The Cheng Family Had a Visitor

Lin Xiaofei was even more impatient. When Cheng Dongxue still did not answer, she answered for her. "Yes!"

Cheng Dongxue glanced at Lin Xiaofei, but there was no reproach in her eyes.

"Xiao Xue, if you're in trouble, tell us. Together, we'll find a way through it." Liu Mei was perceptive. The problem was clearly not the five million itself, but what had come about because of it.

Cheng Dongxue was trapped, stuck on one point, and in great pain.

"Xue, if you won't say it, I will." Lin Xiaofei stepped in as a best friend should.

"Xiao Fei, how am I supposed to say it?" Cheng Dongxue protested. It was hard enough to speak of without blushing, yet her own mother had actually done it. She was stunned.

"All right, I'll say it!" With Cheng Dongxue's permission, Lin Xiaofei no longer held back.

"Her mother, Yang Su, introduced Xue to a man today. He said he'd give Cheng Company five million to get through its troubles if Xue divorced Zhang Yang and married him." Lin Xiaofei laid it out in one sentence.

"What...?"

"Mm..."

Liu Mei was shocked, and Zhang Yang could hardly believe it either. Even Matchmaker Wang in Water Margin had only tried to marry off another man's wife. Yang Su had turned into a real-life Matchmaker Wang, trying to marry off her own daughter while she was still married. It was unheard of.

Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue had not even divorced, yet Cheng Dongxue's mother was already arranging her next marriage. Was she not getting ahead of herself?

"Xiao Xue, you're a wonderful daughter-in-law, and you'd make a wonderful wife. I like you, and Xiao Yang loves you. I hope you'll think carefully. Marriage is too important to take lightly." Liu Mei did not flatly reject the idea. She offered Cheng Dongxue a gentle reminder instead.

"Mom, I know, but..."

"Xiao Xue, no one else's opinion matters. I only want to hear yours. What you decide will determine what I do."

Zhang Yang cut Cheng Dongxue off at once. He made his position clear without rejecting or denying anything, leaving the choice in her hands.

"Zhang Yang, what can I do? If we don't get the money, the company will be gone. I can't imagine what my parents will be like after losing it." Cheng Dongxue was distraught. No matter how Cheng Hai and Yang Su treated her, she still had a daughter's duty to care for them.

Liu Mei was not angry. If anything, she felt a little comforted. Whatever else could be said about Zhang Yang, she thought, he was no worse than his father at choosing a wife.

"Don't worry. Heaven sees what people do. When the time comes, Cheng Company will still be there," Zhang Yang said meaningfully.

"Zhang Yang, you have a way? Then tell me! Oh, you know antiques, and I still have some money. We could borrow some from Xiaofei too. I'll sell my car, and we'll make a big bet to earn enough to save the company." Hope suddenly seized Cheng Dongxue. If Zhang Yang had said that, he had better have a plan. If he was just bragging again, she would kill him.

Cheng Dongxue really was desperate. To Zhang Yang, that was a good thing: it showed him where she stood. He was deeply relieved that his wife had still not chosen to abandon her "useless" husband.

"Don't worry, honey. I'll find a way." Zhang Yang took Cheng Dongxue's hand. Beside them, Lin Xiaofei felt a sharp pang of jealousy, but she kept it in check and merely made faces at him.

"Honey, the car is yours. You don't need to sell it, and we don't need to borrow Xiaofei's money. Nothing about our lives has to change. Just give me a few days."

Zhang Yang did his best to reassure Cheng Dongxue. He believed his words might help her, but to Yang Su, whoever saved Cheng Company would own Cheng Dongxue as a wife—or even as a possession.

"But I'm afraid..." Cheng Dongxue lost control for a moment, and tears spilled from her eyes.

"Xue, you have to trust Zhang Yang. I certainly do," Lin Xiaofei said in support.

"Xiao Yang, I have a few tens of thousands saved. Take it. It's what our family can contribute." As Liu Mei spoke, she moved to get her bank card.

"Mom..." Liu Mei's gesture touched Cheng Dongxue deeply, and she called out to her.

"Mom, please, keep it! We appreciate the thought. Spend your money on yourself. Eat well, dress well, and don't worry about the future." Zhang Yang knew his mother had suffered enough raising him. Now that he was grown, how could he let her keep making sacrifices?

Zhang Yang's words were blunt, but Liu Mei was not offended. Lin Xiaofei simply pulled her back beneath the jujube tree.

"Zhang Yang, what's your plan?" Cheng Dongxue was uneasy. Right now, she needed to know, or she would not be able to settle her nerves.

"I have friends I can borrow from. And you know I'm doing business with the Lin Family. Raising five million won't be a problem, but it'll take time," Zhang Yang said.

Cheng Dongxue already knew Zhang Yang was doing business with the Lin Family. He had told her.

What Zhang Yang said was true. Borrowing money was never easy, especially five million.

"Mm." Cheng Dongxue thought it over. It would be difficult, but not impossible. Even if Zhang Yang could not borrow the full five million, he should be able to raise some of it. If her family scraped together the rest, they would be close.

Zhang Yang looked up. It was already past five. Summer sunsets came late, and the sun had yet to go down.

"Mom, I'll make dinner. We'll head back to the city after we eat." Zhang Yang stood. Cooking was his specialty, and no one there could compete with him.

In fact, everyone fought to do it. None of them wanted Zhang Yang to tire himself out.

With all four pitching in, dinner was ready before long. The sun still had not set.

After dinner, while it was still light, the three of them headed back to the city amid Liu Mei's reminders.

By the time they reached the Cheng Family home, night had just fallen.

As soon as he got out of the car, Zhang Yang spotted a brand-new BMW 7 Series parked in front of the villa—the sort of car a boss rode in.

"A visitor?" Lin Xiaofei frowned in confusion.

Cheng Dongxue quickly searched her memory. Among all the relatives, friends, and clients connected to the Cheng Family, she could not think of anyone who had bought a new car.

Zhang Yang could not make sense of it either.

Then Cheng Dongxue remembered Xu Mingxian's arrogance earlier that day. Could he be the visitor? Had he actually dared to come to her home and provoke them? Was he not afraid of Zhang Yang?

What was there to fear about Zhang Yang? Cheng Dongxue thought a moment later.

Zhang Yang watched Cheng Dongxue's expression. After years of marriage, they might not have started to look alike, but he knew her well. She definitely knew the visitor.

And from the disgust on Cheng Dongxue's face, the car probably belonged to that man.

"Let's go in and see." Zhang Yang stopped speculating. They were already at the door; they might as well find out.

The three went inside. Sure enough, the visitor was Xu Mingxian. He had made himself at home, lounging on the sofa like a lord of the manor, practically sprawled across it.

Yang Su served him tea and water, along with fruit and snacks.

One could only imagine how much Cheng Dongxue would suffer if she married a man like him.

"Well, if it isn't the Cheng Family's live-in son-in-law. The useless lump is back." Xu Mingxian opened his mouth, and out came an insult.