Chapter 403: Full of Malice

Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Full of Malice

Yang Jianming froze for a moment. "Even if Dad has that much money, do you really think he’d give it to you to go to the United States?"

Zhang Xiufang paused when she heard this. "Your father is a stubborn man. You’re right, he won’t pay for me to go to the United States for treatment."

"US$ 100,000 is four or five hundred thousand RMB. He’d never part with that! He’s pinching every penny these days."

Yang Jianming shrugged, breathing a sigh of relief. "See? You get it, don’t you? Dad won’t pay, and I don’t have enough money either. So, Mom, you’ll just have to wait. Once I’ve earned enough, I’ll bring you over to the United States."

Zhang Xiufang remembered how her son had vanished without a trace the last time he left.

She had to fake her own death just to trick him into coming back this time. ’There’s no way I’m letting him just leave again!’

’If he’s going, he’s taking me with him.’

"Your father and I are legally married. Half of the money he earns and every brick and tile of this house belongs to me! If he won’t give me the money, I’ll divorce him."

"Our family’s assets are worth far more than US$ 100,000. I refuse to believe your father would dare to divorce me and let me take half of everything."

Hearing this, Yang Jianming was dumbfounded.

Although he didn’t want his mother to come to the United States and become a burden, she was still his mother. He didn’t want her to do something so extreme, leaving herself with no way out.

"Mom, I’m warning you! Don’t use money to threaten Dad. He’s a man who values relationships more than money. If you bring up divorce and he actually agrees, you’ll be the one to regret it, not him."

Zhang Xiufang hesitated at her son’s words. "I’m just threatening your father, not actually divorcing him! We’ll get the money first, then we can just leave."

"As long as we don’t file the papers, we aren’t divorced! So what if your father gets mad? I’ll already be in the United States! Once my health is better, I’ll come back."

Yang Jianming’s scalp prickled with dread. "Mom, you’re actually recovering very well! You can already walk on your own with a cane. With a little more treatment here, you’ll get even better."

"There’s really no need to go to the United States for treatment. It’ll be hard to adjust to the food and lifestyle, and you might not take well to the new environment. It could end up being worse than staying here in Hua Country!"

Zhang Xiufang had been slightly hesitant, but hearing her son’s excuses, she began to tremble with rage.

"You ungrateful son! It’s not that the medical care in the United States is bad, it’s that you just don’t want me to go! I’ve doted on you my whole life, and this is how you repay me?"

"It took me a whole day and night of labor to give birth to you! I babied you your entire childhood, wrapping you in cotton wool. Your father was so strict, but I was always the one protecting you, always making sure you got the best of everything."

"When you grew up, I supported you no matter what you did. But look at you now, treating your own mother like a burden. Do you have any conscience at all?"

"I’m telling you right now, if you don’t take me to the United States, I will kill myself this instant! And if I die, Yang Jianming, it will be because you drove your own mother to her death. You’ll never be able to set foot in Jinshan Bay again."

Yang Jianming didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing his mother in such a frantic rage, he thought she might actually be capable of killing herself.

He might long for the glamorous, modern life abroad, but that didn’t mean he felt no attachment to Hua Country, or that he had no affection for Jinshan Bay.

She was his mother, after all. Yang Jianming couldn’t bring himself to watch her die right in front of him.

"Fine. If you can get the money, I’ll take you to the United States for your treatment. But if you can’t, then just drop it. Whatever you do, don’t divorce Dad."

When Zhang Xiufang heard Yang Jianming finally relent, she beamed. "When it comes to your father, I have my ways! He’s too kind-hearted. As long as I exploit his weakness, he’s guaranteed to cave. I can get the money, and I can do it without a divorce."

Powerless against his mother, Yang Jianming shrugged. "Do whatever you think is best. I’m out of options, anyway."

"I need to go help Ai Li with some work, so I won’t be back for a few days. That way I won’t be caught in the middle when you and Dad inevitably start arguing."

Zhang Xiufang thought for a moment, then nodded. "It doesn’t matter how your father and I argue, but you’re his son. You can’t fight with him. As long as you and your father are on good terms, then because I’m your mother, Yang Zhigang will have to treat me with respect."

’This was the whole point of having a son, her ultimate tool for controlling Yang Zhigang.’

Yang Jianming ate a meal at the family home in Jinshan Bay, but left without daring to see Yang Zhigang, washing his hands of the whole affair.

He and his wife, Ai Li, were staying at a hotel in Shencheng that catered to foreigners. The cold-hearted bastard didn’t even think to visit his own daughter.

With Yang Jianming having washed his hands of the matter, Zhang Xiufang started raising hell at home, demanding a divorce from Yang Zhigang.

"Five hundred thousand?" Yang Zhigang shot to his feet. "What do you need that much money for?"

Zhang Xiufang was indignant. "We have the money, so on what grounds can you refuse to pay for my medical treatment? My son is back now. Give me 500,000 RMB. I’m going to the United States with him for my treatment."

Yang Zhigang was stunned. "Yang Jianming is back?"

"That’s right!" Zhang Xiufang said smugly. "I sent a telegram. Jianming was worried, so he came back to see me. He’s only just getting established over there and doesn’t have enough money for my treatment, but you’re my husband. You have to be the one to pay for it."

Yang Zhigang gritted his teeth. ’That bastard actually dared to come back!’

"If you get treatment here in the country, I’ll pay for it. If you want to go abroad, then you can have your precious son pay for it. As for me, I don’t have the money!"

Far from getting angry, Zhang Xiufang let out a wild laugh, gesturing around at the house and everything in it. "Every brick and tile, our savings, everything this family owns—half of it is mine!"

"If you give me the 500,000 RMB for my treatment, I won’t make a fuss. But if you refuse, my only option is to divorce you! And when I take half our assets, believe me, it will be a lot more than 500,000!"

Yang Zhigang froze, staring at Zhang Xiufang in disbelief. "You’re threatening me with divorce? Have you forgotten that your own family has washed their hands of you?"

Zhang Xiufang just smiled. "I know. But my son will take care of me! Once I’m healthy again and can get around on my own, my son will support me. I can live a happy life in the United States."

Yang Zhigang clenched his jaw. "Either way, I’m not getting a divorce, and I’m not giving you 500,000 RMB. Go ahead and cause whatever scene you want!"

Zhang Xiufang slammed her hand on the table. "You think it’s up to you whether we get a divorce? You used our shared marital assets to buy a boat for Han Xiaorui. That’s illegal transference of assets!"

"I haven’t even dealt with you for that yet! We live in a new era. There’s freedom to marry and freedom to divorce! If I want a divorce, I can hire a lawyer and sue you. I’ll get my divorce, and I’ll get a huge chunk of our assets, too."

Yang Zhigang put on a firm act. "Go ahead then. Hire a lawyer. Sue me. I’m still not getting divorced!"

He had had enough. This time, he was going to teach Zhang Xiufang and Yang Jianming a harsh lesson.