Chapter 239 Mutual Schemes
The Bai family.
As soon as the door closed, Bai Zhenzhu's face changed. She sat down at the table angrily, pouring herself hot water while muttering, "Useless good-for-nothing who can't hold onto a man, a good-for-nothing. He could never beat me before, and now he wants money? Humph, he doesn't even know his own worth!"
"You think you can get the money out of my pocket? Dream on!"
Bai Zhenzhu had long considered the money in Qin Weimin's hands as her own; Aunt Yan's desire to take it back was simply wishful thinking. It was already a favor that she hadn't further exploited the Qin family.
Moreover, in Bai Zhenzhu's eyes, Aunt Yan was an uncultured, unsophisticated woman who only cared about men and children, a country bumpkin who spent all her time around the stove and had no self.
She has never looked down on women like that.
She never expected that this person, whom she had always disregarded, would almost expose her true colors by sheer chance.
Bai Zhenzhu's face darkened, and she tightened her grip on the enamel mug.
These meddlesome, haggard women in the courtyard really need to be taught a lesson.
Another day I'll have a good "talk" with the men in their family, and get them busy at home so they won't have time to meddle in other people's business.
snort!
Bai Zhenzhu took a sip of hot water, and her anger subsided a little.
Fortunately, Lin Dayong, that idiot, came out and disrupted everyone's train of thought with his nonsense. Otherwise, if these people had really dug deeper, his good days would have been over.
Thinking of this, Bai Zhenzhu became smug again. It seemed that it was right for her to give these stinky men a little sweetness to win them over on a regular basis. Now it had come in handy.
I haven't gone down the wrong path!
Look around this courtyard, which woman lives as carefree and easy as she does?
Hmph.
In this respect, Bai Zhenzhu was quite proud.
Bai Xiaohui carefully glanced at her mother's expression. Although she didn't know why her mother was upset when she heard others say that she didn't look like a country person, her intuition told her that she couldn't provoke her mother right now.
Seeing that her mother's complexion had improved slightly, she obediently said, "Mom, plain water tastes bland. We still have some brown sugar that Uncle Zhang gave us. I'll get it and add some for you."
Before Bai Zhenzhu could speak, Bai Xiaohui quickly ran into the house to get brown sugar, scooped two large spoonfuls for her mother, and only handed it to Bai Zhenzhu with satisfaction after seeing the water in the cup turn a dark black color.
"Mom, you drink!"
Bai Zhenzhu took a sip and found it indeed sweet, which warmed her heart.
“My daughter has finally grown up and become sensible.”
Bai Zhenzhu was filled with mixed emotions. She glanced around and, seeing that her new son-in-law, Dong Xiaodi, was not there, she took the opportunity to instruct Bai Xiaohui, "Men are like dogs. You have to give them treats, but you can't really take them seriously. Just keep them hanging on like a dog, starving them, and they'll remember you and be at your beck and call."
Isn't that how the fish in her pond are?
Isn't their wife, who's always looking haggard, good to them? That's wonderful!
They don't have to do housework or take care of the kids. They just go to work every day, and when they come home, there's a hot meal waiting for them. They're treated like royalty. But which of these lousy men cares about them? Not only do they not care, they happily come running to spend money on them at the slightest beckoning.
"Men are all shameless; you can't be too nice to them."
This is a profound saying by Bai Zhenzhu.
In the past, Bai Xiaohui was always impatient to listen to Bai Zhenzhu's nonsense, but this time, she didn't argue, but instead seemed thoughtful. "Mom, was I too accommodating to Qi Baifan before, so he gradually stopped taking me seriously?"
Bai Zhenzhu rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed at the mention of this person.
"Hmph, that kid had ulterior motives from the start. He figured out what was going on between us, mother and daughter, and when he realized we weren't helpful to him, he naturally started having other ideas."
Afterwards, she realized that Qi Baifan was after Xiaohui's job, since her family had said that Xiaohui would have a formal job when they first met.
Later, when Qin Weimin failed to get the paperwork done, this guy started eyeing their house again.
They began to subtly inquire about the property deed of their house.
Bai Zhenzhu snorted coldly, "This kid is dreaming!"
This house is the foundation upon which the mother and daughter live and make a living. How could she let a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family touch it?
They simply claimed it was a public rental housing unit allocated by the factory, and that their family did not own the property rights and therefore could not transfer it.
She still remembers the disappointed look on Qi's face.
Since then, the man surnamed Qi has become less attentive to Xiaohui.
Without a job and unable to get a house, wouldn't a person start to have other ideas?
Finally, Bai Zhenzhu said to Bai Xiaohui, "Remember what I told you. Don't be too honest when you live with Xiao Dong. You have to keep something in reserve."
"Don't tell him about our house and the money we have."
As for this Xiao Dong, she doesn't believe he just likes her daughter without wanting anything in return, but as long as it's not too outrageous, she can turn a blind eye.
Some things are judged by actions, not intentions.
Bai Xiaohui muttered defiantly, "I'm not stupid. Didn't I tell you that the guy surnamed Qi wanted our house?"
That's true. Xiaohui told me immediately when she found out that the man surnamed Qi was inquiring about the house.
My daughter doesn't need me to worry about this.
So, Bai Zhenzhu rolled her eyes and said, "You need to maintain a good relationship with his sister. As far as I know, that old bastard Ren Wenhua has made a lot of money. The Ren family is very wealthy."
Now that Ren Yongsheng has been arrested, Dong Xiangxiang, as the daughter-in-law who gave birth to the Ren family's only grandchild, will likely end up with most of the Ren family's money.
In Bai Zhenzhu's eyes, falling into Dong Xiangxiang's hands was the same as falling into Dong Xiaodi's hands.
After all, it's only natural for an older sister to help her younger brother.
Bai Xiaohui pouted reluctantly, "Mom, I know."
Bai Zhenzhu glared at her, "I know you look down on her because she's from the countryside, but don't show it in front of the siblings!"
Bai Xiaohui said impatiently, "I know, I know! Now we need to coax those siblings a little!"
Bai Zhenzhu sighed inwardly, it was a pity that the old man Ren Wenhua didn't fall for her tricks, otherwise there would have been no need for all this trouble.
Just then, Brother Dong came home from get off work.
He glanced suspiciously at the Bai family's closed door, then pushed it open and deliberately laughed, "Xiaohui, Mom, what are you two doing in the house? Why is the door closed?"
The mother and daughter inside the house changed their expressions and stopped their previous conversation.
Even if Bai Xiaohui was naive, she knew that she couldn't let Dong Xiaodi know what she had said.
Their appearance only made Dong Xiaodi more suspicious. He glanced around the house and noticed that it seemed rather empty.
He asked tentatively, "Xiaohui, what happened?"
White Pearl gave a wink.
Anyway, there's no point in hiding this.
Bai Xiaohui received the message, pouted, and said to Dong Xiaodi, "My mom and Uncle Qin are divorced."
Dong Xiaodi was taken aback; this matter was clearly beyond his expectations.
"Wait, my mother-in-law got divorced?!"
Before he left for work in the morning, his mother-in-law and stepfather-in-law were fine. How come his mother-in-law got divorced as soon as he got home from work?
I heard they've only been married for a few months!
The state-run restaurant was quite busy today. Dong Xiaodi had worked all day and hadn't come back for lunch, so he didn't know what had happened in the courtyard.
Bai Xiaohui ran over and hugged Dong Xiaodi, forcing out two tears as she explained in a hoarse voice, "Uncle Qin got into trouble and was arrested by the police. My mother was afraid of dragging us down, so she had to divorce Uncle Qin."
"Waaah... I'm all my mom will have left from now on. She's sacrificed so much for us, so we have to take good care of her."
Brother Dong: "..."
Dong Xiaodi was stunned.
He didn't know what to say. Could he say that his mother-in-law got married quickly, but divorced even faster?
No wonder, no wonder there were some clothes lying in front of the house when I came back; they belonged to my father-in-law.
Why am I suddenly feeling a little sorry for Qin Weimin?
After all, although he hadn't lived there long, he had heard Bai Xiaohui boast about how good Qin Weimin was to her and her daughter. Now that he'd gotten into trouble, he was immediately kicked out by the mother and daughter?
She left with nothing. After all, Qin Weimin had spent all his money on this mother and daughter.
Putting myself in their shoes, if something happens to me in the future, will I receive the same treatment, or even worse?
As if contemplating a terrifying scene, Dong Xiaodi shuddered.
Suddenly, I don't know if this move was right or wrong.
Seeing that the boy was still standing there, not knowing what he was thinking, Bai Zhenzhu narrowed her eyes slightly, her eyes reddening at the right moment. She took Bai Xiaohui's hand and said with a sob, "Xiaohui, what nonsense are you talking about? Our only wish as parents is for our children to live well. For you, Mom will do anything."
"Although your Uncle Qin and I have a deep relationship and he is very good to me, in order not to jeopardize your and Xiao Dong's future, Mom has to break off with him even if it's hard for me."
These words were specifically said to Brother Dong.
They emphasized both the depth of their relationship and that they wouldn't hinder his future, implying that Dong Xiaodi should be grateful. "Look, I've given you so much, you must treat my mother and me well."
Brother Dong was indeed startled, realizing that the words were directed at him.
Regardless of what he thought in his heart, he immediately stepped forward to express his loyalty, "Mom, don't worry, you've sacrificed so much for us, I will definitely treat Xiaohui well! We'll take care of you in your old age!"
Although they had only spent such a short time together after their marriage, Dong Xiaodi realized that the truly intelligent person in the Bai family was his mother-in-law, who made all the decisions, big and small. She was a woman with shrewd methods.
If I want to truly gain a foothold in this family, I have to work hard to please her.
Seemingly pleased to hear these words, Bai Zhenzhu smiled with satisfaction and patted Dong Xiaodi on the shoulder, "Good children, you are all good children!"
"As long as you live a good life in the future, all of Mom's hard work will not have been in vain."
"Of course, I won't let you go to waste, Mom."
Dong Xiaodi put his arm around Bai Xiaohui's waist and assured her.
Now that things have come to this, regardless of whether this move is right or wrong, all I can do is try my best to appease the mother and daughter.
Only in this way can the Bai family's house and money possibly fall into our hands.
He heard it from his sister; his mother-in-law was quite "capable" and must have saved a lot of money on the side. She only had one daughter, Bai Xiaohui, so who else would she give it to if not her?
If I give it to Bai Xiaohui, then it becomes my own.
It has to be said that birds of a feather flock together; his thought process is quite similar to Bai Zhenzhu's—both have a strong possessiveness towards other people's things.
However, those who scheme against others will always scheme against them.
Little Brother Dong had no idea that while he was scheming against Bai Xiaohui and her daughter, the mother and daughter were also scheming to get him to take money from Dong Xiangxiang.
...
The Yan family across the street.
The three sons and two daughters-in-law of the Yan family had been hiding inside the house listening to the commotion outside. They were all disappointed when they learned that their mother/mother-in-law had not gotten the money back.
Qin Lao Er's wife, Jin Qiaoqiao, couldn't help but complain angrily: "Mom is really useless. Why didn't she get the money back? That shameless woman Bai Zhenzhu has already divorced Dad. Why shouldn't she pay back the money? Doesn't she know to throw a tantrum when she doesn't give it to Mom?"
Qin Laoda's wife, Sun Hongmei, also said, "That's right, Mom really doesn't think about the children at all! In the end, it's that woman who benefits."
The three sons of the Qin family also remained silent with sullen faces, but they clearly agreed with what their two wives had said.
She was also secretly resenting her mother for being useless, for not knowing how to throw a tantrum and cause trouble, and for being easily dismissed with just a few words.
Ever since Dad married Bai Zhenzhu, he's spent half his salary on her. That's a huge sum of money; why couldn't he have used it for himself instead of letting that bitch have it?
The sons and daughters-in-law were discussing it animatedly.
Aunt Yan didn't say anything. She had been keeping a straight face and not speaking since she got home, and no one knew what she was thinking.
But none of the sons went up to show any concern.
Until the eldest son's eldest son, Junzi, started crying and demanding meat.
Sun Hongmei's face darkened, and she shouted loudly at them, "Mom, your eldest grandson is hungry, why aren't you cooking? What are you doing sitting there!"
"If Junzi starves, our family will have no one to carry on the family line!"
Startled awake by the noise, Aunt Yan immediately stood up and went to the kitchen. "Grandma, I'll go cook right away. We can't let Junzi go hungry!"
The kitchen immediately erupted in clanging and banging noises, a clear sign of frantic activity. However, no one in the main room went to help; after all, Aunt Yan was used to doing it this way, and they didn't see anything wrong with it.
Sun Hongmei, still annoyed, shouted at the kitchen, "We may not have any money, but the child should at least get some meat. Otherwise, how can he not feel guilty as his grandson?"
Everyone knew that Sun Hongmei was being sarcastic because she was upset that Aunt Yan hadn't gotten any money.
The three sons remained silent, simply watching their mother being scolded by her wife.
Only Wu Meifang watched the whole thing, and just stood by with a cold laugh, as if it were none of her business.
Having lived in this house for so long, she has come to understand.
This is a bunch of cowards who only know how to send women to the front lines!
Putting aside how that old hag, Aunt Yan, treated herself, she was incredibly devoted to her three sons, practically doting on them, cooking for them, doing housework, taking care of their grandchildren, and doing everything for them. But what about these sons? Did any of them ever truly respect their mother?
Whenever something happens, she always tries to get her mother to step in and act as a pawn. If things don't go well, she complains endlessly. Wu Meifang really looks down on these people from the Qin family.
If it weren't for the fact that she was infertile and no one dared to take her in, she would have divorced Qin Ziwen, that hypocritical scoundrel who was actually a eunuch, long ago.
But even if they're not divorced now, it doesn't stop her from finding happiness outside.
Hmph, Qin Ziwen, don't even think about stopping me from enjoying the pleasures of love.
In the kitchen, Aunt Yan was scolded by her daughter-in-law, and her son didn't take her side, so she felt a little wronged.
However, she quickly remembered the thought that had just flashed through her mind and comforted herself.
Once that guy surnamed Bai gets in, wouldn't all the money in her hands be hers?
...
Back home, Cheng Jiajia hadn't fully digested her food yet. While rubbing her stomach, she muttered to Yu Junsheng, "What's Bai Zhenzhu's background? She doesn't look like a rich man's daughter."
Not to mention the rural people, Bai Zhenzhu's glamorous, fashionable, and picky manner is something that a poor farmer could never have.
Yu Junsheng also seemed to be thinking about something. He said, "The Bai family's house is the same as ours; it's their own property."
The houses in the courtyard were divided into two categories: one was self-owned, meaning the houses were purchased from the original owners and the ownership was in the owner's hands; the other was houses allocated to employees by the factory after the courtyard was expropriated as a staff housing area for the machinery factory. The employees only had the right to reside in the houses, while the ownership belonged to the machinery factory.
Both the Bai and Yu families fall into this category.
If it weren't for the savings that Mr. Yu's family had accumulated in the past, the Yu family wouldn't have been able to buy these two side rooms.
But where did the Bai family get the money to buy the house?
And then there's Bai Zhenzhu's alluring charm, her knack for manipulating men...
They exchanged a glance, and both had their own guesses.
"Could she be some high-ranking official's concubine or something?"
"Very likely. Just look at how she deals with men. Most women wouldn't do that."
This kind of identity is very dangerous. "Let's stay away from them in the future, so we don't get implicated if something goes wrong."
Moreover, Cheng Jiajia recalled Aunt Yan's gaze, and she had a premonition that this time was not far off.
However, they didn't have much contact with the Bai family mother and daughter to begin with, so they'll just continue in this state. Whether or not there's a bombshell explosion won't affect them.
After the couple talked for a while, Yu Junsheng started to worry about something else.
"It's already late, why hasn't Brother Xiaosheng come back yet?"
Cheng Jiajia comforted her, "They probably encountered some trouble at the commune and were delayed."
Still not entirely at ease with people, he could only break it down and analyze it in detail:
"Based on our deductions, the person at Hongxing Commune is most likely not another child, but just an ordinary farmer. There shouldn't be any danger. Besides, Brother Xiaosheng has been in the countryside for so long, he can definitely handle things on his own. He'll be fine. Just relax. He might be back tomorrow."
"I hope so," Yu Junsheng thought with a slight sense of relief.
But that's all he could think of. What could he do if he was worried? It was too late for him to go to the Red Star Commune to look for someone.
We can only wait and see how things go tomorrow.
However, to Yu Junsheng's surprise, Ren Xiaosheng still did not return the next day.
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