Cui had no idea at home that the "go take a look around" her husband mentioned yesterday had resulted in him losing over two thousand yuan at mahjong. Otherwise, she wouldn't be sitting there calculating with the household savings book right now. "So, are we buying it or not?" Li Cui wasn't entirely certain herself.

"Though, that house is quite nicely renovated; buying it for fifty thousand seems like a steal." Although Li Cui thought the place was small—just a studio apartment of about fifty square meters—the problem was they only had about a hundred thousand in savings. Should they use a third of it to buy?

The only reason Li Cui would have agreed before was knowing she could ask her elder uncle's family to chip in, or that her husband could exaggerate the amount of gambling debt he owed. But now, her uncle's family was gone, and Wang Qiqi had secured the compensation money entirely by herself. Li Cui didn't know the exact amount, but it surely wouldn't be less than what her husband had negotiated. Thinking of this, Li Cui grew furious. She angrily slapped the dining table a few times. "Hmph, if it weren't for that damned girl, would I be in such a wretched state right now?"

If she had that compensation money, what was fifty thousand for a house? She would buy it immediately without hesitation. But as it stood, Li Cui truly couldn't bear to part with the cash. In her view, having money in hand was the greatest security. As for Wang Dagui, Li Cui never truly counted on him to support the rest of her life. For her, the current goal was to raise her daughter, Wang Rui, well, and marry her off to a man with a good family background who didn't gamble. Only then would she secure her later years.

Wang Dagui lay on the ** bed, irritated by his wife slamming the table again. Always causing trouble, always making a scene—no wonder he was losing money constantly. Wang Dagui was quite annoyed; back in the day, even when he lost money, if he calculated it carefully, he’d lose at most ten thousand a year. With his elder brother around to cover things, it didn't matter. But after his brother passed, he lost every time he gambled, nearly draining all the money he had hidden away privately.

Wang Dagui lit a cigarette while lying on the ** bed, calculating how much private stash he still had left. Although he still had the two thousand for the gambling debt, the crucial point was that after paying it off, there would be almost nothing left, perhaps only one or two thousand. But if he didn't pay, they would surely pressure Longmen.

Should he send them to his elder brother's house to settle the debt? Wang Dagui considered it but shook his head. Sending his creditors to his elder brother's place right after his brother's death? That was asking for trouble. Besides, that girl wouldn't be kind enough to repay his debt for him, and she would likely be displeased with his actions.

"It seems this money can't be saved," Wang Dagui murmured, taking a deep drag before preparing to turn over and sleep.

Li Cui entered the room hoping to hear her husband's opinion. Of course, her intention was to siphon some private money from him. Although the man presented himself well, which man didn't hide private funds? Her husband definitely wasn't as consistently transparent as his late brother. But she walked in just as Wang Dagui said that, which struck Li Cui as odd. "What money can't be saved?"

A thought suddenly struck Li Cui. "You didn't go gambling again yesterday, did you? You, Wang Dagui! What promises did you make yesterday? Do you still think you can spend money freely now that your brother is gone?" Li Cui worried that her husband had lost money again. How were they supposed to live? "You used your daughter's unlucky earnings to pay off your gambling debts from a few days ago, and you still gambled?"

The more Li Cui thought about it, the angrier she became. "If I had known, I wish you had just gone for that walk and let that person hit you dead instead, saving me from dealing with your gambling all day long. Then, my little Rui and I could have received the compensation." Even if it was just two hundred thousand for one person, wouldn't that secure their future? Furthermore, wouldn't her brother-in-law's family have looked after them? They certainly would have taken good care of her and Little Rui.

Wang Dagui looked at Li Cui, whose expression suggested she wished he were dead, and he, too, became incensed. "Is that how a wife acts? I was just thinking, why wasn't it you who got hit that day? Then I would have some money, at least thirty thousand in compensation." If that had really happened, he wouldn't need to watch his elder brother's expression. Although his brother often paid his gambling debts, he also constantly nagged him. If he had the compensation, he could finally feel like the master of his own house. How much did his brother really save? He would instantly have forty thousand in savings.

Hearing Wang Dagui say that, Li Cui certainly wouldn't stand for it. She immediately let out a wail and lunged at Wang Dagui, tearing at him. "You wicked Wang Dagui! I've been with you for so many years, and Little Rui is already this old, yet you still wish I were dead! Have you any conscience? Look at how your sister-in-law lives, married to your brother..." Li Cui rattled on about how Wang Dajun treated his wife, contrasting it with Wang Dagui's attitude toward her. In short, the difference in treatment was heaven and earth, and she felt deeply wronged.

Wang Dagui was momentarily stunned by Li Cui's sudden action, but he quickly recovered. He shoved Li Cui, who was clinging to him, off his body and followed up with a couple of kicks. "What is wrong with you, shouting this early in the morning? What are you complaining about? You constantly complain that I have no prospects. Fine, my brother was successful, and your sister-in-law can buy this and that without worrying. But didn't you consider how much money her parents left her? A few houses, right? What did your parents leave you?" Wang Dagui burned with anger thinking about it. His sister-in-law's family left money for his brother and sister-in-law to use, but his own in-laws? Whenever his brothers-in-law had trouble, they came to them. "If you want me to treat you like my brother treats my sister-in-law, fine, you bring out the same family fortune she had!"

Li Cui froze, realizing she had forgotten that point. Her sister-in-law's family background was far superior to hers. Her in-laws had only one daughter, leaving behind several houses and money. But her own parents, putting aside not having that much money, would have left it to their grandsons anyway; for them, she, the daughter, was just a bank to draw money from whenever her natal family needed it. "I would if I could, but you know the situation at my parents' house."

Li Cui said aggrievedly. Truthfully, who wouldn't want a wealthy maternal family and a capable, high-earning husband? But why was her fate so bitter? She just complained a couple of times, and now she was getting beaten by her husband (at this moment, Li Cui entirely forgot that she was the one who initiated the physical confrontation).

Wang Dagui looked at his tearful wife and felt only disgust. Even when crying, his sister-in-law looked much better than her. "Yes, you know your mother's situation. But when you married me, this is what I was. Honestly, if you're unhappy living with me, we can divorce. I could still find a young woman, but your problem would be where to live after separating."

Li Cui gasped when she heard "divorce." "You heartless wretch! What is that attitude? Divorce, then divorce! This old lady won't believe I can't find a better man without you! Compared to you, there are far too many good men out there!" Li Cui paused. "Besides, why should I move back to my parents' house? This house was bought by us jointly."

"True, but have you forgotten that we signed an IOU for this house? If we divorce, the money for the house has to be repaid to my brother and sister-in-law. You figure out how much you'll actually get then." Although his brother and sister-in-law might not demand the money back, Wang Dagui had stubbornly written up an IOU that day for some reason. Even though his brother and sister-in-law hadn't brought it up in the past two years, it was still an IOU. "Li Cui, if you don't want a divorce, then settle down and stop bossing me around. Look at yourself now—you think you can find someone better after divorcing?" Wang Dagui looked at Li Cui's appearance and felt only revulsion. "Disgusting. I told you, stop crying like some young girl. When others cry, it's beautiful; when you cry, you just make people want to throw up last month's—no, last year's leftovers." Wang Dagui scorned her without restraint. "What are you doing coming in here?"

Hearing Wang Dagui's words, Li Cui angrily threw the savings book near him. "Remember that single room we looked at at Old Zhang's place? I heard Old Zhang's wife asking me today if we still wanted the house; if not, she was selling it to someone else."

Old Zhang's house? Wang Dagui quickly recalled which one. Truthfully, that place was nice, but the issue was, "Why buy now? Do we even have the money?" If all their funds were tied up in property, Wang Dagui felt his wife wouldn't let him have a peaceful life. She certainly couldn't be comfortable without some cash in hand. "You want to buy it?"

Li Cui sighed. "I sort of want to, and sort of don't. We only have about a hundred thousand at home."

"Then let's not buy it," Wang Dagui stated his opinion immediately. "You know our situation. Your dad's health isn't great; what if he needs money and asks us? But I'm telling you, now that my brother is gone, you’ll have to deal with things yourself. Qiqi isn't as easygoing as my elder brother's family." He cut off the demand from his in-laws first; he’d rather spend the money on himself than give it to the Li family. "As for the house, I know you want to buy it and save face. We can buy one later." Li Cui slowly put away the savings book. "That's what I was thinking too. A house won't run away. Besides, a studio is a bit small; I’d prefer something closer to the size of our current place." Money in the bank earns interest; even if a house generates rent, it's not the same as cash.

And so, the Wang Dagui couple pushed away an opportunity for sudden wealth. As housing prices continued to climb, they often blamed each other for letting such a good chance slip away.

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