Two more mouths to feed were suddenly added to his family. His salary was meager, and he had to send money back to his parents every month. Every month, after receiving his salary, he would do the math: rent, utilities, money sent to his parents, and other miscellaneous expenses, there was hardly anything left.

He now wishes he could stretch every penny to three. He really misjudged this time. He thought he had married a rich girl, but she turned out to be a burden. He didn't get any benefits and even lost a lot of money.

He can't even support himself now, how can he support a child? The man from humble beginnings had a gloomy look in his eyes and his mind was in turmoil. Suddenly, a crazy idea popped into his head. He stared intently at Li Qiqi's belly and didn't hear what she said at all.

Li Qiqi repeated herself, and only then did the Phoenix Man hear her. His face darkened immediately. The thought that had suddenly popped into his head became clearer and clearer, but he was still hesitant. After all, it was a life, and Li Qiqi might not agree.

"Aren't prenatal checkups free? Why do we have to pay?" the man from a poor background asked impatiently.

“Down syndrome screening isn’t free; it costs 180 yuan. It’s for detecting fetal abnormalities. The doctor said it would be too late if we didn’t get it done soon,” Li Qiqi said softly, avoiding the man’s eyes, her heart pounding with anxiety.

The man from humble beginnings turned even angrier. He slammed down his chopsticks, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and only after pulling one out did he realize that there was only one left in the box. He hesitated for a moment, then lit the cigarette, crumpled the cigarette box into a ball, and threw it forcefully into the trash can.

Since getting married, he hasn't even been able to afford cigarettes anymore. He can't live like this anymore and has to find a way to get rid of this trouble.

"Honey, go outside and smoke. It's not good for the baby." Li Qiqi covered her nose, a wave of sadness washing over her. For the first time, she felt the hardship of life.

She used to spend more than 180 yuan on a casual meal when she went out, and she was never short of money. But now she is penniless and has to ask her husband for money to get a Down syndrome screening. That feeling is terrible, like her dignity has been trampled underfoot.

The man pretended not to hear and continued smoking, filling the room with smoke. Li Qiqi coughed several times and got angry, her tone sharp, "Can't you go outside to smoke? Secondhand smoke is more toxic than direct smoking. Do you want the baby to be exposed to secondhand smoke from a young age?"

As a former member of the school's debate team, Li Qiqi was eloquent, and the "phoenix man" couldn't out-argue her at all. His expression grew increasingly gloomy. After Li Qiqi finished speaking, she asked about the 180 yuan again.

"No need to check anymore."

The man from humble beginnings suddenly said something, then took a deep drag on his cigarette. His fingers trembled, and the cigarette burned down to the butt, scalding his fingers. He angrily stubbed out the cigarette, and seeing Li Qiqi's astonished expression, his temper flared up again. He said, "I'm not checking anymore!"

"What do you mean by not checking?" Li Qiqi asked back.

"It means exactly what it says, don't you understand?" the man roared.

"The doctor said this test is necessary, otherwise we can't guarantee the baby's health," Li Qiqi explained patiently, but her heart ached and she was a little scared. She had never seen a man so fierce before.

"What kind of guarantee is that? Can't you understand human language? This child can't be born, so there's no need for any tests."

Li Qiqi finally understood and questioned in disbelief, "What's wrong with you? You wanted to keep the baby, but now you're saying you don't want it. It's been four months, and the only option is a D&C. Do you know how much I'll suffer? Is this how you love me? What happened to your promises?"

"Back then? Hmph... If I had known back then that you were an unwanted burden at home, how could I have married you?" The man from humble beginnings sneered, finally speaking his mind.

"What do you mean? Explain yourself!" Li Qiqi's heart sank to the bottom.

"Are you brainless? Don't you realize that you're a used-up woman? If it weren't for your father who owns a law firm, what man would even look at you? But look at you, you've ruined your relationship with your own father and fallen out with your own mother. Neither your father nor your mother cares for you, and you don't get a single penny of benefit from your parents. And you still expect me to support you?"

The man from humble beginnings was extremely sarcastic and resentful. He had gone to great lengths to please Li Qiqi, hoping to gain a foothold in Pingjiang, but in the end, he married a worthless, worn-out woman. He knew from the first time that Li Qiqi was not a virgin, and he felt disgusted at the time, but he endured it for the sake of his future. Now that he couldn't get any benefits, he was not going to endure it anymore!

Li Qiqi trembled with rage, her face turning deathly pale. She thought she had finally found true love, but who knew this man had been using her from beginning to end? Damn bastard! Enraged, Li Qiqi rushed up to the man from humble beginnings and slapped him hard across the face.

She deeply regretted not listening to her grandparents and Yu Anning, and for trusting this scumbag.

Caught off guard, the man from humble beginnings was slapped across the face, his cheek burning. Enraged, he retaliated with a slap of his own, yelling, "You dare hit me too!"

Li Qiqi was slapped hard across the face, her body falling backward due to inertia. Unable to stop in time, her lower back hit the table, her stomach throbbing with pain. She lay on the ground groaning, blood slowly seeping from beneath her.

"It hurts so much... take me to the hospital..." Li Qiqi's face was covered in cold sweat, and her voice was weak as she pleaded for help from the man from a poor background.

The man from a poor background was initially startled and his first reaction was to call 120 (emergency services). However, he stopped after dialing only 1. He reasoned that going to the hospital would definitely cost money, and since it was just bleeding and wouldn't kill him, it would be better to abort the child and save on surgery fees.

Li Qiqi fainted from the pain. The man from humble beginnings had gone out to eat, ignoring Li Qiqi's life or death on the ground. Hearing the door close, Li Qiqi shed tears of despair. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to crawl to the windowsill. There was a shocking bloodstain on the ground. Using the last bit of strength, Li Qiqi reached her hand onto the windowsill, where there was a potted cactus. She pushed it hard, and the pot fell to the ground. Li Qiqi then fainted.

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