Jun Jiuli woke up to find herself lying on the cold, damp, and greasy floor. A clamorous voice reached her ears.
“What use is it for my Yang family to have married you? You can’t even keep a child. Don’t just lie there on the floor pretending to be dead; get up quickly and wash the dishes. I only pushed you a little. Hanhan isn’t home, who are you acting tough for?”
As soon as Jun Jiuli opened her eyes, she saw a short, plump woman cracking sunflower seeds and scolding her. Just looking at the woman made her feel a surge of fear.
Ignoring her, Jun Jiuli pushed open another door in the kitchen and made her way towards the bedroom from memory.
“Who are you putting on a grumpy face for? Eating my son’s food, drinking my son’s water. Can’t I say a couple of words to you?”
The woman followed Jun Jiuli, cursing all the way. After Jun Jiuli entered the room, she slammed the door shut, almost hitting the face of the person trying to follow her in.
“Oh, heavens! You dare to treat me like this? Wait until my son gets back, and I’ll see how he deals with you.”
Jun Jiuli found a set of clothes in the room, took a shower, and changed. Then, she said, “007, transmit the plot.”
“Understood, host.”
The original host, Xu Zhuozhuo, was 30 years old and from Nanshi. When she applied for university, she wanted to see different scenery in the north and secretly filled out her application for Peking University, hiding it from her parents.
She had an older brother, who wasn’t suited for academics. After graduating from high school, he didn’t get into university and returned home to farm with his parents. The entire family wholeheartedly supported her education. She also made them proud, consistently securing first place in her department. She was quite a prominent figure on campus.
At the beginning of her freshman year, she met her current husband, Yang Jinhan. They started dating in their sophomore year. They spent three sweet and happy years together, and after graduation, they were both accepted by a Fortune Global 500 company.
After working for three years, when their relationship was stable and they were preparing for marriage, they met each other’s parents.
Yang Jinhan had no house or car in Beishi and couldn’t afford a bride price. The two cities were over a thousand kilometers apart. Xu’s parents, fearing their daughter would be mistreated, firmly disagreed.
Yang’s mother, on the other hand, wholeheartedly approved. After all, who wouldn’t be happy to marry a daughter-in-law without spending money, especially one who was a high-achieving student with a decent job?
Xu Zhuozhuo secretly took the household registration book and eloped with Yang Jinhan. By the time Xu’s parents found out, it was too late. They could only offer their blessings. Fearing their daughter would be bullied, they gave her 100,000 yuan as a dowry.
Thus, at 25, Xu Zhuozhuo married early, like a bear cub dropped into a jar of honey. She had no idea that the man had woven a large net for her.
Yang’s mother said the bride price would be used for a down payment. Xu Zhuozhuo paid for the renovation, and the property was registered under their names, which she thought was even better than receiving a bride price. The naive Xu Zhuozhuo found it reasonable, as she was in love with Yang Jinhan and didn’t want to take advantage of him in marriage.
In this way, Xu Zhuozhuo contributed 300,000 yuan to the house, and if their marriage were to end in an accident, she would get nothing.
Before they were married, Yang’s mother called Xu by affectionate names and cooked dishes Xu Zhuozhuo liked, always saying pleasant things. After the marriage, her true colors were revealed.
She wanted to occupy the master bedroom in the couple’s marital home, called Xu Zhuozhuo pretentious for not liking Northern cuisine, and even helped her son scrub his back when he showered, completely unashamed.
Xu Zhuozhuo mentioned it a few times. Initially, Yang Jinhan would tokenistically rebuke his mother. His mother would then cry and wail, saying, “It wasn’t easy for me to raise my son alone. Now that he has a wife, he’s forgotten his mother. His wife is a vixen who’s bewitched my son’s soul and wants to bully me to death.”
After a series of such incidents, Yang Jinhan would say to Xu Zhuozhuo, “My mother is old; don’t argue with her. Just pretend you didn’t hear what she said. If you don’t like the dishes she cooks, cook for yourself. It wasn’t easy for my mother to raise me.”
Yang’s mother treated her as an imaginary enemy who had stolen her son and constantly tormented Xu Zhuozhuo. A few conflicts escalated significantly.
Yang Jinhan pointed at the door and told Xu Zhuozhuo to get out, saying that it was his house and that people from the countryside were indeed uncouth. Enraged, Xu Zhuozhuo immediately filed for divorce.
Afterwards, Yang Jinhan knelt and begged for forgiveness, saying he was under too much pressure and couldn’t control his temper, and that he would change in the future.
Her friends also advised her, saying Yang Jinhan had no major flaws; at least he came home after work and didn’t gamble or cheat. The matter was thus dropped, as Xu Zhuozhuo couldn’t let go of the relationship.
A year after their marriage, Yang’s mother again urged them to have a child. How could Xu Zhuozhuo, who was in the prime of her career, agree? So, Yang’s mother started her usual tricks.
She poked holes in condoms and brewed tonics to boost Yang Jinhan’s virility. At midnight, she would punctually open the door to create an awkward situation for the couple. What Xu Zhuozhuo didn’t know was that all of this was done with her husband’s consent. Once Xu Zhuozhuo was home to prepare for pregnancy, his chances of promotion to supervisor would significantly increase.
Soon, he got his wish, and Xu Zhuozhuo became pregnant. She only regretted her carelessness and didn’t realize that this was a deliberate act by the other two. After all, it was her own flesh and blood, and she couldn’t bear to abort it, so she returned home to rest during her pregnancy. Yang Jinhan also successfully got promoted to supervisor.