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Chapter 560: 560, I will never get married in my life.
Chapter 560: 560, I will never get married in my life.
Chapter 560: 560, I will never get married in my life.
Throughout it all, Shi Minyan remained silent.
He was wearing a dark gray coat, black trousers, a deep blue sweater, underneath which was a gray shirt, paired with a red tie.
The 32-year-old man, aside from a trace of fatigue in his eyes, had not changed much in appearance from who Shi Huan remembered.
He was still as handsome, gentle, and reserved as ever.
**
When the elevator finally arrived at the 11th floor, Shi Huan pressed the door open button, letting the family of three exit first before following them out.
Upon reaching room 1109, Shi Minyan pushed open the door and called out, “Mom.”
The elderly Mrs. Shi on the hospital bed immediately looked up.
She was about sixty or seventy years old, with half-white hair, dressed in a patient’s gown. Initially, she seemed cheerful watching TV, but when she saw her long-absent youngest son, her eyes welled with tears, and she began to cry, “Minyan, you’re finally back, my Minyan.”
Shi Minyan stepped forward and was embraced by the elderly lady.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
Mrs. Shi looked up, “I’ve been having a terrible time at home, eating poorly and not dressed well, Minyan, you’re finally back, will I be living a better life now?”
“How could that be? Don’t we have our sister-in-law?” Shi Minyan glanced at Shi Huan, “Didn’t Huanhuan hire a housekeeper to take care of you?”
Mrs. Shi looked at Shi Huan with resentment, “Don’t talk to me about that ungrateful girl! She’s already moved out, and you know it! She transfers some money every month and never even calls me, she’s just an ungrateful animal!”
Called an animal, Shi Huan felt helpless inside.
Tu Youran, who was standing by, hurriedly spoke up, “Mom, Huanhuan is busy with work, and she works hard so you can live a good life.”
“Busy? What’s she busy with? The New Year is here, and there’s no one to look after me in the hospital everyday.”
“Alright, Mom.” Shi Minyan could only continue to advise, “Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, be happy.”
Mrs. Shi pretended to wipe away her tears and suddenly changed the topic, “Huanhuan, your uncle is here now, you tell us, for all these years, you haven’t listened to me or your mother, will you listen to your uncle now?”
Shi Huan looked up, her eyes met a pair of gentle ones.
She quickly averted her gaze, suppressing the sourness in her heart, and looked at the old lady emotionlessly, “Grandma, what are you referring to?”
As expected.
“Last time, I suggested you meet Zhu Mingpeng, and you flat out refused. I’m really puzzled. You’re turning 25 soon and remain an old maid, why won’t you get married, what do you want?”
Shi Huan remained silent.
Mrs. Shi continued, “Zhu Mingpeng is your aunt’s distant cousin; he’s familiar with the Shi family too. If you two get together, it’s like having family ties strengthen. Although he’s a bit older than you and has been divorced once with a daughter, the daughter lives with her mother. Plus, he’s a local from Nancheng, his family owns two houses and a car, you won’t have to worry about life necessities when you marry him, why are you still so picky?”
In the end, Mrs. Shi looked at her son, “Minyan, you convince your niece. Where can we find such a good man these days?”
The ward fell silent.
After a while, Shi Huan heard the gentle voice of the man, “Huanhuan, listen to Grandma, go and meet him.”
Shi Huan quickly forced a smile, her clear voice speaking slowly, “Zhu Mingpeng is 35 years old this year, he has been divorced once, caught by his ex-wife with a prostitute in a hotel, his daughter is already 10 years old, the mortgages on his two houses have not been paid off, and the car he has is second-hand.”
Finally finished speaking, Shi Huan concluded, “Grandma, it seems like your information is not very detailed.”
Mrs. Shi clenched her jaw, fiery hatred in her eyes.
Being blatantly humiliated in public like this left her unable to hide her anger, she finally raised her hand, and slapped Shi Huan.
With a loud ‘smack’, sharp and crisp.
Shi Huan’s face was slapped to the side by the force, a clear handprint quickly emerged on her cheek, and even her black-framed glasses were knocked off onto the ground.
With a “click,” the lens shattered on the floor.
Shi Huan pressed her tongue against her aching left cheekbone, tasting a faint flavor of blood.
She didn’t utter a word, simply squatting down to pick up her glasses.
Upon inspection, she discovered that the frames were also somewhat broken and certainly couldn’t be worn anymore.
Her fingers clenched tightly, and then she walked over and tossed the glasses into a trash bin nearby.
Little Luoluo was already sobbing, her mouth stuffed with a lollipop, weeping loudly.
Tu Youran was comforting their daughter, while Shi Minyan was holding back old lady Shi.
Both of them were continuously pleading:
“Mom, what are you doing?”
“Just talk it over calmly.”
“Today is the Chinese New Year’s day, how can you physically abuse a child?”
“Didn’t the doctor tell you not to get angry?”
“Mom, please, cool down.”
“…”
After pleading for a long while, it was finally Shi Minyan who asked, “Huanhuan, are you alright?”
Shi Huan shook her head.
Old Lady Shi, her face flushed and neck bulging, was pointing at her, “Now you two see it, right? Every time I speak, for every word I say, she always has ten ready for me! She pampers her gloomy face all day as if she’s deliberately trying to kill me with anger! She’s at a marrying age; is it wrong for me to suggest marriage to her? Look at her circumstances. If I, as an elder, don’t help her, how will she find a man by herself? I asked many of our neighbors for help; every time a man is introduced, she’s unwilling to meet! Now she’s 25 and still not married; people are laughing at our Shi Family. Some are even cursing behind my back, saying that my granddaughter has physical issues…”
Shi Huan looked up at her.
Old Lady Shi shuddered fiercely again, “You see, every time I speak, this is how she looks at me! Her eyes are way too horrifying! Oh, dear God, what have I done to deserve this? If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken her back from the orphanage. All she’s ever done is upset me! She’s angered my husband to death, then my son, now my granddaughter is gone, and now she wants to frustrate me to death as well!”
Old Lady Shi was crying for heaven and earth; her wailing quickly spread outside.
There was a “knock-knock-knock” on the door. A nurse appeared at the door with an unsettled look on her face and reminded, “It’s Chinese New Year’s day, could you not cry out loud? Could you please keep it quiet? There are patients next door. Can you heed some manners?”
“Sorry, sorry.” Tu Youran rushed to apologize, then closed the door.
She was truly fed up with this mother-in-law, but no matter how tired she was, she had to give in on the surface, or it would only make things more troublesome.
After closing the door, Shi Huan began to speak, “Uncle, auntie, since you’re here, I’ll go back now. I have some things to take care of at home.”
“You’re not allowed to go!” Old Lady Shi shouted at her, “You live alone, what urgent matters could you possibly have at home? Stay here with me! I’ve already asked Xiaozhu to come over. You two will meet later!”
Shi Huan, who had maintained a poker face, finally showed a slight change, “Grandma, what do you mean by this?”
“What do I mean? Humph, who told you to hide every day? Now, Xiaozhu and his mother are here. You must meet them!”
“Grandma.” Shi Huan clenched her fist, “I’ve said before, I will never get married in this life.”
“If you don’t get married, are we to provide for you?”
“Grandma, ever since the incident five years ago, when you said I was a disgrace to the Shi family, I’ve moved out. I’ve been living on my own for the past five years. I haven’t stayed at home for a day or spent a penny of your money! On the contrary, I send you and mom money every month. Half of my salary goes to you, the rest to my sister! Just last night, I cooked a New Year’s Eve feast for you and mom, prepared the dumplings for today. I was busy until midnight, and I didn’t even eat a bite before I left…”
“What are you implying with this? Are you saying I abuse you? Did I tell you not to eat? You chose not to eat…”
“Alright, Mom, stop talking, take care of your health.” Shi Minyan pulled his mother back, frowning.
“Look at her, through the whole year, she complains even about cooking for me on New Year’s Eve. Is this the attitude of a granddaughter? Right now, it’s just us three at home. Your sister-in-law takes care of me every day, and it’s not easy for her. She’s truly filial. But how did she end up giving birth to such an ungrateful child! I’m almost seventy now, yet she’s still angering me every day…” Old Lady Shi kept talking until the door was knocked twice.