Chapter 40 "It's so good to have an older brother."...
Chapter 40
Yu Pan remembered the one cent so clearly because the day it broke happened to be during winter vacation. Shen Yanzhou was tutoring him at the time, and while he was listening, he was fiddling with the money in the bag and accidentally tore a hole in it.
He tried to patch it up with tape, but it looked too ugly after he finished. So he took a red pen from his pencil case and traced the crack, trying to make it less noticeable.
This pen is quite special; it was a New Year's gift from one of Shen Yanzhou's clients. It's deep red with subtle gold shimmer. Later, Yu Pan wanted a different color, and Shen Yanzhou took him to every department store and stationery shop in Lanzhou, but they couldn't find a similar one.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Yu Pan, we've already given you the money, how can you still slander me?"
A flicker of panic crossed Zheng Xinghao's face, and his voice rose, "This is clearly my money! And it's a tattered one-cent coin, who cares? Or do you think you're so rich that all the money in China belongs to you? I'm just trying to compensate you, and you're still picking a fight?"
“This is mine.” Yu Pan said firmly, without raising her voice or being intimidated by Zheng Xinghao’s imposing manner.
He folded the one-cent note and pointed to the crack drawn in red ink, "I drew this red mark."
Several classmates, drawn by their voices, gathered around curiously.
Zheng Xinghao scoffed, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. He spread his hands and said to the onlookers, "Yu Pan, are you alright? Just because you drew a red line on a worthless piece of paper doesn't mean it's yours. Can't anyone draw a couple of lines with a red pen? Your reasoning is ridiculous!"
Yu Pan didn't argue with him anymore. Instead, she picked up her pencil case and took out a ballpoint pen that looked very delicate.
He didn't look at Zheng Xinghao, but instead addressed the classmates watching from the side, saying word by word, "My red pen is different; the color is very dark, and there is gold powder in the ink."
As Yu Pan spoke, she casually scribbled a few lines on the draft paper. Sure enough, the red lines that appeared on the paper were deep red and shimmered with a subtle golden luster under the light, which was very unique.
Then he picked up the controversial one-cent note and showed everyone the red ink used to depict the cracks on it. "Look at the color, and the gold glitter inside, it's exactly the same as my handwriting."
The students watching were all curious and crowded around to compare, even Ling Luo glanced at it and then raised an eyebrow.
The red marks on that banknote, both in color and the faint golden sheen, closely matched the characteristics of the marks Yu Pan had just made on the paper; they were definitely not something that could be imitated by an ordinary red pen.
Zheng Xinghao's face turned deathly pale instantly. He forced himself to say, "That...that doesn't necessarily mean...maybe others have this kind of pen too..."
“Also,” Yu Pan interrupted him, turning the banknote over to the back and pointing to an irregular small white spot, “the day this banknote cracked, I tried to stick it back together with tape, but I tore it off later. The color here was partially removed by the tape. I remember this mark.”
"You...you're talking nonsense! How can you prove that this is your money from that day..." Zheng Xinghao's voice began to tremble, and his logic became incoherent. "And what makes you think this money is yours? You haven't even taken out your own purse to look at it!"
Yu Pan caught the key information in his words, her clear black and white eyes staring quietly at Zheng Xinghao, "How did you know I used a 'money bag' to store the money?"
Zheng Xinghao choked abruptly.
Yu Pan took out his purse from his schoolbag. Since there was nowhere to spend money at school, he had never taken out his purse before.
In front of everyone, Yu Pan poured all the money out of the box onto the table and began to count it.
“I originally had 277 yuan in here, seven of which were small change, including the broken 10 cents,” Yu Pan counted out. “I paid for the laundry fee from this, so after deducting 30 yuan, I should have 247 yuan left…”
“…Now,” Yu Panqing finished counting the money and looked straight at Zheng Xinghao, “there are only 211.6 yuan here, which is 35.4 yuan short.”
The surroundings were silent. Everyone was still shocked by the 'huge sum of money' that Yu Pansui was carrying in her bag, but they slowly came to their senses.
Zheng Xinghao not only knew that Yu Pan brought money to school, but also that Yu Pan carried money in a money bag!
Stealing money is bad enough, but to steal money to compensate the victim? This is simply absurd.
Ling Luo crossed her arms and spoke coldly from the side, "Heh, Zheng Xinghao, you're really something. You take someone's money and then give it back to them. What's wrong with your brain?"
Then someone in the crowd said, "Zheng Xinghao, I think I saw you going back to the classroom during PE class on Tuesday..."
These words were like the last straw, completely breaking Zheng Xinghao. Overwhelmed by immense shame, fear, and the panic of being exposed.
"I'm sorry, Yu Pan! I was wrong! I was really wrong! I'll definitely pay you back your money, please don't tell the teacher..."
Yu Pan's face remained expressionless; she simply tidied up her own money on the table and put it back into her purse.
He didn't look at Zheng Xinghao, who was crying his heart out, but everyone around him felt that Yu Pan, who usually seemed quiet, introverted, and even a little soft-spoken, was now exuding a kind of... detachment.
It looks strangely frightening.
Yu Pan's initial goodwill towards Zheng Xinghao, which stemmed from the game of Gomoku, had completely vanished. He was too lazy to get entangled with someone like that anymore.
Ultimately, he didn't choose to report it to the teacher immediately, but instead gave Zheng Xinghao a deadline—
I must pay back all of this 35.4 yuan tomorrow.
When she got home that evening, Yu Pan told Shen Yanzhou everything that had happened.
Shen Yanzhou first checked whether he was injured or frightened. After confirming that he was alright, she vigorously ruffled his hair, her eyes full of pride: "You did a very good job. You were observant and had clear logic."
“However,” Shen Yanzhou changed the subject, “next time you encounter something difficult to handle, don’t try to tough it out. You can call me and ask me to come over.”
“Yes!” Yu Pan nodded. “I only spoke up after I was sure I was right.”
"Brother knows, our Panpan is the most reasonable person." Shen Yanzhou praised him with a smile.
-
The next day, Yu Pan also received the money back from Zheng Xinghao.
Since that incident, Yu Pan has never spoken to Zheng Xinghao again. Zheng Xinghao also asked the homeroom teacher to change his seat. The classmates who used to make a fuss around him seemed to have noticed something and stopped bothering him.
Yu Pan was quite satisfied with the unexpected peace and quiet. She thought the matter would end there, but she didn't expect that the matter of calling Shen Yanzhou would come so quickly.
Just a week later, on Monday morning, Yu Pan had barely sat down in her seat and hadn't even put her schoolbag down properly when her homeroom teacher appeared at the classroom door with a serious expression. "Yu Pan, come out here for a moment and come to the office."
Yu Pan was called to the office for the first time, and before he could even figure it out, he was already in the teachers' office.
Pushing open the door, Yu Pan saw Zheng Xinghao standing to one side with his head down, and a middle-aged couple sitting on the stool next to him, both dressed in decent work clothes.
The man had a furrowed brow and a serious expression, while the woman's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying.
Before even entering the room, Yu Pan felt a little suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere.
“Yu Pan,” the homeroom teacher closed the door, walked behind her desk and sat down, her tone much more serious than usual, “Zheng Xinghao’s parents are here today to inquire about last week… the matter concerning the clothes and money. I would like to verify this with you.”
No sooner had the homeroom teacher finished speaking than Zheng Xinghao's mother stood up abruptly. "What else is there to verify! Teacher, it's him! He's the one who extorted money from our Xinghao. Thirty yuan for washing two pieces of clothing? Why doesn't he just rob us!"
The woman slumped into a chair, covering her face and weeping, "They drove my child to desperation, even instigating him to steal money from home to pay it back... What is this if not extortion?!"
Zheng Xinghao's father patted his wife on the shoulder, then looked at Yu Pan, putting on a reasonable demeanor, but the bias and pressure in his words were obvious.
"Yu Pan, it's understandable that Xinghao was wrong to accidentally get clothes dirty during playful fights between classmates. But isn't it a bit outrageous to charge thirty yuan for laundry?"
"Uncle and Auntie don't earn money easily. Thirty yuan is not a small amount. It's enough to feed our family of five for more than half a month. Are you... still angry because Xinghao dirtied your clothes before? So you deliberately said a little more?"
"If that's the case, you can tell your uncle that we should calculate the laundry fee reasonably and settle on whatever amount is due, okay?"
Yu Pan was stunned by the barrage of accusations and twisted logic. He tried to calm himself down, saying, "I didn't extort you. He's the one who dirtied the clothes. Thirty yuan was the price the laundry shop quoted. I have a receipt. Stealing the money was his own business. I didn't force him."
"Listen to this! Teacher, listen to this!" Zheng Xinghao's mother immediately shouted, "He's still trying to deny it! Xinghao already said that you forced him to do it, otherwise why would he take the money! Our Xinghao never lies!"
“Yu Pan,” Zheng Xinghao’s father’s tone also turned serious, “you need to provide evidence when you speak. Who knows if your clothes are really that expensive? Who knows if the receipt from the dry cleaner is genuine? Or did you agree with the dry cleaner to rip them off?”
"I didn't! The receipt is real!" Yu Pan was both angry and anxious, her face turning red.
"Who can prove that you're in cahoots with the laundry shop owner!" Zheng Xinghao's mother persisted. "I think you just think our Xinghao is easy to bully. How can someone so young have such a vicious mind!"
"Alright, alright, calm down, everyone." The homeroom teacher tried to smooth things over, looking at Yu Pan, "Yu Pan, you see... this matter... the price of the laundry fee, can we discuss it again, and have everyone compromise..."
"Teacher, can I call my brother over?" Yu Pan interrupted the homeroom teacher, her gaze sweeping over the family of three beside her. "Let him come and talk to you."
The people in the office were stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting this seemingly quiet and introverted young man to suddenly make such a request.
Zheng Xinghao's father frowned, as if he felt offended. "Call your parents? What, do you think we're bullying you? We're just trying to reason with you."
"Yes! Call them! Call their parents here!" Zheng Xinghao's mother seemed to have found a new outlet for her anger. "I was just about to ask them how they raised their child! How could they raise such a fraudulent child!"
The homeroom teacher looked at both sides and sighed, "Alright, Yu Pan, go outside to the hallway and use the office phone to make the call."
Yu Pan didn't look at the family of three again. She left the office, walked to the telephone in the corridor, picked up the receiver, and dialed Shen Yanzhou's number.
The moment the call connected and she heard Shen Yanzhou's voice, Yu Pan felt a surge of grievance and dependence. Her nose stung, and her voice became muffled.
"elder brother…"
"Panpan?" Shen Yanzhou immediately noticed something was wrong with Yu Pan's voice. "What's wrong?"
Yu Pan sniffed and recounted what had just happened to Shen Yanzhou, "I can't argue with them... they're being unreasonable, come quick..."
Shen Yanzhou told Yu Pan to wait at the school, and that he would be there soon.
In less than half an hour, Shen Yanzhou appeared at the end of the corridor. He was wearing a well-tailored suit and overcoat, with a cold expression and quick steps, exuding an aura that could not be ignored.
Since Shen Yanzhou hadn't come, Yu Pan didn't want to go into that office, so she simply squatted against the wall and waited for Shen Yanzhou to arrive.
"Panpan?" Shen Yanzhou walked a few steps to Yu Pan, and the first thing he did was carefully examine his face. "Are you alright?"
Yu Pan shook her head. "I'm fine. They're inside."
Shen Yanzhou nodded, put his arm around his shoulder, and pushed open the office door.
Hearing the commotion, everyone in the office looked over. When Shen Yanzhou led Yu Pan in, the somewhat noisy office instantly quieted down.
Zheng Xinghao's father, who had initially looked impatient, softened his expression slightly after seeing Shen Yanzhou's attire and demeanor.
Zheng Xinghao's mother also looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared with some surprise and uncertainty.
The homeroom teacher quickly stood up: "And you are?"
"I am Yu Pan's older brother, Shen Yanzhou." Shen Yanzhou's scrutinizing gaze swept over Zheng's parents. "I heard that you believe my brother is extorting your child?"
Zheng Xinghao's father coughed lightly, intending to repeat his previous explanation. "Mr. Shen, is that right? The thing is, it was a fight between classmates..."
Shen Yanzhou raised his hand to interrupt him, turned his gaze to the homeroom teacher, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Teacher, please, I need to understand what accusations my brother has been made against him at school. Please repeat what just happened."
With just a few words, Shen Yanzhou took control of the situation. Under his gaze, the homeroom teacher somewhat awkwardly recounted the argument that had just taken place.
Although he tried his best to remain neutral in his retelling, it was still possible to discern which side he was biased towards.
After listening, Shen Yanzhou's face remained expressionless, but his eyes grew increasingly cold.
He turned to Zheng Xinghao's parents, his voice still low: "So, you unilaterally believed your son's words and came to the school to accuse my brother of extortion without any evidence?"
At this point, Shen Yanzhou's tone grew even colder: "And they tried to pressure him into giving up reasonable compensation? They even questioned the authenticity of the laundry's official receipts?"
Zheng Xinghao's father was somewhat embarrassed by his father's barrage of questions, and clearly lacked confidence. "That's not what we meant... It's just that thirty yuan to wash two pieces of clothing is really too expensive. Who in an ordinary family would be willing to spend that much... And thinking about classmates, is it possible to..."
"Whether the price is reasonable or not is determined by the market and professional institutions, not by your feelings." Shen Yanzhou interrupted him again, showing no intention of continuing the argument.
He took the laundry receipt from the inside pocket of his coat and placed it on the table. "Here's the receipt. If you have any questions, you can go to the laundry to verify it."
“If you insist that my brother is still extorting money,” Shen Yanzhou looked at Zheng Xinghao, who was trembling and pale with fear beside him, “I don’t mind going somewhere else, like the police station, to clarify this matter completely.”
The moment the words "police station" were uttered, Zheng Xinghao's parents trembled. For ordinary people, such places carried a natural sense of fear.
Zheng Xinghao's mental defenses were completely shattered. He burst into tears, tears and snot streaming down his face, his voice hoarse.
"Dad...Mom...I was wrong, I was really wrong! I lied! Yu Pan didn't force me, I was just too scared to ask you for the money...that's why I stole your money..."
The son's confession was like a resounding slap in the face to Zheng Xinghao's parents.
Zheng Xinghao's father's face turned pale and then red, so ashamed that he couldn't utter a single word of explanation.
Zheng Xinghao's mother was also completely dumbfounded. Looking at her son who was crying bitterly, and then at Shen Yanzhou with a cold expression, all her anger disappeared, leaving only bewilderment.
Then, remembering what she had done, she covered her mouth and let out a suppressed sob.
Shen Yanzhou looked at them coldly: "Now, do you understand?"
"I...I understand now." Zheng Xinghao's father was sweating. "Mr. Shen, I'm sorry, we didn't understand the situation and misunderstood Yu Pan. I'm really sorry..."
He pulled his wife, who could barely stand, and kept bowing and apologizing.
“Brother…” Yu Pan, who had been silent since Shen Yanzhou arrived, finally spoke.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Shen Yanzhou looked down at him.
Yu Pan shook her head and looked at the family of three opposite her. "Zheng Xinghao, you haven't apologized to me for stealing my money."
Zheng's parents were stunned again. "Xinghao...did you steal money from your classmate?"
Zheng Xinghao sobbed, nodded heavily, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "...I'm sorry! Yu Pan! I'm sorry...I shouldn't have stolen your money! I really know I was wrong! I'm sorry!"
"Xinghao... how could you... how could this happen!?" Zheng Xinghao's mother burst into tears, completely losing control of her emotions.
Shen Yanzhou ignored them and looked at the homeroom teacher, saying, "Teacher, the matter is clear. I hope the school can provide appropriate education to Zheng Xinghao regarding this matter."
The homeroom teacher nodded quickly: "Of course, Mr. Shen, don't worry, we will handle it."
After this farce, even if Yu Pan was in the mood for class, Shen Yanzhou would still have to ask for leave for him and keep an eye on him.
He looked down at Yu Pan, his gaze softening. "Take the day off? How about coming to work with me?"
"Um!"
As soon as Yu Pan stepped out of the teaching building, she felt that the air was much fresher.
He looked up and saw Shen Yanzhou's profile soften in the sunlight. The grievance of being wronged had long since disappeared, replaced by an overflowing sense of security and pride.
So what if Zheng Xinghao brings his family to bully him?
He has an older brother!
He has Shen Yanzhou!
He's not afraid at all!
This thought made Yu Pan extremely happy, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud as she thought about it.
Hearing the laughter, Shen Yanzhou raised his hand and rubbed his head. "What are you thinking about? You're so happy to be wronged?"
“I was thinking—” Yu Pan deliberately dragged out her words, “It’s so nice to have an older brother.”
"Oh? Just having an older brother is enough?"
"No! Brother must be Shen Yanzhou! Only Shen Yanzhou is the best!"
Shen Yanzhou felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction upon hearing his words. Unfortunately, they were outside and couldn't kiss, so he could only ruffle Yu Pan's hair into a mess and then tidy it up for him.
Yu Pan didn't mind and obediently stood there while Shen Yanzhou fixed his hairstyle.
"Such a sweet talker? Did you secretly eat some candy?"
"No, not at all." Yu Pan poked Shen Yanzhou's belly.
After leaving the school gate, Yu Pan got into the car and fastened his seatbelt. Suddenly, he thought of something very interesting and sweetly called out to Shen Yanzhou, "Brother."
"Hmm?" Shen Yanzhou replied casually as he looked at the road behind him.
"You said..." Yu Pan tilted her head, her tone of curiosity as if she were discussing an academic topic, "Wouldn't my behavior be considered abusing my power?"
Shen Yanzhou was still turning the steering wheel when he heard this and clicked his tongue, saying helplessly, "Who talks about themselves like that?"
"Oh, oh, oh," Yu Pan's mind raced, and she immediately changed her tune, quite smugly, "That's the younger brother relying on his older brother's power! That can't be wrong, right?"
Shen Yanzhou was already amused by him, and couldn't help but smile. "It doesn't count."
They stopped at a red light, and Shen Yanzhou continued, "We weren't 'abusing our power' just now. We were simply exercising our rights in a reasonable way, protecting ourselves, and taking back what rightfully belongs to us."
"Oh~" Yu Pan understood.
After the car started moving, Yu Pan stared at Shen Yanzhou again and suddenly called out "Brother" again.
"Um?"
"I can protect you in the future too," Yu Pan said earnestly, "like today."
"good."
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Author's Note: Panpan: I have powerful backers! [Cat emoji][Cat emoji][Cat emoji]
I rarely write these kinds of face-slapping plots, so I'll just give it a very gentle, very light comment (QAQ).
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