Bab 27: Chapter 27 Shen Jianhua's Work
Zhou Lanfang had already prepared lunch when she saw Zhou Siyu and Shen Mianmian arrive home together, she thought to herself that her Siyu was so smart. With Shen Jianhua at home, if she let Shen Mianmian walk back on her own, the truth about how she treated Shen Mianmian would really have been exposed.
"Wash your hands quickly and eat; go to school early to study after lunch."
Zhou Siyu responded and, seeing Shen Jianhua serving the rice bowls, hurried over to help with her eyelids twitching actively. After Shen Mianmian washed her hands, she sat directly at the dining table.
Seeing this, Zhou Lanfang started cursing again, "You're always the first to eat but can't be called upon to do any work. If you were only like Siyu, I could have some peace of mind."
"Haven't I only just stopped cooking and doing laundry these last few days?" Shen Mianmian was not planning to swallow her anger any longer, "Which of these chores haven't I done before?"
Zhou Lanfang poked Shen Mianmian's head with her chopsticks, "You're older, so what's wrong with doing a bit more? Look at Xiaocui next door; she's even younger than you by a year, stopped going to school after just two years, and herds cattle, washes clothes, cooks—doesn't she do everything? Does she ever talk back to her own mother like you do?"
"Well, if I'm the older one, then later I'll eat a bit more, and you can't say a word," Shen Mianmian deflected the issue, seizing on the key point in Zhou Lanfang's words.
"You wretched girl, have you learned to talk back now?"
Zhou Lanfang reached out to knock Shen Mianmian again, but this time she was prepared and dodged. Not hitting her mark made Zhou Lanfang even angrier.
Just as Zhou Lanfang was about to lay hands on her again, Shen Jianhua couldn't stand by any longer, "Enough already, can't you let someone eat in peace? You, as a mother, what's the point of arguing with a child?"
After all, she was the daughter he had raised for so many years, and Shen Mianmian usually didn't talk back, except when Zhou Lanfang frequently complained. In Shen Jianhua's eyes, his daughter was still very well-behaved.
The incident with Shen Mianmian seeking out the village chief last time made Shen Jianhua realize that Mianmian was now grown up and was a child with her own opinions.
Continuing to treat her like this would inevitably lead to resentment towards them.
Raising children was meant to prepare for old age, not to cultivate an enemy.
Shen Jianhua understood this principle, but Zhou Lanfang didn't understand! At the moment, she was grinding her teeth with anger but was afraid to really provoke Shen Jianhua. She could only temporarily hold back.
Because she was upset, she handled the chopsticks, bowls, and stools roughly. Shen Jianhua could see she was emotional but sighed without addressing it directly.
He was thinking that after the children went to school, he needed to have a serious talk with Zhou Lanfang. It couldn't go on like this.
But for now, he had something more important to say.
"Someone got hurt at the kiln factory, needs a few days to recover, and they've asked me to go back to work for a few days. I'm starting tomorrow and might not be back until the twenty-ninth or thirtieth. The weather is cold, so you two shouldn't run back and forth at noon. Just buy some food to eat at the school gate."
Working these ten-plus days paid better than before, enough to earn some New Year's money. He was used to hard work all his life and couldn't stay idle; having something to do made him feel secure.
"Why didn't you mention it earlier?" Zhou Lanfang's mood improved at the prospect of more money coming in.
"Didn't I just come back from outside? Didn't I have the chance to tell you yet?" Shen Jianhua felt that sharing such good news when the family was together would be more joyful.
Bab 28: Chapter 28 Lunch Money
"Just because you can earn money doesn't mean you should spoil the children." Zhou Lanfang was reluctant to give up the money, "Riding back and forth is exercise, it warms you up. Eating out, how much money would that cost a day?"
She had no opinion about giving Zhou Siyu money, but there was also that little bastard.
Not willing to work but still wanting to spend money, don't even think about it.
She even wanted to take the opportunity to deal with Shen Mianmian properly during this time.
"How much money can two children eat through?" Shen Jianhua insisted on his own opinion, "You give them fifty cents a day, that's enough for them to eat."
Fifty cents is enough for a bowl of noodles, a big bowl for one fifty.
Looking at the current weather, there's definitely going to be another heavy snow before the year ends. Running back and forth again, the money spent on getting sick and buying medicine will be even more.
"You are the one who likes spoiling the children. If they develop a habit of spending recklessly, you'll regret it when it's too late." Although Zhou Lanfang said so, she did not object any further.
Once Shen Jianhua left, it would be out of his reach. What could he control then?
It must be said, Zhou Lanfang and Zhou Siyu really thought alike, and Shen Mianmian's good days were coming to an end.
Shen Mianmian caught the secret delight in their eyes and remained silent, keeping her head down to eat. After she had her fill, she calmly discussed with Shen Jianhua.
"Dad, there are twelve days until the holiday. Could you give me the food money for these twelve days all at once?"
Before Shen Jianhua could speak, Zhou Lanfang exploded, "What do you need so much money for now?"
"I'm afraid you won't give me the money when the time comes," Shen Mianmian said bluntly.
Knowing his wife's temperament, Shen Jianhua hesitated for a moment, "Then give the money to Mianmian first!"
"If you give her so much money at once, what if she squanders it?"
Zhou Lanfang was so angry that she ground her teeth, that darn girl, too cunning.
"If I spend it all, I'll go hungry without asking you for more," Shen Mianmian declared.
"You..."
Zhou Lanfang was about to start scolding when Shen Jianhua stopped her.
"Give Mianmian the money first!"
Since he had brought this up, he really intended to let the kids eat out at noon. Giving the money sooner or later didn't matter; it was better to be straightforward and also win his daughter's favor.
But his wife just couldn't understand, and Shen Jianhua was very helpless.
Zhou Lanfang's back teeth ached with anger, but seeing Shen Jianhua's firm stance, if she insisted on not giving the money, they were bound to fight, and in the end, she would still have to give in.
She could only take a step back for now.
"I'll give it to her tonight."
She thought to drag it out, hoping that Shen Jianhua would forget by nightfall, and then she would have the final say over the money.
Shen Jianhua saw through her thoughts at a glance, his face darkened, and he put the bowl and chopsticks down heavily on the table.
"Give it to her now."
Zhou Lanfang was startled, Shen Jianhua was known to have a good temper and rarely lost his cool, but when he really got angry, it was intimidating.
She gritted her teeth, gave Shen Mianmian a glare, went to her room to get the money, and slapped it on the table.
"Take it, but don't come asking for more when it's gone."
Shen Mianmian picked up the money and counted it, "Why is it missing sixty cents? Dad just said Siyu and I get fifty cents each a day, that's two and a half cents each, I should get three dollars."
Zhou Lanfang was about to say something when Shen Jianhua glared her down; she was so frustrated her chest hurt but had to pull out another sixty cents.
"Your math is sharp as a pig when it comes to money."
Zhou Siyu watched the scene with eyes turning red with jealousy, but she had no chance to intervene. In this family, she was still an outsider and couldn't ask Shen Jianhua for money like Shen Mianmian did; she could only wait for handouts.
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