Chapter 107: Furious Zhou Andong

“Oh no!” Zhou Andong slapped his forehead and winked at Jian Qiu. “I haven’t paid the taxi fare—do you have any cash on you?”

Jian Qiu, of course, possessed a mind as sharp as seven openings, instantly grasping Zhou Andong’s meaning, and patted both her pockets.

“I came straight from the distillery—I don’t have any money either.”

Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu exchanged a glance, then turned their heads together toward Zhou Anbin.

Zhou Anbin was baffled: “What the hell are you two staring at me for?”

“No big deal!” Zhou Andong shook his head. “I don’t have cash, and your sister-in-law didn’t bring any either.”

Sister-in-law? Hearing Zhou Andong say those two words, Jian Qiu’s face lit up with joy—she was ecstatic inside.

“Let’s go!” Zhou Andong sighed. “Go ask Mom if she has any money.”

Watching Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu enter the courtyard, Zhou Anbin panicked: “It’s just the taxi fare—how much could it be? I’ll pay for you.”

The guy fished a handful of loose change from his pocket—the money he’d won playing cards these past few days. “How much?”

The driver let out a long breath—he’d thought this fare would be a loss, but now it turned out to be a stroke of luck. “Twenty-six.”

“W-what?” Zhou Anbin’s heart jolted. He’d spent days grinding through day and night just to win this much—and now half was gone. It hurt.

“Twenty-six!” the driver repeated, his own heart rising—was this twenty-some-yuan fare going to cause more trouble?

Zhou Anbin gritted his teeth, counted out twenty-six yuan, and handed it over with a forced air of nonchalance: “Twenty-six yuan? No big deal.”

He was already thinking: I spent twenty-six, but I’ll borrow sixteen hundred from them later—I won’t pay back a single cent.

The driver looked at the pile of loose change in his hand, sneered, started the car, and sped off.

Zhou Andong’s lips twitched as he barely held back his laughter, speaking with sincere gratitude: “Big brother, thank you.” Then he turned to leave with Jian Qiu.

“Hey?” Zhou Anbin panicked. “Dongzi, don’t go!”

Zhou Andong frowned. “What else?”

Zhou Anbin rubbed his hands. “About that loan I asked for...”

Zhou Andong frowned. “Didn’t I already say I don’t have money to lend you?”

Zhou Anbin said: “Your sister-in-law has money—so isn’t that your money too?”

Jian Qiu bristled: “Big brother, that’s nonsense. What do you mean my money is his? Even if we’re just dating now, let alone if we ever marry, my pre-marital assets are mine—what do they have to do with Zhou Andong?”

Zhou Anbin immediately flew into a rage: “What’s wrong with you two? I just paid your twenty-some-yuan taxi fare—why won’t you lend me money?”

Zhou Andong snorted. “Big brother, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Did I make you pay? You volunteered yourself—what’s that got to do with me?”

Watching Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu turn away, Zhou Anbin erupted in a furious shout: “Zhou Andong, you wait—I’m not done with you!”

Zhou Andong didn’t even turn around, just waved his hand. “I’m waiting.”

Zhou Anbin’s shout reached everyone inside the house. They turned to look out the window, and the little girl shouted joyfully: “Big brother’s back! Sister-in-law’s here too!”

Then she jumped off the bed, barefoot, and ran out without even putting on her shoes.

“My little darling.”

As Zhou Andong stepped into the outer room, he saw the little girl sprinting barefoot—he crouched to pick her up. But she dodged and threw herself into Jian Qiu’s arms.

“Sister-in-law, I missed you so much!”

That “sister-in-law” made Jian Qiu beam. She bent down and scooped the girl up. “The floor’s so cold—running barefoot, you’ll catch a chill!”

“It’s fine,” the girl hugged Jian Qiu’s neck. “I’m not cold.”

Yuan Liying stepped out, smiling broadly. “Qiuqiu, have you eaten yet?”

Jian Qiu carried the girl inside. “Not yet.”

Yuan Liying said: “You came just in time—I chopped up the deer leg Dongzi brought home before the New Year and made dumplings—they’re delicious.”

“Qiu-jie!”

“Qiu-jie!”

Zhou Anqin and Zhou Anbei also got off the bed and greeted Jian Qiu.

Zhou Anbin stood at the doorway, watching through the window as the whole family happily ate dumplings. He struggled to suppress his fury, desperate to storm in and settle accounts with Zhou Andong—at least get back the twenty-six yuan for the ride—but he feared getting beaten and couldn’t bring himself to take the first step.

Zhou Andong didn’t care how Zhou Anbin felt. After dinner, Jian Qiu dragged him into a game of cards.

Zhou Anbei and Zhou Anqin teamed up; Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu teamed up; the little girl sat quietly in Jian Qiu’s lap, watching.

“Can you even play?” Zhou Andong gave Jian Qiu zero resistance, no temper at all. No matter how good his hand, he couldn’t win with Jian Qiu on his side—he’d already lost over a hundred.

Zhou Anqin sneered: “You’re bad at playing yourself, yet you blame Qiu-jie. Is that even fair?”

“Exactly!” Zhou Anbei chimed in. “It’s clearly you who’s bad, dragging Qiu-jie down with you.”

Furious, Zhou Andong slammed his cards down. “Fine, I’m done. This is ridiculous.”

“Fine, don’t play—who cares,” Jian Qiu laughed heartily. “Xiaoqin, I’m sleeping with you and Ningning in the west room tonight.”

“Great!” Zhou Anqin shoved her winnings into her pocket and jumped off the bed. “I’ll go make up the bed.”

Zhou Andong stretched, pulled out a cigarette, and tossed one to his father. “Dad, this fall, I’ll take you to Beijing for treatment.”

Zhou Xiao said: “No. Drinking herbal medicine is fine. Besides, where would we get money for a trip to Beijing?”

Zhou Andong said: “Jian Qiu and I opened a shop—we’ll definitely make money.”

Zhou Xiao was about to ask where the money came from, then immediately realized—the money must’ve come from Jian Qiu.

“Jian Qiu put up the money for the shop—what’s that got to do with you?”

“Uncle!” Jian Qiu said. “We opened the shop together—Dongzi contributed too. That money was his bonus from selling liquor for the distillery.”

Zhou Xiao didn’t doubt Jian Qiu’s words, but still shook his head. “No. I know my own body. Going anywhere won’t cure me—it’s just wasting money.”

Zhou Andong opened his mouth to say more, but Jian Qiu nudged him and gently shook her head.

Zhou Andong swallowed his words. “I’m going to sleep.”

Jian Qiu followed Zhou Andong back to the side room. “Uncle’s stingy with money—no matter how much you say, it won’t help. Wait until we earn some, then slowly persuade him. Otherwise, the more you push, the more he resists—and that’s bad for his health.”

Zhou Andong sighed. “Guess we have to wait.” Then he saw Jian Qiu lock the door. “What are you doing?”

Jian Qiu blinked her big, watery eyes, a hint of seduction in them. “I’m going to force you.” Then she tackled him onto the kang and leaned down to kiss him.