Shen Mu Ning spent the afternoon running around, basically preparing all the supplies for the trip to the countryside. After everything was settled, she felt a bit hungry, so she ate another meal at the state-run restaurant and also packed three dishes to take home.
By the time she came out of the state-run restaurant, it was already five o'clock. There was still one bus back to the county town at this hour, so Shen Mu Ning didn't delay any longer and went straight to the station. Although there was nothing in that house that she would miss, there was still a big show to be performed, and before that, she couldn't afford to give Shen Guo Liang any leverage over her.
Shen Mu Ning returned home at exactly 7 p.m. The Shen Guo Liang family had just finished dinner, and Shen Lin was preparing to clear the dishes.
When Shen Lin saw that Shen Mu Ning had returned, she was the first to criticize: "Shen Mu Ning, where did you go? You're all better now, so you should stay home and do chores instead of running around like crazy."
Shen Lin had been seething with anger since noon. Shen Mu Ning's fever had clearly subsided last night, yet she wasn't home to cook today, causing Shen Lin to be scolded by her mother when she returned at noon and forced to cook for the whole family on an empty stomach. In the afternoon, Li Hongmei wouldn't let her leave the house, insisting she stay home to do laundry. If Shen Mu Ning hadn't been away, she wouldn't have been scolded and had to do so much housework.
Shen Guoliang and Li Hongmei didn't react much. Anyway, Shen Mu Ning had always been the nanny of this family. Today, she actually dared to run away. Shen Lin had to teach her a lesson so that she would be more obedient in the future.
Shen Mu Ning glanced indifferently at Shen Lin and Shen Yu, who was watching the show from the side, and then looked directly at Shen Guo Liang: "Second Uncle, can't you live without me as your free nanny?"
Shen Guoliang was furious at her gaze. Before he could speak, Li Hongmei stepped in to defend him: "Mu Ning, how can you talk to your second uncle like that? What free nanny? Which family's child doesn't do some chores at home? Our family is considered well-off. In other villages, children can work in the fields at the age of ten."
"Ha, Auntie, what you're saying makes no sense. I do all the housework every day. You've never let Shen Lin and Shen Yu lift a finger." Shen Mu Ning thought to herself, amused. Her second uncle's family was well-off thanks to Shen Guo Dong.
"Mu Ning, is this how you talk to your elders? Didn't you learn to respect your elders at school?" Shen Guoliang tried to use filial piety to pressure her, but Shen Mu Ning didn't care. He, Shen Guoliang, hadn't supported her for even a day or two.
Shen Mu Ning, impatient with Shen Guo Liang's words, interrupted him directly: "Alright, Second Uncle, stop with the high-sounding words and get down to business! I heard you're going to send me to the countryside, or to take Shen Lin's place?"
Li Hongmei said matter-of-factly, "What do you mean by taking your cousin's place? You were supposed to go to the countryside anyway."
"Really? So Auntie doesn't take the national policies seriously, and doesn't even care about the rule that only children can't go to the countryside?"
Upon hearing her bring up national policies, Shen Guoliang dared not let Li Hongmei speak anymore and turned to Shen Mu Ning himself: "Mu Ning, look, your name has already been registered and there's no way to change it. Why don't you just go to the countryside?"
Shen Guoliang tried to smooth things over and get Shen Mu Ning to accept the spot, but Shen Mu Ning wouldn't let him have his way: "Second Uncle, it's not that I can't go to the countryside in place of Shen Lin, it's just that you have to compensate me with one hundred yuan."
Li Hongmei was furious when she heard that she was asked to hand over money: "You shameless bastard, you want money? You're dreaming!"
“Then I’ll go to the educated youth office and report it. My household registration isn’t at my second uncle’s house.” Shen Mu Ning said nonchalantly, but Shen Lin instantly tensed up. If Shen Mu Ning really went to report it, she would have to go to the countryside. In that instant, she felt a deep hatred for Li Hongmei and Shen Mu Ning. Why wouldn’t Shen Mu Ning obediently go to the countryside, while her mother wouldn’t even spend a hundred yuan on her!
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