Chapter 17: Paternity Test

~Let me tell you what you should do~

Zhang Yalan was stunned.

[When Grandma was alive, she looked down on my mother because she was orphaned and raised by relatives. She nitpicked everything Mom did. Dad worked all day, came home to a prepared meal, and took her efforts for granted. And me? Have I never praised her?]

Zhao Xiangwan glanced at Zhang Yalan.

Feeling the pressure, Zhang Yalan forced herself to speak. “Mom, your cooking is better than our school cafeteria’s.”

After breaking through her mental block, more words followed naturally. “Mom, you keep the house so clean. The neighbors say you’re so capable.”

Hearing her daughter’s praise for the first time, Yuan Dongmei felt a mix of sorrow, bitterness, and happiness. Her tears slowly stopped. She wiped her face, looked at her daughter, and choked out, “If you like it, I made two bottles of bacon and dried radish. Take them to school for your classmates.”

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

The three exchanged looks. Yuan Dongmei wiped her tears in a panic and stood up. “Your father is back. I need to go.”

She hurried out of the dining room.

Zhang Yalan and Zhao Xiangwan were a step too late. From the entrance, a roar erupted: “What are you dawdling for? Why do I even keep you? Get the guests some slippers!”

Bang——

After a loud noise, Yuan Dongmei’s cry of pain was heard.

Zhang Yalan didn’t bother to speak to Zhao Xiangwan and hurried out of the dining room. Zhao Xiangwan followed closely behind her and saw three people crowded at the entrance.

A strong middle-aged man, holding a young woman with a slightly protruding belly in his right hand, was pointing at Yuan Dongmei, who had fallen to the ground.

Zhang Yalan helped her mother up and angrily shouted at her father, Zhang Shihu, “Why did you push my mother? You beat her yesterday. What do you want now?”

Zhang Shihu didn’t think he had done anything wrong. He sneered, “What are you glaring at me for? Are you looking for a fight? I pay for your food, send you to school. Just because you’re in college now, you think you can take me on? Do you dare fight me?”

Zhang Yalan wanted to argue, but her mother held her back, eyes pleading: “He is your father, your father.”

Zhang Shihu yelled a few words and felt relieved. He raised his chin and said, “Li Ju is pregnant. I had someone check the B-ultrasound and it’s a boy. You can either divorce me peacefully and leave my house, or stay here and wait on her.”

Yuan Dongmei’s eyes filled with tears. She stared at the young woman’s belly, trembling uncontrollably, murmuring, “No divorce, no divorce. This is my home. I’m not going anywhere.”

The young woman’s name was Liu Liju. She wore a long ginger-colored windbreaker and heavy makeup, giving off a frivolous vibe. She curled her lips and spoke in a delicate voice, “Brother Shi Hu, your yellow-faced wife smells like oil smoke. It makes me want to vomit.”

Zhang Shihu glared at her: “Why don’t you change quickly? If my son gets hurt by the smoke, I’ll see how you’ll compensate him!”

Zhang Yalan, who had always been her father’s only daughter and had been treated well by her mother, couldn’t hold back anymore. She stood up abruptly, clenched her fists to protect her mother, stared at the young woman, and said coldly, “You, get out of my house!”

Liu Liju wasn’t intimidated at all. She straightened her back, looking even more smug. “The baby in my belly is your real brother. You want to drive me away? Ask your father if he agrees.”

“Shameless! So shameless!” Zhang Yalan, an educated woman who rarely used harsh words, couldn’t keep up with Liu Liju. She was so angry her face turned green.

Zhao Xiangwan stood quietly by the dining room door, observing the confrontation while her mind raced to process the “voice” she had just heard.

[Divorce, must divorce. I already have a son and a young, beautiful woman. Who wants to live with this yellow-faced woman who only does housework? I bring Li Ju home, and she still dares resist? What a fool! If she doesn’t divorce, I’ll beat her into one.

If Yuan Dongmei doesn’t agree to divorce, I’ll sue her, and the court will definitely divide the property. This house was allocated by the previous construction bureau, so I can’t give it to her. The 120,000 yuan in the passbook was earned bit by bit by me, and only I know about it, so no one can take it. She’s a housewife with no income and no son, and she still wants to share anything? Forget it!]

Once a man changes his mind, the first thing he considers is his own interests, which is incredibly cold.

The talk of domestic violence and flaunting her pregnant lover was just an attempt to force Yuan Dongmei into agreeing to the divorce and giving up her property.

[I’ve been dust for seven or eight years. I can now be a good woman. I must seize this chance. More than a dozen men have sown seeds, but I don’t know if it’s Zhang Shihu’s. Who cares? He doesn’t have a son. When he found out I’m pregnant with a son, he was so happy because he knew it was his.

As long as I give birth to this “golden nugget^[1]phrase used to describe something of great value.,” I can live a life of luxury without entertaining guests. Zhang Shihu is a manager on the construction site. When the time comes, I can bring my brothers from my mother’s side over. Who dares bully me?]

Zhao Xiangwan smiled slightly upon hearing Liu Liju’s words. Zhang Shihu thought he finally had a son after all this effort, thinking he’d have an heir from now on, but he didn’t know the boy might not even be his. With a 1 in 10 chance… he was probably just making wedding clothes for someone else.

Zhang Shihu’s family status was high. Yuan Dongmei had always praised his hard work, and Zhang Yalan had been taught to respect and please her father since childhood. So, when Zhang Shihu decided to divorce and brought his lover to provoke them, even though Zhang Yalan was furious and Yuan Dongmei cried, they couldn’t do anything about it.

Yuan Dongmei was completely suppressed, with no temper left. She only knew she couldn’t divorce but had no idea how to resist.

Zhang Yalan had no idea how to resist her father’s bullying. Should she fight him? She couldn’t beat him, and she didn’t dare. She only hoped her mother would toughen up and divorce her father so she could have a bright future. But she never thought about how to arrange her mother’s future or fight for her rightful share.

Zhang Shihu helped Liu Liju sit on the sofa. He turned and saw a strange face. He frowned and looked at Zhao Xiangwan unkindly: “Who are you?”

Zhao Xiangwan looked at him calmly: “My last name is Zhao, and I’m Zhang Yalan’s classmate.”

When Zhang Yalan heard Zhao Xiangwan’s voice, she seemed to have found a backbone. She helped her mother up and walked over, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhao Xiangwan.

Zhang Shihu looked Zhao Xiangwan up and down, seeing the bright green sweater she wore, and snorted coldly, “Just like your mother, always hanging out with country folks.”

Zhang Shihu’s contempt didn’t anger Zhao Xiangwan, but it made Zhang Yalan feel embarrassed. She straightened up and faced her father bravely: “Dad, you can’t insult my classmates!”

Zhang Shihu laughed: “Is this an insult? I’ve seen plenty of migrant workers from the countryside on construction sites, they all look so rustic and honest. Am I wrong? Isn’t your classmate a poor kid from the countryside?”

Zhao Xiangwan replied calmly, “Yes, I am from the countryside. But since you have such a sharp eye, how come you can’t see what kind of person your lover is?”

The words hit Zhang Shihu and Liu Liju like a steel needle, piercing deep into their hearts.

Liu Liju, who had just sat down, suddenly jumped to her feet. Her smile vanished, and her face twisted in anger. “I’ll kill you!” she yelled, charging toward Zhao Xiangwan with her hand raised to slap him.

Zhao Xiangwan swiftly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the slap. Liu Liju, caught off guard, almost stumbled. After cursing for a moment, she regained her balance.

Zhao Xiangwan spoke with biting sarcasm, “Your stench from the sex trade is so strong, I can smell it from ten meters away. And you’re still trying to act so high and mighty in front of your husband’s first wife!”

Zhang Yalan couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. She had not expected Zhao Xiangwan to be so sharp-tongued. The scolding was so satisfying!

Liu Liju, who had come from the countryside, started working in a factory when she was young. But later, she turned to the sex trade when she found it paid much more. As she grew older and saw fewer clients, she decided to find a rich man to marry. Zhang Shihu entered the picture, and they began an affair.

Liu Liju did not lash out, nor did she take the opportunity to vent. Instead, she pointed a finger at Zhao Xiangwan’s forehead. “Who do you think you are? What does my job have to do with you? Stay out of it!”

Zhao Xiangwan’s eyes flashed with intensity. “Do you want me to show you something from the Public Security University?”

The mention of “Public Security University” had an immediate effect on Liu Liju. She hesitated, her hands trembling, and quickly stopped pointing at Zhao Xiangwan. Trying to defend herself, she muttered, “Public Security University? What’s so special about it? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Liu Liju had little education and didn’t know the difference between the Public Security Bureau and the Public Security University. To her, anyone linked to “public security” was automatically a police officer, and her shady background in the sex trade made her terrified of the authorities.