My husband was addicted to apples.
He had to eat fifty apples a day. Without them, he would feel extremely uncomfortable.
He became more and more radiant, while I felt chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea every day.
He told me to relax, saying it was probably just normal pregnancy reactions.
Until I saw the search record on the computer:
” How many apple seeds are lethal? “
1
The moment I saw the record, I inexplicably thought of those kids from yesterday.
At the back door of our spicy hot pot restaurant, they were excitedly rummaging through the trash can, taking out pile after pile of cut – open apples.
The apple skins were bright red and slightly yellowish, as if they had been cut open not long ago.
The only common point was that all the apple cores had been neatly dug out, leaving only the empty pulp.
I couldn’t help but sigh. Such good apples would be great if my husband, Lao Dai, could eat them.
While others smoked and drank heavily, he was addicted to apples, eating fifty every day.
With the soaring prices these days and a baby to raise in my belly, this kind of consumption was indeed a heavy burden.
It was just that Lao Dai treated me well on weekdays, otherwise I wouldn’t have tolerated it.
Suddenly, a pair of cold hands touched my back, making me shiver.
Lao Dai’s voice sounded faintly:
“Dear, there are customers in the store. What are you doing standing here like a fool?”
“You scared me like a ghost. I’m looking at these apples.
“I don’t know who is so wasteful. We can hardly afford to eat them ourselves.” I muttered.
He adjusted his glasses, turned me around, and pushed me into the store:
“Don’t worry about others. The most important thing is for us to live a good life.
“There’s a nutritious soup for you on the stove. Remember to drink it. It’s very nourishing.”
My heart felt sweet. He was indeed the man I married despite having a falling – out with my parents. He was still so considerate after being married for half a year.
After drinking the nutritious soup, the symptoms of chest tightness and nausea got a little worse.
I stroked my belly, thinking that Lao Dai said he had asked the doctor and this was just a normal pregnancy reaction, and then I gradually calmed down.
While washing the dishes in the back kitchen, I unconsciously looked out of the window at Lao Dai who was chasing the children away.
The sunlight shone on him, and he was as handsome as when he was chasing me, making my face turn slightly red.
Suddenly, a naughty child ran to the window and made a face at me, scaring me so much that I stumbled.
My belly started to ache faintly. Lao Dai had already run in and nervously asked me what was wrong, concerned about whether I was okay.
But my mind was full of the half – eaten apple the naughty child was holding, with a big cross on the surface.
Every apple Lao Dai ate was carefully selected by me at the early – morning market. The boss gave me an apple with a not – so – good appearance because I bought a lot.
I originally planned to keep it for myself, but it was gone when I came back from grocery shopping.
I thought Lao Dai had eaten it.
But –
Why were these apples in the trash can?
For a family like ours, spending so much money every day, was it just for fun?
I asked tentatively with a trembling voice:
“Honey, have you finished eating the apples so quickly?”
“Sure, not a single one left.”
He was lying.
2
I was trembling as I browsed through the search records.
“More than 150 seeds are likely to cause poisoning.”
Words like “chest tightness and shortness of breath” and “nausea and vomiting” kept jumping into my eyes.
I thought of my discomfort in recent days and was so shocked that I slumped down on the sofa.
I knocked over the nutritious soup he had carefully prepared for me by my hand.
The little native dog at home smelled the smell, came over and licked a couple of times, and soon started staggering around, and finally fell to the ground.
I was so scared that my face turned pale and I got goosebumps all over.
I was supposed to go to the store today, but he said I had a threatened miscarriage yesterday and should stay at home to rest.
Before he left, he specifically told me who was still sleeping:
“Honey, the nutritious soup is heated for you. Drink it when you wake up.”
At that time, I just felt extremely sweet and never thought that all of this was fake.
If I hadn’t accidentally touched the computer screen and turned it on while cleaning the table, would I have died one day without any suspicion?
My chest was stuffy and uncomfortable, and my head was dizzy and swollen. I leaned against the sofa and almost shed all the tears in my life.
But my heart became harder and harder.
I had money and an education. I married him, who was penniless at that time, just because I thought he had good character and could take good care of me.
If even this was fake, then everything I had given had to be taken back with interest.
I suppressed the discomfort in my body, got up and cleaned up the messy room.
Then I deleted this search record and returned to the original page of the computer.
Finally, I rummaged through the boxes and found a pack of pinhole monitors that my mother gave me before my marriage. At that time, she said to me with a hoarse voice:
“Daughter, keep this. If one day you regret it, this can be of great help.”
At that time, I thought she was slandering our relationship and had a big fight with her. I casually threw the monitor in the dowry box.
Unexpectedly, there would be a day when it would come in handy.
After finishing everything, I found that the puppy had woken up, but it was listless.
It seemed that he wanted to take his time and didn’t use a large amount.
But just in case, I still went to the hospital.
The examination results showed that everything was normal except for a slightly high white blood cell count.
I let out a long sigh of relief. My parents had taken good care of me, and I rarely got sick since I was a child.
This pregnancy was the most uncomfortable time for me, starting from drinking the nutritious soup.
I thought of my parents’ white hair, and my eyes became a little red.
I deserved it.
When I got home, Dai Jian was unlocking the door, and my long – lost mother – in – law was standing beside him.
Seeing me, she showed a proper smile:
“Oh, Xiaoyu is back. You don’t look as serious as Dai Jian said. You’re still lively.”
3
Before I could speak, Dai Jian had already spoken up for his mother:
“Mom, I asked you to come to take care of Xiaoyu. Don’t say those unnecessary things.”
He always protected me everywhere, not allowing me to be wronged in the slightest, even if the person opposite was his own mother.
But just now, for the first time, I noticed that after he finished speaking, he quietly winked.
His mother immediately cooperated and became obedient:
“Okay, I’m old and annoying.”
In the past, every time at this time, I would feel inexplicably guilty, thinking that I was the reason for the estrangement between their mother and son.
Then I would try my best to coax her, transfer money to her, and buy her clothes and bags.
Until she reluctantly gave me a good face.
I knew she didn’t like me, but I just didn’t want to make Dai Jian embarrassed.
But now, I gave her a cold look and said lightly:
“Good that you know.”
Then I walked into the house without looking back.
Behind me came my mother – in – law’s angry roar:
“Does she think she’s great just because she’s pregnant? Who cares – “
“Mom!” Dai Jian suddenly interrupted her.
My mother – in – law fell silent, and everything suddenly became quiet.
But two sticky and cold gazes followed me all the time.
I entered the bedroom, and soon Dai Jian came in.
With red eyes, I spoke first:
“Sorry, honey, I made you embarrassed. I’m just in a bad mood because of pregnancy.”
He released his tightly – clenched fist and gently put his arm around me:
“It’s okay. Just apologize to mom tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“By the way – ” His voice suddenly became a little nervous.
“You didn’t go into the study, did you?”
“I just swept the floor. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. You’re pregnant now. You should pay attention to rest and not do too many chores.”
I didn’t speak. Since I was pregnant, I had been taking care of all the big and small things in the spicy hot pot restaurant. Had I done too little work?
He probably thought of this too. His face was a little embarrassed as he held my hand:
“Honey, when we have money, I’ll hire ten nannies to take care of you.”
I leaned my head on his shoulder: “Okay.”
He pinched my hand and seemed to just remember to ask:
“Honey, what did you do when you went out today?”
I sat up straight and gently stroked my belly:
“I had some free time today, so I went for a prenatal check – up.”
His hand holding mine tightened:
“What did the doctor say?”
I sighed:
“The doctor said the fetal condition is not very stable, and my body is not very good either.”
His body relaxed, and he hugged me tighter:
“It’s okay, honey. Drink more nutritious soup, and you’ll definitely recover.”
I lowered my head and sneered. Drink more and go to hell earlier, right?
After this sickening brief warmth, he said he was going to persuade his mother and asked me to go to sleep first.
I obediently agreed. After waiting quietly for a while, I put on Bluetooth headphones and opened the monitoring software on my phone.
4
Their voices were very low. I had to turn the volume to the maximum to barely hear them.
“Mom, can’t you be more patient?
“I’ve asked. Her body has become weaker now, which means this method works.
“When the time comes, just give her a large dose before she gives birth. It will surely kill both her and the baby, and we can also extort money from the hospital.”
I was shaking all over when I heard this, and then I heard my mother – in – law ask:
“What about the child you have with Mengmeng?”
Lin Meng, that was my sister – in – law!
I was struck like by lightning.
“Just say it was born by Xiaoyu at the risk of her life during a difficult labor. Anyway, the two of them are about the same number of months pregnant, and the villagers live far away and don’t know.”
Dai Jian’s voice suddenly became gentle:
“Then Mengmeng and I can live with the child openly, and our family won’t have to be looked down upon.”
“Sigh, it’s all because of the ugly things you’ve done. Although your brother is stupid, she’s still your sister – in – law!”
“Mom, don’t mention the past.”
He turned cold – faced, looked around carefully, and continued in a low voice:
“You just need to cooperate with me well. I’ve transferred all the demolition money in her hands to you.
“Once she dies, this resettlement house she bought before marriage and this very profitable spicy hot pot restaurant will all be ours.
“Don’t tell Mengmeng. That girl is soft – hearted and timid. Don’t scare her.”
My mother – in – law’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.
My mind went blank, and I felt like I had fallen into a bottomless ice cave.
All of this was actually a complete hoax.
It turned out that my husband had an affair when I was just pregnant.
And the mistress was my sister – in – law.
I was the only daughter in a family in the Yangtze River Delta region. After our family received a large amount of demolition money, I thought it would be nice to live a carefree life like this.
But not long after that, my father had a car accident and was on the verge of death. Relatives thought that as a daughter who wasn’t married, I didn’t deserve to inherit the family property and were all eyeing it covetously.
Dai Jian appeared when I was most exhausted.
He carefully handed me a tissue as I was silently crying on the hospital bench. I looked up in surprise and saw the concern in his eyes.
He said his mother was having surgery in the hospital and left me his contact information, saying I could ask him for help.
He handled things with great propriety, and I let down my guard, gradually getting familiar with him.
Finally, when relatives came to make trouble again, he stood in front of me and said:
“I’m Xiaoyu’s fiancé, half a son of Uncle Yao. We’ll handle our family affairs ourselves.”
In the face of the suspicious looks of all the relatives, I looked at his tall back and half – heartedly confirmed our relationship.
He was good – looking, gentle, and considerate. Except for his poor family background, he was very much in line with my ideal partner.
But my parents, who had overcome the difficulties, strongly opposed it, saying that he had an untrustworthy face and his motives were suspicious.
I couldn’t bear to hear anything bad about him when I was in love. In a fit of anger, I went home with him.
When I came back, I was pregnant.
My parents reluctantly accepted this son – in – law, but even on the wedding day, the smiles on their faces were very forced.
At that time, I thought I must be happy and prove to them that they were wrong. But reality slapped me hard in the face.
Everything was fake.
I leaned against the bedside, my face pale.
“Creak – “
The door was suddenly opened, and the sudden light made me close my eyes.
Dai Jian’s gloomy voice suddenly rang in my ears:
“Honey, what are you looking at?”
5
My heart skipped a beat, and then I said softly without changing my expression:
“Honey, I can’t sleep without you. I’m watching the video of you proposing.”
I showed him the picture I had prepared generously.
His voice was full of suspicion:
“Just watching this? You didn’t hear anything, did you?”
“Honey, you’re so nervous. Did you and mom secretly speak ill of me?”
He forced a smile and sat down by the bed:
“How could I? You know my mom. Her heart is in the right place, but she just doesn’t speak nicely. I’m afraid you’ll think too much.”
I chuckled:
“Okay, go to sleep quickly. We have to get up early and go to the store tomorrow.”
His hand, which was taking off his coat, stopped, and he blurted out:
“Why me? Aren’t you feeling better tomorrow?”
Yes, I was afraid he couldn’t do the work well, so every morning I went to buy the ingredients needed for the store for a day while pregnant.
When I finished washing the vegetables, he just arrived at the store.
Then he would hug me and praise me:
“Dear, you’re so virtuous.”
With just this one sentence, I never complained no matter how hard or tired I was.
Realizing he had said the wrong thing, he started to make up for it:
“I just… I’m afraid you’re not feeling well.”
“It’s okay, honey. I’ve thought about it. You and mom are right. I used to worry that you couldn’t handle things alone and always tried to control everything, which delayed your progress.
“Now I understand. You’re the head of the family. And I’m pregnant and it’s inconvenient for me. So I’ll leave the spicy hot pot restaurant entirely to you.”
“No, honey, I didn’t mean that…”
“Honey, don’t persuade me. I believe in you.”
I held his hand, which was even fairer and more tender than mine, and looked at him firmly.
He was like having swallowed a dead fly, his face turning red. He slowly uttered a “yes”.
Then he casually withdrew his hand.
Bah, who wants to touch this kind of heartless thing!
This spicy hot pot restaurant was opened to pay off his gambling debts.
Shortly after our marriage, he knelt in front of me, crying bitterly, saying that he was cheated and lost a lot of money, losing all my demolition money.
To beg for my forgiveness, he knocked his head until it bled, asking me to give him a chance to make up for us mother and son.
I softened my heart in anger. He was also cheated, and I had his child in my belly.
I lied that my investment was tied up and borrowed money from my parents to open the spicy hot pot restaurant.
After that, he really quit gambling, and the business of the small store was booming. Life was getting more and more promising.
Until today, I found out that there was no such thing as gambling debts. All the money was transferred to his mother!
And this house and the spicy hot pot restaurant I had before marriage, his family was sucking my blood, not only deceiving my feelings but also trying to murder me for money!
I looked at Dai Jian, who was snoring loudly and unaware, and sneered secretly. My blood is not so easy to suck!
6
The next day, I was woken up by my mother – in – law bursting in:
“You just know how to sleep. My son has gone to work early in the morning, and you’re still enjoying yourself at home.”
I glanced at the cup in her hand and knew what was going on:
“Mom, didn’t you say that I shouldn’t hold onto the store all the time?
“Now the store is given to him. I’m pregnant, so I won’t cause trouble.”
“You – ” My mother – in – law was speechless.
I kindly reminded her:
“Mom, what are you holding?”
My mother – in – law seemed to remember something, and her face immediately softened a bit:
“Humph, it’s the nutritious soup that Dai Jian made with love for you. Drink it quickly. An old woman like me doesn’t even have this kind of treatment.”
I’ve always been filial:
“Then you drink it. I’m tired of drinking it.”
She was taken aback, then forced a stiff smile:
“You’d better drink it. The precious grandson in your belly is more important.”
I pointed at my moving belly and persisted:
“Your precious grandson also feels sorry for you. If you don’t drink, I won’t drink either.”
She scratched her ears and cheeks, her expression extremely colorful. Finally, she took a small sip from the bowl.
“Mom, drink more. This little bit is not enough.”
Seeing her hesitate, I simply got up and grabbed the edge of the bowl to pour more into her mouth.
“Cough… Enough… Enough… It’s your… turn to drink.” She snatched the bowl back, coughing as if her lungs were about to come out.
“”Okay then.””
I took the bowl, and just as I brought it to my lips, I suddenly started “vomiting” loudly, knocked over the bowl in my hand, and the soup spilled all over the floor.
“You bitch, you’re playing tricks on me!” My mother – in – law was so angry that she shrieked.
I turned my head with a wronged look: “Mom, you should get your bad breath treated. What if it’s a serious illness like gastric cancer? How could it be so smelly?”
Then I looked at the floor with a heart – broken expression: “Such good nutritious soup is wasted. It’s such a pity.”
My mother – in – law was clearly fuming, but she still forced a smile: “Who says it isn’t?”
After that, she ran away as if chased by a ghost and even thoughtfully closed the door.
I quietly lay down, listening to the loud vomiting sounds coming from the toilet, feeling quite pleased.
I waited patiently for a while, then frowned and started moaning while stroking my belly.
Hearing the noise, my mother – in – law came in unsteadily, with a bit of food residue still at the corner of her mouth:
“What’s wrong again?”
“Mom, my stomach hurts.” I said with a pained expression.
“Stop whining. Dai Jian said this is normal.”
My mother – in – law waved her hand impatiently, and a flash of joy crossed her pale face.
“Mom, I’m in so much pain. I’m afraid I can’t do the housework anymore…”
“It’s okay. I’m here to serve you. Just lie down and rest!”
My mother – in – law left, supporting her waist and humming a tune.
I found it funny. Dai Jian’s mother was much stupider than him.
The day passed extremely leisurely.
At eleven o’clock at night, Dai Jian came back looking disheveled.
My mother – in – law “ooh – aah”ed for a long time, as if her son had suffered a great deal.
Dai Jian forced a smile when he saw me:
“Dear, for you and our son, I’m willing to endure any hardship.”
I looked back at him with an affectedly moved expression:
“Having such a good husband like you is really my fortune.”
Dai Jian continued to look at me, and I continued to look back at him affectionately.
Then, his smile couldn’t hold up anymore, and there was a bit more scrutiny in his eyes:
“Dear, you’ve changed.”
Is it because I didn’t offer to go to the store to help you?
I smiled and leaned affectionately into his arms:
“Yes, you love our little family so much, honey. I can’t be as domineering as before. I should give you one – hundred – percent trust!”
7
After a week like this, my mother – in – law couldn’t hold on any longer.
She started making sarcastic remarks every day, but I countered each move. Threatening not to drink the nutritious soup, she had to swallow her anger.
Then she turned around and vented all her anger on Dai Jian.
Dai Jian was already extremely busy with his own affairs, and when he came back every day, he had to endure a scolding. In a few days, he got so angry that half of his face became paralyzed.
In the end, he almost directly asked me to go and help him.
But sorry, I held my belly and struck first:
“Dear, my belly still hurts a lot today.”
A flash of fierceness passed through his eyes. I suppressed the coldness in my heart and considerately gave him an excuse:
“Dear, this can’t go on like this. Sister – in – law is used to taking care of mom. Why not invite her here?”
His expression froze, as if considering the feasibility.
I added fuel to the fire: “Agree, honey. Only when the family is harmonious can everything go well.”
He gave me a deep look, and I immediately smiled more sweetly and harmlessly.
He slowly nodded, and then thought for a while and added:
“Sister – in – law has a hard life. Don’t bully her.”
I lowered my head and rolled my eyes, but my voice was still smiling:
“How could I?”
Once she’s here, I can settle all the old and new scores.
I didn’t expect Lin Meng to come alone the next day, also with a big belly.
I pretended to be surprised:
“Even a fool like my elder brother knows how to do this.”
My mother – in – law immediately jumped up like she was stabbed, saying I was shameless.
Lin Meng blushed, her eyes wandering, saying she had left my elder brother with a neighbor.
I smiled understandingly. Bringing a fool here would indeed get in the way of their affairs.
Surprisingly, my sister – in – law was very quick – witted, taking good care of both me and my mother – in – law.
That day, Dai Jian closed the store early. He was beaming with joy, and his facial paralysis had improved a lot.
As soon as Lin Meng saw him, her eyes turned red, and she called out softly: “Xiao Dai…”
Dai Jian also choked up: “Meng… Sister – in – law.”
I almost vomited. Unexpectedly, he suddenly looked at me angrily:
“Didn’t I tell you not to bully sister – in – law?”
Me: “???”
Lin Meng quickly said: “No, Xiao Dai… Xiaoyu didn’t…”
Then a crystal – clear teardrop rolled down her cheek.
So she’s an old – fashioned innocent – looking schemer.
I pinched my palm hard, and my eyes instantly welled up with tears:
“Dear, you make nutritious soup for me every day. I can’t be nice enough to your family. How could you think of me like this?”
“What nutritious soup?” Lin Meng stopped acting and asked anxiously.
“Okay, stop making trouble. Let’s eat!”
My mother – in – law slapped the table, making a final decision.
At night, Dai Jian hugged me and apologized, saying that the business in the store was getting worse and worse, and he was so worried that he lost his mind.
Then he whispered and asked me to help him.
The only response he got was my even – breathing snoring.
8
When I woke up the next day, I didn’t see my mother – in – law. Lin Meng said Dai Jian had called her to the store to help.
She held a bowl, smiling obsequiously:
“So this is the so – called nutritious soup!”
“Yeah, Dai Jian made it himself. He asks me to drink it every day.”
I deliberately patted my belly:
“Look, how strong my baby is.”
The jealousy on her face was almost impossible to hide.
I pretended not to notice:
“You can put it here. I’m almost vomiting from drinking it. I really can’t drink anymore.”
Then I slowly walked back to the bedroom and turned on the monitor.
Sure enough, she nervously looked at the bedroom door for a while, then couldn’t wait to drink it all in one go.
I felt relieved and had a beautiful dream.
When I opened my eyes again, I was woken up by the noise outside.
I pushed open the bedroom door and saw Lin Meng lying in a pool of blood, her face almost bloodless.
I raised my eyebrows slightly. Her reaction was so intense. Then I calmly dialed the emergency number.
When Dai Jian and my mother – in – law rushed over from the store, Lin Meng had just finished the abortion surgery.
I was crying uncontrollably beside her.
Dai Jian was so angry that his eyes almost popped out. He rushed to me in one step.
The doctor stopped him and sighed:
“Are you the family member? The patient’s endometrium is too thin. After this abortion, she can’t have children anymore.”
Dai Jian’s fingers cracked as he squeezed them. He pushed the doctor away and grabbed my arm tightly:
“It’s all your fault, you bitch.”
I looked at him, ready to pin the blame on me without asking any questions, and gave him two hard slaps:
“Sister – in – law had a miscarriage because she secretly drank the nutritious soup.
“I’m still wondering why the good nutritious soup was poisoned!”
His body stiffened, and his face turned green and white.
My mother – in – law pushed between us, shouting:
“How could there be poison in the soup that Dai Jian made? Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs!
“Mengmeng just has a weak constitution and bad luck!”
She turned her head to look at Lin Meng, who was silent on the hospital bed, and cursed in a low voice, “Useless thing.”
Then she slapped Dai Jian’s hand holding me away:
“And you, why are you so fierce to Xiaoyu? What if you scare our precious grandson in the old Dai family?”
“Yeah, I don’t know who’s the real wife here.” I sobbed and complained.
Dai Jian didn’t say anything else.
On the way back, he was silent all the way.
I didn’t bother to talk to him either. Losing the crystallization of love that he cherished the most must be very painful!
That night, my mother – in – law pulled Dai Jian into a small meeting.
“Mom, why are you being so nice to that woman?”
“Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? Lin Meng can’t have children anymore.”
“Even if Mengmeng can’t have children, I still want to be with her!”
My mother – in – law gave Dai Jian a white look:
“You idiot. Wait until Xiaoyu gives birth, then secretly poison her with an apple seed. Then Mengmeng will have a ready – made son.”
The frown on Dai Jian’s face finally relaxed.
I turned off the monitor, saved the recording, and quietly lay down.
Dai Jian got into the bed. The smell of cigarettes on him couldn’t be covered even after washing several times.
A faint smile appeared on my lips. It won’t be long.
9
Dai Jian closed the store earlier and earlier. He used to not smoke at all, but now the smell of cigarettes on him was so strong that it stung the eyes.
He came to me, stuttering:
“Dear, the business in the store is getting worse and worse. All those old customers have gone to other stores to eat without any loyalty…
“Don’t hide it anymore. Take out all your secret recipes.”
“The secret is to use fresh ingredients and expensive seasonings.”
“Is that all?” He left with a disappointed look on his face, obviously not taking it to heart.
Since he took over the store, many regular customers have come to me to complain that the quality and taste have deteriorated, and he’s too stingy to turn on the air – conditioner even in such hot weather.
He’s always been like this, seeing himself as a big boss but without the vision.
The vegetables have been soaking in the basin for several days without being replaced, and he chooses the cheapest seasonings. When I use expensive ones, he even says I don’t know how to manage the business.
The loss of customer flow is just the tip of the iceberg. The real drama is yet to come.
Half a month later, one day, Dai Jian rushed into the house like a lost soul, his face black and blue, swollen like a pig’s head:
“Dear, save me. How much money do you have left? Someone died after eating at the store, and it’s been sealed up.”
My hand holding the water paused. How could it be so serious? I thought it would just be diarrhea or gastroenteritis at most.
I asked him sternly: “What did you feed them?”
He wiped his snot and tears, whispering: “It’s just the sour soup and fungus that have been soaked for half a month. They still looked very fresh.”
I looked up at the sky, suppressing the urge to beat him up, and pretended to be anxious:
“What should we do? I’ve already returned the money to my parents. I don’t have a penny left.”
He rubbed his hands in a hurry:
“Can you… get it back? I really don’t want to go to jail.”
I looked at him with tear – filled eyes:
“But they said that if there’s a next time, I have to divorce you. I can’t bear to.”
Seeing that he still didn’t give up, I continued:
“Dear, don’t force me. I’d rather die than leave you!”
He was choked by saliva and coughed continuously, then went to my mother – in – law’s room with a constipated look.
“Mom, that bitch won’t give me the money. Give me your share of the demolition money.”
“You’ve squandered all our savings.”
“Stop talking. Is your son’s life more important or the money?” Dai Jian was impatient.
After some wrangling, my mother – in – law took out a bank card with a pained look on her face, and repeatedly exhorted, “Spend it sparingly.”
But this money was not enough. After emptying several wallets at home and borrowing money from relatives and friends, Dai Jian finally filled the hole.
He looked like he had shed a layer of skin.
He stood on the balcony all day, sighing, and couldn’t even afford cigarettes. He didn’t have the mood to touch his beloved Mengmeng anymore.
My mother – in – law was crying beside him about her hard life, scolding her spendthrift son, and occasionally glancing at me, hoping I would step forward.
To be honest, I quite enjoyed this chaotic atmosphere.
But the crystallization of love was gone, the money was gone, and the spicy hot pot restaurant was closed. Next, they would probably focus on me.
Sure enough, that day, as soon as I got into bed, he closed the door and knelt down beside the bed with a “thud”:
“Dear, I was really wrong. I know you love me. But for the sake of our little family, can you divorce me temporarily?
“Then borrow some money from your parents, and we’ll open a new small store. This time, I’ll listen to you in everything. You’ll be the only female boss.”
This is what you asked for yourself. I pretended to be hesitant:
“But what if my parents don’t let me come back?”
“Impossible – ” He looked at my belly confidently.
“I’m the child’s biological father. Didn’t they agree to our marriage back then?”
Yes, everything was calculated by you.
“What about this house – “
“I know, it’s your pre – marital property. Consider it as us renting it during this period. My mom must still have some money. I’ll transfer it to you tomorrow.”
I lowered my head to hide the light in my eyes and reluctantly agreed: “Okay.”
10
I went home with the divorce certificate. My parents were very surprised. I didn’t hide anything and told them the whole story.
My parents were terrified, hugging me and trembling.
I looked at their gray hair and secretly swore that I must stand up and not let them worry about me anymore.
“Next… I’m going to have this child aborted.”
“But – ” My mother looked at my belly with a reluctant expression.
I stroked my belly, quietly feeling the fetal movement for a while.
Unfortunately, our fate was too shallow. I didn’t want to have any more entanglements with that family.
It was a bit late at more than five months, but it was still in time.
When I got off the operating table, I received a call from Dai Jian:
“Dear, how’s the baby? What did your parents say?”
“I’m fine. My parents are quite happy. They said they’re willing to support me when they heard I’m going to open a store. But – ” I deliberately paused.
“But what?” He asked eagerly.
“I exaggerated the turnover to make my parents agree. I said I’ve earned 200,000 yuan. They insist on seeing this money before they invest more.”
“Where can we get 200,000 yuan? All the money we earned has been paid back.” Dai Jian was anxious.
“Dear, don’t worry. Think about who else you can borrow from. It doesn’t matter if the interest is a bit high. Once you get the money, the five million yuan my parents will give me will arrive soon.” I coaxed him.
“Okay, I’ll think of a way right away.” He hung up the phone.
If he paid a little attention, he should be able to see the usury number I carefully left for him on the wall outside the door.
Sure enough, the next day, his call came again.
“Dear, I borrowed the money. It’s from usury. If I can’t pay it back, they’ll break my arms and legs. You have to be quick over there.”
“Of course I’ll be quick. I definitely won’t let you be in any danger. Just transfer the money to my account!” I painted a big picture for him.
“You won’t lie to me, will you?” He suddenly hesitated.
“What’s wrong? The check is already prepared. All that’s left is to sign it.” I sent him a photo of a check.
He readily transferred the money.
200,000 yuan was successfully obtained~
“I received it. Wait for my news.”
Before he could answer, I hung up the phone.
I took the money and took my parents to splurge everywhere, having a great time every day.
The only thing that spoiled the mood was having to deal with Dai Jian’s calls every few days. I patiently played tricks on him, delaying day by day.
Until he cried and said that the usury lenders came to chop off his fingers. While I was enjoying a massage, I enthusiastically gave him advice:
“Well, honey, I really think I’m almost done here. You should go out and find a job first. Pay back as much as you can.”
“I’m a boss – type person. How can I work for others?” He was immediately unhappy when he heard this.
“Before opening the store, weren’t you working on the construction site carrying bricks? Did I remember wrong?”
“But…” He still couldn’t accept it.
“What’s wrong with working? At least you’ll keep all ten fingers intact.
“It won’t be for long. I’m busy here. Talk to you next time.”
Bah, after being a Phoenix man for too long, he really thought of himself as a phoenix.
He started his tiring life on the construction site again. He didn’t even have time to call.
When I received his video call again, I almost didn’t recognize him. He was all black, his cheeks were sunken, and his skin was loose, as if he had been drained by a demon.
He tearfully complained about the inhumane days on the construction site. The foreman didn’t like to see him resting, scolded him every day, spat in his food, and deducted his wages.
“What can we do? You’re not very smart and don’t know anything else.”
I admired my newly – done manicure and mercilessly poked at his sore spot.
Unexpectedly, I really gave him an idea.
He spread his legs and entered the escort business.
With his strong body that appealed to both men and women, he even made a bit of a name for himself.
This was what my best friend saw when she visited a brothel. She came back and complained to me that there was a rich woman who was head – over – heels for my ugly ex – husband.
I thought about his current jerky – like appearance and clicked my tongue a few times. Sure enough, there’s someone for everything.
No wonder his tone had become more arrogant recently. He must have looked down on my little money.
This wouldn’t do.
11
I sent the news of his affair with the rich woman to the rich woman’s husband and thoughtfully attached a way to punish the male mistress.
Then my best friend and I dressed up in disguise and kept watch every day.
Soon there was a response.
That day, when Dai Jian was having an affair with the rich woman, a tall and strong man rushed in, grabbed Dai Jian, and then stepped on his private part in front of everyone.
Dai Jian let out a pig – like scream.
This wasn’t over yet. The rich woman’s husband found another twenty men, and he was played with until he was on the verge of death. Now he couldn’t even hold his feces.
It was quite exciting.
After this, Dai Jian was diagnosed with AIDS and was kicked out of the store.
All the little money he earned was used for medical treatment.
He started calling to harass me again. His attitude was a bit better than before, but he became more and more impatient. He gritted his teeth when saying sweet words.
I didn’t even bother to listen, afraid that the virus would crawl over through the network cable.
My mother – in – law also joined the battle. It was just the same old things. She said that since I was carrying the precious grandson of their old Dai family, I would always be their daughter – in – law.
Even Lin Meng was dragged by her to apologize, for the old matter of secretly drinking my nutritious soup.
Her voice was very small, and she seemed listless. My mother – in – law kept scolding her to speak louder.
I knew her life was very hard. My daily pleasure was to watch their chaotic family drama.
Dai Jian always dreamed of making a comeback. Whenever he got excited, he would take it out on Lin Meng. But unfortunately, his body part didn’t cooperate.
He became angry from embarrassment and pinched Lin Meng until her body was covered in bruises to show his male charm, and threatened her not to tell my mother – in – law.
Lin Meng’s beautiful dream was shattered, and she cried all day long.
My mother – in – law thought she was unlucky and cursed:
“You’re a jinx. You killed my grandson and brought our family to bankruptcy.”
Dai Jian also looked at Lin Meng strangely.
“I’m telling you, it’s all because of your bad luck. Xiaoyu drank so much nutritious soup with apple seeds and was fine. Why did you almost die after drinking it once?
“You’re just not born to be rich!”
Lin Meng suddenly looked up, and the scarlet in her eyes even scared me behind the camera.
What responded to her was my mother – in – law’s slap and spittle.
Lin Meng endured it without saying a word, but her fists were tightly clenched behind her back.
Thinking of this scene, I threw a sweet bomb to the person on the other end of the phone:
“My dad said he’ll observe me for another half a month. As soon as the time is up, he’ll sign a large – amount check for me.”
Dai Jian and my mother – in – law happily agreed, treating me like a fairy.
After hanging up the phone, I secretly calculated in my heart.
Even a rabbit will bite when it’s cornered.
Half a month should be enough, sister – in – law. Don’t let me down.
12
Lin Meng acted much faster than I thought.
Dai Jian’s call came three days later.
As soon as he opened his mouth, he was extremely anxious:
“Xiaoyu, I urgently need money. Do you think you can ask your parents to be flexible?”
“But it hasn’t been half a month yet.” I pretended to hesitate.
“I’m in a life – and – death situation here!” He suddenly shouted.
My curiosity for gossip immediately rose. I comforted him while turning on the monitor.
“Sister – in – law and my mom both had food poisoning and are being rescued in the hospital. Now they need money to stay alive.”
I looked at the scene recorded by the monitor, my mouth wide open in an “O” shape. Are you sure this is just food poisoning?
My mother – in – law was foaming at the mouth, lying straight on the ground, still holding a knife in her hand. Her chest barely rose and fell.
And Lin Meng beside her had been stabbed several times, bleeding profusely, but she was laughing more maniacally than ever.
“Yao Yu, don’t play dead. You’ve been lying to me all this time, right?” Dai Jian had completely lost his mind.
“Ah, honey, don’t worry. Speak slowly. The signal here is bad.” I said unhurriedly.
His face turned red with anger. Just as he took a deep breath and was about to speak again, a group of people suddenly rushed into the room and started punching and kicking him.
“What are you doing? Don’t come over!”
He roared, but it had no deterrence at all.
He was beaten and fled in all directions, having no power to fight back.
Wonderful! This is what it should be. The whole family should be in a mess.
The leader of that group of people held down his hand, and with a swing of the knife, in the blink of an eye, he lost four fingers.
He was so scared that he howled like a ghost, his crotch was completely wet, and a suspicious yellow color appeared.
The lackeys covered their noses and mouths one after another.
The leader kicked him, who was like a puddle of mud:
“You’re playing tricks on me, huh? Putting it off day by day. How long has it been now!”
“I want to see if you still have the life to delay – ” He raised the knife high.
“Big brother, don’t kill me! Go to my wife. Her family is really rich!”
“You coward, you still want to use someone else’s hand to kill me. You go find her yourself. I’ll give you three days. If you don’t have the money, use your life to pay.”
The group of people left in a mighty way. Dai Jian kowtowed countless times to their backs.
Then, as if remembering something, he scrambled to find the phone:
“Dear, please. We were husband and wife once. For the sake of the child, save my life.”
I admired my manicure and said “sincerely”:
“Dear, don’t worry. I definitely won’t leave you to die. But I really don’t have the money today.
“Well, two days later at 10 am, at the coffee shop where you proposed to me, I’ll bring the money to you.”
“Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.” He was overjoyed and crying.
“But what about mom and sister – in – law?” I very inconsiderately mentioned the two people he was trying to forget.
“Them… It’s okay. Just food poisoning. They’ll get through it.”
“Oh, I see.”
What a despicable person.
“Dear, see you then.”
“Okay, see you then.”
13
On the day of the appointment, I arrived early but didn’t show up.
I saw him sitting in the private booth neatly dressed. Except for his fingers that he deliberately covered up, he looked energetic and beaming.
Who could tell that his mother was almost dead?
He still had a little bit of conscience, but not much. After calling an ambulance to send the two to the hospital, he sneaked back.
I quite supported him. At least he wouldn’t dirty my house.
Maybe my gaze was too intense. He seemed to sense something and met my eyes.
His face lit up with joy, and he was about to come over, but as soon as he stood up, he was pinned to the ground by the police:
“Don’t move! You are evidence – based for attempted murder. We are now officially arresting you.”
He looked at me in disbelief. I smiled brightly:
“Surprised? Unexpected?”
In the past two days, I submitted all the evidence I had collected to the police. Both the quantity and quality were guaranteed.
I simply stood up to let him see clearly.
“Where’s my son, you bitch? You killed my son!”
He stared at my flat belly, his eyes wide with anger.
“You’ve been lying to me all along. You’re the one who ruined me, you vicious woman!”
I slapped him twice without hesitation.
“Who tried to kill people with apple seeds first? You know it in your heart.
“You’ve been eyeing my family for a long time. It wasn’t enough for you to scheme against us and try to wipe out our family. You even wanted to kill me.
“This is called justice. What goes around comes around!”
“Yes, it’s me. I should have killed your father in that car accident from the beginning. His existence was just a nuisance.” He gritted his teeth and said word by word.
I immediately looked at the police:
“Officer, you heard that, right? He admitted it. You must investigate thoroughly. Multiple crimes should be punished together.”
I had long suspected that the timing of that car accident was too coincidental. So it was really his family who did it.
Thinking of living with wolves for so many days, my scalp felt a little numb.
But I still leaned closer to him and gave him the final gift:
“Your old Dai family is going to end up with no descendants.
“Wish you infertility and a ‘full house of grandchildren’~”
When he heard this, he suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with anger.
“Don’t worry…” I chuckled.
Then I said in a volume that only he could hear:
“Why was the time and place of that usury number so coincidental? It’s really strange. What do you think?”
His eyes turned red, and he roared, trying to pounce on me and bite me regardless, like a rabid dog, but he was firmly held down.
“Officer, arrest her! This bitch has killed my whole family!”
I took two steps back, pretending to be weak:
“What are you talking about? Be careful. I’ll sue you for slander!”
Then I hummed a tune and left, leaving him struggling behind.
Ex – husband, enjoy your prison meal!
14
Dai Jian was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Lin Meng survived, but she was also sentenced to life imprisonment for trying to kill with apple seeds and went to prison with her “Xiao Dai”.
I went to the hospital to visit my dear ex – mother – in – law.
I have to say, she was incredibly tenacious.
Lin Meng put so many apple seeds, yet she not only had the strength to fight back with a knife.
She also hung on in the hospital for several days.
When she saw me coming, her eyes immediately lit up, and she made a “ho ho” sound in her throat, but couldn’t say anything.
I leaned closer to her, held her hand, and said affectionately:
“Mom, you must have missed me, right?”
She nodded desperately. I continued to smile:
“I miss you too –
“Hope you die soon!”
Her body froze, and she stared at me in disbelief.
“Don’t worry. Dai Jian and Lin Meng are both having the public’s food now. Life – long prison meals, enough to fill them up!”
“And, I had the child aborted. Dai Jian is useless. Your old Dai family has no descendants left!” I said in a tender voice.
The old hag started struggling violently, her face turning a livid purple, looking as if she was about to pounce and bite me to death.
The people from Daijia Village came in just in time to see this scene.
“Xiaoyu, after all, your mother – in – law is an elder. She’s already like this. You should be more tolerant. All of us relatives are watching.”
Sure enough, people from the same place have the same ability to tell lies with their eyes open.
Seeing someone backing her up, my mother – in – law immediately looked proud.
I let go of her hand and looked up at the crowd with greedy expressions:
“Is that so? I divorced Dai Jian. He and his mother ruined my spicy hot pot restaurant, and they still owe a lot of debt. Since you’re all her relatives, let’s settle the accounts with me.”
…
After a moment of silence, someone laughed and tried to smooth things over:
“What relatives? We’re just villagers. We’re not related at all.”
“Right, right. This old woman has always been overbearing and unreasonable. It’s God’s will that she’s like this now.”
“Xiaoyu, you’ve been wronged. Are you still opening the store? Do you need any help? Auntie can help you.”
My mother – in – law saw the situation changing and angrily snorted. The group of people tacitly pretended not to hear and only fawned on me.
“I’ll definitely consider it if there’s a chance. I’m leaving now.”
I picked up my designer handbag and gracefully left this unlucky place.
I heard someone behind me running up to the old woman unwillingly and asking: “Old Dai’s wife, is there really no money left?”
She was so angry that she made a “ho ho ho” sound for a long time. Then, she couldn’t catch her breath and choked to death!
“Let’s go, let’s go. The old woman is really dead. Don’t let her frame us!”
The crowd scattered in all directions, running away.
I sat in the car, watching this scene, feeling extremely happy.
I smiled and said to my parents who had been waiting for a long time:
“Let’s go. It’s time to travel and have fun!”
— The End —
