Chapter 94
Aunt Xie's face grew darker as she listened to Zhong Lan memorizing every detail so clearly.
This bitch, when did she start keeping track of the accounts so clearly behind her back?! She couldn't even remember how much she owed Zhong Lan, and she had no intention of paying it back anyway.
After reading the account book, Zhong Lan said, "Mom, why don't you pay us back the 98 cents we owe you while Yao Hong is here? Yao Hong gives us 10 yuan a month for household expenses, so we shouldn't have to pay extra for groceries."
Yao Hong looked at Aunt Xie and said nothing, but his meaning was similar to Zhong Lan's.
He already has money for the family, so why should he be asked to pay for groceries? Then what does the money he gives to the family every month go to?
When Aunt Xie saw Yao Hong's expression, she felt that her son and she were becoming increasingly alienated, and it was all caused by Zhong Lan, the troublemaker!
She said unhappily, "I'll give it to you in a minute!"
"Why don't you give it to me now? I'm afraid you'll forget it again. You've already forgotten it four times, which is why you owe me 90 cents." Zhong Lan insisted.
"I'm still eating. Is it necessary to ask me to get it right away so urgently? I'm not an outsider. Can I run away with the money?" Aunt Xie yelled angrily.
"Okay, after we finish our meal, Yao Hong and I will remind Mom." Zhong Lan smiled at Aunt Xie and said, "Mom, you eat first."
Aunt Xie was in no mood to eat. She felt that her daughter-in-law was becoming increasingly difficult to control. Every time she tried to dig a hole for Zhong Lan, she failed to lead Zhong Lan into it, but instead led herself into it.
After finishing the meal, as soon as Aunt Xie put down her chopsticks, Zhong Lan said with a smile, "Mom, ninety-eight cents."
As she spoke, she kicked Yao Hong under the table.
Although Yao Hong didn't dare to ask so directly, he looked at Aunt Xie with a sharp gaze.
Aunt Xie felt so suffocated that her chest was blocked and she almost couldn't breathe.
"I really owed you this in my previous life! I'll get it now!" Aunt Xie got up and went into the house.
After a while, Aunt Xie came back with 98 cents, but she didn't give the money to Zhong Lan, but to Yao Hong.
"As a son, you still ask your mother for money back! Count and see if there is a penny missing!" Aunt Xie said to Yao Hong, glaring at Zhong Lan secretly.
After counting, Yao Hong smiled at Aunt Xie and said, "Nothing less."
Zhong Lan took the leather envelope from Yao Hong's hand and said, "I'll take it."
Zhong Lan put the leather envelope and the small notebook back to their original place in the room.
In fact, when Yao Hong asked her why her money was less and what she had bought, Zhong Lan felt a little uncomfortable.
It turns out that Yao Hong gave her money every month hoping that she would save it all and did not expect her to spend a penny, or even spend it on herself.
Yao Hong also had five yuan in pocket money every month, while she seemed to get eight yuan a month, but she couldn't spend a penny on herself. She had to explain to Yao Hong how she spent the money.
However, Zhong's mother told her that nothing can be achieved overnight.
It is a big progress that Yao Hong is willing to take the financial power of their small family back from Aunt Xie and give it to her.
For the rest, she'll have to take her time.
…
By January 1975, Ye Fuyue had finally finished drawing the design for the wardrobe Director Li had requested. After finishing her work that morning, she went to the furniture factory to present the design to Director Li.
When Ye Fuyue was leaving the slum, she was seen by Cui Yongfang and Aunt Liang.
Ye Fuyue also saw them. Seeing Cui Yongfang's hands were red from the cold from washing clothes, she shook her head inwardly and quickly slipped away.
Cui Yongfang didn't realize that she was being pitied, and was washing clothes diligently.
Seeing Ye Fuyue leaving the compound, she said to Aunt Liang, "Why is the Shen family's daughter-in-law out again so early in the morning? She really has so much free time every day!"
Aunt Liang was sitting nearby, bored, chatting with Cui Yongfang: "I heard Ye Fuyue is drawing furniture designs for a furniture factory. She goes there every now and then, and many people in the next yard have seen her."
"Why is she drawing furniture? What kind of furniture does she need to draw?" Cui Yongfang didn't understand and was disdainful.
"The cabinet that Master Wan sent to her before was made by the people at the furniture factory based on her own drawings. Since then, the furniture factory has been asking her to draw furniture drawings." Aunt Liang said.
"So she is a temporary worker in the furniture factory?" Cui Yongfang asked.
"No, I heard that they paid her a certain amount of money for drawing a picture. I don't know the exact amount, I haven't found out yet."
"In that case, she might as well go directly to work in a furniture factory. At least she would have a formal job and wouldn't have to run around like a street urchin all day." Cui Yongfang said.
"That's what I thought, too." Aunt Liang said, "When I heard about this, I thought the Shen family's daughter-in-law was really stupid. She didn't seize such a good opportunity to work in the furniture factory. She was drawing blueprints for the furniture factory all day long. She should have been given a job there. It would have been much more stable in the future. What's the point of being like this now?"
Cui Yongfang smiled sarcastically: "So many people want a job, but can't get it. But she is so lucky, the job has been thrown on her head, and she doesn't even know how to reach out and take it."
"Who said it wasn't? This Shen family's daughter-in-law is a brainless, spendthrift woman."
Cui Yongfang and Aunt Liang mocked Ye Fuyue, while Liang Tianxiong played by himself next to them.
When Cui Yongfang raised his eyes, he saw a thin, dark young man pulling coal. Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu were walking on both sides of the cart, holding the coal on the cart.
Cui Yongfang whispered, "Is he a distant relative staying at Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu's house?"
"Yes, his name is Fang Ping." Aunt Liang replied in a low voice.
Cui Yongfang nodded and said to Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu, "Aunt Liu, Uncle Liu, your relatives are helping you haul coal!"
"Yes!" Aunt Liu replied with a smile, "It's getting cold, and the coal is running out quickly. The old man and I can't haul so much coal. Fang Ping said he's free today and can help us."
"Oh, your distant nephew is so considerate!" Aunt Liang sighed in a pretentious manner.
"Fang Ping is indeed a good guy." Uncle Liu also replied with a smile.
Then Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu waved their hands, indicating that they could leave first.
After the three of them had gone far away, Cui Yongfang said to Aunt Liang, "Is Fang Ping really a distant relative of Aunt Liu's family?"
"I don't know. That's what Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu told others."
"Fang Ping has been living in Aunt Liu's house for a while, right?" Cui Yongfang asked.
"It's been two or three months." said Aunt Liang.
"That's not a short time he stayed there! But I seldom saw Fang Ping with Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu together. I only saw the three of them together today," said Cui Yongfang.
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