What Qiu Jingwen didn't know was that,

Ever since her husband rode his bike to the clinic that afternoon to ask her about the family savings account, Jiang Yuping had been pondering what her husband meant by asking about money. His subsequent request for three thousand yuan that evening made Jiang Yuping feel that the matter was extremely serious!

After all, three thousand yuan is an astronomical sum for them, whose monthly salary is only forty-odd yuan.

Her husband has no brothers or sisters, his parents disappeared before the liberation, and his sister disappeared after the liberation. What does he need so much money for?

When Qiu Jingwen saw his wife ask a question, he did not respond immediately. Instead, he turned around and gently put his arm around Jiang Yuping's waist.

After about half a minute, he finally asked his wife:

"Yuping, how many years have we been married?"

Without hesitation, Jiang Yuping replied:

"We got married on National Day in 1953. In a few months, it will be exactly twenty-four years."

"Yu Ping, do you think I'm a good person?"

"Of course you're a good person. You're kind, gentle, responsible at work, and responsible to your family and children. It's strange, why would you ask that?"

"Hehe, I'm a good person. So let me ask you, what if one day everyone says I'm a bad person? How would you feel?"

"Jingwen, what happened? How could you be a bad person? You are the best man I have ever met in this world."

Qiu Jingwen did not respond further.

He laid his wife down on the bed, then buried his head in Jiang Yuping's warm and slightly plump arms.

There was a long period of silence.

Qiu Jingwen said sadly:

"Yuping, I recently encountered something that has made me feel very, very tired, so tired that I feel like I'm suffocating."

Yes, Qiu Jingwen used the word "suffocation," and that's exactly how he felt.

Jiang Yuping didn't press the matter directly, but instead gently stroked her husband's head.

She gently stroked Qiu Jingwen's hair, as if waiting for her husband to speak to her.

However, her husband didn't say a word, and just buried his head in her arms.

In the end, Jiang Yuping couldn't hold back any longer.

She first stroked her husband's head, then kissed him on the forehead.

"Jingwen, as the saying goes, it takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat ride and a thousand years to share a pillow. We are husband and wife, and we have five children. Is there anything you can't tell me? What exactly happened? I know this must be a big deal, and it's not even about work or women. Your behavior these past two days has been so unusual, and it's making me very worried. I'm a doctor, so please tell me, and I'll help you bear this burden, okay?"

"No, Yuping, I can't talk about this. If I do, I'll become a bad person."

"Jingwen, you're not going to tell me that you've done bad things, like murder, arson, or robbery?"

"No, absolutely not. I swear to God, I, Qiu Jingwen, have never done a single bad thing to this day."

"Then what is the reason for this? What has made you like this? I am your wife."

"Yu Ping, I need three thousand yuan."

"Jingwen, I can withdraw three thousand yuan from the bank and give it to you, but you have to let me know what you're going to do with it. Even if you're spending it on another woman, I need to know. This is almost all our savings and assets from the past twenty years!"

“Yuping, you know this has nothing to do with women. Don’t force me to tell the truth, okay? I need this three thousand yuan.”

"When do you need it?"

"I must come up with three thousand yuan the day after tomorrow, otherwise---otherwise."

"Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise, I'll be completely finished, and our family will be finished too---".

As Qiu Jingwen spoke, her nose tingled and tears streamed down her face.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuping was shocked, as if she had been bitten by a venomous snake.

Listen carefully to the underlying meaning.

The husband has put it this way, so the situation is far more serious than it seems!

Jiang Yuping, who has been a doctor for so many years, is not a woman with low intelligence.

She usually enjoys reading detective novels, including Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as various war books. She keeps several ancient detective novels by her bedside, including books about Di Renjie and Bao Gong solving cases.

As she spoke with her husband, she even began to think that he must have some kind of leverage over someone, which was why he was being extorted for three thousand yuan. Otherwise, Jiang Yuping couldn't explain why her husband wanted such a large sum of money.

While Qiu Jingwen and Zheng Yanshi were at Yunxi Town, Jiang Yuping was alone at home and thought that even if her husband had an affair with another woman, and the woman wanted to blackmail him, she wouldn't ask for three thousand yuan. Tens or hundreds of yuan would be a huge sum.

Thinking of these things, she whispered in Qiu Jingwen's ear.

"Jingwen, tell me honestly, is there something you've done that someone has that's going to blackmail or threaten you?"

Qiu Jingwen was startled when he heard this; he knew his wife was right.

He thought to himself, "This is no ordinary leverage; I'm a spy who's been lying low for years!"

Now my superiors have contacted me and are demanding 3,000 yuan from me, saying they'll pay me back when the activity funds come through.

After all, Qiu Jingwen had received professional training, so he naturally couldn't let his wife worry.

He held his breath and composed himself.

"Yu Ping, you're overthinking it. We've been married for almost 24 years. Do you think I have any leverage over anyone? I really have my own reasons. Just tell me, should we take the money or not?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!