Chapter 154 Zhou Mingyuan and his wife
Time slips through our fingers, and before we know it, it's time to go back to work.
Neither Zhou Mingyuan nor He Xishan had a pleasant Spring Festival.
The verdicts for Mr. and Mrs. He have been handed down. Mr. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Mrs. He, who did not participate in the fraud but helped transfer some of the money, was sentenced to two years in prison.
The matter was settled, and He Xishan stopped making trouble, but she didn't forgive Zhou Mingyuan either. He came to see her several times, but she kicked him out each time.
He Xiaodi clapped and cheered from the side. He hadn't forgotten why his parents were in jail. He resented and hated his brother-in-law and wished his sister would drive him away.
He Xishan didn't stop her brother's actions. She looked at Zhou Mingyuan, pursed her lips, and said, "You should leave. I can't face you right now."
Zhou Mingyuan said nothing and went back.
Seeing him return looking distraught, Sun Yurong asked, "Does she still not want to see you?"
Zhou Mingyuan remained silent.
Sun Yurong suddenly asked, "With her meager monthly salary, how can she support two people and pay rent? Is that enough?"
Zhou Mingyuan lowered his head and said after a while, "I'm paying the rent, water, electricity, and gas."
Sun Yurong gave a soft snort: "She's so capable, let her pay for these expenses herself."
Zhou Mingyuan remained silent. After so many years of relationship, he didn't want to make things ugly or put her in a difficult position. Besides, she was Huihui's mother, and they were husband and wife; he had a responsibility to her.
However, many things won't happen just because he doesn't want them to.
When spring arrived and flowers bloomed in March, he went back to the place where he had rented the house, only to find that the house had been returned and he and his siblings had moved away. He didn't know where they had moved to.
He panicked, took a day off, and went to He Xishan's company to find her.
He Xishan knew he would come looking for her, so she said, "I'm at work now, let's talk at noon."
Zhou Mingyuan waited for her outside after she got off work.
At noon, the two went to a restaurant and then to a private room.
He Xishan said, "I bought a house. It's not big, only about 50 square meters. My siblings and I need to have our own house."
Zhou Mingyuan was stunned: "Where did you get the money?"
He Xishan gripped her chopsticks tightly: "I sold our wedding rings..."
He gave them that ring when they got their marriage certificate. At that time, they hadn't broken ties with the Zhou family yet. Zhou Mingyuan had money in his pocket, and the ring wasn't cheap; he sold it for a lot of money.
Zhou Mingyuan suddenly stood up, his face pale: "Do you know what a wedding ring represents? You actually sold it?"
That was the wedding ring he gave her, their wedding ring. How could she possibly sell it?
He Xishan looked up, her eyes reddening: "I have no choice. My parents are in jail, and I still have to support my younger brother. When I went to see my parents, they held my hands and cried, asking me to take care of my brother. What can I do? If one day you stop paying my rent, we won't even have a place to live. I don't want to end up on the streets..."
She knew what the wedding ring represented, of course, but her parents were right. She couldn't live without a place to call home forever. Without a house, there was no security. Even a small house was a home. So after thinking it over, she sold the ring and necklace, bought her current house, and had some money left over for emergencies.
Zhou Mingyuan's eyes were red: "I didn't say I wouldn't pay your rent, you just don't believe me."
He Xishan turned her head away: "You just call the police without considering my feelings at all. I can't trust you."
Zhou Mingyuan was startled, gave her a deep look, and strode away.
He Xishan's tears flowed down her cheeks; she knew she had pushed Zhou Mingyuan away once again.
Zhou Mingyuan returned home and saw his daughter toddling towards him: "Daddy!"
Zhou Mingyuan opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace.
His marriage wasn't a failure, was it? At least he has a baby in his arms.
Sun Yurong sat down next to him: "Your dad got married three times and divorced three times. The failure of marriage doesn't mean anything. Life is long. Take it easy. It's not a big deal."
Zhou Mingyuan didn't say anything, he just held his daughter tightly.
Sun Yurong: "When your father wanted to divorce me, I felt like the sky had fallen. I was afraid that the rich ladies in the circle would laugh at me and that my good days would never come back. Now I'm at home taking care of Huihui, and life is pretty good."
Of course, the main reason is also that she is too old to do anything like that anymore.
As people get older, they start to want a peaceful and quiet life.
Come to think of it, she only suffered a little before getting married. After meeting Zhou Kanghui, although she coaxed and pampered him all day long, she really didn't suffer any hardship.
Her life has been worthwhile.
Zhou Mingyuan was surprised to hear his mother say such a thing. He asked, "Do you regret marrying Dad?"
Sun Yurong laughed: "Regret what?"
“Your maternal grandparents were not very capable and the family was poor. I could only wear other people’s discarded clothes when I was a child. My biggest dream when I was a child was to have a new piece of clothing of my own.”
"Later I met your dad. He was generous with money and with his friends. Regardless of whether he was married or had children, I wanted to hold on to him. I'm not a good person. My goal is very clear: I want to be superior to others. I want to live a good life. I don't want my children to envy others like I did."
"I got what I wanted, and now that I've done it, I won't regret it."
Zhou Mingyuan asked blankly, "You want a good life? What does Shanshan want?"
Sun Yurong: "She also wants to live a good life. Nobody doesn't want to live a good life."
Zhou Mingyuan lowered his head: "I understand. I can't give her a good life now, so she sold the ring and bought a new house."
Sun Yurong looked at him sharply: "You're saying He Xishan sold your wedding rings?"
Zhou Mingyuan's face was full of bitterness.
Sun Yurong scoffed, "She's starting to act like a normal person now. She doesn't care about vanity or money. From houses and cars to daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, what can you do without money? She now understands the importance of money. That's right. We're all ordinary people. Who doesn't have selfish motives? Who doesn't plan for their own future?"
Who can be more noble than whom?
Those who insist on claiming to be free from vanity and money to elevate themselves while belittling others will only bring backlash upon themselves.
The less something is, the more you care about it.
After acting for so long, she even started to believe it herself.
They had been in love and had a child together. Even though she sold the ring, Zhou Mingyuan couldn't say anything to her: "I was wrong too."
He was indeed wrong; He Xishan was not a good partner, nor was he.
During this time, he has been reflecting on himself. He had indulged himself and He Xishan, giving her endless hope. She had not worked since graduation and had no social experience. She had no house, her parents were in jail, and she had a younger brother to support. She felt insecure. Selling her ring to buy a house was a manifestation of her insecurity.
But it seems he can no longer be with her.
She couldn't forgive herself for sending her parents to prison, and he also harbored resentment towards her, feeling that her feelings for him weren't pure.
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