Jing Shu scooped another bite of rice before returning to the bedroom to fetch the contract and hand it to Wang Fang, already thinking up an excuse in case her cover was blown.
Who would have thought that occupational habits applied to lawyers too?
Instead of checking the company name, Wang Fang went straight to the company's credit code, which was like its ID number.
"The company and contract are fine," she said.
"That's good. I just plan to put together the 800,000 yuan deposit," her father said, and she exhaled in relief at the same time. But the moment after, the atmosphere turned silent and even more awkward.
Su Yiyang, her uncle, glanced at Zhang Zhongyong, who was sipping wine, and at Su Meimei, who was busy eating. "We have some spare money. Don't worry about paying it back quickly, let us lend you 300,000 first."
Wang Fang gave him a pointed look. Startled, he corrected himself, "20,000 first."
"Cough, cough." Wang Fang lightly coughed twice.
His face flushed red. This time, he quickly said, "100,000 first. Don't worry about paying it back, just wait until you recover in a few years." He nudged his wife. "Transfer the money to Lan Zhi through WeChat."
"Just send it directly to Jing Shu. Elder brother, sister-in-law, once we turn the money around, we'll repay you. This is just to cover a gap," her mother said, feeling a bit sour, as if Wang Fang was treating them like people who wouldn't pay back.
From this moment, Wang Fang was placed in her mental list of people worth pulling up when they fall into trouble.
Her father turned his gaze toward Su Meimei.
At last, the main act was here. Her heart beat faster as she tucked away the transferred money, eyes fixed on her aunt who was pretending to be deaf and blind.
Whether a thorn could be planted in her mother's heart depended on this. She hoped Su Meimei would not disappoint her.
"Younger sister, Zhong Yong, why don't you both say something?" Su Yiyang tried to ease the tension.
Zhang Zhongyong paused mid-bite, chopsticks holding a piece of fried fish, then smiled. "Mei Mei, your family matters are for you to decide." Only then did he put the fish into his mouth.
Su Meimei cursed him a hundred times inside. Then she began her litany of woes: buying a house had made them broke, her daughter's art school tuition was expensive, they were poor, poor, poor. In short, they had no money right now.
Her mother remembered how her younger sister once came to Wucheng with no job and no marriage prospects, living in her home for four or five years. Back then, not once did Su Meimei complain of being poor. Later, she even introduced her to a job, through which she met Zhang Zhongyong, who worked at a government office. Only after marriage did Su Meimei move out.
"Peh."
Zhang Zhongyong spat out the overly salty fried fish. His mind wandered to the little enchantress who not only fried fish but drained him dry every time. His mouth went dry. Then he remembered her liking for that little BMW.
"Elder sister, we're indeed a bit strapped for cash recently and were thinking of buying another car. How about selling us that little BMW?" he suddenly interjected.
Su Meimei had just been figuratively slapped—on one cheek by her earlier refusal, and now on the other by his words. All her complaints wasted. But then she thought, he already had an Audi. Was this BMW meant for her? She had always envied Su Lanzhi for having a BMW. Now, was it about to become hers?
"That car's not for sale for now," her father said reluctantly. "Although it's three years old, it's only been driven a little over 8,000 kilometers. It's practically new. Besides, Lan Zhi's things always look brand new, no matter how long she uses them. She takes meticulous care."
"It will have to be sold sooner or later. Why not let family take advantage of it at a good price? Sister, sell it to us cheap. I've never owned a car in my life!" Su Meimei was practically flying with joy.
She froze. She had expected her aunt not to lend money, but she had not expected them to be so shameless, always trying to take advantage. Most importantly, she did not want any more financial ties with this family.
If they sold the car now and it was ruined in the apocalypse, Su Meimei would come crying, and wouldn't her mother be guilt-tripped into compensating them again? No, selling to them was out of the question.
"My mother's car isn't for sale. If our house gets sold and we have to move far away to the villa, there won't even be taxis around. How would she get to work?" she quickly cut in.
Even her mother began hesitating, thinking maybe she should just sell it to her younger sister at a discount.
"My dear sister, the deposit is due tomorrow. Selling the car to us means you'll have cash in hand right away. Second-hand cars don't sell that quickly nowadays," Su Meimei said excitedly.
"Aunt, then why don't you just lend us the money directly?" she added with a sharp jab.
An awkward expression flickered across Su Meimei's face. "You little rascal, always joking. We only have enough set aside for a car."
Her mother's eyelids drooped. After so many years, this was her first time asking her younger sister for help, and this was the answer she got.
"I'll give Lao Sun a call, see if he can return the money tomorrow," her father said. He really did not want to sell the BMW. He stood and made the call, and soon came back with excitement in his voice. "Perfect, thank you so much! Lao Sun, that's settled then. Transfer it to me by noon tomorrow."
And so the matter of the deposit was resolved, at least for the moment. Su Yiyang's family transferred 100,000 on the spot. Su Meimei not only failed to buy the car, but also refused to lend money. This double blow to her mother was, unexpectedly, a blessing in disguise.
Su Meimei was marching further and further down the road of self-destruction.
In her past life, her foolish parents had never wanted to trouble others and never asked for help. That was why one should never test human nature. Test it too many times, and even close bonds would shatter.
Tonight, her parents were destined to feel hurt. Tomorrow, they would likely not only be hurt but also begin to doubt life itself. The thought made her heart throb with a strange excitement—ah, no, she corrected herself, it was sadness.
"Ah, growth always comes with a price. Pain is what brings understanding."
She returned to her bedroom and entered the Cube Space to check on her food animals. The black pigs had finished their feed and gone to sleep. The cows and sheep were resting peacefully together, occasionally shifting positions. The little rabbits were hopping around with plenty of space to play, leaving droppings everywhere.
To her surprise, the quails had laid two eggs and were even brooding. The seller had said that good lighting increased egg production. The Cube Space glowed with its own light, so conditions were excellent.
The 17 chickens, however, were a sorry sight. Chicken poops everywhere, and two eggs had already been trampled and eaten. She would have to think of a solution soon.
She began labeling every bottle of mineral water with a number, cutting strips from white shirts and writing the numbers on them.
First, she fed the female cow, female sheep, and female pig 1 drop of Spirit Spring diluted into 250 grams of mineral water each. The male cow, male sheep, and male pig received 1 drop of Spirit Spring diluted into 1 kilogram of mineral water each.
For the 15 hens, she started with 1 drop of Spirit Spring diluted into 100 grams of water, increasing step by step. One rooster was given Spirit Spring directly, while another rooster received none, to compare their differences and lifespans.
The ducks, rabbits, and quails were also numbered, each given water according to their assigned labels. She wanted to test how different body sizes and lifespans reacted to proportionally diluted Spirit Spring.
Once every animal had a number and a cloth tag tied around its neck, she stored the mineral water in the feed section of the Cube Space. Then she delivered the water directly into the cow's stomach.
From the cow's perspective, it must have felt strange: its mouth was forced open, and suddenly a lump of water slipped straight into its stomach as if by magic. If it could speak, it might say, "You won't believe me, but that water walked into my belly on its own."
Her movements were skillful and efficient. Soon, every animal had been given its dose of diluted Spirit Spring. Poor rooster number 0, who got nothing at all.
The six fields inside the Cube Space had already sprouted, some seedlings several centimeters tall. If she had not planted them herself, she would not even know what she had sown.