All the jewelry Shen Li’s mother had left her had been swallowed up by Shen Liren; the smaller pieces were in Zhong Shuhua and Shen Man’s hands.
But Shen Li’s food and daily expenses were the best, and Shen Liren didn’t dare skimp on that in public. So to outsiders, Shen Li looked like a frugal child.
Zhong Shuhua was ready to spit blood. Which frugal person spends 12 yuan on a single meal and six or seven thousand in a day???
But she couldn’t say anything now—if she did, it would look like she was scheming for Shen Li’s inheritance.
With the situation unstable, universities had already stopped classes, and high schools were beginning to shut down too. Shen Li hadn’t gotten her graduation certificate, but she had attended university. To Aunt Zhao, she was a cultured person worthy of respect.
Of course, cultured people weren’t faring well these days, but who knew what the future held? Aunt Zhao usually listened to her husband’s advice and had a broader perspective than most. Besides wanting to build good relations, she truly felt for Shen Li, an orphan with no parents.
Aunt Zhao came over with her husband to support Shen Li, and Shen Liren had no way out. He could only pull a few bankbooks out of the safe.
“Li Li, here are your parents’ bankbooks. You can look through them. Your uncle hasn’t touched them.”
Shen Li didn’t look. She knew Shen Liren didn’t dare touch the bankbooks; what he had taken were the gold, silver, jewelry, paintings, and antiques. Shen Li had already searched the house when they weren’t around and found nothing. Shen Liren had hidden them elsewhere.
Tears welled in Shen Li’s eyes. “Uncle, I trust your character. Ever since you and Aunt Man moved in, you’ve taken good care of me.”
Aunt Zhao suddenly realized something. “By the way, Li, do you have the deed to this villa in your hands?”
Shen Li tilted her head in confusion, and Aunt Zhao immediately knew she didn’t.
“Li Li, her uncle, could it be that you forgot to give her the deed?”
“Li Li is young and forgetful. If the deed’s in her hands, it could easily get lost.” The house belonged to them, and Zhong Shuhua was naturally unwilling to give it back to Shen Li.
That damn Aunt Zhao—why wasn’t she sleeping at night, coming to stir up trouble at their house?
Aunt Zhao wasn’t buying it. “You were just shouting this evening that Shen Li is going to marry soon. If she marries and you still don’t return the deed, are you planning to keep it all for yourselves?”
Before Zhong Shuhua rushed to buy the tickets, she had been telling everyone on the street that Shen Li was about to marry.
She wanted to ruin Shen Li’s reputation, ensuring she couldn’t find anyone else but Gu Xu to marry.
But in the end, she had shot herself in the foot.
Aunt Zhao’s husband worked for the government. He pushed up his glasses. “Comrade Shen, if you forgot, you can fix it now. Otherwise, we might have to report it to the police.”
“Too much happened tonight, I made a mistake in the rush,” Shen Liren said, turning to grab the deed. He handed it to Shen Li. “Li Li, don’t overthink it. Your uncle is giving you your parents’ things. Take good care of them and don’t lose them.”
“I will,” Shen Li said.
“Thanks to Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao for coming over.”
Aunt Zhao glanced at Shen Liren and the others. Pulling Shen Li aside, she warned, “Your uncle and aunt aren’t good people. Listen to me—keep your bankbooks and deed safe. Don’t let them get stolen.”
Shen Li nodded. She would store them in her space where no one could touch them.
See, outsiders treated her better than her own family.
“Comrade Shen, I think you should take your son to the hospital as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he develops a habit of uncontrolled diarrhea, what will you do? It stinks.” Even on her way out, Aunt Zhao couldn’t resist taking a jab at Shen Mingtang.
Shen Mingtang was still young and scared. As Aunt Zhao had said, he insisted on going to the hospital.
Shen Liren’s family had no choice but to take him, going out with the Zhaos.
The streets were deserted at night, the wind cold.
Shen Man wrinkled her nose at the smell on Shen Mingtang and complained, “Why did you have to steal Shen Li’s buns? You really know how to stir up trouble.”
If it weren’t for Shen Mingtang, Shen Li would have eaten the spoiled buns and tomorrow Shen Man could have absorbed a lot of luck.
“Shut up. Who told you to poison Shen Li? I said don’t touch her these days. Go along with her. Once she gets the marriage certificate, then we’ll deal with her.”
“Now it’s over. The bankbooks and deed are gone.”
Nothing had gone right that day. Shen Liren was full of rage.
Neither his son nor daughter gave him a moment’s peace.
“Dad, don’t worry. As long as Shen Li still lives in the villa, those things are still ours,” Shen Man had an idea.
That little brat Shen Li was beautiful and graceful. She feared Gu Xu might fall for her.
Thinking of Gu Xu forbidding her to touch Shen Li’s camera made her angry.
If Shen Li were defiled by some thief, no matter how beautiful she was, Gu Xu wouldn’t want her.
…
In a good mood, Shen Li got up early the next morning.
She went into her space and checked her crops. She had pressed the sowing button earlier, planting some rice, melons, and vegetables.
Basic crops.
The growth time was long—rice took three days to mature. But compared to the real world, that was super fast.
Melons and vegetables matured in just one day.
Shen Li picked some cucumbers and tomatoes and sent them to Aunt Zhao.
At first, Aunt Zhao refused, but Shen Li insisted, so she accepted. She even said she would keep an eye on Shen Liren’s family for her in the future. Shen Li thought sending the vegetables was well worth it.
Back in her room, she ran into Gu Xu and Shen Man returning.
Shen Liren and Zhong Shuhua were still at the hospital with Shen Mingtang.
“Li Li, I brought the stuff over. I got an urgent telegram from my grandmother last night. I had to call back immediately, which delayed me.”
“Don’t be mad.”
Shen Li pouted and stomped her foot. “Hmph, I stayed up all night waiting yesterday. I don’t care—you buy me a radio, and I won’t be mad.”
“A radio? Industrial tickets are hard to get. I spent a lot just buying these things yesterday.”
Yesterday had been a nightmare. Gu Xu’s forehead was beaded with sweat. His tone betrayed his frustration.
Shen Li pretended not to notice. “Isn’t your Gu family powerful in Beijing? You promised me a good life. Don’t you love me anymore?”
“If you don’t love me, I won’t marry.”
“I do. I love you most of all.”
The Gu family was influential in Beijing, but he was from a distant, minor branch. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have worked with Shen Liren to trick her into marriage.
Gu Xu had invested so much in Shen Li. With the marriage certificate almost in hand, he had to fulfill her requests.
Shen Li had seen many things in her dreams. She knew this was called a sunk cost.
As long as her demands didn’t cross their bottom line, Gu Xu would comply.
“I knew you’d treat me the best,” Shen Li said, smiling and directing Gu Xu to put everything back in the room.
She even enjoyed seeing Shen Man’s ugly, jealous face, barely restraining herself from making a sound. Shen Li wanted to take a picture of it with the camera but decided Shen Man wasn’t worth spending a single cent on.
Shen Man clenched her fists, thinking: It’s time to find someone to deal with that matter.