Chapter 10: That Compensation Money Should Rightfully Include My Share Too

The elderly couple hadn’t expected it at all—Gu Qiangwei sat down and got straight to the point.

Wang Shufen was stunned for a few seconds.

Then her emotions flared up, and she slammed the table.
“Gu Qiangwei, what do you even mean by this? Are your eyes only set on money?!”

“My son is already gone, and you’re still thinking about money? I see now, when you married into our family, it wasn’t because you loved my son—you were after our money!”

“You just want to swallow up the compensation payout!”

Wang Shufen was unusually agitated. As she shouted at her, face flushed and neck bulging with anger, Gu Qiangwei sneered inwardly.

In her past life, she never even gave that money a second thought. All she wanted was to earn more to support the elderly couple in their old age, so the compensation had been handed over to them without question.

Back then, she didn’t have a penny to her name, and they had never offered to share the money either.

She had to scrape by calling Su Qingshuang for help, and only once she gradually earned some money did she finally have a bit of footing.

And now, just mentioning the compensation made Wang Shufen react like this. Thinking back, Gu Qiangwei realized how foolish she’d been in her past life!

If she had even brought it up once back then, and seen how the couple really was, would things have turned out differently?

“I’m telling you,” Wang Shufen screamed, practically spitting foam, “don’t even think about touching that money! It’s money my son earned with his life—it should be left to his parents!”

Gu Qiangwei clapped for them in her heart—this was exactly the response she’d been waiting for.

“Fine!”

Suddenly, Gu Qiangwei spoke up, and both Wang Shufen and Zhao Minghua were startled. Was she insane?

How could she suddenly say something like that?

“My husband is dead too. You’re not even giving me the compensation money, so from now on, I’m going back to my parents’ house!”

“I won’t be doing any housework from now on. I have nothing to do with this family anymore!”

Gu Qiangwei finished calmly and turned to go to her room to pack.

Zhao Minghua slammed the table with a thud, acting every bit the “head of the house.”
“Gu Qiangwei! Don’t you think you’re going too far? Our son just died and you’re already packing to leave? You’re too heartless!”

“If people hear about this, they’ll spit on you! You’re heartless, immoral—you just want to scam our family’s money!”

“Our son is dead. As his wife, you should be taking care of us in our old age. What right do you have to leave?”

He spoke loudly, and Wang Shufen felt he made perfect sense.

After all, they’d paid a bride price to help their younger son get married—why should Gu Qiangwei not take care of them?

It was outrageous!

“So you’re saying I get none of the compensation, but I still have to go out and earn money to care for you two?”

“I married into your family, I wasn’t sold to you! You don’t give me a single thing, yet you expect me to support you in old age? Are you dreaming?”

“The one who should be looking after you is your other son.”

“If I’m to care for you, then the compensation money must include my share!”

“If I don’t get any of it, then I’m not his widow. So why should I be responsible for you?”

When Gu Qiangwei finished, Wang Shufen pointed at her, her hand trembling violently.
“You, you…”

“Gu Qiangwei, you’ve finally shown your true colors! You married into our family just for money!”

Ignoring Wang Shufen’s shouting, Gu Qiangwei casually stuffed her belongings into a bag and got ready to leave.

Everything important was already in her hidden space—this packing was just for show.

But the moment she started to pack, Wang Shufen began to wail and scream hysterically.

“Oh heavens!”

“I can’t live like this anymore! My daughter-in-law is going to drive us to our deaths!”

“Someone come help!”

As she shouted, she lunged to grab the bag from Gu Qiangwei’s hands.

The commotion was so loud it drew many neighbors to the doorway, curious to see what was going on.

Zhao Minghua just sat there silently.

No matter how the daughter-in-law kicked up a fuss, he wasn’t going to intervene. After all, she was doing it to secure benefits for them.

Their eldest son was technically still alive, but no one knew when he’d return—or whether he’d be in his right mind.

Gu Qiangwei might not be the most virtuous woman, but if she stayed and looked after them, their lives would be much easier.

Now that she wanted to leave, there was no way they’d let her go.

If she did, the two of them would be left to fend for themselves. That would be too hard!

They simply wouldn’t accept it.

Neighbors gathered at the door, watching Wang Shufen cry on the floor.

One of them asked, “What happened here?”

“Why all this wailing again at this hour?”

“Old sis, don’t cry. Tell us what’s going on—we’re all listening. If there’s anything we can help with, we won’t just stand by.”

The neighbors were starting to feel bad for them. Their family really had been unlucky.

First, their home was robbed clean, then the news of their younger son’s death came from the army.

It really was a hard time.

“My daughter-in-law,” Wang Shufen sobbed, mucus and tears running down her face as she poured out her grievances, “she’s really unfilial!”

“My younger son has barely been dead for any time at all—the news just arrived—and she’s already packing to go back to her parents’!”

“Don’t you think she’s gone too far?”

“She clearly wants nothing to do with us anymore. She’s going to force us old folks to our deaths!”

Wang Shufen made herself sound utterly pitiful. Zhao Minghua just kept his head down and said nothing.

Hearing all this, the neighbors began to chatter amongst themselves.

“Qiangwei’s actions do seem a little off…”

“Exactly. No matter what, they’re still her in-laws.”

“She shouldn’t be leaving at a time like this. She should be staying to take care of them, especially since her husband just died.”

“Yeah, I feel like this isn’t very proper.”

…

Outside, the neighbors murmured. Inside the house, Gu Qiangwei heard the comments. She pinched her wrist to stir up emotion, and then walked out with tears in her eyes.

Most people always sided with the one who cried.

Wang Shufen had wept plenty earlier, but now Gu Qiangwei came out with tears streaming down her cheeks, looking heartbreakingly fragile.

“Aunties!”

“I’m the one who really needs you to stand up for me!”

“Please, tell me if I’m wrong.” Gu Qiangwei sniffled as she spoke, “As the widow of a martyr, shouldn’t I be entitled to a portion of the compensation money?”

“I’m his wife!”

“But my in-laws refuse to give me a single cent, and they still expect me to care for them in old age.” As she spoke, she also sat down and slapped her thigh like someone else had earlier. “Aunties, please help me judge—is this reasonable?”