Soon, the two of them began to undress in a sparse, hurried way. Afterward, Qian Dashan leaned back against Liu Xiuxiu’s chest.
“Xiuxiu, do you have some money for me? Don’t worry, when I win, I’ll buy something nice for you and the kids.”
Liu Xiuxiu immediately pushed him away.
“What? Did you spend all the money I gave you last time again?”
Qian Dashan nodded.
“You only gave me twenty copper coins. What’s that enough for? Come on, stop talking—just go get me some money. I’ll wait right here.”
Liu Xiuxiu stubbornly refused. Their room had long since run out of money. Previously, Ye Erhe had gone to the city to do some work, splitting the money in two: the larger portion given to the household fund, the smaller portion managed by her.
Liu Xiuxiu had already used that money to support her family and Qian Dashan. Seeing her refusal, Qian Dashan’s expression darkened.
“Liu Xiuxiu, don’t forget, the good life you’re living now is thanks to me. Those two sons of ours still bear the Ye surname—they are raised as someone else’s children. Giving me some money is only right. It’s what you owe me!”
Liu Xiuxiu listened, fuming. She realized this fool had no genuine feelings at all for her—or for the children.
“Qian Dashan, come on! Let’s see if you really want our sons to suffer. If you spill the beans, at worst I’ll just be kicked out of the Ye household. But don’t forget, if you take the kids, can you even support them?”
Qian Dashan laughed, clearly amused by her fiery temper.
“Liu Xiuxiu, you really think I’m dumb? I have no attachment to those kids. You do—you pamper them. So stop the nonsense and just go get the money.”
Finally, Liu Xiuxiu understood Qian Dashan’s nature: he had no real care for the children.
Fuming, she dressed and headed home. Once inside, she rifled through the house and finally took out the last twenty copper coins.
Just as she prepared to leave, she saw Ye Erhe at the doorway.
She froze, trying to hide the coins behind her.
Ye Erhe squinted, eyeing her.
“What are you taking the money for? And where were you just now?”
Liu Xiuxiu stammered, “Y-you… you followed me?”
In fact, Ye Erhe hadn’t been following her. He’d simply heard from a neighbor that Liu Xiuxiu had gone up the hill with Qian Dashan.
The moment he heard that, it felt like the sky had fallen.
Liu Xiuxiu was an outsider married into his household, while Qian Dashan was a notorious troublemaker in the village. How could she possibly go up the hill with him? Yet the neighbor’s account was detailed and believable.
Seeing her suspiciously digging through the house, Ye Erhe confronted her:
“Speak clearly. Did the neighbor see you going up the hill with Qian Dashan? And now you’re taking money—is it for him?”
Liu Xiuxiu panicked.
“Erhe, don’t listen to the neighbor’s nonsense! I just spoke a few words with him… I was counting the money and planning to hide it elsewhere.”
Ye Erhe grabbed her hands.
“Oh? Then show me everything we’ve saved all these years. How much is there? You can hide it somewhere else later.”
Liu Xiuxiu froze. She had just trapped herself.
Ye Erhe had never questioned the household’s savings. He always gave most to Ye Laopo, leaving her in charge of a small portion. Even if she occasionally went to town to buy things, he never interfered.
Now he suddenly demanded to see the money. Besides the twenty coins she held, the house had nothing.
She stammered, unwilling to move. Ye Erhe’s anger flared.
“Not moving? Shall I do it myself?”
Knowing there was no hidden money, she grabbed his hand.
“Erhe, you worry too much. I’ve kept the money safely. I would never lose it. You can trust me. By the way, what about the flood in the city? Do they still need workers?”
She tried to deflect, but Ye Erhe wasn’t letting it go.
Finally, he reached into her hands, opening them. Only the twenty coins remained.
He glared at her.
“Then tell me—where did the rest of the money go? To that scoundrel, Qian Dashan?”
Liu Xiuxiu could no longer hide it, yet she tried to argue.
“Erhe! You don’t trust me? Our relationship—does it mean less than some neighbor’s words? The money was spent—what I didn’t spend went to the household. The rest, the boys needed… naturally, it’s gone.”
Ye Erhe didn’t believe her. She rarely bought anything in town, only small items. A few coins here and there couldn’t account for the entire sum. Combined with the neighbor’s words, Ye Erhe’s suspicions solidified.
He stormed out, determined to confront Qian Dashan. Liu Xiuxiu hurried after him.
By the time they reached the Qian household, Qian Dashan’s face turned pale. He knew he had been exposed.
Ye Erhe grabbed him by the collar. Qian Dashan, cornered, kicked out.
“You can’t control your wife—how dare you blame me? She came to me! I didn’t pursue her. When someone hands you something this good, who can resist? You’re a man…”
Ye Erhe’s mind went black. What had been a suspicion was now confirmed—Qian Dashan had admitted it himself.