Chapter 499

Bangeng, who had received Qin Huairu's instructions.

He walked with light steps toward the room he and Shi Jiahong shared.

The moment he stepped through the door.

The expression on his face changed fundamentally in an instant, shifting from pleasure to anger; he knew Shi Jiahong wanted to return to the city with him to enjoy prosperity, he also knew he now had to adopt a tough stance, and he realized that the so-called sleeping earlier was actually him being slept with; rather than saying Bangeng had taken Shi Jiahong, it was more accurate to say Shi Jiahong had schemed against Bangeng, causing Bangeng to spend over a thousand yuan and still not have returned to the city, while his birth mother Qin Huairu, in order to get Bangeng back to the city, had paid a heavy price.

Bangeng vaguely guessed at an answer; after all, he had once partnered with a widow for over a year, and just now he had caught a familiar scent from Qin Huairu's body.

That's precisely why.

Only then did he feel he must seize this momentum and thoroughly break things off with Shi Jiahong; Qin Huairu said, saying that Jia Zhangshi had already arranged a marriage for her in the city.

The female party is a distant relative of Shazhu.

As long as Bangeng severs ties with Shi Jiahong and follows Qin Huairu back to the city.

Jia Zhangshi then sought to arrange a marriage between You Fengxia and Bangeng, so that Bangeng would not only marry the beautiful heavenly maiden You Fengxia, but also use the marriage to extract a room from Shazhu.

Qin Huairu said Shazhu had bought several rooms in the siheyuan.

By then Bangeng could simply pick one.

Bangeng is not stupid.

Back then, in order to wheedle some money out of Shazhu, he actually hit upon the idea of targeting her teacher Ran Qiuye, openly challenging Shazhu to give him however much money, and then he arranged for Ran Qiuye to come to his home, setting up a meeting between Shazhu and Ran Qiuye.

A mere thirteen- or fourteen-year-old brat could think up such a depraved idea.

His mind is extremely active.

Before, there was no opportunity.

Qin Huairu's arrival created an opportunity for Bangeng.

Facing Shi Jiahong, Bangeng instantly straightened his previously hunched body.

He wanted to be the master of the household for once.

He pushed the door open and walked in.

Seeing Shi Jiahong on the kang, he instantly flared with rage.

Moreover, he saw the three children of Gou Dan leaning against Shi Jiahong's side.

Seeing Bangeng enter, the eldest Gou Dan looked at Bangeng with eyes full of hatred.

Bangeng's heart.

It rose to his throat.

This hatred was familiar to him; back when An Jiahe married his mother Qin Huairu, Bangeng had watched An Jiahe with the same look of wanting to devour him alive.

Past cause.

Present effect.

Karma has fallen upon Bangeng.

Bangeng muttered to himself, "An ungrateful white-eyed wolf," he had to clear his relationship with Shi Jiahong no matter what, for there was still a beautiful maiden waiting for him in the city, and so he deliberately shouted.

"This place is really a mess, utterly a dog's den; I'm saying, you spend all day doing what, can't you tidy up this place?"

That's the meaning of pointing at the mulberry while cursing the locust.

All too clear.

How could Shi Jiahong not know what Bangeng is scheming?

She retorted.

"Even if it's a dog's den, you've slept here for over a year; if I were a dog, what would you be, sleeping with me all day? You'd be a dog too—are you nobler than I?"

"What did you say?"

Bangeng was about to explode.

Glaring with scarlet eyes.

He stared viciously at Shi Jiahong.

Shi Jiahong had never encountered such a ferocious Bangeng before; for a moment she was a bit taken aback, feeling a little frightened, but thinking that this was her own turf, with her natal family present in the courtyard, if she really came to blows with Bangeng she wouldn't be at a disadvantage, and her confidence surged.

"I say I'm a dog, you're even worse than a dog, a bastard."

"You want face?"

"Hey, do you want to lose your temper, or are you just looking for an excuse to stir up trouble?"

Bangeng was asked a question that left him bewildered.

He froze on the spot.

Qin Huairu, who had heard the commotion in the courtyard, silently cursed a few times: truly worse than a dog, unable to handle even a woman, yet still having the nerve to call herself her son; Qin Huairu suddenly realized why Bangeng had been schemed against—with such a brain and such gall, he deserved it.

Inside the room.

Bangeng and Shi Jiahong continued to lock horns.

"What if I flare up? What if I don't? Back then you took my thousand yuan, making you mine; I tell you what to do and you do it; now I want you to divorce me."

"Want a divorce? Forget it!" Shi Jiahong snorted coldly, "I still say the same thing: either you leave me behind, or you take me back to the city; wanting a divorce, you dreaming of returning to the city alone is just a dream."

"Unreasonable."

"I'm unreasonable, so don't try to fool me with nonsense; saying you'll go back to the city first, then after you're settled you'll fetch me to enjoy the city— I won't believe a word of it, because you want to be Chen Shimei."

"Who is Chen Shimei?"

Bangeng grew anxious.

He jumped up and began recounting those past events.

That is, the process of her being schemed against by Shi Jiahong.

"You wicked woman, do you really think I don't know what happened back then? That night I did nothing; you gave me a sleeping pill, which is why I was groggy the next day and knew nothing."

"You've woken up now? Too late—don't think that just because your mother Qin Huairu has come you can do as you please; I won't stand for it, you're nothing."

「What Qin Huairu, that's your mother-in-law。」

「I know she is my mother-in-law. 」Shi Jiahong suddenly changed her tone, she still wanted to follow Bangeng to the city to enjoy blessings, thus she played the emotion card, 「Mother-in-law is a widow, I am also a widow, we two share this point, Bangeng, I will surely be filial to the mother-in-law。」

「You've had an IUD, right? 」

Shi Jiahong paused.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

She thought to herself: Bangeng this idiot usually does not ask about such hidden matters, and moreover it seems he also does not know these inside details, but now he suddenly mentioned the IUD matter—is it that he suddenly woke up, or did someone tell her?

Shi Jiahong directed her gaze outward.

Although she couldn't see exactly where Qin Huairu was standing, she still instinctively felt that Qin Huairu was in the courtyard, staring fixedly at the situation inside the house.

Bangeng's grandmother is a widow.

Bangeng's mother is a widow.

The Jia family has a genuine understanding of widows.

Knowing that a widow had an IUD inserted, it also makes sense.

「Don't lie to me, I know you've had an IUD, no wonder there's been no movement for over a year, Shi Jiahong, you have such a ruthless mind, you want me to be childless, you want the Jia family line to be cut off, I tell you, no way, either divorce me or remove the IUD, I'm not afraid of you making a fuss, at worst we'll fight to the bitter end, let's see whether it's your Shi family that loses face or my Jia family that loses face, meeting you, Shi Jiahong, is truly terrible luck for eight lifetimes, you want to cut off Bangeng's line, you make a fuss, let the neighbors watch, let's see how black your heart is, Shi Jiahong。」

Bangeng, furious and flustered, roared at Shi Jiahong.

He wanted to release the pent-up anger of over a year.

He let it all out in one go.

The union of Bangeng and Shi Jiahong entirely lacked this affection; they were like shrimp seeking shrimp, donkey seeking donkey, a turtle eyeing a big tortoise, each scheming against the other and each regarding the other as a fool.

Before, there were no conflicts of interest.

Otherwise, it would have been fine.

Now there are conflicts of interest.

Conflict erupted instantly.

Bangeng always felt he had merely taken a small advantage, he had money, and at most would give the other some compensation, no longer mentioning certain matters.

But he didn't expect this to be a pitfall that instantly turned Bangeng into a big fool.

His relationship with Shi Jiahong was merely an employment relationship, each fully aware, but because of certain matters, this originally hidden matter was suddenly exposed before everyone, and then they had no choice but to agree to the other's certain demands.

Being entangled with a widow, at most it's just a lack of virtue; but if money is involved, it becomes a buyer-seller relationship.

Bangeng originally accepted this bitter fruit precisely because of this consideration.

All are to be publicly executed.

So some words, at the beginning both chose cleverly not to say them.

Furthermore, they were originally just after money, and no one thought to ask about these matters, so the two each reluctantly took on this confused debt.

Now they need to return to the city.

Moreover, there is a girl waiting for Bangeng.

Their conflict instantly flared up, neither yielding to the other; Bangeng, who used to be beaten down by Shi Jiahong, uncharacteristically showed some backbone.

Previously, controlling Bangeng was no big deal.

But now seeing Bangeng poised to rise, Shi Jiahong also grew anxious; if she couldn't control Bangeng, then following him back to the city and suffering bullying—what would she do? Hearing that Bangeng's grandmother Jia Zhangshi is no good, she must consider her future.

Only then did Shi Jiahong seriously consider Qin Huairu.

Isn't Bangeng's change precisely due to Qin Huairu's appearance?

This mother-in-law.

That works.

「Bangeng, let's calm down. 」

Bangeng himself harbors anger toward Shi Jiahong, considering himself a Capital City resident—how could he marry a Northeastern countryside widow who already has three children?

This damn thing follows him back to the city.

The Jia family really became a laughingstock.

Becoming a widely known widow clan.

She glared.

She retorted sharply.

「What anger to calm? I won't tolerate this—divorce. 」

Shi Jiahong also got angry.

How can Bangeng not tell good from bad?

He shouted a sentence.

「What are you yelling about? Don't scare our child. 」

Upon hearing the word 'child', Bangeng...

His teeth itched with anger.

Moreover, Shi Jiahong even used the inclusive 'our'.

If there were no children, just Shi Jiahong alone, he would be better off; this damn thing not only has children, but three children—Bangeng can picture those people in the siheyuan pointing at him, feeling endless bitterness in his heart; when Qin Huairu first became a widow, Jia Zhangshi gave her the idea: first go get an IUD, then pretend to be pitiful; mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, one putting on a red face, the other a white face, putting on a show for the neighbors, planning to use Shazhu as a sucker for the Jia family, wanting to eat Shazhu's line cut off.

The tides of fortune turn.

Now it's Shi Jiahong's turn to scheme to cut off Bangeng's line.

Bangeng raised his hand and slapped himself hard.

「What child? Is it related to me? This is not my child, don't try to get close to me, Gou Dan, Hu Dan, Shi Dan—is that child Bangeng's child? You tell me, if they are related to me, I'll take them back to the city, but there won't be a cent's worth of relation—stop dragging me into this nonsense, I won't acknowledge it, even if I go back to the city with them, I'll beat them to death every day—don't believe me? Let's try. 」

As a mother, she becomes strong.

Upon hearing Bangeng say that, Shi Jiahong...

Instantly flew into a rage.

She and her ex-husband had a good relationship, the couple was also loving; if it weren't for the ex-husband's accident, Shi Jiahong wouldn't have suffered the old horse-head's anger at her in-laws, and then she wouldn't have thought of finding a stepfather for the child.

For the child's sake.

Only then did Bangeng scheme.

If it weren't for the child, Shi Jiahong would still look down on someone like Bangeng.

Gou Dan and the others are Shi Jiahong's life.

Bangeng used Gou Dan and the others as an excuse; Shi Jiahong naturally refused, and she no longer had the idea of persuading Bangeng to take her back to the city. In her mind there was only one thought: she had to beat Bangeng into submission, otherwise in the future Gou Dan and the others would truly have no good days to live.

"Bangeng, what did you say? If you've got the guts, say it again."

Bangeng was fuming.

Staring with wide eyes.

Glaring viciously at Shi Jiahong.

"What can't be said? Do you think I'm really afraid of you? Gou Dan and the others aren't my sons, and I'm not their father. If pushed, I can do anything. I believe that before you schemed against me, you already inquired with Liu Guangfu about how he grew up. I'll tell you: he was raised by his father's beatings. I think Gou Dan and the others could try the same— a beating a day, and they'll stay healthy and strong."

"You heartless bastard, get lost!"

"It's you who should get lost. If you hadn't stopped me from returning to the city, I'd have gone back long ago—as for staying here this long..."

Shi Jiahong saw Bangeng still talking back.

She reached out to scratch Bangeng.

Bangeng saw Shi Jiahong's fingers moving to grab his cheek.

He panicked inside.

If his face ended up all swollen, how could he still marry You Fengxia? He then lashed out with a powerful shove, knocking Shi Jiahong to the ground.

He spat out a curse.

"Crazy woman, you're asking for death! If Bangeng's grandfather doesn't get angry, do you think he's a sick cat? Is he not giving you face? Do you really think I dare not beat you?"

Shi Jiahong never expected Bangeng to really dare to lay hands on her.

She muttered another curse under her breath.

She rolled over and got up from the ground.

"I'm going all out with you."

She grabbed Bangeng's face in one swift motion.

A merciless grab.

It left two bloody gashes on Bangeng's face.

Feeling the pain on his cheek, Bangeng's anger rose to its peak. "You damned Shi Jiahong, you really came here to ruin my grandfather's looks!" He reached out to slap Shi Jiahong's cheek.

Seeing Bangeng hit Shi Jiahong, Gou Dan, eager to protect his mother, yelled "Ao!" and swung his little fists at Bangeng.

Bangeng flung Gou Dan to the side.

Seeing Bangeng hit Gou Dan, Shi Jiahong almost went mad, and she grappled with Bangeng without restraint.

Not long after.

The house filled with crackling sounds.

Qin Huairu in the courtyard furrowed her brows slightly, but deliberately did not intervene; instead she hid herself as much as possible in the darkness.

This fight wasn't bad.

It gave her an excuse to pick a fight.

Shi Jiahong's birth mother and older brother, hearing the noise, rushed out of their room; her mother was still okay to reason with, but her brother came out holding a rolling pin, cursing Bangeng's ancestors to the eighth generation.