Chapter 205 I've Taken a Flirt with Your Daughter

The veins of the leaves are yellowing and the edges are curling.

She figured that Zheng Mingyue had probably secretly hidden the shoes in the woods behind the house.

"No, no, no, we'll still pay you the old price. We can't let Wenhua come all this way for nothing!"

Shen Cuifen quickly waved her hand and raised her voice a little.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Mingyue's face immediately darkened, her brows furrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned down.

"Cuifen, you're being too polite!"

This time, Shen Cuifen stood her ground, straightened her back, and looked at her intently.

"It's precisely because I consider you a sister that I need to be even more clear about things. Friendship is friendship, but money must be kept separate."

"I can eat and drink your food, but I can't keep taking advantage of you. I can't live with myself doing that."

"If you insist on giving it to me, then I really don't want it."

After she finished speaking, she put her hands into her pockets.

Zheng Mingyue froze, her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing more, sighed, and waved her hand.

"Fine, fine, I can't beat you. Here's what I'll do: I'll only charge you one dollar per pair!"

"Don't worry, I'm really not losing out! You have no choice but to accept it!"

She pointed at Shen Cuifen and glared at her, pretending to be angry.

Shen Cuifen smiled, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes, and nodded.

"become."

The voice was soft, but it conveyed a sense of steadiness.

She and Shen Xiuye ​​squatted on the ground.

I counted them; there were sixty-five pairs, neatly piled at the mouth of the snakeskin bag.

Shen Cuifen took out sixty-five yuan from her pocket. The banknotes were a bit wrinkled, obviously saved up one jiao at a time.

Zheng Mingyue didn't refuse, and accepted it with a smile, even shaking the banknotes out of her hand.

"Alright, let's go back!"

Shen Cuifen stood up and patted the dust off her knees.

Zheng Mingyue looked up at the sun, which was already shining obliquely on the courtyard wall.

Judging that it was getting late, he nodded in agreement.

"Wenhua! Old Song! They're gone!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Song Lei came out of the house carrying a bulging snakeskin bag.

"Let's go! Let's visit some neighbors today!"

He said with a smile, his voice loud and clear.

When Shen Cuifen saw the large bag on his shoulder, she quickly stopped him and reached out to block him.

"Brother Song, Sister Mingyue, it's fine for you to come to my house, but please don't bring anything!"

She spoke urgently, as if afraid they would bring over another bunch of local products.

"They're bringing food and taking things, it's like bandits have invaded our village! Look at this mess, the stuff is piled up so high it's almost blocking the door, they don't look like guests, they look like they've come to empty our house!"

Zheng Mingyue grabbed her arm, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"These are just cheap snacks, a bag of sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candy that costs only a few dollars. Don't be offended. It's our first time visiting relatives, how can we come empty-handed? That would be so impolite, and people would say we don't know the proper etiquette."

"Just wait patiently! You don't need to worry about such a small thing. I know what I'm doing!"

Zheng Mingyue spoke with certainty, and did not stop walking.

Shen Cuifen shook her head repeatedly, her face turning red with anxiety.

"If you want to bring things, I won't let you in! Besides, I didn't bring anything with me today, I came empty-handed, just wanting to be at ease. It makes me feel so embarrassed that you came with so many bags!"

Zheng Mingyue would never tolerate this from her.

She didn't care whether Shen Cuifen refused or not, and continued walking out on her own.

"Stop making excuses! What's with all the formalities between relatives? The more polite you are, the more distant you'll become! If you really don't accept it, I won't come to your house again!"

"You don't want it? I'll give it to you anyway! I made a special trip to the supply and marketing cooperative to pick it out. I bought three pounds of candy alone, just to make your child happy!"

Zheng Mingyue's voice rose a few decibels.

"Hurry up, Xiuwei must be getting impatient! She's still preparing dinner at home. If we dawdle any longer, the food will get cold!"

Without saying a word, Zheng Mingyue grabbed Shen Cuifen and dragged her outside.

"Oh, Sister Mingyue, there's really no need to be so polite! You're making me feel so uneasy!"

Shen Cuifen was both amused and exasperated. She slipped and almost tripped over the threshold.

"Look, look, I can barely stand! And you're still dragging me along!"

But Zheng Mingyue held on tightly, her grip not loosening at all, and she didn't even turn her head.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle! Don't just stand there, those carrying things, carry things; those holding children, hold children! Hurry up!"

Watching the two women bicker like children, each saying a word to the other, was quite a sight.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Even Song Xiaomei laughed so hard she almost fell over, clapping her hands on her knees.

"Oh my, these two are making more noise than a theatrical performance! What relatives get this much energy when they meet?"

Zheng Mingyue suddenly pulled Shen Cuifen along.

Shen Cuifen hadn't put her shoes on properly yet; one foot was still on the threshold, while the other bare foot was dangling in mid-air as she bent down to reach for the cloth shoe.

Shen Xiuye ​​smiled as she bent down to help her pick up her shoes.

"Aunt Cuifen, don't worry, let me get your shoes for you!"

But just as she reached out, the bulging snakeskin bag on the ground was suddenly lifted up.

The bag was full, tied with three thick hemp ropes, and was very heavy.

It made a "clattering" sound when you picked it up.

Shen Xiuye ​​looked up and was stunned.

It is Song Wenhua.

He kept his head down, his shoulders broad and his back straight, one hand steadily carrying the snakeskin bag, while the other hand casually patted the dust off his trousers.

"Brother Wenhua, let me carry it!"

She quickly reached out to take it, her fingertips almost touching the bag.

"It's too heavy for you to carry alone, let me share it with you!"

Song Wenhua's face flushed red instantly. He lowered his head and coughed dryly, his voice muffled.

"No need... this amount is fine."

He didn't dare glance at her, his eyes fixed on that small patch of mud on the ground.

"How can we let a young lady carry heavy things? I can do it."

After he finished speaking, he shifted his feet, dodging her hand, and casually hoisted the bag onto his shoulder.

Song Xiaomei immediately came over and affectionately took Shen Xiuye's arm, even nudging her lightly with her elbow.

“That’s right, Xiuye. In our family, the heavy work has always been done by the men. Look, Wenhua is strong and walks steadily. Let him carry the load, and you can walk with me! It’s nice for the two of us sisters to chat!”

Shen Xiuye ​​smiled shyly at Song Wenhua.

"Thank you, Brother Wenhua."

Her voice was soft and slightly shy.

Song Wenhua simply nodded, without responding or looking at her.

He picked up the bag, grabbed Shen Zhongshun who was walking beside him, quickened his pace, and turned to leave.

Shen Xiuye ​​stood there, stunned for a moment, and reached out to tidy up her hair that had been ruffled by the wind.

What's wrong with him?

Why did you leave without saying a word?

Song Xiaomei, however, knew exactly what was going on.

She squinted, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, and gently patted Shen Xiuye's hand.

Song Wenhua is usually as taciturn as a stone; he can sit in a corner for an entire day without saying a word.

But today, her face was as red as a tomato, and her eyes darted away faster than a mouse's.

I started sweating even when people got within three steps of me.

Most likely... he's taken a liking to Xiuye.

Even a fool could see through it.

But look at Shen Xiuye's bewildered expression, blinking her eyes with a blank look on her face.

Song Xiaomei sighed inwardly, realizing that no one had even noticed her intentions.

One of them held back, her face turning red to the roots of her ears, too ashamed to even respond.