Chapter Ninety: Li Hongjuan's Tragic Life
She found those women and told them what Zhong Xiaoxiao had said, and they all found it unbelievable.
"Does Zhong Chengyi think he's some kind of precious person? He wants to find a pretty girl, someone from the city with a job. Doesn't he even know his own worth?"
"Isn't that right? I was thinking that since he'd already been reassigned, even if Aunt Zhang really married Secretary Song, what benefits could he possibly gain?"
"He's putting on airs, doesn't he even consider whether he's good enough for the job!"
"It's like a toad trying to eat swan meat!"
Because of this incident, Zhong Chengyi encountered a lot of disdain from young women and older women in the village in the following days.
But he didn't care.
After all, he really didn't care about the people in the village.
Meanwhile, Zhong Chengfa rushed to Lijia Village and went straight to his father-in-law's house.
"Hongjuan! I've come to take you home!"
Li Hongjuan's stay at her parents' home during this period was incredibly miserable. She had endless chores to do every day, and her meals consisted mainly of coarse grain buns, which weren't even enough to fill her stomach.
That's bad enough, but she also has to endure her brother and sister-in-law's insults every day, and her parents don't stand up for her...
Li Hongjuan felt somewhat broken down. Because of the constant labor and lack of food, she quickly lost weight and was no longer the arrogant and smug person she was when she was still at Zhang Chunxue's house.
Hearing Zhong Chengfa's voice, she was overjoyed, feeling that her suffering had finally come to an end, and immediately wanted to run outside.
He had only taken two steps when his sister-in-law stopped him.
"Where are you going? The laundry isn't finished yet!"
Li Hongjuan stopped and looked at her hesitantly: "Sister-in-law, Cheng... Chengfa... he's here to pick me up!"
"Even if he comes to pick you up, you still have to finish your work first!" Sister-in-law Li said with a righteous indignation. "Otherwise, if you just leave like that, who will do all the work you've left behind?"
Before Li Hongjuan could speak, Zhong Chengfa had already rushed in.
Seeing that Li Hongjuan was about to do laundry, he reached out and pulled her, saying, "What are you still washing? Hurry up and pack your things and come home with me!"
Li Hongjuan spoke weakly, "I...I haven't finished washing my clothes yet! I'll have to wait until I'm done..."
Zhong Chengfa was a little annoyed: "Whose clothes are these? Why do you have to wash them?"
He immediately recognized that the clothes inside were men's, and snorted coldly, "Is there no one else at home? Hurry up and pack your things and come back with me!"
He thought to himself that he still had a pile of clothes that no one had washed!
Li Hongjuan immediately looked at Li Dasao.
Sister-in-law Li's eyes darted around, and she immediately said, "Chengfa, since you're here, let's also calculate Hongjuan's food, drink, and other living expenses at home during this time. You can settle the bill."
Zhong Chengfa's eyes widened upon hearing this: "My wife went back to her parents' home, and you treat her like a donkey every day. How dare you ask me for food expenses?"
Sister-in-law Li said quite matter-of-factly, "Look at what she's done since she came back! She just sweeps the yard and washes clothes... You know your wife is a glutton! She eats the most in the whole family! What's wrong with asking you for some money for food?"
"Besides, Zhong Hongqing ate quite a lot at home before, and I haven't even asked you for his food expenses yet!"
Zhong Chengfa was so angry he laughed: "How much can a little brat like Hongqing eat? Besides, didn't I take Hongqing away a long time ago?"
He pointed at Li Hongjuan, his face full of anger: "Look how hungry my wife is! How dare you say she's the one who eats the most in your family? I don't think she's ever had a full meal!"
Sister-in-law Li put her hands on her hips and said, "We don't give her much, but Hongjuan will steal some!"
"Have you forgotten why your mother wanted you to divorce? Wasn't it because she stole food from the house, Mom? That's the kind of person she is!"
Zhong Chengfa choked for a moment, then immediately looked at Li Hongjuan: "Tell me yourself, is this supposed to be for your mother's food expenses?"
Sister-in-law Li spoke first: "Hongjuan, you'd better think this through! Otherwise, if you and Chengfa have another fight and you want to run back to your parents' home again, I won't allow it."
Li Hongjuan flinched, her eyes flickering as she looked at Zhong Chengfa: "How about... how about we give it to him?"
Zhong Chengfa's face immediately turned ashen, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "I came to find you as soon as we separated from the family, and you still want me to give your mother and daughter food expenses? This is your own parents' home, not some guesthouse outside!"
Hearing this, Sister-in-law Li's eyes lit up, and her voice rose a few decibels: "You've divided the family property? You must have gotten a lot of money, right?"
Her eyes were filled with greed.
Li Hongjuan was also shocked: "They've separated the family?"
Does this mean she can make all the decisions at home from now on? And she won't be controlled by that old hag Zhang Chunxue anymore?
Thinking of this, Li Hongjuan was so excited that she trembled all over.
The people inside came out when they heard the commotion.
Upon hearing that Zhong Chengfa had split up the family business, they revealed the same greedy expression as Sister-in-law Li.
Li Hongjuan's father, Li Dazhuang, rubbed his hands together: "Oh dear, Chengfa, what brings you here? You didn't even bring your father anything as a token of your respect... What son-in-law visits his father-in-law's house empty-handed?"
His gaze remained fixed on Zhong Chengfa's purse.
Zhong Cheng was already furious, and upon hearing this, he immediately retorted irritably, "I'm not here to visit my father-in-law today; I'm here to pick up Hongjuan and take her home!"
Sister-in-law Li immediately retorted, "You need to settle Hongjuan's food expenses for these past few days, and then you can take her back immediately."
"He just eats rice at home every day and is always crying and whining, which is annoying and bad luck."
Zhong Chengfa chuckled: "Hongjuan came back to stay for a few days, and you asked her for food expenses. Shouldn't you also calculate how much money you owe me for all the things Hongjuan brought back from my house before?"
He thought this would give him leverage over the Li family, but Li Dazhuang was surprisingly assertive: "Chengfa, you're wrong. That's money you're using to support your parents-in-law, how can you calculate it as money? Right?"
"That's just too shameless."
Zhong Cheng scoffed coldly, "You have the nerve to ask your daughter who's visiting her parents to pay for her food?"
Sister-in-law Li smiled and said, "You can't say that. It's one thing if Hongjuan comes back for a day or two, but it's been ten days or half a month. She's been staying at her parents' house the whole time, not contributing anything, just eating... Can't we ask for some living expenses? These days, no one is rich!"
Zhong Chengfa didn't give up and looked at Li Hongjuan again: "Li Hongjuan, what's your own opinion? What are you really thinking?"
Li Hongjuan didn't want to stay at her parents' home any longer.
She was willing to do anything as long as she could leave with Zhong Chengfa immediately, so she nodded hastily: "Chengfa, give them to them!"
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