Chapter 16: Earning Points

Song Yue realized she had misunderstood and quickly let go. “Sell.”

“What are you selling?”

Song Yue: “A house.”

Zhang San’s eyes lit up, his heart racing.

He had never misjudged a deal before—wasn’t this a big one coming right to him?

He lowered his voice. “Let’s step outside and talk somewhere else.”

Song Yue glanced at Zhang San. He had the aura of a street hustler.

The two walked out of the black market and found a deserted alley.

Zhang San kept a wary eye on the alley’s entrance. “Do you have the property deed?”

Song Yue: “I didn’t bring it. If you can take two houses, I’ll go get the deeds now.”

Two houses?!

Zhang San turned back to look at Song Yue. “Why are you selling them?”

Song Yue’s expression darkened, her voice heavy. “My stepbrother stole the job position my mom left for me.

My stepmother secretly signed me up to be sent to the remote Northwest and pocketed the settlement fee. I have no money to buy anything—I can only sell the houses…”

The Northwest?!

Zhang San’s eyes widened. This girl’s biological father and stepmother were ruthless!

She was being sent to the Northwest? Just look at her—so frail, a gust of wind might blow her away.

Not to mention she had no money—she’d probably starve to death over there.

As expected… once you have a stepmother, you get a stepfather too.

What a tragic life.

Song Yue kept talking in a low voice, not noticing the growing sympathy in Zhang San’s gaze.

Her voice got softer and eventually choked up. “If I go to the Northwest with nothing…”

“Ah.” Zhang San sighed. “It’s too late today. That place is about to close. Let’s meet here tomorrow at lunchtime.”

“As for the price, I need to see the deeds first before deciding, but it’ll be around a few hundred yuan per unit.”

“If it’s rare, maybe over a thousand.”

Song Yue nodded. “Alright.”

The two parted ways.

They left in different directions.

By the time Song Yue got home, the sky was dark.

A lock was still hanging on the door.

Her scumbag father hadn’t come back yet—he probably wouldn’t return tonight.

Song Tiezi and Li Huijuan had gotten into trouble, so her scumbag father had to be summoned too.

If Song Tiezi and his mother wanted a “family reunion” and decided to expose him, the three of them would all be in it together.

Even if they didn’t, it didn’t matter.

Before she left for the Northwest the day after tomorrow, she would make sure her scumbag father got sent in—so they could have their little family reunion.

Song Yue went to the kitchen to boil water, took a hot bath, and went to bed.

---

At Yang Duo’s House

After dinner, Yang Duo took out the medicine she had bought from the pharmacy earlier that afternoon.

“Mom, can you brew this for me later and call me when it’s ready?”

Mr. Yang and Chen Meiying stared at the medicine on the table, confused.

They exchanged glances, silently asking each other:

Did you get medicine?

Both shook their heads.

Seeing this, Yang Duo said, “Dad, Mom, stop playing dumb. I got this medicine myself.”

“Yueyue gave me the prescription. She said if I take a few doses, I’ll get better.”

Mr. Yang frowned and was about to speak.

But Yang Duo cut in first. “Dad, I know what you want to say, but don’t.”

“I’ve been drinking medicine since I was little—trying this won’t hurt. And I trust Yueyue. She immediately thought of me when she had a job lead.”

“Just for that, I know she sees me as a true friend.”

Chen Meiying, also trusting Song Yue, smiled at Yang Duo. “Alright, alright. I’ll brew it for you later.”

Yang Duo cheered, “Mom, you’re the best!”

Mr. Yang deliberately put on a stern face. “Fine, I’m the bad one then.

You can go send Song Yue off by yourself the day after tomorrow—I won’t be going with you.”

“You’ll have to carry all her stuff yourself. Let’s see if you can manage.”

Hearing that her dad was going to help send off Song Yue and even help carry her things, Yang Duo got excited.

“Dad!”

She ran over, wedged herself between her parents, and hugged their shoulders, rubbing against them affectionately.

“Mom and Dad are both the best!”

“Ah~ I love you guys~”

Chen Meiying gently pushed her away. “Alright, go rest. I’ll brew your medicine later.”

“Got it!”

Yang Duo went back to her room.

Chen Meiying turned to Mr. Yang. “We still have two cans of malted milk powder at home, right?”

Mr. Yang wasn’t sure. “I think so? Why are you asking?”

Chen Meiying recounted what she had seen and heard at the factory earlier that day.

“You should take a can with you when you go the day after tomorrow. That girl has had a tough life. This afternoon…”

Mr. Yang’s expression suddenly changed, his voice rising. “What?! They sold Song Yue?!”

Chen Meiying was startled and quickly covered his mouth. “Shh! Keep your voice down! If Duoduo hears, it’ll be a mess.”

Mr. Yang nodded.

Chen Meiying removed her hand.

Mr. Yang was still struggling to process the fact that someone had sold their own daughter. “They’re going to prison for that, right?”

Chen Meiying nodded. “Yeah, there was a huge scene at the factory gate. They were taken away on the spot—I doubt they’ll get out.”

“Duoduo and Song Yue get along well, and she really helped when we needed it with the job. I think we should help her out when we can.”

Chen Meiying asked, “What do you think?”

Mr. Yang didn’t answer right away.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Let’s do as you say. If Song Yue is as good as Duoduo says, she’ll be grateful.

We only have one daughter—having someone to help her in the future wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“We still have that new cotton quilt, right? It gets cold in the North. Pack it for her, along with that flawed fabric… never mind, just take care of it.”

“Get everything ready, and I’ll bring it the day after tomorrow.”

A smile appeared on Chen Meiying’s face. “Alright.”

---

The medicine was ready.

Yang Duo drank it, brushed her teeth, and went to bed.

At the very moment she swallowed the medicine—

Ding…

Congratulations, Host. You’ve gained 15 points.

Of course.

Song Yue didn’t hear the mechanical voice of joy.

She was sound asleep.

---

She had a dreamless night.

In the morning, she got up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

She glanced at the door—no one had moved the stool propped against it.

Her scumbag father hadn’t returned last night.

Retracting her gaze, she turned back to the kitchen.

She boiled some eggs.

Then went to wash her face and brush her teeth.

By the time she finished, the eggs were ready.

She soaked them in cold water for a while, poured herself a cup of hot water, and sat in the living room to eat.

Just as she finished, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.

The next moment—

The door was pushed open, and the sharp screech of the stool scraping against the floor filled the air.

Song Yue looked up.

Song Jianhua strode in, dark circles under his eyes, unshaven, visibly exhausted.

He was carrying a bag.

Song Yue instantly recognized it—it belonged to Li Huijuan.

So…

He had just come from there?

Song Jianhua walked in and immediately saw Song Yue sitting in the living room, with freshly peeled eggshells on the table in front of her.

The moment he thought about how he had spent the night in that place, getting interrogated over and over again—

And how, by morning, the officers had tossed Li Huijuan’s bag at him and let him out.

Li Huijuan and Song Tiezi were still in there, their fates uncertain.

Yet this useless girl was sitting at home, eating eggs like nothing had happened!

The frustration and rage he had been holding in exploded.

He stared at Song Yue, clenching his fists, then lunged at her.

“You useless girl! I already gave you the money, and you still went back on your word?!”

Song Yue stood up, grabbed the stool beneath her, and swung it at Song Jianhua without hesitation.