“Sis, you’re amazing, Shu Guobing and Wen Hongyan are shameless, yet you got them to pay up!”
Chen Li had wanted to step in earlier, but Chen Ru forbade her, so she stayed in the car, watching Chen Ru unleash her fury.
Chen Li knew Shu Guobing well, he’d blame others for his own faults.
Wen Hongyan, short-sighted, was a master at making scenes.
This couple was the toughest in the Wen family!
Though Chen Ru, proud and private, never complained to Chen Li, Chen Li knew her sister’s life, glamorous on the surface, wasn’t without grievances dealing with the extended family.
Chen Li admired her but also probed, wanting to understand what caused this drastic change in Chen Ru!
Did brother-in-law Wen Dongrong know, or approve, of Chen Ru’s debt-collecting today?
Chen Ru sneered, “If I were truly capable, I wouldn’t have lent them money, two able-bodied people, even odd jobs could’ve supported Shu Lu’s education.”
In front of Chen Li and Wen Ying, Chen Ru didn’t mention her fight with Wen Dongrong, but she was seething, recovering thirty thousand vented only a fraction of her anger, the rest aimed at Wen Dongrong!
“Auntie, my mom’s debt collection was strategic, Aunt and Uncle used to be fearless when they had nothing, now with a bit of wealth, they’re eager to show off, their egos inflated too fast, Mom cornered them, they had to pay,” Wen Ying said.
When they had nothing, Shu Guobing and Wen Hongyan didn’t care about debt collectors, anyone pressing them would face public scorn for Chen Ru’s lack of family loyalty.
But now, Wen Hongyan bragged about Shu Guobing’s wealth, making Chen Ru’s demands reasonable, if they refused to repay despite their newfound riches, others would brand them deadbeats and ingrates.
Drunkard Shu Guobing didn’t care about face, but Boss Shu Guobing did.
The concept of “face” is intriguing, even Wen Ying, with two lifetimes, wasn’t immune, let alone the newly rich Shu Guobing and Wen Hongyan.
Shu Lu was also a key factor in Chen Ru’s success, young but the most face-conscious in the Shu family, terrified Wen Ying would expose them at school, she kept urging Wen Hongyan and Shu Guobing to pay.
“…In short, Mom’s success was strategy first, attitude second, bold and cunning, Aunt and Uncle had to concede!” Wen Ying said.
Chen Li and Wen Ying’s flattery finally brought a smile to Chen Ru’s face.
Back home, Wen Ying washed up and went to bed, Chen Ru then asked Chen Li, “How much was the summer camp for Deng Jie and Deng Hao, are you doing a winter camp?”
Chen Ru hadn’t forgotten her debt-collecting motive.
If Shu Lu could attend a three-thousand-yuan summer camp, Wen Ying deserved a six-thousand-yuan one!
If six thousand wasn’t enough, add more, since the thirty thousand would’ve been lost to the Shu family if Chen Ru hadn’t acted, she felt a bold urge to spend it.
Chen Li cautiously named a figure.
Before Chen Ru, Chen Li avoided mentioning money, fearing she’d seem boastful.
To her surprise, Chen Ru nodded, “Not bad, pricey but worth it, ask if they can sign Wen Ying up for a winter camp early!”
Chen Li went from suspicion to certainty, something was seriously wrong with Chen Ru.
It wasn’t even September, yet she was spending heavily to book Wen Ying for a winter camp, against her frugal nature!
Chen Li nearly suggested discussing it with Wen Dongrong first, but swallowed the words.
One detail stood out, Chen Li couldn’t ignore, from afternoon to evening, Chen Ru hadn’t mentioned Wen Dongrong once.
Chen Li’s survival instincts kicked in, if her sister didn’t bring it up, she’d curb her curiosity!
…
Chen Ru, with the reclaimed thirty thousand, slept soundly at Chen Li’s.
Meanwhile, Wen Dongrong was unaware his wife had left him.
The couple had been in a cold war for days.
Wen Dongrong, sporting the injury Chen Ru inflicted, went to work, checking the mirror repeatedly, hoping it’d heal fast.
His subordinates speculated silently, never daring to comment to his face.
Wen Dongrong had a rival at work, who, spotting him in the cafeteria, teased, “Old Wen, did you and your wife get into a fight at home?”
Fight?
He was the one beaten.
Wen Dongrong claimed he stood up too fast after sitting long and hit a doorframe, the rival seized on it, joking, “Old Wen, work’s endless, you’re not a twenty-something anymore, burning out, when you’re low on energy, delegate, give the young folks a chance.”
Wen Dongrong was livid.
Not in his twenties, sure, but hardly old, how was he low on energy?
Delegate? Others might think he was a domineering tyrant in his domain!
Choked by his rival, Wen Dongrong refused to yield to Chen Ru at home.
He saw himself as a dignified man, never stooping to argue with his wife, even if she was wrong.
With this mindset, a cold war was inevitable.
Day one, Wen Dongrong was indifferent.
Day two, calm and composed.
Day three, slightly uneasy.
Day four, he figured Chen Ru’s anger had mostly subsided, couples need one to yield first, maybe he should talk.
Day five, he found no chance to speak.
Day six, returning home, waiting till midnight, Chen Ru hadn’t come back.
Wen Dongrong, at his limit, called Chen Ru, her phone was off!
Thinking it over, he called Wen Ying.
Wen Ying answered groggily, “Dad? You’re asking about Mom? She came to Rongcheng today, you didn’t know?”
“Of course I knew, just saw her phone was off, got a bit worried. It’s fine, go back to sleep.”
Wen Dongrong hung up, taking deep breaths.
He didn’t know!
What was Chen Ru doing, escalating the cold war, refusing to come home?
Fine, go to Rongcheng, she’d have to return for work, Chen Ru wouldn’t jeopardize her job over a marital spat!
Wen Dongrong convinced himself.
Still, he slept poorly, fearing Chen Ru would badmouth him to Chen Li and Deng Shangwei in Rongcheng, costing him face.
With this mood, he went to work, only to be stopped by his rival, “Old Wen, heard your wife transferred to Rongcheng for work, you two are gonna be long-distance now?”
Wen Dongrong stared at his rival’s moving lips, slowly forming a question mark.
Chen Ru completed a job transfer, and he had to hear it from his workplace rival?!
