I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Lin Jie walked firmly and went to the No. 2 Primary School dormitory building without hesitation. He stood at the door of Zhang Man's dormitory on the fifth floor and knocked.

The door opened, and the elegant and refined Zhang Man appeared before Lin Jie, looking at him in surprise: "What brings you here?"

"I'm sorry, Zhang Man, I..."

Lin Jie's nose tingled, and he pouted with grievance, like a child who had been wronged and was looking for his mother.

"Come in and we'll talk." Zhang Man quickly pulled Lin Jie into the dormitory.

"I'm sorry, I can't control myself, I just miss you."

Lin Jie's eyes reddened; he wanted to cry.

"Sit down, sit down. What's wrong? What happened?" Zhang Man poured a glass of water and asked gently.

"Han Dan and I had a fight, and she doesn't want a divorce."

Lin Jie looked at Zhang Man with guilt, wanting to give her an explanation, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"I told you, don't pressure her."

"Zhang Man, we've never consummated our marriage. I don't love her, and she doesn't love me. Every day it's just a bowl of shredded potatoes, a cold face, and all she ever asks about is her salary. If she's unhappy, she'll hit the child. Tell me, how can I maintain this marriage?"

In her mind, I was just a money-making machine, but I'm not a machine, I'm a human being. After the divorce, she went to find someone suitable to live with, letting me go, and in doing so, letting herself go as well.

"Lin Jie, I don't understand marriage, nor do I understand your wife. Divorce sounds bad in the city, and even worse in the countryside. Perhaps she's concerned about her reputation."

"Is it worth ruining two people's happiness for the sake of fame?"

"I……"

Zhang Man didn't understand; she was passionate about love, but also timid.

The moment she gave herself to Lin Jie, she knew he was the one, and she would wait for him silently, even without any official status.

She won't fight for it; she has no right to fight for anything.

Zhang Man's thoughtfulness and understanding made Lin Jie cherish her even more.

"The house is renovated, do you like it?"

"Yes, I really like it, thank you. Bringing my mom meals every day allows me to focus on my work," Zhang Man said gratefully.

"Zhang Man, I can't give you marriage right now, but I can give you all my love. I need to get treatment for my godmother. If Huailin can't cure her, we'll go to Beijing."

"What, godmother?"

"Yes, I became your godmother. Didn't she tell you?"

Zhang Man smiled and lowered her head: "No, what my mother needs is not a godmother, but a mother-in-law. She always thought Zhao Tongzhi liked me."

"Zhao Weiguo? What did he do to you?"

"What are you thinking? He only said a few words. He came to repair the house, but Mom misunderstood."

Zhang Man punched Lin Jie, and that one punch ignited Lin Jie's anger.

"Manman...trust me, I will give you a good life..."

Their burning lips met.

"uh-huh……"

"Hate……"

"Man……"

The soft, seductive music filled the small dormitory room.

Forget Han Dan, forget responsibility, to hell with it all.

My love is burning.

My love is being destroyed.

My love dances in the darkness.

The protracted war has finally come to an end.

Zhang Man, no longer shy or hesitant, lay blushing in her beloved's arms.

"Lin Jie, I suspect..."

"What do you suspect?"

"That child really isn't yours?"

"It's really not mine."

"But you're perfectly fine."

"The doctor said my problem in that area is a psychological stress reaction, and it will be cured when I meet the right person. You are the one destined for me." Lin Jie looked at Zhang Man with affection.

"Nonsense, I'm not that great either."

"You're very nice. Do you remember the first time we met? I bumped into you, and you had such a temper, dragging me to the police station."

"You bumped into me, do you think I'm as weak as a lamb?"

Some people are lambs in the eyes of tigers. Others are wolves in sheep's clothing but pretend to be innocent lambs.

This is Lin Jie's evaluation of Zhang Man and Han Dan.

Zhang Man didn't understand and just thought Lin Jie was flattering her; she also didn't know Han Dan well.

"Come to my house for dinner on Sunday, I'll cook you something delicious."

"Really?"

"Okay, you're not allowed to buy groceries. I have money, I'll go buy groceries myself."

"Manman, don't be stingy with the money. Go to the furniture factory and buy a few pieces. If you need any proof, I'll get it for you."

"I want to buy a bed in the west wing so I can sleep at home at night and avoid running around."

"Okay, let's buy a bed and a wardrobe. Then how am I supposed to face you?"

"I stay in the dorm every Saturday to grade assignments."

Zhang Man blushed with embarrassment.

"Then I'll come see you on Saturday."

"I hate you. Go back now, it won't look good if someone sees you."

Reluctantly, Lin Jie got out of bed, dressed, and kissed Zhang Man repeatedly before leaving her dormitory.

When Lin Jie got home, Han Dan was already asleep. He went back to his bedroom, savoring the beautiful love, and fell asleep happily.

Han Dan was so confident that she would never believe Lin Jie had someone else outside the marriage, nor would she believe that Lin Jie was really willing to get a divorce.

What kind of woman can a useless man find after a divorce?

Besides her, who would want to live such a life that's neither human nor ghost?

Han Dan is waiting, waiting for her younger brother to grow up and become a worker in the city. At that time, she will definitely leave Lin Jie.

A marriage based on transaction means you have to take back what is rightfully yours.

Gradually, Han Dan lost control. Lin Jie not only failed to change his mind as she had imagined, but became even colder towards her.

She didn't bring her salary home, nor did she bring home meat coupons, vegetable coupons, or egg coupons. With her meager salary of eighteen yuan, after deducting food and drink expenses, she had no money left over.

Before, I pretended to be poor to save money for my mother's medical treatment. Now I'm really poor and can only afford to eat potato shreds that cost eight cents a pound every day.

Lin Jie would eat dinner at the company cafeteria every day, then go home, take a shower, wash his clothes, and hide in his bedroom.

Han Dan tried many methods, such as eating a steamed bun and a bowl of pickled vegetables while looking miserable, hoping to arouse Lin Jie's pity.

For example, she was still mopping the floor and wiping the cabinets late at night, hoping that Lin Jie would see how hard she worked.

However, a man who has changed his heart will not even glance at you, no matter how hard you try.

Without children or a lover, the clean and tidy home feels like an icebox, chilling you to the bone.

Finally, Han Dan broke down after days of torment, and her outburst caught everyone off guard.

After get off work, Lin Jie took his lunchbox to the cafeteria for dinner. Luo Jianming kindly approached him and asked, "Section Chief Lin, are you eating at the cafeteria again tonight?"

"Yes, the Han Dan popsicle factory is working overtime."

"Your sister-in-law works very hard too. Actually, the chemical plant canteen is quite good. It's just a matter of a word."

Most of the women in the canteen are family members of employees. Their wages are not high, but since their families eat for free, they save a lot of money.

"The popsicle factory is doing well; they're taking a six-month break in the first half of the year."

It looks good, but it's actually not that good. It only costs eighteen yuan a month, and there are no benefits.

Chemical plants are great; the benefits for family members of employees are less than those for regular employees, but they're still half.

Seeing that Lin Jie wouldn't budge, Luo Jianming stopped talking and prepared to go home.