C8 My Cheap Husband

"Going home? Ha, did you know Dad almost died at home?" Shuling stood up, but her legs gave way, and she nearly fell to the floor.

Fuqing quickly caught her, holding her securely in his arms. Hearing Shuling's words, his entire demeanor changed. The carefree, easygoing smile vanished, replaced by a serious, intense expression.

He was always like this, needing to be a bit more polished when dealing with business outside.

"Sweetheart, don't scare me. What's wrong with Dad?"

Fuqing had a rough start. He only went to school until middle school, and within six months, he lost his mom and his older brother and sister-in-law. The family was suddenly plunged into poverty.

Without a second thought, he dropped out of school and started trading goods to support the family. He stumbled through those years, getting beaten and cheated, shedding his naivety. Outwardly, he seemed carefree and jovial, but inside, he was sharp and shrewd.

No one could outsmart him; he was always the one setting traps for others. But when it came to his family, Fuqing was deeply caring.

His nephew, his dad, his new wife, and the unborn child she carried—they all mattered to him. He wanted to give his child a good life; otherwise, he wouldn't have worked so hard for so long.

Shuling leaned against him, breathing in the scent of sweat and the comforting presence of the man holding her.

After days of tension, she finally relaxed, reaching out to grab the man's collar. She recounted everything that had happened: her heart condition acting up, Lim Shaohua demanding a secret recipe, Lim Shan's high fever requiring emergency care, selling her gold jewelry to cover medical expenses, and the rumors of an affair and an illegitimate child.

Shen Shuling spoke calmly, but exhaustion was taking over. "Remember to go home and cook. Tianyang and Dad are still at the hospital waiting for dinner." With that, she drifted into sleep, too tired to remember she was pregnant.

Lim Fuqing looked down at her, noticing the sharp angles of her face and her protruding belly. For a moment, his expression turned dark and fierce. He glared in the direction of the Liu family, his tongue pressing against his teeth, eyes cold and venomous.

After a while, Lim Fuqing softened his gaze, carrying the exhausted, sleeping woman in his arms, and headed home step by step.

When Shen Shuling woke up, an enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen. The rich, savory smell of meat made her mouth water. It reminded her of the meals at her old workplace cafeteria, where the bosses worried she wasn't eating enough meat for her health. Who would have thought? The same Shen who was once forced to eat meat hadn't had a decent meal in four or five days.

She really had it rough. In over sixty years, she hadn't experienced such hardship since she was a teenager. Later, she became a pillar of the community—how could she possibly go without food? She even had a nutritionist assigned to her, making sure she ate well every day.

Shen Shuling sighed audibly, and the noise from the kitchen came to a halt. Within five seconds, Lim Fuqing entered the room, carrying a bowl of chicken noodle soup brimming with sincerity. He smiled apologetically at Shen Shuling, his eyes full of regret and remorse.

Who could have predicted both natural disasters and personal misfortunes would strike at once? As soon as he stepped into the kitchen and found the rice container completely empty, Fuqing understood why his wife had greeted him with a slap. Next time he traveled, he would make sure to leave enough money behind.

If it hadn't been for his wife's quick thinking, selling her gold earrings, he might have missed seeing his father one last time.

"Hey, I made you some chicken noodle soup. Want to have some?"

Seeing how visibly thinner his wife had become, Fuqing wore a sheepish grin, a far cry from the calculating and shrewd demeanor he showed to the outside world.