What?

  Zhou Xiaoyun was shocked: "What did you say? Say it again."

  Li Tianyu murmured: "Little Gu came to me tonight, saying that he was short of money and wanted to borrow some from me. I thought we still had 20,000 yuan on hand, so I agreed."

  He looked at Zhou Xiaoyun's increasingly dark face and couldn't say anything more.

  "Li Tianyu!" Zhou Xiaoyun spat out the words, her teeth clenched in anger, as if she wanted to beat him up on the spot. "That's the money I've been saving bit by bit over the years, eating plain and simple, for buying a house! How dare you agree to lend it to someone else without even asking me?"

  "Even if we can't afford a house, we have to save for the kids' education! Do you know how much it costs to study now?!"

  Li Tianyu knew he was somewhat in the wrong and didn't make a sound as he listened to Zhou Xiaoyun's complaints.

  "I've been married to you for seven years, have I had a good day? Have I ever eaten a decent meal? Have I worn any decent clothes? We're still renting a house and don't even have a proper home. Every day is just work, taking care of the kid, doing chores, without even a moment to rest. Other women who married well get to enjoy life, wear nice things, go shopping, live in nice houses and drive cars. What about me?"

  Zhou Xiaoyun said up to here, has been tears like rain, for a time, all the discontent surged in her mind.

  Since she was a child, she has been an insignificant and dispensable girl in her family.

  There are four siblings in her family, with an older brother above her and a spoiled younger brother and the youngest sister below.

  The family was poor, and the good food had to be kept for her younger brother and sister. By the time it was her turn, there was hardly anything left. The clothes she wore were all hand-me-downs from her older cousin next door that had been altered to fit her. Her parents were busy farming and doing odd jobs to make money, no one had any spare time to pay attention to her.

  She was originally a clever girl, but with no one asking about her studies, they were all abandoned.

  After graduating from junior high school, she naturally dropped out of school and went to a garment factory to study for a year before starting work to make money.

  She gave all her salary to support her siblings' education. When she reached the age of first love, she met Li Tianyu, who had just returned from military service. She fell in love with him unilaterally. Her family had already arranged for her to meet another man from a good family background, but Zhou Xiaoyun refused to meet that man, who was said to have a formal job.

  She resolutely made a decision that she had always thought would be regrettable: cohabiting with Li Tianyu.

  Soon after, there was Niu Niu, and at home, they couldn't outdo her, so they had to let her marry Li Tianyu.

  After Zhou Xiaoyun got what she wanted, she found that her life after marriage was not what she had imagined. Li Tianyu's carefree and playful personality during courtship turned into laziness and lack of ambition after marriage. In simple terms, he became a man who was content with a mediocre life.

  Zhou Xiaoyun woke up from her passionate love and soon welcomed the birth of her child. She thoroughly began her life as a housewife.

  When the child grew up a bit and entered kindergarten, she rented a house with Li Tianyu and lived separately, and tasted the bitterness of life even more.

  She found a toy factory that didn't mind her working hours, and paid by the piece. To earn more money, she often brought work home from the factory. Every day, she also had to pick up and drop off her child, buy groceries, cook meals, do laundry, and mop the floor.

  Living a life of meticulous calculation every day, even buying vegetables requires careful consideration, carefully calculating monthly expenses down to the last yuan.

  The day when a family's life of frugality and thrift can end seems far away.

  Is this what people mean by "if you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, follow the dog"? She married this mediocre man in front of her, is this the life she's supposed to live?

  Li Tianyu saw Zhou Xiaoyun crying and became somewhat impatient: "Alright alright, just say a few words!"

  What attitude is this?

  Zhou Xiaoyun wiped away her tears and said to the child: "Niu Niu, go watch TV in the room."

  Niang Niang put down her bowl and softly comforted Zhou Xiaoyun: "Mom, don't be angry, when I grow up, I'll buy a house for you to live in."

  Zhou Xiaoyun's heart warmed up and she coaxed the child into the house.

  After settling down Yuanyuan, she sat at the table with a serious face, ready to have a good talk with Li Tianyu.

  Li Tianyu looked at Zhou Xiaoyun with a serious face and suddenly laughed: "What's wrong today, are you going to give me a lesson on ideology and politics?"

  Zhou Xiaoyun ignored his smiling face, "I'm telling you seriously, Li Tianyu, I won't lend you this money."

  "No way, buddy, I've already promised, I must keep my word."

  "Is your face more important or our livelihood is more important!" Zhou Xiaoyun almost shouted.

  Of course, face is important!

  The words that had reached the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, Li Tianyu took a look at Zhou Xiaoyun's face and wisely refrained from saying anything that would make her furious.

  "Tell him tomorrow that I've used up all the money and there's none to lend him." Zhou Xiaoyun said as she went to clean up the bowls and chopsticks.

  Li Tianyu was silent, and it was unknown what he was thinking in his heart.

  Zhou Xiaoyun didn't notice her husband's expression, she thought this matter was over and done with.

  She never could have imagined what would happen the next day.