Chapter 109 Sui Sui's family also bought a TV

"Zhengyang!"

Cuiping was almost terrified by his reckless words.

She reached out and covered his mouth, her gaze hurriedly shifting to Xiao Zhizhi behind her.

"You, you're talking nonsense, there's no way we can be together."

“Nothing is impossible.” Li Zhengyang’s eyes were dark, but they shone brightly when he looked at her. His young and handsome face was full of unwavering determination, the kind of drive that only a young man in his prime possesses.

"I've had you in my heart for a very long time."

"Sister, I'll talk to my mom. Don't worry about anything. When I come back, I'll come to you with a generous dowry, just like Anchao did."

The little cub stood to the side, covering its mouth with its tiny hand and giggling secretly.

If circumstances allowed, she really wanted to clap her hands and shout: Together! Together!

Uncle Zhengyang is three years younger than Aunt Cuiping. He is in his prime and has no idea how to talk about love.

In other words, he hadn't figured things out before, but the first time he did was with Aunt Cuiping.

If the two of them really got together, they would be such a perfect match! Aunt Cuiping would take care of the home, and Uncle Zhengyang would handle the outside world—that would be a harmonious picture of a married couple!

No one noticed that inside the alley, Grandma Li was watching everything with a complicated expression.

*

Around noon

"—Dr. Han, what did you buy? This box is so big!!"

The family members who were washing vegetables saw the tricycle parked at the entrance of the alley and gathered around to look at it curiously.

Han Yubin jumped off the tricycle, rubbed his hands to warm them, and his hands were red from the cold as he rode all the way back from the market.

Upon hearing someone ask that question, he immediately grinned.

"Isn't it because Sui Sui likes watching TV? We thought we couldn't let the child suffer, so we decided to stop her from going to other people's houses to watch TV and just buy her one ourselves."

"Wow! This TV is the latest model! It's bigger than the one at Commander Jiang's house!"

"Yes, yes, Commander Jiang bought a lot of appliances when he got married half a year ago, but these things are updated very quickly. Dr. Han must have bought the latest model now!"

The uncles and aunts all came over to look at him, their envy and praise making Han Yubin's mouth stretch into an increasingly exaggerated grin.

After showing off at the door, Han Yubin carried the TV into the house and started installing the antenna.

As soon as I entered the house, I heard my wife, Fengmei, scolding Suihui.

"I already told you to go with Zhizhi to buy meat. We have meat coupons that can buy half a jin (250 grams), but you only brought back eight liang (400 grams), which is about the same as what we usually buy. Are you out of your mind?"

Sui Sui had changed out of her pretty clothes and was only wearing a thin, old gray jacket.

She lowered her head and explained weakly, "But Mom, Zhizhi picked the biggest piece for me. It's almost a pound, which is much better than when we can only buy half a pound and have to be careful what others say."

Upon hearing this, Fengmei immediately raised an eyebrow and reached out to pinch her cheek hard.

"I'll teach you to argue! I'll teach you to argue! Are you really stupid or just pretending? Go look at what he eats and wears, and then look at what we eat and wear. How can they be the same? Zhizhi definitely knows where to get the best deals on groceries, she just didn't tell you. I already told you to stick close to her!"

Sui Sui sobbed softly, not daring to cry too loudly.

Hearing the argument between the mother and daughter, Han Yubin felt inexplicably irritated.

"Alright, stop arguing! Come and install the TV!"

Upon hearing this, Fengmei was overjoyed. "Oh my! You really bought it? Didn't you say you'd buy it next month? What will we eat and drink if we buy it this month?"

Han Yubin frowned and scolded her, "That's just a woman's view!"

Jiang Anchao's family had a television; back in the military dependents' compound, they were quite the talk of the town.

They had just moved in, and none of the neighbors knew each other's backgrounds or were familiar with each other.

The goal was to become the second family in the entire military dependents' compound to buy a television at this time.

After all, having a television these days is a rare treat.

To put it bluntly, from now on, whenever I have nothing to do in the evenings, I'll come over to watch TV.

In a little while, wouldn't that help me build a good relationship with the former political commissar and his men?

Han Yubin's face clearly showed his disgust. He waved his hand impatiently, "If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. Do you really think Jiang Anchao is that good to that divorced woman? That he only has eyes for her and that's why he spent so much money to hire her and buy her so many appliances? That's just what he says to outsiders."

"Actually, he bought the TV to win over the children of these leaders. What do kids know? All they know is eating, drinking, and playing. So they naturally want to hang out with whoever has a TV. Now that we have a TV, and it's even bigger than theirs, we can just have Sui Sui invite Yuan Hui and the others to come over and watch TV with us!"

Sui Sui raised her head sadly, her heart filled with many questions and confusion.

What does her father really consider her to be?

He demanded excellence from her in everything. He made her beautiful so he wouldn't allow her to eat fruit. He also made her inquire about her younger sister Zhizhi's family situation and tell him everything, big or small.

She had only told her father that Zhizhi's family had a TV, as well as delicious fruits and snacks.

She wanted to share with her parents, but her mother told her to secretly hide the snacks she got from Zhizhi's house and bring them home for her younger brother.

Where is Dad?

Dad only thinks about how to flatter the leaders and how to compete with Uncle Jiang's family.

He wanted to compete with Uncle Jiang, but Uncle Jiang didn't take him seriously at all. What was the point of such a competition?

Sui Sui looked up at her father with hopeful eyes.

"Dad, Uncle Jiang really loves Aunt Deng. He will cook for her at home, and he will wash her feet when she is tired from doing housework. Can you please stop saying such things about them? They are a very good family, not like what you think."

"fart!"

Han Yubin's smile vanished instantly, his eyes filled with reproach. "This is none of your business. You just need to complete the task I assigned you!"

As he spoke, he plugged the TV in.

The light from the lit screen reflected off his glasses, revealing a determined ambition in his eyes.

Jiang Anchao was just putting on a friendly facade; in private, he was just trying to curry favor with his superiors.

Otherwise, he would never have deliberately let his daughter come into contact with Yuan Hui. Others might not know, but he did. Who was Wen Qingqian? She was genuinely arrogant, relying on being the head of the cultural troupe, she didn't put anyone in her eyes.

Previously, the former political commissar's home was known for having the worst atmosphere, and he would go to work with resentment in his heart.

And now? It's like they've grown up in the Jiang family's household; they go to visit and chat with them everywhere.

Having watched coldly from the sidelines for so long, I have witnessed Jiang Anchao rise from a newly promoted regimental commander to a position with other authority, and his future looks very promising. Perhaps by next year, he could be promoted to another rank without any problem.

With such a large, juicy piece of meat placed before him, he naturally wanted to try and see if he could reach it...

Sui Sui was frightened by her father's attitude, and she could only shrink herself into a corner as much as possible.

It turns out that her parents were using the guise of loving her, but they each had their own ulterior motives.

Buying groceries is really hard work. She thought her efforts would earn her a compliment, but no...

Sui Sui clenched her fists, longing to see Zhi Zhi at this moment.

She wanted to see Zhizhi, but every time she tried to meet Zhizhi, it gave her parents an opportunity to find out about her family.

Sui Sui's mind raced with thoughts, but finally she took a deep breath and spoke frankly in front of her parents:

"Mom and Dad, starting tomorrow, I won't go grocery shopping anymore, and I won't play with Zhizhi anymore. Please don't force me to do things I don't want to do."

The room fell silent the moment the words left his mouth.

Han Yubin frowned almost imperceptibly. He adjusted his glasses, revealing a pair of brooding eyes behind the lenses, concealing his anger.

"Do you know the consequences of saying that...?"

A wave of fear washed over Sui Sui, and her small body trembled uncontrollably, like a leaf falling softly in autumn.

Her gaze slowly shifted to the old, worn-out wardrobe beside her, which had an antique bronze lock on it, and it was always locked.

The wardrobe was cramped, barely big enough to fit two quilts.

But they never put clothes or blankets in this wardrobe; it only comes in handy when she makes a mistake or disobeys.

The space inside the wardrobe was dark and terrifying, a recurring nightmare for her...

Han Yubin took the key from his waist and bent down without saying a word to unlock the wardrobe.

'Clang!' The lock fell off and hung on the wardrobe, making a soft knocking sound. The wardrobe was slowly opened, and the smell of rotten, damp wood inside almost overwhelmed Sui Sui's heart.

Han Yubin gripped the keys in his hand, his smile now tinged with a chilling glint in his eyes.

"Sui Sui, Dad sacrificed a month's salary to buy you a TV because he loves you, but why are you getting worse and worse? I told you to learn Zhi Zhi's strengths, not to learn her weaknesses. An arrogant, rude, and ignorant child doesn't deserve to be my child."

He walked up to his daughter and raised his hand.

A hint of hesitation flashed in Fengmei's eyes, but she still stepped forward and personally took off her daughter's old jacket, leaving her only in her thermal underwear.

"Old Han, won't she catch a cold in this weather?"

Han Yubin glanced at her and said in a cold tone, "A child will not amount to anything if he is not taught properly. She dares to talk back now, and she will dare to overturn the table later. Are you planning to interfere with my education of my child?"

Fengmei pursed her lips tightly and forced a smile. "No, I'm worried about the cost of treating the child if she catches a cold. We're already struggling financially, you know. If she really catches a cold, won't you treat her?"

She glared at her daughter and pinched Sui Sui's arm hard.

"Quickly apologize to your father! Promise him you'll complete your missions properly next time, and you won't have to stay in jail! Hurry up and apologize!"

Tears streamed down Han Suisui's face from the pain; she was clearly terrified.

But, but... ...If I obey my father, I will have to keep getting close to Zhizhi and do things to her that she doesn't want to do.

Zhizhi was her second best friend after she was born. Her first best friend was a little yellow dog, and at that time, only the little yellow dog kept her company.

Later, her father killed the little yellow dog in front of her and then cooked and ate it.

They even forced her to eat it too.

Sui Sui's heart clenched violently, and pain spread throughout her limbs.

She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

"If you're going to make me hurt my friends... then Dad, please punish me."

Sui Sui spoke each word through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with fear, yet she refused to bow her head.

The gloom in Han Yubin's eyes almost materialized.

His lips twitched involuntarily as he slowly walked towards her, his shoes making a soft sound with each step.

"...Then go into the cupboard and reflect on your actions. We won't give you water or rice until you admit your mistake!"