Chapter 496: Wife, Your Perspective is Too Narrow

At the military hospital, after finishing the reunion dinner, Yuan Liying, Zhou Anqin, Xiao Bei, and Old Four pushed Zhou Xiaoxin out for a walk.

Zhou Andong and Gu Bing squatted at the entrance of the hospital's inpatient department, smoking.

"Alright, tell me, why did you run all the way here on New Year's? Don't tell me you were bored."

"My divorce is known to my family now," Gu Bing took a heavy drag of his cigarette and sighed repeatedly. "What's even more hateful is that even though it was a peaceful divorce, that woman is throwing mud at me. Originally, there were some personnel transfers that required her family's cooperation, but now everything has stopped. You have no idea—as soon as I got home last night, I became the target of criticism. I thought they would restrain themselves today for New Year's, but no—everyone who shouldn't have come back did, and it's as if I've committed some heinous crime. I had no choice but to run away."

"Sigh!" Zhou Andong also sighed. "Life is precious, love is even more so; but for the sake of freedom, both can be cast aside. Take a brother's advice: cut ties with your family. Then all your troubles will vanish, and you'll realize how beautiful the world really is."

"Get lost!" Gu Bing cursed.

"You, why are you getting angry?" Zhou Andong said with dissatisfaction. "I'm doing this for your own good. Take me, for example—even though I was born into a rural family and grew up with little to eat or wear, I'm free. Look at you—born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but so what? You can't even be the master of your own marriage. What's the point of staying in that house? If it were me, and I couldn't leave, I'd stand on the roof and jump off to defend my freedom."

Gu Bing kept his head down, smoking without a word.

"Right?" Zhou Andong patted Gu Bing on the shoulder. "Listen to me. If they keep pressuring you, just cut ties immediately."

"What are you two squatting here talking about? Don't you feel cold?" Seeing Jian Qiu suddenly appeared in front of them.

Zhou Andong asked curiously: "It's New Year's, how did your family's 'Old Buddha' let you out?"

Mentioning this made Seeing Jian Qiu furious, and she recounted what had happened: "I don't care what others say, but I'm angry at my mom for not understanding me at all. If they push me too far, I'll cut ties with her."

"Hey!" Zhou Andong said: "You can't have thoughts like that. Our bodies and skin are gifts from our parents—is it something you can just cut off?"

Hearing Zhou Andong's words, Gu Bing's face turned black: "You bastard, you just told me to cut ties with my family, but when it comes to Qiuqiu, it's a no-go?"

Zhou Andong said righteously: "That's different! Qiuqiu is my wife, and her mom is my mother-in-law. If their relationship turns sour because of me, I'll be in a very difficult position. You're different—whatever drama you have with your family, whether you live or die, has nothing to do with me."

"Zhou Andong, you son of a..." Gu Bing was furious and lunged at Zhou Andong.

Zhou Andong took off running, and Seeing Jian Qiu was quick-witted enough to grab Gu Bing.

"What's going on?"

Gu Bing jumped and cursed: "You bastard, don't you run if you have the guts."

Zhou Andong laughed: "I'm running because I'm afraid that after your heart gets hurt, your body will get hurt again."

Seeing Jian Qiu said: "Enough, you're a grown man, stop making a scene. Tell me, what's going on?"

Gu Bing cursed while explaining: "The bastard told me, 'Life is precious, love is even more so; but for the sake of freedom, both can be cast aside.' He told me to cut ties with my family, but when it comes to you, he says it's not okay. Tell me, isn't his conscience rotten to the core?"

Seeing Jian Qiu laughed out loud: "He really deserves a beating. Go ahead, I won't stop you."

"Huh?" Gu Bing hesitated: "You... aren't you going to stop me? What if I get excited and beat him up too badly?"

Seeing Jian Qiu said: "You can't be like that. He's my future husband, but you're my brother—I have to support you. Go ahead, give him a good beating."

Gu Bing blinked and finally said: "Forget it, I'm a big person, I won't lower myself to his level."

"Are you chickening out?" Seeing Jian Qiu poured salt on Gu Bing's wounds without hesitation.

"I..." Gu Bing felt stifled. "You two, that's enough."

Zhou Andong squatted by the flower bed, watching with a smile.

"He's my future husband, true," Seeing Jian Qiu said righteously, "but you're my brother, so I have to support you. Go ahead, give him a good beating."

Gu Bing blinked and finally said: "Forget it, I'm a big person, I won't lower myself to his level."

"Are you chickening out?" Seeing Jian Qiu poured salt on Gu Bing's wounds without hesitation.

"I..." Gu Bing felt stifled. "You two, that's enough."

At this moment, Zhou Anbei pushed Zhou Xiaoxin back. Zhou Andong asked: "Where are Mom and the others?"

Zhou Anbei said: "There's a park nearby with a lantern festival tonight, so Mom and Big Sister took Old Four to see the lanterns."

Zhou Andong said: "Why didn't you go?"

Zhou Xiaoxin said: "I'm a bit tired."

"Uncle!" Seeing Jian Qiu called out. "Xiao Bei, let me push!"

Seeing Jian Qiu took off her coat, covered Zhou Xiaoxin's legs, and complained to Zhou Andong: "It's so cold, why didn't you put more clothes on Uncle before bringing him out?"

Zhou Xiaoxin felt a warmth in his heart: "I'm wearing enough. But you—you took off your coat, hurry up and go inside so you don't catch a cold."

Seeing Jian Qiu smiled and nodded. She pushed the wheelchair into the inpatient department, and back in the room, Zhou Andong picked up Zhou Xiaoxin and put him on the bed.

"You rest for a while, and when the evening show starts, we'll take you out to watch."

Zhou Xiaoxin smiled and nodded.

Seeing Jian Qiu tucked Zhou Xiaoxin in: "Uncle, you rest. We're going out; call us if you need anything."

"Good!" Zhou Xiaoxin smiled and nodded.

They came out, and Zhou Andong turned on the TV, sat on the sofa, and looked at Gu Bing.

"So, you're not planning on going home tonight, are you?"

"Go home, my ass!" Gu Bing sat down next to Zhou Andong. "Unless I achieve something, I'm never going back."

Zhou Andong smiled and patted Gu Bing on the shoulder: "Only when you possess strong strength will people feel awe toward you."

Seeing Jian Qiu washed some fruit, put it on the coffee table, and held an apple to Zhou Andong's mouth.

With a crunch, Zhou Andong took a bite and continued: "Once you sell our beer nationwide, no one in your family will dare to point fingers at your personal life again."

After saying this, he looked at Seeing Jian Qiu: "Actually, I can take over that radiator factory."

Seeing Jian Qiu immediately objected: "No. You're my man; as long as I approve, that's all that matters. What right do they have to judge you?"

"Perspective, wife!" Zhou Andong took another bite of the apple Seeing Jian Qiu was holding to his mouth. "Your perspective is too narrow. Go back and tell Jian Minglang that I can take over the radiator factory. But if I succeed—if within a year I can make it break even, pay off all debts, and pay the back wages—he must bow and apologize to me in front of the whole family and call me 'brother-in-law'."

However, if I achieve it, within a year, reaching a balance of payments, repaying all debts, and paying back wages, he must bow and apologize to me in front of the whole family and call me brother-in-law.