The room fell silent, filled with an eerie stillness.
"I saw this dress at the department store the other day, and a single dress costs over a hundred yuan!"
"Are you out of your mind, or just burning money?"
Xia Yuqing lectured her husband, her voice bordering on hysterical. Though she genuinely loved the dress, one hundred yuan was an unthinkable luxury given their current financial situation.
For days, she had been hiding from Song Qiao, staying at her parents' house with their daughter. While her own parents said nothing, the neighbors' gossip made her feel utterly ashamed. She longed to move out and rent a place, but with no money in her pocket and Xi Xi to care for, she could only endure it for now.
Song Qiao stood frozen, utterly blindsided by Xia Yuqing's furious reaction. He could tell how much she liked the dress! But if he hadn't bought it, she would likely never have spent that hundred yuan in her lifetime.
"What a beautiful dress, Mom must look lovely in it," Xi Xi, the sensible daughter, said, sensing the tension in the air. She took the dress from Song Qiao and walked to her mother.
Xia Xueqing, her sister, who enjoyed the drama, chimed in now that her sister was no longer defending her husband. "Exactly! A hundred-yuan dress. Even in well-off families, people would think twice before buying it. But he's still in debt and bought it on impulse, as if money grows on trees. I doubt he even plans to reclaim our house."
Ignoring her, Song Qiao grabbed Xia Yuqing's hand and explained to his wife, "Yuqing, don't worry. My stinky tofu stall is doing great. Look, I made over two thousand yuan this morning alone." He pulled out two thousand yuan in cash from his wallet, presenting it to them. Facts were irrefutable; evidence was the best explanation when faced with doubt.
Seeing the large sum of money, Song Qiao's mother-in-law's eyes widened slightly. Her face hardened as she asked, "That much? Tell me honestly, is this money, and the money for Xi Xi's tuition last time, all from gambling?" It wasn't unreasonable for her to be suspicious. In this era, earning two thousand yuan from selling snacks in a single morning was unheard of.
"Song Qiao! Xi Xi is still young. Please don't do anything illegal. You can't let her grow up without a father," Xia Yuqing pleaded softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes were red, tears welling up.
"I bet he's been gambling again, just got lucky the past couple of days."
"Have you forgotten how he hired actors to deceive us yesterday afternoon?"
"This whole thing might just be another act to get us to forgive him."
Xia Xueqing continued to stir the pot, her words venomously aimed at Song Qiao, right beside her sister.
"I told you this money isn't from gambling! My stall's business is genuinely good, not because I hired people!" Song Qiao was thoroughly enraged by Xia Xueqing. This sharp-tongued woman had been constantly fanning the flames of discord to his wife. He suspected that it was largely due to her interference that Xia Yuqing's trust in him was so eroded. In that moment, he could no longer suppress his anger and roared at Xia Xueqing.
"Enough!" Xia Yuqing, seeing her husband and sister about to clash, immediately pulled Song Qiao to her side. Looking into his eyes, she asked him, word by word, "Can you guarantee me that this money isn't from gambling?" Her gaze was a little hazy, her heart a turmoil of conflicting emotions. On one hand, she desperately wanted Song Qiao to tell her the money came from the tofu stall; on the other, she feared he was lying. If Song Qiao admitted to gambling it away, she felt she couldn't bear to face that reality.
In recent times, she had been plunged into despair. Their once happy home had been utterly ruined by her gambling-addicted husband. Even their last sanctuary had been gambled away by Song Qiao. Countless nights she had wept in secret, wishing with all her heart that it was all just a bad dream. There were times she had even contemplated ending it all from a high building, but for her daughter Xi Xi, she gritted her teeth and endured.
Seeing his wife's despondent state, Song Qiao's anger vanished, replaced by a wave of guilt. He didn't shy away from her gaze and replied, word by word, "I swear. This money is from my stinky tofu stall. If there's even a single lie in my words, may I be struck by lightning and die, and never find peace in the afterlife."
"Hmph, who are you trying to scare with such a grand oath? I've seen plenty of gamblers like you. They swear more fervently than anyone else, and their actions are more reckless."
"If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"
"When you mortgaged the house, why didn't you consider the situation we'd be in today?" Xia Xueqing continued her sarcastic taunts. Song Qiao had snapped at her multiple times, and she had been nursing a grudge. Now, teaching her sister's husband a lesson was no longer the primary concern; it was about venting her own pent-up anger.
Song Qiao ignored her, feeling sickened by the mere sound of her voice. Xia Xueqing, in his eyes, could only be described by one word: vile. She was always envious of others' possessions and constantly meddled in other people's affairs, masking it as concern, but in reality, just stirring up trouble, relishing any drama. She was the epitome of Lu Xun's character, Yang Ersao.
Despite being born to the same mother, his wife was gentle and virtuous, while Xia Xueqing was perpetually detestable. If they didn't bear some resemblance, Song Qiao would have doubted they were even sisters. If not for her being his wife's sister, Song Qiao swore he would have nothing to do with her.
"Xueqing, say a little less," their father, who had been quietly eating on the sofa, finally intervened, feeling his younger daughter had gone too far.
Xia Xueqing, seeing Song Qiao ignore her again and her father siding with him, flew into a rage. "Get out of the way, you're blocking my path. You're not welcome here." With that, she shoved Song Qiao aside. Caught off guard, Song Qiao stumbled back several steps, his foot landing on the tofu he had bought. The block on the edge was crushed, and his foot slipped, almost sending him tumbling. Xia Yuqing gasped and instinctively rushed forward, grabbing Song Qiao's arm to steady him.