Chapter 124: Auntie’s Dilemma

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“Fool~ Who... who said you did it on purpose?”

After learning the truth, Lin Yuru’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment, and she dared not meet Zeng Xiaofan’s eyes.

“Then what are you saying?”

Zeng Xiaofan glanced at the steamed bun in Lin Yuru’s hand and stammered, “You... you really wanted to treat me to a steamed bun?”

Only then did Lin Yuru realize that she was still clutching the bun tightly. She quickly gave an awkward smile and shoved it into Zeng Xiaofan’s hands.

“Ahem... eat it.”

“This time, I really am treating you to a steamed bun...”

Her face had reddened almost to the point of bleeding. After handing him the bun, Lin Yuru lowered her head and stared at her feet, speaking softly.

“Since everything has been laid bare...”

“Auntie... Auntie only has one favor to ask of you.”

“Could you promise me that what you saw that day will never be told to anyone?”

“If you tell anyone, Auntie... Auntie won’t be able to go on living!”

Overcome with emotion, Lin Yuru began to kneel before Zeng Xiaofan.

He hurriedly reached out to support her, but in his haste, his hand went too far and accidentally brushed against her collarbone. Lin Yuru let out a soft hum and instinctively looked up at him.

Knowing that he had not done it intentionally, neither of them said a word.

After a brief pause, Zeng Xiaofan quickly spoke.

“Auntie, you don’t have to do this...”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take this secret to my grave. I guarantee I won’t tell anyone...”

Only then did Lin Yuru raise her head and give him a shy, reproachful glance before nodding.

“With your word, I feel reassured...”

“To tell you the truth, after it happened, I couldn’t sleep at all...”

Zeng Xiaofan was so embarrassed that he had no idea how to respond. He merely took a bite of the steamed bun and stammered, “Auntie, your... your buns are really delicious...”

“Huh?”

Lin Yuru tilted her head, her eyes fixed on him.

“Ahem... no... that’s not what I meant...”

“No... I mean, that isn’t what I meant either. I... I was really talking about what you made. It’s quite delicious...”

“...Uh... What am I even saying?”

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“Auntie, believe me, I’m really only talking about the food!”

Zeng Xiaofan had meant to ease the awkwardness, but the moment he opened his mouth, he only made matters worse. He was so mortified that he wished he could knock himself unconscious.

Fortunately, Lin Yuru did not dwell on it. She merely burst out laughing.

“I know... You silly boy, you’re so honest!”

“Auntie knows you’re not that kind of person...”

“You’re not some filthy-minded lecher...”

“Mm-hmm.” Zeng Xiaofan nodded. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now...”

“Wait!”

Lin Yuru hurriedly grabbed his arm. At the moment of contact, they both felt a strange sensation.

She immediately let go and tucked the hair from her forehead behind her ear, lowering her head as she said, “There’s something else I need to discuss with you...”

“Well, aren’t you planning to start an agricultural company?”

“That must be very profitable, right?”

Zeng Xiaofan nodded. “Leaving everything else aside, it should certainly be better than working for someone else.”

“Xiaofan, you’re being too modest!”

“I heard you even drove home in a car worth more than a million!”

“And didn’t you say in front of everyone today that you’d signed a contract worth over a million?”

“You’re definitely going to make a fortune in the future. I knew you were destined for great things when you were little...”

As she spoke, Lin Yuru gazed at him with undisguised admiration, making Zeng Xiaofan feel even more self-conscious.

“Heh... Really? Auntie, saying you knew I’d amount to something since I was little is a bit of an exaggeration, isn’t it?”

“You’re only a few years older than me...”

“Only a few years? You’re barely in your twenties, while I’m already in my thirties or forties.”

“When I first married into your village, you were still a little brat!”

“I’ve even seen you bathing naked in the river!”

“Uh... heh...” Zeng Xiaofan could only give an awkward laugh.

Lin Yuru sighed wistfully as she spoke. “Ah, time really flies!”

“In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown this big!”

“Uh... I’m... I’m not that big...” Zeng Xiaofan muttered, scratching his head with increasing embarrassment.

Lin Yuru froze for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

“I’m talking about your age! What on earth are you thinking about?”

“Ahem... I was talking about age too. Heh...”

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“Tch~”

“Now, let’s talk business. Since this venture is so profitable, you can’t forget about Auntie!”

“Let Auntie buy a share too, all right? To be honest, I’m desperately short of money right now...”

“Really... I’m truly desperate for money...”

Without waiting for Zeng Xiaofan’s reply, Lin Yuru took twenty thousand yuan from the drawer and placed it before him. She spoke solemnly.

“Auntie has no other savings left. Take these twenty thousand for now and let me buy a share. I can invest more later, once I have money again. Is that all right?”

The moment Zeng Xiaofan saw the money, he was reminded of what had happened in the orchard that day. His brows tightened slightly.

“Auntie... Is this money from that day... that...”

Lin Yuru’s pretty face flushed. She lowered her head and spoke reproachfully.

“You already know... Why are you asking?”

Zeng Xiaofan felt uncomfortable. He knew that Auntie Yuru had always been an upright person. Yet for the sake of a mere twenty thousand yuan, she had sold herself...

Clearly, she must truly have encountered serious difficulties, and this twenty thousand yuan was undoubtedly extremely important to her.

Thinking of this, Zeng Xiaofan shook his head and said firmly, “No, Auntie. I can’t accept this money!”

“Take it back!”

As he spoke, he pushed the money back into Lin Yuru’s hands. In the process, their hands touched again, and both their bodies trembled slightly.

Lin Yuru, however, assumed that Zeng Xiaofan simply did not want her to invest. Panic immediately seized her heart.

“Xiaofan, what... what do you mean by that?”

Her eyes remained fixed on him. Suddenly, they reddened slightly.

“I understand now... You... you think this twenty thousand yuan of Auntie’s is dirty, don’t you?”

“I know. After what Auntie did, you look down on me from the bottom of your heart...”

“But I truly had no other choice! To tell you the truth, my younger sister from my mother’s family has come down with a strange illness...”

“We’ve taken her to every hospital, but nothing has helped. They all say she’ll have to be sent to a psychiatric institution...”

“She’s my only sister. We’ve been close since childhood, and I simply couldn’t bear to watch her end up like that. So I gave her all my savings for treatment.”

“But her condition still hasn’t improved. The man in my family works away from home, but he doesn’t earn much. He can barely cover our own expenses, so how could he possibly have money to help my family?”

“I truly had no choice. That’s why I agreed to that beast, Xie Jian...”