"Dad, that’s because I’m smart."
Xu Nianhua’s playful smile brimmed with laughter; her family’s life was getting better day by day, which made her feel exceptionally happy.
"Right, my daughter is the smartest," Xu Qinghe praised generously, feeling extremely comforted by her confident smile.
"Dad, let’s talk about the dressing table again."
Xu Nianhua threw herself back into work, moving from the bed to the wardrobe, then to the desk, and now to the dressing table. She believed that once she shared all she knew, the factory would receive even more orders in the future.
She trusted that, inspired by her, her father would surely make more and prettier furniture.
"Zhong Juan, are you out of your mind?" Gao Jianshe looked around at the messy room. He had been so exhausted from work that moving was a struggle, but the sight of the disarray, coupled with Zhong Juan’s frightful face, filled him with irritation.
Ever since her miscarriage, Zhong Juan had become increasingly irritable.
"You’re the one who’s crazy!"
Zhong Juan, not even lifting her head, retorted, "Xu Nianji makes a good profit selling bean sprouts, and the Xu family’s life is thriving. Xu Nian’an is about the same age as you, look at him, he’s about to become a university student, but what about you?"
"You toil from dawn to dusk every month and barely make a few bucks, nowhere near as much as what slips through the fingers of others!" The more Zhong Juan thought about it, the angrier she became. Initially, she had married Gao Jianshe thinking his family was wealthy.
However, after marrying in, she realized things were not as they seemed.
Indeed, the Gao Family was wealthy, but that had nothing to do with Gao Jianshe; his mother was stingy and kept a tight grip on the family’s funds, leaving nothing for Zhong Juan.
During her pregnancy, her mother-in-law had treated her fairly well, but since the miscarriage, she treated her with utter contempt.
Zhong Juan felt she could hardly stand another day in the Gao Family home; with no word from Auntie Zhao, she decided she had to find a job before she went insane.
It seemed she needed to visit Auntie Zhao once more.
Intent on finding work, Zhong Juan completely overlooked Gao Jianshe’s twisted face, distorted with anger.
Gao Jianshe stepped forward and, raising his hand, slapped Zhong Juan while cursing, "You shameless woman, I provide for you, and you still disdain me; I must teach you a lesson today."
Gao Jianshe, while cursing, grabbed Zhong Juan, seeking to vent his pent-up rage.
Zhong Juan, slapped across the face, looked at Gao Jianshe in shock and said, "You hit me? You actually hit me?"
"So what if I did? Who told you to pine after other men?" The more Gao Jianshe thought about Zhong Juan claiming he wasn’t as capable as the men from the Xu family, the angrier he became, and the couple immediately came to blows.
As a woman, Zhong Juan naturally could not overpower Gao Jianshe. She started to flee, running outside in panic and bumped into a man.
Zhong Juan fell to the ground, her face twisted in pain. Furious, she looked up, about to hurl insults, but fell silent when she saw a refined face.
"Don’t run," Gao Jianshe shouted as he chased after her.
Gao Jianshe looked at the stranger with suspicion, reaching out to drag Zhong Juan back.
Zhong Juan, fearing another beating, hurriedly hid behind the man.
"Who are you?" Gao Jianshe sized up the man, a face he didn’t recognize, likely not from their village.