Chapter 593: Chapter 160: Failed Attempt to Sway People (Seeking Monthly Votes)
Mrs. Zhou was crying, and Xu Shu noticed.
Because he had taken a lap around and found that there were no onions on the chopping board, but on the table nearby, there were dishes that had been prepared and covered with plates to keep them from getting cold.
Xu Shu, without any change in his expression, deliberately opened to look and found they were the dishes he used to love when he was a child.
Braised sea bass, minced meat with eggplant, potato stewed beef brisket, stir-fried cabbage with meat slices, Mapo tofu, plus shrimp and egg custard.
What a feast, so luxurious!
"Delicious!" Xu Shu deliberately spoke loudly and exaggeratedly, which made Mrs. Zhou momentarily forget her current predicament, and with a smile on her face said, "Are you hungry? Then, then let’s eat!"
Mrs. Zhou brought all the dishes to the table, having completely forgotten that these items were originally meant for her husband as a "last supper" farewell ritual.
Xu Shu nodded and called over Gu Ru and her daughters, telling them not to be outsiders, and to join them in the meal.
He acted as if he had not noticed Mrs. Zhou’s poor state, focusing solely on his own meal.
Of course, his indifference was feigned, but in truth, only half of it was an act; the other half was genuine appetite, almost making his mouth water.
Home was still best, indeed, compared to this; what he had been eating in the Wasteland was pig feed!
Mrs. Zhou’s cooking skills had always been excellent, even after living in the slums for nearly three years, she hadn’t let them go to waste.
In this respect, Zhou Shiyu had not inherited her mother’s strengths at all; the meals she made were worse than pig feed.
Xu Shu silently ridiculed his sister, eating voraciously with oily lips.
Mrs. Zhou’s heart was filled with trepidation.
Her son had returned, and her heart suddenly relaxed a lot, feeling like there was hope, but she also became cautious.
She kept scrutinizing Gu Ru and her daughters, who Xu Shu had invited to join them for dinner, looking them over again and again.
The girl seemed pretty, but she must not be young, right? Their features looked somewhat similar; these two kids must be hers...
Could Ashu possibly like this kind of woman? They already had kids, how could that be...
Mrs. Zhou’s gaze shifted constantly, and with tears still evident on her face, she suddenly forgot about the more pressing matters.
Only after Xu Shu had finished eating did she timidly ask, "Ashu, who are they?"
Xu Shu wiped his mouth and said, "A friend, staying here for the night."
Gu Ru, who was eating with her head down, perked up her ears.
Mrs. Zhou, who had been inquiring with concern, was startled.
She was about to ask more when Xu Shu waved his hand, telling her to wait for later.
After the meal, Xu Shu instructed Gu Ru to take her daughters to his larger room while he took advantage of his foster mother washing the dishes and went in, closing the door behind him.
Now that they were alone, Xu Shu got straight to the point: "Mom, what happened, just tell me."
"Nothing, nothing at all."
Mrs. Zhou instinctively denied it, but after she spoke, she froze for a moment and then burst into tears again, sobbing, "Ashu, your mom is so stupid, I got deceived!"
"It’s okay, take it slow," Xu Shu comforted her.
Under Xu Shu’s patient questioning, Mrs. Zhou went over everything.
In great detail, all was made clear.
After reviewing everything, Mrs. Zhou’s state stabilized quite a bit; her eyes were red, but she no longer cried. Her son was safe; he had returned, which put her worries at ease.
"Mom, are you sure they claimed to be Cao Gang?" Xu Shu stroked his chin.
"Yes, I’m not mistaken. Look, it’s written here." Mrs. Zhou stood up, found the loan agreement with the overbearing terms, and handed it to Xu Shu to look at.
Indeed, there was also Cao Gang’s seal on it.
"Hey, a gang that’s quite well-organized!"
Xu Shu snorted derisively; the seal bore the words "Yu Xiangwen Cao Transportation Union Culture and Sports Association Official Seal," with a name that appeared very approachable, deceiving anyone who glanced at it into thinking it was some kind of workers’ or farmers’ organization.
"So much extra money?" Xu Shu smacked his lips.
Mrs. Zhou said worriedly, "Ashu, this extra money, should we really not pay it?"
Xu Shu frowned in displeasure, "Mom, what are you saying? It’s only right and proper to repay a debt; the extra money, it has to be returned!"
"Oh, right," Mrs. Zhou nodded, thinking that since her son, the Transcendent, said so, it seemed that the others weren’t wrong.
The next second, however, Xu Shu said, "They overcharged us by fifty thousand; that’s dad’s hard-earned money. If they don’t return it to us, can I accept that? I’ll go to them to get it back tomorrow."
What?
Mrs. Zhou was stunned for a moment before reacting to what her son meant by ’return.’
Great! Her son took such a firm stance, and she felt genuinely pleased, as if they’d gained face.
But then, reflecting on it, she began to worry about her son’s safety and suggested, "Ashu, maybe we should still try to gather the rest of the money and pay it back. Don’t get into a conflict with them. Don’t go, I’ll try to reason with them."
Reason with them?
Heh, it’s nothing but a trap!
What ’reasoning’ can there be?
Xu Shu laughed, stopping Mrs. Zhou: "Mom, leave this to me. Don’t worry about it anymore. By the way, where’s Dad?"
"He went out to work," Mrs. Zhou said.
"Hmm. You said they’ll come tonight to take you to the laboratory base, right?" Xu Shu asked again.
"That’s right."
"Wait here for me later; don’t come out."
"Ah? You’re planning to..."
"Trust me."
Xu Shu’s tone was firm, so Mrs. Zhou said nothing more, and they sat in the living room, waiting anxiously.
Xu Shu rapped on the table, his gaze flickering.
He had his own judgment about this matter.
Cao Gang, these guys, their initial purpose was clearly not money; they were here to "take lives"!