Fang Xinyao coldly took in the expression on Zhao Yumei’s face.
Back then, Zhao Yumei had come to the Hongqi Brigade together with her, and the two of them had already stayed here for more than two years. During those two-plus years, she had eaten quite a lot of good food from the Original Owner. She was always calling herself hungry in front of the Original Owner, pretending to be pitiful, pretending to be weak, and pretending to faint.
Seeing that the two of them had gone to the countryside together and that they had also been junior high school classmates, the Original Owner had given her quite a lot of food, such as brown sugar water, malted milk, pastries sent by Jingshi, White Rabbit milk candies, eggs, and so on.
It could all be considered as having been fed to a dog.
Not only that, whenever Zhao Yumei saw that the Original Owner’s clothes looked good, she would always pretend to mention it unconsciously. “Yaoyao, the dress you’re wearing is so pretty. I’ve never worn a dress like that in my whole life…”
Thus, the Original Owner had given Zhao Yumei a skirt that she had grown tired of wearing and did not particularly like anymore.
Although it had been worn before, it was not torn, and it was still at least seventy to eighty percent new.
After putting on the dress, Zhao Yumei set her sights on the Original Owner’s leather shoes. “Yaoyao, your leather shoes are really pretty! Unlike me, even if I wear a dress, I don’t have matching leather shoes. I look a little ridiculous dressed like this…”
Under her manipulative, tea-like words, the Original Owner had once again lent Zhao Yumei a pair of leather shoes that she had only worn twice. After borrowing them, Zhao Yumei simply stopped returning them. She wore that pair of leather shoes every day, and whenever the Original Owner asked for them back, Zhao Yumei would make one excuse after another, saying that she would return them after washing them clean.
Later, when the Original Owner saw that the leather shoes had been worn out of shape, she stopped asking for them back.
“I’ve already eaten all those things. How am I supposed to return them…” Zhao Yumei looked at her pitifully.
Fang Xinyao sneered. “If you can’t return the things, compensate me with money. I won’t even charge you that much. Just give me fifty yuan in total.”
Zhao Yumei cried out in shock. “What? Fifty yuan? Why don’t you just rob me!”
Fifty yuan was more than she could earn in an entire year!
Working in the fields was so hard, getting up early and returning late. The work points she earned in a day were only enough to cover her own food and drink. Where would she have any surplus? Not to mention money!
Fang Xinyao folded her arms across her chest and slightly raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been eating my food and wearing my clothes. Over these two years, it has been at least a hundred yuan, and I’m only asking you for fifty. That’s already cheap! Besides, I was kind enough to give you food and clothes back then because you said you would return them to me! Two years have already passed. Have you returned them? Are you a Pixiu, only taking things in and never letting anything out?”
In an instant, Zhao Yumei’s face flushed completely red from embarrassment.
Especially when she felt the contemptuous looks from the other female Educated Youth sharing the room, she wished she could find a hole in the ground and crawl into it!
Zhao Yumei angrily said: “How can you speak so harshly!”
Fang Xinyao held out her hand toward her. “If you think I’m speaking too harshly, then pay me!”
Tears immediately welled up in Zhao Yumei’s eyes. “I don’t have any money right now. Can you give me some time?”
“No!” Fang Xinyao answered decisively.
“But… I really don’t have any money.” Zhao Yumei twisted her clothes with both hands, looking pitiful.
Fang Xinyao sneered. “Don’t give me that nonsense about not having money. I saw you drinking malted milk just the day before yesterday, and this morning you even put on Snow Flower Cream.”
Having said that, Fang Xinyao walked directly to Zhao Yumei’s cabinet and took out a can of malted milk and a box of Snow Flower Cream. “If you don’t have money, use your things to pay the debt.”
“Those are my things!”
Seeing this, Zhao Yumei no longer had any concern for keeping up her act and immediately lunged forward to snatch them back.
Fang Xinyao kicked out with her foot, striking Zhao Yumei’s knee. Zhao Yumei fell with a thump and ended up half-kneeling in front of her.
Fang Xinyao grinned. “We’re classmates, after all. You don’t have to give me such a big courtesy.”
Zhao Yumei resentfully got back to her feet. “Fang Xinyao, you’re forcibly taking my things! I’m going to report you to the Brigade Leader and Party Secretary! I’ll have them give you a disciplinary record!”
Fang Xinyao snorted. “Repaying a debt is only natural.”
Zhao Yumei threatened her fiercely. “Are you still not going to return them?”
“These are to pay off the debt.”
“You’re really not going to return them, are you?” Zhao Yumei gritted her teeth in anger. “Fine! Just you wait!”
After throwing out those three words, she turned around and ran away.
The round-faced Educated Youth glanced toward the doorway and kindly reminded her: “Educated Youth Fang, Educated Youth Zhao is probably going to call the Brigade Leader. You should return the things to her.”
“Let her call him.” Fang Xinyao was not afraid. After putting the things away, she took a bath and changed into clean clothes. Once she had finished tidying herself up, Zhao Yumei came back with Brigade Leader Gu Guoxi.
Gu Guoxi’s face was frighteningly gloomy. This Zhao Yumei was simply a troublemaker! She had caused trouble just an hour ago, and now, before he had even warmed his seat, she had caused trouble again!
He had not wanted to come in the first place, but Zhao Yumei had cried and sobbed, insisting that Fang Xinyao had robbed her things and acted like a bandit.
As soon as Gu Guoxi walked in, he darkly asked Fang Xinyao in an angry voice: “Educated Youth Fang, what exactly is going on?”
These Educated Youth knew nothing except causing trouble for him all day long.
Fang Xinyao explained the whole matter, then looked at Gu Guoxi innocently and said: “Brigade Leader, everyone says that debts must be repaid, and that is only natural. Educated Youth Zhao has money but refuses to repay me, yet she has money to buy malted milk and Snow Flower Cream for herself. One can of this malted milk costs four yuan and fifty cents, and a box of Snow Flower Cream like this costs fifty-two cents. Brigade Leader, there’s nothing wrong with me letting her use these things to pay off her debt, right?”
Gu Guoxi looked sternly at Zhao Yumei and reprimanded her. “Educated Youth Zhao, first pay back the money you owe Educated Youth Fang.”
Zhao Yumei was dumbfounded. She had never expected that after finding the Brigade Leader herself, she would still end up facing the matter of having to repay the money!
She immediately became anxious. “But I don’t have any money right now!”
Gu Guoxi’s face darkened as he looked at Fang Xinyao and asked: “How much does she owe you?”
Fang Xinyao held out her hand. “Fifty yuan.”
Gu Guoxi angrily said to Zhao Yumei: “You have money to buy malted milk to drink, but you don’t have money to repay someone else. You’re clearly unwilling to repay the money, aren’t you? If you don’t have money, use your things to pay!”
He had spent the entire evening dealing with this little mess caused by Educated Youth Zhao. It had even caused him to miss dinner. He had been running around so much that his stomach had long been growling with hunger, so naturally, he was extremely displeased when he looked at Zhao Yumei now.
Zhao Yumei felt extremely aggrieved.
In the end, under Gu Guoxi’s stern gaze, she compensated Fang Xinyao with the malted milk and Snow Flower Cream, and she also had no choice but to sign an IOU for forty-four yuan.
As for the clothes and shoes that she had previously given to Zhao Yumei, Fang Xinyao also demanded all of them back.
She would not wear clothes or shoes that Zhao Yumei had worn. They made her feel disgusted.
But she could not possibly let Zhao Yumei have them for free, either.
Even if she threw them away, she would not give them to her! She wanted to infuriate her to death!
After the matter was settled, Gu Guoxi prepared to leave. It was already almost eight o’clock at night, and he had not even managed to eat dinner. He was practically starving to death.
Just then, Fang Xinyao chased after him. “Brigade Leader Gu, that Educated Youth Lu Zhangran also owes me money…”
Gu Guoxi almost failed to catch his breath. Was this ever going to end? Could he not just be allowed to go home and rest?
Fang Xinyao secretly stuffed the box of Snow Flower Cream that Zhao Yumei had used into Gu Guoxi’s hand. “Brigade Leader Gu, this box of Snow Flower Cream has only been opened and used twice, and there is still a lot left. If you don’t mind, take it home for Sister-in-law to use.”