it’s a bit better for girls; one way or another, someone will marry them. But for a boy, sigh, he won’t be able to find a wife at all. Even on the day I close my eyes, I won’t be able to rest easy.”
“Even if I have to break the pots and sell the iron, I have to let my child get intervention therapy; I can’t miss the optimal time for intervention.”
At this moment, it was as if Liang Xiaoyu had found a guiding light, and she began to regard Han Xiaorui as a confidante.
Along the way, she chatted a lot with Han Xiaorui, feeling deeply moved and even more determined to get treatment for her child.