Meng Yao looked at the two large bags Meng Yu was carrying and sneered inwardly.
Meng Yu acted like a spoiled young lady at home every single day and did not know how to do anything. Yet she claimed she earned the money herself?
Only a fool would believe that. Who knew what shady business she was doing behind everyone’s back?
Clearly, it was her own problem, yet she still wanted Meng Yao to apologize. Dream on!
“Who knows where your money came from? I wouldn’t dare eat your things.”
Meng Yu’s expression changed slightly.
At this time, speculation and profiteering were heavily cracked down upon, but the profits were also enormous. That was exactly why she had taken the risk.
No, not a risk.
She was completely at ease.
After all, she already knew that place from her previous life. Nothing could possibly go wrong!
“Hmph! If you don’t apologize to me, then don’t even think about eating my food. Just watch!”
After saying that, Meng Yu carried her two large bags into the bedroom.
With all the money she earned today, she bought things entirely for herself, including a new set of clothes. She could not wait to try them on.
Watching her disappear into the room, Meng Yao frowned slightly.
She did not care what Meng Yu wanted to do, but she worried that if Meng Yu committed some illegal act, their parents would end up suffering because of it.
By dinnertime, Meng Zhihong and Zhao Meilan returned home together.
There were still only three people at the dinner table.
Zhao Meilan knocked on Meng Yu’s door.
“Xiao Yu, why aren’t you coming out to eat?”
Meng Yu had bolted the door tightly.
“Mom, I went to register today and happened to buy two sesame flatbreads to eat. I’m still full right now and doing practice papers. You all eat first!”
Hearing this, Zhao Meilan returned to the dining table.
Meng Yao sneered inwardly.
More likely, she had already eaten at a restaurant in the county town. Meng Yao had clearly smelled meat on her earlier!
Meng Zhihong looked extremely pleased, smiling brightly as he said to Meng Yao, “Both you and your sister are working so hard. You’ll definitely get into university. Your father here will finally bring honor to the family.”
Zhao Meilan remembered what her husband told her about Meng Yao staying up late to study.
“Yao Yao, getting into university is important, but you can’t ruin your health by overworking yourself, understand?”
Meng Yao nodded obediently.
“Mom, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
Days devoted to studying always passed quickly.
With the support of the spiritual spring water, Meng Yao’s learning progress continued advancing rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it was time for tutoring again.
After packing her things and bringing her textbooks, she headed into the city.
As usual, she first went to the market to sell vegetables and chickens. This time, she deliberately brought out several more chickens from the space along with a basket of eggs she had collected the day before.
Before long, the two aunties who had wanted to buy chickens and eggs last time really showed up. One bought a chicken, while the other purchased the entire basket of eggs.
Everything sold out quickly.
Meng Yao immediately hurried to Ye Lei’s house. After lunch, he tested her progress and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly she had improved, encouraging her to keep it up.
Meng Yao finally relaxed.
Her nights spent studying by lamplight had not been wasted.
Afterward, she familiarly made her way to the Gu family factory and unexpectedly ran into Gu Jingcheng right at the entrance.
The man was still dressed in formal clothes. The moment he saw her, he immediately straightened up.
“Y-You’re here?” Meng Yao’s sudden appearance caught Gu Jingcheng off guard, causing him to stutter slightly.
“Mm.”
Meng Yao recalled what Gu Jingcheng said before she left last time, as well as her own decision.
Suppressing thoughts she should not have, she took a deep breath and reminded herself to treat Gu Jingcheng only as a teacher and not think about anything else.
Intentionally keeping her distance, Meng Yao spoke as little as possible aside from discussing studies.
Gu Jingcheng vaguely sensed it, and disappointment inevitably settled in his heart. Several times, he wanted to ask her out somewhere, but after seeing the way her eyes avoided him, he swallowed the words back down.
Until the lesson ended, neither of them said much.
Gu Jingcheng felt anxious yet helpless.
The perfect dates he had planned out in his mind remained completely unspoken.
Meng Yao was like a cold and emotionless study machine.
Before leaving, Meng Yao went to the restroom.
When she returned, her schoolbag had already been neatly packed away. Gu Jingcheng carried it for her and escorted her to the factory gate.
Meng Yao bit her lip.
“I’m leaving now. Goodbye.”
“Mm… goodbye.”
Ignoring the disappointment in his voice, she turned and walked away.
Her thoughts were a complete mess along the way.
She felt she was being too heartless, but whenever she remembered that Gu Jingcheng had said he already liked someone else, she could only maintain her distance.
Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of the chaotic emotions.
She reached into her bag for money, intending to buy a coal stove so she could cook inside the space in the future.
The moment her hand entered the bag, she touched a small box.
Lowering her head, she opened the schoolbag.
At some unknown time, a small square box had appeared inside. One side of it was embossed with gold, looking incredibly delicate and luxurious, completely mismatched with her old worn-out schoolbag.
Immediately, she thought of Gu Jingcheng.
She walked to a quiet spot and carefully opened the box.
Inside was a diamond hairpin!
Unlike the ordinary hairpins sold at roadside stalls, this one was shaped like a peacock covered in sparkling gemstones. The deep green jewels formed a lifelike peacock that shimmered brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
The tiny peacock looked both exquisite and proud.
Her heartbeat suddenly quickened.
Meng Yao found herself unable to understand Gu Jingcheng anymore.
Didn’t he already have someone he liked?
Then why would he give her a hairpin?
And secretly at that?
A bold guess surfaced in her mind, but she was afraid she might simply be overthinking things.
No matter what, the gloom weighing on her heart suddenly lifted.
She gently touched the delicate little peacock before happily placing it back into the box, unable to stop the corners of her lips from rising.
After buying the cooking supplies she needed for the space, she deliberately stopped by a yarn shop.
She planned to personally knit Gu Jingcheng a scarf as a return gift.
When the shop owner asked which yarn she wanted, Meng Yao gritted her teeth and chose the best quality one.
It felt soft and luxurious in her hands.
It cost her three whole yuan!
Even she could not bear to use such good material on herself.
Holding the yarn, she walked toward the county road entrance. Today she could ride Uncle Wang’s cart home instead of walking.
Thinking of that, she quickened her pace.
“Hey! Comrade up ahead! Stop for a moment!”
Meng Yao was still planning what style of scarf she should knit today. Assuming the shout was directed at someone else, she kept walking.
“The comrade with the schoolbag up ahead! Stop right there!”
Only then did Meng Yao instinctively stop and turn around.
Two policemen in uniform were already panting as they ran toward her, carefully scrutinizing her face.
Meng Yao became nervous.
“What’s wrong?”
One policeman looked at her while taking out a sketch portrait and comparing it to her face for a long time before shaking his head.
“The age matches, and the height is similar too, but the face is different. It’s not her…”
The other policeman also looked twice before waving his hand dismissively.
“It’s nothing. You can go.”
Meng Yao looked utterly confused.
Judging by their behavior, were they trying to catch someone?
After this misunderstanding, she did not linger and quickly continued toward the road entrance.
Watching the girl walk away, the policeman holding the sketch scratched his head.
“This is ridiculous. It’s already been almost half a month, and we still haven’t caught them.”
The other policeman remained calmer.
“Just wait. Those profiteers are making huge deals. I refuse to believe they’ll stop forever.”
“Good point.”
The policeman holding the sketch glanced at it a few more times.
It depicted two young women with scarves wrapped tightly around their faces, revealing only their eyes.
The sketch had been provided by a black-market vendor who was arrested. According to him, the girls were only around seventeen or eighteen years old, but extremely bold.
The things they sold illegally were all large-scale goods, earning them huge profits each time.
The policeman shook his head and finally put the sketch away.