At eight in the evening, the food was finally served.
Li Changchun habitually scooped a bowl of rice, added some dishes to it, and prepared to go serve the old man.
Zhao E nudged Li Dali with her elbow, reminding him.
“Dali, don't eat yet. Go serve the old man first.”
Upon hearing this, Li Dali quickly put down his half-eaten bowl of rice and snatched the chopsticks and bowl from Li Changchun.
“Changchun, eat quickly. I'll serve the old man.”
Then, he eagerly ran upstairs.
With someone else working, Li Changchun was naturally happy to stay and eat well. He had lost weight recently.
Just then, Li Youyou, who was beside him, suddenly said sarcastically.
“You're called Xiaomin, right? Your parents are here to take care of the old man and eat and drink at our house. That's understandable.”
“Even brothers need to settle accounts. You should contribute something for the food expenses. After all, we are country folks, and it's not easy.”
As soon as she said this, even with Zhou Xiaolan and Li Changchun's good temper, they couldn't help themselves.
“Youyou, saying that is too unreasonable. Since we came to the countryside to take care of the elder, although we cook and eat at your house, we have always bought the firewood, rice, oil, and salt.”
“Speaking of which, it should be your family eating ours and drinking ours,” Zhou Xiaolan said frankly.
Li Changchun also put down his chopsticks, unable to eat any further, his anger having filled him up.
“Normally, I don't argue with you because you are younger and don't understand things, and your words are unpleasant.”
“Cooking at your house is for the convenience of taking care of the elder. You still want food expenses from Xiaomin; you are truly shameless!”
*Snap!*
Li Youyou slammed her bowl and chopsticks on the table and stood up angrily.
“You are the shameless ones! You've been living in my house for more than half a year. I tolerated it before, thinking you were taking care of grandpa. But now, you even bring your adopted burden to leech off my home!”
“What do you think our house is? A refugee camp!”
“You… you are simply too much!”
Zhou Xiaolan rolled up her sleeves, unable to refrain from teaching Li Youyou a lesson.
She could be criticized, but she absolutely would not allow anyone to call Tang Xiaomin a burden.
Seeing that they were about to fight, Tang Xiaomin quickly pulled Zhou Xiaolan back.
“Mom, forget it. I don't care about what they say at all.”
“But she… sigh…”
Zhou Xiaolan's nose felt a sting of sadness. She lost her appetite and went out.
“Mom… where are you going?”
“Back to my room to sleep.”
…
Zhao E watched Zhou Xiaolan leave angrily, but Tang Xiaomin appeared quite calm. She feigned conciliation.
“Youyou doesn't know any better. Changchun, you and your sister-in-law shouldn't take it to heart.”
“However, there is one thing Youyou said that isn't entirely wrong.”
“Look, the old man has been living with us for over twenty years. We've spent a lot on his care. Last year alone, medical expenses were over two hundred thousand. I still have the discharge papers here.”
As Zhao E spoke, she actually took out a stack of receipts.
“Let's split these medical expenses between our two families. You have no objection to this, right?”
“Changchun, we are all from the countryside, and the pressure is quite high. If our conditions were any better, I wouldn't have brought this up with you.”
…
Hearing this, Li Changchun was immediately furious.
“When the old man was first hospitalized, you informed me to send money for medical expenses. I already paid.”
“What is this then?”
…
“This was before the old man got sick. We really had no money left, so we called you. You can check these receipts yourself if you don't believe me.”
Zhao E said, throwing the stack of receipts in front of Li Changchun.
Li Changchun was about to pick them up when Tang Xiaomin snatched them first, holding them in her hand.
“Xiaomin, this is your father's matter. You're a child, don't get involved.”
Tang Xiaomin shook her head, her gaze firm.
“Dad, I'm over twenty, not a child. I've studied and can do calculations. Let me settle the accounts with Auntie properly, and then I'll tell you.”
Tang Xiaomin was educated, and in this regard, Li Changchun could only trust her.
“Alright, settle it well with your aunt. I'll go check on your mother.”
“Okay.”
A few steps after Li Changchun left, Tang Xiaomin added,
“Dad, when I arrived, I saw a small barbecue shop next to the village convenience store. It’s still early, take Mom to eat barbecue there. I'll find you once I'm done calculating.”
“Alright, that’s a good idea.”
…
After Li Changchun left, Tang Xiaomin pulled up a chair and sat down, preparing to settle the accounts with Zhao E's family.
Li Youyou rolled her eyes and said dismissively, “What do you know? You're an adopted wild child. What right do you have to interfere in my uncle and my family's affairs? Do you have any self-awareness at all, huh?”
Li Youyou’s demeanor was that of a typical shrew.
Tang Xiaomin remained calm and collected, looking at Li Youyou expressionlessly.
“It seems you are questioning the familial bond between me and my parents.”
“You aren't their biological child, so what kind of family bond can you have?” Li Youyou continued to mock.
“You're quite something, aren't you? You followed my uncle and aunt to the countryside. You're shamelessly hoping they'll continue to support you, aren't you?”
…
Speechless, utterly speechless.
Li Youyou had perfectly exemplified the saying that those with dark hearts see everything as dirty.
“You have no right to comment on the family bond between me and my parents. But it doesn't matter; you'll see soon enough.”
“Let's settle the accounts first.”
…
Tang Xiaomin picked up the hospital receipts in her hand and began to read them carefully. She finished in a short while.
At the same time, her internal thoughts were quite active.
“I’ve finished reading. If there are no issues, that's one hundred thousand per family. A total of two hundred thousand has been spent. My family paid it upfront, so you need to reimburse us for the remaining hundred thousand,” Zhao E said.
Li Youyou quickly added, “Also, your parents have been living in my house for half a year. Let's say two hundred thousand per month, so six months is twelve hundred thousand. Pay it all together.”
The shameless faces of the mother and daughter could no longer be described with words.
Even calling them beasts would be an insult to beasts.
To the extreme of her anger, Tang Xiaomin was amused.
“Heh… so you mean my family has to give you two hundred and twenty thousand, right?”
Li Youyou eagerly said, “That’s right, two hundred and twenty thousand. Do you want to pay cash or transfer?”
Looking at their money-grubbing faces, Tang Xiaomin was silent for a long time. Sighing, she said mockingly,
“It’s getting late. You should wash up and go to bed. You can have anything you want in your dreams.”
…
In an instant, Tang Xiaomin's demeanor underwent a drastic change.
From head to toe, she exuded three words: “No money.”
*Bang!*
Zhao E slammed the table and stood up, saying with a ferocious expression,
“Hmph, how outrageous! This is what your family owes us. You will pay, whether you want to or not!”
Li Youyou was also busy. She quickly ran to the stairs and shouted,
“Dad, come down quickly. Tang Xiaomin and the others don't want to pay.”
*Thump, thump, thump!*
Soon, Li Dali came down from upstairs. His face was grim, and with a bang, he shut the main door.
What this implied was self-evident.