After dinner, Li Guizhi went to night school, and Jiang Xiaoli obediently took out her competition books and studied diligently.

I've been busy with the food factory and interior design plans lately, so I haven't had much time to study.

She revised her study plan and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her studies.

When Li Guizhi returned home after class, she saw her daughter sitting at her desk studying diligently, and she couldn't help but show a look of satisfaction.

Hearing the noise outside, Jiang Xiaoli stretched her arms and got up to go into the main room. "Mom, you're back."

Li Guizhi put down her bag and rubbed her temples. "Studying is really much harder than working."

Jiang Xiaoli covered her mouth and chuckled, "Mom, perseverance is victory!"

Li Guizhi poured herself a glass of water and took a couple of sips. "I definitely have to keep going. Many people work all day and then go to class. I'm already doing very easily."

She reached out and massaged her mother's shoulders, saying, "Let's not rush, we can learn slowly."

The mother and daughter were chatting when a loud knocking came from outside the yard, startling them.

Li Guizhi told her daughter not to go out, and she went out into the yard and called out, "Who is it?"

"Open the door! Where have you taken my wife?! She's never home at night! You have to give me back my wife!"

It was already 10 p.m., and the man's furious shouting was jarring in the quiet residential area, quickly attracting the attention of the surrounding neighbors.

Hearing more voices outside, Li Guizhi opened the courtyard gate. "Wenling's husband, right? Didn't she go to work at the food factory? What are you doing here causing trouble?"

The man, reeking of alcohol, continued shouting and yelling, "My wife was doing so well working for you, coming home on time every day to cook for me and clean the house. Now she's gone to some lousy factory and is never home. You call my wife back, we're quitting!"

A few people around, puzzled, muttered, "What kind of job would make someone's wife stay away from home late at night every day?"

Jiang Xiaoli then came out and said, "Haven't you ever worked in a factory? Don't you know that there are different shifts and working hours in a factory? What are you doing making a scene at my house so late at night?"

The man glanced at her sideways, exhaling a breath of alcohol, "You little brat, do you have the right to speak? Get out of my way!"

He turned his head and glared fiercely at Li Guizhi, "You, surnamed Li, you'd better call my wife back right now, or you'll regret it!"

Li Guizhi pulled her daughter behind her. Furious, she rolled up her sleeves and picked up a large broom from behind the courtyard gate. "Zhang Dazhuang! Who do you think you are to bully! Try yelling at my daughter again!"

Some people, always eager for drama, exclaimed, "Wow, I never knew Sister Li had such a fiery temper!"

At this moment, Yang Hui squeezed through the crowd to Li Guizhi's side and shouted at Zhang Dazhuang, "Zhang Dazhuang! If you're a man, go out and find a job! You rely on Wenling to support you all day, and all you do at home is drink and gamble. Now you're even causing trouble at Guizhi's house. Where's your face?!"

Enraged by her words, Zhang Dazhuang raised his arm to strike, yelling, "You bitch! How dare you insult me! You're asking for it!"

Li Guizhi swept his hand away with a broom, "Stop making a scene in front of my house! Zhang Dazhuang, I'm asking you right now, do you disagree with Wenling going to work at the food factory? If you give me a definite answer now, I'll call the factory right away and make sure they pay her wages and let Wenling come back!"

Zhang Dazhuang staggered as she swept him away, then he simply plopped down on the ground and acted like a rogue, "No way! My wife has to work, but only day shifts, the kind where she has to come home at noon to cook for me!"

Aunt Cao, who was standing nearby, spat and said, "That's like a toad yawning. What a big mouth you have! Why don't you just say you want to lie at home all day and have someone pay you a salary?"

Li Guizhi was too lazy to argue with a drunkard. "Yang Hui, could you please go to the convenience store and call the factory to bring Wenling back?"

Less than half an hour later, Wenling returned, and Li Guizhi was about to tell her to take Zhang Dazhuang back.

Wenling spoke first, "Sister Guizhi, I work so hard at the factory, how can you treat my husband like this? It's cold outside, what if he catches a cold sitting on the ground?"

Jiang Xiaoli was speechless. She pulled her mother back into the yard and told Wenling, "You don't need to work anymore. Go to the factory tomorrow to complete your resignation procedures."

After saying that, he ignored Wenling's reaction and closed the courtyard gate.

Li Guizhi slammed her fist on the table in anger in the main room, "That Wenling is really clueless!"

Jiang Xiaoli put her arm around her shoulder and said, "Mom, everyone chooses their own life. She is willing to live that way and support her man that way. It's none of our business. If she causes trouble, we'll just stop using her at the factory. It's ridiculous that she thinks she can blackmail us by singing a few songs."

Li Guizhi gulped down a few mouthfuls of water to calm herself down. "She's a very efficient worker, but her brain is a complete mess. There's no hope for her."

"Okay, Mom, don't be angry. It's not worth getting angry over someone like that."

The next morning, when Jiang Xiaoli returned from her morning run, she found a crowd gathered in front of her house again.

Upon seeing her return, Wenling immediately moved closer to her, forcing a flattering smile.

"Little Pear, I was a bit anxious yesterday, I'm really sorry. My husband didn't mean anything by it, so please let me continue working at the factory, okay?"

Jiang Xiaoli glanced at her; that smile was so fake.

She said expressionlessly, "No, the factory will not force any employee. Your family is unhappy with your working hours. This time they can make a scene at my house, next time they can make a scene at the factory. We can't tolerate someone like you. You should find another job."

Upon hearing this, Wenling knelt down in front of her without hesitation.

Jiang Xiaoli jumped back in fright, her disgust even more pronounced. "You kneel to heaven, earth, and your parents? What are you doing? Trying to morally blackmail me?"

Wenling lowered her head for two seconds, and when she looked up, tears were streaming down her face. "Xiaoli, I'm the only one in my family who earns money. If I lose this job, how will my family survive? You're going to starve us to death!"

Jiang Xiaoli was so angry she laughed. "Auntie, all you've done is work at my house and at the factory for about a month. By your logic, your family are all fairies who used to live on dew?"

"Hahahaha!" Laughter erupted from the crowd watching the commotion. "That's right, Sister Li's family only hired them for work for about a month or two!"

Wenling was speechless. She remained kneeling and refused to get up. She turned her gaze to Li Guizhi and said, "Sister Guizhi, you know my family's situation. Please, have mercy on me and ask Xiaoli not to fire me, okay?"

Li Guizhi didn't even glance at her, pulled her daughter home, and turned to Wenling, saying, "You're not a child anymore, stop kneeling all the time. Instead of wasting your time, go to the factory, settle your wages, and find a new job."