Volume One, Chapter 16: Wang Youquan, the Man Who Lives Off His Wife Yet Still Throws His Weight Around!

Su Beilu was taken aback. “What do you mean by that?”

Su Jinxia gave her father a meaningful glance. “You can figure out the meaning in time! I’m heading out, and I’m taking this money with me.” She reached out, took the money, glanced at it briefly, then tucked it into her pocket.

Xiao Ying came in and immediately saw what had happened.

“Why are you giving her money?”

Su Beilu noticed his wife’s sour expression. “Don’t make a face. This money is for her travel expenses.”

Xiao Ying was so furious she almost fainted. She collapsed to the floor, wailing, “You two don’t consider me a person at all! You stole my money yesterday, and today you’re giving her the whole salary? How am I supposed to live?”

Su Beilu said, “We have food and drink at home. I’ll come back next week with more money. Stop making a scene!”

Thinking about the entire month’s salary ending up in Su Jinxia’s hands, Xiao Ying bit her lip so hard it bled. She turned to her and said, “If you take this money today, don’t come back to this home again!”

“Don’t bother claiming you know me—I don’t recognize you either. Don’t call yourself Mrs. Xiao anymore. From now on, you’re just a stranger in my eyes. I’m not your mother!”

“Suit yourself!” Su Jinxia grabbed her packed bundle, walked over to her father, patted his shoulder, and then turned and left with a carefree air.

She didn’t want her father to be a fool; the truth would come out sooner or later. As she stepped outside, she happened to see a man across the street at the doorway. He was wearing only a tank top and oversized shorts, his face slick with oil.

Wang Youquan looked at Su Jinxia with lecherous eyes. “Xia, where are you off to?”

The next moment, feeling the young girl’s cold glare, he shivered all over, only relaxing once she disappeared from sight.

“What a strange sight—how did a person become like this?”

“Who are you talking to?” a woman’s voice came from inside the house.

“Nothing, just saying hello to someone,” Wang Youquan replied, closing the door and entering the room. He turned into the small room and saw his seriously ill wife. His heart was filled with disgust, though his face showed nothing.

After all, he was now relying on his father-in-law, holding a sinecure at the office, earning just a few dozen yuan a month. Looking at the emaciated woman, paralyzed and bedridden, he barely glanced at her, unwilling to look twice.

Mo Peipei coughed twice and looked at her husband as he handed her water. She felt grateful. “Thank you for taking care of me all these years.”

“Don’t say foolish things. Aren’t we husband and wife? Of course, I have to take care of you.”

“You haven’t given me a single child all these years.”

“Having you by my side is enough,” Wang Youquan said insincerely. In reality, he did have a child—Su Mingyue was his daughter.

In fact, she resembled him somewhat, though Su Beilu had never noticed.

As for his wife’s illness, the reason it never improved was that he never gave her enough medication. He let the minor illness drag on until it became serious, simply because he preferred to stay at home leisurely without working. Occasionally, his father-in-law would bring some rice, flour, and oil, always comforting him, saying how hard he was working.

This arrangement suited him very well. He gave her only small amounts of food and limited water daily, leaving her extremely thin from hunger. Yet to everyone else, he appeared to be a good man—a devoted husband unwilling to abandon his ailing wife. He thoroughly enjoyed this admiration.

Mo Peipei looked at her husband with deep affection, feeling even more guilty.

“When I’m gone, find someone else and live however you want. Don’t worry about my father; I’ve already arranged it. He won’t interfere.”

“What nonsense! We’ll live long and happy lives!” Wang Youquan said emotionally, almost swearing an oath.

Mo Peipei was moved to tears again. The man really treated her well; it was worth going against her parents’ wishes to marry him.

But the time Heaven had granted her was running out. Lately, she slept less and less, feeling that one day she might just close her eyes and leave.

She truly hated to go.

Wang Youquan left with the cup in hand, and his expression immediately changed, the smile wiped from his face.

Thinking of Su Jinxia, he admitted to himself that she was growing more beautiful and charming by the day. If he could have her, life would be worthwhile.

After some calculation, he had a plan. As long as he controlled Xiao Ying, how could he fail? Besides, she wasn’t even his biological daughter.

...

Su Jinxia carried her backpack all the way to the station. From a distance, she saw two men in military uniform. One was Zhao Yue, and the other, about the same height with a boyish face, hurried up to them.

Zhao Yue saw her coming and immediately stepped forward to take the bag. “Good thing I was waiting here early, or we might have missed each other.”

“If you weren’t here, I would’ve waited,” Su Jinxia replied.

Bai Yang watched them both but got no attention, so he tagged along behind them. Once on the bus, seeing them sitting together, he had no choice but to sit alone in the back.

Unable to hold back, he asked, “Who’s this girl? Old Zhao, why don’t you introduce her?”

Zhao Yue caught the urgency in his tone and said, “Don’t pry where you shouldn’t. Just sit tight.”

Bai Yang suddenly felt the atmosphere grow cold around him, glanced left and right, and decided it was best to stay invisible.

Su Jinxia extended her hand freely. “Su Jinxia.”

Bai Yang’s disappointed heart instantly revived. “Bai Yang!”

Zhao Yue couldn’t explain why, but seeing them talk made him uneasy. “The bus is about to leave.”

The ticket collector came by. “Please show your tickets. Those without tickets, buy now.”

Su Jinxia asked, “Where are we getting off?”

Zhao Yue answered the collector, “Three tickets to Sandao Gou.”

The ticket collector quickly issued the tickets after receiving the money, then walked down the aisle, calling out, “Anyone without tickets, buy now! The bus is leaving soon!”

Su Jinxia handed a yuan to Zhao Yue. “Here.”

Zhao Yue took the money without hesitation.

Seeing their interaction, Bai Yang slapped his thigh so hard he tensed up in pain. A nearby elderly woman was startled by his sudden movement.

Su Jinxia, noticing Zhao Yue took the money, sat down and waited for the bus to depart.

Zhu San boarded at the door, looked around the bus, and immediately saw the two men in uniform. He walked over to them. With a crowd behind, he had to clear a path. Seeing these young people get on without manners, he sneered inwardly. His son was a polite child.

After they passed, he put on a smile again.

“Hello, navy comrades!”

“Hello!” they responded in unison.

“To be honest, my son is also in the navy, so I came over to say hi.”

Bai Yang asked, “What’s his name? Maybe we know each other.”

Zhu San waved his hand. “He just joined the navy this year, still a rookie.”

“I don’t know rookies, but I know Old Zhao.”

“Who’s Old Zhao?”

Bai Yang pointed ahead. “He’s sitting in front of me. He’s the team leader in charge of rookie training—has trained two batches already. So, what’s your son’s name?”

Zhu San smiled. “My son’s surname is Zhu, Zhu Guoqiang.”

Suddenly, two sharp claps came from nearby.

Zhu San looked back and saw someone at the back seat tapping the window. The man was skinny, with a pointed face, one of the three young men who had just passed by. The look in his eyes was clearly confrontational, so Zhu San asked, “What’s the matter?”

Zhou Yu shouted in a rough voice, “Are you going or not? I paid to ride this bus, not to listen to your chatter! Don’t you see so many people waiting? If you waste time, we won’t get on the boat!”