After getting married, she planned to wait a couple of years before having children. By then, she believed she could work hard enough to make their small family thrive.

But at this moment, she didn’t know how to explain herself.

Zhao Xiaobing noticed Deng Damei practically burying her head in her chest and quickly intervened to stop his mother’s words: “We already agreed on this earlier, Mom. How can you go back on your word now?”

Xiaobing’s mother was furious.

Was it her intention to go back on her word?

It was this brat who dared to suggest splitting the family! If she didn’t agree, wouldn’t he just jump into the river?

This was their first meeting.

Deng Damei’s interaction with her future mother-in-law wasn’t exactly pleasant, but Xiaobing’s mother was a decent person. Seeing that Damei was about to leave, she gave her fifteen eggs.

After thanking her, Deng Damei walked back to her dormitory absentmindedly.

Zhao Xiaobing hurriedly caught up and called out to her, “Damei.”

“What is it?” Deng Damei turned her head.

“Let’s go sit by the river and talk for a bit,” Zhao Xiaobing suggested.

“Okay.”

Deng Damei mustered up the courage to go, her face burning red.

She was so nervous.

During the midday break, the riverside was mostly empty, but even so, the distance between the two of them could have fit three more people.

Zhao Mo hid behind a rock, peeking at them with sparkling eyes.

Later, she could share what she saw with her aunt.

“Zhao Mo!” Er Gouzi tapped Zhao Mo on the shoulder. She was acting sneaky, and it didn’t look like she was up to any good.

Zhao Mo yanked him down in one swift motion and pressed a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

“What?” Er Gouzi whispered.

Zhao Mo pointed in the direction of Deng Damei and Zhao Xiaobing.

Er Gouzi’s eyes lit up instantly: “Are they having a secret rendezvous?”

“It’s not a secret rendezvous, it’s a date!”

“Ohhh, then why aren’t they talking?” Er Gouzi scratched his head.

He had seen plenty of older brothers and sisters having secret meetings. Goodness, the things they said were so cringey—words like “sweetheart” and “darling” flying all over the place.

Of course…

The most disgusting part was the adults.

Rolling around without clothes on. He didn’t know why, but he always seemed to stumble upon such scenes. If it weren’t for the fact that they were all from the same village and he was afraid of getting beaten up for spreading gossip, he would have told everyone.

Also, fooling around like that could get you arrested.

He didn’t want to ruin anyone’s life.

Most importantly…

There were people in his own family who fooled around like that.

Er Gouzi was utterly disgusted and wished he could tell his grandmother.

Even though he was just an eight-year-old kid, he had already been exposed to so many eye-searing things. Ugh!

“They’re in a relationship, so they’re probably shy,” Zhao Mo explained.

“Oh, right,” Er Gouzi squatted down next to her and continued peeking. He whispered, “Do you think our aunt will end up with Uncle Zhao?”

“I don’t know,” Zhao Mo shook her head, then turned and glared at him fiercely. “Don’t go spreading rumors!”

“I haven’t!” Er Gouzi protested, feeling wronged.

He hadn’t told anyone that their aunt and Uncle Zhao were close, okay?

Ugh.

He had too many secrets, and it was weighing on him.

Zhao Mo nodded, somewhat satisfied. “My aunt is doing just fine. There’s no rush.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

In Zhao Mo’s eyes, her aunt was the best.

Funny enough.

He felt the same way.

Er Gouzi noticed that they were about to hold hands, so he pushed Zhao Mo aside to get a better view.

Zhao Mo was furious and kicked him, pressing his head to the ground while she stretched her neck to see.

Er Gouzi wasn’t about to back down either. He hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her to the side. The two of them started fighting for no reason at all!

But to keep watching the scene unfold, they tried their best to stay quiet.

Deng Damei and Zhao Xiaobing were completely absorbed in their own world, completely unaware that two little kids were fighting over the best spot to spy on them not far away.

Both of their palms were sweaty.

Their hearts were racing.

Everything in front of them was a blur, their minds blank, and even their breathing felt wrong!

Deng Damei’s face turned as red as a monkey’s bottom, and she stuttered, “If it really doesn’t work out… I… I’ll talk to my parents, or maybe borrow some money from Yunxi or Xiaoxiao. Once we’re together, we can pay them back.”

“It’s fine. I’ve already talked to my family. We can split the household. Once we do, we’ll have money,” Zhao Xiaobing said, though he was even more nervous than Deng Damei. Damei’s hand was so soft and small. Oh my, he felt so happy.

He really liked Damei.

She was beautiful, kind, and sincere.

On the first day she arrived in the village, he went to see her out of curiosity. She had such a lovely smile, and it was at that moment that her smile was etched into his heart.

But he was ugly and not tall.

He didn’t deserve Damei.

When Damei got together with someone else, he could only cry in bed.

Back then, he swore that if he ever got a chance to be with Damei, he would seize it at all costs.

Now that he could be with Damei, even though a hundred yuan was a lot of money, she was worth it. If it weren’t for his poverty, Damei wouldn’t be so upset. In the end, it was his own uselessness.

The only way to get a hundred yuan right now was to split the family.

His older brother had three children and had already taken a lot of money from their parents. He would earn money to raise his own children in the future, but he just needed the money for the wedding.

“No!” Deng Damei refused.

If Zhao Xiaobing split the family for her, wouldn’t that make her a homewrecker?

“Why not?” Zhao Xiaobing frowned. This was the only way he could get a hundred yuan.

“It’s just not okay. I’ll think of another way,” Deng Damei bit her lip.

Seeing her refusal, Zhao Xiaobing started thinking about who he could borrow money from. His parents would definitely give him thirty yuan.

But who could lend him seventy yuan?

Or rather, who even had seventy yuan to spare?

A figure popped into Zhao Xiaobing’s mind, and he shuddered.

“What’s wrong?” Deng Damei asked.

“Nothing,” Zhao Xiaobing shook his head.

Zhao Mo stepped on Er Gouzi’s foot and tugged his ear, threatening, “Shut up, stop making noise!”

“It hurts,” Er Gouzi whimpered.

Zhao Mo let go.

Er Gouzi kicked her to the side, gloating, “Ohhh, you think you can bully me? Hmph… Ow… my face…”

Zhao Mo punched him.

Er Gouzi’s cheek burned with pain, and he got angry. The two of them inexplicably started fighting in earnest.

Their commotion was so loud that Deng Damei and Zhao Xiaobing couldn’t help but notice.

Zhao Xiaobing was furious.

He hadn’t even held her hand long enough, and now these two brats were ruining it.

“Er Gouzi, Zhao Mo, what are you two doing?”

Deng Damei was also puzzled: “I thought you two got along well?”

“We don’t!”

Both of them denied it.

Zhao Mo said, “I’ve cut ties with him.”

Er Gouzi echoed, “Me too!”

Zhao Mo glared at him fiercely. It was him who started fighting over the spot, acting all spoiled, and then he got angry. What an idiot.

Deng Damei didn’t understand children’s friendships: “Alright then.”

Zhao Mo kicked him, watching him fall to the ground, then raised her eyebrows triumphantly and ran off.

Er Gouzi chased after her: “Zhao Mo, just you wait!”

Zhao Xiaobing noticed Deng Damei still looked worried and comforted her, “It’s fine. They’re always fighting, but they’ll make up the next time they see each other.”

“How strange.”

“It’s pretty normal. Kids in the village are all like that.”

Except for Zhao Rencheng, no one’s strength was too overwhelming. Fights and squabbles were just part of life.

Zhao Xiaobing thought about his idea and hesitated.

What if…

Just what if…

If he went to borrow money from Zhao Rencheng and he refused, would Zhao Rencheng beat him up?

But what if he could borrow the money?

For Damei, getting beaten up once would be totally worth it.