Chapter 148 : Looking for a Meal Ticket

Zhou Ping frowned deeply. “Could it really be Yaqiu?”  

Qian Haixia began to believe it might be true. After all, Xu Yaqiu was always complaining about having no money and struggling financially.  

Her meager salary was spent on trivial things, leaving nothing for herself. Zhou Yanwen, her husband, was also a spender. Despite being married, the couple ate and lived at Zhou Ping’s home, yet they still expected to contribute little to the household expenses.  

“Just think about it,” Qian Haixia thought. ‘How could such a life be sustainable?’  

Zhou Yanwen pressed further. “It must be her! Let’s wait until she comes back tonight and ask her.”  

As if on cue, there was a loud slam of the door. The entire family turned to see an enraged Xu Yaqiu storming back into the house.  

Qian Haixia questioned her immediately. “Weren’t you at your parents’ house? Why are you back now?”  

Still fuming, Xu Yaqiu sank into a chair, silent and angry. She didn’t know what to say. Should she admit that her family had insulted and rejected her? If her in-laws found out she lacked any support, her position in this household would be even more precarious.  

Seeing her silence, Zhou Yanwen’s temper flared. “Didn’t you hear my mother talking to you? Answer me! Did you steal money from the house and send it to your family?”  

Confused, Xu Yaqiu snapped back. “What money? What are you talking about?”  

“You know exactly what I mean!” Zhou Yanwen accused. “You stole 600 yuan from my mother!”  

The accusation shocked and enraged her. She had just been berated by her family, and now she was being wrongfully accused of theft in her husband’s home.  

Standing abruptly, she declared, “I didn’t steal it! Zhou Yanwen, don’t you dare slander me! When have I ever stolen money?”  

But Zhou Yanwen refused to back down. He wouldn’t admit his own guilt. “If you didn’t take it, then who did? Let me remind you, you’re the only outsider in this family! My mother put 1,000 yuan in the closet. What kind of thief would take 600 and leave 400? Before you came here, we never lost money in this house!”  

Xu Yaqiu stared at her husband, feeling a surge of bitterness in her throat.  

‘This is the man I fought so hard to marry?’  

How ironic it was. She had once believed this man had the qualities to become a wealthy and powerful figure. But now, it was clear he couldn’t even treat her with the basic respect of a husband.  

‘This man would rather see his wife suffer than protect her.’  

Yet, leaving wasn’t an option. She had nowhere to go.  

Taking a deep breath, Xu Yaqiu steadied herself. Calmly, she turned to Zhou Ping and Qian Haixia. “Dad, Mom, I didn’t take the money. Believe it or not, but if you really want answers, call the police. Let them investigate.”  

The mention of police made Zhou Yanwen uneasy, though he didn’t dare to voice his guilt.  

Seeing their daughter-in-law’s retreat into her room, Zhou Ping and Qian Haixia could only sigh. It was clear the money had been taken by someone within the family.  

But calling the police wasn’t an option. Such a scandal would tarnish Zhou Ping’s reputation if word got out. For now, they decided to let the matter lie and keep a closer eye on things.  

—

While the Xu and Zhou households descended into chaos, things were much brighter in the Fang household.  

After completing their work on the greenhouse project, Feng Zian and his team returned, satisfied with the results. Fang Xiaoluo made her way to Honghe Village to inspect the work herself.  

The results were outstanding. Feng Zian’s team had done an impeccable job, exceeding expectations.  

Excited, Fang Xiaoluo lit a fire inside the greenhouse to test its functionality. Everything went perfectly, just as she had hoped.  

The project included three greenhouses in total, all neatly constructed on the farmland. Looking at them now, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of accomplishment.  

Fang Qiang and the others were equally delighted, but a lingering concern remained.  

“We’ve used up all the money for these three greenhouses,” Fang Qiang pointed out.  

But Fang Xiaoluo had already thought of a plan. “I’m going to the bank to apply for a loan.”  

Curious, Fang Qiang asked, “What’s a loan?”  

Not only were Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun confused, but even Fang Qiang didn’t quite understand.  

Fang Xiaoluo explained patiently, “It’s simple, we go to the bank, borrow money, use it now, and pay it back later.”  

Zhang Xinyan was shocked. “But… why would the bank lend us money?”  

Fang Xiaoluo clarified, “We can use assets like houses, land, or other valuables as collateral. Once we pay back the loan, we get our things back. To put it bluntly, while we’re using the money, our assets technically belong to the bank. If we fail to pay it back, the bank has the right to sell them off.”  

Fang Shijun mulled over it. “Oh my goodness, what if I take out a loan, spend all the money, and then can’t pay it back? That would be disastrous!”  

Fang Xiaoluo chuckled. “I’ve already asked around. Banks are actively promoting loans right now. Many people were hesitant before, but it’s much easier to get approved these days.”  

After thinking for a moment, Fang Qiang said, “Alright, we’ll follow your lead. We don’t have much, but we can use our land to secure the loan. I just wonder how much we can get.”  

Fang Xiaoluo teased, “You really trust me that much?”  

Zhang Xinyan smiled warmly. “Of course, you’re our daughter. Why wouldn’t we trust you? Besides, ever since you returned, our family’s life has only improved. Your father’s health is getting better, and look around, everyone in the village envies us.”  

“Alright then, it’s settled,” said Fang Xiaoluo. “We’ll apply for a loan, and with the money, we’ll plant vegetables in the greenhouses.”  

She meticulously planned which crops to plant in each greenhouse and made sure to leave behind enough spiritual spring water for the seedlings.  

The decision was finalized, and the next morning, Fang Xiaoluo and her family headed to the bank to apply for the loan.  

All the necessary paperwork was ready, and they used their land as collateral. As she had expected, the process was smooth, and their loan application was approved within three days.  

Though it would take another fifteen days for the funds to be disbursed, it didn’t hinder their plans to start planting immediately in the greenhouses.  

—

On the morning of the 6th, when Fang Xiaoluo woke up, she noticed Zheng Lanhua wasn’t around, though there were eggs boiling on the stove.  

As she considered what to do next, Shen Haifeng came running out of the house. “Mom, Grandma said she’s not cooking today, she went to the cafeteria to get food.”  

Fang Xiaoluo laughed. “Did Grandma find another meal ticket that’s about to expire?”  

Shen Haifeng grinned sheepishly. “I’m not sure.”  

Meanwhile, Shen Haiping was sweeping the yard, and Shen Jinxia was wiping down furniture. Both kids were unusually active in helping with chores, especially this early.  

Leaning against the door, Fang Xiaoluo asked, “What’s so special about today?”  

Shen Haifeng hesitated. “It’s nothing special. We just… really enjoy working hard!” Then, without waiting for a reply, he darted out to the vegetable garden to pull weeds.  

Fang Xiaoluo stepped outside the yard and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh scents of soil, cucumbers, and tomatoes. She had no idea today was her birthday.  

Her birthday in this life didn’t match the one she had before her time travel. What’s more, she had never celebrated her birthday in her past life.  

No one had ever celebrated it for her. For as long as she could remember, her birthdays were always lonely, no different from any other day.  

To her, birthdays only served as a painful reminder of solitude. Over time, she stopped acknowledging them altogether.  

After a while, Zheng Lanhua returned, carrying a large bag of breakfast items.  

“Come, come, everyone, time to eat!”  

While clearing the table, Fang Xiaoluo noticed the eggs were nearly done, so Zheng Lanhua pulled them out of the pot and added them to the spread.  

The table was filled with an unusually lavish breakfast: stuffed pancakes, steamed dumplings, buns, fried cakes, and delicate flower rolls.  

Blinking in surprise, Fang Xiaoluo asked, “Mom, did you win the lottery today? Where did you find so many meal tickets?”