"Liu Zhiqing, this is something I, as a father, haven't done well. You should have given me a number, and that should have been the number I asked for," Zhou's father said, hardly daring to imagine what the villagers would think of their family if they found out.
Zhou's mother exclaimed, "Old man, you—" That's no small sum.
"I'll bring the list over when I get back; it has all the comparisons on it," Liu Zhe said, not caring about formalities, but being straightforward and honest.
Mr. Zhou felt as if his face had been trampled on.
After Liu Zhe left, he yelled at Zhou Mingjiao, "You get in here and explain yourself."
Zhou Mingjiao trembled and looked at her mother for help; she hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
There were no unexpected incidents when Liu's father came last time, so she thought the matter was over.
It's all Aunt Zhu's fault, why did she have to talk so much?
Moreover, it's Shen Banxia again. Are they just incompatible by nature? How come everything seems to involve her?
"Aren't you coming in? Do I have to invite you in, Zhou Mingjiao?" Zhou's father's voice rang out.
Zhou Mingjiao dared not dawdle any longer.
Mr. Zhou slammed his fist on the table. “Explain yourself! What’s going on? Why are they coming to our house to collect a debt?”
Zhou Mingjiao stammered as she explained what had happened, "I didn't expect it either. I thought that feeding him water was saving him, but who knew it wasn't? I was too embarrassed to say anything more after that."
"Are you stupid? Giving water is considered saving a life? Why don't you just fly to the moon? You made this mess of your own business, so clean it up yourself." Zhou's father felt dizzy; how could he have such a stupid daughter?
He is now increasingly regretting it.
Zhou Mingjiao's voice was choked with sobs, "Dad, I... I can't pay back. Those things require coupons, and those pastries and such, there's none here at all."
Zhou's father's face twitched. "You, you're going to drive me crazy!"
Zhou's mother quickly tried to soothe him, saying, "Alright, old man, Jiaojiao didn't mean it."
"You're still protecting her? I think it's all because you spoiled her," Zhou's father said angrily.
In the past, Zhou's mother would have definitely started arguing with him.
"Now that things have come to this, you should try to find a solution."
"How am I supposed to solve this? I don't have the ability to solve it. What's your situation? Don't you know? Last time, we spent two hundred yuan because of this wretched child, and now you're spending it again. Is the family really not going to make ends meet?" Zhou's father was at his wit's end.
"How about we ask my older brother and his family for some money to tide us over?" Zhou's mother didn't want to say it, but if this got out, her family would be too ashamed to talk about it, and what good young man would want to marry her in the future?
His reputation would be ruined.
When he said this, he didn't notice the recent expressions on his two daughters-in-law's faces at all.
“You can swallow that pride, but I can’t. My older brother asked me, what am I supposed to say?” Zhou’s father felt that this year’s New Year was not good at all.
"Then what do you suggest we do? If outsiders find out, then—" Your position might be in jeopardy. Considering it's unlucky to talk about these things during the New Year, I swallowed my words.
"What to do? What to do? If you had taught them properly back then, would these problems still exist?" Mr. Zhou was furious.
"Now you have the nerve to blame me? Did I give birth to this child alone? If you ask me, wasn't it the eldest son's wife who saved her? We're all family. Since it's to thank our benefactor today, let the eldest brother-in-law say something. It's like giving it to her," Zhou's mother said, quite calculating.
"You're being nice to me, but it's not so nice to talk to me. Do you think your eldest daughter-in-law will listen to you? Don't you think about how you've treated her for the past six months?" Zhou's father was really too ashamed to admit it.
Although some things were not exposed, both sides were fully aware of them.
If we have to beg the boss and the others for help now, how will we ever have the face to do it again?
"If this won't work and that won't work, then what do you suggest we do? Let's just refuse to pay."
Zhou's father was speechless; it would be better to kill him quickly.
“Zhou Mingjiao, you caused this mess, what are you going to do about it?” Zhou’s father turned his anger towards Zhou Mingjiao.
Zhou Mingjiao looked miserable. "Dad, I... I don't know what to do either."
Zhou's father wanted to beat her, but Zhou's mother stopped him.
"Spoil her all you want, let's see what she'll amount to in the future," Zhou's father said angrily.
"But you can't hit her, she's already a grown woman."
Amidst the commotion, Liu Zhe came over again and handed the list directly to Zhou's father.
When Zhou's father saw the sheet, which was as thick as a thumb, he almost fainted.
After calculating everything, his hands trembled uncontrollably. He took a deep breath and asked, "Liu Zhiqing, is this all there?"
Liu Zhe nodded, "The original order can't be found anymore, so that's all. I don't want to pursue the rest any further."
Mr. Zhou's vision blurred. He thought back to when his daughter brought him that food. What did she say? She said it was because she had helped someone and they were grateful.
Looking at the list of items such as milk powder, malted milk powder, fabric, radio, and bicycle, she felt like strangling Zhou Mingjiao.
How dare she do that?
Moreover, he didn't see the radio or the bicycle, so he knew where they were.
All in all, it comes to almost a thousand.
Forcing a smile, he said, "Liu Zhiqing, look, this amount isn't small. Could we chip in a little more?"
Liu Zhe nodded, "I'll give you a week," and then turned and left.
After everyone left, Zhou's father threw the list at Zhou Mingjiao, saying, "Look at this! Take a good look at this! You've got all this stuff! Hahaha, I really have raised a good daughter! Bicycle, radio, where are all these things?"
Zhou Mingjiao's face turned deathly pale. When Liu Zhe took out the list, she knew it was all over.
"It's been sold to someone else."
"Since you're so determined, then go find someone else to get it back for me," Zhou's father said, no longer wanting to get involved, and unable to do anything about it.
"Old man, how are you going to get these things back after you've given them away?" Zhou's mother asked anxiously.
"I don't care what methods you use, if you can't get them back, I don't care about losing face." He couldn't get these things back even if he risked his reputation.
Zhou's mother couldn't understand the list, so she grabbed Zhou Laosi and said, "Tell me what's written on this."
After Zhou Laosi finished reading out each item, Zhou's mother was dumbfounded.
How could they possibly come up with all this stuff? They can borrow money, but where can they borrow ration coupons?
If it's really all for their little girl, does that mean the whole family is doomed?
Not to mention Zhou's mother, the rest of the Zhou family were dumbfounded after Teacher Zhou read out each item one by one.
Zhou Mingjiao hid in the corner, not daring to look them in the eye.
She didn't expect it at the time; who could have imagined that Liu Zhe would be so generous?
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