The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife(141-145)

Chapter 141: Settling the Accounts


The door was closed, and family matters were kept private.


Bai Lu slowly rose from the small stool, her expression calm as she locked eyes with Li Xuelan: "You say I have no conscience, but have I ever been in your eyes? Do you have any regard for me in your eyes?"


"Your eyes only see Bai Chaojie, right?"


The painful aftermath of Bai Chaojie's affair echoed through the entire front yard, making the situation even more miserable.


Hearing this, Li Xuelan couldn't help but feel heartache: "Xiao Jie is your younger brother. Can't you let him off a bit? As his elder sister, must you compete with him for everything? Will letting him off lead to his death?"


"Throughout our lives, how many times have I let him off?"


Before Li Xuelan, who only had Bai Chaojie in her eyes, could retort, Bai Lu began to recount the unfair treatment she had endured in the Bai family since childhood.


"When Bai Chaojie was six years old, playing with other kids and making a mess with mud, I, at the age of six, was asked to wash the clothes for the whole family and learn to cook. Starting from the age of six, all the chores, from doing laundry to cooking and fetching water, were mine."


"At the age of ten, while Bai Chaojie was playing with other kids after school and on weekends, I, just turning ten, was asked to help at the brickyard, carrying bricks, drying bricks, stacking bricks. After finishing the work, I still had to do the laundry and cooking."


"When the family could only afford porridge, Bai Chaojie had porridge, and I had porridge water. When we could afford meals, Bai Chaojie had a proper meal, and I had porridge. When there was meat, Bai Chaojie had meat, and I had vegetables. When we had chicken, Bai Chaojie had chicken legs and wings, and I had chicken head, feet, and back..."


"Bai Chaojie got new shoes and clothes every year, while my clothes were patched and mended continuously. When the shoes became too small, I squeezed into them. I kept patching the clothes until there were more stitches than fabric, and only then could I afford the cheapest new clothes."


"When Bai Chaojie had a slight cold or fever, you would rush him to the hospital for treatment. When I was sick, I would only rest for a couple of days, not doing laundry or cooking, lying in bed and enduring it. If I survived, it was my luck; if I didn't, it was my fate. Did any of you care about whether I lived or died?"


Li Xuelan admitted that she did favor Bai Chaojie, but she absolutely denied disregarding Bai Lu's life: "If I didn't care about your life, would you still be alive now?"


"Your brother is a boy. He will grow up to carry on the Bai family line, continue the family name, and take care of your father and me in our old age. If I don't treat him well, who else should I treat well?"


"When a daughter gets married, she becomes part of her husband's family. The one to take care of us in our old age will be the son-in-law's family. Will you still care about our well-being in the future? Even if I treat you poorly, I gave birth to you, raised you, and have the merit of bringing you up. Shouldn't you offer a helping hand when you face difficulties in your natal family?"


Li Xuelan didn't think favoritism was wrong; the merit of giving birth and raising a child always outweighed everything: "If I were really heartless, I could have abandoned you after giving birth. You would have ended up like the beggars in the alley last year, starving or freezing to death."


While Li Xuelan did have the merit of nurturing the original owner, it didn't mean she could erase everything the original owner had done.


Since Li Xuelan wanted to settle things this way, Bai Lu decided to tally up everything, so Li Xuelan couldn't use the merit of nurturing to argue in the future.


"You did bear me for ten months, and I acknowledge that debt." Bai Lu didn't argue with the facts.


But when something was wrong, it had to be corrected: "As for raising me, I started taking on all the major and minor household chores for the family from the age of six. Whether I had time or not after school and on weekends, I had to go to the brickyard to help you with chores in exchange for Bai Chaojie's wages. During this time, my living conditions were worse than those of the servants in the old landlords' homes. Where is the nurturing merit?"


Li Xuelan was momentarily speechless by Bai Lu's articulate words, feeling that Bai Lu was no longer the same.


The Bai Lu she had watched grow up, who endured everything and was timid and weak, seemed to have changed.


She no longer listened to her, was no longer foolish and silly, and could calculate everything clearly.


Li Xuelan couldn't accept this unfamiliar Bai Lu and became even more blunt: "Do you think education doesn't cost money? From elementary school to high school, all the tuition and textbook fees were provided by the family. Can the chores you did compensate for such a large sum of money?"


"It can't."


Accepting the truth, Bai Lu calmly overturned it: "Isn't the 30,000 yuan Xiao Cheng gave me enough?"


Li Xuelan was speechless.


Bai Lu continued, "Didn't you ask me where the money from selling candied chestnuts went? I'll tell you now that I returned all of it to Xiao Cheng."


"That night, nothing happened between Xiao Cheng and me. The pregnancy test result was a hospital mix-up with the same name; I wasn't pregnant at all. You used the child as leverage to extort the 30,000 yuan dowry money from Xiao Cheng without any justifiable reason."


"If Xiao Cheng accuses us of extortion, both you and I will end up in jail. If I hadn't hurriedly sold candied chestnuts and returned the money to him before the truth came out, do you think you could still stand here peacefully?"


Li Xuelan knew very well who Xiao Cheng was, and saying he was ruthless would be too kind. No one in this world had ever plotted against Xiao Cheng and walked away, either crawling back or being carried back.


At this moment, Li Xuelan noticed Bai Lu's belly, which didn't look like that of a seven or eight-month pregnant woman at all.


She also noticed that Bai Lu's figure was not as slim as before, and her skin was fairer and more delicate than before.


Working at the brickyard exposed her to the wind and sun, and even if Bai Lu had naturally fair skin, prolonged exposure could turn it into a yellowish color. If it weren't for her delicate facial features and beautiful appearance, it wouldn't look good at all.


Moreover, Bai Lu's hands, due to frequent labor, had developed a thin layer of calluses. In winter, they would become dry and peel. They would turn white for a while, but as soon as she worked at the brickyard again, calluses would form, and it had nothing in common with the soft and tender appearance before her.


Li Xuelan remembered clearly that when Bai Lu moved to Xiao Cheng's house, she was a thin and fair girl who would fall with a gust of wind.


Being able to develop such fair and tender skin, spending the winter comfortably in Xiao Cheng's house without exposure to the wind and sun, lying at home every day, was the only way to restore her fair skin. After the calluses on her hands peeled off and new skin grew, she didn't do any work, resulting in the current fair and tender appearance.


A body no longer thin, with a healthy and sunny complexion, proved that Bai Lu was living well in Xiao Cheng's house.


It seemed that Li Xuelan had found the reason why Bai Lu suddenly became unfamiliar and helped Xiao Cheng.


"Is 30,000 yuan enough to cover your education expenses? Then what about the life-saving grace you admitted to? Without me, there would be no you. I endured the hardships of pregnancy for ten months and gave birth to you with great effort. I just asked for the recipe for candied chestnuts. Isn't it reasonable?"


"It's not excessive."


Bai Lu remained calm, her tone plain: "But I have the right to choose not to give it."


Saying something disrespectful, she continued, "When you are old, bedridden, and if you need care, I will fulfill my duty as a child to arrange for a high-level caregiver to take care of you."


"If you want me to serve you like before, be your obedient servant, and obey your every command, it's impossible."



























Chapter 142: Beep Beep Beep


Xiao Wei came back from school and saw someone rare coming out from his own doorstep.


It was Bai Lu's mother and Bai Lu's younger brother.


Bai Lu's younger brother seemed to be walking clumsily, trembling with each step, supported by Bai Lu's mother.


While walking, he shouted in pain, complaining, "Bai Lu, that arm of yours is like a broomstick turning outward! It caused me to injure my leg. Mom, why didn't you ask Bai Lu for medical expenses just now? Why didn't you continue asking Bai Lu for the recipe for sugar-coated chestnuts? What do I do if I don't have money to buy the bicycle I have my eye on?"


"Without Bai Lu giving me any, what can I do? When we get home, I'll discuss a solution with your dad. Don't fuss about your foot injury. We'll figure out a way to get you the bicycle after your foot heals, alright?"


"That's more like it!"


As the two figures moved farther away, Xiao Wei quickly ran back home and closed the door behind him.


The vegetables in the big washing basin were already cleaned, packed in a bamboo basket. Bai Lu was about to carry it back to the kitchen.


Hearing the door closing, she subconsciously turned her head and accurately caught the little guy's X-ray scan once again.


Seeing her turn around, he immediately withdrew, holding the straps of his small backpack, saying, "I saw your mother and your younger brother."


Bai Lu nodded, indicating that she knew and carried a basket of vegetables towards the kitchen.


Xiao Wei was stunned for a moment, never expecting that Bai Lu would just walk away without explaining. Wasn't his question clear enough?


"They came to see you for something?"


"No."


Bai Lu had no intention of telling the little spy.


Later, when he reports to Xiao Cheng tonight, he will likely exaggerate the situation and describe it as if a battle had taken place.


But Xiao Wei obviously didn't believe it. He kept following Bai Lu to the kitchen without putting down his backpack. "Why didn't you tell me?"


He asked quite seriously, with a puzzled expression on his little face.


Bai Lu pinched the chubby face of the little bald head and pretended not to understand, smiling, "Tell you what?"


"Why did your mother and your younger brother come to see you?"


Seeing that the answer was not in hand yet, Xiao Wei resisted the urge to slap away the hand that kept pinching and poking his face.


But Bai Lu took advantage of the situation, touched his head, and gave a very perfunctory answer, "Nothing, they just came to see me and left after seeing me."


Xiao Wei immediately turned away without letting her touch his head.


He put his backpack on the chair, washed the rice, and lit the fire in the hearth with a clearly unhappy face.


Bai Lu, without sympathy, laughed, "What do you want for lunch?"


The little bald head puffed out his cheeks without answering.


"Boiled fish or sour cabbage fish?" Bai Lu asked while saying, "This morning when I let the old hen and the little chicks out of the cage, a big fish flew up from the river. I helped it complete the reincarnation process and prepared the fish slices."


She took out a small enamel basin from the cupboard as she spoke. The basin was filled with well-marinated and fragrant fish slices.


However, Xiao Wei was attracted by her strange description and couldn't help turning his head to take a look, getting caught in the act and instantly turning back.


The sound of cutting vegetables accompanied by a light laughter ensued.


"Ding Ling Ling—"


The laughter was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Both Bai Lu and Xiao Wei were stunned, looking at each other in disbelief.


"Was that a phone ringing just now?"


Their voices fell at the same time, and the ringing sound echoed again, "Ding Ling Ling—"


The deafening sound penetrated the main house and rushed into the kitchen, ringing in their ears like beating drums.


Xiao Wei's little face froze, turning towards the direction of the main house, "It seems like a real phone call."


"Shall we answer the phone?" Xiao Wei, who had returned to his senses, suggested.


Bai Lu agreed, "You go."


Carrying a mix of nervousness, curiosity, and a little excitement, Xiao Wei quickly ran to the high table in the main house.


He picked up the still ringing white telephone receiver.


Opening his mouth, he said, "Hello."


The familiar male voice from the other end, familiar words came through, "Where's Bai Lu?"


This time, Xiao Wei didn't have the extreme anticipation of the first two times, so he didn't get drenched in cold water, just halfway.


His little heart only cooled down by half.


"In the kitchen preparing stir-fry."


"Still haven't eaten?"


"No."


"I'll call back later."


"Beep Beep Beep—"


From picking up the phone to hanging up, it was less than a minute. Xiao Wei held the phone dumbfounded, suspecting that he had hallucinated and answered a fake call.


However, the clear "beep beep" sound in his ears and the constantly replaying familiar low voice of the man in his mind assured him that it was not an illusion; the call was real.


Big brother really called just now!


And he said he would call again later!


Xiao Wei put the receiver back on the telephone, quickly ran back to the kitchen, and said, "Sister-in-law, big brother called."


Bai Lu's hand trembled a bit as she added half a spoonful of salt to the pot, closed her eyes, and then calmly withdrew the spoon.


She started to add chili.


"Why did you come back so soon?" Xiao Wei sat back in front of the hearth, quickly stuffed firewood into the hearth, and recounted the entire conversation:


"Big brother asked what you were doing. I said you were cooking. Big brother asked if you had eaten. I said no. Big brother said he would call again later, and then the phone beeped."


Seeing the little guy stuffing bamboo firewood into the hearth in a hurry, Bai Lu couldn't help but support her forehead. Was there a need to be in such a hurry?


A fragrant meal was quickly prepared.


After eating, Bai Lu and Xiao Wei sat in front of the Eight Immortals table, waiting for the phone.


One big and one small pair of hands, elbows on the table, small hands supporting the chin, both staring at the high table.


Staring at the white telephone on the table.


"Your brother said earlier that the ship would arrive in the neighboring province this morning. Has he already landed now?" Bai Lu, who had nothing to say, chatted with the little bald head beside her.


The little bald head shook his head, "I don't know."


Bai Lu asked again, "Did you hear the sound of a ship's whistle when you were listening to the phone just now?"


The little bald head shook his head again, "Didn't hear it."


"Then, did you hear his voice sounding anxious?"


"I couldn't tell, so it must be very anxious."


"This... maybe there's something very important. Besides his voice, were there any other sounds on the phone?"


"None... it seems like there was."


Bai Lu stared at the little bald head, and the little bald head immediately entered into a state of meditation, earnestly recalling for a while.


Then he said, "There was the sound of wood falling."




























Chapter 143: You Are Trying to Reach the Sky


Wood landing is equivalent to reaching the shore.


Xiao Cheng should be trading in the timber market right now.


As soon as Bai Lu had this thought, the phone rang.


Xiao Wei's eyes lit up, but he didn't get up. Instead, he turned to Bai Lu and said, "Big brother is calling. There must be something important. Answer the phone quickly."


Bai Lu glanced at the displayed number, confirmed it was the one that had called back before, and to avoid Xiao Cheng bringing up the matter of asking Wang Hao to answer the phone, she picked up the handset and spoke first.


"Ah Cheng, have you eaten? Have you reached the shore? Is everything going smoothly? Have the deals for those fir woods been completed? What are you doing now?"


As soon as Xiao Cheng's name was mentioned, the girl's voice automatically muted the phone.


Listening quietly until she finished, Xiao Cheng answered one by one, "I've eaten, already reached the shore, everything is going smoothly, the fir wood deal is completed, just had dinner with Jiang Zengang."


Xiao Cheng had arranged with the buyers before leaving the province, so trading upon reaching the shore was a natural course of action.


Bai Lu immediately added, "Make sure you secure the money. Don't get cheated. There are many scammers out there. Are you on the street or somewhere else? It sounds a bit noisy on your end, with street vendors shouting and car horns. Why haven't I heard the voices of Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang? Aren't they with you?"


After listening for a while, Xiao Cheng finally understood why the girl at home suddenly behaved so strangely.


He chuckled lightly, "At the entrance of a restaurant, on the opposite street, with people and cars around. Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang are finding a place to stay; they haven't come back yet."


Ignoring the meaningful chuckle in the receiver, Bai Lu instructed, "Make sure to keep the money safe. Don't let anyone deceive you. There are many fraudsters out there. You're in an unfamiliar place, so be careful yourself..."


In the midst of her lengthy advice, Xiao Cheng responded with a simple "okay" when she finished the last sentence, his voice low, mellow, and slightly magnetic.


Then he asked, "Has anyone else come to see you today?"


Xiao Cheng probably knew that when he was away, there would be troublemakers knocking on the door.


Bai Lu sighed in relief, "My mom and my younger brother came to see me, but they left after a while."


Knowing that she didn't want to say more, Xiao Cheng didn't press further and spoke softly, "Wait for me to come back."


"Um..." Huh???


After an instinctive response, Bai Lu realized that Xiao Cheng's words seemed a bit off.


In the past, when Xiao Cheng went out of the province for development, he never returned. The original owner had already fallen into the river, and Xiao Wei was also missing. For Xiao Cheng, the new town had no sentimental value.


After earning a considerable amount of money through numerous setbacks, Xiao Cheng returned once to move the grave. Since then, he never came back.


Now, Xiao Wei was not missing, still at home, and Xiao Cheng had family ties to cherish, so he decided to return.


Bai Lu accurately grasped the truth and responded seriously, "You don't have to worry about home. I'll take care of Xiao Wei. Do what you want to do. Just come back before the college entrance exam, or you can bring Xiao Wei with you. I'll leave this place after I finish my exams. Xiao Wei is only seven years old; it's not suitable for him to stay in the new town alone."


The phone suddenly fell silent.


Silence persisted, and time passed without awareness.


After a long time, when Bai Lu thought there might be no signal on Xiao Cheng's end and he couldn't hear, just as she was about to speak, a cold hum sounded in her ear, cold and brisk even through the receiver.


He seemed angry.


"Are you listening?"


"Take care of yourself, hang up!"


His displeasure was evident in his tone, reminiscent of the night he was drunk and insisted on her shaving her head.


Bai Lu didn't know if he was drunk again or suddenly in a bad mood. She quietly waited for him to hang up.


But he didn't hang up for a long time.


"Xiao Cheng?"


"What!"


The child was indeed angry.


Bai Lu turned to look at the little bald head, handing him the handset, "Do you want to talk to your brother?"


Xiao Wei: "..."


You want to use me as a shield, right?


On the other end of the phone, Bai Lu heard someone calling Cheng Ge, sounding like Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang.


"If you have something to do, go ahead."


"Hang up the phone!"


The child didn't listen, drinking alcohol again and inexplicably getting angry. Bai Lu didn't want to bother with him.


"Just hang up."


Without hesitation, Bai Lu put the phone back on the landline and returned to her room, paying no attention to anyone.


Xiao Wei looked at Bai Lu's back with sympathy.


Even in the face of a crisis, she could still read a book.


After dinner, bath, washing clothes, and hanging clothes, the phone in the main house didn't ring.


Bai Lu and Xiao Wei tacitly forgot that there was still a telephone in the house, each returning to their own rooms to sleep.


Whether they could sleep or not, no one knew.


On the other side of the moon.


Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang ran their legs off, finally finding the "most formal hotel" mentioned by the big brother. They quickly completed the check-in procedures, enduring the fierce gaze of the big brother.


Tomorrow they still had to investigate the market situation of the electronics market. Tonight, couldn't they sleep well?


Who was the little brat who had angered this dragon? They must teach him a lesson when they went back!


Just before Xiao Cheng closed the door, he coldly said, "Do you know where to gather tomorrow?"


"We know! We know!"


"Next to Jianghai Park at the entrance of Yekuke Restaurant on the right side, Neighboring Nianxiangren Restaurant on the left side."


After Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang finished answering, a door slammed in their faces, cold and without any warmth.


"Tsk—I want to know which little brat caused trouble. Watch me deal with him!"


Xiao Dazhuang strongly agreed with Luo Shiliu's words, "I'll deal with him too!"


Tonight seemed exceptionally long.


Xiao Cheng lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. After a while, his gaze shifted to the bedside telephone.


After a while, he turned back to the ceiling.


The dim and gentle light, the empty room, quiet and silent, separated by an invisible boundary.


Even the most beautiful ceiling couldn't hold the distracted gaze. Unconsciously, it returned to the landline on the bedside table.


After a moment, it turned back.


Ceiling, telephone, back and forth.


On a night without stars, even the moonlight seemed dim, as if it heralded the approach of a storm.


Bai Lu was frying chestnuts in the kitchen with the light on.


Xiao Wei had already eaten breakfast and gone to school. The electric chestnut roaster in the kitchen hummed, diligently working, and the preheated sand emitted a fragrant aroma.


Three rounds of sugared chestnuts were already out of the pot. Bai Lu skillfully scooped a spoonful of maltose syrup, ready to pour it into the pot.


Suddenly, the light in the room flickered, and a black shadow swiftly passed from the angle reflected by the window.


The kitchen had two windows, one facing the side of the main house and one facing the outside wall.


The direction the shadow rushed towards was the outside wall.






























Chapter 144: Catching the Thief


The windows in the kitchen are usually open for ventilation, with circular wooden frames, orderly arranged to form a fence, and no emerald green glass panes.


There's only a light-colored waterproof apron, shielding from wind, rain, and prying eyes. Even though there's a surrounding wall, people outside can't see in, but accidents are unavoidable, especially at this moment.


The window frame, already opened for ventilation, has two sneaky eyes slowly approaching from the edges.


Closer, a bit closer, and you can see the entire process of making candied chestnuts.


Squinting eyes carry the excitement of the owner, eagerly anticipating a windfall, staring to the maximum to peep.


Inside, there's the sound of a machine working, and the fragrant pot is not by the window but at the end of the stove, making it impossible to see what's inside.


You can only see a girl in an apron scooping up a sticky substance, preparing to pour it into the pot.


But suddenly, she stops.


Puts the spoon back into the bucket.


Goes to the sink, reaches into an enamel basin filled with chili peppers, and fishes out the chili peppers covering the water's surface.


Puts them into a nearby small basket, and then the girl lifts a basin of chili-soaked water and splashes it forward.


"Ah—"


"My eyes!!!"


Outside the window, there's a heart-wrenching, piercing scream, accompanied by the sound of a heavy object falling.


The water with chili peppers, not as intense as authentic chili water, doesn't blind the eyes, but it stings for a while, making it difficult to see and even harder to escape over the wall.


Bai Lu is calm enough to put down the enamel basin, casually turn off the electric stir-fry machine, and calmly go to catch the thief.


As expected, outside the kitchen, within the walls, a figure is blindly stumbling with covered eyes.


It's the plump and charming daffodil.


Now that her peeping has been exposed, she's already shouting in pain and stumbling away along the wall, taking two or three steps toward the front yard.


Bai Lu guesses she wants to escape to the vegetable garden. Across the small river in the vegetable garden, it's only five or six hundred meters to the old street.


Unfortunately, her eyes are not working well. Stumbling and tripping, she ends up falling into the trap in the front yard.


"Come, walk this way, to the left, to the left, take two steps forward, and I'll send you out."


A familiar and cold voice rings out not far ahead. Li Shuixian, who walks with the help of the wall, shivers all over, suddenly opening her eyes.


"Ah!"


A sharp pain makes tears stream down Li Shuixian's face.


Painfully, Li Shuixian can't open her eyes at all, only covering her eyes and angrily scolding ahead: "Bai Lu! You ruthless woman! What did you splash on me?"


"Didn't you see it yourself?"


Bai Lu leisurely walks to Li Shuixian's side, not too close, not letting her claws touch, making a sympathetic sound.


"With your extraordinary weight, you definitely can't climb over my high wall. Do you have an accomplice outside? Your accomplice heard your screams, why didn't they come in to save you? Have they... already run away on their own?"


Li Shuixian's face turns red, not sure if it's from anger or panic after Bai Lu exposed her scheme.


With stinging eyes slightly open, she sees a hint of mockery on Bai Lu's face. Filled with rage, she can't help but raise her hand to give a slap.


Bai Lu hooks Li Shuixian's wrist with one hand, effortlessly flings her to the ground, causing a shock on the ground.


It's evident that this time's strength is more than ten times stronger than the previous two times, enough to knock down a fat cow.


The pain from the chili peppers clears Li Shuixian's impulsive mind. Remembering the lessons from the previous two times, her back feels cold. She crawls away, squinting her eyes, retreating.


"Don't come over!"


"Xiao Cheng has already left for a long journey. You're the only one at home. If you dare to touch a hair on me, I'll find someone to avenge me tomorrow! Your little tricks can only deal with me. Against others, you'll only end up getting beaten. You better let me go now, I'll pretend today's events never happened, otherwise, you'll regret it!"


Bai Lu is not in a hurry. Outside the kitchen, within the walls, Li Shuixian is stumbling with her eyes covered.


"What are you thinking? Let me go!"


Li Shuixian turns around and shouts, trying to shake off Bai Lu's hand. However, with all her strength, she can't break free.


"What do you want? Let me go!"


Li Shuixian can't free herself from Bai Lu's grasp. With her other hand still covering her eyes, she swings it towards Bai Lu's face. At the same time, the foot close to Bai Lu lifts, attempting a fierce kick.


Unfortunately, before her hands and feet can reach Bai Lu, Bai Lu unceremoniously throws her to the ground once again, then firmly grasps her wrist and pulls her up.


"Have you learned your lesson?"


Li Shuixian, who fell all over the place, finally realized her fear. She doesn't dare to make another move, struggling with all her strength, just wanting to break free, her eyes squinting and staring at the courtyard gate.


She wants to go out!


There are still people waiting for her outside!


It seems that Bai Lu can see through Li Shui Xian's thoughts. Holding her wrist, Bai Lu walks directly towards the courtyard gate.


"Don't be in a hurry; I'll send you out right away."


Her tone is too friendly, making Li Shui Xian shiver. She has an intuition that Bai Lu must have some sinister plan.


"What are you up to! I warn you, let me go right now. Don't try anything funny, or..."


"Creak—"


The door opens.


Although it's early in the day, there are already many neighbors on the street, buying fresh vegetables from the market. They heard the sound of the door opening, turned to look, and saw Bai Lu, wearing an apron, pushing a fat woman with one hand covering her face and head bowed, out.


She smiles and greets everyone, "Good morning, everyone. Auntie Fang and Mrs. Wu, have you bought vegetables and come back? So fast! I was thinking of waiting to see if any uncles or aunts go to the market to buy vegetables and help bring someone back to the street."


The most sincere greeting is remembering others' names, which is more intimate than a hundred greetings.


Auntie Fang and Mrs. Wu immediately stop in their tracks, smiling as they approach to respond, "You're up early too."


"Look, you're still wearing the apron. Are you busy frying chestnuts early in the morning? Xiao Cheng has gone out, and you're alone frying so many chestnuts. Take care of your health, young as you are. Money is never enough. When Xiao Cheng comes back with a lot of money, you can enjoy life. Don't overwork yourself."


"Who is this person? You said just now that you want someone to help her get back to the street. Who is she to you? She looks stable standing there. Can't she walk back on her own?"


In fact, Auntie Fang wanted to say that she doesn't look like a blind or crippled person, so why does she need someone to escort her?


Li Shuixian finally understands what Bai Lu wants to do. She must want to expose her peeping conspiracy in public.


No way!
























Chapter 145: Extraordinary Good Neighbor


Last time, when Li Bingkun exposed her involvement in overturning Aunt Wu's fruit stall, the business of the grocery store declined significantly. If Bai Lu were to reveal the peeping incident, it would further damage her reputation, and the grocery store would be left with no business.


Bai Lu seemed to want her to close the shop for good! Li Shuixian immediately exerted all her strength, trying to free her wrist from Bai Lu's grasp.


No matter how hard she tried, Bai Lu's grip was like a pair of iron pliers, holding her tightly, making it impossible for her to break free.


"Let go of me!"


Growling didn't help. Li Shuixian tried to walk away directly, thinking that with her size, Bai Lu wouldn't be able to hold her.


As soon as her familiar foot stepped out, Bai Lu gave a strong tug, causing her to stumble backward, almost falling.


Bai Lu effortlessly pulled her back again, saying, "What's the rush? You haven't even said hello to everyone."


Li Shuixian's heart sank. With eyes squinted into a narrow slit, she anxiously looked around at the growing crowd, searching for familiar faces for help.


Before she could find any, a voice that left her feeling like ashes sounded beside her.


"This is Li Shuixian."


"Auntie Fang and Sister Wu, take a closer look. She's Li Shuixian, the owner of Haiji Grocery Store at the end of the street. She sells a lot of things. Do you all remember now?"


Bai Lu spoke while holding down Li Shuixian's other hand, ensuring everyone could clearly see her face.


Even though Li Shuixian squinted with her red, swollen eyes, trying to evade and dodge, her plump figure and round, unangular face were enough for everyone present to recognize her at a glance.


"I remember now, this is Li Shuixian!"


"Yes, yes, I remember too. Li Shuixian, the owner of Haiji Grocery Store at the end of the street. I bought two packs of salt from her store yesterday afternoon, I remember."


"Why do you still dare to buy things from her store? Aren't you afraid of getting... getting food poisoning? Last time, when Aunt Wu's fruit stall was overturned by that stubbled man, it was Li Shuixian who orchestrated it. I was there and heard it all clearly!"


"I went back to my hometown for a visit recently and just returned the day before yesterday. I had no idea such a big incident happened on the street. Tell me in detail!"


"The thing is..."


The incident of Aunt Wu's fruit stall being maliciously overturned was brought up again, and the crowd quickly spread the word.


Those who already knew the truth focused on the new developments before them.


For example, Auntie Fang, after exchanging greetings with Bai Lu, spoke directly, "What's wrong with Li Shuixian? She came out of your house early in the morning, eyes all red and swollen, and you have to support her. Is her leg injured, making it hard for her to walk?"


Mrs. Wu also looked at Li Shuixian's eyes and said, "Is her eyesight bad? Can't she see the way?"


"With her eyes squinted into a narrow slit, and redness in her eyeballs, she seems to have contracted conjunctivitis. Bai Lu, be careful. Conjunctivitis is contagious. You should let her go; it's not good if you accidentally get infected. How annoying!"


Bai Lu smiled and thanked Mrs. Wu and the others for their concern, explaining, "It's not that I don't want to let go. Li Shuixian's eyes were splashed with chili water. She can't see the way, and if I don't support her, she'll fall with every step."


"Splashed with chili water?" Auntie Fang exclaimed in surprise, "What happened?"


"It's my fault for not paying attention..." Bai Lu, holding Li Shuixian's wrist tightly, looked embarrassed, "I soaked some chili in the morning, planning to make spicy eggplants for lunch. I forgot about it and only remembered when I was frying chestnuts. I quickly put down the spatula and scooped out the chili."


"I was worried that the chestnuts in the pot would burn if not stirred, so I poured the chili water out of the window, but then there was a sudden scream outside."


"Scream! Does that mean someone was hiding outside the window?" Auntie Fang widened her eyes, looking horrified. "Little one, you must have been scared at that time, right?"


Bai Lu, with a pitiful expression as if recovering from a shock, nodded like a little chicken pecking at grains, "Exactly, I thought there was a thief, and I was so scared that I didn't dare to move."


"Seriously, lurking under your kitchen window to watch you fry chestnuts, what else could it be if not a thief?" Mrs. Wu stared in the direction of Li Shuixian.


"If your house didn't have a wall, and someone passing by saw it, there wouldn't be much to say. But with such a high wall, how could someone hide under the window without climbing over? And who could do that and still be considered an upright person entering through the front door?"


"Well..."


Looking at Li Shuixian, who had been hiding with her head down, and hearing her anxious attempts to explain, the neighbors suddenly became clear in their minds.


One by one, they cast suspicious glances back and forth at her.


Having waited for a long time without seeing Xiao Zhihai come to her rescue, fearing that Bai Lu, under the encouragement of the crowd, might actually send her to the police station, Li Shuixian could only reach into her pocket where she kept her money.

The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife(146-150)