"You started fighting with your father? You disobedient and unfilial brat!"
Wu Lili's father was furious and kicked her without thinking.
The kick landed squarely on Wu Lili's lower abdomen.
She was in so much pain that she curled up on the ground, unable to utter a single word.
Wu Lili's father spat and said, "You ignorant fool!"
After saying that, he turned around and closed the gate, spitting out the words "Pui pui pui" as he bolted it shut.
Wu Lili squatted on the ground for more than ten minutes to recover, but her face was still as white as a sheet of paper.
She bit her lip hard and forced herself to stand up: "Yuanyuan, I'm sorry."
“It’s not your fault… silly girl… why did you stand up for me…” Chen Yuanyuan’s face was covered in tears.
“We’re best friends! I can’t let anyone bully you! Not even my dad!” Wu Lili’s lips were pale, but she still managed a smile.
Chen Yuanyuan and Wu Lili supported each other as they left the alley where Wu Lili lived.
It got dark.
In the end, Chen Yuanyuan decided to stay at a hotel.
She did have two thousand yuan in cash on her, which she took from the drawer of her dressing table and put on her person immediately after Chen Weixing's accident.
She had her passbook with her, but when she went to the bank to withdraw money, it was confiscated by the staff, and she was questioned for a long time before being released.
Therefore, these two thousand yuan were all her possessions.
After the two sisters discussed it, they went to the state-run hotel and booked a single room to stay in.
The two of them squeezed onto the small single bed, shivering, and barely slept all night.
The next day, Chen Yuanyuan mustered up her courage and, hand in hand with Wu Lili, went to work at the machinery factory again.
Along the way, all her colleagues and coworkers pointed and whispered about her.
Wu Lili held her hand tightly.
Unexpectedly, Wu Lili was called away by the factory manager as soon as she reached the entrance of the office building.
Of the two machine factory jobs that were originally bought from Su Ruyi and her brother, Chen Yuanyuan became an accountant and Wu Lili became a cashier, and the two worked in the same office.
As soon as Chen Yuanyuan entered the office, before she even reached her desk, the section chief came out from the inner room and shoved two water jugs into her arms in a sarcastic tone: "The whole office has been getting water for you for months, it's time you got water for us!"
Chen Yuanyuan took the kettle without saying a word and walked towards the water room with her head down.
"Oh! Isn't this Princess Chen? Why are you fetching water yourself?! Has the sun risen in the west?"
There was already a girl fetching water in the water room. When she saw her, she gave a cold laugh.
Chen Yuanyuan lowered her head and turned on the faucet.
The boiling water was steaming, and the water pressure was very high.
Just then, her boyfriend, Zuo Han, walked in.
Zuo Han is the deputy factory director's youngest son and works as the deputy director of the factory's purchasing department.
"Yuanyuan," Zuo Han called softly.
Tears immediately streamed down Chen Yuanyuan's face. She turned to look at Zuo Han and said, "Brother Han, I have nothing left..."
Zuo Han sighed, "Comrade Chen Yuanyuan, you're wrong to think like that. You still have a job, and a career to dedicate your life to. What you should do now is resolutely sever ties with your father, that big parasite Chen Weixing!"
"..." Chen Yuanyuan was completely dumbfounded after hearing these words.
"Yuanyuan, I've already written a big poster for you to draw a clear line. You can post it on the factory bulletin board later so the leaders can see your attitude!"
As Zuo Han spoke, she pulled several large-character posters from her bag behind her. "I also brought some paste. When you're painting later..."
"Get out of here!!!"
Chen Yuanyuan had already seen the content of the big-character poster attacking Chen Weixing, especially the vulgar language, which almost jumped into her field of vision.
She flew into a rage, snatched the posters, and tore them to shreds in a few swift movements.
This time, it was Zuo Han's turn to be stunned.
In his view, the Chen family was in deep trouble. He had been under pressure from his father, and not only had he not broken up with Chen Yuanyuan, but he had also stayed up all night to write a big-character poster for her to get out of trouble. Not only was she not grateful, but she even tore it up?!
Zuo Han's face turned ashen: "Chen Yuanyuan, my dad is right, you're a hopeless idiot! Let's break up!"
After saying that, he turned and left without waiting for Chen Yuanyuan to react.
By this time, the crowd of onlookers had already completely surrounded the water room.
Zuo Han angrily pushed everyone aside and stormed off.
Chen Yuanyuan's kettle was already full, but no one helped her turn it off.
Chen Yuanyuan leaned against the wall and slowly squatted down, her eyes vacant.
Boiling water overflowed from the kettle lid, continuously overflowing.
People tacitly turned on the water from other taps, as if Chen Yuanyuan was truly cursed and should not be touched.
The tap was turned off only after Wu Lili arrived.
However, at this moment, Wu Lili looked even more panicked than Chen Yuanyuan: "Yuanyuan, what should I do? My dad sold my job!"
"What?!" Chen Yuanyuan jumped up.
"My dad sold my job and even signed me up for a rural assignment! I'm leaving the day after tomorrow!" Tears streamed down Wu Lili's face uncontrollably. "Yuanyuan! What am I going to do?"
A bone-chilling coldness spread throughout the two girls' bodies.
Four equally cold hands clasped together, all trembling.
After crying their hearts out, Chen Yuanyuan wiped away her tears and said, "Lily, wait for me here."
After saying that, she picked up the two water bottles, wiped away her tears, and walked back to her office with a stern face, going straight into the inner room: "Section Chief, I need to ask for leave."
The section chief was looking at the documents, and without looking up, he said, "Not approved."
"Section Chief, in the past few months I've been working here, I haven't been late or left early even once. Even if the work you assign isn't part of my job description, I'll work overtime to complete it to a high standard! I know all the factory's accounts perfectly well!"
Chen Yuanyuan said expressionlessly, "I'm already in dire straits. If you push me any further, it will be a fight to the death."
The section chief looked up in astonishment.
Chen Yuanyuan continued, "I need to take personal leave."
The section chief pondered for a few seconds, then pulled out his pen: "A few days?"
"Three days," Chen Yuanyuan replied without hesitation.
After receiving the leave slip, Chen Yuanyuan took Wu Lili and immediately began preparing things for their trip to the countryside—they both knew that the Wu family was destitute and could not possibly provide her with any luggage.
Wu Lili was sent to a village called "Kuquan Village" on the outskirts of Bingcheng, Heilongjiang Province, by her father, where the subsidies were higher.
When she arrived at the place, she learned that the water there was salty and bitter, and that the villagers there had an average lifespan that was about ten years shorter than those in the surrounding villages.
That's why the subsidy is ten yuan higher.
However, that's a story for another time.
After hearing Chen Yuanyuan's words, Wu Lili did not make a scene, because she knew that whether she made a scene or not, the result would be the same.
She held out her hand: "Dad, give me my allowance!"
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