Security guard? The kind of security guard who watches over passersby at the company gate every day? Wu Lidong used to work as a salesman, always dressed in a suit and attending various social events. In his eyes, security guard work was something only uneducated, rough men did. How could Xu Zifan make him a security guard?
Wu Lidong's face darkened, but since he was now his father-in-law, he couldn't say anything. He gave Wu Xuefei a wink, and Wu Xuefei immediately said, "No way! How can we let Dad become a security guard? It's so hard! Dad, don't agree, I won't let you go. You suffered so much when you were young, now that I'm grown up, it's time for you to enjoy life. How can I let you suffer again? Zifan, don't look for any more jobs for Dad. Just let him take care of himself like your parents did in his old age."
Xu Zifan said in surprise, "My parents are both over sixty and their health isn't very good, so they're retiring now. My father-in-law looks about the same age as me. I thought he wouldn't accept getting old and would want to do something more. Hmm... alright then, I'll tell my colleague tomorrow that I'm giving up that security guard job. It's such a pity, I worked so hard to get this opportunity. Since Dad is already old, let him retire at home. Just take good care of himself."
At first glance, Xu Zifan's words didn't seem like much, but the expression he gave Wu Lidong was full of sympathy, as if he were saying to Wu Lidong: You're no good.
Wu Lidong isn't his real father-in-law; they're rivals in love! Being pitied and sympathized with by his rival made Wu Lidong feel a tightness in his chest, and he blurted out angrily, "Who are you calling old!"
Wu Xuefei quickly pulled him aside and smoothed things over, "Zifan, I didn't say Dad is old. I was just being filial. Don't talk nonsense."
Xu Zifan nodded knowingly, looking at the computer and writing code as he said, "I understand. You mean we two work, and Dad can stay home and relax, right? No problem. I'll keep 1,000 yuan of my salary for living expenses each month, and if you earn another 2,000, 3,000 yuan will be enough for the three of us."
"What? You gave the money to your parents?" Wu Xuefei's first reaction was to question them. "Why didn't you discuss this with me?"
Xu Zifan smiled gently and said, "I just wanted to give you a surprise. I still remember that day you knelt in front of my parents, crying and saying you would definitely work hard to pay back that loan. I know you're proud and definitely don't want to be in debt. You must have been so anxious these past few days, right? So today I took some time to go to my parents' place, gave them my salary card, and told them that you were upset about this and that you were upset if you didn't pay them back. They had no choice but to accept it and kept praising you for being filial. Actually, you really are very filial. Look, you're so eager to pay back my parents' money, and you're saying you don't want your dad to work. With you caring so much for your elders, they're happier in their old age than others."
Xu Zifan looked at Wu Xuefei and asked with a smile, "How is it? Aren't you surprised? I've become more filial since I learned from you."
Wu Xuefei was speechless, swallowing back all her questions. What could she say? That Xu Zifan was wrong to be filial to his parents? That he was wrong to return the money? Then why should she be filial to her own father? She was the one who cried and begged to return the money back then, wasn't that Xu Zifan's way of showing love for her? Even Wu Lidong was stunned, unable to find the words to refute her.
Xu Zifan reassured her, "Don't worry, we've known each other for over ten years, I know you best. You just said you wanted to go out and work, wasn't it to pay off your debts? Am I right? Xuefei, don't worry, I will absolutely support you in your work. Tomorrow I'll ask my colleagues if there are any suitable positions for you."
Wu Xuefei herself said she wanted to work, and now she's in a bind. There's no reason to get angry about this, so Wu Lidong could only bite the bullet and say, "I don't agree. Xuefei needs to rest and recover. Even if she goes back to work, it will be after a while..."
"Xuefei, are you still feeling unwell?" Xu Zifan asked with concern, putting down his notebook and walking towards them. "I'll take the day off tomorrow to go to the hospital with you for a full check-up, otherwise I won't feel at ease."
Wu Xuefei is in excellent health and has a great appetite. The claim that she had miscarriage was just a lie told to him by a Chinese medicine doctor he'd bribed. Wouldn't a hospital checkup expose the whole thing? Wu Xuefei gave a stiff smile and said, "No need, I'm fine now. Dad, don't worry so much. I'll find an easy job, I'll definitely be fine. If I find I can't handle it, I can always quit."
Wu Xuefei gave Wu Lidong a wink, and Wu Lidong knew that the conversation had gotten so far that he had to find a job. He could only say, "You're such a strong-willed kid. Fine, you give it a try. If you're not feeling well, don't push yourself. I'll go out and look for a suitable job too. You don't want me to suffer, and I don't want you to work so hard."
Xu Zifan knew they were just setting up a backup plan. They could simply quit their jobs if they felt uncomfortable. Some people even spent a year looking for work without finding anything; without a deadline, it was all just empty talk. But that didn't matter. His family had lived there for decades; surely they had connections to find jobs. He wouldn't give them a chance to delay.
Wu Lidong said somewhat unwillingly, "Zifan, we haven't found jobs yet. Isn't it too little for you to keep only 1,000 yuan for living expenses each month? Even if Feifei earns another 2,000 yuan, it will still be too tight. She is pregnant now and needs nutrition. She also needs to buy calcium tablets, vitamins and such. After she starts working, she may have social engagements. Shouldn't you keep another 2,000 yuan?"
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Dad, don't worry, I have confidence in Xuefei. It's probably hard for her to find a job with a monthly salary of over ten thousand now, but finding a job with a monthly salary of two thousand is a piece of cake for her, right? Our family's three thousand a month is enough for living expenses. The baby hasn't been born yet, and we still have to pay off debts, so it's only right that we be frugal. After Xuefei finishes her postpartum confinement and recovers, she'll change jobs, and her monthly salary will definitely not be less than mine. At that time, the two of us will earn sixteen thousand a month, leaving five thousand for the family and paying off eleven thousand for my parents. Those debts will be paid off quickly. After that, things will be even easier."
Xu Zifan looked around and said with great enthusiasm, "Dad, don't worry."
"After we have kids, you'll live with us too. Although my abilities are average, and my salary won't increase beyond 8,000, Xuefei is capable. Maybe she'll become a manager someday, earning 15,000 a month, and we'll be able to buy a bigger three-bedroom apartment sooner or later. Oh, and it has to be a good school district property. I heard school district properties are 21,000 per square meter now; we really need to work hard these next few years."
Xu Zifan glanced at his watch and quickly walked back. "Alright, that's enough. I've taken on a few side jobs to earn some extra money to pay off my debts. Xuefei, after you finish eating, tidy up the house. The orders are urgent, I really don't have time to do them. My colleague told me that pregnant women must move around a lot, otherwise they'll have difficult births. Dad, keep an eye on Xuefei and make sure she moves around a lot, not just sitting or lying down all the time. I'm going to get back to work."
Xu Zifan was engrossed in typing on the computer, so focused that it was hard to disturb him. In truth, Wu Xuefei and Wu Lidong didn't know what to say at that moment; they had no reason to refute Xu Zifan's words. He was busy earning extra money to pay off his family's debts; how could they, two grown men, just refuse to do any work and push it onto Xu Zifan?
But Xu Zifan is earning extra money to pay off his parents' debts. What does it have to do with them? And considering the arrangements Xu Zifan made—he only keeps 1,000 yuan a month, and the rest of the household expenses have to be earned by the two of them—why are they still wasting their time with Xu Zifan? Are they after his 1,000 yuan?
The two remained silent, eating their meal with a bland taste. They suddenly realized that while honest people are easy to fool, the problem is that too honest people are also difficult to control.
They reluctantly washed the dishes after dinner, including the one Xu Zifan had thrown in the sink that morning. Then they swept and mopped the floor. Neither of them were in a good mood and naturally lost interest in watching TV. Seeing Xu Zifan diligently writing code, they each went back to their rooms to shower and go to bed.
The two had slept well at home during the day, but were both having trouble sleeping, so they decided to video chat and whisper about Xu Zifan. They hadn't come up with a good solution, so they could only take it one step at a time, thinking of stalling for a while, and when things got too bad, they could find any job, pretend to fall or something, find an excuse to quit, and then get Xu Zifan's salary card back.
Xu Zifan didn't care about their schemes or tricks at all. He had seen more of the world than they had. He just needed to react to whatever came his way and be flexible. Didn't he just trick them with a few words? So sometimes plans are useless. Plans can't keep up with changes. It's enough to react quickly on the spot.
He waited until they entered the house before enjoying the quiet space. He dimmed the lights, made a cup of coffee, and played some soft music while coding. He was indeed writing programs to earn extra money, but it wasn't the small-time thing they thought. This program could sell for at least 500,000 yuan. The original owner's parents had emptied their savings, and they were definitely scrimping and saving to save money for their son. He needed to get the money back to put their minds at ease.
Revenge is revenge, but the duty of filial piety towards parents cannot be forgotten. The original owner was a programmer; it would be strange for someone with such an honest personality to suddenly do something else, so it's best to just stick to this path. Start by selling small items worth 500,000, then work on better ones later, making progress little by little, like a sudden epiphany, slowly moving towards success. Even as a programmer, one must have grand ambitions, to become a world-renowned programmer, making parents proud and happy.
Xu Zifan worked until the early hours of the morning, then checked Weibo. He already had over three thousand followers, but it wasn't time to go viral yet, so he didn't resort to fake followers. He simply posted: "So many clothes can't be machine washed, just washed them all. Hope my wife and father-in-law are comfortable wearing them. It's past midnight, a bit sleepy, but for a raise, I need to study for another two hours. Time for a coffee. Goodnight everyone~"
Night owls who saw the Weibo post left messages advising him to rest early, while others called him a henpecked husband and asked him to post a photo to see if he was handsome. No one felt sorry for him working so hard because they weren't familiar with him yet, not fans, and didn't have that kind of emotional connection. Most people were just watching the spectacle, finding it interesting and passing the time.
This is why Xu Zifan felt it wasn't time to expose them yet. He needed to lay the groundwork first, and when everything was in place, he would utterly ruin their reputations and make them despised by the entire nation. Otherwise, it would just be like some other social news stories—no matter how tragic or bizarre, people would just read it and move on, offering only a few words of condemnation, without any real impact. They could simply move on and live a good life elsewhere. That wasn't the effect Xu Zifan wanted. If he was going to do it, he wanted to ensure they could never recover.