"I’ve already borrowed over two hundred thousand yuan from her. She paid off my last debt entirely, and the repayments are deducted monthly from my salary. To be honest, what I have left each month is just enough to cover living expenses."
Her younger brother asked incredulously, "Aren’t you two best friends? Why is she keeping such strict accounts with you?"
Xu Xiaoya looked at him, fighting the urge to ask, Brother, can you return my passbook? We’re still siblings!
But she said nothing. Thinking of the large pile of local delicacies they had brought, she still took out her wallet and counted out two thousand yuan in cash. "Dad, Mom, let me pay for your travel expenses. You can use the rest to enjoy yourselves in the city. I’m busy with work, so I can’t accompany you."
Mother Xu saw that her daughter’s wallet now held only a few small bills. She took the cash and said in a low, resentful voice, "The wealthier people are, the stingier they become. Sigh... Yan Xixi is so rich, yet so petty. To think you’ve been friends for so many years, and it’s all turned out to be fake... Daughter, you have to be careful. Don’t just work for others for free. Let me tell you, outsiders are unreliable; only blood relatives are truly dependable. Our ties are so strong that even if bones are broken, the tendons remain connected..."
If this were before, Xu Xiaoya might have retorted, but after having died once, nothing seemed to matter anymore.
She just watched as the large group of "blood relatives" walked away into the distance.
When she turned around, Yan Xixi was standing behind her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
"How much money are they asking for this time?"
"My brother wants to open a hot pot restaurant in the county town."
Yan Xixi stared at her. "Xu Xiaoya, you’re just an ordinary woman, not a Saint! Saving all beings is God’s work; don’t overstep your bounds."
Xu Xiaoya grinned and grabbed her hand. "I know it’s you, Xixi, who still loves me! Come, I’ll show you the account book."
Yan Xixi read it very carefully, checking each entry one by one before finally putting down the account book.
Xu Xiaoya beamed. "Xixi, I have good news! Zhong Minghui has fallen on hard times..."
"Oh? What happened to him?"
"Didn’t he get promoted two levels? I heard he made some small mistake and was demoted a while ago. HAHA! It wasn’t just any demotion; they demoted him all the way down to a grassroots employee! I also heard he’s really down on his luck and probably won’t be able to stay at that company much longer. HAHA! I’m so happy. It’s true that what goes around comes around. I used to constantly think about getting revenge on him. I even considered printing flyers to distribute at his company, exposing his vile face and completely ruining his reputation. But now, it’s great; I don’t even have to lift a finger..." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NovєlFіre.net
"I guess San Shao might have helped me. Xixi, San Shao is truly a good person. I didn’t realize it before, but now, when I think about Zhong Minghui, San Shao seems like an absolute gentleman in comparison..."
Hearing her mention Wan Donglin, Yan Xixi had no choice but to tell her the truth. "Xiaoya, you need to brace yourself. This shop... it might not be ours for much longer."
Xu Xiaoya was stunned. "What do you mean?"
"Wan Donglin might take back this shop soon."
"Oh my God! Did you break up with San Shao?"
Yan Xixi gave a bitter smile. It was painful to see Xu Xiaoya’s face drain of color like that. After all, they had both only recently found some stability in their lives. But it was like being rootless duckweed floating on water; even the slightest turbulence could destroy their fragile foundation.
"Make sure to transfer this profit to your personal account tomorrow. And don’t touch a single cent of anything else."
"Will San Shao really take it back?"