Chapter 33

Zhao Shiliu was reluctant to give up both her freedom and her money. Even when Zhang Qingshou yelled at her, she didn't move, just clutching her belt tightly. Zhang Qingshou yelled at her again, and finally she burst into tears. She turned around sobbingly, reluctantly pulled out her belt, and then dug out the money hidden inside.

Zhang Qingshou had been waiting impatiently. When he saw her take out the money, he immediately snatched it away. The moment he held the money, Zhang Qingshou felt a pang of heartache. However, he had to return it. If he didn't return it, even their entire family would be in trouble.

Throwing the money on the ground once more, Zhang Qingshou said viciously, "A total of one hundred, that's all! The remittances have been coming in for five months, and each month is twenty yuan. If you don't believe me, go check it out!"

On the surface, he looked ferocious, but secretly, he was so heartbroken that he couldn't breathe. It was all Zhao Shiliu's fault. She insisted on saving all the money and using it when something happened. Now, they worked hard to save for five months, and without spending a penny, they had to return it all to Chu Shao.

Isn't this just a waste of time?

Zhao Shiliu burst into tears. Not only for the money, but also for herself, she had been working day and night to block the remittance. Now not only had the remittance disappeared, but she was also slapped three times. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. Everyone was laughing at her. If nothing unexpected happened, she would be laughed at by these people for the rest of her life.

Seeing Zhao Shiliu's reaction, Chu Jiujiu felt that this time they must have really taken out all the money. Without Han Shengyi bending down, Chu Jiujiu took the initiative to squat down, picked up the money, and handed it to Chu Shao. Chu Jiujiu's eyes lingered on the pile of banknotes for a while, and suddenly, she turned her head and asked, "Zhao Shiliu, you said the person who sent the money is not surnamed Chu, so what is his surname?"

Zhao Shiliu was crying heartbroken. Hearing this, she instinctively wanted to ask, "Why should I tell you this?" However, after meeting Chu Jiujiu's gaze, she felt that this question seemed more complicated than it actually was. She had previously believed that Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao were not born to the same father, but she had mentioned it several times today, and Chu Jiujiu had never once shown any remorse. She didn't act like she had been exposed to a secret.

Could it be that she guessed wrong, and Chu Jiujiu knew the person who sent the money?

Zhao Shiliu suddenly had a bad feeling. She tried her best to control her expression so that others wouldn't notice anything unusual. She wiped the tears from her face and answered nervously, "My last name is Nie."

Hearing this answer, Chu Jiujiu nodded in understanding, "I guessed it before."

"This Nie is my uncle's secretary. It seems this remittance was sent by my uncle. My uncle once said that when I arrived in Qingzhu Village, I would be able to live a good life with my mother and brother. So what he meant by this was that he would send us money."

When the villagers heard the word "uncle" again, they needed a while to recall that Chu Jiujiu seemed to have a background. Chu Shao and Han Shengyi looked at her at the same time, wondering what she was going to do next.

Zhao Shiliu is the person who needs a while to recall something, and when she remembers it, her expression changes instantly.

The time was indeed about the same. Not long after the remittance arrived, Chu Jiujiu also came.

She had originally doubted the authenticity of Chu Jiujiu's background, but it turned out...it was true!

Thinking about the remittance address written on the receipt, Zhao Shiliu's legs began to feel weak.

Seeing her expression become colorful, Chu Jiujiu sneered in her heart, but her tone was extremely serious: "My uncle is honest and upright, and has strict discipline. You actually slandered him, saying that his lifestyle is problematic. Just wait and see, humph!"

After saying this, Chu Jiujiu no longer looked at the others' reactions. She held Chu Shao's hand with one hand and Han Shengyi's with the other, and walked out angrily. She didn't let go until they were far away from the Zhang family's territory and there were no villagers behind them. She laughed and said, "This sentence is enough to scare them for a while. Let's see if they dare to bully us again."

Seeing her smile so happily, Chu Shao also curled the corners of his mouth, clutched the money in his palm, and said, "Let's go home."

Chu Jiujiu: "Go home? Why don't we go to the post office first? Let's check it out so we can have a better idea of what's going on."

Chu Shao paused in his steps and instead of answering, he looked at Han Shengyi beside him.

Receiving his faint gaze, Han Shengyi smiled lightly, "So you knew."

Chu Jiujiu was curious, "Know what?"

Han Shengyi looked at her and said gently, "The post office won't let outsiders check remittance records. Even if you go with a letter of introduction, you can only get remittance receipts within seven days. Remittances from other times can't be checked. I said that at the time just to trick them."

Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a while, then she blinked and asked Chu Shao, "Do you know this?"

Chu Shao shook his head, "I don't know."

Chu Jiujiu: "Then why aren't you surprised at all?"

Chu Shao: "Because if this is true, he told you about it yesterday, then we wouldn't be here to steal today."

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

Oh yeah, why didn't she think of that.

Fortunately, the villagers were not aware of the post office's regulations, otherwise they would have had a lot of trouble today.

No matter what the process is, as long as the ending is good, it’s enough. Chu Jiujiu no longer worries about other things. She smiled again and went home happily. On the other hand, the Zhang family was not so harmonious.

A few children left, but the villagers who were watching did not want to leave so soon. After watching such a great show, they couldn't help but say something.

"You're crying now, what were you doing before? I've never seen anyone as cruel as you and your wife. You even stole your child's money and still refuse to admit it. How can you be so shameless?"

"How can there be no similarities? Have you forgotten that Zhang Qingguo and Niu Ailing were planning to sell Chu Jiujiu for money? Bad as always, bad as ever! I think the Zhang family is not upright from the very beginning!"

Mrs. Zhang didn't dare to say a word since Zhao Qianjin got angry. Later, when Zhang Qingshou wanted to return the money, she hesitated for a moment because she didn't know how much money was in the account and didn't intervene. By the time she saw the full 100 yuan, it was too late.

Zhang Qingshou and his wife managed to keep the hundred yuan warm for a while, but Mrs. Zhang only had time to take a look at it. She was feeling very upset, and a group of neighbors were making sarcastic remarks. Mrs. Zhang's face turned pale and blue, and suddenly a faint cry came into her ears amidst the chattering. Mrs. Zhang raised her head and happened to see Zhao Shiliu wiping her tears.

Furious, Mrs. Zhang finally found the culprit. She quickly walked to the wall of the main house, picked up a broom that was taller than a person, and hit Zhao Shiliu hard on the body.

"I'll beat you to death, you black-hearted bastard!"

"You've been married here for so many years, eating and drinking from me, and that's not enough, yet you actually dare to steal money from me! You want to be the boss of the family, don't you? You want to curse this old woman to death, don't you?"

Zhang Qing saw that his mother was really angry, so he reflexively stretched out his arm to block the broom for Zhao Shiliu. But when Mrs. Zhang saw this, she became even more angry, turned around and hit him with the broom desperately.

"You've married a wife and forgotten your mother. You're a coward! You've never been as obedient as Qingguo since you were little. You only knew how to listen to her, and now your wife is riding on my head! You have money in your hands, but you don't even know how to respect your mother. Why did I work so hard to raise you? I might as well have thrown you into the river and drowned you!"

Mrs. Zhang was chasing Zhang Qingshou around the yard, beating him. A few villagers were standing in the yard, but seeing this, they all ran out for safety. Mrs. Zhang was furious, and she didn't care who she accidentally hurt. Zhao Qianjin frowned, but in the end, he said nothing and turned and walked out.

It is true that Zhao Qianjin is the company commander of the village militia, but at the same time, he is also a native of this land. In his eyes, it is normal for a father to beat his son. As long as it is not illegal and no blood is shed, it is not his business.

Being hit with a broom was very painful, especially since the brooms at that time were made of thin wooden branches. The tip scratched the face and arms, leaving blood marks everywhere. Zhang Qingshou was beaten so badly that he snatched the broom away and shouted angrily, "Is this never going to end?"

"If you like Big Brother so much, why don't you go with him? You can both go to a labor camp and let him support you and take care of you, okay?"

Mrs. Zhang was left without a weapon, as if someone had stripped her of her claws. She was stunned for a moment, and when she came to her senses, she sat down on the ground and began to cry and wail: "You have no conscience! I have suffered all my life, and in my old age I don't even have a filial child!"

She cried and howled, making everyone's head hurt. Some soft-hearted people, after seeing this scene, began to change sides and persuade Zhang Pozi. The rest of the farce had nothing to do with him. Zhao Qianjin was ready to go home. Who knew that after walking a few steps outside, he suddenly saw the figure of his wife Zhou Xiaohe.

Zhou Xiaohe looked listless and sickly. Zhao Qianjin paused, his heart skipping a beat.

When did she come?

Did she hear what Zhao Shiliu just said?

Zhou Xiaohe walked slowly to Zhao Qianjin and said softly, "Qianjin, wait a moment. I'll go and persuade Aunt Zhang too."

"Don't go, she..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhou Xiaohe had already walked over. She was standing with the other mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Zhao Qianjin couldn't go over, so he had to stay where he was and wait for her.

After Zhou Xiaohe went over, she didn't say much. She just interrupted when someone else was talking, "Yes, Auntie, it's good that he admits his mistakes and corrects them. Brother Qingshou crawled out of your belly. Blood is thicker than water. You two will always be the closest. No matter how others jump up and down, they can't surpass you."

She smiled and turned her head to comfort Zhao Shiliu: "Don't cry, this is not the fault of Auntie and Qingshou. Shiliu, tell me, you go out so early every day and come back so late, even I saw you once. We don't know what you did outside or who you met, how can we not suspect you? Brother Qingshou was just anxious just now, just like a couple quarrels at the head of the bed and makes up at the foot of the bed, you must not alienate him."

Zhou Xiaohe was very popular in the village. Everyone was happy to listen to her talk, and because she had a few years of education and attended junior high school, everyone always felt that what she said was particularly reasonable. When she first married Zhao Qianjin, Mrs. Zhang actually disliked her, but over the years, her prejudice against her had gradually disappeared. Now, listening to her gentle voice, her face gradually became a little better.

The onlookers had not forgotten that Zhao Shiliu had cursed at Zhao Qianjin before. If it were them, they would have started a fight with Zhao Shiliu long ago. However, Zhou Xiaohe was not angry at all. She even came to persuade the couple to reconcile with good intentions. How magnanimous she was.

The villagers praised him highly. Zhao Shiliu was still worried about her remittance, so she just lowered her head and said nothing. No one noticed that Zhang Qingshou clenched his fists again after hearing what Zhou Xiaohe said.

I left early and came back late, I don’t know where I went or who I met…

…

The farce was almost over. What would happen next was only known to the Zhang family. Ma Wenjuan and Li Yan watched the excitement for most of the day. When they left, Li Yan was not very happy.

What? Neither Chu Shao nor Zhao Shiliu was arrested. Such a big thing happened, but in the end there was not even a splash. What’s even more infuriating is that Chu Shao even got a hundred yuan!

One hundred yuan!

And there’s this uncle that Chu Jiujiu mentioned. Maybe they can get twenty yuan every month in the future. Twenty yuan a month means two hundred and forty yuan a year. Oh my God, why do good things always happen to them?

They were both uncles, but Chu Jiujiu's uncle sent her money every month, while her own second uncle gave her nothing and didn't even help her return to the city...

Li Yan became angrier and angrier as she thought about it. Her face was long. She complained a few words casually, but she didn't hear Ma Wenjuan's response. She stopped and raised her eyebrows, "Hey, I'm talking to you, are you deaf?"

Normally, Ma Wenjuan would have started a fight with Li Yan, but today she was lost in thought. After a moment's pause, she frowned, "I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

Li Yan didn't want to repeat it, so she left Ma Wenjuan alone and walked forward by herself. Ma Wenjuan looked back in the direction of Zhang's house, then looked in the direction of Zhao Qianjin's house. After hesitating for a while, she turned back and caught up with Li Yan.

The two female educated youth returned to the rice fields, thinking they had first-hand gossip information. However, before they came back, Zhao Shiliu's deeds had already spread throughout the farmland, and even the team leader was silently watching.

Deputy Captain Chen Jiefang's wife was one of the villagers who had watched the scene before. He was eating his meal while talking with saliva flying all over the place, showing great potential as a storyteller.

The captain ate silently, showing no interest in the discussion. Another deputy captain, Zhang Qingfa, listened for a moment and disapproved, "How could he steal? We really need to discipline Chu Shao. Last time, he beat up Mrs. Zhang in front of everyone, and now he's stealing again and slapping his own aunt. If we don't stop this, what will happen next?"

Chen Jiefang really wanted to throw his job on his head. "Do you understand? Chu Shao was looking for receipts and evidence, not stealing! I'm also confused. Why are you so hard on Chu Shao? Does he owe you money?"

Zhang Qingfa: "I'm just discussing the matter at hand."

Chen Jiefang: "Then I'll just talk about the facts. You're just an idiot!"

Captain: “…”

Every day, really every day, the two deputy captains are like this now, quarreling as soon as they meet. Chen Jiefang is impatient and reckless, speaks directly, and never cares about what others think, while Zhang Qingfa is too pedantic and never knows what flexibility is. It has been four years since the captain took office, and they have been quarreling for four years. They are not tired, but the captain is tired.

In the middle of the heated debate, Chen Jiefang still wanted to seek the captain's approval, "Captain, do you think I'm right?!"

Under the gaze of the two vice-captains, the captain quickly stuffed the last of the steamed bread into his mouth. He stood up and said incoherently, "Where's Zhongtang? Where did that brat run off to again? I'm worried about him. I have to go look for him."

After saying that, he walked away with his hands behind his back, never looking back.

Chen Jiefang: “…”

Zhang Qingfa: “…”

A veteran.

——

It was a grueling day; arguing with Zhao Shiliu was far more exhausting than harvesting rice. Chu Shao hadn't worked all day. In the afternoon, he, Chu Jiujiu, and Han Shengyi went to cut grass for the cattle. Although there were three of them, it was Chu Shao and Han Shengyi who were actually doing the work. With an extra worker, the grass that normally took over an hour to cut was now finished in just over half an hour. After saying goodbye to Han Shengyi, Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu returned home, sat on their beds, and discussed their plans.

Chu Jiujiu: "Grandpa, think about it carefully, is there really not even one?"

Chu Shao: "No, I don't remember anyone I know with the last name Nie."

Chu Jiujiu knelt on the bed, thinking for a long time with her head down, but she couldn't find anyone related to Nie in her memory. She tilted her head and asked Chu Shao, "Grandpa, could this person be my great-grandmother's classmate? She just didn't tell you."

Chu Shao thought for a moment. "I don't know, but it shouldn't be. My mother married my father right after graduating from college. Later, she followed the army to the southwest. I was also born in the southwest army. It wasn't until 1964 that our family returned to the capital. I don't remember seeing my mother interacting with any of her classmates. She usually only wrote letters to the wives of my father's comrades to say hello. Those people... probably wouldn't send my mother so much money."

Chu Jiujiu blinked and suddenly straightened up. "I understand! If it's not my great-grandmother's classmate, then it must be my great-grandfather's comrade-in-arms! The friendship between comrades is very precious. Giving some money to take care of an old comrade's wife and children should make sense, right?"

Chu Shao: "I've met all the comrades my father was close to, and none of them have the last name Nie."

With a cry of "Ah", Chu Jiujiu's excitement subsided again, "Who is it then..."

It's the same for everyone. Ever since she found out the remitter's surname was not Chu, Chu Jiujiu has been feeling disappointed.

But she didn't dare to say it, for fear of arousing Chu Shao's emotions. After a moment of silence, Chu Jiujiu patted her face and regained her spirits. "No more guessing, no more guessing, Grandpa. Let's go to the post office early tomorrow morning and get a new receipt. Then we'll see his name."

Chu Jiujiu smiled and moved closer, then asked tentatively, "Grandpa, what are you going to do after seeing the name?"

Chu Shao was just immersed in his own thoughts and didn't hear what she said. He was half a beat late before he raised his head. After thinking for a while, Chu Shao said his catchphrase: "Let's talk about it later."

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

Okay, let’s talk about it later.

…

Chu Shao didn't go to work yesterday and didn't tell anyone because he was afraid of alerting the enemy. Today he didn't have such concerns. Before leaving the village, he went to the team leader's house to ask for leave. The team leader knew what had happened in his family and agreed readily.

After all, Chu Shao is still a child, and the planting progress will not be affected without him. Besides, Chu Shao is a rich man now, and even if he can't get work points, he and Chu Jiujiu don't have to worry about going hungry.

While Chu Shao was staying at the captain's house, Chu Jiujiu was not idle either. She ran to the Han family and knocked on the door gently. The person closest to the door was Grandpa Han. Just as he was about to open the door, a figure rushed over and pushed him aside. The door opened a crack, and the figure quickly went out again. By the time Grandpa Han stabilized himself, the door had been closed.

Grandpa Han: “…”

Han Shengyi had just gotten up and was standing outside the door. He asked Chu Jiujiu, "What's wrong? Why are you here so early?"

Chu Jiujiu smiled, revealing her small white teeth: "Chu Shao wants to take me to the post office in town. We plan to get a remittance receipt."

Having said that, she finished her words.

Han Shengyi took a second to react and understood.

He smiled gently, "I see. Go ahead. Be careful on the road. Let Chu Shao bring you more water this time."

They had just agreed to go together when they went to the city, but Chu Jiujiu broke the appointment so soon. She felt very embarrassed. On the way here, she even thought of several versions of how to answer Han Shengyi when he asked her why. Who knew that Han Shengyi was so considerate and didn't even ask.

After aligning their toes, Chu Jiujiu twisted her hands and said, "Brother Shengyi, thank you."

Her thanks were rambling, but Han Shengyi understood and smiled again. Suddenly remembering something, Han Shengyi called her, "Wait a moment."

After saying that, he returned to the house. After a few seconds, he came out with a brand new light yellow conical hat. After fiddling with it for a while, he gently placed the bamboo hat on Chu Jiujiu's head. "This is a hat made by my grandfather. Wear this and you won't be afraid of the sun."

The hat was a little too big, so Chu Jiujiu had to hold it up with one hand to straighten it out, revealing the view ahead. Chu Jiujiu was flattered and said, "Really? Grandpa Han made this for me?"

Actually, it was made for Han Shengyi, but when Han Shengyi saw it, he remembered that Chu Jiujiu didn't have a hat, and she had delicate skin and was particularly afraid of the sun, so he asked Grandpa Han to change the size.

He didn't explain any of this, but simply asked her, "Do you like it?"

Chu Jiujiu quickly said, "I like it, I like it. Chu Shao also said he would make one for me, but he never had the time. Your grandfather is still better~"

Han Shengyi tilted his head.

What do you mean your grandfather is better? Is there someone else's grandfather here?

Chu Jiujiu didn't notice him. She ran forward two steps and said sweetly through the door, "Thank you, Grandpa Han! With this hat, I won't be afraid of becoming a black kid anymore!"

After she finished speaking, she supported her hat with one hand and waved to Han Shengyi with the other. Seeing Han Shengyi waving at her as well, she turned around and ran towards the captain's house.

Grandpa Han in the house listened to the sound of running feet getting farther and farther away, and couldn't help but curl his lips: "The child is so sweet, it's just a bamboo hat, but she looks so happy. Oh, it would be great if Shengyi had a sister."

What’s the big deal about having a younger sister? Won’t she suffer with us?

Grandma Han was about to say this reflexively, but remembering that she had said something in revenge yesterday, which made Grandpa Han quiet all night, she swallowed the words back and replaced them with a gentler one, "Shengyi has a younger sister, isn't it just a matter of time?"

Grandpa Han snorted, "How can it be the same? My cousin is not my biological sister."

"What's more..." Grandpa Han twisted his stiff waist and legs, and sighed slowly, "Now I'm not even my cousin..."

——

Chu Shao waited at the captain's door for a while before Chu Jiujiu rushed over. Looking at the new object on her head, Chu Shao knew clearly that it was given to you by Han Shengyi, but he still had to ask, "Did Han Shengyi give it to you?"

Chu Jiujiu nodded, and the bamboo hat fluttered up and down. "Yeah, it was woven for me by Shengyi's grandfather."

Grandpa Han made hats for him and Grandma Han sent him pickled vegetables. If their family had not lived in a cowshed, Chu Shao would have treated these two old people as his own grandparents.

However, they lived in the cowshed, and even though Chu Shao knew that they were all good people, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

After two seconds of silence, Chu Shao said, "Forget it, let's go."

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

As soon as he heard it, he knew that Chu Shao must want her to stay away from the cowshed again. However, the interactions between the two families are increasing now, and even if he wants to persuade her, he is powerless. After a while, Chu Shao will get over the hurdle in his heart, and then he will probably have no objection to visiting the cowshed.

This is called boiling grandpa in warm water, hehe.

…

Both of them were worried about the remitter, and they couldn't help but speed up their pace. Chu Jiujiu no longer took three steps and rested for two, and she walked briskly all the way, occasionally urging Chu Shao to go faster.

When they arrived at Jiefang Street, Chu Jiujiu took Chu Shao's hand and walked straight to the post office. However, when they arrived at the door of the post office, Chu Jiujiu stopped.

After a light cough, Chu Jiujiu explained, "Grandpa, you should go in by yourself. When I came the day before yesterday, everyone in the post office saw me. They thought I was Zhang Fengjuan's niece. If I were recognized, I would have to explain myself again. It would be so embarrassing."

Chu Shao: “…”

"Then wait for me at the door and don't run around."

"I know," Chu Jiujiu hurriedly urged him, "Go quickly and let me see the receipt when you get it."

After making sure she was staying put, Chu Shao walked into the post office. It was ten minutes past eight in the morning, and the post office had just opened, so there weren't many people doing business. Chu Shao looked around for a while and found that none of the windows had any information about the business scope. He had no choice but to ask a staff member. After hearing his question, the staff member pointed to the innermost window. Chu Shao walked over and found that this window was the quietest in the entire post office.

There is no craze for working away from home yet. Everyone stays at home. Except for soldiers and students, few people leave home for thousands of miles. Even if there are people who leave home, they will bring their families with them and want to bring their entire family into the city. There are even fewer people who are alone away from home and send money home on time.

After Chu Shao arrived, he stuffed all of Zhang Fengjuan's letter of introduction, the household registration book obtained after his family opened an account, Zhang Fengjuan's college student certificate, the honorary certificates she had received at school, etc.

Post offices back then weren't like those decades later, with a massive glass wall separating staff and customers. With staff sitting sideways, customers could see everything they did. In this post office, staff faced customers directly, and the space between them wasn't a solid wall of glass, but rather a grille like the pawnshop counters in old movies. The grille was thin and had no glass in the middle. People passed items through the gaps in the grille, eliminating the need for a dedicated window underneath.

However, Chu Shao had too many things to pass through at once. After trying twice, he bent down slightly and passed the documents through the small window. Chu Shao said, "Please take a look. This is a letter of introduction from my mother, Zhang Fengjuan. This is our household registration booklet, and these are all things that can prove my mother's identity. Someone wired money to my mother a few days ago. Could you please issue a receipt for the remittance?"

The staff member was wondering why someone came up with so many documents right away. When she heard the name Zhang Fengjuan, she paused as she packed the papers. "Zhang Fengjuan? Zhang Fengjuan from Qingzhu Village?"

Chu Shao nodded and said, "Yes, my mother passed away in January this year. She couldn't come, so I came to receive it on her behalf."

The staff member took a second to react, then suddenly stood up, propping himself up on the table. "What?! Zhang Fengjuan is dead?"

The staff member was young, probably in her early twenties. Her reaction was so dramatic that it startled her colleagues. An older employee scolded her, and she turned around in horror, "No, Master, listen to what this kid said. He, he said Comrade Zhang Fengjuan passed away a long time ago. But what we saw two days ago, that..."

Her lips trembled for a long time, but she still didn't dare to utter the next word. The woman she called Master stood up, walked over, and glanced at Chu Shao outside. "Speak properly, Comrade Xiao Yu. Feudal superstitions are unacceptable. How can a young man like you be even more backward than I am? You're scaring yourself in broad daylight. Ask clearly what's going on."

Comrade Xiao Yu was so frightened that he couldn't even speak straight, so how could he ask for clarification? Fortunately, Chu Shao was understanding and took the lead in explaining, "You misunderstood. The people who came two days ago and in the past few months were not my mother, but my aunt. She wanted to embezzle the money, so she kept pretending to be my mother. We didn't find out until yesterday."

So that's how it is.

Comrade Xiaoyu no longer trembled. Without the scary ghost stories, her courage regained its composure.

After listening to Chu Shao's brief account of the whole story, Comrade Xiao Yu angrily slammed the table and said, "How ridiculous! How can there be such a person? When she came before, she kept calling everyone "comrade" and smiled at everyone. It turns out she is a smiling tiger! She really brings shame to us women comrades and peasant brothers!"

As she spoke, Comrade Xiao Yu tore off the remittance slip she had just written, raised the seal, and hit the remittance slip twice with force. The banging sound spread from inside to outside. If you didn't know, you would think she was going to tear down the table.

Feng Ruyi was Xiaoyu's mentor. Normally, she would have lectured him if she'd seen him yelling like that, but today, she was so shocked that she momentarily forgot her duties as mentor. Ever since Xiaoyu had called out Zhang Fengjuan's name, everyone, besides the busy staff, gathered around—those handling paperwork, making phone calls, or drinking tea. At first, they listened quietly, but after a while, they couldn't help but ask questions.

"How did Comrade Zhang Fengjuan pass away?"

"I've always been the one receiving the remittances. I remember Zhang Fengjuan's name. The remittances from the southwest aren't huge, but her family is a regular recipient. I remembered it after seeing it a few times. It's only been coming in a few months, so I'm glad I discovered it early. By the way, have you all gotten all the money back?"

"Of course she doesn't have a receipt. She must have thrown it away. She's a very cunning person. Of course she wouldn't keep it. If something goes wrong, how will she steal money in the future?"

"What a shame! She even paid back the money. Otherwise, she wouldn't have a good life in the future just because she used the money to impersonate military dependents!"

Southwest, military dependents. The more Chu Shao listened, the more anxious he became. Could it be that it was really sent by his father's comrades-in-arms? He wanted to get the receipt, but Comrade Xiao Yu was holding the receipt and was fiercely criticizing Zhao Shiliu with the staff inside. She had forgotten that Chu Shao came here to do business, not to provide them with gossip resources.

Early in the morning, there were long queues at other windows, but the remittance window was like a star surrounding the moon, with all the staff praising Chu Shao.

…

"Hey, I remember the day before yesterday, Zhang Fengjuan, no, now she should be called Zhao Shiliu. When Zhao Shiliu came, there was a child looking for her and calling her aunt. What's going on? Is that child in cahoots with Zhao Shiliu?"

Chu Shao: "...No, she's my sister. Zhao Shiliu had a grudge against my family before. She wanted to sell my sister for money, but my sister was smart and escaped. That day, she discovered Zhao Shiliu's sneaky behavior and wanted to find out what Zhao Shiliu had done. She didn't dare to tell you directly, so she pretended to be lost and ran in to extort information from you."

At this point, Chu Shao pursed his lips and said, "It happened suddenly. I'm sorry. I apologize to you on behalf of my sister."

The staff members looked at each other in bewilderment. So, they were tricked by a little girl?

In the quiet air, Feng Ruyi laughed first, and soon everyone laughed. It was not a big deal. If they put themselves in the little girl's shoes, they would probably have to come up with some unconventional ways. However, if it really were them, they would not be able to think of such a clever way.

Chu Jiujiu stood at the gate of the post office. She paced back and forth constantly and looked inside every once in a while. She saw Chu Shao standing in front of the business window and had hardly moved.

What are you talking about? It’s just a reissue of the receipt, why hasn’t it come out yet?