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Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Where did this big face come from?
Tong Yao gave a sigh of relief. Listening to He Fang just now, her face was so panicked, as if the sky had collapsed, she thought perhaps He Fang, unable to stand domestic violence, had impulsively killed Aqiang.
The He Fang in front of her was a pale shadow compared to the radiant woman from a few days ago. With deep, dark circles under her eyes and a worn-out expression, her hair was dishevelled, like a madwoman, indicating she was truly in deep trouble.
However, Tong Yao had no plans to interfere.
"As long as no one is killed, that’s good enough. After all, we are nothing more than a simple tenant-landlord relationship, employer and employee relationship. Your rent and wages have been paid in full; we have no monetary disputes. From now on, we are just strangers who have nothing to do with each other. If you run into trouble, it has nothing to do with me. Do not come to find me," Tong Yao said.
After finishing her speech, Tong Yao prepared to leave without hesitation. To be honest, she didn’t have much to do with He Fang. If it hadn’t been for He Fang’s pitiful condition at the time, and the fact that renting a house near the school wasn’t easy, Tong Yao wouldn’t even have rented out He Fang’s house. It turned out that He Fang was a real ingrate. A hard lesson indeed.
Although she had already guessed that Tong Yao would not help, the harsh words still made He Fang’s face pale. Seeing Tong Yao leaving, He Fang grabbed Tong Yao’s sleeve in desperation, "Yaoyao, I was wrong, it’s all my fault. I deserve to be beaten."
He Fang was a tough woman. As she said those words, she began to slap herself in the face, causing a loud smack. Seeing that Tong Yao had no intention of stopping her, He Fang finally ceased her self-abuse, collapsed on the ground, and started crying.
"Yaoyao, I really know I was wrong. Please help me out once! The school has issued a notice now. If I can’t come up with the money for Niuniu’s hospital fees, they will send me to jail. Aqiang and his parents took Niuniu and left. Aside from you, I really can’t think of anyone else who could help me. Their family is trying to drive me to my death," He Fang said between her sobs.
"The food poisoning incident at the school a few days ago was your doing?" Only now did Tong Yao connect the two events and asked curiously, "You run a milk tea shop, how did you cause food poisoning to students?"
Even if He Fang had cut corners, it might have affected the taste but it wouldn’t send children to the hospital. Milk tea is a safe product that can be consumed at every meal without any problem. Drinking milk can supplement calcium; it is beneficial for children. It has no additives; such a healthy product could create complications was quite bizarre.
He Fang seemed somewhat guilty when asked, and her gaze evaded Tong Yao’s. Stammering, she explained, "I...I was choked by Aqiang’s words. I mixed the spoiled milk that had been left overnight with fresh milk and sold it. Nobody expected those children to have weak constitutions and end up in the hospital. Aqiang isn’t human, once there was trouble, he just ran off. I’m really at a dead end now."
Originally, the milk that they ordered each day was usually sold out. But then the milk tea became less and less popular, as the students seemed to have taken a preference to soda, which resulted in the milk not being sold out.
Due to the heat, the milk had started to smell bad the next morning, but, Aqiang didn’t want to throw it away. She also thought it would be a waste to throw it away, but no one expected these children to start vomiting and have diarrhea after drinking it. The hospital examination revealed that it was caused by drinking spoiled milk tea, and a few severely affected children had to stay in the hospital.
The school is now demanding her to pay for the medical fees first, which means they are even threatening to call the police on her for selling rotten food at the school’s doorstep. The students’ parents are also causing trouble at her house until late at night. As for Aqiang, he has already absconded with his parents and Niuniu. She felt like a castaway; she couldn’t think of anyone who could help her except Tong Yao.
"You dared to give spoiled milk to children, what were you thinking? What would you have done if someone had died?" Tong Yao felt a headache coming. She thought that even if He Fang had cut corners, she would have some conscience, but who knew she could do such a thing.
"Adults often eat leftovers too, don’t they?" He Fang argued, "I thought that the spoiled milk wouldn’t be much of a problem if mixed in with the fresh milk. Yaoyao, I know I was wrong, I won’t do it next time, please help me!"
Hearing He Fang’s words, Tong Yao gave a cold laugh and had no desire to argue with her anymore. "We have no relationship or friendship between us, you can’t really expect me to clean up your mess, right? Where do you get that level of confidence?"
She even admired He Fang’s audacity to an extent.
Now, instead of seeking help from her relatives, she ran to Tong Yao. In reality, they hadn’t even been in contact for a month. While He Fang’s face wasn’t as big as the city gate, her mindset was thicker than the city walls. Losing all her teeth wouldn’t even stop her from saying those words.
With each word leaving Tong Yao, He Fang’s cheeks turned red. Holding onto Tong Yao’s pants, she gritted her teeth and said, "Yaoyao, lend me some money. From then on, my life is yours, I will work for you for the rest of my life. You can put anything you want in my house." Tong Yao was her last hope, if Tong Yao didn’t help, she would really end up in jail.
He Fang’s words made Tong Yao laugh in annoyance. Now that He Fang’s reputation was ruined, hiring her would mean closing down the shop, better to directly close it now. 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
She betrayed her when it was time to make money, and now that she’s in trouble, she wants her to pick up the pieces for her, and she can say it so confidently, it’s ridiculous. Who does she think is so stupid?
It’s truly an insult.
Upon contemplating this, Tong Yao hardened her face and strictly addressed He Fang, "He Fang, initially you were dissatisfied with your salary. If you hadn’t threatened to resign and set up a stall right before my eyes, it wouldn’t have led to our falling out." It is quite normal to learn a craft and start her own business, but to threaten her and compete for customers is something not many people can do.
Simply saying, He Fang and Aqiang are birds of the same feather. When needed, she is regarded as a stepping stone. Once they taste some sweetness, they disregard their kin.
Having heard this from Tong Yao, He Fang felt there was still room for negotiation. Her heart leapt, and she wiped away her tears. "Yaoyao, please help me this time for Niuniu’s sake. I am willing to be your lifelong servant. If you don’t trust me, I will sign a lifelong contract. Niuniu is still young; she cannot be without a mother."
She even dragged Niuniu into this, Tong Yao’s face darkened, and she coldly retorted, "We have no blood ties or friendships. You just came to ask for my help because you think I have money and I’m kind-hearted. You think I can be taken advantage of, but sadly, I won’t be such a sucker. Whether you go to jail or not, it has nothing to do with me."
Having said that, she bent over and forcefully pried off He Fang’s hand. She walked away resolutely, leaving He Fang to sob behind her, without turning back. Whoever believed in these crocodile tears would no doubt suffer in the end.
If the situation at the hospital worsens, He Fang might stay behind bars indefinitely and it still wouldn’t be enough to make up for her sins. She earned money immorally. If a life was lost as a result, going to jail would be the easy part. It’s a pity that Aqiang only planned the deed but didn’t execute it. If he had, it would have been satisfactory to see him arrested and reformed as well.
