"Family?" Lin Wanqiu sneered. "If you really considered me family, you wouldn't have come here to freeload while I was working so hard building this house. I asked everyone to help because you were genuinely willing to help me, so it's only right that I pay you wages and provide you with meals. But you're different; you're here to freeload and get paid for nothing. Why should I pay you your full wages?"

As she spoke, she took out some money from her pocket, counted out fifty cents, and handed it to Old Lady Shen: "Mom, you carried less than ten bricks today. According to the market price, one brick is two cents, so ten bricks are twenty cents. Including your lunch, I'm giving you fifty cents. That's more than enough." She then counted out thirty cents and handed it to Zhang Lan: "Sister-in-law, you carried less than five bricks today. I'm giving you thirty cents. Take this money. If you want to come and help again tomorrow, then work hard. If you don't want to come, then don't come. It'll save everyone from being unhappy."

Old Mrs. Shen stared at the fifty cents in her hand, trembling with rage: "Fifty cents? You only gave me fifty cents? I ate so much food today, it's worth at least a dollar! You're deliberately withholding my wages! I'm telling you, Wanqiu, if you don't give me my full wages, I'll go to the brigade headquarters and report you, let Secretary Zhao judge!" Zhang Lan also got angry, throwing three cents on the ground: "Three cents? Are you trying to fob me off? Wanqiu, you've gone too far, I'm not finished with you!"

Lin Wanqiu picked up the money from the ground and handed it back to Zhang Lan: "Sister-in-law, this three cents is what you deserve. If you don't want it, then forget it. As for going to the brigade headquarters to complain, I'm ready anytime. I'll call everyone over then and let them tell me how much work you did today and whether you deserve your full wages."

The other villagers gathered around and criticized Old Lady Shen and Zhang Lan: "That's right, you two didn't do much work today, and you still have the nerve to ask for full wages? Wanqiu gave you five cents and three cents respectively, which is already very generous." "I think you're just here to freeload. Don't come again, so as not to affect everyone's mood for work."

Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan were so ashamed that they couldn't continue the argument. Grandma Shen took the fifty cents, glared at Lin Wanqiu, and turned to leave. Zhang Lan also picked up three cents, followed behind with her head down, feeling both angry and resentful, but dared not utter another word.

Watching their disheveled figures leave, Aunt Li smiled and said, "Wanqiu, you did the right thing! That's how it should be, otherwise they'll think you're easy to bully and will keep coming back to mess around." Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "I didn't want things to get so tense with them, but they went too far. If I don't teach them a lesson, they'll never know how to appreciate what they have."

Shen Tingzhou climbed down from the roof beam, walked to Lin Wanqiu's side, and took her hand: "Don't bother with them, it's not worth getting sick from it. Let's focus on building the house. Once it's finished, we'll move in and never have to deal with them again." Lin Wanqiu leaned against him and nodded: "Yes, I know. As long as our family is doing well, that's more important than anything else."

As the sun set, the walls on the house site had already reached over a meter high, appearing particularly magnificent in the sunset's glow. The villagers were still busy, some securing the roof beams, others leveling the ground, each face beaming with smiles.