Chapter 185 Unexpected Changes
"You two, one as stubborn as an ox, the other as stubborn as a donkey, neither of you is willing to back down after an argument, and in the end you just feel frustrated with each other?"
She didn't believe it at the time, but now that I think about it, it really is true.
"Alright, alright, I was wrong, okay? I didn't dare say anything because I was afraid you'd get angry."
She finally raised her head, her voice lowering.
"You just had surgery, I really shouldn't have kept it from you, Lao Song, I'm such a bastard."
Shen Cuifen is right. When a couple is living together, they need to be open and honest with each other.
Hiding things will only cause them to accumulate and eventually crush the relationship.
She understands this principle.
But when I get angry, I can't help but say harsh words first.
"I won't sneak away next time, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Song Lei snorted coldly.
"Let's let it go this time. Come on, let's talk outside."
He had actually already changed his mind.
But you have to be firm in your words, otherwise it will seem like you're too easily swayed.
After saying that, he wiped the sweat from his brow and stood up.
The movement was a bit rushed, and my knee made a cracking sound.
He frowned, straightened his back, and walked out.
Zou Qiuyue noticed that he was walking a little unsteadily, so she quickly stepped forward and gently placed her fingers on his arm.
Song Lei wanted to say something.
"I'm strong enough to take on Zhang Kesheng one-on-one, do I need your help?"
Seeing her worried expression, he said nothing and let her support him.
Seeing the two of them like this, Shen Cuifen finally felt relieved.
She quietly took half a step back, a relieved smile appearing on her lips.
The four of them walked to the stairwell, and Shen Cuifen took out a piece of paper and handed it over.
"This is what I saw with my own eyes today, see for yourselves."
The two men stared at Zhang Kesheng's signature, trembling with anger.
Song Lei pressed his finger firmly against the name, his eyes burning with rage.
"That beast! He wants me, Xiaomei, to serve his mistress?!"
Zou Qiuyue's face flushed red with anger, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"How old is she? What right does she have to support his woman?!"
"I may not have the destiny, but I'll still pretend to be an emperor!"
Song Lei cursed through gritted teeth.
He crumpled the paper into a ball and slammed it to the ground.
"Does he think he's some kind of local tyrant? He can do whatever he wants?"
Zou Qiuyue wished she could rush out immediately and confront Zhang Kesheng.
Song Lei grabbed her arm.
"Look at you, saying I'm impatient? Calm down yourself!"
His tone was stern, but it concealed his worry.
"Why are you causing trouble now? What if something happens?"
Song Lei was also furious, but he thought exactly the same thing as Shen Cuifen.
Impulsiveness won't solve problems; instead, it will give others ammunition against you.
The most important thing right now is to gather evidence.
Only irrefutable evidence can force him to bow before the law and prevent him from ever recovering.
Song Lei stared coldly at the wad of paper under his foot and said in a low voice.
"This matter is not over."
Zou Qiuyue burst into tears.
She suddenly threw herself into Song Lei's arms, clutching his clothes tightly with both hands.
"Old Song, why is our daughter so unlucky! She's so young, yet she has to suffer so much!"
"Zhang Kesheng and his mother are like two venomous snakes!"
She raised her red-rimmed eyes and said through gritted teeth.
"One is treacherous and cunning, the other is all pretense; they've been scheming behind Xiaomei's back countless times! They'd love for Xiaomei to get into trouble every day! If she does, they can kick her while she's down, they'd love to push her to her death!"
Song Lei held her tightly, gently patting her back with his other hand.
"Yes, we need to get serious."
He finally spoke.
"We can't back down any further. Another step back and we're into an abyss. This time, we have to make them return every penny they've taken, not a single cent less!"
"That money was earned with our lives! Why should they take it?"
"Thanks to Cuifen for thinking things through."
He continued, his voice softening slightly.
"If she hadn't reminded us to hide these things and keep the evidence, we would have been unable to swallow this insult, as the Zhang family would have profited from us for nothing."
Zou Qiuyue leaned against him, sobbing, her face covered in snot and tears.
Shen Cuifen watched from the side, her eyes also reddening.
She quietly lowered her head and wiped the corner of her eye, forcing back her tears.
"Sister Mingyue, don't just keep crying,"
She stepped forward and gently took Zou Qiuyue's hand.
"Did you really hide the thing where I told you to the other day? Did anyone see it? Or leave any trace?"
“Zhang Kesheng is the kind of person who can turn on you faster than flipping through a book. If he suddenly reports you for possessing contraband, even if it's just shoes, he can accuse you of ‘harboring stolen goods’.”
Zou Qiuya hurriedly stepped away from Song Lei's embrace.
She wiped her tears haphazardly with the back of her hand and lowered her head in embarrassment.
"It's well hidden. There are only a few pairs of shoes, not many."
She tried to compose herself, but her voice was still trembling slightly.
“I hid in a very well-hidden place, in the cellar behind the old house where half of it had collapsed. It was covered with straw and rotten wooden planks, so no one could tell anything was wrong even after the wind and sun had blown it away.”
"Nobody knows except me. Even your brother Song is keeping it from us, afraid he might let it slip."
When she mentioned keeping the secret to herself, a slight smile appeared on her lips.
After all, it was the first time she felt she had done something smart.
But just as her smugness began to surface, she was suddenly stunned.
Song Wenhua will be back in a few days!
When he comes back, he'll definitely bring a ton of stuff; where will there be room to hide it at home?
"Oh no! We're doomed! Wenhua is coming back, and with all that luggage, there's no room at home. We'll definitely have to move things over there..."
Zou Qiuyue's face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
"If we get caught, it'll be all over! If the shoes are found out and it's said to be smuggled goods, Wen Hua's job will be ruined, and he might even go to jail!"
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and her legs started to go weak.
Song Lei reached out and pressed down on her shoulder, his eyes resolute.
“I had already thought it through. Cuifen said things are getting tense lately, and an inspection team has already come down to investigate at my workplace. So last night I asked someone to pass on a message to Wenhua not to bring anything back.”
"He realized the importance of the matter and agreed to only bring a few changes of clothes, leaving the rest with a friend until things calmed down."
It wasn't just because of rumors, but also because Xiaomei's situation was still unresolved.
The child's emotional and psychological issues are all hanging in the balance; we can't let her face too many changes rashly.
"Hey, Lao Song, how come you're so quick-witted!"
Upon hearing this, Zou Qiuya immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Lei curled his lip, a hint of smugness appearing on his face.
"Then will you dare to hide things from me again? Will you shoulder everything alone? Do you think you can support the whole family?"
He squinted and deliberately drew out his voice.
"If Cuifen hadn't reminded you this time, how long were you planning to keep it a secret? Hmm?"
Zou Qiuyue chuckled twice and nodded repeatedly.
"I won't do it again, I won't do it again. I'll tell you everything from now on, and I'll never hide anything from you again."
After she finished speaking, she turned her head and glanced at Shen Cuifen and Shen Zhongshun, who were trying not to laugh, and muttered something under her breath.
"Zhongshun, you really need to learn from your Uncle Song's brain. That guy is methodical and very clever. But don't be like him, so petty and he holds grudges over the smallest things!"
Song Lei stood aside, pretending not to hear what was said, and watched Zou Qiuyue's back with a smile.
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