The restaurant only serves hotpot, how could she bring it back? Besides, Auntie was very strict, and there was Aunt Gui and Aunt Liu in the kitchen, plus the dishwashing Nanny Liu, all of them kept a close eye, itâs not like it was their own stuff. They absolutely wouldnât allow outside food.
She observed that those in the kitchen were all very diligent and had never sneaked anything out.
As someone working in the hall, she had even less opportunity.
When mom came over, she hoped Auntie would let mom work at the store too, but Auntie disagreed. If it continued this way, sheâd have one more person to support in the future.
That canât happen. When she goes back tonight, sheâll have to talk to mom and tell her to make more noise at Auntieâs house. She needs a job to earn some money.
She didnât want to just spend the money she had saved like this.
Liang Weixiang arrived at Liang Hongmeiâs house, knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered.
Today, she was wearing the same outfit she wore when she came yesterday, without even adding Zhang Dandanâs clothes. Itâs the season where the North is cold, even wearing a thick sheepskin coat outside couldnât prevent freezing.
Liang Weixiang wearing such clothes was simply asking for trouble.
After knocking for more than ten minutes, Liang Weixiang couldnât stand it outside, her body was shivering.
She knew Lin Wan lived here too, but didnât know exactly where.
She knocked on two doors, and neither was right.
Wandering around Liang Hongmeiâs house for a long time, she had to leave dejectedly.
Once she left the alley, she didnât know which direction to go.
After wandering around the main road twice, she still couldnât find the way back, so she had to shiver and go back to Liang Hongmeiâs doorstep.
When Zhang Dandan rode her bike to the store and saw Liang Hongmei there, she was first surprised, opened her mouth for a long time but didnât mention her mom.
Thinking that Lin Wan was at home, even if she couldnât see Auntie, Lin Wan wouldnât let mom take advantage but at least wouldnât let her freeze or starve.
Thinking of this, Zhang Dandan was able to work in peace, occasionally glancing at the hall door to see if Wu Liu would come by.
Liang Weixiang couldnât get anyone to open the door, was thinly dressed and her nose was running from the cold, almost getting stuck at the doorstep.
She had no choice but to go next door, act pitiful to warm up, and mooch a meal.
"Miss, what relation are you to this family? Usually, thereâs always someone at home. Today you came at a bad time; the whole family went out early in the morning."
"Iâm her cousin, came yesterday. Donât laugh at me. I came to rely on my cousin. Youâre neighbors, you should know a bit about her family, right?" Liang Weixiang said, holding a bowl of hot water, her eyes flickering. "Your cousin doesnât socialize, doesnât mingle with the neighbors. We donât know much; they bought the house last year and moved here, living alone with her son. Heard theyâre running a business. The daughter is married and also lives in this alley."
"She bought the house? Itâs not rented?" Liang Weixiang was surprised, said.
"You didnât know? The original owners were rich. After returning to the city without money, they sold this place. Built a house in a remote area with the money."
"This house is so big, it must be worth a lot."
"In our alley, they have the biggest yard. I donât know how much they bought it for but it surely wasnât cheap," the neighbor indicated with a finger gesture.
In her heart, Liang Weixiang blamed Liang Hongmei, thinking she had become crafty and deceitful.
What rented house, bullshit. Itâs just that she doesnât want me to stay with them.
Hmph, Iâll stick around then. Letâs see what Liang Hongmei can do. Building a house in the hometown cost thousands, and buying such a big house here also cost thousands.
Liang Hongmei must have a lot of money saved.
She canât come all the way here and spend her own money for nothing.
After becoming successful, instead of supporting her family, sheâs pushing them away. Heartless scoundrel.
Liang Weixiang stayed at the neighborâs house for the afternoon and saw their family members come home one by one from work.
The old neighbor was embarrassed to keep her longer and gently sent her out.
Liang Weixiang sneered, cursing silently at their snobbishness.
Sitting by Liang Hongmeiâs door, she endured the cold for more than two hours until Liang Hongmei returned.
Liang Hongmei thought for sure that Liang Weixiang hadnât stayed, expecting her to go back directly, and asked uncertainly, "Have you been waiting here all day?"
"Ah Mei is well-off now, even looking down on her cousin. Didnât I help you from time to time back home? How could you be so heartless, leaving me outside like this?" Liang Weixiang, now frozen, couldnât feel her limbs, barely able to stand. Liang Hongmei didnât argue much, hurried to help her inside.
"Why didnât you stay at your own home, running here on such a cold day without a word. Seeing no one was home, wouldnât you have gone back first?" Liang Hongmei took her straight to the kitchen, lit the stove, made her sit by it, and brought her a hand warmer, telling her to warm up first.
"How would I know no one was at home? Youâre something else. Coming all this way, unfamiliar with the place, I had to come to your home. Who knew your whole family would avoid me, I donât even know the way. Couldnât come in nor leave, all I could do was freeze here. If you came any later, I could have frozen to death."
"Whoâs avoiding you? Didnât Dandan tell you Iâd be at the store during the day?" Liang Hongmei was uninterested in bickering, found engaging only egged her on more.
Considering the state she was in from being frozen, she didnât argue further.
"Dandan knew full well I was at the store and didnât say anything. If thereâs blame, itâs on your girl, not me. Zhang Dandan also, knowing her mom went to their house, didnât say a word, stood by as her mom froze, and stayed at the store all day. Thatâs really cold-hearted."
"Ah Mei, give me your military coat, Iâm freezing. My money was all stolen on the way here, including the money I took from Dandan. If I had money to buy clothes, I wouldnât have waited at your doorstep for a whole day." Seeing Liang Hongmeiâs displeasure, Liang Weixiang dared not speak harshly, afraid of provoking her, promptly put on a pitiful face and cried about her poverty.
"I only have this one military coat." Finished speaking, Liang Hongmei sighed, looked at her helplessly, turned and went to the inner room, and brought out a set of new cotton-padded clothes made last year for Liang Weihong. She knew if Liang Weihong didnât get what she wanted, she wouldnât let it go easily.
"This set is a bit big, you should fit into it. Coming here is not as laid back as back home, where you could not work for half a month and not starve. Here, everything needs money daily. Yesterday I mentioned the job making paper boxes, are you doing it? If not, Iâll tell them no."
"How much could making paper boxes earn? Ah Mei, your store is so big, surely needing hands, let me help. Give me 40 yuan a month, I promise Iâm worth two of them."
Liang Hongmei glanced at her. "I told you, thereâs no lack of people at the store now."
"Ah Mei, who are you fooling, youâve never been good at lying since we were kids. I asked around today; this house is obviously bought by your family, but you claim itâs rented. What landladyâs unwilling, clearly someone you found to use as an excuse. If you donât let me work at the store, Iâll stick around and not leave."
"Liang Weixiang, donât forget, this is my house, not yours, and itâs not back home. That unreasonable behavior doesnât work here. Iâm not your parents who are obliged to provide for you. I welcomed you, found you a job, my duty as a relative is done. If youâre not satisfied, itâs your own issue. But if you think about messing with us, forget it. Get lost early."
"Liang Hongmei, youâve got wings now, challenging your cousin. Fine, you believe if I go back home tomorrow, Iâll not spill all your shady deeds here?"
"Shady deeds?" Liang Hongmei laughed, "I walk upright and sit properly, not scared of what you say, say all you want. There are plenty of people bad-mouthing me back home. Your words donât make a difference."
"You..."
Liang Weixiang originally came wanting to pacify Liang Hongmei, but on meeting her, she unknowingly adopted her old tone.
In the end, she provoked Liang Hongmei.