Living like a widow? My rough neighbor is coaxing me to have a baby every night.

Chapter 81 A Woman Who Was Strong-Willed Her Whole Life

These words stunned even Yan Xiujuan, who was throwing a tantrum.

These days, men value their surnames more than their lives.

Changing one's surname to become a live-in son-in-law is like tearing off the face of one's ancestors for eighteen generations and trampling it underfoot.

Seeing Wang Jianguo's expression shift slightly, Zhao Gang immediately raised three fingers, pointed to the ceiling, and swore, "Heaven and Earth above! I, Zhao Gang... no, I, Wang Gang! If I ever dare to treat Lili even the slightest bit badly, may I be struck by lightning, hit by a car, and die a horrible death!"

After saying that, he turned to Wang Lili and cried, "Lili, put the knife down! If anything happens to you, I won't live either! Our family of four will die together!"

This performance of singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics brought the tragic drama to its extreme.

Wang Lili was already terrified by the scene, and upon hearing the vow, all the grievances in her heart turned into heartache.

"Gangzi..."

With a "clang," the fruit knife fell to the ground.

Wang Lili's body went limp and she collapsed into Zhao Gang's arms. The two embraced and wept bitterly. Anyone who didn't know the story would think it was some kind of earth-shattering love story.

Yan Xiujuan wiped away her tears, tugged at her husband's sleeve, and softened her voice: "Old Wang... look at this... Gangzi may be a scoundrel, but his heart... is beyond words. What time is it? Let's settle this matter first."

Wang Jianguo looked at the mess on the ground, at the couple embracing each other, and then at his wife beside him, tears streaming down her face.

At that moment, he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, a sigh filled with helplessness and resignation.

"Alright."

Wang Jianguo waved his hand, his voice utterly exhausted, "Stop howling. Keep it going."

Upon hearing this, a fleeting glint of elation flashed in Zhao Gang's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and his wildly beating heart finally settled back into his stomach. He had won the gamble!

"However, I've already stated my position."

Wang Jianguo suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on Zhao Gang. "The wedding is off. The banquet is off. We'll get the marriage certificate and just keep quiet about it. I can't bear the shame, and I don't want to hear any gossip. During this time, Lili will stay home to rest and prepare for the pregnancy. She's not allowed to go anywhere except for hospital checkups. As for you—"

Wang Jianguo looked coldly at Zhao Gang: "You can forget about your deputy director position anytime soon. I'll talk to the higher-ups and have you work in the logistics warehouse for a while. If you can handle the hardship and take good care of Lili, we'll talk about your future later. If you can't..."

"I can take it! I can take it!" Zhao Gang quickly kowtowed, even though his heart was bleeding—that was the deputy director position he had always dreamed of, and it had just slipped away!

But he dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction on his face. "Dad, you're doing this for my own good, to toughen me up! I'll go to the warehouse! I'll do anything as long as I can stay with Lili!"

"Get up and wash your face, it's disgusting."

Wang Jianguo turned away in disgust, put his hands behind his back, and walked into the study, slamming the door shut.

This farce finally came to an end in an extremely oppressive atmosphere.

Zhao Gang helped Wang Lili to her feet and carefully wiped away her tears. The moment he lowered his head, the deep affection in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sinister and resentful look.

Li Xianglian! Niu Guihua!

If it weren't for those country bumpkins causing trouble, he would be the deputy director by now!

How could I have fallen so low as to have to move goods in a warehouse and beg for mercy like a dog in this house!

Zhao Gang made a mental note of this debt.

Sooner or later, he will make those people pay double!

The stench of blood mixed with the smell of tobacco in the room made Yan Xiujuan's head ache.

She looked at Zhao Gang, who was slumped in the corner of the sofa like a dead dog, and then glanced at her daughter, who was still sobbing but tightly holding Zhao Gang's hand. She felt a mix of emotions.

"Alright, stop with the sob story."

Yan Xiujuan rolled her eyes at Zhao Gang, walked to the washstand, scrubbed the towel that was so worn out it was unrecognizable, and threw it at Zhao Gang. "Wipe your face. You look like a ghost. Aren't you afraid of scaring the baby in your belly?"

Zhao Gang hurriedly took the towel, his movements so humble that he resembled a newlywed, bullied wife.

As he wiped the blood from his face, he stole glances at Yan Xiujuan's expression, mumbling incoherently, "Mom...you've suffered so much...I will definitely..."

"Shut up!" Yan Xiujuan was annoyed by his words. "From now on, do more and talk less! Go and clean up the blood on the floor! If your dad comes out and sees the bloodstains, you can expect to be sleeping in the stairwell!"

After explaining all this, Yan Xiujuan felt a tightness in her chest, as if a large stone was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

The atmosphere in this house is so oppressive right now.

She needs to get some fresh air, even if it's just to go to the market and haggle with the vendors.

She walked to the mirror and carefully tidied her appearance.

Yan Xiujuan was a woman who had been strong-willed all her life. Even if her family was turned upside down, as long as she stepped out of that threshold, she would still be that glamorous wife of the county committee member.

She used a wet comb to neatly comb the stray hairs at her temples, then patted some face cream onto her face, trying to cover her sallow complexion and the dark circles under her eyes.

She changed into that maroon polyester top, which Old Wang brought back for her from a meeting in the provincial capital last year during the Spring Festival. It made her look more energetic.

Finally, she slung her shopping basket over her shoulder, put on a seemingly calm and composed expression, and then pushed open the door and went out.

The hallway was quiet, with only the occasional sounds of cooking and storytelling from the radio.

Yan Xiujuan walked down the cement steps, each step taken with extra care, trying not to make a sound.

But in this world, what you fear most often comes to pass.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the first-floor unit, a pungent smell of coal smoke hit me.

Yan Xiujuan subconsciously covered her nose. When she looked up, she saw a bloated figure leaning against the mailbox at the entrance of the building, holding a handful of sunflower seeds and casually cracking them open.

It's Hu Mei.

Yan Xiujuan's heart skipped a beat.

This old woman, she would have been home cooking by now on most days, why is she standing here like a door god today?

Judging from their posture, they were clearly waiting for someone.

It's too late to hide.

Yan Xiujuan could only force a smile and pretend she had just seen him: "Hey, Lao Hu, what are you doing standing here in this heat instead of staying indoors with the fan on? Practicing qigong?"