CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 120: THE MAN BELOW

Bullet comments:

[????]

[That’s not right, Teacher. Although what the man said makes a little sense, the woman isn’t the one at fault! How can you advise her like this?]

[If she doesn’t get paid, wouldn’t the woman be at an even greater disadvantage!]

[...]

Upon hearing what An Yan said, the woman’s in-laws suddenly felt she had hit the nail on the head and eagerly chimed in:

"I always say, if this situation got out, a hundred out of a hundred people would think you’re being unreasonable. But you just refuse to listen."

"My son treats you well enough, handing over his salary to you every month. And what about you? All you do is cook, wash dishes, and look after the child. What more could you possibly want?"

"And don’t you dare say we haven’t helped you. We raised our son; that means we’ve completed our task!"

"Helping you is a kindness; not helping is our prerogative!"

Tears welled in the woman’s eyes, her emotions on the verge of collapse.

The man felt no sympathy whatsoever, still smiling smugly as he said:

"Although I think what Teacher An says makes a lot of sense, she’s still my wife. I’ll keep treating her the same way as before!"

"Don’t you dare!"

An Yan said, "Since you don’t consider this lady your partner, then just treat her according to the role she herself said she plays."

"First, you live with your parents. Judging by what the two elders just said, it’s clear they offer this lady no help whatsoever with household chores. Am I right?"

The woman, tears in her eyes, remained silent.

An Yan continued, "So, your so-called filial piety means this lady has to take care of every aspect of your parents’ daily meals, correct?"

The woman still said nothing.

The mother-in-law retorted, "Shouldn’t she? Every cent she spends is earned by my son!"

The father-in-law nodded in agreement. "Exactly. The one who provides the money calls the shots. That principle holds true everywhere."

An Yan pressed, "So, you’re saying that because this lady receives the salary her husband hands over every month, she must also take on the duties of a nanny to care for his parents—meaning, yourselves. Is that correct?"

"Of course," the in-laws nodded.

An Yan continued, "Second, there’s the matter of childbirth and child-rearing."

"A child is, after all, the responsibility of both parents. This means both husband and wife are obligated to care for the child. Yet, currently, the woman shoulders this entire burden alone."

"And because she receives the salary her husband hands over punctually each month, she also takes on the share of childcare that should rightly be his responsibility. Correct?"

The mother-in-law proudly tilted her chin. "Of course, she should bear it. My son works so hard every day. Shouldn’t he get to relax when he comes home?"

An Yan then said, "Third, providing three hot meals a day, plus cleaning and maintaining the household, should also be her responsibility—all because she receives the salary her husband hands over each month."

"In other words, in this household, she is the nanny, the childcare provider, and the housekeeper. I take it none of you object to this summary, correct?"

The man sensed something was amiss and was about to speak, but the woman interjected first, "No objections. That’s exactly how it is."

An Yan nodded. "Alright. Since all these points stand, then my suggestion is this, sir: you no longer need to hand over your salary each month. Instead, you simply need to pay this lady a wage based on these standards!"

"A live-in nanny costs around five thousand yuan. A pediatric nurse or nutritionist is more expensive; let’s say ten thousand yuan. We can exclude a separate housekeeper, as a nanny can cover those duties too."

"Therefore, sir, please pay this lady a monthly salary of fifteen thousand yuan. Only then can you claim to have fulfilled your obligations in this marriage. What do you say to that?"

"On what grounds?" the man roared. "She’s my wife, not a nanny or a housekeeper!"

Before An Yan could speak, the bullet comments exploded with fury:

[To hell with you! When you weren’t paying her a salary, you treated her like a free nanny, and now you balk at paying her what she’s worth?]

[And those in-laws! They’re not disabled. How can they be so shameless as to expect their daughter-in-law to wait on them hand and foot?]

[Exactly! If you want to live comfortably, make your own son do the work!]

[This guy is the worst!]

[...]

An Yan asked, "So, in your perception, a wife is merely an unpaid nanny, an unpaid pediatric nurse, nutritionist, and housekeeper?"

"I never said that!"

"But your actions say otherwise. That’s why I understand why this lady wants to escape this marriage. I empathize with her pain. Even I, an outsider, can do that much. As her husband, have you ever once managed to do the same?"

"I..." The man’s earlier smugness had vanished, replaced by a flush of shame.

An Yan continued, "Throughout our conversation, from the very beginning, her emotional state has been poor. Several times, she was on the verge of tears. Did you even notice?"

"That’s your wife! The person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with!"

"If you can’t help her, can’t empathize with her, and are unwilling to share the family responsibilities with her, then what right do you have to demand that she stay by your side?"

"I..." The man was red-faced and utterly speechless.

"One final piece of advice: the fact that she’s still willing to face the camera and participate in this emotional counseling session—which you forced her into—means she’s giving you one last chance. Whether you can grasp it or not is entirely up to you."

The bullet comments were a dense stream of messages:

[Apologize, quick!]

[Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness!]

[Promise you’ll never do it again!]

[If you let such a good wife go, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!]

Seeing the suggestions in the bullet comments, the man’s emotions wavered for a moment before he raised his hand and slapped himself across the face. "Honey, I was wrong!"

"From now on, I swear I won’t just play games the moment I get home! If you’re tired, I’ll cook. If I can’t cook, I’ll mop the floor and do the laundry! I’ll play with our child!"

Behind them, the mother-in-law frowned deeply. "Son, why are you such a pushover? You’re a man! A man!"

"If she wants a divorce, then let her have it! She’s a woman with a child, been out of touch with society for so long... she won’t find a job, she won’t find another man. Let’s see how she possibly survives on her own!"

[I’m actually speechless. This kind of mother-in-law is terrifying!]

[Has she forgotten she’s a woman too?]

[Yeah, listen to your mom! Do whatever she says! Believe in yourself! You’re so outstanding, a gorgeous young lady will definitely be willing to marry you and be a nanny for your entire family! Believe in your charm!!]

[The one before knows a thing or two about Yin and Yang!]

[...]

Watching the scrolling bullet comments, the man suddenly whirled around. "Mom, do you really have to see my family torn apart and my wife leave me before you’ll be happy?"