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墨書 Inktalez
"Auntie, can I take some of your noodles and meat home for free?"
Suddenly, she paused and changed her tone, "No, Auntie, I don't even need to take them home. Can I just eat at your place? What do you think?"
The aunt was so furious that her face turned green. She pointed at Wen Qian and said, "You, don't go too far with your words! How can noodles and meat be compared to a sewing machine? Using a sewing machine doesn’t cost you anything. Why do you have to force an old woman like me?"
Wen Qian chuckled, "Auntie, if you want to use my sewing machine for free, I wonder if the other families in the courtyard with sewing machines would be willing to let you use theirs. Besides, I didn’t buy the sewing machine for the entire courtyard; you didn’t contribute any money towards it."
As soon as Wen Qian finished speaking, some people's expressions in the carriage turned sour. They also had sewing machines at home and often had people borrowing them. However, those who borrowed usually brought something in return.
If everyone brought a little something, it added up quickly. They relied on these small contributions to help with household expenses. Even if it was just a handful of vegetables or a couple of candies, it could provide a dish for the family and satisfy the children's cravings.
Who wouldn’t want something for free? Now, suddenly cutting off their additional source of support—who would be willing to accept that? Their sewing machine wasn’t bought for free; why should they lend it out without compensation?
Wu Dingmei couldn’t help but speak up from her seat in the carriage, "What’s the big deal about using a sewing machine? Why are you being so stingy? You really are from a small place—so petty!"
"Not even allowing someone to use a sewing machine? You have no idea about harmony in the family courtyard?"
Wen Qian smiled at Wu Dingmei and asked, "Does your family have a sewing machine?"
"Of course! We bought one long ago. Unlike you guys who just got one, and such a shabby one at that! It looks cheap; who knows if it’ll break down right away? It doesn’t look good at all!"
Wu Dingmei proudly looked down at Wen Qian while disdainfully glancing at the sewing machine in the carriage. Then she raised her eyes with contempt towards Wen Qian.
"Alright then! Everyone saw that! Wu Dingmei declared that her family's sewing machine is available for free use. Let’s all witness this!"
Wu Dingmei looked at the aunt's excited expression in the carriage and then widened her eyes in disbelief as she stared at Wen Qian.
"I—I never said that! Don’t misunderstand; I didn’t say anything!"
"How could you not say anything? Didn’t you just say it was just a sewing machine?"
"You just said we can't use it, which means there's no harmony in the family compound. So what does it mean now that you won't let us use it?"
"I won't let you use it because it disrupts the harmony in the family compound. What about you? How can you treat people like this with two different attitudes?"
The aunt in the carriage looked displeased as she stared at Wu Dingmei, unable to hold back her words. "Exactly, Dingmei! Didn't you just agree to let us use it for free? Why are you changing your mind now? Are you trying to fool us old folks?"
"I think your husband hasn't educated you well. I'll talk to him later and ask what you really mean by that."
Wu Dingmei's face turned pale; her greatest fear was her husband. She never expected to be put in such a predicament.
She forced a smile and quickly explained, "Aunties, I misspoke. You can use our place for free. My husband is so busy in the army, there's no need to bother him."
It had taken her a long time to marry into the military, and her husband cared a lot about his reputation. If so many aunts and sisters-in-law went to find him, he would definitely be furious when he found out.
Wu Dingmei felt like crying but still didn't want to let Wen Qian off the hook. She looked at Wen Qian's clothes and worn-out shoes and couldn't help but scoff, "Women should take better care of themselves. Dressing like that is truly embarrassing for the family compound."
Wen Qian remained silent, leaving Wu Dingmei to put on a show by herself.
Seeing that Wen Qian ignored her, she called out directly, "Wen Qian! Didn't you hear me talking about you? Look at your clothes; they're so shabby that you've embarrassed our family compound!"
"Embarrassed? Am I showing too much skin? How have I embarrassed the family compound?" Wen Qian tugged at her clothes, confused.
Her clothes were just a bit old; there were no holes or anything shameful about them.
"Look at your shoes; they're practically falling apart! If outsiders see this, they'll think we can't afford decent shoes!"
Lu Zheng ignored Wen Qian's protests and said sternly, "Embarrassed for your family? I don't think it's embarrassing at all! I'll ask my superiors in the army if this is really an embarrassment for the family compound."
These days, how many years can a pair of shoes last? As long as they aren't torn, people keep wearing them. If they do tear, they just sew them up and keep wearing them!
Wen Qian's shoes didn't even have a patch on them; where were they torn?
Several aunts in the carriage had shoes with multiple patches on them, and they looked at Wu Dingmei with increasing disdain.
"Wu Dingmei, what do you want? If you don't want us old ladies around in the army, just say so! If you look down on us, just say it directly. We aren't stupid!"
Wu Dingmei never expected to clash with several aunts at once.
She was so aggrieved that she was on the verge of tears, yet she didn't dare to say anything more. She feared that whatever she said might lead to further misunderstandings among the few aunts nearby. These aunts were experts at stirring up trouble and inciting arguments.
Wen Qian felt a tug on her clothes and turned to see a young girl, seemingly around eighteen years old. The girl lowered her voice deliberately and said, "Sister, why don't you show them what you bought? That would shut them up."
Wen Qian smiled at her and quickly explained, "I-I was just watching you all buy things at the department store, that's why I said that. I-I also live in the family compound. I'm Tang Siyu, and my father is in the army."
The young girl looked obedient but had just moments ago displayed a fierce expression. Wen Qian found it amusing and took the time to explain, "Of course I could take out my things and slap them in the face with it, but I can't do that. Showing off wealth is not a wise choice; it's actually the dumbest choice. Not only would it draw me into discussions within the family compound, but it would also make others think I'm wealthy, which could lead to unnecessary troubles later on."
"Right now, everyone is short on money. If I'm the only one with money, it creates imbalance. Most importantly, I don't want to invite unnecessary disasters."
Lu Zheng listened to her words, raising an eyebrow slightly with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Guo Weiguang, if you can't even handle such a small matter, how can you manage what I've assigned to you? Are you trying to drive me to my death? Look at what you've done to me!"
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