Su Mingqiang quickly waved his hand to explain.
"It wasn't gambling! It was just... just playing around, and I got really lucky, winning over ten dollars..."
Li Jinhua stared at her husband for a while, then suddenly slammed the money on the table and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
Su Mingqiang thought she was about to get angry, so he quickly chased after her.
"Jinhua, don't be angry. I won't go anymore, okay?"
To everyone's surprise, Li Jinhua suddenly turned around, her face showing an expression of disappointment and disappointment.
"Su Mingqiang! Are you stupid?"
"ah?"
Su Mingqiang was stunned.
"You're so lucky, why don't you win more?"
Li Jinhua's voice was full of complaints.
"What can you do with so little money?"
Su Mingqiang's eyes widened, completely unexpected that his wife would react this way.
"I...I'm afraid of losing..."
"Coward!"
Li Jinhua was so angry that she stomped her feet.
"I wouldn't even take money that's free! Do you know how short of money we are right now? When I give birth, there will be hospital fees, nutrition fees, and all of those will cost money."
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, poking Su Mingqiang's chest with her finger.
"There are so many places to spend money... and you, you have the opportunity to make money but you don't dare!"
Su Mingqiang was speechless after being scolded. He lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.
"I...I'm afraid I'll lose everything..."
"lose?"
Li Jinhua sneered.
"You won today, didn't you? What does that mean? It means you were lucky! Go again tomorrow and win even more!"
Su Mingqiang looked up at his wife with some uncertainty.
"Really... going again?"
"Of course I'll go!"
Li Jinhua said firmly.
"But this time you need to bring enough money. Once you win, you can stop, understand?"
Su Mingqiang looked into his wife's sparkling eyes and nodded.
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
Li Jinhua smiled with satisfaction, then turned around and ladled the now-cold food from the pot.
"Please sit down first, I'll go heat up the food."
Watching his wife's busy figure, Su Mingqiang felt both happy and somewhat uneasy.
He touched the twenty yuan he had left in his pocket, the "capital" he had secretly kept.
Maybe...
Maybe he really can make his family live a better life with this?
The next day.
Early in the morning, Su Jianguo pushed his bicycle out of the courtyard gate.
It was a bit cold, so he tightened the collar of his cotton-padded coat.
Just as I was about to get on the bike, I suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind me.
"Uncle Su! You're out so early?"
A sickeningly sweet female voice came from behind.
Su Jianguo knew who it was without even turning around.
Xiaomei, the widow who lived next door to me.
He sighed inwardly and slowly turned around.
Xiaomei stood a few steps away, wearing only a thin pink cotton-padded jacket with a very low neckline, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin.
Her hair was clearly freshly combed and still damp, and her face was covered in a thick layer of face cream.
The most eye-catching thing was the pair of hands painted with bright red nail polish, which were now pretending to adjust their collar.
"Okay, let's go to the market."
Su Jianguo gave a brief reply, deliberately avoiding looking at her exposed neckline.
Xiaomei, however, seemed oblivious to his coldness and instead took two steps closer.
"Uncle Su, it's so cold today."
She deliberately shivered, crossed her arms over her chest, and pushed her already low-cut neckline even wider.
"Look, my hands are all red from the cold."
She stretched out her hands, painted with red nail polish, as if to show them to Su Jianguo.
Su Jianguo took a half step back, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Wear more clothes if it's cold."
After saying that, he turned to get into the car.
A hint of annoyance flashed in Xiaomei's eyes, but she quickly put on a smile again.
"Uncle Su, I heard your business is booming, selling several hundred a day!"
Her voice was loud, tinged with deliberate envy.
"You're so capable, it's truly admirable!"
Su Jianguo had already mounted his bicycle and said without turning his head.
"Just a small business, barely enough to make ends meet."
He pedaled, and the bicycle moved slowly forward.
Xiaomei chased after her for a couple of steps, unwilling to give up.
"Uncle Su! Wait a minute, I have something to say!"
"I have something to do, I'll be going now."
Su Jianguo interrupted her, stomped his foot, and sped away on his bicycle.
Xiaomei stood there, her smile vanishing instantly, replaced by boundless anger.
She stared intently at Su Jianguo's departing figure.
"You old codger!"
She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath.
"Stop pretending to be so high and mighty!"
Back in her own yard, Xiaomei slammed the gate shut, waking the old lady who was still sleeping.
"What's going on? Why are you picking a fight with the door so early in the morning?"
The old lady came out of the inner room wearing a coat, and when she saw Xiaomei's ashen face, she immediately understood.
"Another setback?"
Xiaomei plopped down on the stool, grabbed the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of cold tea, and gulped it down.
That old man is completely unreasonable!
She slammed her teacup down.
"I got up early this morning to wait for him outside the restroom, and I dressed up pretty, didn't I? But he wouldn't even look at me!"
The old lady squinted her eyes and slowly sat down opposite Xiaomei.
"He has a wife at home and has just made a fortune, why would he want a widow like you?"
What's wrong with me?
Xiaomei suddenly looked up, her eyes flashing with anger.
"I'm only twenty-six, and I'm just as good-looking as those young girls! So many men in the alley steal glances at me, but Su Jianguo is just pretending to be high and mighty!"
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