Seeing this, Liu Shile secretly pursed her lips, but smiled and said, "Mom, look at you, anyone who didn't know better would think you didn't welcome me back."
My second brother took a temporary job at the grain station during the holiday to ease the burden on the family, which is why I came back alone.
She didn't need to think to know that besides Liu Shiyi, no one else would be so gossipy as to spread their affairs around. She had never realized before that Liu Shiyi was such a chatterbox.
Now, perhaps he's been turned down a few times at school, so he's not entirely resigned to it. That's why he came home to tell us the news as soon as he got back. It's really ridiculous.
Unfortunately, she wasn't afraid of her adoptive mother at all, so she just smiled at her adoptive mother.
Then he said, "Mom, my second brother said that the family is in financial difficulty. If he receives a salary in the future, he will give the rest to the family after covering the expenses of my brother and me."
Anyone can say nice things. Liu Shile had never intended to hide her work situation, but she would never bring up the matter of living off-campus.
When Zhang Sumei heard that Liu Shihua, that brat, had actually managed to get a part-time job at the county grain station, she was shocked. She stared straight at Liu Shile and, seeing her calm expression, knew that what she said was true.
If she had previously suspected that they might have some hidden money, now that she heard what she said, she knew for sure that they had the confidence to live outside because they had found jobs.
Even so, she was filled with anger, rage, and anxiety. She wanted to curse, but she held back. Things were different between them now.
She initially thought she had their lives in her hands, but now it seems she was wrong.
"Your second brother is really working at the grain station?" Zhang Sumei must have mentally prepared herself before she stopped scolding Liu Shile and, unusually, spoke to Liu Shile with a gentle expression.
Her appearance surprised Liu Shile. She had originally thought that even if this person knew about this matter, she would lose her temper and start scolding and interrogating her.
Unexpectedly, she changed her expression quite quickly. Although her tone was still somewhat indignant, it was much gentler than before, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
This is a bit unusual.
Liu Shile thought this to herself, but since the other person had already restrained their temper, she, as a junior, naturally wouldn't give them anything to talk about, so she smiled and said, "Yes, Mom, let me tell you..."
She rattled off everything she could say, and then said regretfully, "That's why I have to go out to work every weekend and don't have time to come back for food."
"It's alright, I'm here. I can easily help my second brother bring the grain over, right, Mom?"
Looking at the sweet-smiling brat in front of her, Zhang Sumei felt incredibly frustrated. However, she had to tell herself that she couldn't treat them the way she used to and needed to be kinder.
So her expression was a little stiff. "That makes sense, but Lele, you know our family's situation. We have no income and we're just going to starve. Everything we eat and drink costs money."
So the family doesn't have much food to give you, you need to understand the family's difficulties. By the way, Lele, how much does your second brother earn from this odd job?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Shile knew that this was an excuse, but given the tone of the other person, she really couldn't argue or quarrel with them.
When her mother asked about her second brother's wages, she shook her head and said helplessly, "They said that my second brother only works one day on weekends, so he can only be paid on a daily basis, and he only gets 50 cents a day."
The contrast was too great. Zhang Sumei almost jumped up in anger, but since she had made her decision, even if she didn't believe it, she didn't immediately turn against it.
He just stared wide-eyed and said with dissatisfaction, "How come it's only fifty cents? What can you do with that little money? The temporary workers in our town who have the strength to carry loads can earn more than twenty yuan a month!"
“Those are temporary workers who go every day. My second brother only goes four days a month, but he can still earn two yuan, which is enough to buy some medicinal herbs to nourish his body.”
Since they wanted to play the family card, Liu Shile naturally had to comply. However, she could also play the family card herself, so she started talking about the importance of physical education class.
Anyway, she only had one goal: her health was very important, so her second brother's earnings were used to buy medicinal herbs to nourish her body.
As for whether her adoptive mother would be furious after hearing this, that's none of her business. She's just telling the truth, since everyone in the family is eating right now.
Only the brother and sister went to school, so they didn't get any food. After all, they weren't at home, so people had something to say. But they could earn money to buy food themselves, so it evened out.
Zhang Sumei almost lost her temper. If what this brat said were true, how many cents would they have left each month?
They're clever enough to find a temporary job to earn money and keep their bodies healthy so they'll have the energy for everything in the future. Dream on!
“Your second brother is still growing. He won’t earn much money working a day a week. Why don’t you just quit? It’s not so tiring to come home, is it?”
Her intentions were so obvious, and Liu Shile wasn't stupid; how could she not know what she was planning? Unfortunately, they couldn't possibly let her have her way.
She understood perfectly that, in any era, whoever controls the economy (food) holds the power of life and death.
Previously, this power was in the hands of my mother, so no one dared to openly oppose her at home. But now, they have their own resources, so things are not the same as before.
This made the adoptive mother feel like she had lost control, so she tried every means to take back her authority, but she couldn't possibly give up the initiative.
So she smiled and said, "Didn't Mom say that the family is in a difficult situation right now? As the man of the family, my second brother should naturally take on some of the responsibility."
Besides, my second brother is at the age where he's practically a teenager and will eat his father out of house and home. If he goes back, not only will he not earn any money, but he'll also consume even more of the family's food. It's not worth it at all!
Her words left Zhang Sumei speechless. After all, she had just said those words herself, but now this brat had used them to shut her up!
So she immediately became serious and said, "Fine, fine, you've all grown up and your wings have hardened. You won't listen to anything I say anymore. I can't control you anymore!"
"Fine, since you're so capable, do whatever you want. Don't come asking me for tuition, food, or anything like that anymore!"
Not paying tuition, food, or living expenses was the best way Zhang Sumei could think of to squeeze every last penny out of them. After saying that, she stormed into the house in a huff.
As soon as she entered the house, she began to cry to Liu Weisong, telling him how hard she had worked and how difficult it was for her, and how none of the children she had raised with such care listened to her.
Even though he knew she had ulterior motives, Liu Weisong still felt a little soft-hearted when he saw her wiping away tears. He could only gently coax her, telling her not to think too much, and that both of her children were filial.
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