"Alright, since Miss Lou is so generous, then that's settled. Just let me know when you've set a time." Ma Hua chuckled twice. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

The Lou family is wealthy and powerful, so why would they care about such a small thing? You know, Lou Xiao'e's dowry alone amounted to several "small yellow croakers."

Lou Xiao'e glared at Ma Hua before returning home. She packed a few clothes and went back to her parents' house. Xu Damao wasn't home, and she didn't want to go hungry.

Time flew by, and darkness fell in the blink of an eye. The once bustling courtyard fell silent. Just as Ma Hua was getting ready to go to bed, he heard the cooing of birds coming from inside the courtyard.

Ma Hua was curious, so he got up and walked to the door, pulling back the curtain. He glanced outside and just saw a dark shadow flash by.

Huh, what's this? Seeing this, Ma Hua was no longer in the mood to sleep and curiously peered into the yard. After a while, he saw another figure enter the backyard and head towards the cellar.

Isn't that Widow Qin? What's going on? Could this be a secret rendezvous? Thinking this, Ma Hua could no longer contain his curiosity.

He glanced around and saw that no one else was in the courtyard. Then he gently pushed open the door. Everyone in the courtyard was already fast asleep; the courtyard was utterly silent.

Ma Hua slowed his pace and quietly approached the cellar. Good heavens, if it weren't for my 996 work schedule, a habit of late nights and early mornings, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

When Ma Hua reached the cellar entrance, he heard Qin Huairu crying inside.

"What can I do? Look at Bang Geng, he hasn't eaten meat for days and he's gotten so thin! What can I do? You heartless bastard, you don't even offer to help me out, waaaaah!"

Qin Huairu cried her heart out, tears streaming down her face, but Ma Hua, standing outside the cellar, was too ashamed to face her.

Qin Huairu became anxious when she saw that the man remained silent: "I'm doing this for Banggeng's sake! You know Jia Zhangshi is lazy and good-for-nothing, she doesn't do anything!"

There's absolutely no food left at home. What can I do if I don't borrow from someone? You seem to be living a carefree life, but do you know how hard it is to raise a child? Waaah!

"I didn't say I wouldn't care," the shadowy figure finally spoke, saying to Qin Huairu with a hint of helplessness.

"Holy crap!" Ma Hua screamed inwardly upon hearing the voice. "It's Yi Zhonghai! Holy crap, how could it be him? Oh my god, this...!"

"You heartless bastard, do you know what kind of life I'm living every day? You promised me we'd live a good life, you're a complete liar!"

Qin Huairu's pretty face flushed slightly, and tears started falling in a steady stream. Ah, what a wonderful day! She had promised herself so much before...

They say the Jia family is exceptionally good, and Jia Dongxu is handsome—he is handsome, but he's destined for a short life. His mother-in-law is supposedly very considerate—considerate my foot! She doesn't do any housework and just torments me every day. When will this ever end?

"Why are you in such a hurry? Didn't I arrange for a pillar to help you out?" Yi Zhonghai said helplessly.

"You still have the nerve to say that? Sha Zhu's penniless now, you know that! Not only do I get nothing out of him, I have to put on a smiling face and serve him every day. Do you know how disgusted I feel! Yi Zhonghai, you bastard!"

"You're inhuman! If you didn't want a son, just tell me! We're already out of food, and Banggeng is your own son! You can just wait and see him starve to death!"

Qin Huairu also became ruthless. "Ah, you promised me everything back then, but now you're not going to follow through? Fine, I'll say it like this, and I don't believe you won't give in."

"No, no, I'll give it to you, okay! It's just that I've spent a bit too much money these past few days, and I'm afraid the old lady will get suspicious." Yi Zhonghai immediately became anxious upon hearing his son's voice.

However, seeing Qin Huairu's greedy expression, he began to feel uneasy. Qin Huairu's appetite was growing bigger and bigger.

Back then, Yi Zhonghai and that older woman were truly in love. After all, Yi Zhonghai was a poor country boy who married an older woman from a wealthy family.

She had risen rapidly in her career, her life taking a significant step forward, but unfortunately, her good fortune didn't last long. She was diagnosed with a gynecological disease and became unable to have children.

At first, with an older woman watching over him, Yi Zhonghai didn't dare to act recklessly. However, as time went on, he gradually couldn't stand the strange looks from others and began to have other thoughts about the older woman.

After the older woman's parents passed away, Yi Zhonghai's desire to have a child reached its peak. However, if he were to actually dump the older woman, all the reputation he had built up over the years would be ruined.

More importantly, because of his reputation for not abandoning his wife, the neighborhood committee appointed him as the "elder of the courtyard," and with this added power, Yi Zhonghai gradually became arrogant and unwilling to give up everything he had.

She could only go to the countryside to find someone to conceive for her. Yi Zhonghai, who was ugly, didn't think much of her. Somehow, she happened to see Qin Huairu. Back then, Qin Huairu was just a country girl. She was no match for Yi Zhonghai and gave herself away in no time.

Yi Zhonghai originally intended to wait until after the child was born before explaining things to Qin Huairu, but unfortunately, Qin Huairu's parents saw him and blocked him inside the house.

Faced with pressure from Qin Huairu's parents to get married, Yi Zhonghai initially tried to continue deceiving her, but to his surprise, she wasn't buying it at all and directly asked when they would get their marriage certificate.

Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to say that he was already married and could not marry Qin Huairu, but he wanted the child. Qin Huairu was stunned when she heard this.

Qin Huairu's father was furious on the spot and picked up a stool from the ground, intending to smash it at Yi Zhonghai, but Qin Huairu's mother stopped him.

Yi Zhonghai immediately shouted, "I will take responsibility!"