Being cheated

"Let's steal some cabbage on the 15th. It sounds fun."

"Um."

Wu Meilai reluctantly jumped down and walked to her side, "We..."

Zhou Qianling had already climbed over the window and said "Huh?" in confusion.

Looking at the time, they had only been there for less than an hour.

I always say “Let’s meet, let’s meet” on WeChat, but when we really meet, I’m in a hurry to leave.

"Nothing, I'm just bored and want to go home and sleep."

Only Wu Meilai knows who broke the defense.

Zhou Qianling finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

"You're a little clingy to me today." The moment she came down from the window, Zhou Qianling pushed her against the wall.

Tonight it is as bright as an incandescent lamp with insufficient power. I can see people clearly, but not completely clearly, and it feels unreal, as if I am in a dream.

"Don't do it here..." Wu Meilai thought she was going to...

But Zhou Qianling just lowered his head and kissed her cheek, then leaned against her forehead and murmured, "My mother wants to talk to me about something." She kissed her forehead again and jokingly said, "We'll continue tomorrow."

"Who wants to continue with you?" Wu Meilai turned her head and whispered, "You are shameless."

"I'm not ashamed...but you sucked so hard just now, it hurts a little now."

Wu Meilai's face was burning with anger, and she shifted the blame, saying, "It was obviously you who forced me to do this."

The last few words clearly lack force.

A flashlight flashed on the road. Zhou Qianling let her go and chuckled, "Then I'll go first."

When Zhou Qianling met Zhou Fang who came to look for her on the road, she was stunned for a moment.

"Mom, what's the hurry?"

Zhou Fang's expression was gloomy, and she raised her hand and paused in the air. Half a minute later, she stamped her foot in anger and dropped her hand.

"I asked you before how you got the scar on your face. What did you tell me?"

"You said Wu Meilai was harassed by some thugs, and you were slapped when you argued with them."

Zhou Qianling pursed his lips and did not answer.

"Just that?"

Zhou Qianling lowered his eyes.

Seeing that she was speechless, Zhou Fang was so angry that her teeth were itching, but her good manners made her only able to sigh deeply.

This afternoon, her sixth brother said he was coming back. Zhou Fang thought that if he came back, there would not be enough beds at Lin Yue's place, so she asked Zhou Qianling to come to her third sister's house after dinner to discuss whether to return to Yanzhou.

After waiting for a long time without seeing anyone, she went to Lin Yue's house by herself, only to hear that the girl had gone out late at night.

She guessed that she must be going to see the girl from the Wu family, and it was not a big deal, so she planned to wait for her there.

About a quarter of an hour later, she received a call from an unknown number. The caller first identified himself as a police officer from a certain district. They claimed they couldn't reach Zhou Qianling, so they had found her number.

The purpose of this phone call was to persuade the families of the two gangsters to pay for the medical expenses.

After Zhou Fang asked in detail, she found out the whole cause and effect of the incident, including Zhou Qianling's injuries.

She was frightened, so she immediately went out to Yuxianwan, just in time to see her daughter returning.

Zhou Fang was amused by her silent attitude, but there was nothing she could do. She could only helplessly touch her head, as if rubbing the wound, and then said, "Let's go into the city for a follow-up check tomorrow."

"No, it's minor, nothing serious."

"How can I feel at ease if I haven't seen it yet..." Zhou Fang thought of the reason she came to find her in the first place and said, "Your uncle has already bought the tickets. We will go back the day after tomorrow."

She didn't negotiate, but used a tone that had already been determined.

Zhou Qianling frowned, "Mom, why are you going back so early? I, ahem, I'll find a place to stay for the night."

Zhou Fang stared at her, as if trying to read something from her calm yet stubborn face.

After a minute of stalemate, Zhou Fang sighed and took a step back. "I have to check again tomorrow."

"Okay." Zhou Qianling took her mother's hand and asked, "By the way, Mom, is stealing cabbage fun?"

Zhou Fang glared at her sideways. "That's it. I'm telling you, you can play around secretly, but don't trample on other people's crops. The peppers should be sprouting by now."

…

Meanwhile, Wu Meilai returned home, avoiding everyone. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Liu Guiyan sitting by the fire, a workbook and a ballpoint pen in front of her. The fire had been stoked, and the fire pans were all covered; it must be time for bed.

Wu Meilai felt guilty and her heart was pounding.

Liu Guiyan looked at her with a bitter face and asked, "Where did you go?"

His gaze wandered, "Let's go for a walk on the street."

Liu Guiyan didn't care what she was doing out so late at night, she just asked casually, she forced a smile and waved to Wu Meilai, "Little one, come here."

This tone and attitude probably won't be a good thing.

Wu Meilai sat opposite her in silence.

Liu Guiyan pushed the notebook in front of her towards her and said anxiously, "Look, I sold a pig during the Spring Festival for 7,000 yuan, and I bought two live pigs not long ago for 2,900 yuan. Planting corn and buying fertilizer at the beginning of the year are another huge expense."

Wu Meilai frowned and felt annoyed.

"We've run out of coal again. We'll have to bring another truckload back, which will cost at least three thousand."

"And there are also gifts and favors..."

Wu Meilai's embarrassed tone made her angry. She interrupted, "Dad asked you to ask? My WeChat balance has been transferred to the card, nothing else."

Liu Guiyan: "It's not a matter of who asked who. Why should we be so divided as a family, right? You know your father's leg is so bad, he can't be relied on. As for me... Han'er also needs someone to take care of him..."

Wu Meilai let out a long sigh: "Mom, what on earth do you want to say?"

Liu Guiyan stopped, looked in front of her with drooping eyelids, and scratched the lacquer on the fire tray.

The unreliable clock on the wall was ticking away.

"We're struggling to make ends meet, so we figured you'd be the only one in our family who could make some money. So...your dad and I both think it's time to open your noodle shop."

Wu Meilai couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Calming down her anxiety, she realized something was wrong. "How can you say you're spending more than you earn? Besides Dad's love of drinking and treating, what other expenses do we have?"

She pointed to the numbers written and crossed out in the notebook and said, "Even if the money from selling the pigs is not enough, there is still a lot in the card I linked to it."

Liu Guiyan hesitated, sometimes calling him her dad, sometimes her friend, and finally figured it out before Wu Meilai ran out of patience.

Wu Ergou somehow got to know a big boss in Wandao. The boss was generous and righteous, and invited him to a restaurant in town for drinks and barbecue. Wu Ergou, driven by vanity, saw that this big boss treated him like a brother, so he didn't care whether the other person had any ulterior motives and just believed what he said.

Not long ago, the big boss said his company was struggling with cash flow and wanted him to invest and become a shareholder, promising a guaranteed year-end dividend of a million. He even showed him screenshots of dividends shared by other shareholders in the group chat.

So this brainless idiot who only knows how to bully others directly transferred all the 50,000 yuan in the card.

"Isn't this an obvious liar! Come back! Where's my dad?"

Liu Guiyan comforted him, "Don't worry, little one. That bastard has blocked your dad and he's gone missing. As for your dad... he went to your uncle's house for a drink."

Wu Meilai was so angry that she felt dizzy. Fifty thousand was all her savings over the years!

"Drink, drink! I'm afraid you're avoiding me!"