Chapter Fifteen: Determined to Fight for a Future for Herself and Her Child

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Hua Li didn’t mention it, and Luo Shicheng hadn’t noticed either. Only when Hua Li spoke did Luo Shicheng realize that Liu Jingqiu often affectionately called him Shicheng.

Luo Shicheng immediately corrected Liu Jingqiu, “Comrade Liu Jingqiu, please address me as Comrade Luo Shicheng from now on.”

Liu Jingqiu’s subtle intention was exposed, and she quickly apologized, acting innocent.

“Sorry, Comrade Luo Shicheng. When An Guo was alive, he often called you Shicheng, so sometimes I wasn’t paying attention… Ah, if only An Guo were still alive.”

Covering her face with both hands, Liu Jingqiu sobbed lightly.

Hua Li knew Liu Jingqiu was faking tears; deliberately bringing up An Guo was meant to soften Luo Shicheng’s heart.

Sure enough, the cold and stern attitude of Luo Shicheng showed signs of cracking. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you…”

Hua Li sneered coldly, grabbed the thermos, put on her shoes, opened the door, and stood at the doorway holding up the thermos.

“Luo Shicheng, how can you coax another woman right in front of me? Don’t you find that disgusting?”

Luo Shicheng blushed from Hua Li’s words, scolding, “Hua Li, if you have something to say, say it behind closed doors…”

Hua Li had no intention of listening to him anymore.

“I’ve been considerate of your future all along, enduring everything. Even when Liu Jingqiu bullied me, or sabotaged my job opportunities, I kept quiet.

But now, I’ve had enough. My child came to me empty-handed, not to starve or suffer, nor to be bullied alongside me.”

Luo Shicheng looked at Liu Jingqiu in shock. Liu Jingqiu quickly denied it.

“It’s your own misconduct that got you fired; what does that have to do with me…”

Hua Li interrupted, refusing to waste words on Liu Jingqiu.

“Luo Shicheng, calculate the wages for these five years and six months. Then have Liu Jingqiu write an IOU and both of you sign it with a seal.”

Luo Shicheng found Hua Li utterly unreasonable.

“Can you calm down? Liu Jingqiu isn’t refusing to pay. Why keep making a fuss…”

Smash!

Hua Li slammed the thermos onto the floor, the loud noise drawing the attention of patients and medical staff in nearby wards.

Seeing this, Luo Shicheng hurried over, pulled Hua Li back into the ward, and closed the door to keep outsiders out.

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Hua Li glared coldly at Luo Shicheng. “I’m asking you—will you write it or not?”

Seeing Hua Li’s determination, Luo Shicheng faced Liu Jingqiu with a serious expression.

“Calculate the wages yourself. Write the IOU clearly, and I will sign.”

Liu Jingqiu refused to write the IOU. “This period is too long; I can’t remember.”

Hua Li, drained of energy, sat on the bed and said,

“Then both of you might as well kill the two of us right here today.

Otherwise, once I leave this place, I will report to the military that you and Luo Shicheng are having an affair. Don’t say you two aren’t involved—who would give their allowance to someone else’s wife? Who would take their own wife’s job and give it to someone else’s wife when she is already employed?

Secondly, I will report to the supply and marketing cooperative. If you don’t pay me my wages, I’ll quit and expose the cooperative’s leaders for abusing their power and conspiring with you two to seize my job. Including those mother and daughter who threatened to jump off the building—I’m suffering, and if I don’t have peace, no one else will either.”

If it weren’t for Liu Jingqiu’s constant provocation and even laying hands on Luo Yan, Hua Li’s timid nature would never have pushed her to make such a scene or even say these things. But today, she was determined to fight for a way out for herself and her child, no matter what.

Luo Shicheng grew more alarmed the more he heard—not because he feared Hua Li’s threat to report him, as he truly had no relationship with Liu Jingqiu—but because he could not refute any of Hua Li’s claims.

It was like a mess trapped in his pocket—whether it was dirt or worse, it was still a mess. Without hesitation, Luo Shicheng took out paper and pen and handed them to Liu Jingqiu.

Liu Jingqiu knew that if Hua Li really followed through, even the military martyr’s benefits would be lost, let alone her job.

She took the paper and pen, roughly estimated the wages, and was about to write.

“Wait, tell me exactly how much,” Hua Li said.

Liu Jingqiu gripped the pen tightly. “I don’t remember clearly. Two hundred per year for five years—I’ll just say one thousand.”

Hua Li scoffed, “A month’s wage is more than twenty each, plus bonuses and subsidies, and wages I lost because of your sabotage. Let’s count four hundred eighty per year. Five years and six months, rounding up, is two thousand seven hundred yuan.”

Liu Jingqiu wanted to argue, but Hua Li cut her off.

“Shut up. I already think this is too little. If you think it’s too much, we’ll take it to the disciplinary committee.”

“But I really don’t have that much money…” Liu Jingqiu tried to resist further.

Hua Li, expressionless, exposed her, “Liu Jingqiu, do you dare tell me that those names in your ledger are really people you helped?”

Hua Li didn’t believe that someone who had repeatedly endangered their lives would genuinely give away money as charity.

Gritting her teeth, Liu Jingqiu lowered her head and wrote the IOU, signing and sealing it before handing it to Luo Shicheng. He also signed and sealed it. Hua Li took it, carefully checked the amount, and put it in her pocket.

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“Liu Jingqiu, don’t say I didn’t warn you—if I don’t get the money by ten tomorrow morning, be prepared for an investigation.”

Then Hua Li turned to Luo Shicheng.

“Write the divorce papers immediately. Sign them and give them to me. Submit them today.”

Luo Shicheng only had a pen, and the paper was torn from a medical report. It was fine for the IOU, but writing divorce papers on it was ridiculous.

He went out to buy stationery. Outside the door, a crowd had gathered, eager to watch the commotion.

Never before had he been so humiliated. His face turned icy and terrifying. After buying the stationery, he returned and immediately wrote the divorce papers for Hua Li.

Seeing the reason for divorce listed as irreconcilable differences, Hua Li raised no objection and signed right away.

Luo Shicheng was about to submit the divorce papers. Liu Jingqiu wanted to stay but was firmly taken away by Luo Shicheng.

Thinking about having to pay Hua Li such a large sum, Liu Jingqiu felt as if her life was being threatened. Following behind Luo Shicheng after leaving the hospital, she called out to him.

“Shicheng…”

Luo Shicheng gave a cold glare. “I told you, address me as Comrade Luo Shicheng.”

Hatred flashed in Liu Jingqiu’s eyes, but tears streamed down her face in pairs.

Luo Shicheng had never realized the deep harm his assistance to Liu Jingqiu caused Hua Li. But when he heard Hua Li say Liu Jingqiu had sabotaged her job, although he didn’t fully believe it, he became wary of Liu Jingqiu.

Hearing Liu Jingqiu, who wore a genuine Omega watch, insist she had no money, he felt foolish for having supported her before.

“I helped you before because An Guo saved me once, but that’s no reason for you to continuously take advantage.

This time, I won’t advance the money for you. If you really can’t come up with it, I will take the ledger and verify each person. If they are confirmed to be your beneficiaries, I will compensate you accordingly. You can then use that money to repay Hua Li.

But before that, I advise you to borrow the money if you must, and pay Hua Li first. Otherwise, if she makes a scene, I won’t be able to control her.”

He wasn’t shirking responsibility at the last moment; he simply no longer had the face to stop Hua Li.