Something happened?
Zeng Shuyi didn’t understand what could have possibly happened.
Her eldest sister-in-law had already been hospitalized for over three months, and besides, her younger brother was about to get married—a joyful occasion.
Her eldest sister-in-law was even willing to provide a bride price for him.
How could she possibly be so upset?
Before Zeng Shuyi could fully come to her senses, her little niece and nephew complained they were hungry, so she had no choice but to start preparing a meal.
On the cutting board lay a half-cut winter melon, and there were a few eggs left in the cabinet.
It seemed her parents had been called away suddenly without time to prepare.
Zeng Shuyi cooked the rice first, then stir-fried the winter melon with eggs.
After putting the two children to bed, she finally heard the sound of the door opening outside the courtyard—it was her younger brother and second brother-in-law.
“What’s going on? Why is eldest sister-in-law in the hospital?” Zeng Shuyi lowered her voice to ask.
“Third sister, do you have anything to eat? Let us have a few bites first; I’m starving,” said Zeng Xiangmin as he rubbed his stomach, his face showing patches of greenish blue.
He Dong’s stomach growled timely twice.
Zeng Shuyi said she was cooking, but Zeng Xiangmin complained it took too long to cook rice and asked for a few boiled potatoes instead.
The water boiled in the pot, and the potatoes were added.
Zeng Shuyi waited anxiously, eager to know what had happened, but Zeng Xiangmin said he was too hungry and weak to talk.
It was He Dong who finally spoke up slowly, “Eldest sister-in-law’s fiancé wants to break off the engagement. They said the Ming Family and the Wang Family had a dispute. Eldest sister-in-law went to help mediate, but someone pushed her. Her belly hit the edge of a table, and the baby couldn’t be saved.”
“What?” Zeng Shuyi couldn’t be happy hearing that. She didn’t like her eldest brother and sister-in-law, but she wasn’t cruel enough to wish for her sister-in-law to have a miscarriage. “Why would they want to break the engagement for no reason?”
He Dong said he didn’t know. “When Mom and I got to the hospital, eldest sister-in-law was already in the emergency room. This is what I pieced together from the Wang family members. Now Dad and eldest brother are at the hospital. Xiangmin and I came back first. Dad said to have you go to the hospital for an ultrasound tomorrow and send Yuling and the other two to Shuyue’s place.”
Zeng Shuyi was confused. “Dad wants me to go to the hospital? To pay the medical bills?”
“No.” He Dong shook his head. “Dad keeps thinking about eldest sister-in-law giving him a grandson. Now she’s injured, and the doctors say it will be difficult for her to conceive again. Even if she can, they don’t know when she’ll be able to try. Dad said you’re capable and outspoken, so he wants you to go with him tomorrow to the Wang Family and Ming Family… to fight it out.”
Zeng Qingliang was supposed to go tonight but was stuck at the hospital.
Zeng Xiangping wasn’t effective at this moment, so he thought of his third daughter.
“I’m not going. If he wants to cause trouble, that’s his problem. Why should I offend people by going?” Zeng Shuyi refused bluntly.
She wasn’t malicious enough to curse her eldest sister-in-law’s miscarriage, nor kind-hearted enough to go and defend her.
Didn’t she have better things to do than fight someone over this?
At this moment, Zeng Xiangmin gave Zeng Shuyi a complicated look and said, “Dad said he guessed you’d say that. He said the Wang and Ming families want to prevent eldest brother from having descendants. This matter can’t be taken lightly. If you go, compensation money will be given to you.”
Zeng Qingliang wanted compensation, but he wasn’t willing to have his son-in-law break off the marriage.
Divorce was shameful; even in this situation, neither Zeng Qingliang nor Lin Jiazhen could bring themselves to consider those two words.
“How much is some?”
“How would I know?” Zeng Xiangmin was too hungry.
Smelling the potatoes in the pot, he couldn’t wait to open the lid.
“Ask Dad yourself tomorrow. With Dad’s temper, even if you make a huge demand, he’ll agree.”
He grabbed a potato with chopsticks and, unable to wait for it to cool, devoured it like a starving wolf.
As for Zeng Shuyi… well, since her father had said so, she’d go and see.
But did she really have such a formidable reputation in her father’s mind?
In fact, that was exactly how Zeng Qingliang saw it.
His eldest son wasn’t good with words; fighting or arguing just wasn’t his style.
His second daughter was even worse—bringing her along would only hold them back.
His youngest son was a little clever and somewhat strong, but still too young and inexperienced.
Only his third daughter… at times like this, Zeng Qingliang had to admit, even he couldn’t out-argue her.
At this moment, Zeng Qingliang was wide awake.
If Wang Zhigang and his wife were here, he would have gone home already.
The four of them sat in the hospital corridor.
Lin Jiazhen was so tired she had already fallen asleep, but Zeng Qingliang kept glancing at the opposite side from time to time.
Wang Zhigang was exhausted—near the wedding, his daughter-in-law wanted to break off the engagement.
What kind of situation was this?
Now with the daughter miscarrying, how was she supposed to find her place in the Zeng family?
Each of the four had their own thoughts.
Zeng Qingliang was determined that tomorrow, the Wang and Ming families would get what they deserved.
Wang Zhigang was wondering if his daughter-in-law could be salvaged.
That night, none of the four spoke further, afraid they might fight again in the hospital.
They had already fought once that evening, and the police had come, warning that anyone who fought in the hospital again would be detained.
If it weren’t for fear of detention, Zeng Qingliang wouldn’t have quietly watched Wang Zhigang and his wife without a word.
The night passed like that.
Before dawn the next day, Wang family’s third son, Wang Weibing, hurried over. “Dad and Mom aren’t well. My second brother ran off without thinking.”
Yesterday, Mingxia wanted to break off the engagement.
Wang Weiguo couldn’t take it and got into a fight with the Ming brothers.
Wang Zhigang was worried about his son, so he specially told the youngest son to watch over the second son.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on him? Are you sleeping?” Wang Zhigang was almost furious. “What good are you?”
Knowing his son definitely went to the Ming Family, he hurried to go after him but was stopped by Zeng Qingliang.
“Where are you going?” Zeng Qingliang spread his hands. “Didn’t we agree to settle this at your place later?”
Wang Zhigang’s temper flared, and he stomped his feet anxiously. “In-laws, we’ll talk later. My son went to the Ming Family, so I have to go check on him. Otherwise, I’m scared something will happen!”
Tian Xiaohua pleaded, “Yes, in-laws, let us go to the Ming Family first. Our house is right there; he definitely can’t run away.”
“Oh, your daughter is still in the ward. Now you’re just worried about your son. You really are good parents—no wonder your daughter went to ask the son-in-law for money as bride price,” Zeng Qingliang mocked them.
At this moment, he forgot that he himself favored sons over daughters.
As long as he could ridicule Wang Zhigang and his wife, he would say it.
Wang Zhigang and Tian Xiaohua blushed furiously and dared not argue back.
Tian Xiaohua almost cried, “In-laws, please. We will definitely clear up Xiaojun’s matter, but you have to give us time to settle things with the Ming Family first, okay?”
Lin Jiazhen tugged Zeng Qingliang’s sleeve. “Qingliang, listen to the in-laws.”
“Wang Zhigang, Tian Xiaohua, I’ll be waiting at your house. You can’t run away.” Zeng Qingliang said with a sharp tone, forcing the couple to leave.
Lin Jiazhen went to the ward and saw her daughter-in-law awake.
She quietly asked, “Xiaojun, what do you want to eat? Mom will buy it for you.”
Hearing the conversation in the hallway, Wang Juan couldn’t help but shed tears. “Mom, I’m sorry to Xiangping and to all of you.”
“Don’t cry. You can’t cry now,” Lin Jiazhen said. “Listen to Mom—don’t cry. We’ll talk about everything else after you get discharged.”
Zeng Qingliang scowled, words of reproach stuck in his throat. But when he saw his daughter-in-law crying, he kept silent.
Zeng Xiangping frowned and sat quietly without saying anything or showing concern.
The doctors had told him Wang Juan probably couldn’t have children anymore, and he had nothing to say now.
He even felt irritated whenever Wang Juan spoke.
Wang Juan said she had no appetite.
Lin Jiazhen said she would buy some porridge and then visit her son and his wife. “I’ve told Xiangmin to bring us some food today.”
They didn’t care much what they ate, only that it was economical.
When Lin Jiazhen went to the canteen to buy porridge, Zeng Shuyi and the two others arrived.
“Dad, how much of the compensation money do you plan to give me?” Zeng Shuyi went straight to the point.
Zeng Qingliang was just taking a bite of a potato and choked, coughing, “You… you don’t care about us first and ask about money right away? Shuyi, have you gotten so business-minded?”
Zeng Shuyi laughed, “Dad, you’re here, what’s there to care about? Stop saying such hypocritical things. I’m not business-minded; I’m smart.”
“Fine, fine. I can’t talk you out of it. Ten percent.” Zeng Qingliang raised one finger, but seeing his daughter get up to leave, he hurried over to stop her. “Where are you going?”
“For your ten percent compensation, I have to forgive the Ming Family and fight with the Wang Family. Maybe they’ll resent me and make trouble for my business later. That has to be accounted for.” Zeng Shuyi was not stupid.
The Wang brothers were unreasonable.
The Ming Family breaking off the engagement now wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
If she didn’t ask for more money now, she would lose out later with the Wang Family.
“Alright, alright, then twenty percent. You have to consider your eldest brother and sister-in-law though; your sister-in-law…” Zeng Qingliang stopped mid-sentence because he didn’t want to face what was next.
Zeng Shuyi remained impassive. “Eldest brother and sister-in-law still have Yuling. Isn’t a daughter also a child? Dad, look at this—you always favor eldest brother. But now eldest brother only has a daughter. For you, this is your blessing.”
She didn’t leave any face for her father. “They both have jobs; their lives won’t be that bad. I don’t want much—thirty percent. As for how much more, that depends on my skills.”
Zeng Qingliang said nothing, tacitly agreeing.
After breakfast, Zeng Qingliang led the whole family to the Wang Family.