novelraw Chapter 613 - 608: US$ 100
Chapter 613 - 608: US$ 100
Zhou Yunmei was muttering to herself when Xu He, inside the house, pressed her ear against the door, listening to Zhou Yunmei’s words. She couldn’t bear it anymore and burst out of the room, her anger leading her to smash a basin onto the ground in the courtyard.
After the loud "clang" of the basin shattering, she pointed at Zhou Yunmei and yelled, "Are we still going to live like this? Who are you calling a disaster? Day after day, we can’t even have a full meal, and can’t even enjoy the New Year’s festivities. I think you only pretend to care about your grandson, but in reality, you wish I didn’t have this child in my belly."
Zhou Yunmei had long been dissatisfied with Xu He but had put up with her only because of the child she was carrying. However, even for the sake of the child, her patience was limited. Back in the Luo Family, Zhou Yunmei could get whatever she wanted, whether it was wind or rain, a word was enough to get money, and Luo Dashan was always there at her beck and call. Would she have isolated herself if not for the mess Xu He made by seeking to be impregnated by another man?
She now regretted her decision deeply, and hearing Xu He’s threats made her so angry that she kicked over a bench in the courtyard, glaring furiously at Xu He, "If you want to eat well, why don’t you go out and work? You sit at home all day, while I work myself to death to support you, and you still have the nerve to complain."
Xu He, upon hearing this, angrily dragged Luo Zhiming, who was sitting inside the house, out. At the same time, she intentionally pushed him towards the door while shouting, "Zhiming, go outside and find some heavy work for yourself, anything like carrying bricks or mud. The heavier, the better. Best if it makes me miscarry your child. Then, Luo Zhiming, you can forget about wanting a child for the rest of your life, and it won’t be my fault."
Upon hearing her mention the child, Luo Zhiming also became anxious. While nervously supporting Xu He’s swelling belly with his hands, he resentfully scolded Zhou Yunmei, "Mom, what are you talking about? You expect Hehua to work in her condition? Don’t you ever think before you speak?"
Zhou Yunmei couldn’t believe that Luo Zhiming dared to scold her. She angrily put little Zhuzhu onto the kang bed inside the house and came out to grab Luo Zhiming, slapping his back several times and crying out in grief, "You heartless thing, all that I’ve done for you, offending your elder brother and angering your father for you, now they won’t even care about me, yet I still look after you, and you actually side with your wife to scold me? Do you have any conscience at all?"
Luo Zhiming felt somewhat guilty after being scolded by Zhou Yunmei. He lowered his head and muttered softly, "I wasn’t scolding you, but to say that we can’t even enjoy the New Year is indeed too stingy."
When Zhou Yunmei heard this, she got even more furious, pointed towards the doorway, and said to the couple, "Each and every one of you, if you think life is so unbearable now, then get lost! Spend the New Year however you like; if it’s unbearable, then go back to your parents’ home and have your feast of meat and fish. I’d rather be alone."
Luo Zhiming was scared into silence, but Xu He snorted with a laugh, sitting down heavily on a chair as if to say she wouldn’t leave just because Zhou Yunmei wanted her to, "Keep dreaming! You want us to leave, just so you can sneakily indulge yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yunmei spat out, "Are you blind? Where would the money come from for any luxuries at home? These past few months, have you earned a single cent for the household?"
"Ouch, don’t play poor with me. You’re always clutching money in your hands, don’t think I don’t know that," Xu He said with insinuation, but didn’t clarify further.
Zhou Yunmei also picked up on the insinuation, she froze, then frowned and asked, "Where did the money come from?"
Xu He glanced inside her room and spoke insipidly, "Even if times are hard, you still have that US$ 100 Dad gave you when you split from the family. If you’re willing to take that out, can’t we have a proper New Year’s celebration?"
Actually, Xu He had always been eyeing Zhou Yunmei’s US$ 100. She calculated that most of the money spent these past few months was the childcare money given by Luo Cuilan, implying that Zhou Yunmei hadn’t touched her own money at all.
People like Xu He wouldn’t be satisfied until they had squeezed out every cent from Zhou Yunmei’s hands.
Zhou Yunmei’s face turned dark when she realized Xu He was always eying that money. She pointed at Xu He, and it took her a while to speak in her anger, "Xu He, don’t be too ruthless. That’s the retirement money I saved for myself. In case I get sick or something, I’m counting on that money for treatment. You want to force that money out of me? The only way you’ll get it is over my dead body."
Xu He snorted upon hearing Zhou Yumei’s determined words. She replied bluntly, "If you want to die, go ahead. Nobody will stop you. We originally thought that by living with us, you’d help us out, but it turns out you’re useless, not even able to provide a peaceful New Year."
"You..." Zhou Yunmei completely broke down, throwing everything in the courtyard to the ground, and finally sitting down with a thud, crying out, "Just let this life and year end, and all of you go to hell. From now on, I’ll just live alone, as if I don’t have such sons and daughters-in-law."
Xu He hummed coldly, "What right do you have to make me leave? When the family split, it was agreed that this is our house."
Zhou Yunmei was no fool and immediately retorted, "Let’s go and ask around in the village then, whose name is this house under? Yours or mine?"
"You..." This truly reminded Xu He that the house was still in Zhou Yunmei and Luo Dashan’s names. They had split up before, but the deeds and certificates in the village weren’t clear, and even if they brought the matter to the village, no one would recognize the house as theirs.
It seemed necessary to find a day to transfer the house into their own name. In the worst case, they might still be able to devise some plans.
Luo Zhiming, seeing that the argument had escalated and Zhou Yunmei seemed to really let go of everything, feared that Zhou Yunmei would actually drive them out. He immediately stopped Xu He and pulled her towards their own room, "Hehua, stop making a scene. It’s the New Year, and it looks bad to argue like this. Let’s go inside first, we can discuss things calmly."
After the two entered the room, Xu He gave Luo Zhiming an angry look, "Why did you ask me to come in?"
Luo Zhiming whispered gently, "Don’t you know my mom’s nature? She responds to soft approaches, not hard ones. Arguing with her like this will definitely not make her give up the money. Wait here, don’t go out. I’ll coax her, and that should get the money from her."
"Hmm." Xu He felt somewhat less angry after hearing his plan, but then she immediately pointed at Luo Zhiming and said, "However, Luo Zhiming, let me tell you, if you can’t get that US$ 100, then don’t even think about having this child. Tomorrow I’m going to town to get this child aborted. Then next year, I’ll go to the provincial city to work and earn my own money. I’m really fed up with this poverty."