The spot where the lightning struck was scorched black.
The guests, who had just been so stunned by Zhou Shengnan’s words that they’d been looking around for her head, now stood in complete silence, staring blankly at the place the lightning had hit.
Zhou Shengnan was shaken too. The lightning had struck barely half a step away from her. If she’d leaned her head any closer, she could have been hit.
She had no idea why, but somehow she felt the lightning had been aimed at her.
But… since it hadn’t hit her, she could start making wild accusations.
While everyone was still stunned out of their wits, Zhou Shengnan unleashed a quick combo on Chen Weihua.
Smack—a right roundhouse kick.
Smack—a left front kick.
Smack—a slap across the face that nearly knocked all his teeth out!
Once she was done, she took advantage of the fact that Chen Weihua couldn’t open his mouth and launched into her performance.
“Look, look, everyone saw that, right? It’s December, for heaven’s sake, and it’s cold as anything, yet we still got a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky. What does that tell you?
“It tells you there’s a scumbag here!!” Her voice cracked.
“I, Zhou Shengnan, have lived a clean and honest life. Just ask anyone—everyone knows I’m a kind, hardworking, patriotic young woman.
“But Chen Weihua here, this bastard—look at him. Does he dare swear an oath? Hmph. I bet he’s afraid the next bolt will strike him dead!”
Zhou Shengnan had seized the initiative. Chen Weihua covered his mouth, trembling with rage.
That bitch had slapped him right across the mouth. His teeth had nearly flown out; how was he supposed to talk?
“Uuuh, uuuh…”
Seeing how defiant he still looked, Zhou Shengnan curled her lip and punched him in the stomach.
Chen Weihua felt as if he were about to vomit up last night’s dinner.
“You all saw that, right? He’s guilty, so he doesn’t even dare speak.
“Poor little me, a delicate girl who couldn’t hurt a fly, bullied by a bunch of bastards like you~”
“That’s enough! Stop making a scene!” Director Zhao cut in sharply, his face dark. “It’s only eight hundred yuan. I’ll pay!”
It wasn’t that Director Zhao wanted to protect Chen Weihua. He simply couldn’t bear to be made a laughingstock any longer.
All he wanted now was to drive everyone out, shut the door, and think carefully about whether he still wanted this son-in-law.
Zhou Shengnan gave a quiet laugh, knowing she’d made the right bet.
A shameless person was invincible. As long as she had thick enough skin, the thin-skinned would have to give way.
But she wasn’t going to settle for just eight hundred. Zhou Shengnan shook the IOU in her hand.
“Eight hundred yuan? Director Zhao, do you think I’m a beggar you can fob off? This piece of paper is worth two thousand yuan.
“Chen Weihua married your daughter and got their marriage certificate. If you, as a factory director, intend to welsh on the debt, I’ll have no choice but to report it to the Public Security Bureau.”
A factory director usually had a reputation to protect.
He’d already made a complete fool of himself today. If he ended up at the Public Security Bureau too, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in Ji City again.
Besides… Director Zhao looked at Chen Weihua’s guilty expression. Hmph. That pretty boy had never been any good.
Desperate to get Zhou Shengnan out of there as quickly as possible, Director Zhao gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and told his wife to go inside and bring out two thousand yuan.
It was twenty crisp, new bills, with the pleasant smell of fresh ink. Zhou Shengnan’s eyes lit up.
She shoved Zhao Hongying, whom she’d been holding, aside and took the money, carefully counting it.
“Ptooey… one hundred, two hundred, three hundred…”
Zhou Shengnan had loved money ever since her previous life. Her dream was to have enough money to live an ordinary life.
She’d died just when she was about to make that dream come true, but this time, she would succeed.
Zhou Shengnan counted the money twice before finally confirming the amount. She immediately asked for paper and a pen, wrote out a receipt, and tossed it at Chen Weihua’s face.
“Pretty boy, I’ll let you off this time because I’m in a hurry. If I see you again, I’ll beat you again!”
Feeling the icy menace coming off Zhou Shengnan, Chen Weihua instinctively shrank back.
Seeing what a coward he was, Zhou Shengnan gave a disdainful snort. Everyone thought she was about to leave.
But before Director Zhao and Zhao Hongying could breathe a sigh of relief, Zhou Shengnan walked over to the spot where the “three turns and one sound” items were displayed.
She not only turned the bicycle around, but also hoisted the television and tape recorder onto her shoulders.
“Zhou Shengnan, we’ve given you the money! Put my family’s things down!” Zhao Hongying saw her belongings being carried off and, ignoring the pain in her wrist, hurried to stop her.
“What do you mean, ‘your family’s things’? They were bought with my eight hundred yuan. What’s wrong with me taking them back?”
Zhao Hongying was dumbfounded.
“B-but my dad already paid you back!”
“Obviously! That was money Chen Weihua owed me. Isn’t it only right that he paid me back?”
Zhao Hongying was completely stumped. She fell into thought, certain that something about this seemed wrong, but unable to argue with her.
The guests around them were left at a loss for words by Zhou Shengnan’s reasoning, wanting to speak and then not knowing what to say.
While they were all tangled up in it, Zhou Shengnan swung her long leg over the bike.
She mounted the brand-new, twenty-eight-inch bicycle, hoisted the television on one shoulder and the tape recorder on the other, then rode off hands-free.
After Zhou Shengnan had left, Director Zhao sent the guests away with a dark expression.
Not only had the wedding been ruined, but he’d also lost two thousand yuan. Director Zhao, who’d spent his whole life basking in glory, was so furious his liver hurt.
He suddenly choked, then had a fit. Zhao Hongying panicked and scrambled to find a car to take him to the hospital. She didn’t even have time to settle things with Chen Weihua.
As soon as Zhou Shengnan had the money, she hurriedly took her spoils and caught a ride home.
Her mother’s medical expenses couldn’t be put off any longer.
After rushing as fast as she could, Zhou Shengnan finally got off the bus around noon.
When she rode her bicycle to the hospital, she saw the original owner’s father and older brother at the entrance, pleading with a doctor.
As she came closer, she heard what they were saying.
“Doctor, please give us two more days. My wife’s illness can’t wait. I’ll go home and sell the house right now. Could you please start treating her first?”
“Doctor, my mom comes here for treatment all the time. You know that. Sending her home now would be like sending her to her death! Please, give us two more days!”
The original owner’s father, Zhou Ren’an, was a sturdy man, tall and broad—one meter eighty-five and nearly one hundred and eighty pounds. When he walked, he looked like a mountain.
Yet now he was humbling himself to beg, his massive frame bent as if he wished he could sink into the earth.
The original owner’s older brother, Zhou Jihong, was pleading too. Zhou Shengnan couldn’t bear to watch.
A perfectly good family had nearly fallen apart because the original owner was so blinded by love.
But from now on, they wouldn’t have to keep forcing themselves to be strong. Because their strength was coming!!
“Doctor, I have money!”
Zhou Shengnan’s sudden voice made all three of them turn to look.
When Zhou Ren’an saw his daughter, he hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes. He did blame her a little for trusting other people so easily and making her mother sick with worry.
But he still couldn’t bring himself to scold her.
“Shengnan, don’t mess around. Your mom’s hospital bill is three hundred yuan. Put away the little bit you’ve got in your piggy bank.”
Zhou Jihong thought his younger sister meant the family’s New Year’s money. Even adding it all together, it would only be a few dozen yuan—not enough to cover even one day of their mother’s medicine.
“Big Brother knows you’re worried too, but now’s not the time to mess around. Dad and I won’t be home for the next few days, so go stay at Grandma’s…”
Zhou Jihong blamed his sister a little too, but what good would beating or scolding her do now?
Besides, she was worried as well. Ever since their mother had collapsed yesterday, she’d disappeared without a trace.
He hadn’t known where she’d gone. At least she was back now; otherwise, he’d have had to go look for her later.
Looking at the original owner’s family, Zhou Shengnan found it all so strange.
Was this what family was?
They could get angry and be disappointed in you, yet still couldn’t help caring about you?
“Dad, Big Brother, I mean it,” Zhou Shengnan said, imitating the original owner’s way of speaking and cutting off their rambling. “I got back the money Chen Weihua borrowed.
“And he had a change of heart. He realized what a bastard he was and gave me these two things as compensation for emotional distress.”
Only then did Zhou Ren’an and Zhou Jihong notice the two bulky items Zhou Shengnan was carrying. They hurried over to take them from her.
But they didn’t believe for a second that the bastard Chen Weihua had given them as compensation.
“Come on, don’t get hung up on the details. Doctor, I’m here to pay my mom’s bill. Please give her the best medicine and make sure she gets better.”
Zhou Shengnan put a thousand yuan directly into Zhou Ren’an’s hand, then left the hospital with Zhou Jihong, the television, and the tape recorder.
For now, Zhou Shengnan didn’t have the confidence to visit the original owner’s mother. She didn’t know how she was supposed to get along with her.
Her attitude of avoidance made Zhou Jihong and Zhou Ren’an think she was feeling guilty and remorseful.
Before Zhou Jihong could comfort Zhou Shengnan, she spoke.
“Big Brother, come on. Let’s sell these two things, and then come with me to the factory. I’m going to sell my job too.”
“Huh? What did you say?”