Chapter 2: I Want Money, You Give Me Money!

Three years!

The happy and joyful life after marriage lasted for only a short three years before Gu Nan was diagnosed with cancer.

Stomach cancer in the advanced stage.

In this era, there was no possibility of a cure.

And because of this, he did not immediately tell Su Niannian the news.

Instead, he put all his effort into making money, intending to leave Su Niannian with a stable and prosperous life after his death.

When Su Niannian found out about Gu Nan’s illness, it was already too late. He didn’t have much time left.

On the hospital bed, Gu Nan held Su Niannian’s hand, murmuring for a long time, saying a lot.

Su Niannian knew that Gu Nan had always deeply loved her, and that she had missed out on so much and had let him down in so many ways.

She truly wished for more time to love the man in front of her, to make him feel happy, joyful, and at peace.

But unfortunately, it was too late. Everything was too late.

Su Niannian thought that after Gu Nan passed away, she would follow him and die with him.

After all, she couldn’t promise him a lifetime of togetherness, of growing old together.

Going together to the underworld wasn’t a bad idea either.

At least on the road to the afterlife, at the other side of the River of Forgetfulness, she would have company.

Gu Nan could clearly see through Su Niannian’s thoughts.

With his broad, calloused yet delicate hand, he gently wiped away the tears from the corner of Su Niannian’s eyes.

As his hand brushed against her tender and soft skin, Gu Nan’s heart stirred with emotion.

He didn’t want to leave her; truly, he couldn’t bear to part with Su Niannian like this.

They had just reunited for five years.

She had only been married to him for three years. It was too short, truly too short.

He loved her so much, he wanted to stay by her side, to protect and care for her forever.

But it was no longer possible.

“Don’t think about dying with me,” he said softly. “I want you to promise me to find someone who can take care of you, find someone who loves you, and live a good life.”

Su Niannian’s eyes were filled with tears, and she let out a long breath, wanting to refuse.

But when she met Gu Nan’s gaze, filled with near pleading, his eyes full of reluctance and heartache, she couldn’t say anything.

“This is the last thing I will ever ask of you in this lifetime. You must promise me.” His voice was gentle, like a trace of water that couldn’t be wiped away.

It was impossible to refuse. Su Niannian had never seen Gu Nan so vulnerable before.

It felt as if, if she didn’t agree to him, he would shatter completely.

Su Niannian’s hand tightened, and she nodded heavily.

Gu Nan’s eyes were full of reluctance, but he still closed them, content.

A single crystal tear fell from the corner of Gu Nan’s eye. Heaven knew how deeply he didn’t want to part with her.

That day, for Su Niannian, the world that was once warm was once again shrouded in darkness.

…

To be alive again, Su Niannian felt fortunate.

This time, she wouldn’t make Gu Nan wait so long.

Moreover, with all the medical knowledge she had now, she believed in herself. She was certain she would not let Gu Nan suffer from stomach cancer again.

She would take good care of him, no matter what!

Absolutely!

Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Su Niannian looked up at her stepmother, Tao Chunhua, who was incessantly chattering.

“So, what have you decided? Will you send Li Junlang to the countryside or get married?” Tao Chunhua, seeing Su Niannian remain silent with her head down, grew irritated.

Impatiently, she stood up, intending to teach Su Niannian a lesson.

Just as Tao Chunhua walked in front of Su Niannian, the latter suddenly stood up.

The long years of harsh treatment had made Su Niannian appear fragile, and she was usually meek and submissive.

But just as Tao Chunhua’s gaze met Su Niannian’s eyes, she suddenly sensed a hint of danger in them.

Tao Chunhua felt her heart skip a beat.

“Even if I get married, your son will still have to be sent to the countryside to toil and suffer. Are you willing to let him? He can’t even wash a bowl properly, spends all day under the sun farming. Do you think he can survive?”

“You say it’s my choice, but marrying someone is just your excuse to force me to send your son to the countryside.”

“I can go in place of your son, but I want money! You give me money!”

Su Niannian, after speaking, immediately extended her hand toward Tao Chunhua’s direction.

Upon hearing Su Niannian’s words, Tao Chunhua first froze, then quickly walked over to stand beside Su Niannian.

“Heping… Look at the good daughter you raised, asking her to replace her brother in the countryside, and now she still wants to ask me for money.”

“At home, I never neglected her in terms of food or drink.”

“They say it’s hard to be a stepmother, but I… I really feel like I wasted over ten years raising her!”

As she spoke, Tao Chunhua’s voice started to tremble.

Tao Chunhua appeared as if she were about to cry, putting on an expression of grievance.

Su Heping, however, was not unaware of what Tao Chunhua was scheming. He knew very well how Tao Chunhua had mistreated Su Niannian. Though, considering she had given him a son and a daughter, Su Heping chose to turn a blind eye to her harsh treatment of Su Niannian.

He tapped his smoking pipe against an iron can, the burnt tobacco falling into the can and slowly extinguishing. Su Heping let out a helpless sigh.

“In the end, Li Junlang hasn’t truly suffered. Wenxue and Wenli are still young, and the family can only rely on you.”

“You’ve been raised well, and the family hasn’t treated you unfairly. It’s about time you did something for the family,” Su Heping said helplessly. What else could he say? If he didn’t go along with Tao Chunhua, he feared the family would never have peace.

“You really are my wonderful stepfather!” Su Niannian’s voice was cold, and there was a trace of mockery hidden in her words.

“…” Su Heping immediately sensed the sarcasm behind her words.

“Su Niannian, enough! I’ve raised you all these years, and yet you don’t know how to repay me?” Tao Chunhua said with a look of deep anguish. “Look at other girls. They’re married off early, and they receive their dowries. Yet I still keep you in the house, and you can’t even show a little gratitude!”

To be honest, her acting and lines were far superior to those of the rising stars in the entertainment industry.

“I thank you!” Su Niannian gritted her teeth, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Then, without another word, Su Niannian squatted down, rolling her pants up to her knees.

“Thank you for hitting me with a rattan stick whenever I disagreed with you or didn’t meet your expectations,” Su Niannian continued, her voice cold as she pulled up the sleeves of her shirt.

Su Heping had known that Su Niannian had been beaten, but he never imagined it had been this severe.

Her skin bore the marks: some bruised, others scabbed over. There were countless scars, both old and new, overlapping in a way that made it impossible to count. It was no exaggeration to say that there was not a single inch of her skin untouched.

A flicker of shock crossed Su Heping’s eyes as he turned his gaze to Tao Chunhua.

Tao Chunhua had never expected Su Niannian to be so bold today, to expose these scars in front of Su Heping.

If she had known, she would have only hit her on the back and buttocks!

“Thanks for raising me well! And as for what you said about not marrying me off for a bridal price, is that because of the job at the clothing factory?”

“My full-time salary is almmost seventy yuan a month! If you had married me off to an ordinary family, the bride price would be just a few dozen yuan.”

“Oh, that’s right. You could sell me to a disabled man or to a widower. That would probably fetch a higher price, right?”

“Compared to the bride price, you must prefer to keep me at home to earn wages!”

Su Niannian spoke slowly and calmly, and by the time she finished, she had already tidied up her clothes and pants.

Tao Chunhua was stunned.

What had happened to Su Niannian today? How had she become so… sharp-tongued!