Chapter 15: All Expenses, Zhizhi Pays!

Caught red-handed, Zhizhi showed no remorse whatsoever.

She took out her money and calmly asked the cashier for another mung bean popsicle.

Sang Zhizhi handed him the popsicle, "Here! Let's eat together!"

"Uh... I'm so sorry."

Zhenwei verbally declined, but his eyes never left the popsicle.

"Eat up, eat up, I'll pay!"

Anyway, she only spent two cents on groceries and popsicles, and still had eight cents and some food coupons left.

In those days, food was scarce. Luckily, she had a spatial dimension. In the future, she could tell her mother that she was going to buy groceries and take the supplies from her spatial dimension to replenish the family's food without being discovered.

She can also save up a little money.

It's just that gold couldn't be bought or sold in the 1970s, otherwise she could have bought her stepmother a gold bracelet by selling the supplies in her space!

"Wuhu~"

Zhenwei was so happy he almost jumped for joy. He carefully tore open the outer oil paper packaging, licked it, and muttered, "This is my first time eating an ice pop! It's sweet and icy cold!"

"You've never eaten this before?" Zhizhi asked curiously, finding it a little strange. "Doesn't Daddy earn a very high salary?"

She remembered that when her father first went to Sangjiapo, he brought a bag full of delicious food.

How come this guy has never even eaten an ice pop?

Their family is quite well-off.

Jiang Zhenwei lowered his head, somewhat dejected. "Aunt Liu said popsicles are too expensive and never buy them for us. She doesn't even let us eat our fill of cornbread, so how can we expect to get snacks? Maybe... Dad doesn't give her enough money."

"How could that be! Are you sure Aunt Liu isn't lying to you?"

Sang Zhizhi turned his head around, her face serious and earnest. "I suspect Aunt Liu is mistreating you. She's greedy for money! No way! You have to tell Dad."

"But... ..."

Zhenwei was a little embarrassed. "Aunt Liu said before that she wanted to be our stepmother. What if she complains to us? Wouldn't she treat us even worse?"

"fool!"

Sang Zhizhi raised her hand and gave him a flick on the forehead, trying to wake him up.

"She likes our dad, so she wants to instill this idea in you and make you misunderstand their relationship! She said she'll be a stepmother in the future, so who is Dad going to marry now?"

Zhenwei was stunned for a moment, "... ...your mother."

"Then who is my mother?"

"Stepmother."

After answering subconsciously, Jiang Zhenwei's sluggish brain finally caught on, "...Oh right!"

My father has married a beautiful stepmother, and she brought along a cute little sister.

Then Aunt Liu has nothing to do.

In that case... he wouldn't have to worry about Aunt Liu marrying his father.

Sang Zhizhi nodded vigorously, "We're still kids, so of course we should go home and tell our parents if we're wronged. Aunt Liu took the money but didn't do her job, and she withheld your food. We have to tell Dad!"

Not only should we tell her, but we should also find a way to make her return all the money she embezzled!

"—Zhizhi, have you finished shopping?"

From afar, Deng Qiu saw two little kids, one big and one small, sitting on the steps eating popsicles; the scene was unusually harmonious.

"Let Mom see what Zhizhi bought?"

Deng Qiu hadn't expected the little one to buy anything, but her eyes widened when she saw the basket full of vegetables.

Wow, you bought so much stuff! Zhizhi is so capable!

Deng Qiu took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mouth clean, his eyes overflowing with affection.

Zhenwei stood by, staring blankly, his eyes filled with envy.

He realized that getting along with his mother was so warm and harmonious. He had never met his biological mother since he was a child and had never experienced what it felt like to be held in her arms.

But he could sense that his stepmother's arms must be soft and fragrant.

Deng Qiu noticed the other little guy's gaze and bent down to wipe Zhenwei's mouth as well.

"The second one is great too, look at how much he eats with that little mouth."

Zhenwei's heart was pounding, and his face instantly turned red.

Aunt Liu would never wipe his mouth for him; she would only order him around to play with Gou Dan'er.

Aunt Liu always smelled of cooking oil, but when Aunt Deng got close, she smelled of sweet osmanthus sugar.

He gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with panic, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Auntie... I'll wipe it myself."

Zhenwei grabbed his sleeve and wiped it haphazardly.

Sang Zhizhi was trying hard not to laugh, "Mom, I'm hungry."

Deng Qiu took the shopping basket from Zhi Zhi's hand and said in a light tone, "Perfect timing, I bought a piece of pork belly to cook when I get back."

After leaving Sangjiapo, Deng Qiu's smile became much more lively.

Before, she always looked sad, but now she's with Jiang Anchao, and they look like a perfect match.

Jiang Anchao carried two net bags of food and a piece of sturdy cloth in his hand.

He took the vegetable basket from Deng Qiu and followed behind the mother and son, glaring at his younger son.

"You've got guts!"

So what if a pretty woman wiped his mouth? His face turned as red as a monkey's bottom.

Why can't you learn from your dad? I never blush over things like this!

Oh, right!

Zhizhi suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Mom and Dad, wait for me! I'll be right back!"

After saying that, she ran back to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Deng Qiu chuckled and shook his head, "This kid, he's probably spent all his money on groceries, I wonder what he's doing at the supply and marketing cooperative again."

"How about I give her some more? I... I have some in my pocket, could you check for me..."

Jiang Anchao's hands were full of things, making it inconvenient for him to carry them.

Seeing his clumsy appearance, Deng Qiu covered her mouth and laughed, then picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the fine sweat from his forehead.

"Don't spoil the child. She can spend any money she has left over, and she can save it if she doesn't. You're hot, so I'll take it."

A fragrant aroma wafted over, and Jiang Anchao felt his blood rush to his head. He tilted his head back and inhaled, afraid that his nose would bleed.

"It's alright, it's alright!"

Zhenwei looked at his father with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

And you say you're not ashamed?

Your ass is redder than the monkeys' butts on Flower Fruit Mountain!

"What are you looking at?!" Jiang Anchao retorted stubbornly, "It's just too hot."

"oh... ..."

Jiang Zhenwei clearly didn't believe it.

"I'm back!"

When Sang Zhizhi ran over, her two little pigtails swayed in the wind, making her look like a fluffy and adorable dumpling.

She was holding three popsicles in her hand.

"One for Mom, one for Dad, and one more... here you go!"

She handed the last one to Jiang Zhenwei.

The second child was flattered and exclaimed, "I can have a second one?!"

Jiang Anchao disliked him even more, wondering where he got his intelligence from.

"That's for your older brother. Take it and don't steal any."

"oh... ..."

Zhenwei rubbed his face. "Big brother will be happy. He's never had an ice pop before. Let's hurry back before they melt."

... ...

As soon as he got home, Zhenwei ran into the house to bring his older brother an ice pop.

Seeing that no one was around, Zhizhi took the small enamel water jug ​​and entered the space. When she came out, she had filled a cup with spiritual spring water.

The instructions say that this product can treat diseases.

She didn't want to make up with her older brother; she just wanted to test whether the spiritual spring was effective.

That's right, that's exactly it!

Sang Zhizhi carried the water vat and slowly made her way to their bedroom.

Just as they arrived at the door, they overheard the two brothers discussing Liu Qing's embezzlement of their food rations.

“Brother, let’s tell Dad. Sang Zhizhi told me that one pound of flour can make one and a half pounds of steamed buns. Aunt Liu must have deducted our food coupons to feed her dog, Gou Dan.”

"We can't tell. If we do, who will take care of us?"

"Aunt Deng! She's about to marry Dad, and I don't think she's a bad person. She even bought us popsicles."

Jiang Gansu remained silent for a long time before speaking:

“I know Aunt Liu isn’t good to us, but at least she won’t let us starve. Your stepmother is nice to you now, but you can’t tell what she’ll be like in the future. Besides… Grandma won’t let them into the house.”

He paused, his tone grave, "Over the years, Grandma has been thinking about the marriage she arranged for Dad when he was a child. I heard that Dad's previous fiancée was a sent-down youth and is going back to the city. Grandma will definitely try to get rid of them. You shouldn't get too close to them, so you won't be sad when you part ways."