Hearing Wang Hongmei’s words, Zhou Yu put on a confused expression.
“No. Mom, what slip are you talking about?”
Wang Hongmei couldn’t bring herself to say it was a money order receipt, so she could only gesture its approximate size.
Zhou Yu shook her head confidently.
“How would I know? Besides, the moment I carried the package into the yard, you took it away. When would I have had the chance to take anything?”
Thinking about it, Wang Hongmei realized that was true. Panic began to set in. Could it be that there had never been a receipt in the first place?
“Never mind. Go back to your work.”
After saying that, Wang Hongmei hurried out to look for Zhao Ziming.
Zhou Yu returned to Zhao Yunzheng’s room. As if she was going to do any work!
At that moment, Zhao Ziming had already arrived at the educated youth compound.
In his previous life, he had at least completed a proper university education and possessed real skills.
Looking at Meng Jiaru’s old radio, he fiddled with it for a moment, figured out the problem, and repaired it in no time.
The female educated youths looked at him with admiration and awe.
Meng Jiaru praised him as well.
“Teacher Zhao, you’re amazing.”
Pretending to be modest, Zhao Ziming replied,
“It’s nothing. Just a small matter. If you have anything else that needs fixing, feel free to come to me.”
Meng Jiaru lowered her head shyly.
“How can I trouble you like that? Teacher Zhao, you don’t have to help me so much just because of me.”
Zhao Ziming thought to himself that Meng Jiaru came from an excellent family background. Of course he wanted to stay on good terms with her.
Then he remembered the money order receipt and decided not to stay any longer. He said goodbye to Meng Jiaru.
Taking the opportunity, Meng Jiaru offered to walk him out, causing the other female educated youths to whisper among themselves.
“Why do Meng Jiaru and Teacher Zhao seem so close?”
“Who knows? I never noticed them interacting much before.”
“Do you think there might be something going on between them?”
“No way. Isn’t Teacher Zhao engaged to Zhou Rulan from the village?”
“How is that impossible? How could Zhou Rulan compare to Meng Jiaru? Maybe it was just a marriage arranged by his family. This is a new era now—we don’t follow those old feudal customs anymore. Besides, Zhou Rulan is nowhere near as good as Meng Jiaru.”
Walking a few steps behind Zhao Ziming, Meng Jiaru overheard the discussion and secretly felt pleased.
Even ordinary people could see that she was a better match for Teacher Zhao.
She had to win him over.
Zhao Ziming did not let Meng Jiaru accompany him very far and told her to head back early.
Her eyes lit up.
“Teacher Zhao, I’d like to thank you for helping me today. How about I treat you to a meal at the state-owned restaurant in the county? When would you be free?”
Zhao Ziming was about to decline when Meng Jiaru suddenly lowered her voice.
“I actually have something important to discuss with you. It’s about educated youths returning to the cities and the college entrance examination. My family wrote to me and shared some insider information.”
Meng Jiaru believed that, as an intellectual, Zhao Ziming couldn’t possibly resist something like that.
Sure enough, he hesitated.
Although he was already guaranteed admission to university, having more information and making better preparations could allow him to negotiate with Zhao Yunzheng’s military unit and perhaps gain admission to an even better university.
Having lived through it once before, Zhao Ziming knew that the higher and farther he climbed, the brighter his future would be.
He smiled and agreed.
Meng Jiaru returned happily.
After Zhao Ziming turned to leave, he soon ran into Wang Hongmei, who was hurrying toward him.
“Third son, do you think it’s true that your eldest brother’s military unit sent compensation money? The package from his comrade arrived today, but I couldn’t find the money order receipt!”
“What? You couldn’t find it? That’s impossible!”
Zhao Ziming’s expression changed instantly.
He remembered it clearly. In his previous life, the money order receipt had arrived on this exact day.
When Wang Hongmei insisted that it really wasn’t there, Zhao Ziming grew anxious and immediately rushed home.
As Wang Hongmei and Zhao Ziming returned, Zhou Yu, who was inside the room, heard the commotion and instantly perked up.
Zhao Ziming headed straight for Wang Hongmei’s room and searched through the package. Together they turned everything upside down, but there was still no sign of the receipt.
“How could this happen…”
He turned to Wang Hongmei.
“Mom, are all the items here? Are you sure nobody else touched them?”
“No!”
Wang Hongmei recounted the entire process of receiving the package.
When Zhao Ziming heard that Zhou Yu had carried it into the house, his eyelid twitched.
He didn’t know why, but an instinctive feeling made him frown.
“Zhou Yu took it. Otherwise, it couldn’t just disappear!”
The moment Zhao Ziming said that, Wang Hongmei immediately believed him.
She stormed toward Zhao Yunzheng’s room, furious.
Inside, Zhou Yu heard the approaching footsteps. Remaining calm, she continued massaging Zhao Yunzheng’s legs.
The next moment, the door was flung open with force.
“Zhou Yu, did you take my things?”
Zhao Ziming’s face was dark.
If there was no money order receipt, how was he supposed to pay Rulan’s bride price and host their wedding banquet at the end of the month?
He had promised himself that in this life he would give Rulan the very best and make up for the regrets of his previous life.
Zhou Yu calmly pretended to be puzzled.
“What did I take? What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean.”
Zhao Ziming no longer bothered beating around the bush.
“The money order receipt! It was meant for me. My brother’s comrade just happened to send it together with the nutritional supplements and medicine!”
The moment he said it aloud, Wang Hongmei’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly relaxed.
That was right—it was their Zhao family’s money order receipt!
“Zhou Yu, hand it over right now! How can you, as the eldest daughter-in-law, steal your younger brother-in-law’s belongings?”
With a single sentence, she splashed a bucket of dirty water onto Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu sneered inwardly.
The compensation money was clearly intended by the military unit for Zhao Yunzheng’s family, yet they shamelessly claimed it was theirs.
She pushed Zhao Yunzheng’s leg aside, stopped the massage, stood up, and said coldly,
“Mom, watch what you say. What do you mean I stole it? Do I look like that kind of person? Besides, even if I wanted to steal it, I’d have to know it existed first. When did any of you ever tell me there was a money order receipt?”
The question left Zhao Ziming and Wang Hongmei speechless.
They really had kept it completely hidden from Zhou Yu and had never mentioned it to her.
By that logic, it couldn’t have been Zhou Yu.
Zhao Ziming frowned.
Still, apart from Wang Hongmei, Zhou Yu was the only other person who had handled the package.
“The receipt is missing. Mom didn’t take it. That only leaves you.”
His voice was heavy.
“Zhou Yu, I know exactly what kind of person you are. It had to be you! If you hand it over now, I won’t pursue the matter of you stealing it.”
Zhou Yu responded coldly,
“I already told you, I didn’t take it! If you keep slandering me, I’ll go to the production brigade and demand justice. I’ll make sure everyone in the village knows how you treat the sister-in-law who has been tirelessly taking care of your comatose elder brother!”
Both Zhao Ziming and Wang Hongmei’s expressions changed.
“Your younger brother-in-law isn’t even pursuing the fact that you stole his money order receipt. As the elder sister-in-law, why are you making such a fuss?”
Wang Hongmei immediately scolded her.
Awakened by the argument and suffering from a splitting headache, Zhao Yunzheng slowly regained consciousness.
The moment he heard Wang Hongmei’s words, his heart turned cold.