Chapter 96 Lin Wanwan steals money to support her family
After marriage, the couple stayed together for seventeen years. The following year, they welcomed their daughter, and ten years later, they had a son. Lin Jianguo was enjoying immense success.
However, he was not content with simply being a factory worker.
Under the influence of the times, he reported his father-in-law's family, which led to their being sent to the countryside. Because of this report, he was promoted to a technical backbone of the machinery factory.
Subsequently, he divorced Xu Nuoyan.
Just a few months later, he brought Zhang Jiumei, a woman from the countryside, and her children into his home.
But no one knew that Zhang Jiumei had once bowed to heaven and earth with him, and although they did not have a marriage certificate, they had lived as husband and wife.
Lin Jianguo abandoned his conscience time and time again for his own future.
But did he really do something wrong?
In his view, he was not wrong.
All of this seems to be the fault of the times.
He longed to stand out from the crowd, to become a recognized and useful person, and didn't want to be looked down upon all the time.
Even though he married the daughter of a scholarly family, he was still seen as a gigolo who relied on women to climb the social ladder, and no one saw the hardships he had endured along the way.
Zhang Jiumei was startled by Lin Jianguo's sudden roar, a hint of resentment and anger flashing across her face: "The Lu family? The Lu family isn't so easy to climb up to. With Wanwan's qualifications, do you think they'd even look at her?"
Lin Jianguo frowned and glared at Zhang Jiumei: "Stop boosting others' morale and belittling your own. Wanwan is pretty. As long as she dresses up properly and finds a way to get close to that Lu family boy, she'll have a chance. After all, Wanwan is that Lu family boy's fiancée."
Lin Wanwan also chimed in, sobbing, "Mom, I'll listen to Dad. I don't believe I'm inferior to Lin Zhili. As long as I can marry Lu Jiahao, I'm sure I can make our family live a good life."
Zhang Jiumei looked at her daughter and sighed with heartache: "Alright, let's think of a way then, but the Lu family has high standards, so we have to be careful, lest we end up losing more than we gain."
"Oh, just listen to me, it's absolutely right! Wanwan is my own flesh and blood, how could I possibly cheat her? You old hag, stop nagging in my ear all day long, it's so annoying."
"Old Lin...you..." she murmured, as if she had a thousand words to say, but didn't know where to begin.
Hearing her parents arguing, Lin Wanwan felt both angry and anxious. She stomped her feet and cried, "Dad, Mom, stop arguing! I don't want to go to the countryside. I must find a way to marry Lu Jiahao. Once I become a member of the Lu family, I won't have to suffer like that anymore."
Lin Jianguo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He looked at Lin Wanwan and said earnestly, "Daughter, you must seize this opportunity. No matter what it takes, you must get the Lu family to agree, otherwise our family will have no way to survive."
Lin Wanwan bit her lip, a resolute glint in her eyes, and secretly vowed to achieve her goal and never let herself suffer in the countryside.
Lin Wanwan leaned against her small bed covered with brand-new floral sheets, idly twirling the ends of her hair that hung over her shoulders, a smug look on her lips.
“Going to the countryside? Hmph, Lin Zhili, you think that scheming to send me to the countryside is something only people like you with no connections have to suffer? As for me, I won’t have to go for a long time. Someone will arrange everything perfectly for me.”
"Lin Zhili! In this lifetime, I will never go to the countryside to suffer! I've taken all the people you like. You're a complete waste of space, a useless piece of trash. No one will ever truly like you!"
Not long after, Lin Wanwan successfully married Lu Jiahao and was fortunate enough to avoid the fate of being sent to the countryside to suffer.
The reason for this was that she was already pregnant.
At that time, Lu Jiahao was completely unaware that Lin Jianguo had been dismissed, and Lin Jianguo, through some unknown means, facilitated Lin Wanwan's smooth marriage.
However, when the Lu family later learned of this news, they immediately showed displeasure.
Lin Wanwan and Lu Jiahao's wedding was hastily held on a rare sunny day.
There was no fanfare, no grand banquet, only a few relatives and neighbors from the machinery factory's residential compound were invited to sit in the Lu family's relatively spacious tenement building.
It is said that Lu Jiahao's mother, the neighborhood director who was always known for her dignified demeanor, kept a straight face the whole time and couldn't even manage a decent smile.
Lin Wanwan's life was indeed not good. Lu Jiahao's mother seemed extremely dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law who had risen to power through an "unplanned pregnancy".
It is said that Lin Wanwan suffered from severe morning sickness, which made her already thin face even more sunken, and the red bridal coat she bought to make a good impression looked even more empty.
Caught in the middle, Lu Jiahao was reportedly quite annoyed. He no longer had the secret smugness he once had towards Lin Wanwan, and was only filled with impatience.
Lin Wanwan returned to her parents' home only a handful of times.
Every time she came back, she would always choose to sneak in around dusk when it was slightly dark, like a thief, with hurried steps and a flustered expression, clutching a small, bulging cloth bag tightly in her hand.
"Mom...Dad..."
Her voice was very low, her eyes darting around as she quickly glanced at Lin Jianguo, who was slumped in the corner like a lump of mud, and Zhang Jiumei, who was huddled in a tattered cotton quilt.
"Wanwan, you've lost weight again." Zhang Jiumei struggled to get up, her voice trembling with tears.
"Don't get up!"
Lin Wanwan hurriedly stopped her, her tone urgent, "I...I'll just stay for a little while."
She quickly stuffed the cloth bag in her hand into Zhang Jiumei's hands, saying, "Mom, take this money and use it sparingly."
The cloth bag felt heavy in my hand.
Zhang Jiumei opened it with trembling hands. Inside were several crumpled pieces of paper printed with the words "Hunan Provincial Local Grain Coupons," and a small roll of neatly rolled-up banknotes tied with a rubber band.
"Wanwan, this...this is too much, you..." Zhang Jiumei looked at the things in her hands, both shocked and frightened.
"Not much, quickly put it away."
Lin Wanwan interrupted her, her tone tinged with nervous anxiety, "Mom, the family is very strict, and I've managed to save up this money with great difficulty."
Lin Wanwan glanced quickly at the door, as if the Lu family might burst in at any moment. "I have to go. Remember! Use it sparingly, and don't let anyone know. Jiahao will beat me if he finds out."
Lin Wanwan was filled with confusion, and the image of Lu Jiahao, who used to be so obedient to her, kept flashing through her mind. Back then, he was gentle and considerate, always going along with her wishes.
But why is it that after getting married, this person seems to have changed completely, becoming so unfamiliar?
Lin Wanwan had no idea that in this era, it was a serious taboo for a girl to become pregnant before marriage.
In the eyes of others, this kind of thing is disgraceful and will make people gossip behind their backs.
Zhang Jiumei held the cloth bag as if it were a red-hot branding iron, tears rolling down her cheeks silently.
"What a tragedy, this... this is her life that we've saved..."
Lin Jianguo stared at the direction where Lin Wanwan had disappeared through the doorway, his gaunt face contorted with malice, his eyes filled with a venomous resentment like poisoned needles.
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