Reborn in the 80s, Get Rich by Eating Melons

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Disgraceful Acts

"Dad, you’ve said yourself Si Chen is promising and his future is bright. His marriage with his wife was arranged, and there is no love between them. You’ve heard the hospital rumors and know that divorce is inevitable for them. They’ve just been together for two days and they don’t have any kids. If I am patient, I can have him," she stated passionately.

Yu Shiya boldly put her feelings out in the open because her parents already knew about her feelings for Si Chen. She reasoned that she had to win her parents over sooner or later if she wanted to be with Si Chen. Perhaps, they might even help her.

If they won’t help, she would move into the hospital family accommodation and never come back. Regardless of anyone’s opinion, she loved Si Chen, and that was all that mattered.

Yu Shiya had been pampered like a princess since she was young and had become stubborn and spoiled, determined to get whatever she wanted, by any means necessary. This applied to her feelings as well. She had been picky with her choices in boys since she was young, but now that she has finally found someone she likes, she won’t give up easily.

"Nonsense!" Yu Zhengxiong, her father, slammed the table angrily, his face creasing up with new wrinkles. "You are a maiden of a respected family, but you want to marry a divorced man! What a disgrace!"

"Regardless, if you do not agree with me, then I will not get married!"

Yu Shiya was fighting back tears. Although her parents have spoiled her, she was not one to cry and complain amidst the harsh working conditions in the hospital. Yu Zhengxiong was proud of his daughter’s strength and resilience. Seeing her cry now, he felt a mix of heartache and anger, blaming his wife for her behavior.

"You spoiled her," he muttered blamefully.

Cheng Yu, who was in the midst of wiping away Shiya’s tears, retorted in annoyance: "Had you not encouraged her to study medicine, where would she have met Si Chen? Who was the one that praised him in front of our daughter? This is all on you."

Yu Zhengxiong was at a loss for words, left speechless by his wife’s poignant words. He let out a deep sigh of resignation. What good would regret do now that it has already happened?

Seeing her father wavering, Yu Shiya impulsively knelt, gripping his arm and pleading tearfully, "Dad, I’ve never asked you for anything in my life but I truly love Si Chen. Can you please help me?"

Cheng Yu’s heart ached seeing her daughter in such a state. She shoved Yu Zhengxiong in frustration. "Well, say something!" she demanded.

Yu Zhengxiong wore a stern face, refusing to relent even though he wanted to help his daughter. The sight of his always proud daughter sobbing made it hard to say no. Plus, Si Chen was indeed talented. Even though his family was not as well-off as theirs, he had the potential to accomplish great things in the field of medicine. This, he couldn’t deny.

If Si Chen became his son-in-law, and with a bit of support from himself in the future, Si Chen would have a very bright future.

Considering Tong Yao’s tarnished reputation, Si Chen’s divorce seemed inevitable. It might even be a favourable deal for Tong Yao if she was compensated well during the settlement.

Having made his decision, Yu Zhengxiong let out a deep sigh, "I will get someone to probe and ask if he has any thoughts on divorce."

After speaking these words, he left the room.

Encouraging a divorced man to marry his daughter did not sit well with his conscience. But all parents want the best for their children, and he was doing what he thought was best for his daughter.

"Your father agreed, why are you still kneeling? Get up" Cheng Yu quickly pulled Yu Shiya up, gently wiping the tears from her face, grumbling softly. "I want to see with my own eyes what Si Chen looks like, and what charm made my daughter so infatuated."

Her eyes still red from sobbing, Yu Shiya let out a small chuckle, "He’s very handsome, and I’m sure you’ll like him too."

"Once he is divorced, bring him home for a meal so we can confirm the relationship. We need to act fast before others do. We need to secure him while he’s still not in demand. Otherwise, if he becomes successful and chooses someone else over you, then we’ll be offering a bridal gift to others for no good reason", Cheng Yu said as she fixed Shiya’s hair. She hadn’t seen Si Chen yet, but based on the praise from both her daughter and husband, she surmised that he couldn’t be bad. Otherwise, her husband wouldn’t agree to marry Shiya to a divorced man.

In Cheng Yu’s perspective, the combination of a good girl with good family background and a promising young man came naturally. She was also certain that Shiya was a much better choice than Si Chen’s current wife from a rural background. Wouldn’t Si Chen feel grateful for her daughter who saved him from a loveless marriage, if they got married?

Once Si Chen became successful, he wouldn’t forget the help their family offered him, and would treat Shiya well.

"Yes," Yu Shiya nodded in agreement with her mother’s thoughts — she believed that any man would want to divorce Tong Yao to marry her. If she knew that Si Chen was in a hurry to marry, she would have actively pursued him, instead of waiting for him to take notice and chase her.

Cheng Yu chuckled while patting Yu Shiya’s forehead, "Now, are you in the mood to drink the soup?"

Yu Shiya took a sip of the soup and teased her mother, "Mom, the soup you make is the best."

"You just love flattery," Cheng Yu smiled fondly at her daughter’s happy expression. She promised herself that she would ensure everything goes as planned so as not to disappoint her daughter. "Later, I’ll remind your father to finalize Si Chen’s divorce as soon as possible. We don’t want his wife to have a baby because of the delay."

Upon hearing this, Shiya lost interest in the soup and urged her mother to remind her father immediately, "Mom, go now and keep reminding dad. We can’t forget about this. Making this a priority at work tomorrow."

In response, a flustered Cheng Yu said, "Alright, alright, I’m going now. You finish your soup."

"Alright, just go quickly."

As she watched Cheng Yu leave the room, Shiya sat back down to continue drinking her soup. The mere thought of tomorrow filled her heart with a sweetness as if she had consumed a jujube honey. Once Si Chen received the message and understood her intentions, she wondered whether he would share the same happiness as her.

Because of the excessive excitement, Yu Shiya barely slept that night. The next morning, she woke up with large bags under her eyes. Her father Yu Zhengxiong cast a knowing glance at her but did not vocalize anything. At the hospital, he immediately called Liu Haisheng to his office. After mulling over it all night, he had concluded that delegating this task to Liu Haisheng would be for the best, given how often the two ran into each other at work.

The two conversed in the office for nearly twenty minutes. When Liu Haisheng left, his face conveyed deep conflict. He felt guilty about the task assigned by the dean of the hospital. Going to instigate someone’s divorce did not feel ethical.

A heavy sigh!

No matter his personal feeling, he had to carry out the task set by the dean!

...

Tong Yao was blissfully unaware that others were plotting her marital split. She arrived early in the morning and waited at the main gate. After waiting for nearly ten or fifteen minutes, she spotted the milkman in his forties, looking simple and kind-hearted, riding his bicycle. As he was about to unload the milk cartons from the rear seat of his bicycle, Tong Yao walked up to him cheerfully.

"Sir, can I order fresh milk from you?"

At her question, the man looked up at her in surprise and replied amicably, "Miss, how many bottles would you like to order?"