Even while going over accounts with Cripple Xie in the room, Wang Cuifen kept half her attention on Su Qing and Xie Jianhua.
When faint sounds of "leaving" and "not leaving" drifted from the next room, Wang Cuifen immediately sprang up, marched over in a few strides, and shoved the door open.
"Xie Jianhua! Where do you think you're going? Who said you could leave?" Wang Cuifen planted her hands on her hips and scolded, "If you dare take one step out of this courtyard today, don't you ever come back!"
Xie Jianhua calmly explained, "Mom, I didn't say I was leaving."
"You didn't? I heard you loud and clear from next door—that doesn't count as saying it?" Wang Cuifen ignored him and kept yelling, "How did I raise such an ungrateful brat, ready to run off at the drop of a hat?"
Because in their past life, Xie Jianhua had indeed left. Though he hadn’t discussed leaving with her last night, Wang Cuifen was still on guard against him bolting.
As Wang Cuifen’s scolding grew fiercer, Su Qing awkwardly rubbed her nose and spoke up for Xie Jianhua, "Mom, Xie Jianhua really didn’t say he was leaving."
It was her who had carelessly asked the question, and her voice had been too loud, alerting Wang Cuifen.
"Su Qing, don’t be scared, sweetheart~ Mom wasn’t yelling at you just now, it was that rascal Xie Jianhua. You don’t need to defend him. You’re such a good girl, but sometimes too kind for your own good! Just don’t waste that kindness on the wrong person. Today, Mom’s going to teach him a proper lesson."
After soothing Su Qing, Wang Cuifen turned her wrath back on Xie Jianhua. "Look at you, just look at you! Aren’t you ashamed? Even now, Su Qing is still standing up for you."
"Ashamed?" Xie Jianhua nearly laughed in disbelief.
He had just walked into the room without saying a word—it was Su Qing who had asked if he was leaving. He had clearly said no, but Wang Cuifen, catching only fragments of the conversation, had stormed in to berate him.
Even after his explanation, she refused to listen. He felt more wronged than Dou E.
Wang Cuifen jabbed a finger at Xie Jianhua and declared imperiously, "I, Wang Cuifen, am standing right here. Let’s see if you dare cross this threshold."
"Mom~ Mom~ He really didn’t say he was leaving…" Su Qing was mortified. She wasn’t some villain framing an innocent man.
"Su Qing, don’t worry, Mom’s got your back." Wang Cuifen shot Xie Jianhua a sidelong glare and sneered. "If he leaves, I’ll disown him. You and I will stick together—no ungrateful son is going to come between us."
Love someone, and you wish them life; despise them, and you wish them death.
Xie Jianhua hadn’t lived to see Wang Cuifen grow old, but thanks to the misdeeds of his other brothers, he was already on her list of potential ingrates.
In Wang Cuifen’s heart, he couldn’t hold a candle to Su Qing.
Xie Jianhua looked at Wang Cuifen and Su Qing like they were a tyrannical ruler and her scheming minister.
But one was his birth mother, and the other his newly wedded wife. No matter how furious he was, he could only swallow his anger—he didn’t dare vent it on either of them.
Seeing Wang Cuifen still blocking the door, Xie Jianhua stiffly lay down on the bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and shut his eyes—out of sight, out of mind.
"I’m not leaving. I’m going to sleep. Happy now?"
Her son had always been a man of few words. If he wasn’t arguing anymore, it meant he’d conceded.
Wang Cuifen patted Su Qing’s hand reassuringly. "He’s settled down now. If he acts up again, come find me—I’ll straighten him out for you."
Xie Jianhua, lying there with his eyes closed, was so incensed he opened them again.
Who was the one acting up here?!
Su Qing cleared her throat awkwardly and gently coaxed Wang Cuifen out of the room.
Once the door was shut, she tiptoed to the bed, ready to apologize.
But the moment their eyes met, Xie Jianhua rolled over, turning his back to her.
Su Qing rubbed her hands nervously. Still angry, huh?
Anyone would be furious after being yelled at for no reason. She’d caused this mess—she had to fix it.
Su Qing owned up to her mistake and poked his shoulder. "Hey… I’m sorry, okay?"
Xie Jianhua sat up abruptly. "If you’re sorry, just say it. No ‘okay’ at the end."
"Sorry."
Su Qing bowed her head, looking utterly contrite. "I really didn’t mean to. You heard me—I tried to explain for you."
Except her explanation had only made Wang Cuifen scold him harder.
Xie Jianhua took a deep breath and resignedly said, "Just don’t do it again."
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Su Qing nodded vigorously.
She’d originally planned to persuade Xie Jianhua to return to his military unit soon, but after Wang Cuifen’s outburst, she didn’t dare bring it up. Even if she did, he wouldn’t leave now.
For all her temper, Wang Cuifen was an exceptional mother to her children.
Her eldest, Xie Jianzhong, had nearly drowned as a child, leaving his lungs damaged. Many said he wouldn’t survive, but Wang Cuifen scoured the land for doctors and medicines, nursing him to adulthood. His frail health stunted his growth—even in his twenties, he stood barely over five feet tall. Yet Wang Cuifen still scraped together a hefty dowry to secure him a wife.
Her second son, Xie Jianhua, had been a rowdy child, always causing trouble. Instead of beating him, Wang Cuifen paid for martial arts lessons to channel his energy. When the military recruited him, she forced Cripple Xie to swallow his pride and write to old comrades, begging them to watch over him. After he was injured on duty, fearing he’d struggle to marry, she hastily arranged his wedding with a staggering 500-yuan bride price.
As for her youngest son repeating high school for years—that barely warranted mention.
With a mother who gave her all like this, no matter how rebellious Xie Jianhua was outside, he’d never dare defy her face-to-face.
This time, Xie Jianhua hadn’t even considered leaving—partly because Wang Cuifen’s attitude toward Su Qing was different.
But if Xie Jianhua didn’t go back, Su Qing couldn’t relax either. She asked curiously, "If you’re not leaving today, when will you?"
"I’ve got five days of leave left," Xie Jianhua explained. "I was sent home to recover from my injury, so the break is longer."
That long? Su Qing glanced at the narrow bed, then at Xie Jianhua’s broad frame, wrinkling her nose. Sharing it would be uncomfortably cramped.
She pulled up a stool and sat by the bed, laying her cards on the table. "I know you married me under pressure. In a couple of years, when things calm down, I’m willing to divorce. You can find someone better. I’ll return the 500-yuan bride price too."
After being caught in bed together, this wedding had been the only way to save face.
"Don’t treat a military marriage as a joke," Xie Jianhua said darkly. "Now that we’re married, I’ll take responsibility. I’ll provide for you all your life."
"Why bother? You like Su Xue, not me. You probably even despise me, think I’m calculating… Mmpf—?!"
Su Qing had meant to reason with him, but halfway through, Xie Jianhua clamped a hand over her mouth.
"You just apologized. Now you’re back to slandering me?"
