His wife's tears and resolute attitude terrified Lin Yan and brought him to his senses.
He spoke to Lin Yao on the other end of the phone, his voice weary and heavy:
“Yaoyao, I really have no money left, not a single penny. Your sister-in-law… she can’t take any more stress. Let Xu Shu come back, find some real work, and stop dreaming those unrealistic dreams.”
Holding the phone, Lin Yao listened to her brother's unprecedented sternness and helplessness, and her heart sank to the bottom.
When Xu Shu called to demand money, her tone carried a sense of command and despair for the first time.
"It's all gone, not a single penny left! You'd better take what little money you've earned and come back right now!"
When Xu Shu received the telegram in Huacheng, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.
But he felt he had earned enough and could finally hold his head high.
When they went to ask "Boss" Hu for their money, they discovered that he had already disappeared, leaving only a pile of waste paper in the hotel room.
Following him were police officers from Huacheng, and other victims reported the case.
But the police said that this man surnamed Hu was a repeat offender, very slippery, and that even if they caught him, he would most likely have squandered all the money, making it virtually impossible to recover it.
That three thousand yuan was completely wasted, without even a sound.
Xu Shu then completely panicked, finding himself penniless and without even enough money for a return ticket.
In desperation, he wandered around the train station like a lost soul until he met a fellow villager who was selling clothes at a stall nearby.
His fellow villagers, seeing his pitiful state, treated him to a bowl of noodles at a roadside stall and even bought him a train ticket back to G City.
The day I returned to the military dependents' district in G city, the sky was overcast.
Xu Shu was wearing that wrinkled Brazilian suit, his leather shoes were covered in mud, his hair was so oily it was plastered to his scalp, and his always misty peach blossom eyes were dry.
Seeing him like this, Lin Yao lost all hope.
"Where's the money?"
She asked, her voice as soft as the wind.
Xu Shu turned his face away, not daring to look at her: "No...nothing."
That's it?
Lin Yao repeated those two words, somewhat bewildered, "That's all of my brother and sister-in-law's savings!"
"Is this my fault?"
Xu Shu suddenly raised his voice, venting all his anger on Lin Yao.
"It's all because your brother is incompetent and refuses to spend any more money! If you gave me another thousand, I could definitely make it back! I've had the worst luck following you; you can't help me at all!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and shoved Lin Yao hard.
Caught off guard, Lin Yao fell to the ground with a cry of "Ouch!" Her knee hit the concrete, making her wince in pain.
Xu Shu didn't even glance at her. He stiffened his neck, rushed into the room, lay down on the bed, pulled the blanket over his head, and didn't even take off his shoes.
Lin Yao lay on the ground, staring blankly at his back, at the man's furious expression.
She suddenly remembered that a month ago, Xu Shu held her hand and said...
"When I make a lot of money, I'll buy you a new dress and a car, so that everyone in the military dependents' compound will envy you."
But now, there's no new dress, no toy car, and even my brother is almost gone.
The man in front of me seemed like a completely different person.
In the past, the way he looked at me always carried a hint of ingratiating gentleness. He would never lay a hand on me, let alone say a harsh word.
Back then, when she was unhappy, she would step on his feet or twist his ears, and he would just chuckle and give her the candy in his hand.
But now, for such a small matter, he actually attacked me.
Lin Yao touched her aching knees and looked at the motionless figure in the blankets. She didn't even have the courage to cry anymore.
Now, who would dare to mess with Xu Shu?
She bet that if she tried to twist his ear like she used to, the man would definitely slap her.
The ruthlessness and disdain in his eyes were genuine.
The feeling of utter exhaustion washed over her like a tidal wave, engulfing her completely.
A chilling thought suddenly crept into my mind, accompanied by a piercing pain—
Did I really marry the wrong person?
If she had married Shen Huaichuan, at least she wouldn't have ended up emptying her brother's savings like this.
Shen Huaichuan's family is very wealthy. If she marries Shen Huaichuan, all that money will be hers. She can be like Zhou Qiqi, wearing those pretty dresses and doing nothing all day but thinking about how to spend money.
The Shen family's courtyard with its small garden, the gleaming Phoenix brand bicycle, and that military green jeep...
They're all hers!
The thought in Lin Yao's mind that she had "married the wrong person" was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, only causing a slight ripple before quickly sinking and disappearing without a trace.
impossible!
From childhood to adulthood, when has Lin Yao ever made a wrong decision?
Xu Shuge was just unlucky and encountered a swindler.
He's much better than Shen Huaichuan, who always has a stern face and is cold to everyone!
Besides having a good family background and being good at fighting, what else does Shen Huaichuan have?
Unlike her Xu Shu, who is caring and knows how to sweet-talk her to make her happy.
He just... just needs some time, needs an opportunity to prove himself.
Thinking of this, Lin Yao suppressed the unease in her heart, put on a gentle smile again, and carefully approached Xu Shu, who was still sulking.
"Brother Xu Shu, don't be angry."
Her voice was soft, with a deliberate attempt to ingratiate herself.
Xu Shu groaned softly from under the covers and ignored her.
Lin Yao moved closer and gently poked his arm with her finger, her tone a little coquettish and ingratiating.
"I have some good news that I guarantee will cheer you up!"
Xu Shu lifted his eyelids, looking listless: "What good news? Can it be better than getting rich?"
"Wow, it's almost like getting rich!"
Lin Yao lowered her voice mysteriously.
"I've arranged a blind date for Zao'er! Guess who it is? It's Aunt Zhou Shuhua's nephew! He's a train police officer, everyone calls him Young Master Lei! His family is very well-off..."
"real?!"
Xu Shu's eyes lit up instantly, and the dejected feeling from before vanished in an instant. He sat up abruptly, the blanket sliding down to his waist.
"Director Zhou's nephew from the military region? That's a really good family! If Zao'er can make it happen, you'll be the Xu family's number one hero! The whole family will dote on you!"
He reached out and pulled Lin Yao over, patting her hand symbolically as if to coax her, but the intimacy and affection were nowhere near what they used to be.
Lin Yao felt a slight pang of bitterness in her heart, but it was quickly suppressed by the vanity of being "the number one contributor to the Xu family".
"That's right! They're busy with work, and it was so difficult to arrange to meet at the state-run restaurant the day after tomorrow. If Zao'er does well, this will be a success!"
She gazed at the gray sky outside the window, secretly making plans with a sense of satisfaction.
Once Zao'er is truly married, Brother Xu will definitely think more highly of her and treat her with the same care as before.
Zhou Qiqi has a beautiful courtyard and lots of money to spend, so what?
There isn't a single good man in the family, and they're all worse than her!
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