"Big talker," Shen Mianmian snapped a reminder at him, "Just mind your own business, and remember not to get involved with Tian Caiyan. Don’t fight over her, and as for my issues, you needn’t intervene. After all, you and my family aren’t related by blood. The more you try to help, the more trouble you create."
That morning, Tian Caiyan and Zhou Siyu showing up together had already proven everything. No wonder the name Tian Caiyan had sounded familiar to her before; it turned out that Zhou Siyu had mentioned her in a previous life. For origınal chapters go to 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
In this life, she couldn’t just watch as Lu Siyuan was sent to prison.
"What do you mean by ’the more you help, the more trouble you create’?" Lu Siyuan dismissed Tian Caiyan completely, retorting, "Do you think I’m just a burden, or can’t you stand the thought of me dealing with your parents?"
He had an expression that said, if you dare accuse me of being a burden, I’ll be angry with you.
"No matter what, they raised me. If I watch you hit them, would I still be human?"
Even though Zhou Lanfang was malicious and Shen Jianhua unfit to be a father, she couldn’t bring herself to incite Lu Siyuan to hit them—that was something she simply couldn’t do.
Lu Siyuan found himself at a loss for words, but unwilling to admit his mistake, he stubbornly said, "You’re just too soft-hearted. When they bully you to the point where you can’t run your business or continue your studies, I want to see what you’ll do."
Shen Mianmian’s eyes turned resolute, "I won’t give them that chance."
Once she left the Zhao Family village, she would be like a bird flying out of its cage, free of restraints. The idea of being molded and manipulated like before was utterly impossible.
Lu Siyuan scoffed dismissively, outwardly skeptical, but inwardly, he felt somewhat reassured.
This girl really wasn’t of a weak nature; it seemed unlikely she would be bullied that badly.
If Shen Jianhua and his wife ever went too far, he wouldn’t care about the consequences; he was determined to make them pay.
Xiaocui, accompanied by Liu Dama, had walked around Licheng for a while. She gave all the money Shen Mianmian had given her to Liu Dama, but Liu Dama was reluctant to spend any of it. After wandering for over an hour, Liu Dama only agreed to buy a set of clothes for the evening at Xiaocui’s insistence and spent just over two yuan on two undergarments.
Thinking of how kind Shen Mianmian was to Xiaocui and herself, Liu Dama decided to buy some apples to give to Shen Mianmian. Since it was still Xiaocui’s working hours, she didn’t dare to linger longer, so after purchasing the items, she urged Xiaocui to hurry back.
"We’ve been out for nearly two hours, and that’s long enough. Don’t browse anymore. Mianmian has been good to you, so you mustn’t slack off at work! You need to do a good job and be careful when taking money, so you don’t make mistakes with the change."
"Mom, rest assured, I’m well aware of how good Mianmian has been to me. I won’t let her down; I’ll definitely do my job well. And you should take it easy at home too, don’t be too frugal. Eat and drink what you should," Xiaocui reassured her.
"We’re doing well at home, so don’t worry about us," Liu Dama said as she looked her daughter up and down. She suddenly realized that her girl had grown up into a young lady, of the age to talk about marriage. She spoke earnestly, "You’re grown up now, and you should start to pay attention to your appearance. Save your salary this month and buy yourself a couple of new clothes. I’m digging wild vegetables at home these days, and I make a good amount of money. We have enough to get by."
She had been young once, and she understood the desire to look attractive, but back then, the family’s means were meager. They were grateful just to have enough food, let alone spare money to dress up.