dhibooks Chapter 1846 - 1015: Held Back
Chapter 1846 - 1015: Held Back
Approaching noon.
Hu Miao Town, town center.
Xue Yuantong was riding a bike with Xue Chuchu on the back. Yes, Tongtong had already learned how to ride a bike.
The electric bike belonged to Aunt Hua’s family. After Tongtong returned from visiting the grave, she heard that Xiao You went to attend a teacher’s after-school tutoring session. With nothing to do, she planned to stroll around town and see the changes in her hometown.
The town was relatively backward, with no large stores like Darunfa. Xue Yuantong looked at the Green Apple Supermarket located south of the town, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.
Passing by the Green Apple Supermarket, there was a lavishly decorated banquet hall to the west. Xue Chuchu gazed at its entrance, a trace of displeasure in her eyes.
Xue Yuantong knew the reason. She angrily said, "Our town is so poor, opening such an expensive shop, it will close sooner or later!"
The owner of this shop was surnamed Ma, known as Boss Ma. Boss Ma used to run a factory in the town where Hua Fengmei went to work, and half a month’s wages were withheld.
Hua Fengmei asked for it many times but couldn’t get it back. Although Hua Fengmei had a fiery temper, in a tiny town where there weren’t many rules to follow, she could only swallow her grievances in the end.
Ever since Tongtong found out, she kept cursing Boss Ma. Who knew Boss Ma’s business grew bigger and bigger, and this luxurious banquet hall reportedly had a total investment of over three million yuan, comparable to those in county towns, unique in its existence.
In recent years, the trend of holding marriage banquets had become prevalent, and everyone in Hu Miao Town considered holding banquets in this hall as an honor, making Boss Ma a lot of money, and his days were getting better and better. He even bought several properties, not just in An City, but even in the Capital.
"So rich, yet still not paying back the eight hundred yuan!" Xue Yuantong was displeased.
A scene flashed through Xue Chuchu’s mind, from a few years ago when her mother took her to demand the payment. They waited a long time before seeing Boss Ma drive out in a black sedan.
Hua Fengmei blocked the car, and after Boss Ma got out, he sarcastically said: "You bring bad luck, maybe your husband was cursed to death by you!"
To this day, recalling that scene, Xue Chuchu was still left with an unspeakable anger.
However, the past was already gone, and her family was doing well now. There was no need to add more trouble.
Xue Chuchu said, "Forget it."
"How can it be forgotten, the eight hundred yuan from years ago is worth a thousand now!" Tongtong was unwilling.
But even if she was unwilling, she could only continue cursing Boss Ma’s business to fail in her heart.
The electric bike continued forward. Xue Yuantong waited for a while in front of a row of two-story buildings, and soon Xiao You, whom they had met earlier in the morning, appeared at the door.
"Sister Tongtong, Sister Chuchu!" Xiao You ran swiftly.
Xiao You excitedly said, "My essay received the teacher’s praise!"
Although Xiao You was only in third grade, because Aunt Hua used to be neighbors with Xue Yuantong’s family, she placed a lot of emphasis on her children’s academic performance. Luckily, the town’s primary school teacher offered after-school tutoring at a low cost, so she let Xiao You attend.
Xue Chuchu smiled, "You’re really impressive."
"Thanks to Sister Chuchu!" Xiao You, with her schoolbag on her back, was in a very good mood. "I’ll treat you to spicy strips."
A while ago, Aunt Hua bought a tablet for her daughter, so Xiao You specially added Xue Chuchu’s QQ number, and they occasionally kept in contact.
For Xiao You’s Qingming essay topic, Xue Chuchu even helped her write one as a sample.
Walking happily, Xiao You said, "Do you know how the teacher praised me?"
Because of the gloomy mood from Boss Ma’s debt, Xue Chuchu felt somewhat healed. She pursed her lips, "How did they praise you?"
Xiao You excitedly said, "He said my essay writing level is already at the sixth-grade level!"
Xue Chuchu’s breath caught, and her hand trembled slightly. Was that the only level her essay, written by herself, had reached?
Xue Yuantong said, "That’s really amazing!"
After buying the spicy strips, it was Xue Chuchu’s turn to ride the bike. Through quieter alleys connecting the main roads, Xue Chuchu took a shortcut to return to the village earlier.
Who knew that the usually quiet road would have several chaotic figures.
When the electric bike got closer, Xue Chuchu suddenly gripped the brakes tightly, and Xue Yuantong, sitting at the back, almost choked on the spicy strips!
Chuchu’s riding skills are really poor! Nowhere near as good as Jiang Ning!
"Chuchu, you!" Xue Yuantong popped her head out and saw a bunch of boys about twenty meters ahead surrounding a boy curled up like a shrimp, punching and kicking him.
The boy on the ground had dust-covered clothes and occasionally let out screams of pain.
Xue Chuchu didn’t hesitate for a moment, turning the bike around to leave. She would never recklessly intervene, knowing that once involved, it would only bring endless trouble.
Then suddenly someone shouted, "Are you Xue Chuchu?"
A boy wearing a brand-name outfit waved one hand and greeted her with delight, "I’ve seen you before. I’m Ma Jiale!"
Hearing this name, a flicker of disgust crossed Xue Chuchu’s face, "I’m not Xue Chuchu."
Ma Jiale ran over, the more he looked at Xue Chuchu, the more delighted he became: "You actually grew to be this pretty. I remember when you came to my house to demand payment, you were only this tall!"
Back then, as he rode in his dad’s Mercedes, heading to the car market to buy Gundam toys, he was blocked by Xue Chuchu and her family. He was eager to get out and hit them.
But as he grew older, being in the same school as Xue Chuchu, he increasingly found her beautiful. He intended to make her his girlfriend, but then she transferred to a school in the urban area, and he regretted it for a long while.
Uninterested in talking, Xue Chuchu said, "Sorry, I don’t know you."
She didn’t intend to linger.
Just then, Ma Jiale’s several classmates abandoned the boy on the ground and gathered around. Those were a few faces filled with roguishness:
"Jiale, damn, the girl is pretty, huh? Someone you know?"
"Introduce us."
Seeing his friends’ reactions, Ma Jiale felt great and wore a broad smile, "Xue Chuchu, we did have some problems back then but those were the rules, nothing could be done!"
"How about this, I’ll pay your family double!" Ma Jiale took out a few bills from his pocket, counted them—only seven or eight hundred, not quite enough.
He said cheekily, "Let me add you on WeChat, I’ll transfer the money to you, is that okay?"
He looked at Xue Chuchu’s face with fervor, even dreaming of a story where the wealthy young master humbles himself, offering sincere gestures, and ultimately resolves the past grudges.
Xue Chuchu was about to refuse, but Xue Yuantong realized the situation was not good, so she quickly blurted out Jiang Ning’s WeChat ID: "Sure, go ahead and add!"
Ma Jiale was overjoyed and hastily searched and added.
Jiang Ning’s previous nickname, [AAA Avenger President Jiang], didn’t align with Xue Yuantong’s aesthetic, so she secretly changed it to [Weak Xiao Ning].
After searching, Ma Jiale discovered Jiang Ning’s nickname and was very pleased.
Xue Yuantong: "Then can we leave now? I’m in a hurry to go home for dinner!"
Ma Jiale waved his hand after adding the friend: "Alright, alright, it’s over."
Xue Chuchu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately rode her bike across the street, once again beginning to dislike her appearance—it always caused trouble.
Once they were far away, Xue Yuantong hummed: "If Jiang Ning were here, he’d definitely beat them down till they were searching for their teeth all over the ground!"
Xiao You timidly asked: "Sister Tongtong, is Jiang Ning that bad guy from last time, the one much taller than you?"
Xue Yuantong raised her eyebrows: "Am I short?"
"Yes, you are." Xiao You said.
Xue Yuantong deliberately retaliated: "...I’ll tell Aunt Hua when we get home that Chuchu helped you write your essay!"
Xiao You’s face showed panic; if that happened, her tablet would definitely be confiscated by her mom!
Through the rear-view mirror, Xue Yuantong saw Xiao You’s reaction and chanted: "Xiao You, oh Xiao You, tell me, who’s the tallest woman in the world?"
Xiao You earnestly replied: "Sister Tongtong is the tallest woman in the world."
Xue Yuantong beamed with a radiant smile.
The two continued to chat humorously, gradually overshadowing the shadow of the recent encounter.
...
In the urban area, Xiangtianfu Hot Pot Restaurant.
Facing three talents, Jiang Ning slightly explained: "Under high temperatures, straight boards tend to deform, making it impossible to fit tightly."
Chen Siyu wisely said: "I get it, I get it. Too much hot water will naturally seep out!"
Jiang Ning: "?"
Sometimes, being too serious in front of unserious people can be a mistake.
Tang Fu asked: "Why do you agree with Jiang Ning and not me?"
Jiang Ning replied: "In a certain sense, you do have a point. An S-shaped design in a round pot does indeed provide more usable space than a straight line."
Chen Siyu agreed: "No problem, S-shaped is definitely bigger!"
Tang Fu felt happy that her answer was recognized rather than belittled.
She raised her iced cola: "Thank you."
Jiang Ning: "No need to thank."
Coincidentally, his phone buzzed, and Jiang Ning took it out to find a new friend request: "I’m Ma Jiale, here to repay."
Suspicious, Jiang Ning received a long voice message from Tongtong, which he played at the lowest volume in front of the three girls, capturing key information with his keen hearing.
’Oh.’ Jiang Ning agreed to Ma Jiale’s friend request.
Ma Jiale: "Sorry, Xue Chuchu, I don’t have money on WeChat. Why don’t you come find me this afternoon?"
Jiang Ning: "Okay, where?"
Upon receiving the message, Ma Jiale was thrilled beyond belief. He couldn’t imagine how many tricks he could pull if Xue Chuchu actually showed up!
"You know the banquet hall, right? The biggest one in town, I will definitely apologize in person." Ma Jiale was full of anticipation.
"Hmm."
Jiang Ning put down his phone and continued to eat with the twins and Tang Fu.
He wasn’t worried about Tongtong and Chuchu’s safety; the protective spiritual artifacts they had could withstand rocket attacks for a few minutes, enough time for him to rush to Hu Temple.
At the same time.
Zhang Chi and Han Wen Nuan donned the hot pot restaurant uniforms. Today was Qingming Festival, and business was booming. Zhang Chi was a temporary worker, earning 13 yuan an hour.
Zhang Chi helped serve dishes, making a round he discovered Jiang Ning dining there. Wow.
Zhang Chi slyly snuck a piece of watermelon off Jiang Ning’s table.
Back in the kitchen, Zhang Chi sourly said to Han Wen Nuan: "I just saw Jiang Ning and Chen Siyu eating, while we slave away here serving guests. Sigh, people, different fate!"
Han Wen Nuan was thin and bright-eyed: "That’s normal. In the same class, they study well while you daydream in class; can your grades be the same?"
Zhang Chi felt backstabbed and heartbroken.
If he hadn’t siphoned 5 yuan off Han Wen Nuan’s hourly wage, he would definitely have exploded!
Han Wen Nuan: "Which table are they at? I’ll send over two plates of fruit."
Zhang Chi hesitantly asked: "Isn’t that bad?"
Han Wen Nuan was assertive, generously saying: "What’s wrong with 8 yuan an hour? Deliver them for me, I’ll watch you, don’t sneak a bite or spit on it!"
Instinctively, Zhang Chi wanted to retort, ’Why?’
But thinking about earning Han Wen Nuan’s money, he had to endure silently.
Zhang Chi puzzled: ’Damn!’