Zhou Qianqian didn’t really pay attention to her sales pitch; her mind was completely consumed with the fact that Lin Shiheng’s mother did not like He Xuezhuy. She was practically delighted, forgetting her previous discomfort in her waist and stomach.
It turned out that He Xuezhuy, just like her, was also not favored by her mother-in-law. Despite looking like the pampered one, how hypocritical!
After clarifying the details, Zhou Qianqian, feeling a pang in her heart for spending money, quickly got a ride back.
Upon returning to the compound, she didn’t even go home but rushed to Miao Xing to share this good news with her.
Miao Xing had been reading at home, planning to apply to another hospital, but despite her good intentions, her heart wouldn’t settle; she couldn’t absorb a single word.
After being dismissed from her job, she initially felt no rush. Zhang Yanming was a deputy regiment commander, and his salary was more than enough for both of their living expenses. Moreover, with his position, he had a network that could help her find another job.
This was what Miao Xing thought before moving to the compound.
Once she settled in, she realized that while Zhang Yanming’s salary might be higher than that of an ordinary soldier, he also spent a lot. He insisted on having the best for everything he consumed, wore, and used. Each month, his salary barely covered his living expenses. After being demoted, his salary dropped significantly, and he couldn’t change his extravagant ways. The couple had fallen into serious financial difficulties, and it was only because Miao Xing dipped into her savings that they managed to scrape by.
As for the connections she had hoped for, Zhang Yanming’s reputation took a hit because of his arrogant behavior. Previously, people might have overlooked his shortcomings because of the Zhang family’s influence, but now that the family turned a blind eye to him, those he had offended were too numerous. It was a miracle if they didn’t trip him up, let alone help.
Moreover, Zhang Yanming didn’t want Miao Xing to work at all. In his view, Miao Xing’s role was to stay home, take care of household chores, and raise three or four kids.
His exact words were: “You don’t need to work; I will support you.”
If he could support her, Miao Xing wouldn’t have minded him doing so, but the reality was that Zhang Yanming could hardly afford to take care of her.
He hadn’t told Miao Xing about the falling out with his family because he believed that being a good husband meant shielding his wife from distressing matters.
Naturally, he hadn’t mentioned to Miao Xing that he used to be the most cherished youngest son in the large Zhang family.
Once.
In Miao Xing’s eyes, this man who once made her heart race and left her feeling lost became a waste after marriage—someone who lacked capability and insisted on maintaining his pride by not allowing her to work.
A waste who could only spend money.
The love that still bloomed in Zhang Yanming’s heart was washed away by the gritty realities of life, mundane chores, and a depleted wallet.
The moments when she felt the most at ease were ironically when Zhang Yanming was sent to undertake dangerous missions.
Because only then did this man, whom she once wanted to be close to every moment, stop demanding that she stay by his side like a helpless infant.
If he had remained the domineering, mysterious Zhang Yanming who could always buy her expensive gifts that delighted her, Miao Xing would have been happy to cling to him.
But staying in this compound made her realize that Zhang Yanming only had his arrogance left.
She grew to despise it, yet she felt she couldn’t leave.
Everyone knew that Zhang Yanming was demoted because of her, and she had invested too much effort into this man to walk away empty-handed.
Besides, having been married once, even though she still looked the same, it was unlikely she could find a man she desired again.
With these worries in her heart, how could Miao Xing calm down, especially when rumors circulated in the compound about how Lin Shiheng doted on his wife?
That should have been her.
Had it not been for Zhang Yanming kissing her in front of the unconscious Lin Shiheng, Lin Shiheng would have definitely divorced He Xuezhuy and chosen to be with her.
Miao Xing regretted countless times in her heart; given another chance, she would never covet the thrill and joy Zhang Yanming provided. She would have seized employment, Lin Shiheng’s love, and the admiration of others; all of these could have been hers.
“Are you sure?”
When Zhou Qianqian relayed the news to her, Miao Xing, rarely losing her composure, stood up, her eyes sparkling with joy. “Does Shiheng’s mother really dislike He Xuezhuy?”
“Really! I’ve looked into it, and she even favors sons over daughters. If He Xuezhuy gives birth to a girl, she will surely face disdain.”
Zhou Qianqian remained oblivious to her friend’s unusual expression, immersed in her own thoughts and giggling. “Sister Miao, the person from the same village as Commander Lin said that Commander Lin is particularly filial. He grew up depending on his mother, so he definitely listens to her.”
Understanding this, Zhou Qianqian felt it pertinent; even if she tried her best to please her husband, she still had to fall to the side in front of her mother-in-law.
In Zhou Qianqian’s view, all men in the world were like this.
Miao Xing’s eyes shimmered. “Okay, I understand. Thank you, Qianqian. You should head back since it’s late.”
“Alright, I’ll get going. When He Xuezhuy has her baby, we’ll be in for a good laugh.”
Zhou Qianqian automatically dismissed the possibility of He Xuezhuy giving birth to a boy; her discomfort from pregnancy and her husband’s indifference left her urgently needing to find comfort in others’ misery.
In contrast, Miao Xing felt as if she saw new hope. After her disappointment in Zhang Yanming, she had entertained thoughts of Lin Shiheng; however, his constant distance and his pampering of He Xuezhuy kept her from humiliating herself further.
But what if Lin Shiheng’s mother disliked this daughter-in-law? What if gaps formed between He Xuezhuy and Lin Shiheng?
Miao Xing’s hand instinctively rested on her abdomen. Since Zhang Yanming’s demotion, she had been on birth control pills, so she still hadn’t become pregnant.