But after seven years of marriage to Jiang Yu, how come he didn't know that woman could sew? Or was she deliberately hiding her skill to make him think Jiang Yu was lazy? To prevent him from developing feelings for her?
Thinking of this, Shen Ying's face fell again. In the army, he was so popular with the women, so why did things change so drastically with this woman?
Lost in thought, Shen Ying forgot that he was spying on someone else's secret. When Jiang Yu returned and saw the man with an inscrutable expression, clutching a stack of papers, she instantly tensed up.
She figured the man had probably seen the amount on the IOU and was about to explode in anger. But she could understand; it added up to over a thousand yuan. Without the IOU, the money would be a dead debt, never to be recovered. Losing such a large sum would make anyone angry.
Jiang Yu felt a sudden pang of guilt, her lips moving rapidly as she hurriedly explained:
"It's true that I lent this money to Lu Yi, but I didn't go out of my way to give it to him. Our relationship isn't like the rumors in the village. He saved me when I fell into the river, so he's my savior. Plus, he just arrived here and encountered some difficulties and didn't know anyone else, so I felt I should lend a helping hand out of courtesy and reason."
Later, he kept asking for money every few days, and I realized he was using the life-saving situation to morally blackmail me, which led to this IOU. Not a single word Jiang Meier said was true. The harassment and sending the fish were all her doing. Because I didn't help lie and frame someone else at the police station, she framed me out of revenge. If you don't believe me, go to the police station and ask the officers; their statements are always true.”
Jiang Yu spoke clearly in one breath, afraid of omitting anything. Although she knew that the time she was saved had nothing to do with Lu Yi, she was forced by the situation to bite the bullet and make things up. As for attributing the original owner's actions to Jiang Meier, it was the best way for her to prove her innocence with Lu Yi. An unmarried girl who spends every day with a man would be the subject of gossip.
To keep the truth from being known, one must find a shrewish woman to act as a cover. An older sister who is neither favored by her family nor liked by her husband's family is undoubtedly the best choice.
Besides, we can't keep letting her slander us forever, can we? Moreover, the original owner was indeed instigated by Jiang Meier to have contact with Lu Yi back then. After all these years, it's time to give her a taste of her own medicine.
Shen Ying clutched the envelope in her hand, watching Jiang Yu, who was explaining herself until her face turned red, afraid that she would suffocate from the next sentence.
More than the IOU, his curiosity lay in the letter sent by Commander Li's wife; these days, being a self-employed person wasn't an easy business.
“If you can’t accept these explanations, you can choose to get a divorce or argue with me, but can we resolve this before the children come back? Otherwise, it won’t be good to leave them with psychological trauma. Don’t worry about the money. Once that educated youth Lu has paid back the money, I will send it over without keeping a single penny.”
Shen Ying approached the woman, looking down at her with deep eyes that almost made Jiang Yu lose her senses.
What was this man up to? She was somewhat curious about what would happen next.
"Do you know that I was the one who saved you from the river back then?"
Shen Ying finally understood why Jiang Yu had ignored him all these years and why she had conceived both children while drunk. It turned out that the pretty boy had gotten away with it.
How could Jiang Yu not know? However, in order to make the performance convincing, she symbolically showed an expression of disbelief.
"It's you?"
Shen Ying's eyes were deep as she recounted what had happened back then, exactly as the plot of the book she had read. Indeed, the author hadn't lied to her.
Although the belated explanation wouldn't significantly alter their relationship, it was enough to make the man rethink their interactions over the years. He glanced at the envelope in his hand and asked:
"You want to rent a shop to open a clothing store?"
As if she had just thought of something, Jiang Yu looked down and saw that there was a letter under the IOU in the man's hand. Her face immediately darkened.
Why are you looking at other people's things?
She snatched the envelope, placed it behind her back, and watched the man in front of her warily.
Shen Ying awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed. If he said it wasn't intentional, would the woman believe him?
Jiang Yu glanced at the neatly made bedding, and knowing he hadn't meant it, her tone softened:
"Yes, things are changing very fast these days. Staying at home all the time will make it hard to keep up with the times. I went to the village chief to learn about the preschool program and plan to send Sui Sui to school after the New Year."
Shen Ying initially thought she was just having a passing fancy, but after hearing that she had even planned out the children, he began to reiterate the story of this woman and was truly impressed.
"There's no need to trouble the village chief to take up a quota in the town. We can let Niannian transition from being a military family member. You don't need to worry about these things; just leave them to me."
For the first time, Jiang Yu realized that having an excellent man in the family could indeed save a lot of trouble.
"If you feel bored staying at home all the time, I can ask someone to help you find a job in a textile factory. It might be a bit tiring, but it's quite fulfilling."
The other day she was busy selling pickled vegetables until late at night. It's good that she's willing to work hard, but it's not worth taking risks. Not only will she lose money, but what if there are troublesome customers? Although she helped the group leader's wife solve her immediate problem, if this shop were really easy to run, would the previous tenant have given it up so easily?
Jiang Yu understood what he meant and knew that this man was thinking of her, but as a young person of the new era, she naturally understood the development model of the later stage of society.
"Although the textile factory job was stable, it was not free at all. When my daughter started school, there were always parent-teacher meetings and school activities, and the supervisors were unwilling to let her take leave."
She used the child as an excuse; surely the man wouldn't pry into it further, right?
As expected, Shen Ying didn't say a word. Just as Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief and was about to wallpaper the wall, he pulled out ten ten-yuan bills from his pocket.
“I’ve read the contents of the letter. The rent is quite high, and I don’t have much money on me. This money is for emergencies, and I’m lending it to you for now.”
Seeing his still cold demeanor, Jiang Yu felt a fire ignite within her. Even though he wasn't home and his face was sour, he was still willing to spend money!
"No...no need."
Jiang Yu initially wanted to refuse, but then she realized she didn't have enough money. She readily accepted the money, repeatedly assuring him:
"I'll pay you back when I make money."
Shen Yingquan took it as her being polite. Anyway, the misunderstanding was cleared up, and there was no longer any distance between them. Life would always move in a positive direction.
He took a delicate tin box from the briefcase he had brought home and handed it to Jiang Yu:
"I won this in a raffle at the military's annual meeting. I don't need it, so here you go."
Jiang Yu was inwardly complaining, "Is this man expressionless? He always has the same look, never smiling." Then, the next second, she received a face cream engraved with "friendship," and her mouth immediately formed an "O."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
