"Right now, I am at Yuzhu's. She has invited me for dinner tonight, you might have to prepare your own dinner."
Shen Guozhong berated Jiang Xianmei, "You do nothing all day at home! You only know how to go out and enjoy yourself. I work hard to earn money, and you stay at home and don't even think to help and share the burden! You don't make money and only know how to spend extravagantly, of course you wouldn't know about being frugal!"
"Forget it, just come back home earlier!"
Jiang Xianmei was a modest and gentle woman, she understood that Shen Guozhong was the one providing for the family, so she never argued with him and always devoted herself to their family since their marriage.
Later, they brought Jiang Yuzhu home. In order to give her a good education, she tended to let Shen Guozhong's harsh words go through one ear and out the other.
"Alright." Jiang Xianmei ended the call, gripping the hem of her dress somewhat awkwardly.
Before marriage, Jiang Xianmei used to be a strong career woman. After marriage, and with Shen Guozhong often insisting he would provide for her and their daughter, she transformed from a career woman into a full-time housewife.
She understood the hardship of earning money, hence she always sympathized with her husband.
Jiang Yuzhu had heard all the words Shen Guozhong said. She felt sorry for her aunt's situation but didn't know what to say.
"Auntie, you stay in my office for a while. I have a surgery this afternoon. Once it's done, we will go to dinner." After she finished speaking, she left the office.
...
At night, after finishing her surgery and handing over her work, Jiang Yuzhu took Jiang Xianmei shopping and even bought her several suitable dresses.
"Yuzhu, I have so many clothes at home, there's no need to buy more." Jiang Xianmei felt somewhat embarrassed.
There's no reason for a niece to buy clothes for her aunt.
Moreover, this clothing store looks so high-end, the prices inside must be far from cheap.
"Auntie, have you forgotten what I told you? Since you raised me, I will treat you like my mother, so you must accept what I buy for you." Jiang Yuzhu responded helplessly.
Hearing this, Jiang Xianmei didn't know what else to say.
After shopping in the clothing store, they went to a hotpot restaurant.
During the meal, Jiang Yuzhu suddenly asked, "Aunt, did you save two thousand out of the money I gave you?"
Since Jiang Yuzhu was raised and educated by her aunt and uncle from a young age, after she started working, she gave her aunt five thousand every month. She asked her aunt to keep two thousand for emergencies and use the remaining three thousand for household expenses.
Jiang Xianmei nodded, "Rest assured, I have saved it."
"In reality, your uncle is just irritable. He never treated me badly in life."
Jiang Yuzhu nodded, "I know my uncle's temper and I'm grateful for him funding my education."
In fact, without her uncle's consent, her aunt alone wouldn't have been able to make the decision.
She had always been grateful to her uncle deep down in her heart.
After they had nearly finished the meal, Jiang Yuzhu paid the check and took her aunt home.
"Why don't you come up and sit for a while?" Downstairs at her home, Jiang Xianmei said to Jiang Yuzhu.
Jiang Yuzhu shook her head, "Aunt, I will visit another day. Jingchuan just sent me a message, I need to hurry back."
Hearing this, Jiang Xianmei agreed, "Then, take care on your way home."
After saying goodbye to her aunt, Jiang Yuzhu walked towards her car.
Just then, she bumped into Li He, who was bringing Shen Qiang home.
Jiang Yuzhu looked indifferent and pretended not to see him.
"Yuzhu, have you been well recently?" Li He approached her and tried to initiate a conversation, he jogged a few steps to reach Jiang Yuzhu.
Jiang Yuzhu closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, her eyes were smiling but full of distance, she responded politely.
"Very well, my husband has been treating me well."
"Husband?" Li He looked incredulous, "When did you get married?"
"A while ago." Jiang Yuzhu was indifferent. After all, Li He was Shen Qiang's boyfriend, her brother-in-law, she had no reason to reminisce with him.
"If there's nothing else, I will leave first. My husband is waiting for me at home." She didn't want to stick around, and turned to leave after finishing speaking.
However, she had just taken a few steps when Li He held her back.
Jiang Yuzhu shook off Li He's hand, her eyes filled with a sharp look.
"I'm sorry... I... I was too hurry." Realizing he had overstepped, Li He hastily apologized, and then he looked at Jiang Yuzhu earnestly, "Actually, I was forced back then too. Shen Qiang drugged me. I truly liked you. But I didn't know how to face you, so I continued to make mistakes. I..."
Li He wanted to say something, but was calmly interrupted by Jiang Yuzhu.
"Li He, we are history. You just keep being with Shen Qiang."
After speaking, Jiang Yuzhu didn't hang around, and strode away.
Li He stood there, looking at Jiang Yuzhu's retreating figure, filled with regret.
But once he took the wrong step, he kept making mistakes. They would never return to the past.
When Jiang Yuzhu arrived home, it was already ten o'clock at night. As soon as she opened the door, a white furball ran towards her, circling around her feet. She laughed and bent down to hold the little furball in her arms.
"What's the matter? Did you miss me?" Jiang Yuzhu gently stroked Xiaobai. Looking at the nearly empty cat bowl, she couldn't help laughing, "Oh, so you're hungry."
She replenished Xiaobai's cat food, then with her slippers shuffling, Jiang Yuzhu went to the sofa, turned on the TV, and started watching.
Pei Jingchuan wasn't home tonight.
Jiang Yuzhu hugged a pillow, a puzzled look in her eyes.
Usually at this point, Pei Jingchuan would have been home already. Why hasn't he come back tonight?
Could he be busy with work?
After watching an episode of a series, Pei Jingchuan still hadn't returned home. Jiang Yuzhu sent him a message out of curiosity, then took Xiaobai to the bathroom for a wash.
She had been too busy these past few days to have much free time, and Xiaobai hadn't bathed for a while, he was starting to stink all over.
Meanwhile, at Linchuan's largest entertainment venue.
The room was filled with smoke and a diverse group of men and women sat on the sofas, talking and laughing.
However, they were all extremely shrewd.
Pei Jingchuan, sitting in the main seat dressed in a black suit with his legs crossed, was holding a lit cigarette between his fingers.
His handsome face was devoid of emotions, a slight frown on his face, and a hostile air about him.
A lot of people wanted to curry favor with Pei Jingchuan, but didn't know how to express it directly, so they had to extend olive branches to each other first.
At this point, a slightly overweight man sitting next to Pei Jingchuan signaled to the manager behind him.
The manager immediately understood, and before long, several tall and beautiful women with good figures were brought into the room.
"Everyone has worked hard. Let's drink to our hearts' content tonight. I'm the host, let these beauties entertain our guests!" Wang Hong said. With one hand draped over a woman in a bikini and the other holding a glass of wine, he drank it all down after finishing his speech.
"Thank you boss Wang!" The others also drank their glasses in sequence.
Only the man sitting in the main seat remained silent, making no moves.