Mom could live a life free from financial worries, but every time Wang Shenghua asked for money, she would hand over everything without a second thought, even if it meant she had to survive on instant noodles or plain porridge.Back in the day, if it hadn't been for Grandpa saving every penny to send Xu Zhen to university, she would have had to start working in a factory after high school.
Mom put a piece of beef into Xu Zhen's bowl. "Zhen Zhen, I heard that bank employees can get discounts on loans, is that true?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhen froze for a moment, quickly swallowing the beef she hadn't finished chewing. "Why do you ask about this?"
She had a bad feeling. It was very likely that Wang Shenghua had caused trouble again.
Mom said cautiously, "Tianhua wants to do business with his friends, and they need 200,000 yuan for shares."
Xu Zhen didn't even ask what kind of business it was and immediately refused. "I don't have that kind of money, and I'm not a permanent employee yet."
"Aren't you going to be permanent soon?""That's not guaranteed.""My daughter is so talented, you'll definitely get the permanent position."Xu Zhen didn't respond, lowering her head to continue eating.
Just because her daughter was talented, did she have to be exploited by her son?She had wanted to say this to her mother for a long time, but remembering that Grandpa once said her mom was a clueless, pitiful person, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Zhen Zhen, please help Tianhua. You don't want him to keep idling around, right?"Hearing the pleading tone in her mom's voice, Xu Zhen frowned. "Mom, have you forgotten last year when Wang Shenghua and his friends got involved in illegal business, racking up debts of over five million yuan? If it hadn't been for Grandpa Shen lending us the money to pay it off, even if we sold this house, we still wouldn't have been able to pay it back."
"Grandpa Shen is a rich man, he doesn't care about that money. When Tianhua's business is successful, he'll pay him back. Tianhua said that last time was just bad luck, and this time, it's a foolproof business."
Xu Zhen put down her chopsticks. "Mom, how can you say that Grandpa Shen doesn't care about money? The money in the Shen family is earned by the Shen family members working hard. Last time, Tianhua was doing illegal business, it had nothing to do with luck."Although Grandpa Shen had told her that the money didn't need to be paid back, she still told her mom that it was a loan and it needed to be repaid in the future.She believed it had to be repaid, so every month she set aside part of her income, even though she didn't know when she'd ever save up enough to pay back five million. It put a huge strain on her finances, but at least it gave her peace of mind.
To wait for Wang Shenghua's business to succeed before paying it back would mean that the money from Grandpa Shen would be a gift.
Mom awkwardly said, "Tianhua has always remembered Grandpa Shen's kindness, and he's been thinking about paying him back as soon as possible. That's why he wants to go into business with his friends. Tianhua said this time it's a very safe business...""There's no 'this time,' and there's no 'next time.'" Xu Zhen interrupted her mom. "You should advise him to find a legitimate job. If he wants to do business, he should save money honestly. He can never go down the borrowing path again. I have to go to work now, but I'll come back to see you often."
She couldn't stay any longer. Before leaving, she transferred 4,000 yuan to her mom via WeChat.
In the afternoon, Wang Shenghua sent another threatening message: "Xu Zhen, you are heartless and ungrateful. You will regret this."Xu Zhen expressionlessly put her phone in the drawer.If she were really heartless, Wang Shenghua would have been in prison by now.
After work, Xu Zhen went to the supermarket at Tianhua Garden to buy groceries.Since the residents of Tianhua Garden were wealthy, the supermarket was well-stocked, with many imported products.
When she returned home, she messaged Shen Lingfeng's assistant: "Assistant Yang, could you please ask Mr. Shen if he's coming home for dinner tonight?"
At that moment, Shen Lingfeng was sitting in a car heading to the airport.Yang Zhuming, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to the back seat. "Boss, Madam asked if you're coming home for dinner tonight?"With his usual impassive expression, Yang Zhuming thought to himself: Is the boss planning to have me act as a middleman between him and Madam forever?
When Shen Lingfeng heard this, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't told Xu Zhen about his business trip. He was used to being independent and hadn't thought about it.Moreover, he hadn't really paid much attention to his new wife.
He furrowed his brow slightly and nonchalantly said, "Just tell her I'm on a business trip.""Understood."
Although Yang Zhuming agreed, he responded in more detail to avoid Madam asking more questions:"Madam, Mr. Shen is on a business trip to Xiangcheng. The return date is uncertain and may take a few days."
Shen Lingfeng gazed out the window, tapping his fingers on the car door armrest, wondering whether he should add Xu Zhen on WeChat for easier contact.But soon, he dismissed the thought, deciding to keep her at arm's length a little longer, so she wouldn't develop the wrong idea that he had already accepted her.Besides, he had already given her his business card, so she could have called him if she wanted to, but instead, she was being pretentious by contacting him through his assistant.This marriage was something she begged for, so why should she be the one feeling wronged?
Xu Zhen received Yang Zhuming's reply and froze for a moment before letting out a sigh.Of course, she wouldn't immediately assume Shen Lingfeng did it on purpose; it was possible he really just forgot to tell her.But she couldn't help but feel disappointed, especially after telling him last night that married couples should respect each other.
She walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner and immediately noticed a boiled egg on the table.For a moment, she was stunned, but then she realized it must be the egg she had boiled in the morning, which Shen Lingfeng hadn't eaten.He had eaten the toast and milk, leaving the boiled egg. This meant he didn't mind eating her breakfast, just that he didn't like boiled eggs.Last night, when Uncle Zhang told her about Shen Lingfeng's food preferences, she had neglected to ask for details.
She rolled her eyes, thinking this man was quite fussy. What was the big deal about eating a boiled egg once in a while?That boiled egg was so conspicuous on the table, it almost felt like it was deliberately blaming her.How childish!