A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1508 Borrowing Money for a Divorce: Zhao Hailong! (Please Subscribe!)
"Zhao Hailong wants a divorce? That can't be!"

Hua Shier was somewhat surprised to hear this news.

He knew Zhao Hailong as Zhang Xiaomei's devoted follower, treating him like a precious treasure, afraid he would get cold if he were in her hands or melt if he were in her mouth.

In the original storyline, Zhao Hailong even chose to commit suicide because of Zhao Xiaomei's departure. Such a person would never divorce Zhao Xiaomei, especially since he took the initiative to do so.

Zhang Xiaomei nodded through her tears, then choked out:

"Brother Cui, Sister Li, you were the ones who introduced Zhao Hailong to me, you have to stand up for me!"

Hua Shier had a bit of a headache; this guy was really sticking to it. He coughed lightly:
"Hey, don't cry yet. Tell me clearly, why does he want to divorce you?"

Before Zhang Xiaomei could speak, Li Xiaozhen said on her behalf, "Xiaomei suspects Hailong is having an affair!"

"Hailong cheated on me? No way!"

Hua Shier didn't quite believe it. Zhao Hailong's looks were indeed lacking, and he basically didn't have the qualities to cheat on his wife.

If Zhang Xiaomei hadn't been eyeing the city residency permit and hadn't been interested in Zhao Hailong's job as an engineer, she definitely wouldn't have agreed.

Li Xiaozhen said to Hua Shier, "Why don't you make a phone call and ask Hailong over?"

Hua Shier thought about it and agreed, so he picked up the phone and called Zhao Hailong.

The machinery factory was about to close for the day, and Zhao Hailong promised to come over after get off work.

Hua Shier glanced at Zhang Xiaomei, who was still crying, and said to Li Xiaozhen:

"You stay with her, I'll go cook some dishes, and I'll have a drink with Hailong tonight!"

Li Xiaozhen was speechless. They were about to get a divorce, and you were still organizing a drinking party. How could you be so careless?
Hua Shier went into the kitchen and found that Li Xiaozhen had bought some fresh prawns, and there were also a lot of vegetables and meat in the refrigerator. He immediately started cooking.

Soon after, Cui Mengmeng came home from school. Knowing that her father had returned from Beijing, she ran to the kitchen and blindfolded Hua Shier from behind.
"Dad, guess who I am?"

Hua Shier frowned, speechless. "Everyone calls me Dad, how could I not know who you are? Daughter, I want to know how you got into the top three in your class?"

"Ugh! I was just kidding."

Hua Twelve smiled and said:
"Dad was just kidding with you. Oh, by the way, I brought you a gift. It's in my bag, find it yourself!"

Cui Mengmeng cheered and was about to go out, but then she turned back and asked in a low voice:

"Dad, Aunt Zhang is crying so hard, what happened?"

Hua Shier stuffed a piece of the fried shrimp into Cui Mengmeng's mouth:
"Why do you care so much about children? Go do your homework, and we'll eat when your Uncle Hailong comes!"

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Cui Mengmeng first pouted to express her dissatisfaction, then took a piece of shrimp with her hand, and finally ran out satisfied.

Zhao Hailong rushed over as soon as he got off work. Seeing his wife crying and sobbing at Brother Cui's house, he said irritably:

"You even caused trouble at Brother Cui's house! Aren't you ashamed? Come back with me right now!"

Zhang Xiaomei cried out:

"You're going to divorce me anyway, what's wrong with me looking bad?"

At this moment, Hua Shier was carrying dishes out of the kitchen when he saw Zhao Hailong. He said irritably, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help! Do you really think you're a guest?"

"Hey!"

Zhao Hailong hurriedly went into the kitchen to help serve the dishes.

Hua Shier then asked Li Xiaozhen to send some dishes to Cui Mengmeng, letting her daughter eat in her own room and not letting her interfere in the adults' affairs. Only then did she invite Zhao Hailong and his wife to sit down and eat together.

Zhang Xiaomei wasn't in the mood to eat at first, but when she sat down at the table and smelled the aroma of the food, she couldn't resist and her mouth started watering.

Li Xiaozhen hesitated for a moment, then Zhang Xiaomei picked up her rice bowl and began to eat voraciously, saying as she ate:
"It's so fragrant!"

Hua Shier and Li Xiaozhen were both amused and exasperated. The latter said, "If it smells good, then eat more!"

Zhang Xiaomei probably knew that what she was doing was inappropriate, and explained:
"Sister Li, I don't know what's wrong with me. Ever since I gained weight, I can't control my eating. I can't resist delicious food. Do you think I'll never be able to lose weight?"

Zhao Hailong said irritably, "If you eat like that, it would be a miracle if you could lose weight!"

Seeing that her husband showed no mercy, Zhang Xiaomei burst into tears again.

Li Xiaozhen said to Zhao Hailong in an annoyed tone, "Say less!"

Hua Shier poured wine for Zhao Hailong, drank a few cups with him first, and then asked:
"Tell me, why do you want a divorce?"

Zhao Hailong, slightly tipsy, shook his head upon hearing this and said, "No reason, I just can't go on like this anymore!"

Zhang Xiaomei was holding a chicken leg and was about to put it in her mouth when she heard this and started crying again.

Hua Twelve directly asked:
"Xiao Zhang said you're having an affair, that's why you want a divorce. You didn't actually start messing around outside after making some money at the dumpling restaurant, did you?"

Zhao Hailong laughed in anger: "Brother Cui, don't listen to her nonsense. I work every day, and on weekends I go to the dumpling restaurant with Liu Ye. I don't have time to talk about anything else. Besides, I'm not that kind of person!"

Hua Shier asked, puzzled, "Then why do you suddenly want a divorce?"

Zhao Hailong was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol:
"Why do I want a divorce? Brother Cui, you don't know, Zhang Xiaomei doesn't do any housework at home, and she has a terrible temper. She argues with me every day, and she also doesn't like my parents. I work all day, and when I get home, there's not even a hot meal. I have to cook for her, and if I don't cook it well, she gets angry. I don't want to live like this for another day!"

Li Xiaozhen looked at Zhao Xiaomei: "Xiaomei, is that so?"

Zhang Xiaomei choked up as she said:

“I admit I have a bad temper and I don’t like to do housework when I get home from get off work, but I’ve been like this for a long time. I’ve been like this since we got married. He used to spoil me and coax me. He never lost his temper with me!”

"But he's getting more and more impatient with me now, and we're always arguing. If he wasn't having an affair, how could he have become like this?"

Zhao Hailong craned his neck, wanting to say something, but the words that came out were:
Believe it or not, I have no one else. If you can live like this, then change your bad habits; if not, then leave.

Zhang Xiaomei cried to Li Xiaozhen, "Brother Cui, Sister Li, you saw it, didn't you? He's just so unreasonable!"

Hua Shier, being an observer, already clearly understood the problem.

Zhang Xiaomei is lazy, loves to eat, and has a bad temper. Zhao Hailong used to tolerate her because she was beautiful, like a fairy, and her flaws were turned into virtues.

Now, Zhang Xiaomei's weight gain has ruined everything. Her only advantage—her good looks—is gone. She's lazy, has a bad temper, and is disrespectful to her in-laws.

Which man could stand a woman who's flawed and ugly? Who would want her 200-pound belly fat?
If Hua Shier put himself in his shoes, he definitely wouldn't be able to tolerate it.

He said to Zhang Xiaomei:
"Xiao Zhang, since Hailong has a problem with you and that's why he's asking for a divorce, why don't you try changing yourself? I don't expect you to be as outstanding as your sister Li, but just be like other people's wives, and you can get an average score!"

Li Xiaozhen glanced at her husband with amusement, but inside she felt a surge of happiness. Her husband recognized her excellence; this was true happiness.

Seeing the two of them exchanging glances, Zhang Xiaomei cried even harder: "No, I can't change. Brother Cui, don't believe him. Zhao Hailong used to be tolerant of me, why can't he be now? He's definitely seeing someone else."

Hua Shier stopped talking. He didn't care who it was, since he couldn't control it anyway. He immediately started drinking with Zhao Hailong.

Some people's misery is fate, while others bring it upon themselves; Zhang Xiaomei is the latter.

By November, Zhao Hailong and Zhang Xiaomei had divorced.

These two have been at each other's throats quite a bit lately. Zhang Xiaomei even went to the Zhao family's house with her parents from the countryside to cause trouble, and the two families fought like madmen.

No matter how much Zhang Xiaomei's family made a fuss, Zhao Hailong was determined to get a divorce.

When Zhang Jia saw that Zhao Hailong insisted on divorce, he knew that things were beyond repair, so he demanded 50,000 yuan and said that if he didn't give him the money, he would take the child away.

Zhao Hailong's previous investment in the dumpling restaurant was funded by Hua Shier. Although the dumpling restaurant was profitable, he only had 20,000 yuan left after paying off his debts, and he simply couldn't come up with that much.

When Zhao Hailong's parents saw that their daughter-in-law's family was asking for an exorbitant price, they tried to negotiate, but Zhao Hailong readily agreed.

He borrowed 30,000 yuan from Hua Shier, and gave Zhang Xiaomei a total of 50,000 yuan.

Zhang Xiaomei had money, and that very day she resigned from her job with Li Xiaozhen, saying she planned to use the money to start her own small business.

After Zhao Hailong got divorced, he invited Hua Shier and Liu Ye to Huo Dongfeng's big restaurant for drinks.

At the dinner table, Hua Shier and Liu Ye originally planned to comfort Zhao Hailong, but the guy was overjoyed and said that he felt much more relaxed after the divorce. He even sang after drinking too much.
"The sky in the liberated area is a bright sky, and the people in the liberated area are very happy!"

Liu Ye asked Hua Shier, "I thought Hailong was upset just now, but now I feel like he's really happy."

Hua Shier nodded: "You saw right, this kid is genuinely happy!"

He never expected that Zhao Hailong, who committed suicide for Zhang Xiaomei in the original story, would now treat her like a plague, even borrowing money to divorce her. He thought to himself, "Life is truly unpredictable."

As the three of them finished their drinks and left the restaurant, they ran into Huo Dongfeng, who was returning from outside.

Huo Dongfeng was accompanied by a middle-aged man in his fifties who looked like a farmer. The two chatted and laughed, appearing to be very familiar with each other.

Upon seeing Hua Twelve, Huo Dongfeng immediately greeted him with a smile:

"Brother-in-law, I was just looking for you!"

He introduced the middle-aged man to Hua Shier: "This is Lao Liu, a friend I met inside. He just got out today!"

After saying that, he turned to Lao Liu and said, "This is my brother-in-law, Cui Guoming!"

Old Liu looked at Hua Shier in disbelief; "You're that big star Cui Guoming?"

Hua Shier smiled and shook hands with the other party: "What big star? Just a nobody!"

Old Liu warmly grasped his hand and shook it vigorously:
"That's no small matter. Even our guards sing your songs. They even used 'The You of Yesterday' to teach us a lesson, saying that it's illegal to travel with a sword, but it's okay if you don't sharpen it."

Hua Twelve:
He recognized Lao Liu at this moment. Lao Liu was the kind-hearted man in the original story. He was honest, righteous, and very capable. He had helped a lot when he went to Suihe with Cui Guoming to do foreign trade.

Huo Dongfeng then said, "Brother-in-law, Lao Liu just came out of there. I was planning to have him help out at my restaurant, but I don't have anywhere to stay. Didn't you move to a villa? What about your old house?"

He paused halfway through his sentence, worried that Hua Shier might be uneasy, and then explained with a smile:
"Don't worry, Lao Liu is a good guy. He went to jail because he was riding a cart into the city and didn't know the traffic lights. When someone was scolding him, he thought they were bullying a countryman, so he started fighting with them and they both fell into a ditch. The other person was injured, but he was unlucky enough to be sentenced to three years!"

Old Liu quickly said, "This is my fault. How would I know what the traffic lights in the city are? That's why I caused a misunderstanding!"

Huo Dongfeng asked Hua Twelve, "Give me a straight answer, or not!"

"Why not?!"

Hua Shier pointed to Hu Tou Ben beside him: "Let's go, I'll take him there now!"

After taking Lao Liu to his apartment in the factory's residential area, Lao Liu thanked him profusely and said he would treat Hua Shier to drinks.

In mid-November, after being persistently persuaded by Yang Baihui, Hua Shier got back to work and recorded a new album, ensuring his stable output of one album per year.

The album contains ten songs that were later hits. As soon as the album was released, it soared to the top of various charts and made great strides. Other singers who planned to release albums at the end of the year all retreated and cried out that the wolf was coming again!

Before the Lunar New Year, the clothing store was booming. Li Xiaozhen hadn't been able to hire any staff, so she had to ask Hua Shier, who had just returned from promoting his album, to help out at the store while wearing a mask.

That afternoon, Hua Shier went to Dada's tattoo shop across the street to find some peace and quiet, and the two drank tea and played chess.

The reason I say I'm seeking peace and quiet is that while other shops on this commercial street are packed with people, Dada's shop hasn't seen a single customer for several days.

Dada, this energetic young man, wasn't bothered at all by the dismal business; he just kept playing chess and bragging.
"Brother Cui, you want to play chess with me? That's like lighting a lamp in a toilet, you're asking for death, you know? In my neighborhood, people call me the Chess Prince!"

Hua Shier raised an eyebrow: "What a coincidence! I'm known as the Chess King in the People's Park area!"

Dada pouted; "You're just bragging. A king? Wait, no, I'm a prince, and you're the king? Are you trying to take advantage of me?"

Hua Shier chuckled and casually placed a piece: "Checkmate!" He had delivered the decisive blow to Dada!
Dada pondered for a long time but couldn't solve it, and clicked his tongue in disapproval:

"You've got some skills. You launched a sneak attack when I wasn't looking. Young man, you're a bit unsportsmanlike!"

As they were talking, Hua Shier's phone rang. When he answered, it was Zhao Hailong calling, saying he wanted to meet with him to discuss something.

Hua Shier gave Dada's address, and soon Zhao Hailong arrived on his bicycle.

As soon as they met, Zhao Hailong asked, "Brother Cui, do you still have the down jackets your wife bought?"

Hua Shier nodded and said:

"Yes, I'll have my sister-in-law get one for you later, and pick one for your father and mother as well. Consider it a New Year's gift for your uncle and aunt!"

Zhao Hailong quickly waved his hand:
"Brother, that's not what I meant. I was wondering if my sister-in-law could spare me a batch of down jackets. I want to go to Suihe. I heard from the people in our factory who do foreign trade that down jackets are really popular there. Five down jackets can be exchanged for a motorcycle. I want to go to the border and pay back the 30,000 yuan you owed me before the New Year!"

Upon hearing Zhao Hailong say he was going to Suihe, Hua Shier was immediately intrigued. He still had a border trade deal on his notebook that he hadn't finished yet, so what a coincidence!

Before Hua Shier could speak, Dada, who was standing to the side, spoke up:

"Hey buddy, I also want to go to Suihe. How about we team up and go together?"

Hua Shier said irritably, "Just shut up already! Why are you giving up a perfectly good tattoo shop to go to Suihe?"

Dada quickly said, "Brother, do you think I have any business? I haven't been beaten up for over a month, how can I get any work!"

Zhao Hailong was completely bewildered: "What do you mean by 'getting beaten up'?"

Hua Shier explained, "He tattoos people, but tattooing that kind of thing is no good. He gets beaten up every time he gets a tattoo. Besides earning money from tattoos, he can also earn some money for medical expenses if he gets beaten up badly!"

Zhao Hailong:
Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!