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Li Haitang’s sister-in-law jumped out and said,
“If you’re going to arrest someone, arrest Li Haitang and your son! We didn’t steal any money, nor did we receive any—why arrest us?”
Old Lady Miao (Li Haitang’s mother) shot her a glare, clearly saying:
“Can you just shut up already?”
But the sister-in-law wasn’t done yet. She even encouraged her husband,
“My wife is right! They should all be arrested!”
Old Lady Miao panicked and pinched her son hard.
“That’s your sister we’re talking about!”
Li Haitang’s older brother said aggrievedly,
“Mom, what does Haitang’s mess have to do with us?”
“I’ve already been beaten up twice because of her, and you still want me to speak up for her?”
“You pampered her too much—that’s why she keeps stirring up trouble!”
The brigade leader was developing a headache.
If it weren’t for protecting the brigade’s reputation, he wouldn’t care about this nonsense.
Whoever wants to deal with it can go right ahead.
Inwardly, he grew even more resentful of Li Haitang.
Auntie Wang (Chen Yongcai’s mother) stood with her hands on her hips and declared:
“It was Li Haitang who took the money. You’re all her relatives. If you won’t help her pay it back, then the whole family can go to the police station together!”
No matter what, she was getting her money back—that was her retirement money!
“Mom, if you want to blame someone, then blame me.”
“It was my decision to send money to Haitang.”
Just as Chen Yongcai said that, he received a loud slap from his own mother.
“Of course I blame you!”
“Li Haitang has a fiancé, and you’re still sending her money—are you stupid?”
“If she needed money, why wouldn’t she ask her fiancé?”
Old Lady Miao froze for a moment—then it hit her:
Yes! Ask Chen Li’s family for the money!
Xu Zhaoying, who had been happily watching the drama unfold, suddenly found herself caught in the crossfire.
She immediately exploded,
“Shut your nonsense!”
“You might as well be called Miao Nonsense!”
“Everything that comes out of your mouth stinks worse than a fart!”
The brigade leader, after ordering someone to fetch the Party Secretary, decided to throw in the towel.
Let the secretary handle this family mess.
The secretary was equally helpless.
He had never expected that Chen Yongcai would secretly be sending money to his daughter.
How had he not noticed this “relationship” before?
He had known that Chen Yongcai liked Li Haitang, but he didn’t know they were actually in contact behind the scenes…
As for the money?
He was absolutely not going to repay it.
Whoever accepted it should return it themselves.
His bigger concern now was his daughter’s reputation!
She already has a fiancé. How could she be accepting money from another man?
He desperately hoped this was all just a lie Chen Yongcai made up.
To calm the crowd, he said,
“I’ll write a letter to Haitang. If what you’re saying is true, then she’ll return the money.”
But Auntie Wang wasn’t having it.
“That will take too long! Call her right now—right in front of me!”
“Otherwise, I won’t let this go!”
The Party Secretary glared at her with his hands behind his back.
“You don’t believe the word of your own Party Secretary?”
A chill ran down Auntie Wang’s spine.
Only then did she remember: this was the Party Secretary of their entire brigade.
She also feared retaliation—especially since her youngest son still wanted to join the military.
What if the secretary held this against them?
“…Then we’ll do as you say, Secretary…”
Meanwhile, in Nancheng, Chen Li and Li Haitang were being thrown out by their landlord.
All their belongings were tossed outside.
Chen Li was feeling unwilling.
Had losing Lin Ting in this life doomed him to failure?
“Brother Li, what are we going to do?”
Li Haitang looked panicked.
She added,
“My family’s money transfer is still on the way. Are we really going to sleep on the street for the next few days?”
Sleeping on the streets wasn’t even the worst part.
What was really dangerous was being picked up by the Red Armbands and labeled as vagrants.
Chen Li looked at Li Haitang.
In his last life, he had done everything he could to be with this woman.
He had remained celibate for decades for her, even orchestrated a car accident just for her…
Now she was standing right in front of him, so alive, so close.
And yet, he no longer felt the urge to marry her.
Why?
He couldn’t help but question himself.
And then—he realized the answer.
Li Haitang had no job, no family background, no value to his career at all.
She wasn’t like Lin Ting.
Chen Li was shaken by his own thoughts. His heart was in chaos.
He forced himself to calm down.
He needed to cherish the person in front of him.
This was the woman he had a second chance with!
Last time, he gave her up for status and wealth.
This time, he was going to win her back—with status and wealth in hand!
“Brother Li?”
Li Haitang’s voice pulled him back to reality.
Yes, what were they going to do now?
He didn’t have a penny left to his name.
Suddenly, his stomach rumbled. He couldn’t help but ask,
“Haitang… do you have any money on you?”
Li Haitang shook her head with difficulty.
“No.”
“I don’t have a single cent.”
Chen Li discreetly observed the guilty look on her face—not missing a single detail.
It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on his head.
The chill went straight to his bones.
He looked up at the woman he once obsessed over and found her face unfamiliar—and frightening.
Was his obsession in the past life… just a joke?
Just then, the landlord’s voice rang out behind them.
“Li Haitang! You better pay back the money you owe my son!”
Li Haitang jumped behind Chen Li in fear.
“Brother Li, save me!”
Chen Li’s voice turned icy.
“You borrowed money from the landlord’s son?”
Li Haitang stammered and couldn’t give a straight answer.
And she had a reason to feel guilty.
She hadn’t actually borrowed the money.
The landlord’s son had given it to her voluntarily—on the condition that she let him hold her hand.
She didn’t want Chen Li to know, for fear he would find her disgusting.
The landlord stormed up, furious.
“Li Haitang! Pay back the money my son gave you!”
Her son was an idiot—giving money to a girl who already had a man.
It was like throwing a meat bun to a dog—never coming back.
Chen Li turned and asked again,
“Haitang, did you take money from the landlord’s son?”
Li Haitang denied it outright.
“No!”
She’d already let him hold her hand—how could she ask for the money back now?
Wouldn’t that make her a scoundrel?
The landlord was enraged.
“How could you say that? My son told me everything!”
“He gave you money five different times—a total of 35 yuan. I want it all back. Otherwise, I’m going to the police!”
Hearing the word “police,” Li Haitang started to panic.
“Your son gave me that money willingly!”
“Reporting it won’t change anything!”
Chen Li felt like lightning had struck his brain.
His eyes flew wide open.
“Why would someone give you money for nothing?”
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Being stared at like that made Li Haitang squirm.
She stammered,
“He… he just felt sorry for me, so he offered it. I never asked for a loan.”
But Chen Li didn’t believe a word of it.
His instincts screamed that Li Haitang must have given something in return.
And he didn’t even want to imagine what it was…