Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 812 - 802 Asking for Help

The team leader was indeed flattered by Li Hongjun, "Haha, Brother Hongjun, don’t say that. My job might look good on the outside, but in reality, it’s just a headache. All these years, it’s only because the elders and fellow villagers have given me face. Alright, since Brother Hongjun has spoken, no matter how difficult, I’ve got to help."

"Then thank you, Brother Gensheng. There’s another thing, I heard that my mom hasn’t paid the phone bill from the other night to the team, is that right? You know the situation with my dad and mom now, it really is tough on Brother Gensheng. But I can’t let you be in a difficult spot either, so how about this, I’ll wire you the money tomorrow..."

"No need, no need, it’s just a small amount of money; I’ll just cover it, Brother Hongjun, you’re too much." The team leader swept his hand over his bald head. It was still acceptable to quibble over money with those who had none, but with those who had money, one mustn’t mention such things—it was unbecoming.

"That won’t do, we need to keep accounts clear, let’s settle it like that, okay?" Li Hongjun insisted.

"Look at you, really now," the team leader felt a little embarrassed.

"But, Brother Gensheng, I have another favor to ask. Don’t tell anyone that I’m helping my mom repay the money, especially don’t let my dad and mom find out. If they don’t really need anything and want to call me, Brother Gensheng, could you control it a bit? If there’s really something urgent, can you just give me a call?" It was rather embarrassing for Li Hongjun to say this to an outsider, but he understood his mother’s temperament well. If she found out that he was paying back her phone bills, she’d probably end up calling him over every little thing to complain. As her son, it wasn’t hard for him to listen to his old lady’s nagging, but since he was seldom home, his wife would likely end up taking the calls. Knowing his mother’s character, his wife would probably end up getting an earful. To save his wife from some scolding, losing a bit of face was nothing to him.

"That’s no problem. Even if your uncle and aunt did pay the phone bill, our team’s phone isn’t something you can use whenever you feel like it. It’s communal property and it’s often out of order—you never know." The team leader was so clever; he immediately understood what Li Hongjun meant and even quickly found an excuse.

"Then I really have to thank Brother Gensheng for your help. Next time I’m home, I’ll definitely treat Brother Gensheng to a good meal."

Li Hongjun exchanged a few more pleasantries over the phone, and then hung up.

As a result, he saw his wife staring at him with wide eyes, unblinking.

"What’s up?" Li Hongjun touched his face, feeling a little embarrassed.

Shen Yunfang reached out and pinched his cheek, "I’m checking to see if it’s really you or someone impersonating you—why are you acting so strange today?"

"You silly girl, I made this call for you, aren’t you acting cute here after getting an advantage? Let’s see how I deal with you." Li Hongjun was somewhat annoyed and embarrassed, he grabbed his wife’s arm and with one pull, he brought her onto him.

"Hey, what are you doing? The kid is going to see if you keep this up," Shen Yunfang lay in the man’s arms, still making a fuss.

"It’s fine; the kids are quietly doing their homework inside. As long as you keep your voice down, no one will come out," Li Hongjun said confidently.

Shen Yunfang relaxed into his embrace as she heard him.

"Is this really okay? What if something urgent comes up back home and they need to reach you?" Shen Yunfang was referring to him not allowing Li Lao Tou and Qiu Shuping to call him.

Li Hongjun had already considered such a scenario. "There’s nothing wrong with it. If there’s really an emergency, Brother Gensheng is right next door. You know exactly how Sister-in-law is—she’d definitely be the first to call us." He did this mainly because he was afraid his mother would call and trouble his wife if he was away.

Shen Yunfang thought about it and agreed, "So you’re really not going back home for a visit? What if your dad really gets mesmerized by Xue Damei to the point of neglect and decides to divorce your mom?"

Li Hongjun considered the situation, "I definitely have to go back at some point, and don’t be mad about it. With such a situation at home and Brother Gensheng being indifferent, who else will deal with the mess if I don’t look into it? However, I’m not going back right now. I’ll wait until I return from this mission. My parents need time to settle things as well."

"So you’re not afraid that, in the meantime, your parents might really get divorced?"

"That couldn’t happen. My mom’s not someone who can be taken advantage of. She’s worked too hard for the family all these years to let another woman easily take her place," Li Hongjun was very clear about his mother’s character. "So do you want my parents to divorce or not?" he also wanted to know his wife’s thoughts.

"It’s complicated. From a woman’s standpoint, I sympathize with your mom. If it were me, I would definitely divorce. A man who grows a wandering heart, no matter how good he is, can’t be kept, especially one like your dad. But, from a daughter-in-law’s perspective, I hope your parents don’t divorce...," Shen Yunfang indirectly criticized her father-in-law with her words. She couldn’t stand Li Lao Tou, not just because of the incident when they visited his hometown during the New Year a couple of years ago, but also because she knew her father-in-law had become infatuated with another woman while her mother-in-law was away. Such a person clearly had character issues, which made people disdainful just talking about it.

Li Hongjun raised an eyebrow, surprised to find that his wife still had some feelings toward his parents. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"I’m already at a loss serving just one pair of in-laws. If your parents get divorced, and your dad takes a new wife, then I would have to serve both my mother-in-law and a new one. What if some half-brothers come along, wanting to claim kin and take advantage, how could I live that life? So, from a bigger picture, the original match is better." Shen Yunfang wasn’t just rambling. Since she heard about her father-in-law’s affair, she had considered this issue. Annoying as her mother-in-law was, she was preferable to a new, unknown stepmother-in-law. Besides, even if the old folks divorced, she would still have to serve them, so on balance, it was better for the old couple to just muddle through together.

"I might not have time tomorrow, so find a moment to go into town and wire ten bucks to Brother Gensheng," Li Hongjun changed the five bucks to ten bucks.

"Oh, wasn’t it five bucks?" Shen Yunfang had also been listening just now, and she had heard the amount mentioned.

"I guess my parents won’t be able to calm down easily back home, and I thought it’d be better to send some extra money to appreciate his trouble," Li Hongjun sighed. If only his parents were more reliable, he wouldn’t need to bother with this.

"Isn’t sending them ten bucks not a small sum? Or perhaps some more?" Shen Yunfang felt that just adding five bucks to have someone look after a whole family was quite embarrassing.

"This is enough, any more and the nature of it changes," he was, after all, an upright soldier.