These days, though things might not seem obvious on the surface, many households in this area had working members with substantial family savings.
With the one-child policy in place, families often had only one precious child.
Pocket money was never in short supply.
Soon, someone who had tasted the sweetness bought the rolling iron hoop from Zuo Cao’s hands.
Zuo Cao hadn’t made many—it was a small business, and it wasn’t easy to take too much from the recycling station.
In total, she had made four rolling iron hoops, a few sandbag toys, and those things made from bottle caps—she didn’t even know what to call them—which she sold for thirty cents each.
Rolling the iron hoop required a bit of skill, something that existed in the Original Owner’s memory, a game played by children in rural areas.
Making these rolling hoops was also the Original Owner’s own craftsmanship.
Zuo Cao had a clear idea when choosing her customers. For children of this era, her pricing was quite high.
Her target was the big-spending, gullible ones.
As for those who pretended to be wealthy but weren’t, Zuo Cao didn’t sell to them, fearing parents might come looking for trouble.
A small business couldn’t handle refunds.
A child selling things outside was a novelty in itself.
Taking advantage of the after-school rush, Zuo Cao smoothly sold everything she had, earning four yuan and fifty cents.
She now had six yuan and fifty cents in total.
Zuo Cao gained money, while the children around her got new toys, feeling quite excited as they studied and discussed the techniques involved.
Zuo Cao tucked her hands into her pockets, keeping her achievements to herself.
She returned to the recycling station and stayed there until evening, when her aunt, having received word from Uncle Chen, hurried over.
“You child,” she called out to Zuo Cao, pulling eighty cents from her pocket to give to Auntie Qin.
Auntie Qin refused: “This girl is really capable. She tidied up my shop so neatly. In fact, I should be paying her wages.”
Zuo Caiyun smiled awkwardly: “I’ve caused you trouble.”
“That mother-in-law of yours is difficult to deal with. To scold a child so harshly, really,” Aunt Qin said. “The whole family depends on you to earn money. You need to stand your ground. It’s not just your own niece—even if three or five more came, the food they eat isn’t from the Wei family.”
Zuo Cao looked at her aunt and saw her smiling awkwardly in agreement, but she hadn’t truly taken Aunt Qin’s words to heart.
She took Zuo Cao’s hand and hurriedly left Aunt Qin’s recycling shop.
“Zuo Cao, how could you run out on your own? Don’t you know how dangerous it is outside? If something happened to you, how would I explain it to your parents?”
Zuo Caiyun slapped Zuo Cao’s back: “Do you know you were wrong?”
“Aunt, I had no food to eat at home,” Zuo Cao stopped and looked up, her eyes deep and dark.
Zuo Caiyun was taken aback: “Don’t you know how to cook? I haven’t even mentioned it yet—what happened with breakfast this morning?”
Zuo Cao paused for a moment before speaking: “Aunt locked up all the rice and flour at home.”
Silence fell between them.
Zuo Caiyun looked into Zuo Cao’s eyes and, for some reason, felt a sense of shame.
She averted her gaze: “I’ll talk to her when I get back. How could she do such a thing? It’s too much.”
Zuo Caiyun brought Zuo Cao back home.
Wei Changzhi hadn’t returned yet, and no one knew where he’d gone off to.
When Wei Mu saw Zuo Cao, her eyes widened: “You little brat, you actually know how to come back? I’ll beat you to death, you son of a bitch.”
Zuo Caiyun said, “Mom, what are you doing? If you drive Zuo Cao out and she starves to death outside, will you be happy? After all, she’s my niece. What will you say to her parents when they come looking for her?”
Wei Mu flew into a rage. “What do you mean I drove her out? It was this shameless little tramp who ran off on her own. Well, well, you’ve really grown bold now, haven’t you? Eating our food and smashing our bowls? Think you’ve grown wings, is that it?”
“Come and see, everyone! My daughter-in-law is trying to drive her mother-in-law to her death! I’ve been working myself to the bone for her, inside and outside the house, and not a single word of thanks do I get—”
The Wei household had seen more than its fair share of drama these past two days.
Zuo Caiyun stood rigid, helplessly watching the people outside pointing and whispering, and her mother-in-law rolling on the ground in a tantrum.
“Zuo Cao, hurry up and apologize to your Aunt—” Before Zuo Caiyun could finish,
Zuo Cao plopped down on the ground, wiping her face and wailing without tears. “It’s my fault. I’m surnamed Zuo, after all. I shouldn’t have eaten the Wei family’s food. I should have stayed quietly at home, even if Aunt locked up all the food.
“I was too tired. I shouldn’t have slept. I should have washed all the clothes and diapers, obediently swept and mopped the floors, cooked the meals, scrubbed the tables and cabinets, and taken good care of Zhuangzhuang. I shouldn’t have slept at night.”
Zuo Cao’s voice was shrill and tearful, completely drowning out Wei Mu.
The onlookers grew more and more astonished as they listened.
“This child does all that work? Is it true or not?”
“Hard to say. The Wei household used to be so tidy. Look at today—didn’t that Zuo girl run off? Look how messy the house is.”
“Exactly. Look at the kitchen—no meal was cooked, right? That girl Zuo used to do the cooking too.”
“Tsk tsk, the Wei family treats their daughter-in-law like a hired hand, and they didn’t spare her niece either.”
Wei Mu was dumbfounded. “You shameless little whore—”
She scrambled up and charged at Zuo Cao. “Today, it’s either her or me!”
Zuo Cao sidestepped lightly, and Wei Mu crashed heavily to the ground.
Zuo Cao raised an eyebrow and said in a voice only Wei Mu could hear, “Why don’t you ever learn? Now you’ve fallen.”
Wei Mu was livid. “You, you!”
Zuo Caiyun stepped forward to help Wei Mu up but was shoved away. “Get away from me! A big whore raising a little whore.”
Zuo Caiyun burst into tears instantly. “Mom—”
She tried to pull Zuo Cao aside, but although Zuo Cao hadn’t touched Wei Mu, she leaned back with Wei Mu’s momentum, wailing even louder than Wei Mu.
Zuo Caiyun was at her wit’s end.
The farce lasted until eight o’clock in the evening.
Wei Changzhi returned, carrying a faint smell of alcohol.
Wei Mu forgot about her feud with Zuo Cao and hurried over to attend to her son. “Where have you been? Let me boil some hot water for you to wash up. After that, soak your feet. They say winter ailments are treated in summer. Now that it’s hot, soaking in hot water can cure the root of illnesses and help you live a long life.”
“Have you all eaten? Did you leave any food for me? I’m starving.”
Zuo Caiyun called out from the kitchen, “I’m stir-frying the dishes now. There’ll be hot food in a moment.”
Wei Changzhi was surprised. “Why are you cooking so late?”
Wei Mu shot a fierce glare at Zuo Cao. “It’s all because this jinx has been slacking off all day.”
Zuo Cao smiled. “Aunt, you said it yourself—I’m not part of the Wei family, so I shouldn’t eat Wei family food. Naturally, Wei family chores aren’t my responsibility either.”
Zuo Caiyun came out of the kitchen carrying dishes. “Xiao Cao, don’t talk nonsense. We’re all family.”
Wei Changzhi said, “Yes, yes, let’s not speak of such things.”
Wei Mu never contradicted her son, only scowled darkly.
Wei Changzhi sat close to Wei Mu, playing with his own son.
The atmosphere could barely be considered harmonious.
Zuo Cao, clutching six yuan and fifty cents, had made such a fuss that she was now hungry.
Although Zuo Caiyun had cooked the meal, the dishes had been provided by Wei Mu. The entire table was filled with nothing but vegetables, except for one salted duck egg—the whole egg was placed in front of Wei Changzhi.
Wei Mu’s eyes still cast a cold, sidelong glance at Zuo Cao.
Zuo Cao felt annoyed.
Wei Mu, like the dishes on the table, made one’s face turn green with displeasure.
She put down her chopsticks and looked at Zuo Caiyun. “Aunt, I just remembered I left something at Auntie’s place. You go ahead and eat. I’ll be right back.”
“Hey, child, it’s so late at night… Why not go get it tomorrow?”
Zuo Cao dashed off and disappeared in an instant. “I’ll be quick!”
With the six yuan and fifty cents tucked close to her body, she could even afford to eat at a state-run restaurant!
Zuo Cao didn’t actually go to a state-run restaurant—it was a bit too far. She’d go another day.
Instead, she went to a small eatery.
A bowl of green pepper and shredded pork noodles, with chewy noodles and flavorful seasoning.
It only cost eighty cents.
Zuo Cao ate with immense satisfaction.
The System suddenly spoke up. “Host, if you sincerely apologize to Wei Mu, you can earn her forgiveness. Why make family relationships so tense?”
“If she sincerely apologizes to me, I can forgive her too.” Zuo Cao picked up the last pea and ate it, smacking her lips with lingering delight.
“She is your elder!”
“She doesn’t act like one.”