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When Qin Jinlian learned that her eldest daughter-in-law had gone to the city and hadn't borrowed a single cent, she cursed in anger, "What a blockhead, if she didn't lend you the money, couldn't you just cling there and not leave? To think you came back empty-handed..."
Du Juan let it go in one ear and out the other. After Qin Jinlian finished, she finally spoke up.
"Mom, I still want to borrow money from you. Ten or twenty yuan would be okay. Do you have any to spare?"
"Where would I have money? I spent it all on Lizhen's gold necklace."
Du Juan then looked toward Yang Lizhen, who, without waiting for her to speak, blocked her words with a smile that was not quite a smile.
"Eldest sister, don't come to me for a loan. I'm flat broke too. My mom's asking me to scrape together money for a watch for my brother's girlfriend, and I can't even come up with that."
Hearing this, Du Juan didn't say anything more and walked away, dejected.