MGASC -Chapter 193 I’m Her Man

At noon, Zhang Qiao wanted to eat stir-fried cabbage in vinegar sauce. There happened to be no cabbage at home, so Zhang Ling went out to the market to buy one.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she reached the marketplace and passed by Sister Feng’s pickled fish restaurant, she saw her father, Zhang Fugui, shamelessly making a scene at the entrance.

“Our family’s so poor we can’t even afford to eat. I had no choice but to come here to beg for a meal. Look at the cigarettes I smoke—the cheapest kind, five cents a pack. What can I do? My two daughters are unfilial!”

“My eldest daughter used to be sensible. She stayed at her sister’s place for a few days and got corrupted by Zhang Qiao, that money-losing wretch. She even egged her on to get a divorce! A woman almost thirty—how’s she supposed to live after a divorce? Isn’t that malicious? My son-in-law is a high school teacher—good character, well-educated, handsome. A perfectly good family, ruined by that unfilial daughter!”

“She runs a big business, sure—but it’s all black-hearted money! And you still dare eat at a place like this? A daughter who doesn’t even take care of her own parents—she’ll cheat you blind sooner or later!”

His voice carried from far away. Zhang Ling could hear every word. Sister Feng hovered anxiously beside him, trying to placate him and coax him to leave.

Under Zhang Fugui’s instigation, several customers who had just gone in quickly came back out, whispering about Zhang Ling and Zhang Qiao. Hearing it, Zhang Ling felt like she was about to explode.

Furious, she stormed into Sister Feng’s shop and stood in front of her father.

To keep the old man from making more trouble, Sister Feng had been serving him good food and liquor. When she saw Zhang Ling, it was like spotting a lifeline.

“Zhang Ling, you’re finally here! Your dad’s been causing trouble here for two days already. I don’t know how many customers he’s chased away. At this rate, how can I run my business? Please, talk to him. I didn’t dare tell Zhang Qiao since she’s still in confinement… The old man even said he’s going to report you to the county committee!”

The last sentence, she whispered.

Zhang Ling was nearly mad with rage. “Dad, come outside with me! Who told you to come here and make a scene?”

Zhang Fugui took a sip of baijiu and set the cup down heavily, completely shameless. “Make a scene? You and Zhang Qiao are unfilial. There’s nothing to eat or drink at home, so we have to beg. What? Isn’t this Zhang Qiao’s restaurant? What’s wrong with me eating a couple of meals here?”

Grinding her teeth, Zhang Ling dragged him toward the door. But the moment they stepped outside, Zhang Fugui shook off her hand.

“You unfilial daughter, let go of me! Now you’re embarrassed? Where was that shame when you got divorced? Tell me—why did you divorce my son-in-law? Did Zhang Qiao put you up to it?”

“No!”

“You still say no! That dead girl—earned a bit of money and forgot her own surname! She dares hit her brother, won’t even come home, and now she instigated you to divorce! Zhang Ling, if you’re still my daughter, go to the school right now, apologize to Xu Liang, and go back home with him to live properly! Otherwise, I, Zhang Fugui, don’t have daughters like you and Zhang Qiao!”

“I’m not going!”

“What did you say? Say that to me again!”

“I said I’m not going! I asked for the divorce myself. I don’t regret it! Do you think I don’t know what you and Mom are really thinking? It’s nothing more than the fact that if I’m divorced, you can’t squeeze money out of me every month anymore! Dad, haven’t you and Mom exploited me and Zhang Qiao enough all these years? When we were little, our brother could go to school, but my sister and I weren’t worthy of it. When we grew up and got married, we still had to hand over all our money to support the family—to pay for my brother and for you two. Otherwise, we’re unfilial! Oh, and yesterday Mom even said she wants me and Qiao to give you a hundred yuan each month! What do you need that much money for? Why don’t you just go rob someone?”

It was the first time his eldest daughter had talked back to him like this. Zhang Fugui was livid.

“I worked my ass off to raise you. Isn’t it only right that you show filial piety?”

“Fine. Then ask everyone here—what kind of parents force their daughters to hand over a hundred yuan every month? If we’re talking about hardship, the ones who suffered were me and my sister! We did all the farm work and housework. We raised Zhang Song. After we got married, it was our money that paid for your living expenses and his tuition! You only know how to drag money back home. You never cared how we were living! If we displeased you even a little, you’d throw a tantrum and make a scene! It’s not that we’re unfilial—you’re just greedy!”

“You money-losing wretch! You dare lecture your own father? Zhang Qiao must have taught you this! Damn it—see if I don’t beat you to death!”

Zhang Fugui pulled off his shoe and swung it at her.

Suddenly, his wrist was seized. He stumbled forward and was thrown to the ground by the suddenly appearing Jin Quan, landing face-first in the dirt. His shoe flew aside. He looked utterly miserable.

“Jin Quan? Why is it you?”

Zhang Ling was terrified. In the blink of an eye, she had been pulled behind Jin Quan.

He glanced at her and sneered lightly. “You’ve got quite a sharp tongue. Usually you act like a mute gourd.”

Seeing she was safe, Jin Quan stepped forward to haul the old bastard up from the ground. Afraid things would escalate, Zhang Ling called out softly from behind, “Brother Quan…”

“Relax. I know my limits.”

Without another word, Jin Quan grabbed Zhang Fugui and dragged him away.

“Who are you? Let go of me, or I’ll call the police!” Zhang Fugui struggled, but the man was broad-shouldered and strong as an ox.

Only after dragging him into an empty alley did Jin Quan release him—only to slam him hard against the wall.

Zhang Fugui’s frail body nearly had his organs shaken loose.

“Old bastard, you’re not even qualified to act like a thug. You just want money, right? Next time, come to me! For Zhang Ling’s sake, I won’t beat you to death. But if you dare harass the sisters again—if you dare freeload in someone else’s restaurant and disgrace yourself—I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life bedridden, unable to move, wallowing in your own filth!”

Jin Quan pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it against the old man’s face.

While scrambling on the ground to pick up the money, the old man still managed to ask the terrifying figure, “Big talk. Who the hell are you?”

“Zhang Ling’s man.”

What?

Her man?

Didn’t she just get divorced? How could she already have a man?

So that money-losing wretch must have been fooling around outside. That’s why Xu Liang didn’t want her anymore. She had completely disgraced the Zhang family!

…

When Jin Quan returned, Zhang Ling was apologizing to Sister Feng and trying to press money into her hands to cover the meals from the past two days.

Seeing him, Sister Feng waved. “Brother Quan, over here!”

Zhang Ling turned around. Sister Feng quickly stuffed the money back into her pocket.

Jin Quan walked over, said nothing, and grabbed Zhang Ling by the hand to leave.

Zhang Ling followed him blankly. Only after they had walked quite a distance did she realize she had been walking down the street holding hands with a grown man the whole time.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, shaking off his calloused hand.

Jin Quan lowered his head to look at her foot. “Is your injury healed?”

“Yes…” Zhang Ling still looked worried. “What did you do to my dad?”

Jin Quan’s dark eyes sank. “What, that old bastard exploited you like that, and you’re still speaking up for him?”