"Xiao Mi!" Zhou's father and mother shouted again.
The kitten paused in its purring sound, lowered its head, and licked the chocolate on Tang Ning's fingertips. The cat's tongue had tiny barbs, which swept away the dirt, leaving a tingling sensation.
"Xiao Mi!!!" Zhou's mother's voice was already extremely impatient. She stared at Xiao Mi fiercely. It didn't seem like she was looking at her own pet, but rather at garbage that made her lose face.
Xiao Mi quickly licked the last bit of dirt on Tang Ning's hand, then walked towards Zhou's mother with its tail between its legs. Every step closer it took, Xiao Mi seemed extremely nervous, and its paws left deep and shallow plum blossom marks in the garbage pile.
Tang Ning held her breath and looked at Xiao Mi's back.
Suddenly, Zhou's mother threw a porcelain plate full of food at Xiao Mi. She said hysterically, "I provide you with food, water and a place to live! But what's the point of raising you? Look at those stray cats outside. They can only dig in the trash cans! Have I ever given you a bite to eat? It's better to raise a dog than you! Dogs are much more loyal than cats!"
The kitten whimpered when it was hit, but the slight sound was drowned out by Zhou's mother's scolding.
"You are so heartless!" As Zhou's father cursed, his fat body trembled, spit flew everywhere, and his eyes seemed to want to skin Xiao Mi alive. He said angrily: "You are a traitor! I spent so much money on you! I can hear a sound if I throw the money into the water!"
Another porcelain plate fell on Xiao Mi, and it let out a miserable cry. Its bloated body fell to the ground, and its limbs kept shaking. It carefully exposed its belly to Father and Mother Zhou.
In the cat world, showing their belly not only expresses affection and trust, but also shows weakness when faced with a threat.
The little cat's eyes were filled with suppressed fear and docility. Every part of its body was dirty, but a bit of soft white could still be vaguely seen on its belly.
It used its claws and fangs to protect its belly and faced the other person.
When Zhou's father saw this scene, the ferocious expression on his face slowly disappeared. He narrowed his eyes and looked down at Xiao Mi with Zhou's mother, who had an expressionless face.
Although Xiaomi is very fat, it is just a kitten after all. No matter how much it eats or how fat it gets, it is still extremely small in front of humans.
Not to mention being in front of two humans who were as huge as mountains of flesh.
"Meow" it couldn't help but make a cry for mercy, it was so soft, as if it was crying.
However, Zhou's father and mother were not moved at all. Their dark eyes flashed with a cold light. Tangning tightly clenched the porcelain doll in her hand and shouted to the two strange men on the sofa, "Uncle and Auntie—"
This time, before Tangning could threaten Zhou's parents with the porcelain doll, Zhou's mother snorted coldly and said, "We are teaching us to take care of our own things. Even if you call me the emperor, this is our family business!"
Tang Ning was stunned for a moment, sensing the confidence in Zhou's mother's words.
Father Zhou didn't even look at Tang Ning holding the porcelain doll, and he wasn't afraid at all.
Tang Ning's heart skipped a beat. From the tone of Zhou's mother's voice, she knew that even Su Anyun could not threaten her in educating Xiao Mi.
Tang Ning thought carefully about the last time Su Anyun went to Lu Yuhua's house. When Su Anyun was communicating with Lu's father, he seemed to agree with Lu's father's logic, believing that losing in a game should be punished.
Does this mean that in the card world, every family has its own family rules, and when you join a family, you have to abide by the rules
"Do you know you're wrong now?" Zhou's father's voice was not loud, and there was not much emotional fluctuation, but every time he said a word, Xiao Mi trembled uncontrollably.
He raised his shoes covered with food residue and kicked them suddenly on the little girl's round belly, "Too late!!!"
With a shrill cat cry, Xiao Mi kicked the wall like a ball, leaving a cat-shaped mark on the delicate wallpaper. Then it slid limply down the wall and fell to the ground, its limbs trembling and twitching.
It all happened so fast that Tangning had no time to stop it. After he reacted, a strong sense of guilt and anger filled his chest. His heart ached and he clenched his fists. With red eyes, Tangning looked at Mr. and Mrs. Zhou who were sitting on the sofa.
Father Zhou took a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and shoveled it down with relish. The juice flowed out from the corners of his mouth, making his clothes even dirtier. He didn't seem to have any psychological burden for kicking Xiao Mi just now, and even the foot that kicked Xiao Mi was still shaking leisurely.
Zhou's mother, who was sitting nearby, seemed indifferent to Xiao Mi's situation. She held up a small mirror and used a handkerchief to wipe the eyelash-enhancing cream around her eyes. The woman was wearing thick makeup, like a fake face. Halfway through, her dark eyes met Tangning's gaze. Zhou's mother coldly said, "Are you still going to pick up the money? If not, just keep the hundred dollars in your hand and get out of here!"
Tang Ning clenched the money in his hand. The money was covered with food sauce, but after touching the food residue on the money, he did not want to eat the food.
After hearing what Zhou's mother said, Zhou's father finished the whole bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall like a cow chewing a peony. He put down the bowl, and a sinister smile appeared on his fat face, "No one will help you eat now."
There was deep malice hidden in these words, which pierced Tang Ning's heart like a thorn.
Tang Ning consciously looked at the kitten that had helped him just now. The kitten, whose original color could not be seen, was curled up in a corner, dying, with clear footprints on its swollen belly.
If they quit the Zhou family now, Tangning and Lin Yun would be able to complete their duties as guests, but they would have to return the money to Zhou's father. Xiao Mi and Zhou Kang's situation would not change at all. No, it might even get worse.
People are greedy. If Tang Ning had been told on the first day that he could spend ten hours safely at the Zhou family and then leave, he would have been willing to do so. But now, Tang Ning couldn't swallow this.
But if he wants to stay there, how can he pick up the money
Tang Ning racked his brains to think of a way to save the kitten. His brows furrowed more and more, and the emotions piling up in his heart became more and more suppressed.
"Tang Ning!" At this moment, Lin Yun's voice called out from behind.
Tangning turned around and met Lin Yun's excited gaze. He waved at her, "I have an idea!"
What can I do?!
Not only Tangning looked over, but Zhou's parents, who were sitting on the sofa, also looked over at Lin Yun.
Tangning quickly walked towards Lin Yun, who asked excitedly, "Didn't you notice there are so many plates here?"
Tangning lowered his head and saw that the room was indeed filled with plates, each of which was filled with a variety of food.
"These plates are not actually full. We can pour two portions of food onto one plate, and then we can get empty plates." Lin Yun pointed at the porcelain plates on the ground. "The plates are used to hold food, so it is reasonable for the plates to be in contact with the food."
As Lin Yun spoke, he looked towards Zhou's father and mother who were sitting on the sofa. The two monsters had stopped eating and instead stared at Lin Yun, as if they wished they could skin Lin Yun and eat him like a meal.
Lin Yun's voice became even louder. "I think we can put the empty plates in the garbage dump. We can just step on them to avoid contact with the food."
After Lin Yun shared her plan, before Tangning could even express her opinion, Zhou's father couldn't sit still anymore. He shouted angrily, "Assholes! Do you think you can step on the plate?! This is for food!!!"
After hearing what Zhou's father said, Tangning and Lin Yun's eyes lit up a little.
They and Zhou's father were enemies, so it was impossible for him to kindly remind them, just like when Zhou's father refused to tell Tang Ning that he had to eat the food he stepped on. If he really would be punished for stepping on the plate, then Zhou's father should be happy about it.
"It seems possible?" Tangning hesitated, "But will the plate break?"
It remains to be seen whether a porcelain plate can bear the weight of an adult man.
"Find a plate and try it first." Lin Yun said.
Seeing that Tangning and Lin Yun completely ignored him, Father Zhou was so angry that he overturned the porcelain plate beside him. He kept cursing, "You bad kids! You are all bad kids!"
Zhou's mother sneered: "What good would it be for Zhou Kang, that useless guy, to have friends?"
When Tang Ning heard this, he looked towards Zhou's mother. This was the first time he heard Zhou's mother mention the missing Zhou Kang since he entered this family.
When Zhou Kang's name appeared on the table, the angry father transferred his anger to his son: "He is a loser! How could I give birth to such a loser son?! I gave him the best resources and invested so much money in him, but he lives a mess! This is really the most unprofitable deal I have ever made!"
Their tone was so dissatisfied, and their faces showed even more disgust than when they mentioned Xiao Mi. It was hard to imagine that this was the affection that parents had for their child.
The little cat fell to the ground and made a weak sound, "Meow woo woo"
This was drowned out by the endless disparaging voices of Zhou's father and mother. Zhou's father was so angry that his fat flesh kept shaking. "This loser is completely useless! He even refused to leave his room today! It's better to give birth to a barbecued pork than to give birth to him!"
"Let's just forget about it and pretend that we never had this son!" Mother Zhou picked up the plate and comforted Father Zhou, "Eat something. Don't let this waste gas ruin your health."
Although Tang Ning didn't know Zhou Kang, at this moment, he suddenly felt sad. He didn't know why he was so sad.
Lin Yun turned a deaf ear and said, "We also need to be careful about whether mixing the two foods together will cause any harm."
Tang Ning then withdrew his gaze from where he had been cursing Zhou's father and mother, and concentrated on thinking about Lin Yun's words. He should indeed pay attention to this point. After all, wasting food was not allowed in this family.
Lin Yun boldly suggested: "Maybe we can try to pack similar types of food together, such as grilled chicken wings and grilled chicken legs, or all fruit food."
In fact, it would be better if the same food could be put together, but there is no similar food in this room.
Lin Yun chose two plates and squatted. Their current position was quite far from the door. Tang Ning was responsible for holding the door handle with one hand, ready to open the door at any time, and holding the porcelain doll with the other hand, ready to smash it at any time. Lin Yun carefully poured the grilled chicken wings from one plate into another plate of grilled chicken legs.
The golden chicken wings and drumsticks collided with each other, and the fat seeped out of the slightly charred skin, giving off an enticing aroma. On the sofa, Zhou's father and mother did not say anything about Tangning and the others wasting food. The two strange NPCs stared at Tangning and Lin Yun viciously.
Tang Ning and Lin Yun were ready to rush out at any time, but there was nothing unusual in the room!
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Now all that’s left is to test the quality of the plates!
Lin Yun placed the porcelain plate at Tang Ning's feet. Tang Ning held onto the door and tentatively stretched out his right foot. His toes lightly touched the center of the porcelain plate. The plate was very delicate, with a white background and silver patterns. Tang Ning couldn't help but think of someone dancing on a small drum that was even smaller than the plate.
He doesn't need to dance, just stand still.
Tang Ning held his breath, tried to maintain his balance and stepped one foot in the center of the plate. After a few seconds, the plate was safe and sound.
This plan should work!
Tangning raised her head and looked at Lin Yun, "Do you want to give it a try?"
Lin Yun hesitated for a moment and waved his hand, "I am heavier than you. If I break the plate, I will have to pay for it."
Since the plate can bear Tang Ning's weight, and the porcelain doll in Tang Ning's hand is another layer of insurance, it would be better for Tang Ning to take over the action, and there is no need for Lin Yun to conduct unnecessary tests.
Having found a method, Lin Yun repeated the same method and got six plates. Although he could still get other plates, the corresponding food was no longer available. Lin Yun and Tang Ning were not prepared to take any more risks.
After getting the plates, Lin Yun observed the position of the banknotes in the garbage dump. He designed six positions for the porcelain plates, and in theory, all the money could be picked up through these six porcelain plates.
After Lin Yun figured out where to place the plates, the task fell to Tang Ning. Tang Ning suppressed his nervousness, put the porcelain doll in his pocket, and walked into the living room holding a stack of porcelain plates.
Soon, he stopped in front of the garbage dump. Tang Ning had already memorized the placement Lin Yun had arranged. He took a deep breath, bent down, and placed the first plate in the position Lin Yun had specified.
On the sofa, Zhou's father and mother were eating heartily from their plates, staring at Tang Ning fiercely, as if every bite they took was not of the food, but of Tang Ning's flesh.
Tang Ning tried hard to ignore the discomfort caused by this gaze. He kept one foot on the ground and placed the other foot on the center of the plate.
Then Tangning placed the second plate, and the
Six plates were placed on the garbage pile. Tang Ning walked on the plates carefully because the plates were not placed on flat ground but at a certain angle, requiring Tang Ning to work hard to maintain his balance.
Especially when Tang Ning bent down to pick up the banknotes, his body's center of gravity shifted, making it even more difficult to maintain balance.
Lin Yun's nervous voice could be heard from behind: "Tangning! Be careful!"
Tang Ning raised his head suddenly and saw Zhou's father and mother holding up a plate and preparing to hit them.
These two NPCs tried to attack him like they attacked Xiao Mi, and they even took advantage of the moment when he lowered his head to launch a sneak attack. This is totally unethical!
Tang Ning then raised his porcelain doll and pointed the smiling Su Anyun at Zhou's father and mother. Zhou's father forced a smile on his face, and he brought the rice plate to his mouth to eat with a smile, while Zhou's mother pretended nothing had happened and started eating.
Tangning was more cautious than before when picking up the money. He was on guard against Zhou's father and mother as if he were a thief. With Lin Yun helping Tangning keep an eye on Zhou's father and mother, Tangning managed to pick up all the money without any danger. He took the stack of money to Zhou's father and said, "I have completed my mission."
While eating, Zhou's father seemed to have no interest in the money. He concentrated on eating, smacking his lips and making various noises. A second later, still with his head down eating noodles, Zhou's father suddenly took out the stack of money from Tang Ning's hand.
Father Zhou drew the money with great force, and Tang Ning almost lost his balance. He quickly reached out and held onto the corner of the table. Under Father Zhou's regretful gaze, Tang Ning managed to keep his balance.
Lin Yun, who was standing not far away, felt relieved after seeing Tang Ning stand firm.
Tangning watched as Father Zhou put the money into his pocket and continued to eat. He couldn't help but say, "I completed the mission. I agreed on the reward."
"Young people nowadays are obsessed with money. Even the smallest thing requires money. Look at all the food I give you for free. Do you think I should ask for a penny from you?!" Father Zhou shook his head in disappointment.
Zhou's mother echoed, "This table of food is for you as your reward."
Tangning stared at the two NPCs who refused to pay. His eloquence was not good enough for them. Tangning thought for a moment and said in a low but serious voice, "My family knows that I'm looking for a summer job to earn money. If you guys are lying and refuse to admit it, I'll call them right now."
The expressions of Zhou's father and mother froze instantly.
Tang Ning had a stern face. He had discovered that he could use the unspoken rules of the card world to play the game. As long as he grasped the strange logic and used it properly, he could achieve unexpected results.
For example, at this moment, Father Zhou reluctantly took out a bill from the pile of money and handed it to Tangning in a generous manner, "Uncle was just joking with you. Take it."
Tang Ning accepted the reward he deserved. He was afraid that he would lose his balance if he stood on the plates for too long, so he carefully picked up the basins on the ground one by one with every step he took. After collecting all the plates, Tang Ning left the garbage-strewn area next to the sofa and reunited with Lin Yun.
Everything was going according to plan, but now that they had the money, Tangning and Lin Yun realized they had no idea what to do with it. Tangning simply asked, "Uncle and auntie, give me the money. What can I do with it?"
Father Zhou looked at Tangning as if she was an idiot. He mocked her and asked, "You have to ask this?"
Although he laughed mockingly at first, when he mentioned money, his smile gradually became sincere: "Money is something you have to spend. It's the best thing in the world. It can buy food and clothes. There is nothing in the world that money can't buy. If you don't, it must be because you didn't give enough!"
He made a speech praising money and continued to feast on the delicious food.
What Zhou's father meant by this is that he can use this money to buy props at the Zhou family
Tang Ning looked at Xiao Mi who was curled up in the corner. Xiao Mi had regained some strength and was licking her hair weakly.
"How much will it cost to buy it?"
Hearing Tangning's sudden words, Father Zhou paused while eating. He sneered and glared at Tangning with his dark eyes, "With just one hundred dollars, you can't even buy a cat's hair!"
Xiao Mi raised his head and glanced at Tang Ning, then quickly lowered his head and continued to lick his paws.
Tang Ning pursed his lips tightly, feeling inexplicably sad. He put the hundred dollars into his pocket, but there were already several hundred-dollar bills in his pocket. These were given to him by his ex-mother and brother.
Somehow, Tang Ning took out a few bills and asked, "Can I buy something with this money?"
Father Zhou glanced at the money in Tangning's hand and said, "Sure."
What? It's actually possible?!
Tang Ning never expected that after spending so much time and energy, he would only get money in his pocket!
Hearing this, Lin Yun, who was standing guard at the door, could no longer stand. He took out a black card from his pocket and asked, "I have several million in this card. What can I buy from you?!"
Father Zhou glanced at Lin Yun's black card as if he was looking at some garbage, "I don't want this kind of thing."
Lin Yun thought that he couldn't pay by card, so he took out a stack of red bills from his wallet and said, "I'll pay in cash!"
As a result, Zhou's father sneered at Lin Yun's cash, as if no matter whether Lin Yun took out a black card or cash, it was no different from garbage to him.
Lin Yun frowned, obviously not understanding why the purchasing power of his money and Tang Ning's money was different.
Tang Ning had a bold guess in his mind. The money on him was all given by his brother and mother. His brother and mother were just like Zhou's father in this world, so their money had an effect.
"What's going on?" Lin Yun asked.
Tang Ning quickly typed and posted the news of her discovery to the group, not only informing Lin Yun, but also the players outside the group.
After he sent the message, he flipped through the group messages and saw many confessions of being unscrupulous. They were concerned because Tangning and Lin Yun had been in there for more than ten minutes.
Tangning scrolled back to the message interface and found that no one in the group chat had spoken for a while.
What happened? Is there no signal? Did the message not get sent
Tang Ning looked at the full signal bar and became even more confused.
In one second, a new message popped up.
Bai Wuliang: "Mr. Tang, those folk rumors are actually true, right? Do you really like to pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger?"
Tangning blinked in confusion.
Lu Yuhua: "The first day you came to visit my house, you got the key. I thought you were lucky. I apologize for my contempt."
Tangning looked at the direction with a confused look on his face. He quickly explained, "No, I was just a blind cat that met a dead mouse."
Jiang Mianmian: "Don't be modest. I haven't thanked you for Zeng Yishuang's family affairs this morning."
At that time, except for Tang Ning, every player who tried to leave was blocked by Zeng's mother. If it weren't for Tang Ning, they wouldn't have been able to escape so easily.
Tangning: “!!!”
Tangning quickly explained, "This is a coincidence! I never thought that this would happen! I must thank my family. They took extra care of me. My mom called Zhou Kang's parents and my brother even gave me some pocket money—"
When typing this, Tang Ning was stunned for a moment, and the scene from this morning suddenly appeared in his mind.
When Su Anyun sent him to the coffee shop, Tang Ning couldn't wait to leave on his bicycle, but Su Anyun suddenly stopped him.
What did Su Anyun say to him at that time
—"Pocket money, use it to treat friends to a meal."
Pocket money.
Take it to treat friends to a meal.
These words kept echoing in his ears. Tangning's typing hands stopped. His heart was beating wildly. A bold idea popped into his mind. Tangning turned his head like a stuck robot and looked at Zhou's father and mother who were eating frantically.
As he stared at her, both Zhou's parents sensed something was wrong. They narrowed their eyes sharply and looked back at Tang Ning unkindly.
"Uncle and aunt, can I use this money to buy food from you and treat my friends outside to a meal?"
Zhou's mother said like a grunting pig: "The food here is free, no need to buy."
"What if I really want to buy it?" Tangning asked again.
Father Zhou looked disdainful and said, "One hundred yuan is only enough to buy food like instant noodles. Are you sure you want to buy it?"
Lin Yun, who was standing by, was a little confused at first, but when he heard Tangning's words, his eyes suddenly widened.
“If I buy these foods for my friends, does that mean my friends have the right to dispose of them?”
Tangning asked more bluntly, "So they don't need to eat the food here. They can take it out or even throw it away directly?"
"It's not a good thing to waste food." Zhou's father avoided the question.
"You just have to answer me whether or not."
Father Zhou looked at Tang Ning solemnly. After a while, he nodded.
Tang Ning was stunned when she suddenly got a positive answer. She felt mixed emotions for a moment. In fact, when Su Anyun refused to answer questions about Zhou Kang's family situation today, Tang Ning understood that she was inevitably a little disappointed.
It was not until now that he realized that although Su Anyun was disgusted with him playing with these friends, he still gave him the solution and important props long ago.
It wasn't just the money. It also included the words "I love you, Mom" that Su Anyun had said to him. Even though it just sounded like a casual consolation from Su Anyun at the time, it kept coming to Tang Ning's mind, reminding him and somehow laying the foundation for Tang Ning to gain Zeng's mother's favor.
Tang Ning lowered her head, quietly looking at the porcelain doll in her hand. The doll was hugging Su Anyun, with scarlet lines on its face and a cold and deliberate smile. In the past, every time they looked at each other, Tang Ning felt inexplicably uneasy inside, but this time, Tang Ning was suddenly not so scared.
—"Have fun, I will always be with you."
Because Su Anyun asked him to carry it with him.
Because this is his prince.