Chapter 62:  It Turns Out That Money Was for Fang Qing’s Travel Expenses

Lin Yuyao laughed angrily, “So you chose to pay back your sister first?”

Lu Jiangting hung his head without speaking.

She said angrily, “You borrowed from me first, shouldn’t you pay me back first?”

“I’m sorry.”

Hah, sorry again.

If sorry worked, they wouldn’t be in this situation.

“Hmph, who wants to hear your apologies? Pay back the money.”

“I’ve already sent it back. I’ll definitely pay you back when I get my next month’s salary.”

Lin Yuyao: …

He’s spouting nonsense without the money.

She pushed him away and returned to the shop.

She didn’t want to speak to him without the money.

…

Her photos were developed, and Song Qin called to ask if she was free to come and choose them.

Lin Yuyao thought that although it was still in Nancheng, it was too far.

There were no direct buses; she’d have to transfer four times to get there.  It was too much trouble to go.

She decided to let Song Qin choose.

On the other end of the phone, Song Qin smiled, “That’s fine. I chose the third photo from your second outfit.  I’ll have Xiao Chen leave early today to deliver the rest, including the negatives and remittance slips, to you.”

Lin Yuyao was pleasantly surprised, “The royalties are also here?”

“Yes. You said you were short of money last time, so I followed up and had them transfer the payment to you as soon as possible.”

Lin Yuyao was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly.

She had just received her salary yesterday – a whole month’s worth.

Adding the royalties and image rights fees, it was a huge sum.

She suddenly became a little rich.

She was absent-minded all afternoon at work, planning how to spend the money.

She would first repay Fu Huayi’s money with interest, then send money home to help her parents repay their debts.

Although they hadn’t said anything, she guessed that the three hundred yuan they gave her was borrowed.

At least part of it was.

By the time Lin Yuyao finished work, Xiao Chen hadn’t arrived.

She frowned, thinking there shouldn’t be any traffic jams at this time.

Sister Qin said he would arrive between six and six-thirty, but it was almost seven, and she hadn’t seen him yet.

Had he forgotten?

Lin Yuyao walked home absentmindedly, but she saw a familiar car at the spot where she had gotten off the bus last time.

“Xiao Lin.”

Chen Bingzhi waved to her.

Huh?

Here?

Lin Yuyao quickened her pace. The weather was hot and stuffy, and her face was flushed, but her smile was radiant.

“Mr. Chen, I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

It was good he came; she wouldn’t dare say she lingered until seven to wait for him.

“It’s alright. It’s my fault. I forgot to ask Sister Qin for your address. I only remembered when I arrived. I didn’t know where you lived or where you worked, so I could only wait at the last parking spot. Luckily, I really did wait for you.”

Lin Yuyao smiled, “This is my usual route to and from work.”

“What a coincidence! Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have waited for you.”

Chen Bingzhi took out a sealed file bag and handed it to her solemnly.

“Everything from Sister Song is inside. Check it quickly.”

Lin Yuyao nodded, tore open the seal, and looked inside.

Her photos, negatives, and two remittance slips.

One for two thousand, one for five hundred, all inside.

“Thank you, everything’s here.”

“As long as nothing’s missing. Xiao Lin, I’ll go then.”

“Okay, thank you very much. Drive safely.”

Looking at the file bag, Lin Yuyao happily kissed it twice.

The gloom of waiting half an hour in the hot summer air vanished instantly.

She carefully put everything in her bag and walked towards the phone booth downstairs.

There were many people, and she didn’t know how long she’d have to wait in line.

Forget it, she’d call another day when she had time off.

On her next day off, Lin Yuyao opened a bank account, withdrew the two thousand five hundred yuan, and transferred one thousand to her hometown.

Her parents probably borrowed most of the three hundred yuan they gave her, plus the three hundred yuan dowry. Since she wasn’t getting married now, she should return it to them.

She added four hundred to make it a round number.

She felt quite guilty about her parents in her past life, and she had also burdened her brother.

This was a form of financial compensation and psychological comfort.

She wrote a letter, attached her artistic photo, ID, and remittance slip, and entrusted the post office to send it. After doing all this, she called home.

It was working hours, so the phone booth was empty.

After inserting the coin, she dialed the number, and the call was quickly answered.

Everyone in the brigade knew each other. The person who answered the phone was someone Lin Yuyao had to call Fifth Grandpa.

After confirming it was Lin Yuyao, the person chatted with her for a while before calling for her mother.

About twenty minutes later, Lin Yuyao called again, and her mother, Ye Lian, answered.

“Yuyao, is that Yuyao?”

“Mother.”

“Yes, it’s Yuyao calling. Fifth Uncle, you got it right this time.”

“Why did it get right this time?”

“The brigade leader called for us, so we rushed over. We’ve been here for a few minutes now. We just received a call from your third aunt for your second uncle.”

Public phones are like that; anyone could call.

“Yuyao, how have you been lately?”

“Good.”

“Make sure you eat well and stay safe. Don’t always think about saving money… Everyone at home is fine; your father and I are doing well…”

Ye Lian rambled on, covering the usual topics for every phone call.

First, she inquired about her well-being, reminding her to take care of herself and eat properly.

Then she mentioned family matters, going through everything before getting to the main point.

“Yuyao, that Fang Qing went to your place; did you know?”

Huh?

“I didn’t know. Isn’t she running a salon?”

“Oh, she can’t anymore; her shop was completely destroyed.”

“What? Who did that?” It seemed like this hadn’t happened in her previous life.

“Word is she was involved with someone, and that person’s wife found out and sent people to smash it up. But it’s just hearsay; there’s no evidence, and no one was caught. Now that her shop is ruined and she doesn’t have the money to renovate, she left with her son.”

At this point, she lowered her voice and said, “I heard she went to find Lu Jiangting, but I don’t know if it’s true, which is why I asked you.”

Hmm?

Lin Yuyao thought carefully; the timing didn’t match up.

In her previous life, the salon wouldn’t close until the following year.

Fang Qing had closed it after Lin Yuyao returned home to rest during her pregnancy, only to seek out Lu Jiangting afterward.

How had this changed so soon?

“I don’t know anything about them. It doesn’t concern us anymore since we have no ties with Lu Jiangting.”

“That’s true.”

Wait a minute.

She suddenly remembered that Lu Jiangting was supposed to pay her a sum of money this month, but he hadn’t managed to do so.

Could it be…?

Lin Yuyao asked, “Did Lu Jiangting send money home to pay his sister?”