Chapter 48: He Had Regretted It Long Ago
Director Hu’s expression was serious, but unexpectedly, he did not stop the woman’s accusation.
Obviously, the thing sandwiched in the book was one month’s salary of this man named Ding Zichuan. It should have just been issued, and no one knew who had sandwiched it in the book or why it had been sold to the Scrap Collection Station.
But at this moment, along with that book, it was held in Ding Zichuan’s hand.
However, his hand gripped it tightly, staring deathly at the woman accusing him.
He seemed to want to do something, but did not do it.
Only because this woman had already divorced him.
Both of them had their own families now.
This was whispered to her by Sister Qiao standing beside Lu Qiaoge.
Lu Qiaoge’s eyes sparklingly looked at the accusing woman.
Coming so timely, could it be that she saw the notice posted at the main door, guessed that it was Ding Zichuan’s lost money, and then waited for Ding Zichuan to come claim it?
The woman continued accusing: “Because of these thirty-six yuan and eighty-nine cents, we divorced. When we divorced and talked about the reason, you still insisted that I took away all the salary, completely disregarding the family’s life and death, and splashed dirty water all over me. I lived with you for more than ten years, and I got nothing good from you.
I remember at that time many people believed you, many people supported you, felt you were so aggrieved, and even said you were right to divorce, that marrying a woman like me would sooner or later take all the Ding Family’s good things to my mom’s house. Now I ask you, Ding Zichuan, what good things does my mom’s house have from your Ding Family?”
The woman wiped away her tears and sneered: “You indeed handed over every cent of your salary to me every month, but every time at the end of the month, you would say this to me: Where’s the money? You’ve spent it all. Where did you spend it? In your awareness, is it that whatever you give me, I have to give back the same amount at the end of the month?
In your awareness, not spending a single cent is right. As long as the amount doesn’t match, you say I gave the money to my mom. You know, every time I think of what you said, I hate it so much I can’t sleep. Leaving you, I truly don’t regret it at all.
The reason I came to find you today is because of that thirty-six yuan and eighty-nine cents. You must apologize to me face to face. You wronged me, and you must also go apologize to my mom, tell those people who supported and sympathized with you that the Wu Family has nothing from the Ding Family, and my mom never took any advantage from your family. You also have to tell everyone that Wu Xiaoxia did nothing wrong to you. Otherwise, I…”
Lu Qiaoge couldn’t help but give the woman a thumbs up.
Divorcing was right. Living a lifetime with such a petty man would surely suffocate one to death.
But Wu Xiaoxia obviously didn’t know what to do next, yet she looked toward Director Hu, then accidentally saw a very pretty little girl giving her a thumbs up and showing her an encouraging smile.
This should be a new cadre at the Neighborhood Committee; otherwise, she couldn’t be standing beside Deputy Director Huang.
Wu Xiaoxia gathered her courage again and said to Director Hu: “Director Hu, if he can’t do the above, I’ll go to the Police Station to sue him.”
Ding Zichuan pointed at Wu Xiaoxia and angrily scolded: “Don’t push your luck. Finding proof that it wasn’t you who took it is enough. You still want an apology? In your dreams!”
Director Hu scolded: “Ding Zichuan, what are you saying? Back then, because of this matter, not only did you cause your wife and children to scatter, but you also disturbed the Wu Family’s peace. Although a year has passed since this incident, the harm to the involved party has not passed. Remember, at that time many people advised you to give Wu Xiaoxia a little trust, but you still insisted on your claim, swearing by it. But what was the result?
And there’s one more thing. You came to the Neighborhood Committee back then and said in front of me that you personally handed the salary and grain ration tickets to Wu Xiaoxia. But how are they in this book?”
Ding Zichuan’s face changed uncertainly, his brows tightly furrowed, as if he was unwilling to recall.
Wu Xiaoxia said: “It absolutely wasn’t me who put it there, and this book is his. He never let me touch his books. But who exactly sold it to the Scrap Collection Station, after I divorced, naturally I don’t know.”
Ding Zichuan annoyed said: “In any case, it wasn’t me who put it inside, right?”
Lu Qiaoge couldn’t help but retort: “Why couldn’t it be you who put it there?”
Ding Zichuan glared at Lu Qiaoge: “If I put it there, I’d definitely remember.”
“Is your memory very good?”
Ding Zichuan: “Of course it’s very good. I’m not yet seventy or eighty.”
Lu Qiaoge continued asking: “Then do you still remember what happened on the day you received the salary? For example, what year, month, day, and what day of the week it was, what the weather was like that day, who you met on the road while holding the salary, what time it was when you got home, what you did first after getting home, if anyone came to your house, who between you and Comrade Wu got home first, and after you got home, did you touch this book?”
Ding Zichuan: ……
A whole year had passed; how could he remember that?
Director Hu seriously said: “Didn’t you say your memory is good? Recall it properly. Why was this salary sandwiched in the book you usually read?”
Everyone was looking at Ding Zichuan.
Including Wu Xiaoxia with her red eye circles.
Suddenly, Ding Zichuan’s mind seemed to explode. His face turned pale. Being reminded like this, he actually really remembered.
At that time, the neighbor knocked on the door. He was holding the salary in his hand and standing in front of the bookshelf, so he casually stuffed it into the book…
He dejectedly lowered his head, his trembling hand gripping the book tightly, as if holding a hot potato.
After the divorce, he hadn’t been doing well at all.
Because Wu Xiaoxia desperately wanted to divorce, and because the two families had quarreled irreconcilably, he agreed in a fit of anger. He didn’t take either of the two children, thinking at the time that as long as he had a woman, she could bear children for him. But it wasn’t like that.
His current wife… she was just a shrew, completely different from the gentle, kind, and good-at-managing-life Xiaoxia.
If he dared to hit her, she dared to chop him with a kitchen knife.
If he scolded her for spending money extravagantly, she would curse him as incompetent, as waste, even curse his whole family with the ugliest words in this world.
Not to mention being filial to parents. Even if he gave his mother one yuan, she could go to his mother’s house and make a scene.
Actually, he had regretted it long ago.
Now he regretted it even more.
But there was no regret medicine in the world.
Suddenly, Ding Zichuan slammed the book to the ground, his eyes red and choking as he roared: “Who is so nosy? Couldn’t they just pocket the money when they saw it?”
Deputy Director Huang was so angry he laughed: “Ding Zichuan, you are also a comrade who has worked for many years. How can you say such words?”
Someone curled their lips: Serves you right. If you hadn’t come to claim it, there wouldn’t have been this issue.
Five minutes later, Ding Zichuan publicly apologized to Wu Xiaoxia.
Wu Xiaoxia calmly thanked all the cadres of the Neighborhood Committee.
Then she followed the man who had been standing by the door with several scars on his face, looking very ugly but with a upright and resolute temperament, and left the Neighborhood Committee.
Lu Qiaoge saw Wu Xiaoxia’s gentle smile toward that man.
She also saw the man’s silent yet protective glance.
Sister Qiao lowered her voice and said to Ren Xiaocui: “That’s the man Wu Xiaoxia remarried. I heard he’s a retired soldier, injured on the battlefield unable to have children and disfigured. Sigh…”
Ren Xiaocui also sighed: “Back when Ding Zichuan and Wu Xiaoxia got married, who didn’t say they were a match made in heaven? But in the end…”
Sister Qiao smiled: “But now she’s living very well!”
When writing this chapter, I felt like there were so many things to say, but actually didn’t know what to say. So, I wish every girl can be that brilliant star in her own sky, learn to illuminate herself first, learn to be gentle and kind to herself. May my treasures have a bright road ahead, no obstacles from wind or rain, may all wishes come true, and all loves last forever!
