The money was actually still in Shen Yingying’s possession.
On the day she was caught, in order to gain Xie Fangzhu’s trust, she had tried to return the money to him.
But Xie Fangzhu hadn’t taken it, so the money had remained with her.
She wasn’t afraid of Shen Jiacai, but now that Shen Jiacai needed money for his wedding, if he knew the money was on her, he would cling to her like a dog that had caught the scent of a meat bun, refusing to let go.
It would be better to let Shen Jiacai go to Xie Fangzhu instead.
However, given Shen Jiacai’s nature of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, Shen Yingying reckoned he wouldn’t have the guts to do so.
Sure enough, just as Shen Yingying had guessed, upon hearing this, Shen Jiacai stomped his feet in anger.
“You fool! You already had the money in hand, why did you give it back to him?!” He slapped his thigh and sighed heavily. “Asking me to go find him is like telling me to walk straight into the line of fire!”
Although he and his two older brothers had bullied Xie Fangzhu like a dog when they were kids, after growing up, Xie Fangzhu fought others as if he didn’t care about his own life.
If he went to find Xie Fangzhu, wouldn’t Xie Fangzhu beat him into a pulp?
“I didn’t want to either! But that day when he caught me and brought me back, he said if I didn’t give him the money, he’d break my legs. I had no choice, so I gave him all the money.”
Shen Yingying wore an expression of grief and indignation, blatantly lying through her teeth. “Now I’m as poor as a church mouse, not a single cent to my name…”
“He even took your own money?!” Shen Jiacai could hardly believe his ears.
“Yes! He also said he won’t give me any money every month from now on; he’s going to save it all himself.”
These words hit Shen Jiacai like a bolt from the blue.
Every month, Xie Fangzhu would send 20 yuan to their family.
This arrangement dated back to when Xie Fangzhu was about to start working at the coal mine. His parents wouldn’t let him go and gathered all the male laborers in the production team to block Xie Fangzhu, demanding that he pay 20 yuan every month for 16 years—because the Shen family had raised Xie Fangzhu for 16 years, and he had to repay this debt of gratitude.
If he dared to refuse, they would prevent him from going to work at the coal mine.
Therefore, in the Shen family, aside from the grandfather, Xie Fangzhu deeply hated all the other members. However, after marrying Shen Yingying, he surprisingly treated her exceptionally well.
Not only was he extremely good to Shen Yingying, but he also gave her half of his total salary every month to spend.
After receiving it, Shen Yingying would send half of her share back home.
Combined with what Xie Fangzhu gave directly, his parents ended up receiving over thirty yuan every month.
Sometimes, it even exceeded forty yuan.
This was no small sum; some workers didn’t even earn that much.
Thanks to this money, the Shen family lived quite comfortably in the production team.
But now, if Xie Fangzhu stopped giving Shen Yingying half of his salary, wouldn’t their family only receive 20 yuan per month?
That was a huge loss!
Shen Jiacai’s heart ached with distress, and he was so angry he wished he could slap her a few times to knock some sense into her.
But seeing the thermos flask in her hand, he didn’t dare to make a move.
In the end, he could only weakly scold, “And you have the nerve to feel wronged! Instead of living a good life, you had to mess around with a swindler and upset the money tree! You idiot!”
“I didn’t want to either!” Shen Yingying’s expression of grievance turned into one of grief and indignation. “Now I don’t even have money to eat at the canteen. I have to mooch meals off my friends every day. It’s so embarrassing!”
“I was even thinking of writing to Mom, asking her to send me some money for an emergency…”
“Who would have thought that just as I was considering it, Third Brother, you showed up? It saves me from having to write a letter. You’re truly a godsend!”After speaking, she looked expectantly at Shen Jiacai.
“Third Brother, give me some money to spend. I don’t need much for meals, just twenty or thirty yuan. Once Xie Fangzhu is in a better mood and gives me money again, I’ll pay you back.”
Shen Jiacai had come to ask Shen Yingying for money, but not only had she scalded his hand, she now wanted him to give her money instead. It was simply a pipe dream!
Without a second thought, he said, “I’m busy preparing for my wedding right now. All my money is for the bride price. How could I give any to you?”
Shen Yingying’s face hardened. “When you used to ask me for money, as long as I had any, I always gave it all to you.”
“Now that I’m in trouble, I’m only asking for ten or twenty yuan for meals, and you’re unwilling. Could it be that in your heart, my life isn’t as important as you getting a wife?”
Hearing this, Shen Jiacai almost laughed out loud.
The wife he was marrying would bear children for him, continue the Shen family line, and carry on the ancestral incense.
How could a mere girl like Shen Yingying compare to that?
But he didn’t say this to Shen Yingying because he didn’t want to argue with her.
Since she didn’t have the money, arguing would just be a waste of breath.
As for Xie Fangzhu, although he didn’t dare to ask him directly, he would still find a way to get the money from him.
Xie Fangzhu listened most to his grandfather. When the time came, he could have his mother ask his grandfather to step in.
He wasn’t afraid Xie Fangzhu wouldn’t obediently hand over the money.
Thinking of this, his mood improved considerably, and he casually brushed her off:
“Third Brother and you are family. Why are you always thinking about my money? When I go back, I’ll find Mom and have her ask Grandpa. Once Grandpa steps in, would that landlord’s brat dare not give you money?”
After saying this, he didn’t care whether it convinced Shen Yingying or not. After all, in their family, as a girl, Shen Yingying had no right to be angry.
He turned and walked into the room, asking as he went:
“How’s the progress on the fabric we picked out together last time? Have any of the styles your future sister-in-law wanted been made? I’ll take the finished ones back first.”
As he finished speaking, he spotted the dark blue shirt and army green pants lying on the sewing machine.
His eyes lit up, immediately recognizing the fabric he had personally chosen for himself last time.
He exclaimed happily, “Hey! My clothes are done!”
With his uninjured hand, he picked up the shirt and examined it up and down. Feeling it wasn’t enough, he gritted his teeth and used his injured hand to pinch the other corner of the shirt, checking the overall style.
“The style has been altered, hasn’t it? Really nice! Little Sister, your skills are getting better and better!”
He then picked up the pants beside it. There was nothing special about the pants, and he was about to put them down when he suddenly noticed something off.
He held the waistband against his body for comparison.
Then, puzzled, he turned back. “Little Sister, why are these pants so long?”
The waistband was already above his navel, yet the pant legs still dragged a good length on the floor. He had stopped growing long ago, so there was no need to make the pants this long. If he went out dressed like this, wouldn’t he be laughed at?
Shen Yingying leaned against the doorway without entering, her tone devoid of emotion. “How could they be long? I measured everything properly.”
Shen Jiacai thought she was still upset about him not giving her money and couldn’t help feeling annoyed.
He had already spoken nicely to her, yet she was still being ungrateful.
Had she forgotten the Shen family rules after being married to Xie Fangzhu for so long?
Had she forgotten that, as a girl, she had no right to lose her temper in front of her brother?
But thinking he still needed her to alter the pants, he forced himself to ignore her dark expression.Feigning nonchalance, he said, “Look, it’s so long, how can I wear it? Measure my height again and adjust it. This is for my wedding, we can’t be careless!”
Hearing his words, Shen Yingying seemed to remember something.
Suddenly, she laughed. “You’ve got it wrong. This isn’t for you; it’s for Xie Fangzhu. He’s 182 cm tall, and you’re 165 cm. You definitely can’t wear his pants.”
Shen Jiacai: “???”
Shen Jiacai thought he had mistaken the fabric, so he looked more carefully. Army green and dark blue—he hadn’t been mistaken.
He was utterly stunned. “Isn’t this the fabric I picked last time?”
Shen Yingying, holding a thermos with her arms crossed, glanced at the pants in his hands and nodded expressionlessly.
“Yes, your taste is poor; it’s ugly. But luckily, Xie Fangzhu has a good figure and can pull it off. Otherwise, it would be a disaster.”