Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s Chapter 2412 - 2348: Has He Made a Connection?

"So why not just speak with Deng Qingjiang directly?"

"I tried that, of course I did!" Chen Kaijin burst out cursing without holding back, "That jerk Deng is nothing but a villain! Total ingrate! Back when he first apprenticed, he was flat broke, owning just a single padded coat for the entire cold season, its filling all bunched and lumpy. The thing was torn up, batting leaking everywhere no matter what, failing to hold in any warmth. I quietly grabbed some of my mother's padding and fresh cloth to sew him a brand-new one."

Tears began flowing from Chen Kaijin as she continued, "The moment he slipped into that fresh coat, he promised he'd hustle hard for cash and give me a comfortable existence, draped in the finest outfits. At our wedding, I confessed I had no desire to trail after him to a rundown spot like Siyang Village, dealing with the whims of his relatives. He vowed to switch his family name upon returning, swearing he'd never go back, so I wouldn't need to recognize them as kin. He knew I preferred city life, so I could remain there, with him yielding to my every wish."

"I trusted his words about striking out independently. I borrowed funds from my dad and slipped him our client list in secret, allowing him to poach our family's customers, which tanked our trade as his profits soared higher and higher. These days, he's gone and launched a furniture shop right in the Capital City!"

"But just see him now, see the monster he's turned into! He's hiding a mistress on the side! And get this—she's your old schoolmate, young enough to pass as his kid! How does someone sink that low?"

Chiang Xiao remained nearby, absorbing the sobs and rants, her face turning icier by the moment.

"He went and purchased a home for that sly fox named Ye! I stormed over to challenge her, only for her to strike me down, leaving me sprawled on the ground, declining to summon help, brushing me off, and trapping me in that chamber to lie on the cold floor through the whole night!"

Every time Ye Wanqing's name crossed Chen Kaijin's lips, her teeth clenched in pure loathing.

"I tumbled and bashed my skull, passing out right there till morning, and that's what sparked my illness! No cancer here! Absolutely not! Blame it all on that wicked Ye! She's poisonous, a real sorceress! Deng dragged her home, shielded her fiercely, then dumped me in this lousy clinic, forcing the cancer diagnosis on me! His sense of right and wrong? Devoured by hounds!"

"Even with Deng Qingjiang being such a flake, how could you not walk away by yourself?"

Chiang Xiao arched a brow while commenting, "After all these years together, surely you've stashed away sufficient funds to get treated at a major medical center?"

The words had barely left her mouth when Chen Kaijin erupted in yells once more, "I scraped together a bit of savings, but earlier he sweet-talked me, claiming he'd uncovered a surefire moneymaker in D State, promising to head there and pour in the cash, then swindled every penny from me!"

D State?

A flicker of interest sparked in Chiang Xiao's mind.

Her visit to Chen Kaijin aimed first at closing the book on this segment from her previous existence, yet it also served to gently extract details on Deng Qingjiang from her.

Never did she anticipate Chen Kaijin spilling it all so freely, as though restraint no longer mattered.

Once again, Deng Qingjiang had ventured to D State.

Could this signal ties already formed with that individual?

In that case, dispatching a tail on Deng Qingjiang made sense—monitor his contacts, uncover his D State associates, and perhaps, at last, identify the figure from before?

A worthwhile discovery, no doubt.

"Shouldn't your well-being trump chasing profits?" she remarked offhandedly.

Predictably, Chen Kaijin's fury only intensified.