Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets

Chapter 1229: Chapter 1229: Not Such a Shameful Daughter

Qingshui Town.

Tang Zhenghong returned to Qingshui Town alone because Granny Tang and the others refused to lend her money.

"Did you get the money?"

Chen Jian Country squinted and smiled as he saw Tang Zhenghong come back.

"No." Tang Zhenghong was already upset, and hearing Chen Jian Country’s question only fueled her anger further. She struggled to hold it in and finally snapped, saying, "Chen Jian Country, I’ve been out for so long, why didn’t you ask if I’m doing okay?"

"What’s wrong with you?" Chen Jian Country stared at Tang Zhenghong for a while, then leaned in and grabbed her bag, rummaging through it as he asked, "You really didn’t get the money?"

"Tang Zhenghong, when you left, you said you’d get the money within a month. Now you come back empty-handed, how am I supposed to pay off the debt?"

Chen Jian Country had a square-shaped face, and in his anxious state, his brows furrowed involuntarily. If the money wasn’t ready by the due date, the other party might just take his finger.

"I just got back, can’t you let me have a drink of water?"

Tang Zhenghong felt guilty, having promised to get the money within a month but returning empty-handed. Her tone softened considerably.

She went to the kettle to get some water, but the kettle had neither boiling water nor even room-temperature water.

"Why isn’t there any water?" Having been tired and thirsty all day, Tang Zhenghong wanted to drink some water when she got home. Instead, Chen Jian Country bombarded her with questions, which made her feel even more irritated.

"Why bother drinking?"

Chen Jian Country smacked the cup Tang Zhenghong intended to fill with cold water.

Crash.

Tang Zhenghong watched the enameled cup with the word "Joy" printed on it crash to the ground with a loud noise, releasing the pent-up anger in her heart. She shouted at Chen Jian Country, "Chen Jian Country, what are you doing? What’s wrong with me wanting a sip of water? You owe ten thousand yuan. My family didn’t give us the money. Is that my fault too?"

"If it weren’t for your gambling, would my family refuse to help?" Tang Zhenghong’s temper was just like Granny Tang’s. But years of hardship and family strife had diminished her standing both in her own family and at the Chen Family.

Yet, Chen Jian Country’s actions today deeply hurt Tang Zhenghong. Originally thinking about going back to her family again, Chen Jian Country’s behavior today made her quite disheartened.

"I didn’t gamble on purpose to lose!" Chen Jian Country replied defiantly, glaring at Tang Zhenghong with eyes as big as copper bells, "Tang Zhenghong, I’m telling you, you have to borrow from your family, or else I’ll lose my finger."

"What else can I do if I can’t borrow it? You ask your parents to lend you." Tang Zhenghong looked at Chen Jian Country and said, "Your parents surely have money. They wouldn’t just stand by and watch your finger get chopped off, would they?"

"How could you even think that? My parents don’t have money." Chen Jian Country replied without hesitation.

Tang Zhenghong placed her hands on her hips, seeing his attitude, she promptly said, "Your parents don’t have money, but mine do?"

"Your mother surely has money. Just look at Tang Mingli’s factory and Tang Zhengde’s restaurant, their businesses are booming." Mentioning them made Chen Jian Country grind his teeth with hatred, "If it weren’t for Tang Mingli stopping us from selling clothes, would we be this broke now?"

The more Chen Jian Country thought about it, the angrier he got.

"If you had listened to me and avoided selling those knockoff products, would Mingli have turned against me?"

Tang Zhenghong and Chen Jian Country argued back and forth, eventually escalating into a physical confrontation.

Neither of them remembered who started it, as both were left injured, until Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen heard the commotion and came over to intervene.

"Tang Zhenghong, I’m telling you, if you don’t borrow the money, we’re getting a divorce!" Chen Jian Country made his threat clear.

Tang Zhenghong trembled with anger, the word ’divorce’ struck a nerve with her, prompting her to break free from Mrs. Chen and lash out at Chen Jian Country again while cursing, "Chen Jian Country, I’m telling you, divorce is out of the question!"

"I’ve worked like a horse for the Chen Family my whole life, you can forget it."

"I even gave you two sons, and they wouldn’t agree to the divorce either."

Tang Zhenghong vented her anger on Chen Jian Country before turning around and leaving.

She decided to return to her family.

Qianjin Village.

The next day, as Granny Tang returned home, she saw Tang Zhenghong huddled at the entrance. Since Tang Zhenghong didn’t have a key, she struggled to climb over the wall into the courtyard, and unable to open the door, she had no choice but to nestle by the front gate. She had cried most of the night without washing her face, and her face from yesterday’s fight with Chen Jian Country was now bruised and swollen, making her look frightening.

Her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

Tang Zhenghong was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, looking as pitiful as ever.

"Mom."

Tang Zhenghong began to cry when she saw Granny Tang.

"Did you fight with Chen Jian Country?" Granny Tang looked at Tang Zhenghong’s face, initially shocked, then her expression softened into sympathy.

Tang Zhenghong sobbed as she recounted what happened after returning home.

Granny Tang stared at her for a while before saying, "So you slept at the doorstep all night?"

"Yes."

Tang Zhenghong wiped her tears.

"What about Chen Gang and Chen Lie? Knowing you spent the night outside, did they look for you?" Granny Tang raised her voice a few pitches.

"No." Tang Zhenghong instinctively defended Chen Gang and Chen Lie, while Granny Tang snorted coldly, "What does Chen Jian Country take you for? Haven’t you supported the Chen Family enough financially over the years? He wants to divorce you over ten thousand yuan. You tell him, Tang Zhenghong, if he doesn’t apologize, it’s divorce."

"Mom." Tang Zhenghong looked at Granny Tang with wide eyes, seemingly in disbelief.

"What, he wants to divorce you but you’re still begging him?" Granny Tang said sternly, "If you dare do that, don’t come back to the Tang Family. The Tang Family doesn’t have a daughter as disgraceful as you."

Tang Zhenghong hesitated, having returned to her family in a fit of anger because Chen Jian Country had threatened divorce. She had hoped Granny Tang would take her side, but her mother’s stance now made Tang Zhenghong anxious, what if Chen Jian Country really does want to divorce?

Tang Zhenghong wanted to say many things, but under Granny Tang’s sharp gaze, she couldn’t utter a single word.

"The Chen Family can come up with the ten thousand yuan." Granny Tang said after seeing Tang Zhenghong remain silent, "Sell the Chen Family’s house and cobble together the rest. Then you’ll have ten thousand."

"No way, if the house is sold, where will I live?" Tang Zhenghong shook her head strongly; not only would Chen Jian Country refuse, but she herself wasn’t willing either.

Without a house, where would the family of four live?

"Rent one." Granny Tang said matter-of-factly, "Didn’t Zhengde and Mingli rent houses in the county? If they can rent, why can’t you?"