Zhuang Rouhui’s voice rendered the hospital room utterly silent.
Li Fuhong snorted, "Now you remember you have a daughter?"
Tears still streaked Zhuang Rouhui’s face, but her expression was fierce.
"She’s your child too, you should be the one paying!"
She had previously been unwilling to divorce, partly because she didn’t want to make it easy for Li Fuhong.
The other reason was, of course, for the property.
But if the Li Family really agreed to distribute the property evenly among the children, Zhuang Rouhui had no reason to refuse.
Her marriage to Li Fuhong was already in name only; getting the money and then divorcing wouldn’t be a loss.
However, Zhuang Rouhui was not willing to let the other woman benefit unchallenged; she would definitely fight for more.
Li Jiaguo and Ding Xiulan were also at a loss for words regarding their daughter-in-law.
One moment she was in tears, the next she was full of energy.
Her motives were painfully obvious.
But as elders, they couldn’t speak too harshly, and Ding Xiulan could only say tactfully, "The child has been missing for years, and no one knows where she is or even if she’s alive or dead. How can we divide it?"
Zhuang Rouhui was unwilling to accept this, "She’s alive, she couldn’t possibly be dead, someone took her away that year."
Li Jiaguo’s gaze was sharp, "Then you know where she is?"
"If that’s the case, why didn’t you say so at the time? We searched needlessly for months, and when we wanted to report it, you wouldn’t let us."
Zhuang Rouhui bit her lower lip, unsure how to argue her case.
But the fact was as her mother had told her; the family who came to check couldn’t have children, so she was sure they would take their daughter away properly and not harm her.
Even though they looked like country folks, she had considered her daughter’s welfare, hadn’t she? At least she hadn’t killed her outright.
Zhuang Rouhui’s eyes darted around and she found herself speechless, but she noticed her son standing beside her tremble, his gaze fixed on the hospital bed, lost in thought.
But Zhuang Rouhui didn’t think too deeply, and amid the oppressive stares of Li Jiaguo and his wife, she said softly, "Regardless, this child is also from the Li family; I gave birth to three children for him, he should give me the money."
Li Fuhong, massaging his aching forearm, looked at Zhuang Rouhui with disgust in his eyes.
"This money isn’t for you, it’s for the children. If it weren’t for them, I would have divorced you long ago, you’re a woman who only thinks of her own interests and has no real affection."
Zhuang Rouhui was about to retort loudly when Li Jiaguo banged his cane heavily.
"Enough, this is still a hospital. Ruyun is still lying on the bed. What’s the point of all this arguing?"
At the mention of the child on the hospital bed, both of them finally fell silent.
But the eyes that fell on Li Ruyun held very little affection.
In their hearts, this marriage was a mistake, and how could they feel much affection for a mistake’s consequence?
Moreover, as Li Ruyun grew up, she became increasingly disobedient, already eroding the scant paternal love Li Fuhong had.
"Let’s discuss this when Ruyun wakes up," sighed Ding Xiulan. "As for the child Rouhui mentioned, if you can find her and prove she’s from our old Li family, then she’s definitely entitled to her share of the money. But as it stands, even if we wanted to compensate her, we can’t without seeing her."
Zhuang Rouhui couldn’t argue, so she remained silent.
She sat by the bed, her gaze absently on her daughter, her mental wheels turning relentlessly.
After a while, when Li Jiaguo and his wife left, Li Fuhong too had no desire to stay with Zhuang Rouhui longer.
He tersely dropped the line, "This marriage has to end, let me know your terms," and left.
Zhuang Rouhui, unusually, did not argue with him, only waited for everyone to leave before instructing her son.
"Ruyu, watch here for now; I need to go home."
Li Ruyu numbly acknowledged, watching as Zhuang Rouhui left.
The hospital room fell silent once again.