When She Stops Being Dramatic novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The 1950s Cast-off Wife (2)

The living room was finally quiet. The door creaked open, and a tall man walked in, his face dark. His gaze fell on the woman, whose chapped, dark face, wide eyes, and puffed-out cheeks made her resemble a toad. A wave of disgust washed over him. "Zhu Yun, I know you’ve been wronged these past few years. I apologize on behalf of my family."

"But Lin Jin and the child in her belly are innocent. Can you please stop making a scene?"

"I’ll give you two options. First, I’ll send a telegram home and have my mother adopt you as a daughter, then marry you off with a grand dowry. Second, you find someone here to marry and live a quiet, peaceful life."

"If you take the family’s money and ration coupons again, or try to harm Lin Jin, I won’t care about our years of history. I’ll haul you straight to the police station!"

Zhu Yun glanced at him, her voice hoarse from the fever. She scoffed, "You look like a human, so why don’t you act like one?"

"Zhu Yun! This is the machinery factory, not the village! You can’t just say whatever you want." Wang Xianbing was so angry that he clenched his fists. ’This woman is so vicious to my face; I can’t imagine what she says to Lin Jin behind my back.’

"Oh? You’ve spent a decade out there, and now you really think you’re a city boy? Too delicate to hear a single word of truth? Your mother curses my ancestors back eighteen generations every single day," she said languidly. "You don’t have to threaten me. I don’t care how much power you have or what your wife’s family does. If I’m not happy, I’ll report all of you!"

"Unless you kill me!"

The great turmoil hadn’t started yet, but the higher-ups were very strict about public conduct and ideological education. They wouldn’t tolerate the appearance of any black sheep.

Wang Xianbing was furious. He asked in a rough voice, "What the hell do you want? I’ve already married Lin Jin, and we have a child on the way. There’s no future for you and me."

Zhu Yun laughed, infuriated. "You’ve really got some nerve, flattering yourself like that. Do you really think you’re a pile of cow shit attracting a swarm of flies?"

She saw the veins on his forehead bulging and the muscles in his arms twitching. She figured that a few more venomous words, and she would be pounded to death by his iron fists.

She knew when to quit while she was ahead. She said coolly, "As the saying goes, it’s easier to invite a god than to send one away. I slaved away for your family for seven years. I didn’t get any bigger; I just lost weight. I was deceived, my reputation was ruined, and I wasted the best years of my life. My health is now worse than your own grandmother’s. This isn’t something you can just send me away with by promising a generous dowry."

"To put it bluntly, you want money?" Wang Xianbing’s expression was grim. "Just name your price. But you have to promise you’ll have nothing to do with the Wang Family from now on. And you can’t go after Lin Jin or my child!"

Zhu Yun’s eyes darted. She held up three fingers. "Three things. As long as you agree to them and follow through, I’ll accept your terms. But the prerequisite is that your family doesn’t come looking for trouble with me."

"Speak," Wang Xianbing nodded, watching her coldly.

"First, I want to buy a house and get registered as a resident here. Second, I want a light, official job. These two are my compensation. Third, even though we never got a marriage certificate, we had a de facto marriage. I want half of all your subsidies, salary, and bonuses from the past seven years. If I get that, I’ll consider my years of hard labor settled."

"Miss even one condition," Zhu Yun sneered, "and I will absolutely turn both of your families’ worlds upside down. Just you watch!"

Wang Xianbing frowned. He suppressed his impatience and said with a serious, sincere tone, "Your conditions are a bit harsh. I can arrange a job and residency for you, but buying a house is very difficult. Right now, everyone lives in the welfare housing provided by their work units. There’s no right to buy or sell them privately."

"However, I can help you apply for a spot in the single-staff dormitory."

"During my four years of college, the school subsidies weren’t much. After I graduated and married Lin Jin, what was left after mailing money home went to daily expenses. I shouldn’t have much saved up."

"I’ll do my best to borrow from here and there and scrape together five hundred yuan for you."

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