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Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Sister-in-law, I’m in trouble.
Tong Yao was being irritated by Si Xiaohui’s incessant chatter, and snapped back at her, "Don’t meddle in the affairs of Jiang Lake."
Si Xiaohui had a bit of a temper, and the nicer you treated her, the more likely she was to take advantage of it. Tong Yao had noticed this long ago and, hence, never pandered to her. If she didn’t keep this girl in check, she might just try to fly to the moon.
Si Xiaohui was so angry that she could explode, thinking that Tong Yao’s behavior was ridiculous. However, since Tong Yao was her boss and she had little say in matters, she could only keep her objections to herself.
Just then, He Fang appeared. Si Xiaohui’s rage boiled over, and she glared at He Fang, sarcastically saying, "You’ve got some nerve showing up here!"
She had met many shameless people before, but He Fang was in a league of her own. If they were in the village, the local women would have given He Fang a good beating by now.
"Xiaohui." He Fang awkwardly squeezed out a smile. After receiving a disgusted look from Si Xiaohui, she turned to Tong Yao, her face crimson with shame, "Thanks, sis."
Everyone knew why He Fang wanted to order fresh milk from the master, and everyone thought that Tong Yao would instruct the milkman not to sell to her. But, unexpectedly, Tong Yao had helped her out instead. In contrast, what He Fang had done was nothing short of ungrateful.
He Fang might be selling fresh milk alongside Tong Yao for a while, and it wouldn’t be pleasant to keep up an unfriendly face all the time. Hence, He Fang was trying to patch things up.
Tong Yao shrugged, responding cheerfully, "Don’t thank me. To be honest, I had no intention of helping you. Whoever wants to smooth the way for their competitor to take their business is welcome to do so, but that’s not for me."
He Fang’s face turned stiff, and she said, surprised, "But just now you..."
Tong Yao shrugged. "I just felt like it."
"..." He Fang was dumbfounded and didn’t manage to utter a word after an awkward silence. In the end, she could only slink away, her pace quickening as if being chased by a dog.
Watching her retreating figure, Si Xiaohui snorted disdainfully, "Such a drama queen."
Even though Tong Yao claimed not to have helped He Fang, she had indeed advocated for her. Si Xiaohui couldn’t understand what she had been thinking. It baffled her and made her feel terribly uncomfortable. She’d been keeping her feelings bottled up for a long time, and eventually, curiosity got the better of her.
"Sis, why would you help her?"
This time, Si Xiaohui was smarter. Her tone was a lot milder than before, showing her curiosity rather than blaming her.
Tong Yao was pleased with Si Xiaohui’s change of attitude. Since she wasn’t busy at the moment, she scrolled her bright eyes around, as if looking into a snow globe, and succinctly explained her actions, "Even if she couldn’t get fresh milk from the master, she could get it elsewhere. There are plenty of supply channels in the city. The fact that the milkman doesn’t sell to her shows that he appreciates our store’s merit. We shouldn’t deprive him of his earnings out of personal emotions."
The nicer Master Niu was, the less selfish Tong Yao desired to be. Everyone had families to feed. Master Niu, despite his disability, was a hardworking man. He had been delivering milk for a long time, but he hadn’t once enjoyed a cup of milk tea from Tong Yao’s store; he always took it home, indicating he had children.
Earning money was no easy feat for people who had a family to support. Master Niu, being an honest and kind-hearted person, was unwilling to make money through unfair means. Tong Yao had noticed all this and therefore decided to step in.
"Oh, I see!" Si Xiaohui had a sudden realization. Remembering how she had angrily interrogated Tong Yao before, she blushed guiltily and grumbled, "Who’d have thought you, a stick-thin woman, could have so many tricks up your sleeve?"
City people, indeed, have a lot of cunning tricks. She wondered whether Tong Yao or her brother managed their finances. If it was her brother, it would be fine, but if it was Tong Yao, that would be a big problem. With so many tricks, she might secretly hoard money for her own family.
By now, Si Xiaohui was only noticing the amount of money Tong Yao was making, completely forgetting that Tong Yao’s family was actually a hundred times wealthier than hers.
Seeing how Si Xiaohui’s eyes were turning about swiftly, like the wheels of a windmill, Tong Yao suspected Si Xiaohui must be up to something. But, so long as Si Xiaohui did her job diligently, she didn’t bother to pry. Everyone had their own thoughts, and hiring another employee wouldn’t make much of a difference.
With these thoughts in mind, she sighed quietly. Her business had barely made two thousand yuan and already a competitor had emerged, moreover, one she had personally nurtured. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t distressed, but what could she do?
All she could do was to continue innovating her business, creating more market opportunities, and let others chase her tail!
Today was the last day of her monopoly on the business. From tomorrow on, it would be a long-term battle. She needed to cherish the present!
Time always flies by unnoticed when one’s busy. Before she knew it, another day was over. As Tong Yao arrived home, she bumped into Li Nuanchun who was returning from buying groceries.
"Sis, what a coincidence that we met just as you got home. I was about to bring these groceries to you. I was wondering if you had gotten off work yet." Li Nuanchun handed the bag to Si Xiaohui, while praising Si Chen, "Dr. Si is very considerate. He said eating pork every day might be tiresome, so he asked me to buy a chicken today. He plans to make a Spicy Chicken for you tonight."
Ever since she had taken on the task of grocery shopping for Si Chen and Tong Yao, Li Nuanchun had realized that not only was Tong Yao a lavish spender, but Si Chen was equally extravagant when it came to food.
Living the way these two were invoking a mixture of envy and jealousy. Li Nuanchun could vouch that the living conditions of no other household in the compound matched theirs. They had fish or meat each day, and now tired of both, they were starting to have chicken.
All the fortune in the world wouldn’t last if one kept spending like that!
At times, she even doubted whether Si Chen’s salary of 100 yuan was sufficient. The monthly expense on food alone was about fifty to sixty yuan. Adding other miscellaneous stuff and snacks, the total expenses seemed to exceed his salary.
Despite living with such abundance, Tong Yao didn’t put on any weight at all.
"Thanks, sis." Tong Yao said.
She had been out and about and was drenched in sweat. All she wanted was to retreat into her room and enjoy the cooling breeze of the fan. However, Li Nuanchun seemed to have discovered something new and exclaimed, looking at her belly,
"Oh my! Sis, you’re starting to show already. You were not this bulged out a few days ago."
’Ahem,’ Tong Yao nearly choked on her own saliva. She couldn’t help but admire Li Nuanchun’s ability to make things up. She had been starving all afternoon and was practically skin and bones, and here was Li Nuanchun claiming that her belly was protruding!
She flashed Li Nuanchun a playful yet polite smile and dispelled her illusion. "Sis, I’m on my period."
"Oh! How could you... Wait" Li Nuanchun cut herself short. She was startled, and wondered if she had heard wrong, "Sis, what did you just say? Are you...on your period?"
