Chapter 236: Disappointment

When Zhang Dezhen and his son Zhang Dongze got home, it was already past eleven at night.

When Wang Chunni heard the noise, she came to ask, but then she found out that they hadn’t seen Luo Qiao at all today. Wang Chunni immediately began to cry.

Zhang Dezhen was already exhausted and hungry. He’s irritated from being beaten earlier today. He snapped, “Stop crying, it’s annoying. Dongze and I haven’t had dinner yet. Is there anything to eat at home?”

Wang Chunni hadn’t cooked that night. Her sister-in-law Zhou Xiaomei had prepared and delivered the meal. Hearing that the father and son hadn’t eaten, she felt some pity and hurried to the kitchen, crying as she prepared dinner.

In Ji City, after work, Yao Chengxuan felt uneasy as he noticed strange looks from people in the residential compound. A friendly neighbor said, “Chengxuan, Lili is growing up. You need to manage her better.

Look at what she did today, everyone in the compound has been laughing about it all afternoon. She’s getting older and soon will be married. If she causes more trouble, it might hurt her reputation and she won’t find a good match.”

Yao Chengxuan didn’t know what had happened at home so he rushed back. When he arrived, he saw the kids were there and heard cooking noises from the kitchen.

His younger daughter, obediently bringing a basin of water, said, “Dad, wash your hands first, dinner will be ready soon.”

Yao Chengxuan asked, “What happened at home today?”

His second son, Yao Pengrui, looked at his elder sister who had just entered the house and said, “I heard from Grandma Wang next door that elder sister did something big today. She stopped Sister Luo Qiao from entering our house and said she was afraid Sister Luo Qiao would stay here.

Sister Luo Qiao said she just came by to see you and Mom, but elder sister said Sister Luo Qiao ate a lot of our food when we’re at the farm and demanded compensation for eleven years’ worth of grain. To be honest, I didn’t come back at noon but I heard from mom that Sister Luo Qiao is this year’s city high school top student.

Sister must have been eyeing the bonus in sister Luo Qiao’s hand. The dinner next door was fish tonight and it’s originally from Sister Luo Qiao. Grandma Wang said that Sister Luo Qiao had brought it along with some eggs for us, but elder sister forced her to give up eleven years’ worth of grain money.

Sister Luo Qiao didn’t have enough cash, so she sold the fish to make up the amount and gave it to elder sister.

By the way, the main point is that Grandma Wang said elder sister used 22.50 yuan—No, Sister Luo Qiao gave 22.50 yuan to settle everything with us, so we no longer owe her any favors.”

After understanding this, Yao Chengxuan thought about how everyone had looked at him on the way back. He shouted into the house, “Lili, come out here.”

Yao Lili, who had just hidden inside when she saw her father return, felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing his call. She realized that her younger brother had already told their father about what happened.

Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of the courtyard. Yao Chengxuan yelled, “Yao Lili, what are you up to? I heard you settled things with Luo Qiao today on behalf of me and your mom, right?”

Yao Lili replied, “She was the one who wanted to settle things, so it’s not my fault.”

Grandma Wang, from next door, commented over the wall, “Today’s kids are so good at making excuses. I really have to admire them.”

After hearing Grandma Wang’s words, Yao Chengxuan stepped forward angrily and slapped his eldest daughter. “You’re grown up now and will be getting married soon. You’re ruining your own future.”

Yao Lili responded, “For whom? Didn’t you call earlier? The head of Qingshan Village said Luo Qiao came to the city for recuperation. When she brought a basket of vegetables in the afternoon, I naturally thought she wanted to stay here.

In our family, only you and brother earn money. My brother is just a temporary worker, and it’s already tough to support our whole family. Why should we also support an unrelated person? I was just trying to avoid getting involved.”

Yao Chengxuan said, “Have you thought about how much good food Luo Qiao secretly gave you all when you were at the farm? She shared with you the treats she received from the Yuan and Yang families.

How many times a month did she give you food? It was more than twice a month, right? If you convert that into the wild vegetable porridge we had at the farm, how many bowls would that be?

Yao Lili, you really know how to count. You think Luo Qiao should compensate you? Based on that, you’d actually owe Luo Qiao. You had wild vegetable porridge, while she gave you White Rabbit candies, canned beef, and even fruits in cans several times. Why don’t you compensate her, huh?”

Yao Lili murmured, “Those things weren’t even hers. They were from Old Man Yuan and the Yang family. What’s the big deal if we ate some? She wouldn’t get any at her own home, so it’s better for us to have some.”

Yao Chengxuan was shocked by his eldest daughter’s attitude. Her narrow-mindedness and unreasonable behavior were truly disappointing.