Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Marital Joint Property, Mom Disagrees, You Have No Control

Cheng Zhiwu gave Cheng Shang a cold look, "My mom took care of Uncle San for his entire life, and this is how you treat her? Truly disheartening."

Lin Hua chimed in, "Yeah, brother, one must not forget their roots."

Cheng Can then broke down crying uncontrollably. The nurse’s efforts to intervene were futile, only giving Cheng Shang a disdainful glare, "Could you please stop the commotion, it’s disturbing the other patients."

Cheng Shang, a cultured man and always polite, had never dealt with such ruffians before. Surrounded by people pointing and murmuring, he almost gave in.

"Auntie must be out of her mind for money, asking for one million just like that. Do you think you are made of gold?" Cheng Zhiwei scoffed sarcastically, "Everyone should see clearly now, reduce contact with this family. If you get hurt leaving their house, they’ll demand one million in compensation. Does your family even have that much to spare?"

Suddenly, nobody around spoke.

When Cheng Zhiwu mentioned one million, everyone realized it was a blackmail attempt.

"My mom took care of Uncle San..." Cheng Zhiwu defended himself.

Cheng Zhiwei looked over coldly, "Our family spent three hundred thousand for renovations back home, and gave another two hundred thousand when you married. Wasn’t that my dad’s money? Isn’t that enough?"

"Elders are speaking, it’s not your place to interrupt," Cheng Can tried to assert his status.

Cheng Zhiwei, with arms folded, responded leisurely, "Auntie did support my dad’s education. Honestly, without auntie, my dad wouldn’t have made it to where he is today. But auntie, hasn’t my dad also treated you well over the years, giving more than one million in total? And you still think it’s not enough? You might as well drive my dad to his grave."

"What are you even saying," Cheng Can banged on the hospital bed, acting completely unreasonable, "I supported him, he should repay me."

"I..." his eyes darted around, "my husband and Zhiwu’s dad are planning to buy a house."

"You guys are buying a house and still expect my dad to pay? So, my dad is just an ATM to you."

"He lives in a big villa in the city, while your uncle and I still rent," Cheng Can argued.

"Shouldn’t that be blamed on Cheng Zhiwu? You guys worked hard to raise him, and he can’t even afford his own house, only renting. How very ’filial’."

Condemning and amused looks suddenly all turned towards Cheng Zhiwu.

Cheng Zhiwu instantly became furious, "Cheng Zhiwei, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Cheng Zhiwei smiled slightly, "Your mom knows very well how she twisted her ankle, but it’s absurd to blame us."

"So what, you city folk think you’re so great, bullying us poor relatives?" Cheng Can bluntly started playing the victim again.

Cheng Zhiwei wanted to speak, but Cheng Shang snapped sternly, "You shut your mouth."

Cheng Zhiwei’s eyes suddenly filled with ice, "Dad, that money is marital property. Mom doesn’t agree; you don’t have the right to decide."

Cheng Shang looked at Guo Cuihua, who avoided his gaze.

Over the years, Guo Cuihua had witnessed Cheng Shang compensating his sisters’ families. Sometimes, when she slightly objected, Cheng Shang would get very angry, thinking Guo Cuihua was narrow-minded.

Unfortunately, both of them were university professors, and after so many years, their only asset was the house in the small county town. As for the Yucheng house, it was purchased when they got married, with the Guo family paying half.

Now, the couple had only five hundred thousand yuan in their bank accounts.

"Cuihua," Cheng Shang simply called out to his wife.

"Excuse me." A stranger’s voice sounded, and two policemen walked over.

Cheng Can’s calculating face suddenly stiffened.

Why were the police here?

Cheng Shang instinctively looked at Cheng Zhiwei and asked in a low, angry voice, "Did you call the police?"

Cheng Zhiwei didn’t even look at him, speaking directly to the police, "I called the police, there’s someone trying to extort money here."

The police nodded, taking out a notebook to start questioning.

"It’s all a misunderstanding," Cheng Zhiwu immediately explained with a smile on his face, "We’re all family here, who would extort money?"

The police officer asked around and understood the situation, gave everyone a stern lecture, and then left.

Cheng Shang went to pay the medical fees and left an extra twenty thousand yuan, glaring fiercely at Cheng Zhiwei before storming off in a huff.

Cheng Zhiwei met Cheng Can’s resentful gaze, smirked, and also left.

Cheng Zhiwu, frustrated, ran his fingers through his hair, "This Cheng Zhiwei, haven’t seen her in years, how she’s changed so completely."

The old Cheng Zhiwei was so easy to bully; you could steal her toys, her snacks, and she wouldn’t dare tell on you.

Cheng Can bitterly said, "Marrying a rich man really changes a person, huh? Her tone has become so assertive."

Lin Hua frowned, "What about Lin Jun’s issue? I promised him I’d find him a wife, and that’s worth five hundred thousand."

Cheng Can thought for a moment, then calmed down a bit, "No rush, I’ll think of something."

She approached Cheng Zhiyin because Lin Jun wanted to find a wife, so they turned to her elder brother’s family, promising fifty thousand yuan as a dowry.

This fifty thousand, Cheng Can and Lin Hua wanted to keep to themselves, which is why they targeted Cheng Zhiyin.

They knew Cheng Zhiyin couldn’t have children, and Cheng Shang was under her thumb, making a fuss would force Cheng Zhiyin to give up Lin Jun’s assets.

By then, without children, Lin Jun’s money would belong to them as the eldest brother and sister-in-law.

But Cheng Zhiwei, that annoying girl, was really in the way.

"What about the money I owe?" Cheng Zhiwu paced back and forth unwillingly, "Just twenty thousand yuan? That’s tossing money to beggars, I owe someone over one million."

At this, Cheng Can cursed fiercely, "I told you to stop gambling, stop gambling, but you never change."

Cheng Zhiwu yelled irritably, "What do you want me to do now that this has happened?"

...

When Cheng Shang got home, he nearly slapped Cheng Zhiwei across the face, if not for Wang Mei swiftly intervening.

Cheng Shang scolded, "Cheng Zhiwei, you really think too highly of yourself, even calling the police. I underestimated you."

Cheng Zhiwei, shielded by Guo Cuihua behind her, tugged at her lip and mocked, "So, were you planning on giving them that one million?"

"That’s none of your business."

"Oh, so you manage it by giving all our money to them, leaving mom and you to live on the wind from the Northwest, right?"

Cheng Shang angrily said, "If it weren’t for your aunts, I wouldn’t have been able to study and wouldn’t have achieved what I have today."

He had always been grateful for his sisters’ struggles.

Cheng Zhiwei sneered, "If you’re grateful, then show it yourself. They never supported my mom and me for a day, why should my mom endure this humiliation?"

"You... you... are simply a lost cause," Cheng Shang spun around on the spot, breathing heavily with anger.

How could he have such an ungrateful daughter.

Cheng Zhiwei didn’t care what he thought; she was determined not to let Cheng Shang give the money to Cheng Can and the others.

The atmosphere at home was tense, but thanks to Cheng Zhiwei’s intervention, the money remained with them. However, within a couple of days, Guo Cuihua was visibly upset.

Cheng Zhiwei asked and found out that Cheng Shang had secretly given Cheng Can one hundred thousand yuan.

Cheng Zhiwei was very angry; such greed was fed little by little.

Cheng Zhiwei went to query Cheng Shang, but Guo Cuihua stopped her, "Don’t fight, you’re pregnant."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read