NOVPUB
Chapter 103: Chapter 103: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Tong Yao ignored Si Xiaohui and glanced at He Fang instead. Softening her stern demeanor from earlier, she said pointedly, "Fang, if you truly knew your husband, you wouldn’t be saying that now."
Both Aqiang and Si Xiaohui were the typical kinds to bully those in their own nest. The only reason Aqiang dared to make a scene here was because his wife, He Fang, worked here. If not for that, he would have tailed between his legs and run off a while ago.
"..." He Fang didn’t quite grasp the implication of Tong Yao’s words, feeling somewhat displeased, her voice tinged with blame, "Yao, I know you’re trying to stand up for me, but with you acting like this, I’m going to get a beating when I go home tonight."
Earlier, she had been frightened out of her wits. If Tong Yao could have put herself in He Fang’s shoes and considered the implications, she wouldn’t have embarrassed Aqiang in front of his friends.
Aqiang is her man. If Aqiang loses face, it’s not just him, it reflects on her as well.
Tong Yao chuckled at He Fang’s words, "I wasn’t trying to defend you, just looking after my own interests. Fang, I know I can sound harsh, so don’t take it personally. If I had let a man like your husband drink the milk tea today, he would just take it for granted that he can exploit me. Then, he would start coming by every now and then with a bunch of friends. How much can you afford to pay for all of them?"
Layabouts like Aqiang tend to surround themselves with a cluster of troublesome friends. It’d really be a hassle if that crowd starts coming around.
Backing up for a moment, even if all these costs are deducted from He Fang’s salary, would she not mind if five or six yuan was taken out every month?
If that were to happen, He Fang would only complain about the low cost of milk tea being an unreasonable basis for calculating her salary, blaming the store for underpaying her.
By taking a tough stand today, I can avoid future trouble. I’ve already leased a room to Si Xiaohui anyway, and her place is more spacious. Even if He Fang’s place isn’t available for storage, I can shift my things over to Si Xiaohui’s place. Keeping my stuff at He Fang’s was only a temporary solution anyway, not something I intended to do in the long run.
You could say I’m selfish or self-interested, but for me, my own well-being always comes first.
"Aqiang wouldn’t dare." He Fang defended her husband weakly. She felt upset to hear that Tong Yao was afraid of Aqiang consuming too much milk tea, costing her a lot of money.
"Next time, if you provoke trouble again and get beaten, don’t blame me. I’m not going to intervene." Si Xiaohui felt somewhat aggrieved when she saw Tong Yao only talking to He Fang and ignoring her, causing her to sulk.
"Mind your own business. Just don’t tell your brother about this when we get back, otherwise I’ll send you back to the village." Tong Yao shut her up with one straightforward remark.
Aqiang’s interruption had somewhat unsettled the previously harmonious work environment. He Fang wore a solemn face all day, worried about being punished when she got home, also partially blaming Tong Yao for making a big issue out of a simple matter. She’d thought Tong Yao was a generous person, always being good to her and her daughter.
But now she realized that deep down, Tong Yao looked down on her. She was only nice to them because she needed to store her things at He Fang’s place and needed their help with the work.
Now that Si Xiaohui was here, her attitude towards her changed. Though she verbally assured her she wouldn’t fire her, she didn’t seem to need her as much as before.
So it’s true, your own kin is always the nearest to your heart.
It was a bustling Monday. By three in the afternoon, they had sold all the fresh milk supplied by Mr. Niu. The trio packed up early and went home. Upon reaching her front door, He Fang, noticing that the door was unlocked, started trembling and didn’t dare to enter. Having caused Aqiang to lose face earlier, she was now certain to face his wrath again.
Tong Yao had initially resolved to stay out of He Fang’s family affairs, but seeing the terror on He Fang’s face, she couldn’t help but feel pity for her. Eventually, she broke her silence, "Fang, continuing this way isn’t a solution either. Why don’t you and your child consider renting a place outside for a while? If your husband changes his ways, then you can come back. If not, consider getting a divorce."
They say it’s better to kindle a reconciliation than to encourage divorce. But that’s because the people who say that aren’t the ones living in a situation like He Fang’s—to be beaten up twice a month, even an iron man would be reduced to rubbish eventually.
If Aqiang could support the family, one might understand He Fang’s endurance. But he can’t, He Fang is essentially raising him herself. Speak plainly, instead of marrying a husband, she’s raising a giant baby.
He Fang’s expression hardened, "Yao, I know you mean well, every family has its cross to bear. I don’t know how to express some things... never mind, you two go home first!"
He Fang inherently disliked Tong Yao’s divorce-pushing behavior. As she saw it, no normal person would casually advise someone else to get a divorce. After all, why should her perfectly ordinary family need to split up?
Even if Aqiang leaves much to be desired, as long as he’s around, her child will have a father and she will have a home and a man. If they divorce, where will she go then?
"Okay, but take care of yourself. We’re leaving now." Recognizing He Fang’s firm stance, Tong Yao left decisively this time. If He Fang was unwilling to divorce, the more she debated, the more she would seem to be at fault.
"Is He Fang’s brain damaged or something?" Just a short while after leaving He Fang’s house, Si Xiaohui couldn’t help but roll her eyes, "Such an awful man she treats like a treasure, isn’t she afraid she’ll be beaten to death?"
Just thinking about Aqiang made Si Xiaohui feel sick. She would rather die than date a guy like that. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
He Fang is not bad-looking. Even if she gets a divorce, she can still find a decent family. Why waste her youth with Aqiang? She might end up beaten to death one day without knowing it.
Tong Yao shrugged helplessly, "You should open your eyes wide when choosing a husband."
Si Xiaohui snorted, "I won’t be so blind." The image of Gu Hongwei suddenly popped up in her mind.
Her elder brother had gotten into college, became a doctor and married a city woman. Would Gu Hongwei also aspire to marry a city girl in the future?
If she had known this earlier, she should’ve focused more on her studies. Maybe then, she could have gotten into the same college as Gu Hongwei, accompanied each other all those years, graduated and got married—a perfect story. But there’s no use in regretting now, it’s too late.
Even though she was well aware of the gap between her and Gu Hongwei, a streak of hope clung to Si Xiaohui’s heart. Once she got her salary, she planned to buy some things and mail them to Gu Hongwei, along with some letters. Perhaps, Gu Hongwei would be moved by her gestures.
...
Meanwhile.
Upon entering her house, He Fang was as jittery as a thieves, moving her belongings as quietly as possible to avoid making a sound. Despite hiding in the kitchen for a while, she still felt uneasy and thought it would be best to admit her mistakes and appease Aqiang. If she hid and Aqiang discovered her, he’d definitely beat her viciously.
After a long hesitation, she nervously went back to the room, gently pushing open the door to find Aqiang sprawled on the bed, soundly asleep like a dead pig, the room reeked of alcohol. From the look of it, he must’ve been drinking with Maotou.
