A flicker of fear crossed Ning Zhongyi’s face.
Aunt Zhou’s son was indeed successful, and Ning Zhongyi didn’t dare provoke him. He shot Ning You a warning look.
“Enough. Ning You, what exactly do you want?”
Here it comes.
Ning You grew excited inside, though none of it showed on her face. Her eyes reddened as she spoke softly:
“…Half a cornbread bun a day really isn’t enough to eat. Stepmom can make me cook, wash clothes, massage shoulders, pound legs—anything is fine. Can she just give me half a bun more? I wake up hungry every night, and drinking cold water doesn’t help…”
The crowd instantly exploded.
“What? She only gets half a cornbread bun a day?”
“And He Meili makes Little Yuzu cook, wash clothes, massage shoulders, and pound legs? She’s treating her like a servant!”
“The Ning family is really inhuman!”
“It’s one thing for He Meili to be a stepmother, but Engineer Ning is her biological father. He doesn’t care either?”
One woman who especially loved slapping labels on people suddenly lit up like a rat smelling oil.
“This is a classic capitalist attitude! They should be dragged out and criticized!”
The topic was too sensitive.
The noisy crowd abruptly fell silent.
Ning Zhongyi and He Meili’s expressions changed drastically.
Sensing everyone’s gazes landing on her, Liao Hongmei stubbornly declared:
“The Ning family treats Ning You like a servant. That’s exploitation, completely against central ideology. If this isn’t capitalist behavior, what is?”
Thinking about the benefits of bringing down a highly educated man like Ning Zhongyi made the woman visibly excited.
She grabbed Ning You by the shoulders and demanded, “Comrade Ning You, tell us—isn’t the Ning family engaging in capitalist behavior?”
Ning You: …
Did they think she was stupid?
She was on the same household registration as her trash father. If the Ning family’s class background was ruined, could she remain untouched?
Given the social climate, taking the wrong political stance could destroy an entire family. Even Ning Zhongyi and He Meili didn’t dare treat this lightly, and their expressions shifted.
Ning Zhongyi spoke first.
“Ning You, don’t forget—you’re part of the Ning family too!”
He Meili had worked hard to marry into the Ning family and live a good life. How could she willingly lose it all and return to poverty?
She hurriedly forced out a smile at Ning You.
“Yuyou, no matter how many misunderstandings you have about the family, this is still our family’s business. Can’t we close the door and settle it privately?”
Ning You remained expressionless.
The original owner had been such a good girl, yet she had never once heard a soft word from them. But the moment Ning You made trouble, He Meili backed down immediately…
Clearly, people only bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Seeing that neither hard nor soft tactics worked on Ning You, He Meili finally abandoned her dismissive attitude and lowered herself.
“Yuyou, whatever you want, I’ll satisfy you. Stop making a scene, okay?”
“Am I the one making a scene?” Ning You asked flatly.
“No, no…” With Liao Hongmei—the notorious house-raiding fanatic—standing nearby, He Meili didn’t dare stir up more trouble. Suppressing her anger, she said:
“It’s my fault for not handling things fairly and making you feel wronged. Aunt He apologizes to you. Can we go back and talk properly?”
Her attitude was exceptionally gentle, completely unlike the harsh, vicious woman she was at home.
Ning You replied, “I don’t believe you.”
He Meili clenched her teeth.
…What exactly did this little bitch want from her?
A fierce light flashed through her eyes, though her face remained patient and kind.
“Yuyou, if you have any demands, just say them. As long as they’re reasonable, your father and I will satisfy them. Right, Old Ning?”
Ning Zhongyi’s face was dark with fury. Being threatened like this infuriated him, but with Liao Hongmei eyeing him like a tiger watching prey, he didn’t dare refuse.
Under normal circumstances he wouldn’t have cared.
But right now there was a rare opportunity at the factory, and everyone was watching him closely.
He absolutely could not afford any mistakes—especially not politically charged accusations.
“…Mm.”
A single syllable emerged through his nose in reluctant agreement.
Ning You lifted her thin, pale face toward the upright and formidable Aunt Zhou.
“Auntie, I don’t know what to do. Can you help me?”
Of course she knew exactly what to do.
But with Aunt Zhou backing her, her scumbag father and stepmother would definitely restrain themselves, making her future plans easier to carry out.
Aunt Zhou had just been reminiscing about Ning You’s mother and feeling regretful and emotional.
Hearing this, she immediately said:
“Of course I can! Little Yuzu, tell me what you want me to do. We neighbors are here to support you, so don’t be afraid.”
Right now Ning You looked like a pitiful little thing in everyone’s eyes. The situation overwhelmingly favored her, and she certainly wasn’t foolish enough to ruin it.
The girl lowered her eyes slightly, appearing nervous. Her eyelashes trembled gently as she whispered:
“…I don’t want to go hungry anymore. Being hungry feels awful. As long as Stepmom gives me half a cornbread bun more every day, that’s enough.”
Her words stabbed into the hearts of everyone present like thorns.
Immediately, contempt, disgust, ridicule, and countless complicated emotions turned toward Ning Zhongyi and He Meili.
Two working adults in one family, and they still couldn’t afford to feed three children?
Clearly, this family simply didn’t treat Little Yuzu like a human being.
Too vicious!
Knowing his good reputation was ruined, Ning Zhongyi’s still-handsome features darkened completely.
“You’re a member of the Ning family. The family has never lacked you food—”
Ning You interrupted him.
“Has the family ever not lacked me food before?”
Ning Zhongyi choked speechlessly.
Aunt Zhou looked at him with disdain, then turned to Ning You sympathetically.
“Silly girl, you’re the Ning family’s daughter. Eating their food, using their things—that’s only natural.”
She glanced at He Meili, who was too ashamed to raise her head, then continued:
“From now on, eat boldly in the Ning family. If anyone dares withhold your food again, Auntie will take you to the Women’s Federation to report them!”
A grateful smile finally appeared on Ning You’s face.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Aunt Zhou truly pitied Ning You and sincerely wanted to help her. She turned toward Ning Zhongyi and He Meili.
“I’ll meddle today and make a decision for Little Yuzu!
“You two work all day, so it’s understandable that Little Yuzu handles the housework. But you can’t make her work for free. Pay her!
“Ten yuan a month. As for ration tickets, give whatever you can. If either of you has objections, say them now.”
Ning Zhongyi was a leader at the lighting factory and earned seventy to eighty yuan a month. Ten yuan itself didn’t matter much to him.
The problem was how humiliating it felt to give it.
But refusing wasn’t an option either.
With a cold face, he said, “I have no objections.”
He Meili wasn’t particularly capable. Marrying Ning Zhongyi was the proudest achievement of her life, and she never dared oppose him for fear of being abandoned.
Though she was extremely unwilling inside, she still didn’t dare damage her husband’s dignity and reluctantly nodded as well.
“Good,” Aunt Zhou said. “Since both of you agree, come with me to the Women’s Federation and sign an agreement. I’ll act as witness.”
As she spoke, she shot Liao Hongmei a look.
Liao Hongmei was slick and worldly. Seeing that the opportunity to bring down the Ning family was gone, she no longer dared offend the Zhou family and quickly added:
“I’ll be a witness too.”
Thus, surrounded by enthusiastic neighbors, Ning Zhongyi and He Meili were escorted off to the Women’s Federation.
Before leaving, Ning You casually glanced toward several people standing in the opposite direction, a faint smile appearing in her eyes.
The money itself wasn’t important.
Ruining her trash father’s plans—that was what truly made her happy.
Second round.
She won again.
…
Not far from the residential building.
Several men wearing Zhongshan suits stood there, having witnessed the entire farce from beginning to end.
“…That girl has a nice voice,” the elderly factory director said with a smile. “She’d probably sing opera beautifully.”