My Wife, The Ice Queen President

The next morning.

“Brother Xiong, Mom asked me to bring you home for dinner today,” Wang Tong said.

“Why the sudden invitation for dinner?” Ye Xiong asked in surprise.

“My sister has just graduated from college and found a job. Mom’s very happy and wanted me to bring you home for a meal.”

“Let’s change our clothes after work, then head back to taste your mom’s cooking.”

The day passed quickly and evening arrived in the blink of an eye.

The two went back to their dormitory at the construction site, changed their clothes simply, and then headed for Wang Tong’s old home.

Although Ye Xiong knew well in advance that Wang Tong’s family was poor, he was nevertheless shocked when he actually got there.

A less than one hundred square meter blue-brick house covered with moss all around. Within a hundred meters, there were hardly any neighbors left; all had moved away or got houses in the city to rent or live in.

No one wanted to hide away in this corner to live.

“Mom, we’re here, this is the Brother Xiong I’ve been telling you about.”

“Little Tong is back, come in, please take a seat,” said an elderly woman with grey hair as she approached, very warmly. “You must be Ye Xiong, Tong often talks about you, says you’ve helped him out a lot.”

“It’s just friends helping each other out, it’s nothing,” Ye Xiong smiled and said.

The place is a bit tight, I hope you don’t mind.”

“We’re all poor people here.”

“By the way, Mom, has sister not come back yet?” Wang Tong asked.

“She just called, should be on the way. That daughter of mine is getting more and more unreasonable,” Aunt Wang said with some dissatisfaction in her voice.

“Mom, what happened?” Wang Tong asked, puzzled.

In his memory, his mother had always been extremely proud of his sister Wang Shu, always telling everyone how capable her daughter was, having been admitted to a prestigious university, always at the top of her class. Aunt Wang had never spoken with this tone before.

As they were talking, the sound of a car approached from outside. After a while, a gaudily dressed young woman walked in, followed by a man in his thirties or forties with a big belly.

Seeing the two of them come in, Ye Xiong instantly understood.

“You’re back, have a seat,” Aunt Wang said coldly.

“Can I sit on this chair?” the middle-aged man glanced at the chair and showed disgust in his eyes.

The glamorous woman came over, looked at the chair, frowned, and angrily said, “Mom, didn’t I tell you to clean up properly? Look at this chair.”

“The chair has been wiped. Those marks can’t be wiped off,” Aunt Wang explained.

“Couldn’t you have bought some new furniture? This chair, is it even fit for people to sit on? What about when we have family or guests over?” Wang Shu snapped back.

“Forget it, just use something to cushion it.” The middle-aged man came over, and after searching for a while, found some bags to sit on after cushioning his seat.

“Hurry up with the food; after we eat, I and Yang Bin need to head back,” he said, then took out a tissue, wiped the chair several times, before carefully sitting down, holding up her skirt.

Aunt Wang then went to serve the food.

“Auntie, let me help,” Ye Xiong said with a smile as he went to bring the dishes to the table.

Chicken soup, fish, ribs, pork knuckles, prawns; it was a rich dinner spread.

“Didn’t I tell you, you have to pluck the chicken clean; and the fish, you didn’t clean off the scales properly. Is this a pork knuckle? Why is it so black, what does it even look like?” Wang Shu complained non-stop.

Ye Xiong, being an outsider, didn’t feel it was his place to say anything, but Wang Tong could not endure it any longer and slammed his chopsticks down on the table.

“Sis, can you please tone it down a bit? Do you have any idea how hard it is for mom to prepare such a big meal by herself? She bought groceries all morning and has been busy since noon without even a sip of water—she did all this for you, and you still have complaints. When did you become like this?” he lamented.

“I already told her, why waste time? Couldn’t we just have eaten out at a restaurant? But she had to make it herself.”

“Staying at a hotel doesn’t cost money?”

“I never asked you guys to spend money; I’ve got money,” Wang Shu said loudly.

At the dinner table, it instantly became very awkward.

“We can just make do with a meal, eating whatever is fine,” the middle-aged man Yang Bin said while scooping up a small bowl of soup with a ladle.

Aunt Wang’s eyes turned red as she placed her chopsticks on the table and walked into the back room.

Wang Tong clenched his fists tightly, Ye Xiong believed that if it weren’t for his presence, it’s very likely that Wang Tong would have lost his temper!

“Brother, there’s something I want to talk to you about.” Wang Shu spoke while eating, “I hope you won’t work at Future New City anymore, find a different construction site.”

“Why?”

“I’m now a real estate sales assistant for the Xinyi Group, primarily focusing on sales at Future New City. I don’t want others to know that my brother works on a construction site as a builder. Whether you’re a builder or not, isn’t it the same anywhere you work?”

Ye Xiong had been holding back, but finally couldn’t help but speak out.

“If your brother hadn’t worked as a builder, where would you have gotten the money to study? If he hadn’t been frugal, would he be this thin?”

“This is our family’s business; it’s none of your concern,” Wang Shu shouted.

“Why isn’t it my concern? The money sent last month to help you find a job was borrowed from Brother Xiong,” Wang Tong said.

“Two thousand, right?” Wang Shu took out her purse, counted out two thousand from it, and added two more bills on top. “Here’s two thousand two hundred; the extra two hundred is for interest.”

“Sis!” Wang Tong couldn’t hold back any longer and roared in protest.

Just then, the phone started ringing, and Yang Bin walked to one side to answer it.

“What, the president is inspecting the site? How could this happen? I’ll be right back.” After hanging up the phone, Yang Bin rushed, “Wang Shu, I’ve got to head back.”

“Wait a moment; I’ll go back with you,” Wang Shu said, then, grabbing her purse, she was gone in an instant.

She didn’t even say goodbye to her mother.

“Brother Xiong, sorry you had to see that,” Wang Tong sighed and motioned towards the dishes, “Let’s eat, regardless of them.”

“Go call Aunt Wang back out; we’ll eat together.”

Wang Tong went to call Aunt Wang back in, her eyes were still red.

“Auntie, have some chicken soup first,” Ye Chen ladled a steaming bowl for her and set it in front of her.

“This pig’s trotter is well-cooked. What are those dark spices?”

“My secret blend of spices.”

“No wonder it’s so delicious. And this fish too, it’s also tasty.”

Ye Xiong hadn’t had such delicious food in a long time. He ate four big bowls in a row before patting his stomach.

After the meal, Aunt Wang said, “Wang Tong, we’re out of salt. Go buy some salt and bring it back.”

“Mom, we can buy it tomorrow; it’s not urgent.”

“Go quickly,” Aunt Wang commanded.

Ye Xiong knew that Aunt Wang sent Wang Tong away because she had something to say to him.

After Wang Tong left, Aunt Wang let out a sigh and said, “Ye Xiong, sorry for such a spectacle.”

“Wang Shu has just started out in society. She doesn’t realize that family is the best harbor. Once she has seen more of the world, she’ll come to her senses,” Ye Xiong said.

“I’m just afraid that by the time she comes to her senses, the price she’ll have paid will be too great.”

As she spoke, Aunt Wang’s eyes turned red again, she wiped away her tears and continued, “Ever since she decided to date that Yang Bin, I vehemently opposed it. I didn’t expect her to be so insistent on doing it. I just don’t understand; she’s such a good girl, why would she rather debase herself like this.”