Chapter 105: How Could We Let Zhou Xinyue Have It Easy?

Li Fenlan tightened her lips: “I’ve never taken advantage of the family. If they used filial piety to pressure me, I’d break down. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I went back home by myself; Yunshu and Mingcheng didn’t go.”

“But…”

Li Taohong sighed. Their eldest sister went back alone and had no idea what kind of scolding she got from their parents. It was always like this—whenever the sisters were called back home, nine out of ten times it was to give money to support their younger brother’s family, or to ‘selflessly contribute,’ since the elder sister was supposed to help the younger brother.

But even though she and her eldest sister lived tough lives like this, their parents never showed a shred of sympathy.

“Well, I’ll come find you on the second day, we can talk then!” Li Taohong gave a helpless smile to Yunshu. “Auntie brought some apples, they’re sweet! They were given by Auntie’s husband’s workplace. I’m heading home now.”

After Li Taohong left, none of the three women mentioned the plan for the second day to go back to Li Fenlan’s home. Regarding that so-called grandmother, grandfather, and uncle, Xie Yunshu had no good feelings at all. Ever since she was little, whenever she came back from there, she was always full of frustration.

After a simple lunch, Xie Yunshu rode her bicycle back to the department store and bought that down jacket again. The sales assistant looked complicated: “You’re not allowed to come back for a refund this time.”

The elder sister buys, the younger brother returns — the sales assistant’s mood was unpredictable and her heart couldn’t take it.

Xie Yunshu felt a little embarrassed: “Big sister, I definitely won’t return it again.”

It was still early, so she planned to swing by the Xinhua Bookstore to “borrow” some books. But the bookstore was right past Haicheng Hospital, so she hesitated for a moment and rode her bike straight past the hospital entrance without looking.

The disgraceful person isn’t me — if anyone should be ashamed, it’s Lu Zhizhi. Why should I avoid them?

When Cheng Yuxiang rushed to the hospital from home, Zhou Xinyue was already locked up in a ward. The news of her abusing the child had been witnessed by so many people that it quickly spread through the entire hospital. Even the aunt who cleaned the hospital knew: Lu Zhizhi’s second wife was crazy, and she had been abusing her own son, beating the child almost to death with injuries all over his body!

When Director Lin received the call from Shen Suqin, he immediately posted a big notice on the hospital bulletin board about the handling of Zhou Xinyue. First, she was disqualified from her nursing position for not meeting requirements; second, Zhou Xinyue would no longer enjoy employee benefits during her hospital treatment and would have to bear all medical expenses herself.

During the meeting, Lu Zhizhi did not object to any of this. After Director Lin finished explaining the measures, he asked, “Lu doctor, your opinion?”

“I have none.” Lu Zhizhi’s expression was cold, as if the person being discussed wasn’t even his wife.

The meeting room fell silent. Everyone knew how much Lu Zhizhi had cared for Zhou Xinyue over the past year. Some even said she had been his lover before, but fate was shallow, so Xie Yunshu got the position.

So after Lu Zhizhi divorced, he started mixing again with Zhou Xinyue. Although everyone thought it was shameful, they also saw it as inevitable. After all, Lu Zhizhi treated Nurse Zhou very well, loved her deeply, arranged work for her, and financially supported her.

Who would have expected that these two ‘lovers finally reunited’ would cause such a scandal, with both of Lu’s wives ending up locked up? Could this be a special hobby of the Lu family?

At the end of the meeting, Director Lin dropped another bombshell: “After the New Year, there will be a personnel reshuffle. The new deputy director position will be taken over by Director Chen, who will be responsible for technical guidance at the hospital.”

Everyone was stunned—Lu Zhizhi would not be the deputy director!

Lu Zhizhi had already known about the scandal with Zhou Xinyue earlier, but after marrying her, he still held onto a sliver of hope. Rumors fade over time, people tend to forget, but right before his appointment, this incident came up again. How could he still be promoted?

He lowered his eyes expressionlessly, but his fingers clenched involuntarily. A month ago, he had a kind and beautiful wife, a warm and clean home, and a bright future.

Now, it seemed like he had lost everything…

Zhou Xinyue’s scandal severely affected other patients, and as for her abusing the child, what mother could bear that? Especially several women who had seen the child’s miserable condition at the police station.

At first, Lu Jianshe wanted to downplay the matter, but the women in the family compound were holding back their anger. Now that Zhou Xinyue was unprotected—and she was brought here by Lu Zhizhi himself—who would still indulge her?

“You’re not fit to be a human! You hit your own child, and now you’re crying out? The child didn’t even know how to scream when he was beaten!” The head nurse, who had a five-year-old son herself, was deeply upset after seeing the injuries on the child at the police station.

This was no mother, it was abuse!

Zhou Xinyue glared at her angrily: “I hit my own child, what’s it to you? If you dare touch me, I’ll complain after I’m out and get you fired!”

Another young nurse, just newly arrived, was so angry she turned red: “How dare you threaten the head nurse? You’re already fired by the hospital, and the notice is on the bulletin board! Serves you right!”

Zhou Xinyue’s originally gentle face twisted with rage. She knew when she was locked up that her job was gone. But she was the Lu family’s daughter-in-law. After she got out, she would play the pity card, cry a few times, and Lu Zhizhi would arrange work for her again.

At worst, she could ask Lu Jianshe for help. He was a benefactor of the Lu family. If they didn’t help her, she’d make their lives miserable!

“Just wait! When I get out, I’ll make Lu Zhizhi fire you all!” Zhou Xinyue’s attitude turned arrogant again. Sitting on the hospital bed, she looked more like she was enjoying herself than sick.

She lifted her chin, demanding: “Bring me some food—one meat dish and one vegetable dish—and a basin of hot water to wash my face! And no one else is allowed in this room, I want a single room.”

She was not like the useless Xie Yunshu who suffered in a dark room. No matter what Lu Zhizhi did, she was his wife now, the Lu family’s daughter-in-law! Anyone who dared offend her would face her revenge, and she didn’t believe these nurses weren’t scared!

The young nurse sneered: “Dream on. Meat and vegetables? Breakfast is over, just wait for lunch.”

She slammed the ward door shut, then stomped her foot angrily: “Zhang, I’m so mad! Zhou Xinyue used to be a nurse and relied on Lu Zhizhi’s affection. If she wasn’t bossy to one, she was bullying another. Now she’s in the psych ward and still dares to talk like that!”

The head nurse snorted coldly: “Does she really think Lu Zhizhi will protect her? Dream on!”

Because of this incident, Lu Zhizhi couldn’t even become deputy director. She didn’t believe the Lu family wouldn’t take their anger out on Zhou Xinyue. Not to mention Cheng Yuxiang, the wife of the Lu deputy director, who knew how much their son had been affected—there was no way they’d let Zhou Xinyue have it easy!