Chapter 177 Sister, we will always be family
"Oh."
Lu Zheng sneered, then suddenly pulled a letter from his pocket and slapped it across Lin Guizhi's face! The envelope fell to the ground, and several sheets of paper scattered out, covered with dense handwriting.
"This is a letter from your neighbor!" Lu Zheng's voice was as cold as ice. "I know you can read, read it yourself! When you were living a life of luxury on your pension, did you never think about how your husband's body was still warm?!"
Lin Guizhi picked up the letter, glanced at it, and her face turned pale instantly. The letter detailed how she used her pension to buy wine and meat for her new husband after her remarriage, and how she left Daya to work like a slave at a relative's house!
"I...I..." Her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.
"For Da Ya's father's sake, I'll call you sister-in-law." Lu Zheng stepped forward, his tall figure making Lin Guizhi almost breathless. "Hand over the compensation, and we'll call it a day. If you dare to spout nonsense again, don't blame me for being impolite!"
The ruthlessness in his eyes was almost overflowing. Lin Guizhi had no doubt that if she said "no" again, this man would tear her apart immediately!
"I didn't..." Lin Guizhi had only uttered two words when she saw Lu Zheng bend down, pick up a blue brick from the corner of the yard, spread his five fingers, and press it into the center of the blue brick.
Crack!
Without him exerting much force, the half-brick was cleaved in two as if by a sharp knife, with powder falling off the broken edge.
Lin Guizhi's last words caught in her throat—that was a solid blue brick! He actually broke it with his bare hands?!
“Okay.” Lu Zheng threw away the broken brick in his hand and dusted off his hands. “It’s fine if we don’t pay the compensation.”
He took a step closer, and Lin Guizhi was so frightened that she retreated repeatedly, her back slamming heavily against the wall, cold sweat streaming down her forehead.
“Then go down and explain to my brother,” Lu Zheng’s voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling aura that sent shivers down one’s spine. “How did you spend all this compensation money?”
As Lu Zheng spoke, he approached Lin Guizhi step by step, his icy aura almost freezing her.
Lin Guizhi was so frightened that her legs cramped. She turned around and tried to run, but her legs felt like they were filled with lead, so weak that she couldn't control them. She collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.
"Da Ya! Comrade Lu is going to kill someone! Please save your mother!" Lin Guizhi stretched out her hand to Da Ya with tears streaming down her face, hoping that her daughter would remember their past relationship.
To everyone's surprise, Daya just shook her head coldly, a chilling smile even appearing on her lips: "What nonsense are you talking about, Mom? Lu Zheng's father wants you to go see him."
She paused, her voice as soft as a sigh, yet every word pierced the heart, "Didn't you always say you loved Dad the most? Now's the perfect time to go and reunite with him."
Lin Guizhi shuddered violently!
In the past, she always thought that Daya was a quiet person who would never fight back or talk back, and was very easy to manipulate.
But now, listening to these seemingly gentle yet barbed words, she belatedly felt a sense of fear. She didn't understand this daughter at all! This girl wasn't a silent type; she was clearly a little wolf cub pretending to be ignorant!
"No...don't come any closer!" Lin Guizhi finally broke down completely as she watched Lu Zheng's face getting closer and closer. She frantically rummaged in her bosom and pulled out a small cloth bag wrapped in layers of handkerchiefs.
"I'll give it to you! I'll give you the money! This is my last bit of savings! Ten dollars! It's all yours!"
The ten yuan was crumpled in her hand, the edges were worn. This was her last money. It was precisely because she had less and less money that she set her sights on her eldest daughter, thinking that she could sell her daughter to raise money for a bride price, so that she could save money for Xiao Bao and also benefit herself.
Lin Guizhi watched as Daya clutched the ten yuan tightly in her hand, her heart aching as if a piece of her flesh had been ripped out. She had tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead; not only had she failed to gain any benefit from the Lu family, but she had also given away her last savings. She was truly heartbroken.
"You...you're going too far!" She trembled with rage, her voice shrill. "You even steal this kind of money? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"
"Divine retribution?" Xia Qianqian seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, a cold smile curving her lips. "When you ran off with Da Ya's father's compensation money, did you ever think about divine retribution? Lin Guizhi, let me tell you, your retribution is me!"
"I act on behalf of Heaven, so I am naturally protected by Heaven. As for you, you should think about how you will get home without money for the journey."
Lin Guizhi was speechless after being rebuked by her. She glanced at Xia Qianqian and then at Lu Zheng. She shivered and dared not stay any longer. She scrambled out of the Lu family's courtyard, not even bothering to pick up the headscarf that had fallen to the ground.
Inside the house, Daya held up the crumpled ten-yuan note and walked up to Xia Qianqian: "Mom, here's the money for you."
Xia Qianqian was stunned, then gently patted her head: "Silly child, this is your money, keep it to buy candy."
"No," Daya said, shoving the money into her hand with an unprecedented stubbornness on her face. "We're a family. My money is Mom's money."
She tilted her little face up, her eyes shining like stars: "Didn't Mom say that family members should take care of each other?"
Xia Qianqian smiled and accepted the money, then said to the two children, "You're both older now, and it's time for you to have some pocket money. How about this, I'll save this money for you and give you two sisters pocket money every month."
Daya's eyes curved into crescent moons as she softly replied, "I'll listen to Mom." Her voice was still gentle, but sweet as honey.
"Mom! Mine must be the same as my sister's!" Er Ya pounced over like a little cannonball, then winked at Da Ya: "Sister, we're family, right?"
Xia Qianqian was amused by her and pinched Er Ya's little nose: "You little rascal, don't worry, you'll get your share. But it's a deal, you're responsible for your own money, and you're not allowed to secretly take your sister's money."
"Okay!" Er Ya stuck out her tongue. She had actually considered it just now, but not to steal her sister's money. She wanted to get her sister to "do business" with her!
Er Ya had long been aware of Xia Qianqian's plan to have Zhang San and the others handle supply and sales, and deal in goods. She had been making plans in her mind, but she was worried about not having enough capital. Now that she had the start-up capital, she was ready to put her skills to the test.
Xia Qianqian had just counted out four yuan from the biscuit box and given them to the two sisters when Er Ya grabbed the money and pulled Daya to the old locust tree in the corner of the yard.
The two little heads huddled together, whispering and gesturing with their fingers, occasionally letting out a low laugh.
Before long, Xia Qianqian saw Er Ya happily stack two one-yuan bills together and stuff them into her pocket, while Daya's hands were empty.
She smiled slightly but didn't say anything.
Ever since what happened with Lin Guizhi, she knew that Da Ya, though seemingly quiet, was actually quite clever, thoughtful, and decisive. For Er Ya to persuade her to "invest" the money, she must have some truly reliable idea.
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