Chapter 79 You little brat, you have two faces too? ...

That day wasn't exactly unlucky, but it certainly wasn't Jin Zhao's lucky day.

That's life. Every day, something unexpected happens. You never know when something will suddenly appear that makes you unhappy and unable to let go. Or maybe it's nothing at all, just a word.

This has nothing to do with what kind of person she is, or whether she's careful or not. No matter how meticulous a person is, they will inevitably encounter troubles; that's life.

Not only in human life, but also in nature.

Spring has returned to the earth in the past two weeks, and temperatures have been rising steadily. The flowers in the neighborhood are blooming luxuriantly. But in the afternoon, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and with a muffled clap of thunder, a torrential downpour shattered the flowers that were in full bloom.

The little boy was playing with Meng Yanxi on the bed, the father and son seemingly unsure who was teasing whom. The little boy had always been clever, seemingly able to soothe anyone in his comfort zone; there was no one he couldn't appease, except perhaps Meng Yanxi. Unable to soothe him, the little boy ended up being picked up and placed face down on the bed.

This position was uncomfortable, and the baby was forced to tilt his head back, babbling and protesting to his father.

"Want to lie down?" Meng Yanxi sat on the edge of the bed, laughing in a way that seemed to be bullying the younger one.

Little dumpling: "Eeya eeoh".

The baby's eyes were bright, clear, and round with a watery sheen, staring intently at Meng Yanxi. Some, however, were heartless and completely unmoved.

Meng Yanxi: "Turn yourself around."

The little dumpling is only three months old and can't roll over yet. But he seems to understand his father's words and actually tried. Unfortunately, he is too small. He used his little arms to support himself on the bed and struggled to lift his small body up. His little face turned pink, but he just couldn't roll over.

Meng Yanxi propped herself up on the bed with one hand, leaning to one side as she mocked her son without restraint, which was extremely unkind.

The little dumpling didn't cry. She turned her head to look at Meng Yanxi, making louder and more frequent "ee-ya" and "oh" sounds.

Meng Yanxi raised an eyebrow: "Are you insulting me?"

Little dumpling: "Eee-ooh!"

Meng Yanxi shamelessly said, "Everyone likes me, but you're the only one who criticizes me. Meng Jue, you have a serious problem with your sense of right and wrong."

The little dumpling was probably shocked by his shamelessness, and started babbling even louder.

But he was still just a baby, how could he possibly keep up with his dad's noise? Before long, drool started flowing. The baby's glistening drool dripped from the corners of his mouth, forming long strands that stained the bed.

Meng Yanxi laughed loudly: "Look at you, you're drooling."

Despite his laughter, Meng Yanxi was quite skilled at taking care of the baby. He personally changed the baby's diapers and burped him. He pulled out a tissue, grumbling, but gently wiped the baby's mouth.

As I turned to throw away the tissue, a muffled clap of thunder suddenly boomed from the sky, startling the little one on the bed so much that he rolled over from face down to face up, his chubby arms and legs kicking wildly in the air.

Meng Yanxi's expression changed, and she quickly stepped forward to hug the little one in her arms. She stopped smiling, gently patted the baby's back, and softly coaxed, "Don't be afraid, little dumpling, don't be afraid, Daddy's here."

The little dumpling wrapped its tiny arms around his neck, its face smelling sweet and milky, and rubbed against him with soft, whimpering noises.

Originally, it was Meng Yanxi who was trying to coax him, but after he hugged her like that, Meng Yanxi's heart melted.

"Were you scared?" Meng Yanxi gently kissed his little face. "It's Daddy's fault. Daddy should have picked you up earlier."

The little dumpling grinned at him.

When Jin Zhao entered, this was the scene of deep affection between father and son.

Outside it was dark and gloomy, but inside the house the lights were warm and bright. The little dumpling's drool dripped onto Meng Yanxi, but he didn't notice, and was laughing foolishly because of the baby.

Hearing Jin Zhao's footsteps, Meng Yanxi turned around while holding the baby and said to her proudly, "Lingling, our little dumpling can roll over now!"

He seemed to want the baby's approval, and after speaking, he turned to look at the little dumpling, about to say: Come on, let's perform for Mommy.

However, before he could even speak, the little dumpling burst into a deafening wail.

While crying, she pushed Meng Yanxi with her little hands, twisted her body and opened her arms to Jin Zhao, looking like she had been bullied by her father, crying very sadly, and desperately wanting her mother to hug her and comfort her.

Meng Yanxi: ?

No, you have two faces, don't you?

Meng Yanxi had always been the one to scheme against others; no one had ever been able to outsmart him. In the end, he was defeated by a mere green tea seedling.

The little dumpling hugged her mother with both hands and cried for a while, her eyebrows turning red and a couple of tears falling. After her mother pretended to criticize her father, she reluctantly forgave him and took the opportunity to trick him into giving her a cup of milk.

The little one was breastfed, and he tugged at his mother's clothes with his tiny hands, burying his face in his mother's chest while making satisfied swallowing sounds.

Meng Yanxi felt unbearably hot everywhere she looked.

The little dumpling ate and drank its fill and took a nap. When it woke up again, it was no longer in its parents' room.

Outside, a fierce wind and rainstorm raged, crushing flower petals. The room smelled unfamiliar, and the little boy recognized that this was not his parents' room. He clenched his little fists, ready to throw a tantrum, when the aunt who was looking after him nimbly came in and picked him up.

...

Meng Yanxi was more generous than his son. After eating and drinking her fill, she didn't forget to come and see her son.

The little one woke up once in the middle of the night, and the nanny fed her milk. Now the little one has fallen asleep again.

Meng Yanxi sat on the edge of the bed, gently touching the little guy's soft, bouncy face with her fingertips, and chuckled softly, "Little green tea, you even tricked your own dad?"

After a while, he said again, "You were even better off reincarnated than Meng Zhuxi. As long as I think about how hard Lingling went to give birth to you, I will still love you no matter how much of a burden you bring on your father."

Meng Yanxi bent down and gently kissed the baby's forehead.

The baby in the dream made even, long breaths, and the scent of milk rhythmically wafted onto his face.

Meng Yanxi returned to the master bedroom, where Jin Zhao was already asleep.

The bedroom was dimly lit, and the person on the bed lay on their side, the air thick with the scent of love.

Meng Yanxi took off his clothes and got into bed, then hugged her from behind.

Her body was still very hot, and his palm landed on her lower abdomen, pressing it with lingering relish.

Jin Zhao opened his eyes.

"Is the baby asleep?" she asked softly.

"Mmm." The man kissed her earlobe and neck.

Jin Zhao didn't say anything more and closed his eyes again.

Meng Yanxi knew she wasn't asleep, so after kissing her for a while, she asked indistinctly, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"

Jin Zhao paused for a moment, then asked, "You heard everything?"

Meng Yanxi: "No, I have a strong sense of morality and I won't eavesdrop on your phone calls."

Jin Zhao: "..."

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; now that he has, it's like he's trying to hide something obvious.

Meng Yanxi didn't care.

He wasn't exactly a gentleman to begin with.

Jin Wenhui's fate was largely due to his instigation, and his actions were far more egregious than eavesdropping.

But if Jin Zhao asked him for help, he was willing to lend a hand. Money, power, anything. Even if he loathed it, even if he knew she didn't want to.

But if he had to, he was willing to endure the nausea.

That's what it's like to like someone: you'd rather go against everything to share their troubles, so that they can have fewer worries.

Jin Zhao remained silent in the darkness.

Meng Yanxi wanted to hear her speak to him, but after waiting for a while she didn't say anything. He was a little helpless and compromised, saying, "I want to hire an oral English teacher."

Jin Zhao was taken aback: "Spoken language? For whom?"

Meng Yanxi: "Hmm, spoken English, for myself."

Jin Zhao: "..."

She wanted to say, "Have you forgotten you have a younger sister? Why don't you remember to send your sister into battle now?"

She chuckled as she reminded him, "You have an IELTS score of 8.5, and your speaking is excellent."

Meng Yanxi's voice sounded very serious: "But I want to practice British English. How about you practice with me for 500 yuan?"

Jin Zhao thought for a moment and said frankly, "500 yuan for a single oral English practice lesson is quite generous. You can hire a very good British foreign teacher."

Meng Yanxi: "I said 500 per minute, not a British foreign teacher, but Teacher Lingling."

Jin Zhao: "..."

500 yuan per minute, one class is one hour, that's 30,000 yuan. If she works a little harder, ten hours a day, she can earn 300,000 yuan a day.

Jin Zhao said helplessly, "Meng Yanxi, no need."

Meng Yanxi remained silent for a long while before accusing, "Jin Zhao, are you implying that you don't need me?"

Jin Zhao: "..."

A huge pot came crashing down.

How could this person have the nerve to call Xiaotuanzi a green tea b*tch?

Jin Zhao thought for a moment and sighed softly, "Meng Yanxi."

Meng Yanxi: "Hmm?"

He managed to express the complex emotions of "giving you another chance" with just a single syllable.

Jin Zhao asked, "What do you usually do when you encounter a difficult situation?"

Meng Yanxi honestly said, "I don't usually encounter difficult situations; I usually make things difficult for others."

Jin Zhao: "Okay, thank you, you helped me."

Meng Yanxi: "?"

Later, Jin Zhao stopped talking to him and ignored him no matter how much he provoked him. Meng Yanxi was also helpless. She had said long ago that no one should have anyone competing with them for favor, not even their son.

He now felt that he wasn't that important to Jin Zhao anymore, that he was someone she could easily dismiss.

Meng Yanxi was a little emo. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly felt Jin Zhao gently kiss the corner of his mouth.

Her voice was soft yet firm in the dim light: "Meng Yanxi, I will handle it."

*

Although Jin Wenyi spoke to Jin Zhao, she didn't hold out much hope.

Zhao Xu advised her, "Your brother has never done much for Jin Zhao, so it's understandable that Jin Zhao ignores him."

"It's understandable, but I have to think about my parents." Jin Wenyi raised her hand to cover her face. "It's no small matter when loan sharks come to our door to collect debts. My parents are getting old. What if something happens to them?"

Zhao Xu remained silent.

Jin Wenyi sighed softly, "Those people are really terrifying. Their interest snowballs, leaving no room for maneuver. I approached Lingling not to ask her for money, but to borrow Meng Yanxi's connections so we could sit down and negotiate an amount with them. We'll stop there; I'll pay back the money. I just hope it doesn't snowball any further. If it keeps snowballing, it will really drive everyone to the brink of despair."

Zhao Xu frowned helplessly: "In my opinion, the one who tied the knot must untie it. Whoever has the money should return it. I've already consulted a lawyer. Lin Yao committed fraud in the marriage. All the gifts your brother gave her in the past, as well as the property division during the divorce, were based on trust in the parent-child relationship. But now that parent-child relationship no longer exists. As long as your brother sues, he can revoke the original property division agreement, recover the property gifts, and claim compensation for emotional distress from Lin Yao."

Jin Wenyi shook her head: "I talked to my brother about it. But he's been hit hard and is completely despondent. He's not willing to go to court. He's always been so proud and concerned about his reputation. How could he bear to expose such a humiliating disgrace to the world and go to court? He's not in a good mental state right now. I'm afraid he might do something stupid, so I don't dare to pressure him. I can only try to find a solution elsewhere."

Zhao Xu sighed softly: "If that incident hadn't happened last May Day, perhaps Lingling would have softened her heart again, but now, I'm afraid that's impossible."

Jin Wenyi smiled bitterly: "There's nothing we can do about it. But when the time comes, when none of us can handle it, the loan sharks will probably still come after Lingling. There's nothing we can do about it. She can't choose her birth, nor can she choose the trouble her birth brings her. I told her this, just to prepare her mentally in advance."

To Jin Wenyi's surprise, Jin Zhao gave her a reply the very next day, a single, straightforward word—

【good. 】

Today, Wenyi feels as if she has seen the dawn.

On the day of the meeting, Jin Zhao asked Jin Wenyi to invite Jin Wenhui and his grandparents. In the end, Jin Wenhui did not show up; only his grandparents and Jin Wenyi and her husband arrived.

Jin Wenyi said apologetically, "Your father is sick and is still in the hospital. He can't come over."

Jin Zhao smiled slightly: "It's alright, the court summons will be delivered to him and Lin Yao respectively."

Jin Wenyi was taken aback. Her grandfather asked, "What do you mean?"

Jin Zhao kept everyone in suspense for the time being, only saying, "The usury issue must be resolved as soon as possible, the sooner the better, otherwise it will be bad for any of us."

Everyone agrees on this point.

Jin Wenyi and Zhao Xu are both teachers, as is Jin Zhao. Although they didn't borrow the money, loan sharks don't care about reason. If one of them acts recklessly and causes trouble at the school, it will be a blow to their careers.

Jin Wenyi nodded: "Yes, that's why I told you. Whether you agree or not, I hope you can prepare as soon as possible."

Jin Zhao readily agreed.

Zhao Xu glanced behind her.

The room was empty; Meng Yanxi did not appear.

They already owe millions to loan sharks, and without Meng Yanxi, Jin Zhao simply can't afford to pay it back with his current abilities.

Jin Wenyi and Zhao Xu exchanged a knowing glance. Jin Zhao smiled politely at them and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle, please sit down."

Jin Wenyi booked a private room at the restaurant, and the lunch dishes were exquisite. She had put a lot of thought into the arrangement, but in reality, no one present could eat them.

In front of her grandparents, Jin Zhao asked Jin Wenyi for the specific number.

Jin Wenyi typed a number into the calculator on her phone and showed it to them. When she handed it over, all of them looked a little ashamed.

Jin Zhao glanced at it, but his expression remained calm: "If it doesn't roll down any further, it should be enough to pay back the debt."

Seeing her attitude, her grandparents breathed a sigh of relief. However, Jin Wenyi, who knew her financial situation best, asked suspiciously, "What's enough to pay back?"

Jin Zhaowen said gently, "The money from selling the house is enough to pay it off."

Jin Wenyi was taken aback: "You own a house?"

Jin Zhao shook his head: "I don't have it, but my mother does."

Jin Zhao calmly said, "When my mother passed away, I was still in elementary school. You all thought I didn't know, and I really didn't know at the time, but over the years, I've gradually remembered. I don't know about other things, but at least the school district house I lived in before high school was the joint property of my mother and father during their marriage. In principle, I should have a share of the inheritance. But the year Lin Yao gave birth to her son, my father transferred the house to her name. No one asked me, and no one got my consent."

Everyone looked embarrassed.

Jin Zhao looked calm and turned to Jin Wenyi: "Auntie is right. After all, my dad raised me until I was seventeen. So I'm going to sue in court soon to get back my rightful rights and then use the money to repay his kindness in raising me. But all I know is this one house, and I'm not sure if it's enough to repay him."

She paused, then continued, "If it's still not enough, then it might be a bit troublesome. We must cut off loan sharks at the root and eliminate them completely. If we're even a little short, it will snowball and all our previous efforts will be wasted."

Jin Zhao looked at her grandmother and asked softly, "So besides that house, is there anything else?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: When Zhao Zhao was a minor, even if she had ideas, she couldn't put them into practice because her age inherently weakened her. That's why there were scenes where Meng Yanxi helped her. But now she's grown up and quite strong, and she solves problems on her own whenever she encounters them.