Chapter 8
Cheng Xiangmei said, "I think it doesn't matter if it's two days earlier or later. You've already told me anyway."
Tao Zhi smiled bitterly: "This is just a misunderstanding."
Now Zhao Jun's suspicions became even greater.
After dinner, Cheng Xiangmei went home first. Tao Zhi pulled Cheng Jun aside and said, "Spend money to find someone to keep an eye on Zhao Jun. You must find out why he divorced so readily."
Cheng Jun took the money and said, "Don't worry, Mom. I will use the fastest method to figure things out."
Little Jinhe drank milk and fell asleep early.
Tao Zhi called Cheng Xing: "You should go to bed early too. I have a lot of things to do and buy. Bring Jin He with you to help me."
Cheng Xing said yes obediently, lying in bed and closing his eyes.
Tomorrow’s worries will come tomorrow. Tao Zhi turned off the lights and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Tao Zhi took Cheng Xing to the rental house and said, "Until our own house is built, this is our home for now."
Cheng Xing fell in love with the small building at first sight, and little Jinhe also screamed and danced with joy.
A mother's emotions can easily infect her children. When Tao Zhi saw this scene, she felt that the decision to move was worthwhile.
Tao Zhi went to the streets to find people, including cleaners, painters, plumbers, and door and window makers. She hired people everywhere.
She had confirmed with the landlord in advance that there was no problem with the renovation, as long as the walls were not demolished, anything else could be done as desired.
This stay will probably be for at least two years. Tao Zhi doesn't intend to put herself in a difficult position. Besides, the whole family is living here, so comfort is the most important thing.
Tao Zhi gave the project a half-month deadline, paying half the wages upfront and the other half after inspection. Of course, the sanitation workers had to be paid daily, otherwise they wouldn't work.
People's credibility is still quite good these days, so Tao Zhi let the professionals handle the job. She took Cheng Xing and Jin He with her and wandered around the city, looking for furniture and appliances.
Tao Zhi thought that these large items could still be used after moving, so she tried her best to pick the best ones, ordered the ones she liked, and waited until the house was ready before moving in.
After two days of wandering around, Cheng Jun came back with news.
As soon as Tao Zhi saw her son, she knew what was going to happen. She turned around and went back to the room. Cheng Jun came in and locked the door.
"What did you find out?"
Cheng Jun lowered his voice and said, "Zhao Jun has someone outside."
"Tell me more specifically."
"He was having a passionate affair with a woman, going in and out without hiding from others, and calling them husband and wife. Many people knew about it, but he kept it a secret from our family."
Tao Zhi slammed the table in anger, her voice like ice, "Zhao Jun is going too far."
Cheng Jun comforted her: "Mom, don't be anxious, just listen to me."
Tao Zhi took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. "Go on."
"That woman, I heard, was his first love. He went to her house to marry her, but her family disagreed, thinking his family wasn't well off. Besides, his mother had a bad reputation and wasn't someone she'd be easy to get along with. So, they rejected him on the spot."
"These two were a couple that was torn apart. The woman didn't marry well either. She was often beaten and scolded. She couldn't stand it anymore and divorced."
"When they met again two years ago, it was like dry wood meeting a raging fire. She wanted something from Zhao Jun, and she was so charming and gentle that she captivated him completely."
"So the more Zhao Jun looked at my sister, the more he disliked her. Plus, Old Lady Chen was trying to sow discord between them. Whenever he was unhappy, he would beat and scold Cheng Xing. Zhao Jun was also very cunning. He only hit her where no one else could see. That's why Cheng Xing was able to hide this from us for so long."
"This time, she was pregnant and anxious to get married, so we took advantage of the opportunity."
Tao Zhi hadn't revealed this in her previous life, which showed how capable the Zhao family was. She asked, "Does Cheng Xing know about this?"
Cheng Jun replied cautiously, "You should know at least a little bit."
Tao Zhi's last bit of hope was shattered: "Why is she so stupid?"
Cheng Jun defended Cheng Xing: "My sister is just kind."
Tao Zhi glared at him: "First, you have no wisdom, and second, you have no edge. If you only know how to be kind, then you are stupid."
Cheng Jun muttered: "That's also because you spoiled me."
Tao Zhi was both angry and amused by what she said. Cheng Jun now knew how to protect his sister. What happened in his previous life that made him completely indifferent?
This question may never be answered in this lifetime.
Tao Zhi doesn't care. As long as the present life is good, let the bad past go with the wind.
Tao Zhi asked him, "According to you, what should we do?"
Cheng Jun said, “We don’t have to do anything.”
Tao Zhi became interested: "What do you mean?"
"Cheng Xing successfully divorced and obtained custody of Jin He. We achieved both. Our goal has been achieved, so there's no need to pursue them any further. As the saying goes, forgive others when you can. What do you think, Mom?"
Tao Zhi smiled and shook his head: "You are not telling the truth."
Cheng Jun chuckled and leaned closer to Tao Zhi, saying, "That woman is a real worry. Zhao Jun's salary can't support a family. Without Cheng Xing, we'll have to pay for food, clothing, and shelter. Just wait and see, Mom. His good days are still to come."
Tao Zhi pretended to hit him, but Cheng Jun dodged with a smile: "Mom, you can rest assured now."
Tao Zhi felt relieved: "Little clever ghost."
"I'm fine now. Do you want me to go shopping with you?"
"Well, your car will come in handy."
Cheng Jun acted like a filial son for a day and felt for the first time how terrifying it was for women to go shopping. He refused to go the next day no matter what.
Tao Zhi had no choice but to let him act as driver and supervisor.
After half a month of hard work, the rental house gradually began to feel like home. During this period, Tao Zhi and the old man contacted each other by phone every day, sharing their daily lives, so Tao Zhi knew everything about the family.
Cheng Man went to school obediently. However, when her mother was away, she felt that she had no one to rely on, so she became more self-disciplined in her studies.
Qin Limin wanted to come back, but the old man did not agree. So Cheng Hui went to his father-in-law's house every day, sometimes leaving for several days without even saying goodbye to the old man.
Tao Zhi said, "Don't worry about him. He's a grown-up, he knows what he's doing."
The nature of Cheng Xiangqian's work requires him to be fully focused when operating the machine, without the slightest negligence. Otherwise, not only will the materials be wasted, but he could also suffer injuries.
Therefore, he really didn't have much energy to pay attention to his eldest son's inner thoughts. Since Tao Zhi said so, he just did it.
The house in the city was ready, and Cheng Jun moved to the third floor first, while Tao Zhi and Cheng Xing lived on the second floor.
After spending some time together, and with Tao Zhi occasionally feeding her, little Jin He began to cling to her grandmother. Tao Zhi specially decorated a children's room for her, complete with a small bed, dolls, and toys. The entire room was painted a light shell pink, full of childishness and warmth.
Little Jin He was so happy that he was climbing up and down the room, refusing to stay still for a moment. Tao Zhi thought with relief: Angel is no better than this.
After everything was packed up, Cheng Jun drove a pickup truck with the three women on his way home.
Counting the time, I have been away for almost a month.
The closer they got to home, the more Cheng Xing became timid, and Tao Zhi couldn't help but become suspicious.
She told Cheng Jun to find a place to park. After sending her youngest son away, she closed the car door, blocking out the noise outside, and faced Cheng Xing face to face. "What are you afraid of?"
Cheng Xing pretended to be calm: "Mom, it's nothing."
Tao Zhi pressed her legs: "Xing'er, you are shaking."
Cheng Xing bit her lip and was silent for a long time before she said, "Mom, what if my sister-in-law doesn't let me in?"
"When did she tell you that?"
"Just after I gave birth to Jin He."
"That was a year ago. What did she say exactly?"
"She said: 'How can a married daughter go back to her parents' home every day? If someone doesn't know, they might think you want to come back and fight for the family inheritance.'"
This is what Qin Limin could say. How much evil has this woman committed behind her back? Tao Zhi almost gritted her teeth.
"So you didn't come back, and even when Zhao Jun beat you, you didn't dare tell your mother?"
Cheng Xing lowered his head deeply, demonstrating what silence is golden.
Tao Zhi felt helpless. She took her hand and said, "Mom doesn't blame you. I just feel sorry for my precious daughter. I hate myself for not noticing your suffering sooner. Otherwise, these things might not have happened."
"What else did Qin Limin do?"
Cheng Xing raised his head, looking very surprised.
"You wouldn't do such an irrational thing just because of a few words." Tao Zhi looked at her with pity.
Cheng Xing blushed, feeling shy after being seen through, and she said coquettishly: "Mom~"
"Just tell me, and I'll make the decision for you."
"In fact, she had said something similar long before she became pregnant and before I got married. The general meaning was: let me get married soon and stop trying to take advantage of my parents' family. Everything in the family belongs to the eldest son and grandson. If I use two more, his son will have two less."
"Of course I ignored her. I was eating at my own parents' house, so what did it have to do with her? But she was pregnant, so I couldn't come to you to complain. I thought she was affected by hormones, and after a while, she would stop saying such things."
"I never thought that if I didn't stop her the first time, she would get worse the second time. Later, I didn't want to argue with her, so I rented a dormitory in the factory and got married in a hurry." At this point, Cheng Xing smiled bitterly, "In the end, I ended up hurting myself."
"Zhao Jun's family was poor, so she looked down on him even more. Later, when I went home, she not only scolded me, but also hit me twice."
Cheng Xing parted her hair and showed Tao Zhi the back of her ear, where there were two shallow marks. "She scratched it with her fingernails." Then she took Tao Zhi's hand and felt around on top of her head. "There's a small dent here. She hit it with a kettle."
Tao Zhi's tears immediately fell. She hugged Cheng Xing and sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Cheng Xing seemed frightened. She was in a panic and used a tissue to wipe Tao Zhi's tears.
"Mom, it's okay, it's all over. After this, I won't hide anything from you in the future. I'll tell you everything."
That night, after everyone arrived, Tao Zhi held a family meeting and announced the family's decision to move.
Cheng Man asked first: "Mom, what about my studies?"
"Transfer to another school. Your aunt will help."
Cheng Man was satisfied.
Cheng Hui was stunned: "Mom, what about me?"
Tao Zhi said calmly: "I've also reserved a room for you."
"Then... what about Li Min and Ming Ming?"
"The Qin family doesn't need to come in. It's obvious that they either follow you or his mother."
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