Chapter 104: So It Was You, Xia Yu

Chen Shufang said anxiously, “Sister-in-law, Sijie, you heard it too. We’ve only managed to scrape together fifty thousand yuan so far. We’re still short by one hundred thousand.”

“Xiaojing’s family won’t budge either. They’re dead set on the full one hundred fifty thousand. We came today to discuss this with you.”

“No matter what, if you want Jun to get married soon, you have to help us raise that remaining hundred thousand.”

She said “help raise” without even bothering to mention borrowing.

How could Zhao Sijie not understand what they were after? That money would be no different from giving it to them for nothing.

“Auntie, do you really think we’re rich people? To be honest, everything I just bought for my cousin-in-law already used up all the savings I’ve managed to build over all these years of work. I can’t even afford this meal now.”

“We’re still depending on Brother Yu to pay, and now you want another hundred thousand. Where are we supposed to get that for you?”

Chen Shufang shot a glance at Xia Yu and said, “Doesn’t Xia Yu have a house? Let him sell it, and there’s your money. Anyway, you both have good jobs. You can just earn it back and buy another one later.”

Xia Yu’s mouth twitched. This family was simply even more shameless than Lin Yuxin’s parents.

“Auntie, what did you say?” Zhao Sijie said angrily. “Don’t you think you’re being too much? I already spent seventy thousand just now. That was generous enough.”

“And now you want Brother Yu to sell his house so your son can get married? What kind of dream are you having?”

“Sijie, how can you talk to my mother like that?” Cao Jun said furiously. “Don’t forget who pulled you up when you were in the worst of your hardship. Isn’t it only right that you spend a little money on us now?”

“Now you have a job and can earn money, and your boyfriend even has a car and a house. Why can’t you help me?”

“If you won’t help, then you’re biting the hand that fed you and cutting the bridge after crossing it!”

Zhao Sijie laughed in exasperation. She had not wanted to bring up old grievances, but she could not hold back any longer.

“Fine, Cousin, since you put it that way, let’s reason it out properly. Do you remember how your family treated my mother when she came to borrow money back then?”

“My mother couldn’t even get through your front door. She knelt outside for a full two hours. It was only after Grandma couldn’t bear to watch anymore and said a few words that you finally lent us fifteen hundred.”

“And you think the seven thousand I just spent on you isn’t enough?”

“Fifteen hundred, and you still want me to help your son get married. Do you really think I’m the one being ungrateful?”

“You...”

Cao Jun’s face turned livid, but he was so angry he could not speak.

Liu Jing gave a cold laugh. “Cousin, you can’t calculate it like that. How can money today be compared with money back then?”

“Besides, that fifteen hundred was already a lot for Uncle and Aunt, and they still lent it to you.”

“And now that you clearly have the ability, you refuse to help. If that’s not ingratitude, what is it?”

“That’s right, Sijie, you can’t keep accounts like that. You’re acting as if fifteen hundred was nothing, but back then it was more than half a year’s income for us. Do you know how much land we had to farm just to earn fifteen hundred yuan?”

Chen Shufang said angrily, “How can you say such heartless things now?”

Zhao Sijie was left speechless by their logic. When people could be shameless to this extent, there really was nothing to say.

“Enough, stop arguing. We’re in a restaurant. If people see this, it’ll only make us look ridiculous.”

Zhao’s mother, with her gentle heart, stepped in to smooth things over.

Zhao Sijie’s eyes grew wet. They were truly going too far, sucking her dry was not enough, and now they wanted to drain her boyfriend too.

In truth, this was also why she had never dated during her four years at university. Even when people pursued her, she did not have the courage.

Yes, her family background and environment had once made her so insecure that she did not even dare to love.

“Huh? Isn’t that Sijie?”

Just as the atmosphere grew stiff and awkward, a surprised voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned toward it, and Xia Yu and Zhao Sijie both froze.

It was Wang Dong and Wu Tian. Dressed in suits, handsome and polished, they looked every inch the successful men.

“Wang Dong, Wu Tian, what a coincidence. You’re here for a meal too?” Zhao Sijie stood and greeted them with a smile, out of old classmate courtesy and politeness.

“Yes. We just finished discussing some business with a few bosses,” Wu Tian said, praising Wang Dong. “Sijie, you have no idea how much Brother Dong helped me this time.”

“A few projects I’ve wanted for ages—normally, when I go to talk to people, I can’t even get an appointment. But thanks to Brother Dong making the introduction, I just closed the deal with those bosses. It went extremely well.”

“Haha, this year’s performance target is no longer something I need to worry about. I might even get a promotion from this.”

“Is that so? Congratulations,” Zhao Sijie said.

Wang Dong put on an humble expression and said with pretended modesty, “Why tell Sijie all that? It’s nothing.”

“Yes, yes, I’m just too happy,” Wu Tian said with a smile. Of course he said these things to raise Wang Dong’s standing.

“It's fine,” Zhao Sijie replied generously with a smile.

Wang Dong glanced at Xia Yu and said with affected friendliness, “Xia Yu is here too. We meet again.”

Xia Yu nodded in response.

He did not especially like Wang Dong’s hypocritical face, but it had to be said that men like that were usually well liked wherever they went.

“Sijie, are these your family members?” Wang Dong asked.

“Yes, this is my mother, and these are my uncle and cousin...” Zhao Sijie briefly introduced them.

Wang Dong immediately stepped forward with great enthusiasm, shaking hands one by one and greeting each of them warmly, putting on the air of a very considerate gentleman.

That made the others feel quite flattered, and their attitudes toward him changed at once.

With Wu Tian’s praise just now, they placed even more importance on Wang Dong. From his youthful appearance, his clothes, and his bearing, he was clearly a man of means.

“Sijie, have you and Xia Yu moved so quickly to meeting the parents?” Wu Tian asked in surprise. “Are you about to get married?”

“As your old classmate, I really have to advise you again. Marriage is no joke; you must treat it with caution, especially since Xia Yu has been divorced before, and he was also... a live-in son-in-law.”

“You really need to think this through carefully.”

At Wu Tian’s words, even Zhao Sijie’s expression changed, let alone Chen Shufang and Liu Jing.

All of them stared wide-eyed at Xia Yu in disbelief.

“What... what did you say?”

“Xia Yu has been divorced, and he was a live-in son-in-law?”

“Ah... you didn’t know?” Wu Tian put on a look of having made a mistake and apologized repeatedly. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“Sijie, I thought you had already told your family the truth about Xia Yu. It seems I’ve said too much...”

Zhao Sijie’s face darkened. It must have been Li Li and Xiao Qin spreading it around; she had only told a few of them about Xia Yu’s situation.

“Xia Yu, you shameless waste of space—how dare you hide something this huge from us? Were you deliberately trying to deceive Sijie?” Chen Shufang said, so anxious she nearly jumped up, pointing at Xia Yu in fury.