CHAPTER 302: CHAPTER 297: PHOENIX MAN

At night, Zhang Meng lay in the warm comfort of her quilt, took out her cell phone, and posted to her Moments with a standard three-by-three photo grid. The pictures featured the beautiful scenery of the small mountain village, a table full of sumptuous food, and a selfie of her smiling cheek-to-cheek with Granny Liu.

"I am still very happy today, grateful~"

Click, send, done!

Zhang Meng snuggled deeper into the fluffy covers, the scent of the sun-dried bedding in her nose, and she slept comfortably through the night.

In F city, Zhang Changfeng put his mind at ease after seeing his daughter’s Moments, Ye Qiu’s promises had indeed not disappointed him. He had only one daughter in this life, and as long as she was happy, he was content.

But Li Xin was somewhat disappointed. She had thought Granny Liu was just a conservative old lady from the countryside, but it seemed the old woman was quite good to Zhang Meng. However, thinking about it, it made sense because, after all, Ye Qiu might have to rely on Zhang Meng’s father in the future! How could Granny Liu bear to offend Zhang Meng, their cash cow.

Li Xin put down her phone disdainfully and began to consider what clothes to wear for the gathering tomorrow.

"Third Sister, I heard that your Ye Qiu has brought a girlfriend home." Early in the morning, a loud voice sounded at the gate of the Ye Family, and Zhang Meng woke up groggily from her sleep.

"Second Sister, aren’t you supposed to be at home taking care of your grandchild? How come you have the time to come here?" Liu Sanying was delighted to see the visitor, her sister Liu Er Ying. They had both married into Ye Village in the same year and had kept in close touch over the years, maintaining a good relationship.

"Isn’t it because I heard that your Ye Qiu brought his girlfriend back? I came to have a look. Why is it so late already? They can’t still be sleeping in, can they? Oh dear, Third Sister, let me tell you, this is not right. Young people these days should not be indulged. Just look at my own, isn’t he obediently managed by me?" As soon as Liu Er Ying arrived, she kept nagging at Liu Sanying loudly and belittling Zhang Meng indirectly in her remarks.

Zhang Meng, who had slept sweetly the night before, was still dazed, but due to the poor soundproofing of the rural houses, she didn’t miss a single word. Instinctively, she took a dislike to the visitor – who was picking sides without even having met the person?

"Second Sister, Ye Qiu and Mengmeng were tired from sitting in the car all day yesterday, so it’s normal for them to sleep in a little. Besides, what’s the rush on a cold winter’s day when there is nothing urgent to do?" After spending the previous day together, Liu Sanying’s prejudice against Zhang Meng had slowly turned to fondness, and she reflexively retorted against her second sister.

Unexpectedly, Liu Er Ying raised her eyebrows high, assuming a haughty tone to lecture, "That’s no excuse. If one sleeps in on the first day, it could become a habit of sleeping in every day. Who says there is no work to do in the winter? There’s cooking breakfast, feeding the chickens and ducks, and cleaning up – all of these are work to be done!"

"That’s an old stove, young people don’t know how to use it. Besides, the chicken coop and duck pen are dirty, it’s not suitable for them. And there’s no need to clean up; I did a thorough cleaning yesterday, and it hasn’t gotten dirty again. I’m not that meticulous."

"Oh dear, you just don’t get it, Third Sister!" Liu Er Ying glared at her own sister and glanced towards the bedroom, lowering her voice as if confidentially, "A daughter-in-law is meant to be trained. If you don’t train her now, she will surely walk all over you in the future. Aren’t you being foolish!"

Zhang Meng within the house was infuriated by what she heard. Where did this obnoxious relative come from?

"How could she walk all over me? Second Sister, you’re overthinking it. Mengmeng is really good to me; she even bought me a massage footbath and a cervical spine therapy device."

"You think just because she says she bought them, she actually did? It’s probably Ye Qiu who paid for it."

Alright then, dear aunty, you’ve actually guessed it right. Zhang Meng got up, feeling that she couldn’t let the situation carry on like this.

But next door, Ye Qiu was the first to go out: "Auntie, you’re here!"

Having greeted her, Ye Qiu continued, "But you got it wrong just now. I’m a poor student who relies on scholarships even for tuition. How could I afford such an expensive massager? How about it, Auntie, can you lend me some?"

Granny Liu smiled sheepishly: "I’m just a rural woman, where would I get that kind of money?"

"Didn’t you tell me a few days ago that Gangzi made a killing working outside?" Liu Sanying chimed in immediately. It was a reflex, but she didn’t expect her own sister to be embarrassed by this.

"Yeah, Auntie, considering how filial Brother Gangzi and Sister-in-law Gang are, they must have given all the money to you. I really am short on cash lately. You’re my dear aunt, so just lend me some, I’ll definitely pay you back in a couple of years."

"You, a student from a prestigious university, short on cash?"

"Well, I’m still studying and don’t have a job yet!"

"But Auntie, I don’t have any money either. You know your nephew is going to school, and the costs are no small matter!"

"Xiao Shun is just attending kindergarten, isn’t he?"

"Oh, yes, that’s true. I tell you, Xiao Shun is so smart..."

"That makes no sense." Ye Qiu interrupted her, "Kindergarten in town is only five thousand yuan a year. Didn’t you say Brother Gangzi made a lot of money outside? It must be in the hundreds of thousands. I don’t need much, just twenty thousand yuan would be enough."

"Twenty thousand?" Liu Sanying was taken aback.

"Auntie, don’t tell me you don’t even have twenty thousand yuan!" Ye Qiu feigned surprise, "Didn’t you say Brother Gangzi is the most filial to you? Sister-in-law Gang is also well-handled by you. Their money must be in your hands then. Auntie, we are family, you can trust me, I’ll pay back the twenty thousand yuan very soon, and I promise it won’t interfere with Xiao Shun’s education."

"But, this..." Liu Sanying was in a dilemma.

"Auntie, you can’t even meet such a request, can you? I’m your dear nephew after all. Twenty thousand yuan is just a drop in the bucket for you. Can’t you help me out even this little bit?" Ye Qiu’s tone was somewhat shocked and heartbroken.

Zhang Meng nearly died laughing inside the house. She had never seen Ye Qiu play such a dramatic role, and she felt quite contented inside, knowing that he was venting for her.

How could Ye Qiu not have twenty thousand yuan? Over the past two years, whenever he had the time, Ye Qiu would take on some translation work. As the difficulty of the translation increased, so did the remuneration. Plus, he had sold a prescription to a pharmaceutical company last year. Just from profit-sharing, he made millions every year. How could he be missing twenty thousand yuan?

Hearing that Ye Qiu was in urgent need of money, Liu Sanying, who was standing by, became anxious. Her husband had died early, and she had no real skills to help her son, so she had to turn to her sister for help: "Sister, it’s just twenty thousand yuan, just lend it to us. Rest assured, I will definitely pay you back in a couple of years. Plus, Ye Qiu is now a postgraduate student. When he starts working, he won’t have to worry about not making money. We will definitely be able to repay."

"I..." Liu Sanying was caught in a bind, extremely embarrassed. Could she admit she didn’t have the money? Could she say that all the family’s money was in her daughter-in-law’s hands? She had already bragged. Revealing the truth would turn her into a laughingstock!