Bai Lian quickly reassured her, "No, that's not true. She just hurt her arm and is in a bad mood."
After saying that, she said sadly, "I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I keep breaking my leg or my arm."
Bai Yan looked at the small one-bedroom apartment. The only room had already been occupied by Xiao Li, and he didn't want to sleep on the sofa.
"Auntie, where will Xiaohe and I sleep tonight?"
Bai Lian said with difficulty, "Xiao Li is injured. She'll be sleeping in the room, so the three of us will have to sleep in the living room."
Seeing that Baiyan looked unwell, she immediately changed her mind and said, "You two sleep on the sofa, I'll sleep on the floor."
Bai Yan said with a long face, "How can we sleep on the sofa? Xiao He and I still need to find jobs. How can we find good jobs if we don't have any energy?"
Bai Lian was also in a dilemma. Since moving, her daughter's temper had grown, and she no longer listened to her.
Getting Xiaoli to give up her room is no easy task, especially since her daughter is injured and it's really not appropriate for her to sleep in the living room.
"Actually, it doesn't matter where you sleep. The sofa is quite comfortable. You two can make do for now, and you can move out once you find jobs."
Baiyan and Baihe exchanged a glance; neither of them had ever considered moving out.
"Alright then, we'll sleep on the sofa, and Auntie will have to sleep on the floor."
"But Sister Li is so disrespectful to her elders! How could she let her aunt sleep on the floor while she sleeps in the room?"
Lily nodded in agreement.
Bai Lian looked at them with a face full of relief, "You two are so filial. My brother is so lucky to have you two."
★
Xiao Li put a cooling talisman on herself and slept soundly until dawn.
The next morning, there was a commotion outside.
Because there was no air conditioning in the one-bedroom apartment, the two siblings woke up in the middle of the night because of the heat.
"What kind of dilapidated house is this? How can anyone live in such a hot place?"
“Yes, Auntie, this house is too old. Let’s move to a new one.”
Bai Lian was heartbroken. She wanted to, too, but she had no money.
She had spent all the money she had earned in the past few months. Rent, food, and Xiaoli's dressing changes all cost money. She only had enough for the living expenses of a few people left. If she misappropriated the money, she would be left with nothing.
"Auntie, what do you say?"
Bai Lian gave an awkward laugh, "You two stay home and behave yourselves, I'm going to work."
Xiao Li came out of her room, ate her breakfast (she couldn't let those two idiots have it for free), and went back to her room to lie down after finishing.
Looking at Xiaoli's expressionless face, Baihe felt inexplicably scared and dared not order her around like before.
"Brother, Aunt's family is too poor. Last night I asked her, and she showed me her card. She only has a few hundred yuan for living expenses. The two of us can only sleep on the sofa here. It's too uncomfortable."
Lily ate the tasteless white porridge and took big bites of steamed buns. She felt disgusted, but her mouth told her the truth.
Baiyan was also troubled. Last night, his aunt didn't let him sleep in the room. He didn't want to sleep on the sofa either, as nothing was as comfortable as a bed.
"Let's settle down here first, where else can we go? There's food and drink here, it's better than outside."
"Uh-huh……"
Xiao Li chuckled to herself as she listened to their plan. "You two will soon find out just how poor your aunt's family is."
Bai Lian quickly spent her few hundred yuan, and with another week until payday, the four of them were really going to starve.
"Auntie, are you really out of money? We're so hungry."
Bai Lian couldn't believe it either. She had clearly planned to use the money until the end of the month, but now, with only a week left, the money was gone.
"Let me think of something, let me think..."
Finally, Bailian received an advance on her salary so that she could make it to payday.
The store manager was very dissatisfied. She said that the girl who was supposed to come to work was in her twenties, but something happened as soon as she started working. She only agreed to let her mother take over because she felt sorry for the mother and daughter.
But this substitute work has been going on for way too long; it's been almost half a year, and we still haven't seen him.
"Aunt Bai, how is your daughter's health? Is she able to come to work?"
Bai Lian said with a pained expression, "Manager, could you please give her a few more days? Her arm is almost healed..."
"What? Not legs?"
Bai Lian was taken aback, and said embarrassedly, "Yes, her leg healed, but her arm broke, so..."
"So she's a troublemaker, so you don't need to come to work tomorrow. Go collect your paycheck and get out of here!"
The store manager was angry. She couldn't even come up with a better excuse for lying. Did she think she was a fool? Would she believe her?
"Manager, I'm telling the truth, I'm not lying to you."
The store manager ignored her and drove away.
Helpless, Bailian could only take her wages and go home.
After dinner, Xiaoli went back to her room, leaving the three of them staring at each other.
"Auntie, if you don't go to work now, how will you pay the rent?"
Bailian was also worried. Her daughter couldn't work, and she couldn't find a job either. Did she really have to become a cleaner?
She was too tired to go, but looking at the brother and sister, she suddenly had an idea.
"Xiaoyan, Xiaohe, how's your job search going?"
Baiyan Baihe fell silent, and Bailian could tell at a glance that they hadn't found it.
"Auntie, we don't have high levels of education, and it's hard for us to find jobs. Please don't send us away."
Bai Lian's heart softened. "Don't rush, let's search slowly, slowly..."
That evening, Bailian went to Xiaoli's room.
"Xiao Li, is your arm better? I got fired, and now we have no source of income..."
Xiao Li looked at Bai Lian and touched her arm.
"Mom, I'm not better yet, but I'll go find a job tomorrow. I promise I won't let you go hungry."
Bai Lian was moved to tears, "Good, good, my daughter has grown up and knows how to care for people."
Xiao Li helped Bai Lian back to her room. As they passed the door, Bai Lian felt something hook her foot, and she lost her balance and fell backward.
"mom……"
Xiao Li stepped forward to shield Bai Lian from behind, only to be knocked to the ground by her. The two fell face-first into a heap; Bai Lian's legs were numb, and it took her a while to get up.
When she saw Xiaoli still lying on the ground, she quickly helped her up. Xiaoli's arm was "broken" again, so she couldn't go to work now.
Baiyan and Baihe whispered to each other, "Our aunt's family is so unlucky. Now neither of us has a job, and we won't be able to benefit from them anymore. We might as well go back to our hometown as soon as possible."
The two reached an agreement and prepared to flee the next day. But this time, the escape won't be so easy.
That evening, Xiao Li showed the two of them the thorny vines, which were the poisonous vines she had found before. They had been optimized in her space for many generations and were now able to control their toxins on their own.
The two siblings immediately lost feeling in their legs, but remained unaware of it while asleep.
At dawn, a piercing wail rang out.
"Ah... my legs, why can't I move my legs?"
"Take me to the hospital quickly! Call an ambulance!"
Bai Lian went to bed late last night, and she was woken up shortly after falling asleep.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?"
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