Chapter 172: The Good Days Are Over

Early morning.

Amidst Li Qiuhua's constant nagging, Su Jianguo was forced to leave the house.

"Mom, you'd better find a way quickly. If this keeps dragging on, Dad will definitely demand a divorce from you again." Seeing Li Qiuhua's haggard face, Su Mo showed not a shred of sympathy; instead, she was filled with impatience.

Li Qiuhua had been unable to sleep all night, her mind in a state of turmoil.

"Mo Mo, why don't you go and try to persuade your father again?"

Looking at her mother's pathetic, spineless state, Su Mo felt that she was completely beyond hope.

"I'll only say one thing: even if you really do divorce Dad, you must find a way to let me and my younger brother stay."

Li Qiuhua's eyes widened, looking at her in disbelief.

"What kind of words are those?"

"Serious words. I see that Dad has already made up his mind to divorce you. You might not be able to save your marriage, but don't drag us down with you. As long as we are still here, we are the daughter and son of the Deputy Director of the Textile Mill." When Su Mo spoke these words, her emotions didn't fluctuate in the slightest, as if everything were only natural.

Li Qiuhua's eyes instantly reddened. Was she being abandoned by her own biological daughter now?

Not only was her husband leaving her, but even her daughter was the same.

Su Mo truly could not understand her mother's wounded appearance. Frowning, she continued to add fuel to the fire, "Everything I'm saying is the truth. Don't be too selfish; you need to consider the future of me and Qiangqiang. I am already a cripple; if I follow you, I'll become the daughter of that gambling addict again, and the rest of my life will truly be over."

Although what she said was true, it stabbed deeply into Li Qiuhua's heart.

Watching Su Mo's figure as she returned to the room, Li Qiuhua realized for the first time that the daughter she had raised for so many years didn't possess even a hint of care or concern for her.

Therefore, she absolutely could not lose this family!

Half an hour later, Su Yan stood by the window watching Li Qiuhua rush out of the house, a cold sneer appearing on her face.

As expected, she lost her composure.

***

East side of the city.

Li Qiuhua stood panting in front of a small courtyard overgrown with weeds. After taking a few seconds to steady her breathing, she began to pound heavily on the door.

"Wang Shusheng, open up!"

After several consecutive shouts, the person inside did not come out; instead, she alerted the neighbors nearby.

"Stop knocking, he's definitely out gambling again."

Seeing someone come out, Li Qiuhua did not offer thanks; instead, she subconsciously used her bag to cover half of her face.

"Thank you, Sister. Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Soon. He's usually not home at night, but he'll be back before noon. Who are you to him?" The woman couldn't help but size her up.

After all, almost everyone living here knew that Wang Shusheng was just a single, degenerate gambler. It was a novelty to see a woman coming to find him proactively.

"I am... a distant relative. I just happened to be passing by and came to check on him. You don't need to mind me, Sister, I'll just wait here for him." Li Qiuhua made up a random identity, fearing the woman would pry further.

Fortunately, hearing this, the woman did not continue to ask questions and turned back into her own courtyard.

Li Qiuhua leaned weakly against the wall; there was no other way but to wait.

As noon approached, a staggering figure finally appeared in her line of sight.

Her legs were numb, and though she struggled to stand straight, she could not suppress the fury in her heart.

"Didn't you promise me you wouldn't go drinking and gambling anymore?"

Facing the man reeking of alcohol, Li Qiuhua felt nothing but disgust.

"Oh, I thought it was someone else. Turns out it's my ex-wife!" Wang Shusheng was not so drunk that he had lost consciousness; he actually recognized Li Qiuhua immediately.

Li Qiuhua's features twisted into a grimace as she grabbed Wang Shusheng and dragged him toward his courtyard.

If the woman who had come out earlier heard her shouting this loudly, she wouldn't be able to live with the shame.

"Where are the keys?"

With a sullen face, she fished the main door keys out of Wang Shusheng's pocket, opened them as quickly as possible, and shoved him inside.

Once they reached the courtyard, Li Qiuhua could no longer control her rage.

"Did you go gambling again? How did you swear to me before?"

Wang Shusheng plopped down on the threshold, looking completely disheveled and nonchalant.

"Have you only just met me? I've lived like this for most of my life. Why are you coming to find me again? Is it because that damn factory director isn't treating you well, so you thought of your ex-husband?"

Li Qiuhua gritted her teeth, wishing she could slap him directly.

The biggest regret of her life was marrying him and giving birth to her daughter.

She had thought that after the divorce, she would escape that poor mountain valley and finally be able to rid herself of this demonic man, but she never expected that three years ago, this man would suddenly reappear.

He had found the Textile Mill compound and harassed her repeatedly, even claiming he wanted to recognize his daughter.

Li Qiuhua knew these were nothing more than his excuses; he simply wanted to use the opportunity to extort money from her.

She had naturally refused, but she hadn't expected this man to actually threaten to go and "talk" with Su Jianguo.

From that moment on, she had been forced under his control.

In the beginning, the man only wanted small amounts of money, and it wasn't frequent. But she hadn't expected that her compliance every time would make the man increasingly brazen.

Eventually, it even escalated to the point where, under his coercion, the two of them had "that kind of relationship" once again.

After that one time, he became practically lawless, and his demands for money grew even larger. Even the house he lived in now was a place she had paid to rent for him to stay.

"Wang Shusheng, you bastard! How long do you plan to ruin me? Do you know that Su Jianguo is making a scene demanding a divorce!"

She shed tears of grievance.

"Divorce is fine! Hurry up and divorce him, then bring Mo Mo over. Our family of three can reunite!" Instead of feeling remorse, Wang Shusheng became excited.

Li Qiuhua could take no more. She grabbed him by the collar and roared, "Are you insane? If Mo Mo and I live with you, we'll be eating wind! What benefit is there for you if I divorce? Without Su Jianguo, you won't get another cent!"

Wang Shusheng was shaken until he felt dizzy, but he did take in that last sentence.

"Right, you can't divorce. You have to stay with that man so you can give all the money that man earns to me."

Li Qiuhua felt like killing him; if it weren't for him, how could she be in her current situation?

"So you must find a way for me! Only by getting some money to appease Su Jianguo's anger can we all have good lives in the future!"

Before Wang Shusheng could react, a contemptuous voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.

"Is that so? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like your good days are over."

Li Qiuhua's expression changed drastically. Aside from Su Yan, who else could this voice belong to?!!

(End of Chapter)