Chapter 21 Debt Collection
In the No. 2 workshop of the textile factory, the female textile workers, dressed in dark blue overalls and wearing work hats, were almost constantly inspecting the looms, keeping their eyes and ears open.
Each female worker was responsible for ten looms, shuttling between the machines throughout the entire process, keeping an eye on the fabric produced by each loom to see if there were any yarn skips or breaks.
If a spindle breaks, you must immediately walk over quickly, pull out a spare yarn from the small yarn tube at your waist, pinch the broken end with your left hand, and quickly twist and splice it with your right hand. The action must be quick and completed within ten seconds, otherwise the adjacent yarns will become tangled.
Experienced textile workers would usually be very attentive to the sounds of the machines, and if they heard even the slightest "click," they would immediately stop the machine and inspect it.
After changing her gauze, Ding Manman slowly stood up, supporting her lower back. She couldn't help but gasp, her brows furrowed tightly.
However, two blushes appeared on her delicate and fair face. Although she was exhausted, she felt sweeter than if she had eaten honey.
She didn't go home at noon; she stayed with Brother Bin. Recalling what happened at noon, Ding Manman couldn't help but drift off into thought. Brother Bin is so amazing!
Moreover… Ding Manman couldn’t help but touch her belly. She had to think of a way to get Brother Bin to marry her.
She wasn't that big fool Cheng Cheng, blind and carefree. A thoughtful look flashed across Ding Manman's eyes.
-
The afternoon sun streamed in through the window, and the sewing machine made a rhythmic "clack-clack-clack" sound. Xu Fengying stepped on the pedals, moving them up and down in a regular motion.
Little Lingxiao moved a small stool and sat at the door, reading her comic book.
After a while, the sewing machine stopped clicking. Xu Fengying bent down and took scissors to trim the loose threads. "Xiaoxiao, the little dress is finished. Come and try it on."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxiao immediately looked up, put down his comic book, and ran over.
Xu Fengying reached out to take off her granddaughter's clothes and change her into a new dress, but Xiao Lingxiao held down his own clothes, preventing his grandmother from taking them off.
She pursed her lips and looked at her grandmother, "I'll dress myself~"
"Oh, so young and already knows how to be shy? Fine, fine, our Xiaoxiao will dress herself, Grandma won't watch!"
Little Lingxiao took the new dress from his grandmother, ran into the bedroom with his short legs, and closed the door behind him.
This little one is already shy. He's only three years old. In the village, kids his age still run around in open-crotch pants, urinating and defecating anytime, anywhere.
A smile appeared on Xu Fengying's face. She waited outside the door for a while and then asked the little girl, "Are you dressed yet? Grandma will come in and help you."
Hearing the noise, the little girl inside immediately sped up and shouted to the outside, "Alright!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Fengying pushed open the door and went in, her loving face full of gentle smiles.
The little girl held up her skirt with both hands to show it to her grandmother, her little face beaming with smiles and her two dimples blooming to their fullest extent.
"Let's turn it around twice so Grandma can see it."
Okay~
The sleeveless dress is light green with a slightly flared floral design at the bottom, which is very stylish. Xiao Lingxiao's skin is already fair, and the green color makes the little guy look even fairer.
Xu Fengying held the clothes up to her a few times; they fit her perfectly, not too big, not too small. Actually, the clothes were made a bit too big, with a few inches tucked in inside. Children grow quickly, and if they can't fit into them next year, they can add another inch or two so they can still wear them.
"So beautiful! Our Xiaoxiao is so beautiful, she looks good in anything!"
Little Lingxiao tilted his head back, twitched his chin, and smiled brightly. He ran to his mother's dressing table, stood on tiptoe, and reached for the mirror.
Xu Fengying smiled and went over to give it to her. Her little granddaughter's love of beauty and vanity was just like her daughter's!
The little girl looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, and smiled at her reflection. Her mother said that girls who smile a lot are lucky. The dress her grandmother made for her was so beautiful. Her mother designed it and said it was unique and only she had one!
Unfortunately, her mother wasn't here, and Xiao Lingxiao felt a little disappointed. She wanted to wear it for her mother!
"Grandma~"
Little Lingxiao tilted her head back, wanting her grandmother to take her to the library to find her mother.
Xu Fengying stared at the corner behind the door, somewhat surprised: "Why is there a burlap sack here?"
She walked over, opened the bag, and peered inside. She was even more puzzled. It was a bag of clothes, and... She reached in and grabbed a ginger-yellow shirt. She thought she had seen her daughter wear this shirt before. How did it end up stuffed in the sack, all wrinkled up?
Xu Fengying rummaged through all the clothes inside, most of which her daughter had only worn once or twice before she hadn't seen her wear them again.
She's told her daughter about this several times, that she should know how to save money and be thrifty. Every time her daughter agrees, she goes back to doing what she wants and won't listen to reason.
She has a stubborn and inflexible temper. She has loved beauty since she was a child, and she was still immature even after getting married and becoming a mother. Fortunately, she found a good in-law family. Her in-laws in the capital are understanding of their daughter-in-law raising the child alone and often send her packages and money.
Although the son-in-law can't come back, he hands over his monthly salary, which is enough to support his daughter's antics!
Thinking of this, Xu Fengying felt extremely disappointed in her daughter. She was so ashamed of her daughter that she had lost all face.
She felt guilty for keeping this a secret from her daughter, even though she had to clean up her mess. This brat had been living too comfortably; she and her husband had spoiled her too much, making her lose all sense of propriety!
It seems the old saying is true: "Spare the rod and spoil the child." This brat needs to be taught a lesson!
Xu Fengying beckoned to Xiaoxiao, calling her over and asking her if she knew how her mother stuffed clothes into a sack.
Xiao Lingxiao tilted his head and said, "It wasn't Mom who put it in; Aunt Ding brought it and it was already in the bag."
"Aunt Ding?"
Xu Fengying frowned. Her daughter seemed to have a classmate surnamed Ding. What was that girl's name again? Was it Ding Kuaikuai or Ding Manman?
However, why are my daughter's clothes with Ding Kuaikuai or Ding Manman?
"Xiaoxiao, think carefully and tell your grandma why your Aunt Ding has your mother's clothes?"
Xiao Lingxiao has a very good memory. She can remember everything she has seen. She can even recall which clothes her mother bought and when, and which day Aunt Ding borrowed them. She can recall almost everything.
...
Xu Fengying's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot again. She couldn't help but reflect on herself once more. Where did she go wrong in educating her daughter? All five children were raised in the same way and educated in the same way. How come her youngest daughter's brain is like a pig's brain?
It wasn't that she was insulting this brat; maybe even a pig's brain is smarter than hers!
Xu Fengying was completely baffled. After pondering it for an entire afternoon, she finally came to the conclusion that she hadn't been beaten enough!
The youngest daughter was the most beautiful among the children, pretty and cute, with a sweet and talkative mouth. She was also the youngest child, and she and Xiangyang were twins, so she and Aiguo inevitably favored her a bit.
Xiangyang has been a mischievous kid since he was a child, and he's been beaten countless times. After serving in the army for a few years, he seems to have matured now. His little girl has been beaten the least, which is why her personality has become a bit eccentric.
At 5 p.m., Cheng Cheng left work on time and came out of the library, but did not see her mother and Xiao Xiao at the entrance.
She couldn't help but feel a little strange. Wait, why didn't her mother come to pick her up from get off work?
Has her mother come to a realization?
Never mind, it's a good thing for her anyway. She just misses her work partner a little. She's not used to Xiaoxiao not being here this afternoon.
Holding a bunch of cilantro I'd gotten from Grandpa Wang, I hummed a little tune as I headed home.
"Mommy~"
Little Lingxiao, like a little cannonball, immediately pounced on his mother upon seeing her and hugged her leg.
After being separated from her mother for an afternoon, Xiao Lingxiao missed her mother very much. Although she was happy to be with her grandmother, she preferred to be with her mother.
"My darling Xiaoxiao, have you missed me?"
Cheng Cheng squatted down and kissed the little guy on the cheek.
In the kitchen, Xu Fengying heard the noise and walked to the door, looking at her coldly. "Xiaoxiao, play in the yard for a while. Grandma has something to say to your mother."
"You, come in."
Xu Fengying gave her daughter a cold look, then turned and went into the kitchen.
Cheng Cheng's alarm went off instantly!
Her mother's tone sounds off!
There was a prelude to an impending storm. Cheng Cheng immediately tried to recall what she had done that afternoon, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, but she had no clue what to do.
He dawdled, not wanting to go in and face his mother's storm of anger. After all, when his mother gets angry, she really can hit people! And it really hurts!
"Xiaoxiao, Mom has a question for you. What did you do with Grandma this afternoon? Was Grandma angry?"
Little Lingxiao looked at his mother, seemingly a little puzzled, but answered her question honestly, counting on his fingers: "Grandma took my measurements and made clothes for me, two dresses and a pair of pants..."
Cheng Cheng frowned, but she couldn't hear anything wrong with it. Surely she couldn't have lost her mind.
"That's right, Mom!"
Xiao Lingxiao remembered, "Grandma asked me, 'Mom, why did you use a burlap sack to pack the clothes?' I told Grandma, 'It wasn't Mom who packed them, it was Aunt Ding who packed them.'"
She didn't like Aunt Ding. Now, recalling the old lady's expression at the time, it seems that the old lady started to get angry from that moment on. But this has nothing to do with her mother. It wasn't her mother who packed clothes in sacks!
She tilted her little face up, her two dimples peeking out, looking forward to her mother's praise and kisses.
Sacks, clothes, Aunt Ding, Cheng Cheng's face was ashen, it's all over!
"Cheng Cheng! Get in here now, or do I have to go and fetch you?"
Xu Fengying's voice rang out slowly, and Cheng Cheng detected a sinister threat in it.
Is it too late to run now?
Cheng Cheng looked left and right, trying to find a defensive shield for herself, but unfortunately, she couldn't find a suitable one.
"Mother?"
Little Lingxiao looked up at his mother, not understanding why her mood had suddenly soured.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng stared at the little guy, but then shook her head. What if her mother lost her temper and beat her in front of the little guy? Then she would lose all face.
Cheng Cheng abandoned the idea, stood up with a death wish, and instructed her precious Xiao Xiao: "Xiao Bao, no matter what noise you hear while you're playing outside, you can't come in!"
She absolutely had to save face in front of the little guy!
Okay~
With each step, Cheng Cheng's gait grew heavier. She peeked out from behind the door and cautiously pleaded, "Mom, let's talk things out. You can't hit children!"
"If you point out anything I'm doing wrong, I'll correct it immediately without hesitation!"
Xu Fengying sneered. Now you know fear? What were you doing back then? You really won't learn unless you're beaten. You wouldn't listen to reason. A beating will teach you to behave.
Xu Fengying was such a shrewd and capable person, how could she have given birth to such an unlucky daughter?
Xu Fengying grew angrier the more she thought about it, her voice icy cold, "Get in here!"
Cheng Cheng didn't dare to dawdle any longer and exhaust her mother's limited patience, so she immediately crawled inside and closed the kitchen door the next moment.
She immediately made a statement: "Mom, Xiaoxiao is still outside. Please, Mother, give your daughter some face as a mother. Also, this house isn't soundproof, so let's keep our voices down and not let the neighbors hear us."
Cheng Cheng leaned against the door, keeping a distance from the furious tigress, and a sincere expression of repentance appeared on her face: "Mom, I was wrong, and I'm correcting myself now. I lent the clothes to Ding Manman, but I've figured out her true colors now and have gotten them back."
"Believe me, I'm really trying to change!"
Cheng Cheng immediately slid down to her knees, deciding that admitting her mistake first was definitely the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences!
As it turned out, she made the right bet; Xu Fengying's complexion seemed to improve slightly, but only slightly.
Cheng Cheng subconsciously reflected on herself. Was her apology not weighty enough?
It's alright, she can continue. She'll definitely calm Ms. Xu Fengying down!
The stack of self-criticisms she wrote over the years was no joke!
"mom……"
"Tell me honestly, is there anything else you're hiding from your mother?"
Given her daughter's past record, Xu Fengying believed less than half of what she said, not even a third. Moreover, if she hadn't discovered it, this brat could have kept it a secret forever!
Cheng Cheng had barely uttered a single word when her mother interrupted her, staring at her with sharp eyes—her mother's perception was terrifying!
Cheng Cheng hesitated, wondering whether to confess now and be treated leniently, or resist and be punished severely, or to keep it a secret for now and get through this ordeal first, even if it meant being punished by her mother for multiple offenses later.
As soon as her daughter stuck her butt out, Xu Fengying knew what kind of poop she was taking. She had just suspected something and asked a question, and sure enough, there was something fishy going on!
As soon as Xu Fengying made a move, Cheng Cheng took off running, and the mother and daughter circled around the table.
"Mom, calm down!"
"I'll talk, I'll talk!!"
I have to tell you, it's a waste of talent that her mother didn't become a private investigator!
Cheng Cheng honestly confessed to her "crime," and that she had truly realized her mistake, and had a deep understanding of it. She was actively correcting it and had seen initial results, recovering 42.32 yuan.
Xu Fengying was furious. Did this brat think money grew on trees? Did she not care about the money she earned through hard work? She just lent it to her without a second thought!
No matter how much Cheng Cheng pretended to be obedient, admitted her mistakes, or knelt down, it was all in vain. Xu Fengying caught her and gave her a severe beating!
Cheng Cheng was on the verge of tears, but she couldn't even find a place to cry. She covered her bottom and cried out, "Mom, you have no manners!"
"I've already confessed and asked for leniency, and you still hit me! The police don't lay a hand on criminals during investigations. You're being unreasonable!"
"reason?"
Xu Fengying spat, "Did it work when I tried to reason with you and patiently explained things to you before?"
She still tries to reason with me! Sometimes I really want to strangle that brat!
She was so angry that her heart was pounding!
Cheng Cheng is very good at reading people. As soon as she noticed that her mother's expression was off, she carefully helped her mother sit down and said, "It works! It works! Mom, it'll definitely work if you reason with me now!"
Cheng Cheng is now free of burdens. Anyway, her mother knows everything she needs to know, and she's already beaten her. The situation couldn't be worse than it is now.
She became even calmer, but her butt hurt a little!
It seems she can't sit on it; it hurts at the slightest touch. It's a waste of her mother's strength to use it to beat someone up.
She picked up the kettle, poured herself a glass of water, and said respectfully, with the demeanor of a dutiful daughter, "Mom, have some water."
Xu Fengying wasn't buying it. Her little girl had been like this since she was a child. Whenever she made a mistake, she would try to please others and never learn her lesson. In the past, she made small mistakes all the time but never big ones. Now, she was making big mistakes. It was just that she hadn't been beaten enough before, so she hadn't been taught properly!
She picked up the cup and gulped down the entire glass of water, but Xu Fengying's anger had not subsided and showed no signs of improvement.
He slammed his hand on the table, glared at her, and stood up menacingly.
Cheng Cheng trembled, "Mom...Mom, what are you doing?"
Xu Fengying turned her head to look at her daughter, and her palms started itching. This brat was driving her crazy!
He said irritably, "Go collect the debt! Otherwise, you'll be keeping it for the New Year!"
"oh."
"Mom, wait a minute, I'll go get the account books."
Cheng Cheng didn't dare to refute at all and immediately went to get the account book kept by the original owner.
The scene of collecting debts was too bloody and violent to bring Xiaoxiao along, so Cheng Cheng entrusted the little guy to Aunt Ma's house next door.
Although she was close to Sister Xiaojuan, it wasn't appropriate because Old Lady Zhuang lived next door, and she didn't want Xiaoxiao to see the old lady's disdain.
Moreover, I don't know if Sister Xiaojuan went back to her parents' home. I haven't seen or heard anything from her all day.
Xu Fengying walked ahead aggressively, while Cheng Cheng followed with small, hurried steps, whispering worriedly, "Mom, should we call our eldest sister? It's too weak for just the two of us to collect the debt."
They have a large and powerful family, while she and her mother are the only two. Although her mother is incredibly strong, she's too small and weak to fight back!
Upon hearing this, Xu Fengying narrowed her eyes, stared at her youngest daughter for a moment, and said decisively, "Your sister knows about this too?"
Holy crap, her mom's intuition is way too sharp!
Under her mother's stern and intimidating gaze, Cheng Cheng nodded in less than three seconds.
I'm so sorry, big sister!
Then Xu Fengying turned a corner, changed direction, and went to the meat processing plant's residential compound.
When they arrived at the tenement building, Xu Fengying did not go upstairs, but asked her younger daughter to call her older daughter downstairs.
Although she was furious, she didn't forget her limits; the fewer people who knew about this, the better.
It was bustling with activity after work, and the corridors were filled with children chasing and playing. Cheng Cheng spotted Niu Niu.
"Auntie!"
When Niu Niu saw his aunt, he immediately abandoned his friends and ran over. He thought he was being discreet, but his gaze was actually full of holes as he stared at his aunt's hands, and a look of disappointment appeared on his face.
The expression on that kid's face was so easy to understand. Cheng Cheng stretched out her hands, but they were empty.
"Alright, is your mom home? I need to talk to her."
Niu Niu hesitated for a second before replying, "My mom is washing vegetables in the washroom."
Cheng Cheng turned around and went into the washroom. She saw her sister there. The washroom was crowded and inconvenient, so Cheng Cheng didn't say what it was about, but just asked her sister to come down with her.
Cheng Ping was completely confused. She said to her son, "Niu Niu, go back and ask your sister to come and wash the vegetables."
As Cheng Ping wiped her hands on her clothes, she followed her younger sister out. When they reached the stairwell, Cheng Cheng looked around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered her voice and explained the situation to her sister.
She only explained that her mother had discovered that Ding Manman had borrowed money from her, and now her mother was going to the Ding family to ask Ding Manman for the money back.
After hearing this, Cheng Ping didn't know what to say to her younger sister. She sighed. Knowing her mother as she did, she knew her mother must be furious and might even be taking it out on her.
As she emerged from the stairwell, a glimpse from afar revealed her mother's gloomy face, furrowed brows, and tightly clenched lips. Her eyes gleamed with barely suppressed rage, poised to erupt.
This is probably not going to end well. Her mother was in the same situation when she got into fights in the village; she had seen it before.
Cheng Ping rushed over and called out, "Mom."
Xu Fengying didn't give her eldest daughter a kind look either. Her eyes widened, and she launched into a tirade, "You're messing around with your sister too?! Such a big thing, and the two of you sisters teamed up to keep it from your old mother?!"
At this moment, Cheng Cheng spoke up weakly: "Actually, no, Mom, you're the second person to know."
The implication is that no one else knows, and it's not like they're deliberately colluding to keep it from you alone; well... everyone is treated equally.
Xu Fengying's anger was rising rapidly. Cheng Ping knew her mother well and quickly said, "Mom, let's go now."
Cheng Cheng shrank back and followed behind. She didn't mean to upset her mother; she just wanted to help her sister divert her mother's anger.
Anyway, she already has a lot of weaknesses, so this doesn't make a difference. Besides, Cheng Cheng isn't an ungrateful person!
Xu Fengying led the way, followed by Cheng Ping and Cheng Cheng, the two sisters, as they marched aggressively toward the residential compound of the No. 2 Textile Factory.
The house allocated to the Ding family was not in a good location, on the first floor of a tenement building. Although they didn't have to climb stairs, it was damp, especially during the humid season when the floors and walls were wet. Moreover, the first floor didn't get much natural light.
Right now, every household in the tenement building is cooking. Everyone has come home from get off work, and the aroma of food wafts through the stairwell.
The original owner of this body had been to the Ding family before, so Cheng Cheng knew where Ding Manman and her family lived, and directly took her mother and older sister to the Ding family.
"Clap clap clap—"
Xu Fengying pounded on the door loudly, which attracted the attention of several other households in the building who peeked out from behind the door.
"Who is it? Coming!"
Jinmei put down her chopsticks, her face showing impatience. Who is it that's knocking on the door at mealtime?
As soon as she opened the door, before she could even see who it was, her hair was pulled. Jinmei twisted her neck, hissed, and gasped.
"Are you Ding Manman?"
Jinmei sensed the anger in the other person's tone and quickly said, "No, no! I'm her sister-in-law!"
Immediately afterward, her hair was let loose. Jinmei wanted to confront the other woman, but when she looked up and saw the woman's expression, she immediately backed down.
"Please, come in."
Jinmei, being very perceptive, immediately moved aside, wondering to herself how Ding Manman had offended this older woman and caused her to suffer as well.
She couldn't help but gasp, clutching her scalp. Having already given birth to several children, postpartum hair loss had left her with very little hair. This woman started pulling at her hair right away—ouch, it hurt so much!
Xu Fengying stormed in, looked around, and immediately set her sights on the girl with braided pigtails. Without saying a word, she started hitting her.
With one hand pulling at her braided hair and the other slamming her hand on the table, her sharp eyes intimidated everyone else into remaining still.
Ding Dazhuang: "Hey, comrade, what are you doing? Let's talk this out."
"That's right, that's right, little sister, please let go of my Manman first. Let's talk this out, you can't resort to violence!"
Who's your little sister?
Xu Fengying wasn't having any of it. She slammed her hand down, making the bowls and chopsticks on the table rattle and crash. She glanced down at the dishes on the table and immediately flew into a rage!
"Well, your Ding family has raised a fine daughter. She's so young, yet she can already lie and cheat people out of more than 400 yuan from my daughter. You're living the high life while I'm eating and drinking well. Do you think my family's money grows on trees?"
As she spoke, Xu Fengying slammed her hand on the table again, "If you don't return the money today, I'm not done with you!"
"My daughter is easy to fool, but I'm not someone to be trifled with!"
Ding Manman's head was pulled back, her scalp tingling. At first, she didn't know what was going on, but when she saw Cheng Cheng looking at her with a guilty expression, she immediately understood everything.
Her worst fears came true!
It’s over! It’s over!
Ding Manman had only one thought in her mind—it's all over!
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Author's note: Only two days until National Day! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
Goodnight, my darlings~
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