"One thousand two hundred!" Fourth sister Chen Xiuhua immediately spoke up, her delicate face tensing up. Although she was no longer as dull and timid as she was when she was a child, she was still frightened by her fifth sister's cold face. Her pupils contracted slightly, and she quickly spoke up to let her fifth sister know!
"Okay, I understand. Third Sister, you don't need to rush to pack. You can't go to the provincial capital!" Chen Xihua said emotionlessly, got up, opened the door, and strode out, radiating coldness.
Besides the eldest sister Chen Chunhua, who got up early to prepare breakfast in the kitchen, the three Chen sisters in the room also noticed something was wrong and ran out as well!
"Li Yumei, where are you? Come out!" Chen Xihua stood in the middle of the dining room and called out coldly. He didn't see Li Yumei. Only Chen Lao Er and Chen Baohua were eating breakfast. Chen Chunhua was still in the kitchen!
"Mother...Mother is in her room. What's wrong with Fifth Sister?" Chen Baohua was also frightened by Fifth Sister's cold face and put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands.
Fifth Sister is still calling Mother by her name, something terrible must have happened!
"Fifth Girl, what's up?" Chen Lao Er looked up and asked casually. Although he sensed something was off—why was he calling his wife by her first name?—he assumed Fifth Girl was about to give some grand speech or hold a family meeting, so he didn't pay much attention. He just listened and continued drinking his porridge.
"Who's calling me? So early in the morning, are you trying to kill me?" Li Yumei changed into a newer outfit, admired herself for a moment, and slowly walked out of the room. She was going to take Sanyatou to the intersection in the northern suburbs of the county. Sister Hongmei had told her to wait there; there would be a special minibus to pick them up, so she couldn't dress too shabbily!
She was in a good mood, but when she heard Wu Yatou's cold voice, her face turned ugly. What bad luck so early in the morning!
"You're asking your third sister to be a nanny?" Chen Xihua stared at her and asked, word by word.
"Yes, so what? Meihua didn't get into high school, so she's not going to study anymore. Shouldn't she go to work?" Li Yumei was very dissatisfied with Wu Yatou's cold tone. Was this brat going to start another family meeting?
Yesterday, her husband said he wanted to open a branch of his pastry shop in Jiang City, but she disagreed. If someone learned her skills, that would be terrible!
"Is the wage 1,200 yuan per month?" Chen Xihua asked her patiently.
“Yes, big cities are really different. In our county, we’re lucky to make four hundred a month,” Li Yumei said with a smile, clearly envious.
Sister Hongmei said that she would be very busy during the Spring Festival this year and Meihua would not be able to go home for the holiday. Sister Hongmei would give her several months' salary in advance. She had already given her two thousand yesterday. She would take the remaining three thousand after sending Sanyatou to school. Li Yumei was very happy!
"Third sister, you tell me, can you sweep the floor, wash clothes, and do all kinds of housework? Or can you buy groceries, cook, and be a cook? Or can you take care of new mothers during their postpartum period and look after newborn babies, and be a postpartum nanny?" Chen Xihua asked her sarcastically!
"Oh, do I have to do all this?" Chen Meihua was completely bewildered! Laundry, cooking, and taking care of the children?
Chen Xihua retorted expressionlessly, "Yes, that's what nannies do!"
"Why can't these third girls do it?" Li Yumei was getting annoyed by the fifth girl's attitude and was very unhappy. Aren't these things that girls should do?
"Then tell me, which family hired a nanny for 1,200 yuan a month! And a girl who's not even sixteen and doesn't even have an ID card?" Chen Xihua didn't beat around the bush with Li Yumei and asked her directly!
"Besides, even if my third sister could do it, who pays 1,200 yuan a month for a nanny these days? That's more than what white-collar executives in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing earn. 700 or 800 yuan, or even 1,000 yuan, is considered a very high salary!"
"He's the boss of a big company, he's rich!" Li Yumei said matter-of-factly. "Are rich people supposed to pay their workers more? Is this fifth girl stupid?"
"Yes, it's possible for wealthy families to hire a vixen-like virgin as a nanny at a high price! With Third Sister's figure, is she going to serve tea and water, wait on men, or be a bed warmer?" Chen Xihua asked with a sneer!
Chen Xihua had always been worried about her third sister's appearance. As she grew up, it was true that the other sisters were also very beautiful, but her third sister was the kind of woman that would make most men lose their composure. When she smiled, her peach blossom eyes were so captivating!
"Pfft, oh my god!" Chen Jinhua finally realized! How come she hadn't thought of that before! Although she didn't want to admit it, San San had indeed become more beautiful. A vixen? She did look a bit like one!
Chen Lao Er and the others were stunned by Chen Xi Hua's words. They thought he was too outspoken and shameless. Li Yu Mei was also speechless for a moment!
Chen Meihua blushed, then looked shocked: "Fifth Sister, no way?"
"Most likely!" Chen Xiuhua thought to herself, and suddenly realized why her fifth sister was so angry!
"Fifth sister, is third sister really going to do this..." Chen Chunhua, who had just come out of the kitchen, was shocked and almost dropped the pot she was carrying.
When she came back yesterday, she happened to hear her mother say that she was going to send her third sister to work. Her third sister was happy to do so, so she didn't think much of it!
Now, after hearing her fifth sister's words, she felt guilty and panicked. She wasn't an ignorant little girl; if her third sister had really been tricked into doing those things, she would regret it for the rest of her life. As the eldest sister, she hadn't been able to discover the problem and stop it in time. Luckily, her fifth sister had reminded her!
"Fifth Girl, you, you're exaggerating!" Li Yumei wasn't stupid. Although she didn't want to believe it, she still forced out a rebuttal!
"Fifth Sister, how can you be so sure? Aunt Hongmei doesn't seem like she's lying!" Chen Meihua asked, still unwilling to give up, even though she was also scared and uneasy.
"Third sister, I told you, you'd be sold out and still help the seller count the money! Li Yumei, did you also take money from that 'Li Hongmei'?" Chen Xihua was almost laughing in anger, but then suddenly changed the subject and asked sharply.
She felt that given Li Yumei's money-grubbing nature, she wouldn't easily agree to anything without a benefit in return!
"No... nothing!" Li Yumei was startled by Chen Xihua's sudden change in voice and blurted out. Realizing something was wrong, she immediately covered her mouth!
"And what else? So you took a portion? How much did you take before, and how much did she promise to give you?" Chen Xihua stared sharply at Li Yumei!
"Five...five thousand! They said it's Sanya's salary for the last few months before the New Year! They gave her two thousand yesterday, and they'll give her the rest later..."
"Mom, how could you take my salary in advance? That's my money! What am I supposed to do if I need it?!" Chen Meihua forgot her fear and was furious. How could her mother take her money? Her eyes reddened with anger!
“You’re my daughter, shouldn’t I get paid? Besides, the nanny is provided with room and board!” Li Yumei said, holding her head high as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
"What, are you two discussing how to divide the money from selling yourself?" Chen Xihua had always thought she had a good tolerance, but she was about to explode with anger at the mother and daughter, so she had to turn to other people to calm down!
"Second sister, you all knew, right? Why didn't anyone mention it to me?"
"Fifth sister, I... I didn't think much of it!" Chen Jinhua, who was usually carefree, was also a little at a loss. She felt guilty. She thought she was being careful and vigilant, but she didn't realize that her third sister was about to be deceived. Her fifth sister was obviously extremely angry!
"Comrade Chen Jianshe, you know him, right? What should I say? Don't you have any ideas? Five thousand yuan, how much do you want to get?"
"Fifth girl, what are you saying? I... I don't know. I just thought she was going to work as a nanny. And your guess might not be true! It's all your mother's fault. She's the one who made the arrangements with them!" Chen Lao Er's eyes darted around, looking to the sides, not daring to meet Chen Xi Hua's fierce gaze!
"Chen Jianshe, you don't need to pretend to be innocent and honest here. In this family, if you don't agree to something, Li Yumei won't dare to do it!" Chen Xihua directly tore off Chen Lao Er's mask of pretending to be an honest man!
“Dad wants to buy a motorcycle, it costs 8,000 yuan, and Mom isn’t too keen on it, saying it’s too expensive. If we get 5,000 yuan, he’ll ask for 3,000!” Chen Xiuhua then exposed his lie.
Before she took a break yesterday at noon, she went to the restroom and passed by her parents' room. She heard them saying that they needed to take three thousand yuan to buy a car, not to spend money on the pastry shop. She didn't understand what they meant at the time!
"Hehe, very good, Chen Jianshe, Li Yumei, you have really opened my eyes. I know you don't care about us sisters, and only care about Chen Xiaoliu and yourselves. If you were to wait until we sisters are twenty years old and marry us off to anyone for dowry money, I could accept it."
"But don't you know that Third Sister is not even sixteen years old yet? She doesn't even have an ID card, and you're going to sell her? Sell her, not marry her off!" Chen Xihua almost shouted the last sentence.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen still looked aggrieved, unable to defend themselves. How did Fifth Sister know she wasn't really going to be a nanny? Is it wrong for rich families to pay their nannies higher wages?
"Do you have the awareness of being parents? Can real fathers and mothers believe in this? If Chen Xiaoliu wanted to leave with someone else today, would you agree to it?"
"We disagree! You'd love to kick him out of your pants!"
"Two thousand yuan, hand it over!" Chen Xihua coldly stretched out her hand!
"What are you going to do? That's my money!" Li Yumei looked at Chen Xihua as if he were a thief. How could she possibly take out money that was already in her hands!
"Take it out, don't force me to do it!" Chen Xihua didn't care about his aggressive manner; did he really want to force her to take action?
"Yu Mei, hurry and get it!" Chen Lao Er also knew that the situation was serious!
A minute later, Li Yumei reluctantly came out of the room with two thousand yuan in her hand, clutching it tightly and refusing to give it to Chen Xihua!
Chen Xihua strode forward and snatched the money away. Li Yumei didn't react at first, but then she realized her hand was empty. Immediately, she cried out as if her parents had died, "They're robbing me..."
"Shut up, Chen Jianshe, Li Yumei. I'll only say this once: if you ever dare to act on your own again, treat us five sisters as money-making tools, or arrange marriages for us at will, or take benefits or money from others in secret, I'll break Chen Xiaoliu's legs!"
"His limbs and head correspond exactly to the five of us. If you trade any of us for money, I'll break one of his limbs, and eventually smash his head, crippling him completely!" Chen Xihua said coldly and ruthlessly.
"You dare!" Li Yumei's face contorted with rage, her claws outstretched, and she too became fierce. This brat dared to lay a finger on her Xiaobao! She stepped forward, intending to beat Chen Xihua, but was stopped by Chen Lao Er. He was also terrified, his pupils dilating in shock. "Fifth girl, you..."
The Chen sisters were also terrified, even more so than when they first heard that Chen Meihua might have been tricked into doing something shameful. This fifth sister was too... too shocking, and too ruthless!
"You'll see if I dare!" Chen Xihua felt that she couldn't give this couple a good look. She had almost forgotten that they were the worst parents in the original book who caused the tragic ending of the Chen sisters and were extremely sexist!
Chen Baohua felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, his heart chilled to the bone. The boy, not even ten years old, looked bewildered and slowly retreated to the side, trying to escape. Even though he tried to suppress his emotions, it was not hard to see the sadness and pain on his face. He muttered to himself, "Fifth Sister..." He didn't really like him!
“You are my daughters, so you must have our consent to get married, right? And the bride price…” Li Yumei’s eyes turned red with anger, and she was ready to throw caution to the wind. Why couldn’t her daughters have a say in their own lives?
"Marriage is a matter of personal choice. If you find a good match, you can ask for it. But we are not your property, to be sold off at will. You are our parents, that's true, but we have never said we will not support you in the future!"
"Of course, when we date and get married in the future, as long as it's our own choice, whatever dowry the groom's family gives is all for you. My sisters and I won't mind!" Chen Xihua felt that she couldn't push Li Yumei too far, otherwise she would retaliate, because she already considered the dowry money for her five daughters as her own property!
Upon hearing this, Li Yumei's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, was finally at ease.
“My eldest sister has come of age and will be twenty soon. Comrade Li Yumei, are you already thinking of finding a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for her when she reaches the appropriate age?”
"Let me tell you, there's no door, not even a window, don't even think about it!" Chen Xihua noticed Li Yumei's somewhat guilty expression and guessed that she might have done something else!
Li Yumei felt both resentful and anxious. She had already made a promise to someone that her eldest daughter would get married when she turned twenty, regardless of whether she could go to university.
The man is the son of Manager Zhao of the farmers' market in the southern part of the county. He is 22 years old, just discharged from the army, and graduated from junior high school. He works as a supervisor in the market. Although he has a slight limp due to a leg injury, the manager said that the farmers' market can be managed by his son in the future. The bride price is 5,000 yuan. 5,000 yuan! That's more than five daughters from an ordinary family can afford!
"Believe it or not, do whatever you want. Anyway, I'll be tormenting your precious son. You know how strong my second sister is. Just imagine what my second sister and I can do to Chen Xiaoliu!"
You are my parents, and we can't do anything to you, but Chen Xiaoliu is my younger brother. You'll see if I dare to break his legs!
If someone has already done something behind the scenes, they'd better go and make things clear to others as soon as possible. Any promises made before are null and void, or they'll see what I mean!
Chen Xihua guessed that it must be her eldest sister's wedding. She had heard Li Yumei say that she would be twenty years old soon!
"You, you..." Li Yumei slumped into a chair, her body weak, her heart pounding with fear. She dared not gamble; that wretched girl, Fifth Sister, could really do such a thing as hitting Xiao Bao! What sins had she committed? "Ah... wretched girl, you lowly brat, I should have strangled you at birth..."
"Alright, stop making a scene!" Chen Lao Er was also embarrassed. His daughter was scolding him mercilessly. He also showed a fierce expression and stopped pretending. He loudly stopped Li Yumei's crying and making a scene!
"Dad, you should have disciplined her a long time ago. What kind of man hides behind a woman? I know you're a smart man. You should think things through before you do anything in the future!"
Here's a little suggestion: if you want to buy a motorcycle, go ask your uncle for the money—the ten thousand you lent him—and get it back!
"Fifth girl, isn't there still a year left?" The usually fierce Chen Lao Er was confused by Chen Xihua's unexpected words.
"Do you think they'll honestly pay back on time just because there's an IOU? You're too naive! Don't you know what kind of people your parents and older brother are? For the next year, you'll go to your uncle's house and cry poverty, making a scene about not having enough money. Go there every few days until they pay back the money!" Chen Xihua thought that Chen Lao Er and his wife should go and bother other people instead of keeping targeting their daughters at home!
Li Yumei stood up abruptly and stopped making a scene. She had lost all face today and had a vague feeling that she wouldn't be able to take care of her daughters anymore, but Xiao Bao couldn't be allowed to get into trouble.
Yes, there's still money. She needs to hold onto it. She'll go to her uncle's house tonight to ask for more money!
"Eldest sister, fourth sister, keep an eye on third sister. Second sister, you and I are going to meet this 'Li Hongmei,' who is only one character different from Li Yumei, to see if she's a real person or a ghost! Third sister, are we meeting at the intersection of the new district in the north of the county?"
Chen Xihua didn't believe a single word that the so-called rich woman said!
"It was at the intersection in the northern suburbs of the county, that's where I heard it!" Fourth Sister Chen Xiuhua had recovered and noticed that everyone else was still in a daze, while Third Sister Chen Meihua was still shaken!
"Fifth Sister, are we going to fight?" Chen Jinhua perked up at the question, rubbing his hands together in anticipation!
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