Chapter 74: Coaxing Zhou Shufen into Submission

This was the truth; after marrying Zhang Tingyi, she got pregnant within a few months. Li Yurong and Zhang Yuanxiu were good people who didn’t want her to work, so she hadn’t done a single day of labor.

To deceive her, Zhang Li hurriedly expressed, “Of course, with your delicate skin, how could you do rough work? We won’t do any farm work. My mom will handle the household chores, and I’ll work in the fields. If you follow me, you can just enjoy being the young mistress at home.”

Ha, he thought he could deceive her with just these few words? No chance.

She continued to test him.

“In your family, you don’t make the decisions; your mom does.”

“Don’t worry, it seems like my mom makes the decisions, but actually, she listens to me about everything.”

“What about my earning money? Your mom said I should take your sister to earn big money in another place.”

“This isn’t urgent. After we get married and have kids, we can let my mom take care of the kids while we go earn big money together.”

Oh, he even thought of that?

Zhou Shufen rolled her eyes at him and said coolly, “Alright, then let me see your sincerity.”

Zhang Li was overjoyed and hurriedly pledged his loyalty, “Okay, we are sincere; I’ll show you my sincerity right away. Shufen, let me be affectionate with you again.”

Zhou Shufen hadn’t been to work in a while, and feeling that excitement rekindled her interest, so she half-heartedly went along with him for the whole afternoon.

In the evening, Zhang Li’s wife, Wang, returned with a frown, having failed to borrow money.

This was something Zhang Li had anticipated.

In their family, borrowing money was easy, but paying it back was hard.

Especially since this money was supposedly for Wang’s medical treatment.

Wang lowered her head and said to Zhang Li, “My parents said that after taking so many medicines and not getting better, it should be treated properly. They suggested I adopt one.”

“Adopt? Where would you adopt from?”

Wang replied, “I have a cousin who has had three daughters without having a son. Their family wants to give away the one born last year to someone else to raise, and they asked if I wanted it. What do you think? We could adopt my cousin’s daughter. If they agree, my brother said he could give the child a red envelope of three hundred, which wouldn’t count as a loan.”

Zhang Li raised an eyebrow, thinking that his brother-in-law was really making money; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so generous.

But why should he help someone else raise a child? Especially a liability that would need to be married off later.

“Your family has a nice fantasy; can three hundred yuan raise a child? It would take at least three thousand to raise her, and once she’s grown, who will take care of me when I’m old?”

Wang opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words. She felt Zhang Li would definitely disagree, but her parents insisted she come back to ask.

Well, she asked, and Zhang Li indeed disagreed.

“So what do you suggest? If you want to adopt someone else’s, it can only be a daughter; they wouldn’t be willing to give away a son.”

“Simple,” Zhang Li sneered, “I’ll divorce you and marry someone who can have children.”

“This can’t be! Zhang Li, you can’t be so heartless. I’ve been with you for so many years, working like a horse for your family…”

“Come on, can you blame me for you not being able to have children? Why should I waste my life on you? Why should I let you cut off my line? Let me tell you, whether you like it or not, this marriage is going to end.”

With that, he pushed Wang aside and stormed out.

Wang fell to the ground, crying uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Zhou Shufen came out of the room to help her up. “Sister-in-law, what are you doing? Get up; the floor is cold.”

Wang started to cry to her, “He wants to divorce me. We’ve been married for six years, and he wants a divorce. I can’t have children, but I’ve been trying my best to make up for it over the years. I’ve done all the household chores inside and out. What more do you want? In the past few years, I haven’t missed a single day of work in the team. After work, I still have to do all the housework.

When they come back from the fields, they just fall asleep. I’m the only one busy cooking, doing laundry, and cleaning. At night, while they are all asleep, I finish the housework and still have to light the oil lamp to make clothes for the whole family. Every day, I’m the first to get up and the last to sleep. No matter how bitter the medicine is, I endure it. No matter how harshly his mother scolds me, I endure it. No matter how much they hit me, I endure it. And in the end, he still wants to divorce me. Am I really a sinner just because I can’t have children?”

“Alas!” Zhou Shufen sighed and said, “There’s nothing you can do. This is how it is for women; not being able to have children is the biggest mistake. Don’t say you can’t have children; look at your cousin you just mentioned. She has had three daughters and no son. Is your life at home any better?”

Wang was immediately stunned. Her cousin, who had three daughters, was also being bullied by her in-laws.

Wang started crying, “Wuwu, why is my life so hard?”

“Sister-in-law, do you see? This is the fate of women. Don’t say you can’t have children; even if you can, if you can’t give birth to a son, you’ll still be looked down upon. Don’t say your life is hard; look at how hard my life is! I did have a son, but my husband died. You all think my in-laws are so good, right?

That’s just what you see. In places you don’t see, they give me dirty looks and speak to me sarcastically. My mother-in-law is educated; she doesn’t scold people as directly as Aunt Liu does. She beats around the bush, and if you don’t listen carefully, you won’t even realize she’s insulting you. I had no choice but to take the family’s money and go out to work.”

Wang had endless chores every day and really didn’t have time to listen to gossip. She only heard about their matters from her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and Zhou Shufen herself.

After hearing her words, she simply said, “Women have such hard lives; every family has its own difficulties.”

“Isn’t that right? Sister-in-law, to be honest, if I were you, I couldn’t stand being bullied in my in-laws’ home. I’d rather take the chance to go out while I’m still young. If I make some money, I might even be able to go to a big hospital for treatment.”

Wang felt that she really could do that.

Her husband was dead, and her mother-in-law spoke to her sarcastically, so she decided to venture out while she was still young.

Thinking that she would be leaving in a few days, Wang suddenly had an idea.

Grabbing Zhou Shufen’s hand, it was as if she had grasped a lifeline. “Shufen, you’re leaving with Xiao Qin in a few days, right?”

Zhou Shufen awkwardly nodded.

That was indeed the plan.

Wang said, “Why don’t you take me with you? You’re right; I can’t stay here being bullied by them for the rest of my life. I’ll go out to earn money, and once I’ve made enough, I’ll go to a big hospital in the big city for treatment. As long as I can get better, Zhang Li will definitely not divorce me.”

Zhou Shufen: “…”

Seeing that Zhou Shufen didn’t respond, Wang squeezed her hand tightly again. “Shufen, whether you take one person or two, it’s still the same. Just promise me.”