"Sister, we weighed all these vegetables. They're all the same weight, and these two watermelons combined are just over a hundred jin. What's there to pick and choose about?" Li Rongfang stood behind her, watching Liu Ju's actions with disdain.
Logically speaking, Liu Ju's living conditions were among the better ones among her seven siblings, yet she was the one who was most fond of taking advantage.
Making her suffer a loss felt worse than cutting off her flesh.
Liu Ju didn't feel embarrassed. She chuckled and said, "I was just afraid there might be rotten ones, wanting to pick them out. Otherwise, the good ones would spoil too."
Li Rongfang knew this was an excuse. She snorted coldly but said nothing further.
By the time the men finished eating, it was already two o'clock. Everyone took their belongings and headed home.
Only the eldest sister, Liu Mei, was busy cleaning up in the kitchen. After sending the guests off, Liu Yifeng also came to help in the kitchen.
But Liu Mei chased him out, "You've been busy from morning till noon and had quite a bit to drink. Go to your room and get some sleep. Leave this to your aunt!"
Liu Yifeng was deeply touched by his aunt, who always thought of him. He took out the two thousand yuan he had prepared and slipped it into his aunt's pocket.
"What are you doing? Aunt doesn't need your money. Save it for yourself. You'll need it for buying a house, getting married, and raising children. Your father is old; if he falls ill, there will be expenses too." Liu Mei tried to return the money to Liu Yifeng. If it were Liu Ju, she would have clutched it tightly, afraid Liu Yifeng would ask for it back.
However, his aunt had treated him very well when he was young, while his second aunt had always been indifferent.
Therefore, his aunt was like a second mother to him. Now that he had the means, it was only right for him to be filial.
"Aunt, this is just a small token of my appreciation. It's not much money. If you hadn't taken care of me when I was little, I wouldn't be where I am today. Please accept it!"
"Aunt's own abilities were limited, and I couldn't take much care of you. This is what an aunt should do. I never expected any repayment from you. Having this thought is enough to make Aunt very happy." Liu Mei refused to take it no matter what.
But the more she acted selflessly, the more Liu Yifeng wanted to treat her well. "Aunt, if you don't accept it, then I won't visit your home anymore!"
Seeing her nephew's earnest expression, Liu Mei finally accepted it. "Then Aunt won't refuse. But don't give Aunt money anymore. Otherwise, if your second aunt finds out, she'll have something to say."
"Whoever is good to me, I'll be good to them. I'm not afraid of second aunt knowing!" Liu Yifeng said.
"You child, why such a generous gift? How can Aunt accept it so easily?" Liu Mei sighed, feeling unworthy of it.
Liu Yifeng smiled and patted his aunt's hand. "Aunt, no amount of money can repay your care for me when I was young."
"What a good boy!" Liu Mei was very touched.
"By the way, Aunt, I also bought you some nutritional supplements. Remember to take them back later!" Liu Yifeng had bought some things specifically for his aunt.
Liu Mei nodded, her eyes reddening.
It would be hard to find another nephew who was more filial than one's own son.
She wondered if her sister-in-law would regret abandoning such an understanding and filial son due to poverty.
Afterward, the two began washing dishes in the kitchen, while Liu Chunsheng swept the floor in the living room.
The floor was covered with melon seed shells and other debris. It was too messy to look at without sweeping.
Meanwhile, Liu Ju sat in her son's car, a smug smile on her face.
Zhao Kunming, who was driving, glanced at her in the rearview mirror, puzzled. "Mom, what are you smiling about?"
"Kunming, Mom is happy because I got even with Xiao Hao today!" Liu Ju's smile was wide.
"Got even with him? Did you do something, Mom?" Zhao Kunming asked.
Liu Ju calmed herself down. "What else could I do? I secretly took a few parts from the Optimus Prime toy that Yifeng bought for his son. Hmph, since he wouldn't lend it to Xiao Hao to play with, then no one should get to play with it!"
She said this with displeasure, never thinking she had done anything wrong.
Instead, she felt that Liu Chunsheng and his son were heartless, unwilling to lend even a toy.
Before Zhao Kunming could reply, Zhao Licheng, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke up. "How could you do such a thing? No matter what, that child Tong Tong calls you great-aunt. Even if you wouldn't lend it, you shouldn't be petty with a child? You're really going downhill. Hurry up and drive back and return the parts!"
As Zhao Kunming prepared to turn the car around, Liu Ju quickly stopped him. "Don't turn back! They don't know I did it. If I go back now, won't I be walking into a trap? How will I be able to face anyone after this?"
"You know it's not an honorable thing to do, so why did you do it? Damaging a child's toy, I'm so angry with you!" Zhao Licheng's face was flushed red.
He was Liu Ju's husband and had been working out of town, only returning for the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
Although he had always been indifferent to Liu Yifeng, he had never deliberately done anything disgraceful.
Especially when it involved children, he couldn't afford to lose face.
So, he didn't insist on Zhao Kunming turning the car around anymore. Otherwise, it would be confirmed that Liu Ju had done it, and he would be embarrassed too.
If they kept quiet now, no one would suspect them. After all, there were many children today, and it could have been some mischievous child who lost the parts.
Liu Ju dismissed her husband's anger. "Do you really think I wanted to do this? It's because they put us in a difficult position and made Kunming so angry that he hit Xiao Hao. If I don't teach them a lesson, I can't swallow this!"
"Mom, did you throw away the parts, or did you bring them back?" Zhao Kunming asked. He didn't criticize or blame his mother for the disgraceful things she said.
In his opinion, his second uncle's family was indeed too stingy. Seeing the child cry so much, they wouldn't budge. Even when he slapped Xiao Hao, he couldn't change his second uncle's attitude.
Just as his mother said, then no one should play with it.
Otherwise, if they visited his uncle's house again, Xiao Hao would throw a tantrum. It was better to break it now and settle it once and for all!
Liu Ju pulled out the parts she had removed earlier from her pants pocket and opened her hand, as if showing off. "Here, aren't they right here?"
"Which part did you remove?" Zhao Kunming asked, looking at what his mother held in the rearview mirror with curiosity.
"I don't know. Anyway, when no one was paying attention, I took a few parts. I took some from the arms and legs, and also from the chest area," Liu Ju replied.
Zhao Licheng listened to the conversation between his wife and son, feeling a wave of annoyance. He simply closed his eyes and dozed off.
He couldn't manage it anymore. He could only hope that the mess they had made wouldn't be discovered. Otherwise, if people found out, they would scold their entire family to death.