After leaving Xinhui Community, Fanfan fiercely kicked the electric pole next to him. Lili grabbed his arm and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him: "The electric pole has nothing against you, why are you kicking it?"
Fanfan snorted, and the young man's energetic face was full of anger. He angrily sneered: "She said she cooked our favorite dishes and invited us to come over for dinner. I think it was just a Hongmen Banquet. She asked us to borrow money under the name of inviting us for dinner. I wonder why she is so enthusiastic today."
During the years when Fanfan was in kindergarten, it was basically his sister who took care of him. In his memory, there were almost no scenes of him spending time with his mother. Later, his parents divorced, and he saw his mother only a few times a year. It was impossible for him to develop any deep mother-son relationship with Li Manmei. It can be said that his feelings for his mother are not as deep as those for the nanny at home.
Li Li hung her head and said nothing. Her mother asked her to borrow money to pay for her stepdaughter's tuition. It must be said that this behavior hurt her. She and her brother were their mother's children. Since they could remember, they had never felt warmth from their mother.
Now that her mother has given warmth to her stepdaughter, she is not lacking in love, nor is she envious or jealous, but she is a little unfair. She is a mother, and as a daughter, there is nothing to say. However, she finds it ridiculous that her mother wants to lend money to her stepdaughter in order to please her siblings. Does her mother only love them when they lend money? Do she and her brother value this kind of love
"Don't think too much. It's not easy for mom either."
Li Li's tone was very calm. Even if her mother was not nice, she, as a daughter, would not say anything to her. At most, she would come less often in the future. Feelings are developed through interaction. Even if they are as close as mother and daughter, if there is no feeling, there is no feeling.
How could Fanfan not think so much? He said unhappily, "You are kind enough to lend her the money. Sister, don't blame me for being cruel. Mom is old and I will take care of her, but I won't care about the man she marries. It's obvious that the man has no ability and can't even pay for the children's school tuition..."
Li Li did not comment on Yan Chengkun's personality, but she didn't like him either, even though he seemed to be nice to her mother. She said arrogantly, "Our father is the famous Mr. Han. Who is that man? What does it have to do with us? It's normal that you don't provide for him in his old age. Mom is willing to marry that man, give him money, and even let them live in our original home. That's her business. She wants to do it herself, and we don't care. But she can't impose her ideas on us. My sister and I don't want to, and my father won't agree."
Fanfan was satisfied and said, "Sister, we have agreed that we will only provide for mom's retirement. We will not care about the man she marries. You can't go back on your word."
Li Li looked at her brother's silly look and felt confused. He was a smart kid when he was young, but how come he became stupid when he grew up? She said, "He has nothing to do with us. Why should I regret it? You are overthinking."
Fanfan touched her forehead and said, "I, I'm just afraid that you'll be soft-hearted. You girls are all prone to being soft-hearted."
Li Li said: "Being soft-hearted depends on the person you are with."
...
Li Li still told her father about her mother lending money to her stepdaughter to pay for her tuition. Han Ze raised his eyebrows and said nothing. Li Li could not tell anything from his emotionless face. She asked shyly, "Dad, are you happy that I lent money to Mom?"
Little girl, you still know how to trick him.
Han Ze laughed and said, "I'm not unhappy. That's your pocket money. It's up to you how you want to spend it. But you lent the money to your mother. If your pocket money is gone this month, it's gone. I won't give you any more, and you are not allowed to borrow from your brother."
Li Li exclaimed.
Han Ze smiled and said, "You have to bear the consequences of your own decisions."
Li Li was suddenly discouraged.
Seeing his daughter's dejected look, Han Ze had to remind her: "Li Li, Daddy has the ability to give you a wealthy life, but your mother and I have divorced. Now your mother has formed a new family. The economic disparity between the two families is quite large. How to balance the relationship between the two families is something you need to learn. Borrowing money will happen again. Have you ever thought about it? Your mother easily borrowed money from you this time. Will she want to borrow money from you again next time? At that time, will you lend it or not?"
Li Li pursed her lips, raised her head and looked at her father, angrily said: "Next time mom asks me to borrow money, I will say that dad doesn't allow it. I'm still in school and don't have a job. The money was given by dad. Dad doesn't allow it, so I can only not lend it to her. She will definitely understand."
Han Ze didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and nodded: "Alright, I'll take the blame for you, but this excuse won't work anymore when you start working."
Li Li chuckled and said, "I was a freshly graduated student at that time. How much could I earn? I had to buy gifts for my grandparents, my dad, and my brother. I also had to spend money on myself. There was no money left. I needed my dad to support me. How could I have money to lend to others?"
Han Ze smiled and shook his head, encouragingly saying, "Well, you have your father's support, so you can just use this excuse."
Li Li raised her head with pride and said proudly, "With dad here, no one can bully us."
Han Ze laughed.
...
Li Li returned to school and found that her classmates looked at her in very strange ways. Those who were close to her looked at her with pity, while those who were not close to her looked at her mockingly, with an attitude of gloating and watching a joke. She pulled her good friend Deng Sijie's arm, frowned, and asked, "What do they mean? What happened?"
Deng Sijie looked at her friend, biting her lip, and said with guilt: "Li Li, I didn't know your family was poor. If I knew, I wouldn't let you and I take turns to treat each other to dinner."
In her daily interactions with Li Li, she never noticed that she was worried about money. There were many brands of cosmetics on Li Li's desk and clothes in her closet that she had never seen before. She always thought that Li Li's family was very rich. Unexpectedly, the things she used were all given to her by the daughter of Li Li's father's boss.
Li Li blinked and looked at her strangely: "What do you mean?"
Deng Sijie looked around, leaned close to her friend's ear, and whispered, "I don't know who spread this, but in short, all your classmates know that your family is very poor. The clothes you wear and the cosmetics you use are all picked up from others. They also say that your father has to calculate the price when he eats out..."
Li Li: “…”
Li Li frowned. She had only told Xu Xibo about the joke of picking up other people's clothes. Could it be that he was the one who spread this? If so, this boy was too tasteless. Fortunately, she didn't agree to date him.
...
After school at noon, Li Li and Deng Sijie went to the school cafeteria to eat. Li Li suffered from the hot summer and usually ate more fruits. Meat was not to her taste and she almost never ate it. She had some tofu, a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a portion of rice, and then she was ready to leave.
Deng Sijie frowned when she saw the dishes she ordered, then turned around and ordered a portion of the sweet and sour pork ribs that Li Li usually liked to eat.
The two found an empty seat and sat down. Deng Sijie picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and put it on Li Li's plate, saying, "Today's pork ribs are good, you try them."
Li Li was stunned. She looked at her friend's concerned eyes and swallowed the refusal that was about to come out of her mouth. She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll try it."
Deng Sijie saw that she had finished eating a piece of pork ribs and asked, "Is it delicious?"
Li Li nodded.
Deng Sijie picked up another piece for her and said, "If it tastes good, eat more. I gave her a lot and couldn't finish it. It's a waste."
There was nothing Li Li didn't understand. Her friend must have believed the rumors in the school that her family was poor and she picked up clothes that others didn't want. Seeing that she didn't order meat dishes, she thought she was saving money, so she found ways to add meat dishes for her. Even though it was a misunderstanding, Li Li was still very touched by this friendship.
"Han Xingli, you can't just eat vegetarian food. Only a combination of meat and vegetables can provide what our bodies need. I know your family is poor, and you pick up clothes and cosmetics that others don't want, so you don't have money to eat. How about this, if you really have no money, we are all classmates in the same class, we can pool our money and donate some money to you, so that you won't be hungry and malnourished for a long time."
"Yes, Han Xingli, we are all classmates, you don't have to be embarrassed."
Li Li looked back and saw Zhou Xiyue and Hu Shishan, who had always been at odds with her in the class. She narrowed her eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Really? You are really willing to donate to me? Ah, you are so loved by your classmates, I am so touched... Don't worry, I won't be embarrassed, and I won't reject your kindness."
Zhou Xiyue was stunned. Why was the reaction different from what she expected? After being exposed as a rich lady, shouldn't Han Xingli be ashamed and hide in a crack in the ground? How could she have the nerve to smile and accept help from others? Gritting her teeth, she said unwillingly: "Don't be too touched. After all, we are classmates."
Li Li looked at her with a smile: "I am waiting for your donation, it doesn't have to be too much, just enough for me to pay for the tuition for next semester."
Zhou Xiyue was extremely angry, but she still had to smile. She said, "Let's try our best. We'll try our best."
What's the point of trying your best? She doesn't even have any money to spend, so why should she donate money to Han Xingli for tuition? If she doesn't have money to pay for tuition, that's great, she doesn't have to go to school and she doesn't have to be an eyesore.
Li Li smiled and said, "Thank you very much, thank you very much!"
Li Li smiled at Zhou Xiyue. She couldn't understand why Zhou Xiyue didn't like her. She and Zhou Xiyue had never had any conflicts, and they didn't live in the same dormitory. She didn't have much interaction. She was too lazy to think about things she couldn't understand. She was not money. If someone didn't like her, then don't like her. There were many people who liked her anyway, so there was no shortage of one or two.
Zhou Xiyue's cheeks were pale as she pulled Hu Shishan and carried the food tray, walking quickly as if someone was chasing her.
The reason why she didn't like Han Xingli was because she was prettier than her and wore famous brands. Since she knew that Han Xingli wore clothes that were discarded by others, she laughed for a long time and thought she was a real rich girl, but she turned out to be a fake lady. The fake lady wore the clothes of the real lady to cheat people!
What made her angry was that Han Xingli, whose identity was exposed as a fake rich girl, was not at all upset and even dared to ask them to donate to her. How could she be so shameless
Deng Sijie looked at the backs of the two people who were running faster than rabbits, burst out laughing, and pulled Li Li's arm: "Did you see it just now? Zhou Xiyue's face was so stiff that she almost looked like a zombie."
Li Li smiled but said nothing.
Deng Sijie restrained her smile, looked at Li Li, and said hesitantly: "Li Li, if you really don't have money to pay tuition, I have saved a lot of pocket money, you can use it..."
Li Li said with a smile: "Si Jie, that's not necessary."
After saying that, she whispered to Deng Sijie about bringing Xu Xibo to meet her father.
Deng Sijie opened her mouth and eyes wide after hearing this: "So, the rumors in school were spread by Xu Xibo?"
Li Li nodded, "I haven't told this to anyone else except him."
Deng Sijie curled her lips and frowned, saying, "I always thought Xu Xibo was pretty good. After all, he's handsome, comes from a decent family, and is usually very polite and well-educated. I didn't expect that he's actually a mean person who gossips about others behind their backs. This kind of guy is really annoying, and he's so good at pretending. I actually encouraged you to accept his pursuit, but your father is really good, he saw through Xu Xibo's true nature and pointed out his weaknesses."
Li Li didn't want to talk about Xu Xibo, it was boring, so she said, "Come to my house to play on the weekend."
Deng Sijie smiled and refused: "I want to go shopping for clothes this weekend. Let's go next time."
Li Li pulled her arm and said, "Going to my house won't interfere with your clothes shopping. I'll go with you then."
Deng Sijie thought about it and agreed, "Okay."
...
The first time his daughter brought her classmates home, Han Ze took it very seriously and personally cooked a sumptuous dinner. Deng Sijie blushed and whispered, "Li Li, your father is so handsome, and so virtuous, and he can cook. My father comes home from get off work with his legs crossed, either watching TV or playing with his phone, doing nothing. I really envy you for having such a good father..."
Speaking of her father, Li Li's pretty face was full of pride, and she raised her head and said, "My father is of course the best."
Deng Sijie was both amused and confused: "..."
Is this a typical case of starting a dyeing factory to add some color
...
The next day, the two girls slept until noon, got up, washed, and skipped breakfast. They drove to the shopping mall in the city center. There were clothes in the mall that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, and they could choose according to their own preferences.
Deng Sijie's family was relatively well off, and most of her clothes cost several hundred or a thousand yuan. When they arrived at the city center, they had breakfast first and then slowly walked to the mall.
Deng Sijie buys clothes quickly. When she sees something she likes, she tries it on and pays for it if she likes it. She leaves immediately. After visiting just a few brands, she already has several bags in her hands. Li Li can't bear to see this, so she reaches out to help her carry them and says, "Have you finished shopping? If you're done, shall we go home?"
Li Li is a stay-at-home type, she doesn't like to go shopping unless it is necessary.
Deng Sijie shook her head, she just got to where she is now, and said, "We haven't finished shopping yet. There are a few brands that I like that I haven't seen yet. If you see something you like, you can buy it. We've been shopping for such a long time, but I haven't seen you try anything on."
Li Li said, "I have clothes."
All of her and Fanfan's clothes were bought by her father, and even her cosmetics were bought for her by her father. She had never bought clothes on her own.
Since Li Li didn't want to buy anything, Deng Sijie didn't say much. She just thought that Li Li didn't like the clothes here. She smiled and said, "It's the weekend anyway, so just think of it as accompanying me. When I've bought enough, we'll go back."
Li Li: "... OK."
The two of them talked and laughed as they walked to the next sign. Just as they were about to step inside, they found it very noisy. Li Li paused for a moment. She saw her mother and her mother's stepdaughter.
Li Manmei was holding a skirt in her hand and bargaining with the salesperson in the mall. She said, "This skirt is dirty. You can't sell it anyway. Why don't you give me a 10% discount?"
She spoke righteously, as if the skirt really couldn't be sold.
The salesperson smiled and explained to her, "I'm very sorry, ma'am. We don't have any promotions recently. This skirt is dirty. You can get another one."
Li Manmei was in a dilemma. The skirt cost more than 1,000 yuan and there was no discount. However, her stepdaughter liked it. She had no choice but to say anxiously, "Your skirt is dirty. If you can't get it at a discount of 100%, you can get it at 200% or 300%. I really want to buy this skirt..."
The salesperson smiled and said, "I know you want to buy this skirt. I'm really sorry, but we don't have any discounts in our store. I'm just an employee. I can't give customers discounts without the boss's permission. Otherwise, I will have to make up the discount money."
Yan Yiqun stood awkwardly beside Li Manmei and noticed that passers-by looked at them in very strange ways. She pulled Li Manmei's arm, her cheeks blushing: "Auntie, let's go look somewhere else."
The skirt is very beautiful and she likes it very much, but liking it doesn’t mean she has to buy it. It costs more than a thousand yuan, which is enough for their family’s food expenses for half a month.
Li Manmei patted her arm and said with a smile, "The day after tomorrow we are going back to our hometown to celebrate your grandfather's birthday. Besides, you have been admitted to university, how can you meet people without a decent piece of clothing? No matter what, you are my stepdaughter, Li Manmei, and I can't let people look down on me and your father. This time when we go back to our hometown, I will make them treat your father differently."
Yan Yiqun didn't know what to say. She didn't have that much of a competitive spirit. She knew how big her hands were, how big the bowl was, and what the situation was at home. She felt that as long as the clothes were wearable, it was fine. There was no need to buy clothes worth hundreds or thousands of dollars in big shopping malls. The money her father earned was not enough to support her buying clothes here, but she didn't feel justified in spending Aunt Li's money.
Aunt Li meant that this trip back home was meant to impress her relatives and friends. She knew that Aunt Li was doing this for her and her father's good, but she still felt awkward. Her father was just a taxi driver, so was there any need to pretend to be rich? Moreover, in order to buy an expensive birthday gift for her grandfather, Aunt Li actually borrowed money from her daughter under the pretext of her lack of tuition. If her daughter knew about this, what would she think
Yan Yiqun was just about to persuade Li Manmei not to buy clothes here when he saw Aunt Li's daughter. She gave a bitter smile and said, "Speak of the devil, he appears."
She pulled Li Manmei's collar and said, "Auntie, is that Sister Li?"
Li Manmei was startled. She followed her stepdaughter's gaze and her face changed slightly. Then she became happy and said loudly, "Li Li, are you here to buy clothes too?"
Li Li had mixed feelings. Her biological mother had never accompanied her to buy clothes, but here she was accompanying her stepdaughter to buy clothes. She had a smile on her face, and it was hard to tell what she was feeling. She said, "I am accompanying my friend to buy clothes."
Li Manmei saw the bags in Li Li's hands and stepped forward: "Let me see what clothes you bought..."
As he said that, he took the bag from Li Li's hand, intending to take out the contents and take a look.
Li Li frowned, snatched the bag from her hand, and said unhappily: "Mom, these clothes were bought by my classmate, not by me. There's nothing good about them."
Li Manmei looked unhappy, thinking her daughter was too disrespectful to her. She said in an unhappy tone, "Can't your mother take a look at your classmate's things?"
Just take a look, you don't want hers, is there any need to be so nervous
Li Li just looked at her and said nothing.
Li Manmei was a little embarrassed and angry, so she said bluntly: "Your sister is going back to her hometown and has nothing to wear. She likes this dress. I don't have much money, so you should buy it for her as her sister."
Li Li looked at her mother in disbelief, not understanding how she could say such a thing. She blurted out, "I only have one brother, where does a sister come from?"
After saying that, he took Deng Sijie's arm and strode away.
Li Manmei pointed at Li Li's receding back with a shaking finger, looked at Yan Yiqun in disbelief, and asked, "This is my daughter? Is this her attitude towards me?"
Yan Yiqun didn't say anything. This was the first time she complained about Li Manmei. She was dissatisfied with her aunt because she borrowed money from Han Xingli in her name. She thought that her aunt was buying a birthday present for her grandfather, so she didn't say anything. Now her aunt asked Han Xingli to buy her clothes. What would Han Xingli think of her and her father
Yan Yiqun pulled Li Manmei's arm out of the mall and said forcefully, "Auntie, let's go to the Women's Square on the pedestrian street. The clothes there are cheaper."
Li Manmei was dragged forward by her stepdaughter unwillingly. She thought that she, Li Manmei, was the ex-wife of the president of Hancheng Group after all. How could she have fallen to such a state that she even hesitated and couldn't make up her mind to buy a skirt of better quality for her stepdaughter
The two walked to the entrance of the Women's Square and met a family of three. Li Manmei stared at the woman holding the child in a trance. She suddenly shouted, "Luo Xinting?"
Luo Xinting was holding her five-year-old child. She heard a familiar voice from afar. She was startled and turned her head to look. She opened her eyes wide and screamed, "Li Manmei?"
Li Manmei was already full of anger, and now seeing Luo Xinting, she finally found someone to vent her anger on. She glanced at the man standing next to Luo Xinting, who looked even older than Qun Qun's father, with even white hair. Then she looked at the child in her arms, who must have been about three or four years old, with dull eyes and drooling, obviously not a normal child. She felt relieved, it was retribution.
Li Manmei walked up to Luo Xinting and sneered, "I didn't expect you to recognize me. I haven't seen you for so many years. You've changed a lot. You were so capable back then that even I had to ask you for money. I thought you had become a big shot. Why do you look older than me?"
Luo Xinting glanced at the man beside her with a complicated expression. She didn't want to listen to Li Manmei's mocking words, so she said, "Sorry, we have something else to do. Let's talk about it next time."
After saying this, without waiting for Li Manmei's response, she strode away with the child in her arms.
Luo Xinting walked for a while, turned her head to look at Li Manmei, and continued walking forward. When she met Li Manmei again, she felt very uneasy.
Back then, she never thought that Han Ze would stick with her for Liu Chengcheng. Even after Liu Chengcheng remarried, he had no intention of going out to mess around. She had been pestering him for two years, but seeing that she didn't get any response from him, she gradually gave up.
After giving up, she received 300,000 yuan in cash and a house from Han Ze. With these, if she found a job, she could have lived a very comfortable life in this city, but she was not willing to just stay with such a house. She wanted to live the life of a rich wife.
Through a friend's introduction, she met her current husband, a man who was more than ten years older than her. At that time, he had not divorced his ex-wife yet, and he was doing business and running a company. Although he was not as rich as Han Ze, nor as young and handsome as Han Ze, she was not young anymore. This man was willing to divorce his wife for her and marry her, which was better than anything else.
After the man divorced, he turned around and got a marriage certificate with her. She cried with joy holding the marriage certificate. Not long after, she gave birth to a boy. The man’s ex-wife only gave birth to a girl. He was overjoyed to have a son. Two years later, she got pregnant again and gave birth to another boy. Before the man had time to be happy, he was told that the youngest son had a brain problem. This was like a bolt from the blue, and they were both stunned.
With the birth of this child, their family seemed to be possessed by bad luck. Not long after, the man's company collapsed and he was in debt. With no other choice, she sold the house Han Ze gave her and bought a small house in a remote place, where her family of four lived, completely away from the life of a rich wife.
The man she married had changed completely since his company collapsed. No matter where she went, he would follow her, as if he was afraid that she would leave him and run away. She laughed at herself bitterly. With two children here, where could she run? She couldn't run away in this life, and she didn't have the heart to run away. She was no longer the ideal and ambitious Luo Xinting when she was young.
...
After more than half a year of hard study, Fanfan received an admission letter from a military academy in the provincial capital. At the same time, the Jiujiu Bar on Bayi Street in the provincial capital was closed down. A group of drug dealers aged 18 or 19 were arrested. Fanfan watched the news and saw several familiar faces, including Huangmao and the young man with a flat head. The sports school classmate who introduced him to Huangmao and others was also on the list.
Seeing this, he looked at his father and said happily: "Dad, they were caught."
Han Ze was not surprised at all, and said calmly: "The law is long and there is no loophole."
Fanfan stared at her father for a while and said, "Dad, did you do anything?"
Han Ze patted his shoulder and said, "No matter what Dad did or didn't do, it's a good thing that they were arrested."
Fanfan nodded tacitly.
Han Ze watched his son go upstairs. He made a phone call and when the call was connected, a hearty laugh came from the other end: "Brother Han, thank you again for providing me with the information. Otherwise, I would not be able to solve such a big case."
Han Ze laughed out loud, leaned lazily on the sofa, and said, "Director Wu should be promoted again this time, right?"
Director Wu laughed and said, "Brother Han, you are my lucky star. The last time you were promoted, it was because you cracked the largest gambling fraud case in the provincial capital. This time, we cracked the drug trafficking case, and it was also your credit, Brother Han. How can I thank you?"
Han Ze said seriously, "I just provided a tip. The case was solved thanks to the efforts of Director Wu and his subordinates. How can you put all the credit on me?"
Director Wu smiled, "You kid."
...
Hancheng Group's business projects involve many aspects, including hotels, restaurants, entertainment, IT, fitness, etc. After graduating from graduate school, Han Xingli went to work in her own company and started from the bottom. During her college and graduate years, she would go to the company for internships with Han Ze every winter and summer vacation. After two years of work, she became the manager of the administrative department.
"Manager Han, the interview time has come."
Han Xingli finished typing the last word of the document, raised his head, rubbed his sore neck, thought it was time to exercise, and said, "Here I come."
Han Xingli went to the recruitment office with the documents. When she arrived at the door of the office, she saw an acquaintance, Xu Xibo.
She pretended not to see him and walked into the office as if nothing had happened.
Xu Xibo's eyes narrowed suddenly, and he stopped a passing office worker and asked hastily, "Who was that person who just entered?"
The office staff looked at him in confusion and impatiently: "Who are you talking about?"
Xu Xibo pushed his eye sockets and asked expectantly: "Han Xingli, is she also an employee of your company?"
The office staff looked at him with disdain. Manager Han was the daughter of their CEO and the future successor of Hancheng Group. How dare this man dare to take advantage of Manager Han? It was like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. It was wishful thinking.
Thinking of this, she decided to teach him a lesson. She crossed her chest, looked at him arrogantly, and said, "What employee? Manager Han is the eldest daughter of our company, the daughter of President Han. You haven't even joined the company yet, so don't ask about her affairs."
Xu Xibo's face turned pale. How could it be possible that she was the daughter of the president of Hancheng Group