At night, Zhang ng lay in the warm comfort of her quilt, took out her cell phone, and posted to her Monts with a standard three-by-three photo grid. The pictures featured the beautiful scenery of the small mountain village, a table full of sumptuous food, and a selfie of her smiling cheek-to-cheek with Granny Liu.
"I am still very happy today, grateful~"
Click, send, done!
Zhang ng snuggled deeper into the fluffy covers, the scent of the sun-dried bedding in her nose, and she slept comfortably through the night.
In F city, Zhang Changfeng put his mind at ease after seeing his daughter’s Monts, Ye Qiu’s promises had indeed not disappointed him. He had only one daughter in this life, and as long as she was happy, he was content.
But Li Xin was sowhat disappointed. She had thought Granny Liu was just a conservative old lady from the countryside, but it seed the old woman was quite good to Zhang ng. However, thinking about it, it made sense because, after all, Ye Qiu might have to rely on Zhang ng’s father in the future! How could Granny Liu bear to offend Zhang ng, their cash cow.
Li Xin put down her phone disdainfully and began to consider what clothes to wear for the gathering tomorrow.
"Third Sister, I heard that your Ye Qiu has brought a girlfriend ho." Early in the morning, a loud voice sounded at the gate of the Ye Family, and Zhang ng woke up groggily from her sleep.
"Second Sister, aren’t you supposed to be at ho taking care of your grandchild? How co you have the ti to co here?" Liu Sanying was delighted to see the visitor, her sister Liu Er Ying. They had both married into Ye Village in the sa year and had kept in close touch over the years, maintaining a good relationship.
"Isn’t it because I heard that your Ye Qiu brought his girlfriend back? I ca to have a look. Why is it so late already? They can’t still be sleeping in, can they? Oh dear, Third Sister, let tell you, this is not right. Young people these days should not be indulged. Just look at my own, isn’t he obediently managed by ?" As soon as Liu Er Ying arrived, she kept nagging at Liu Sanying loudly and belittling Zhang ng indirectly in her remarks.
Zhang ng, who had slept sweetly the night before, was still dazed, but due to the poor soundproofing of the rural houses, she didn’t miss a single word. Instinctively, she took a dislike to the visitor – who was picking sides without even having t the person?
"Second Sister, Ye Qiu and ngng were tired from sitting in the car all day yesterday, so it’s normal for them to sleep in a little. Besides, what’s the rush on a cold winter’s day when there is nothing urgent to do?" After spending the previous day together, Liu Sanying’s prejudice against Zhang ng had slowly turned to fondness, and she reflexively retorted against her second sister.
Unexpectedly, Liu Er Ying raised her eyebrows high, assuming a haughty tone to lecture, "That’s no excuse. If one sleeps in on the first day, it could beco a habit of sleeping in every day. Who says there is no work to do in the winter? There’s cooking breakfast, feeding the chickens and ducks, and cleaning up – all of these are work to be done!"
"That’s an old stove, young people don’t know how to use it. Besides, the chicken coop and duck pen are dirty, it’s not suitable for them. And there’s no need to clean up; I did a thorough cleaning yesterday, and it hasn’t gotten dirty again. I’m not that ticulous."
"Oh dear, you just don’t get it, Third Sister!" Liu Er Ying glared at her own sister and glanced towards the bedroom, lowering her voice as if confidentially, "A daughter-in-law is ant to be trained. If you don’t train her now, she will surely walk all over you in the future. Aren’t you being foolish!"
Zhang ng within the house was infuriated by what she heard. Where did this obnoxious relative co from?
"How could she walk all over ? Second Sister, you’re overthinking it. ngng is really good to ; she even bought a massage footbath and a cervical spine therapy device."
"You think just because she says she bought them, she actually did? It’s probably Ye Qiu who paid for it."
Alright then, dear aunty, you’ve actually guessed it right. Zhang ng got up, feeling that she couldn’t let the situation carry on like this.
But next door, Ye Qiu was the first to go out: "Auntie, you’re here!"
Having greeted her, Ye Qiu continued, "But you got it wrong just now. I’m a poor student who relies on scholarships even for tuition. How could I afford such an expensive massager? How about it, Auntie, can you lend so?"
Granny Liu smiled sheepishly: "I’m just a rural woman, where would I get that kind of money?"
"Didn’t you tell a few days ago that Gangzi made a killing working outside?" Liu Sanying chid in imdiately. It was a reflex, but she didn’t expect her own sister to be embarrassed by this.
"Yeah, Auntie, considering how filial Brother Gangzi and Sister-in-law Gang are, they must have given all the money to you. I really am short on cash lately. You’re my dear aunt, so just lend so, I’ll definitely pay you back in a couple of years."
"You, a student from a prestigious university, short on cash?"
"Well, I’m still studying and don’t have a job yet!"
"But Auntie, I don’t have any money either. You know your nephew is going to school, and the costs are no small matter!"
"Xiao Shun is just attending kindergarten, isn’t he?"
"Oh, yes, that’s true. I tell you, Xiao Shun is so smart..."
"That makes no sense." Ye Qiu interrupted her, "Kindergarten in town is only five thousand yuan a year. Didn’t you say Brother Gangzi made a lot of money outside? It must be in the hundreds of thousands. I don’t need much, just twenty thousand yuan would be enough."
"Twenty thousand?" Liu Sanying was taken aback.
"Auntie, don’t tell you don’t even have twenty thousand yuan!" Ye Qiu feigned surprise, "Didn’t you say Brother Gangzi is the most filial to you? Sister-in-law Gang is also well-handled by you. Their money must be in your hands then. Auntie, we are family, you can trust , I’ll pay back the twenty thousand yuan very soon, and I promise it won’t interfere with Xiao Shun’s education."
"But, this..." Liu Sanying was in a dilemma.
"Auntie, you can’t even et such a request, can you? I’m your dear nephew after all. Twenty thousand yuan is just a drop in the bucket for you. Can’t you help out even this little bit?" Ye Qiu’s tone was sowhat shocked and heartbroken.
Zhang ng nearly died laughing inside the house. She had never seen Ye Qiu play such a dramatic role, and she felt quite contented inside, knowing that he was venting for her.
How could Ye Qiu not have twenty thousand yuan? Over the past two years, whenever he had the ti, Ye Qiu would take on so translation work. As the difficulty of the translation increased, so did the remuneration. Plus, he had sold a prescription to a pharmaceutical company last year. Just from profit-sharing, he made millions every year. How could he be missing twenty thousand yuan?
Hearing that Ye Qiu was in urgent need of money, Liu Sanying, who was standing by, beca anxious. Her husband had died early, and she had no real skills to help her son, so she had to turn to her sister for help: "Sister, it’s just twenty thousand yuan, just lend it to us. Rest assured, I will definitely pay you back in a couple of years. Plus, Ye Qiu is now a postgraduate student. When he starts working, he won’t have to worry about not making money. We will definitely be able to repay."
"I..." Liu Sanying was caught in a bind, extrely embarrassed. Could she admit she didn’t have the money? Could she say that all the family’s money was in her daughter-in-law’s hands? She had already bragged. Revealing the truth would turn her into a laughingstock!
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