Xie Jinghu thought he understood Zou Weijun well, yet she kept shattering his perceptions time and again.
Zou Weijun was nominally still Xie Jinghu’s wife, but in reality, she was no longer a woman he could control.
The news of Zou Weijun’s return to the capital spread like wildfire through the city, reaching everyone who needed to know. The most delighted were the members of the “Xie Qian Guard Team”, among whom the core squad member Zhang Nan was both thrilled and worried.
In Zhang Nan’s impression, Zou Weijun’s personality was too soft.
Being soft meant, in other words, easy to bully!
“Auntie Zou is just too accommodating. If it were me, I would have long since brought people to smash that mistress’s dog head, strip her naked and throw her on the street, then pour faeces all over her. I would see if the man still liked his stinking vixen then! Of course, the cheating dog of a man could not be spared either. After dealing with the vixen, I would deal with the dog man. If he agreed to divorce, he must give me all the property. If he refused divorce, I would hire people to break both his legs, leaving him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, and I would ‘take good care’ of him!”
Zhang Nan gnashed her teeth, scaring Tai Wu beside her into shrinking his neck. He thought to himself that whoever became Zhang Nan’s husband in the future would be in for it. Other girls might just be talking tough, but if Zhang Nan said it, she would definitely do it.
The Zhang family spoiled Zhang Nan, and she had several cousins. Her elder and younger brothers-in-law were all tough characters. It would not be strange if they really broke the legs of Zhang Nan’s future husband.
Eh.
Why was he afraid? He would not be Zhang Nan’s husband!
Tai Wu straightened his neck with effort and shared the gossip he had heard. “Being accommodating before does not mean she is now. Being pushed to the brink, she must make some changes no matter what. I heard from someone that Xie Qian’s mother returned to the capital to seize power. It is said that Xie Qian’s father is on high alert, fearing she will catch him out. If Xie Qian’s mother had been this formidable earlier, Xie Qian would not have been forced to go to Chengdu… But starting to change now is not too late. With Xie Qian’s mother charging ahead, Xie Qian will not have to work so hard!”
At least Xie Jinghu had not yet emptied the couple’s joint property.
If he had, it would be hard to handle. Recovered property that had already been transferred was not easy to get back.
Speaking of which, in such matters, the most famous in the circle was none other than Mrs Peng.
Zou Weijun really should go consult Mrs Peng!
While the Xie Qian Guard Team brainstormed ideas for Zou Weijun, the Mrs Peng whom Tai Wu favoured was pondering inviting Zou Weijun for afternoon tea.
Zou Weijun storming into “Jinhu” and showing the aura of the lady boss, with Xie Jinghu not daring to fart a single protest?
“If Zou Weijun had been like this earlier, everything would have been resolved! She is just too good-tempered. Like me, I cannot tolerate a grain of sand in my eyes. What use is being magnanimous and gentle? Some men simply do not deserve their wife’s gentleness.”
In President Peng’s office, Mrs Peng ranted freely in front of her husband.
These words were not only standing up for Zou Weijun but also a warning to President Peng.
Yet President Peng was accustomed to it and did not even furrow his brow, merely reminding Mrs Peng not to go too far. “You go around the circle saying Xie Jinghu mistreats his wife and son. The Xie family does not want to interfere, but if they do, do you think they cannot trace it back to you?”
It turned out that the “kind-hearted person” who had puzzled Wen Ying was Mrs Peng.
Mrs Peng had done good without leaving her name, helping Zou Weijun lay the groundwork for public opinion in the capital.
President Peng’s reminder did not faze Mrs Peng. “The mouth is on my face. I say what I want. Which of my words is not the truth?”
Mrs Peng was willing to do good for two reasons: one, her son Peng Guoqing followed Xie Qian around, so Mrs Peng naturally stood on Xie Qian’s side; the other was truly drawing her sword to help when seeing injustice on the road. Seeing the original wife and her son bullied made Mrs Peng unhappy.
Those vixens outside had not shared hardship or suffering with the man. As soon as the man’s career succeeded, they had the cheek to jump out and pick the peaches. If no one reined them in, such phenomena would multiply, and social morals would decline!
Mrs Peng sneered. “You fear this and dread that, not daring to offend this one or that one. A cowardly father cannot raise a heroic son. How can you set an example for Guoqing like this?”
This was mocking President Peng for not daring to tear into Xie Jinghu.
President Peng was not angry at all, merely saying faintly that Mrs Peng did not understand, infuriating her into stamping her feet.
Even through a door, the crackling sounds faintly carried, mixed with Mrs Peng’s cursing… President Peng’s new secretary kept his eyes on his nose and nose on his heart, pretending not to hear.
Every couple had their own way of getting along. Mrs Peng’s overbearing nature was all indulged by President Peng. If President Peng could endure it, why could not the secretary?
Only by not meddling in the boss’s private affairs could one keep the secretary job for long!
After Mrs Peng had cursed enough, President Peng finally defended himself. “I am not afraid of Xie Jinghu, but there is no need to offend him. How the assets under Xie Jinghu’s name are divided has nothing to do with me. If I meddle, the Xie family will think I want to take advantage. And do not always feel that Xie Qian and his mother are aggrieved in the Xie family. Look at how many real benefits the mother and son have already gained. Sometimes showing weakness on the surface is not bad at all. Now everyone knows the mother and son have been wronged, so the Xie family will seek justice for them. If the mother and son turn around and overpower Xie Jinghu, exterminating him, the Xie family’s stance will change.”
No matter how Xie Qian and Xie Jinghu fought, it was the Xie family’s own affair, meat rotting in the pot. As long as the wealth did not flow out, the Xie family would not lose out either way.
What business was it of outsiders to interfere?
Mrs Peng actually knew her husband made sense, but when had Mrs Peng ever reasoned?
Being unreasonable had become Mrs Peng’s personal label. Everyone knew she did not reason, so when she occasionally did something outrageous, they would not hold it against her!
“I am too lazy to talk to you. I am going to invite Zou Weijun for afternoon tea.”
Mrs Peng picked up her new bag and left.
The new bag was bought abroad just last week, as her son Peng Guoqing had been very motivated lately, making Mrs Peng, as a mother, very happy.
When a woman was happy, what to do?
She had to reward herself.
A wife who single-mindedly saved money for her man was very virtuous, but beware if the saved money ended up spent on another woman instead of herself.
Mrs Peng had swiped her card abroad to buy a pile of things, not even bringing back a thread for President Peng.
Fortunately, President Peng was used to his wife’s style and did not mind such details.
President Peng was actually more curious about the son his wife called motivated.
How motivated could Peng Guoqing be?
If he was truly motivated, would he still be Peng Guoqing?!
If Xie Qian could thoroughly transform Peng Guoqing, then even if it incurred the Xie family’s taboo, openly taking a stand to help Xie Qian would not be out of the question… President Peng did not disbelieve his wife’s words, but Mrs Peng inevitably viewed her son through an eight-hundred-times filter. If Peng Guoqing changed even a little, in Mrs Peng’s mouth it became a complete overhaul, so her evaluation was not objective.
President Peng thought for a moment and called in his secretary. “Go to Chengdu personally and visit Guoqing’s teachers in each subject. Hear how the teachers evaluate him. If he can get into university on his own merits, let him continue studying in Chengdu. If he is just hanging a sheep’s head to sell dog meat and muddling through, I will arrange for him to go abroad.”
