kvmb Chapter 274 Negotiating Conditions
Chapter 274 Negotiating Conditions
Liu Xiuxiu quietly looked at her stepmother's serious and anxious face, but her heart was as calm as a lake. She knew that the tense atmosphere at the moment was good for her, so she was not anxious at all, and walked slowly to the kang and sat down gracefully.
She raised her chin slightly, and in a manner that could almost be called arrogant, she slowly said, "What I mean depends on your next performance."
After saying that, she raised one eyebrow slightly and gave her stepmother a meaningful smile. However, that smile did not carry the slightest warmth, but was filled with an elusive indifference and alienation. It was as if her smile at this moment was just to show her inner determination and resoluteness more deeply.
Liu Xiuwen, who was standing nearby, witnessed the confrontation between his sister and mother, and felt a little regretful. He regretted that he had let Liu Xiuxiu in so easily, and even more regretted that he had persuaded his mother just now.
He turned his head and said to his mother, "Mom, don't be confused by her words. We have already severed our relationship. Her affairs have nothing to do with us. She is deliberately threatening you."
Liu Xiuwen's voice was full of determination and urgency. He tried to calm his mother's nervousness with his words, and at the same time he wanted to show his determination to draw a clear line between himself and Liu Xiuxiu.
But to Liu Xiuxiu, his words were like the tip of an ice-cold knife, piercing deeply into her heart.
When Liu Xiuxiu's stepmother heard what her son Liu Xiuwen said, the tension in her heart instantly dissipated. She was originally shocked by Liu Xiuxiu's calm and firm attitude, and almost forgot the fact that her family had severed ties with Liu Xiuxiu.
However, when she caught a flash of panic on Liu Xiuxiu's face, she quickly regained her vigilance. She noticed that although Liu Xiuxiu still seemed to be smiling on the surface, her eyes revealed a bit of anxiety and uneasiness.
The stepmother stared at Liu Xiuxiu closely, and the expression on her face began to change unpredictably. Sometimes she frowned in thought, and sometimes she showed a disdainful look, as if she was trying to figure out Liu Xiuxiu's true intentions.
Seeing this, Liu Xiuxiu knew that it was no use playing dumb like this. She knew that she urgently needed to resolve the divorce issue, and the longer this matter was delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for her.
So, she cleared her throat and said in as calm and firm a tone as possible, “Something happened to my current husband, and I need a divorce as soon as possible.
If you are willing to help me, I am willing to give you fifty dollars as a reward. But if you choose to ignore it, don't blame me for making random accusations and involving you. "
When she said this, Liu Xiuxiu's eyes were full of determination and resoluteness. She no longer looked at her stepmother and Liu Xiuwen, but looked straight ahead, as if she was using her eyes to show her determination and bottom line.
When Liu Xiuxiu's stepmother heard what Liu Xiuxiu said, her face instantly turned gloomy. She widened her eyes, raised a mocking arc at the corner of her mouth, and said sharply:
"You... the most vicious woman's heart, I have seen it today. Judging from your behavior, your husband should be very good to you. As soon as he got into trouble, you turned your back on him and rushed to get a divorce."
Her tone was full of dissatisfaction and sarcasm, and she was obviously disgusted by Liu Xiuxiu's behavior.
After hearing this, Liu Xiuxiu's face changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She didn't care about her stepmother's sarcasm, because she knew that what she needed to do now was to resolve the divorce issue as soon as possible.
She raised her head slightly, looked at her stepmother with a firm gaze, and said calmly, "Whatever you say, I'll give you a deposit of thirty yuan now, and you can go directly to Sijiu City with me to help me get a divorce. When everything is done, I'll give you the remaining twenty yuan."
As she spoke, Liu Xiuxiu took out a brand new thirty-yuan bill from her pocket and gently threw it on the kang. The bill drew an elegant arc in the air and then landed steadily on the kang.
Liu Xiuxiu's movements seemed so calm, as if everything was under her control.
Her stepmother looked at the banknote with a hint of greed in her eyes. But she quickly concealed her emotions and said coldly: "Humph, do you think you can get rid of me with this little money? I tell you, it's not that easy!"
Liu Xiuxiu stared at her stepmother coldly, her eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. She watched her stepmother's greedy eyes moving over the thirty-yuan bill, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised, outlining a contemptuous arc.
She couldn't help but sneer in her heart, as if to say: "Sure enough, there is no such thing as unwillingness to stick to principles in this world, it's just that the benefits are not enough."
Liu Xiuxiu gently patted her stepmother's shoulder. The action seemed casual, but it was actually full of provocation. She said nonchalantly:
"Then how much do you want? Remember, it's best not to make me angry, otherwise it will be a fight to the death for both of us. It's better to be harmonious and make money, don't you think?" Although her voice was calm, her tone revealed an unquestionable firmness.
When the stepmother heard Liu Xiuxiu's words, her eyes immediately rolled around like two flexible black beads, and she was obviously making a quick calculation in her mind.
She raised her head and stared at Liu Xiuxiu, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a smug smile, and then said slowly: "As long as you agree to my two conditions, I will definitely help you get a divorce." She deliberately slowed down her speech to emphasize her words.
After saying that, she stared at Liu Xiuxiu closely, her eyes seemed to have turned into two sharp knives, trying to find any trace of hesitation on Liu Xiuxiu's face. There was a cunning light in her eyes, as if she was waiting for her prey to take the bait.
Liu Xiuxiu looked at her stepmother's cunning eyes. Although she was a little unhappy in her heart, she didn't show it on her face. She smiled slightly and responded without hesitation: "Okay." Her voice was firm and powerful, and there was no fear on her face.
Liu Xiuxiu knew that the conditions proposed by her stepmother were nothing more than an attempt to extort money. But she also knew that she needed her help now, so she could only tolerate it temporarily. At most, she would just refuse. Who said that if she agreed, she had to do it?
"First, after this matter is over, you are not allowed to come to us again no matter what happens in the future." Liu Xiuxiu's stepmother finally stated the first condition. Her tone became serious, and there was a hint of calculation in her eyes.
She seemed to have already figured it out in her mind that as long as Liu Xiuxiu agreed to this condition, she would be able to completely get rid of this trouble.
After hearing this, Liu Xiuxiu frowned slightly, and her fingers tapped the table lightly, as if she was weighing the pros and cons. After a brief thought, she raised her head, looked at her stepmother with a firm gaze, and slowly said, "Okay, I agree."
Although her voice was calm, her tone revealed an unquestionable firmness. Liu Xiuxiu knew that since they had decided to divorce, there would be no need to trouble them anymore.
Seeing this, Liu Xiuxiu's stepmother breathed a sigh of relief and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. She then mentioned the second condition, and her tone became a little anxious:
"Second, give me a hundred yuan." As she said that, her eyes unconsciously glanced at Liu Xiuxiu's bag. Her eyes seemed to be occupied by greed and full of desire.
Liu Xiuxiu looked at her stepmother's greedy and eager eyes, and a nameless fire surged in her heart. She took a deep breath, clenched her hands into fists, and tried to calm herself down.
But thinking about the savings she had accumulated from her hard work and the upcoming salary increase, she decided to put aside her anger for the time being and solve the problem at hand first.
Liu Xiuxiu loosened her clenched fists, took a deep breath, then raised her head, looked directly into her stepmother's eyes, and said word by word:
"Okay, but I'll give you the remaining seventy dollars after I get the divorce certificate." Every word was clear and powerful, as if telling the stepmother that this was her final bottom line.
When the stepmother heard Liu Xiuxiu's affirmative answer, the expression on her face instantly eased a lot. She smiled slightly and her tone became softer:
"Then you can eat here at noon today, and we will go into the city with you after that." As she said that, she put away the thirty yuan on the kang, turned and walked towards the kitchen, fearing that her daughter-in-law might not have Liu Xiuxiu's meal.