Jiang Guo’an’s face was stern, and his tone was anything but gentle.

He turned to face Su Banxia, feeling that the way she looked at him today was truly different.

Strange.

Really strange.

In the past, whenever he brought up divorce, she would immediately resort to her three-step routine: squeezing out tears, dropping to her knees, and clinging to his leg while sobbing.

But today, she was eerily calm—almost unlike herself.

Su Banxia gently closed the door, not wanting passersby in the hallway to overhear their argument and spread gossip or mockery.

“Alright, I can agree to a divorce, but not right now.

I know my gambling has severely damaged your reputation in the compound. I have nothing to say in my defense.

But I owe money to many people here. I want to find a job first and repay my debts. Once I’ve cleared what I owe, we can divorce.”

Hearing the first part, Jiang Guo’an felt an inexplicable sense of relief, but the second part made him snort coldly.

Was this another one of her tricks?

Her reputation in the compound was already ruined, and she owed so much money. There was no way she could repay it all anytime soon.

Based on what he knew about her, she must be plotting something.

He had already made up his mind, and he didn’t want to wait a moment longer.

“I can find a way to repay the money you owe to the people in the compound.”

As for her finding a job—he was the first to doubt it would work out.

He had never been one to beg others, but he had swallowed his pride and asked for favors to get her a job, hoping she would settle down and work properly.

And what happened?

She skipped work to gamble, nearly causing major trouble at the factory.

This county was small, and after two or three incidents, who would dare hire her?

As far as Jiang Guo’an was concerned, her plan to find a job and repay her debts was doomed to fail.

“No need. I’ll repay the money I owe myself. If you don’t believe me, I can write you a pledge right now.”

Jiang Guo’an looked at her determined and serious expression and found himself unable to voice the objections on the tip of his tongue.

After all, she was still a woman.

Once they divorced, he would have to take her back to the village and explain the situation to her family.

They had been husband and wife, after all, and he believed in doing things properly from start to finish.

“That won’t be necessary. In that case, I’ll come find you in a month.”

With those words, Jiang Guo’an strode toward the door as if fleeing for his life.

Under normal circumstances, she would have tried every trick to make him stay, but today she was acting far too strangely.

Remembering that many people in the compound knew she was back and would likely come knocking for their money, he added, “If anyone shows up demanding payment, talk to them properly. I’ll use next month’s allowance to start repaying them gradually.”

His repeated reminders made Su Banxia think that this man was actually quite reliable. Even while seeking a divorce, he was still thinking about repaying her debts—a sign of responsibility.

“Thank you for your kindness, but since we’re getting divorced, I don’t want to trouble you.

Before we finalize the divorce, I hope we can avoid disturbing each other. Thank you.”

Jiang Guo’an paused mid-step. Why did it seem like she couldn’t wait to be rid of him now?

If it weren’t for the money she owed the women in the compound, she probably would have dragged him to the divorce office immediately.

For some reason, Jiang Guo’an felt deeply unsettled, his chest tight with discomfort.

He didn’t look back, but his eyes lingered on the gleaming concrete floor beneath his feet. He could hardly believe Su Banxia had cleaned it herself.

After Jiang Guo’an left, Su Banxia let out a sigh of relief. She turned and went into the bedroom, soaking her smelly clothes in a basin and changing the bedsheets and quilt cover.

She sighed and pinched the layers of fat around her waist. It seemed she needed to control her food intake—otherwise, carrying around nearly 180 pounds would be a burden if she ever needed to flee for her life.

Before Jiang Guo’an could even reach the neighboring compound, he was surrounded by a dozen women who had been waiting for him downstairs.

No need to guess—they were all here to demand repayment.

“Battalion Commander Jiang, your wife told me her mother was critically ill and borrowed ten yuan from me. It’s been three months now—when will she pay me back? My family is barely scraping by as it is.”

“Battalion Commander Jiang, your wife said her father passed away and they had no money for the funeral. She borrowed eight yuan and fifty cents from me—money I saved secretly without my husband Lao Feng knowing. It’s been months. When will she return it?”

Jiang Guo’an’s face turned pale with anger. In his twenty-four years of life, he had always been praised and respected in the compound. Never had he felt so humiliated.

These women were all wives of his comrades. Su Banxia had spun a different story to each when borrowing money, and they, kind-hearted, had wanted to help her through her difficulties. Who knew she would lie through her teeth?

With so much debt, and given how often they crossed paths, how could he ever face his comrades and superiors again?

Su Banxia, look at the mess you’ve made.

Upstairs, Su Banxia, who was washing clothes in the bathroom, suddenly sneezed twice.

Probably someone cursing me behind my back.

Jiang Guo’an said guiltily, “I’m truly sorry, sisters.

My allowance for this month is already gone, but I promise you—as soon as next month’s allowance comes in, I will repay you.”

The women exchanged glances. Remembering that Jiang Guo’an had repaid them last month, they didn’t know what else to say.

“Battalion Commander Jiang, we trust you—it’s your wife we don’t believe.

Ah, you poor man. Marrying such a wife is truly a misfortune for your family.

Since you’ve said so, we won’t pressure you further.

But Battalion Commander Jiang, when your allowance comes next month, remember to pay us back first.”

“Yes, Battalion Commander Jiang.”

“Thank you for giving me time, sisters. I, Jiang Guo’an, promise you I will repay every penny.”

Only after Jiang Guo’an made this promise did the crowd disperse.

They didn’t bother going upstairs—even if they found Su Banxia, it would be useless. She lost nine out of ten bets and never had any money when she returned.

Su Banxia spent two to three hours washing the clothes, bedsheets, and quilt covers before hanging them on the balcony to dry.

She had no idea what they had been up to last night, but every time she lifted her leg, her thighs and lower back ached terribly.

She went into the kitchen and found only a bundle of dried noodles and a half-empty jar of chili sauce.

She cooked herself a bowl of noodles, added some chili sauce, drizzled vinegar over it, and made do with that.

For now, her temporary living space was clean, and her stomach was temporarily full. But now came the real problem:

Where could she earn several hundred yuan within a month?

Based on her rough calculations from memory, she owed over three hundred yuan in total.

It was an enormous sum—a fortune.

Su Banxia sat at the table, propping her chubby cheeks with her hands, sorting through everything in her mind.

She was penniless and running on empty. How was she going to survive from here on out?

As the saying goes, when the car reaches the mountain, there will be a path.

But where was the path?

If she had known, she wouldn’t have been so stubborn earlier.

Given the current situation, she still needed to find a way to get a job and earn a living.

But with her reputation, finding work in this county would be incredibly difficult.

Life had just become even harder.