They weren't pretending to be ignorant; they genuinely didn't understand.
Meng Yuan didn't have many belongings to begin with. When she went to support Xinjiang years ago, she took almost everything she could with her.
The only thing left was a door plank she used to sleep on at night. Later, because it took up too much space, Hao Chunlai chopped it up for firewood not long after Meng Yuan left.
So now, hearing her say she had come to retrieve her things,
Qi Fang and Hao Chunlai were naturally utterly confused.
Huo Zhankai was still waiting outside the residential compound. In the dead of winter, Meng Yuan didn't want to waste time here.
She got straight to the point: "To get the money."
"Get what money?" the couple asked in unison.
Meng Yuan glanced at the pair of them, her gaze finally settling on her stepfather, Hao Chunlai.
"Back when I went to support Xinjiang, the authorities provided a three hundred and twenty yuan settlement allowance according to regulations. You collected that money on my behalf using the household register, and you said you would keep it safe for me."
"Now that I'm returning to Capital City to settle down, shouldn't that money be returned to its rightful owner?"
Upon hearing this, Hao Chunlai's smile instantly froze on his face.
It was true that he had handled Meng Yuan's application for the Xinjiang support assignment back then, including collecting that settlement allowance.
However, this matter wouldn't sound good if it got out.
It would also tarnish the image of the 'good old Hao' he had painstakingly cultivated over the years.
Therefore, to outsiders, and even to Meng Yuan herself, he had maintained the same story: the family would keep the money for Meng Yuan for now, and when she got married later, she could take it all, principal plus interest, as her dowry.
But Hao Chunlai never dreamed that after all these years of absence, Meng Yuan's first act upon returning was to demand the money from him!
"Well..." He instinctively looked at Qi Fang.
But Qi Fang acted as if nothing was wrong, turning to go pour water in the kitchen, completely ignoring his cue.
It wasn't that she didn't see the look he gave her.
Frankly, if this had happened in the past, she would have immediately started scolding Meng Yuan.
But times were different now. Over the past few years, she and Hao Chunlai had been arguing constantly over family matters.
Small quarrels every few days, big fights every five days.
The affection between this second marriage couple had long been worn away by these trivial conflicts.
She couldn't be bothered to get involved in such a thankless task.
Moreover, her thoughts ran deeper.
Meng Yuan had married well. Her son-in-law was an army officer with a monthly salary of over a hundred yuan.
The Lu family, who had adopted her son-in-law, was also quite well-off. He was their only child, and both the old couple had pensions.
She had heard that her son-in-law's biological parents were even more impressive, high-ranking officials in Capital City with significant influence.
The kind who could make the city tremble with a stamp of their foot.
A few hundred yuan was truly nothing to Meng Yuan.
She figured Meng Yuan's visit today to ask for the money was probably just to assert herself over what happened back then.
It wasn't just Meng Yuan who held a grudge about this; in fact, Qi Fang herself felt somewhat resentful.
When that settlement allowance was first collected, she and Hao Chunlai had agreed to split it fifty-fifty, and he had nodded in agreement.
But Hao Chunlai had turned around and, behind her back, used the money for his eldest son's wedding.
Now, if she could help squeeze this money out of Hao Chunlai's hands, Qi Fang was naturally all for it.
Of course, she didn't actually intend to let Meng Yuan take the money away.
Her youngest son happened to need a bicycle. With this money, they could buy him one come spring, making his commute to work easier.
As for whether Meng Yuan would give it or not, Qi Fang didn't even consider it.
After all, Meng Yuan came from her own womb. If she, as the mother, asked for it, could Meng Yuan possibly refuse?
Thinking this, Qi Fang, for once, unexpectedly chimed in, addressing Hao Chunlai,
"That's right, Old Hao, you've been keeping this money for Yuanyuan all these years. Now that Yuanyuan is finally back, hurry up and give it to her!"
As she spoke, she even offered Meng Yuan an ingratiating smile.
Meng Yuan didn't respond, maintaining the same indifferent expression as before.
It was Hao Chunlai who, faced with Qi Fang's sudden betrayal, stared at her in disbelief.
Was this woman insane?
Over three hundred yuan! That was more than a year's salary for him! Give it? No way!
Once meat is in your mouth, you don't spit it out!
Seething inside, he put on his usual 'good guy' tone.
“Yuanyuan, it's not that Uncle Hao doesn't want to give it to you, it's just that... sigh, you don't know, the factory's performance hasn't been good these past few years. Our wage grades haven't changed in ages.”
"It's just a fixed salary of a little over thirty yuan a month. Feeding and housing this whole family, we've been living hand-to-mouth."
"I really don't have that much money on hand right now!"
"There's no point in saying all that."
Meng Yuan said, "Before coming here, I already went to the factory office. Your basic monthly salary is 36 yuan and 50 cents now, which adds up to over four hundred a year. This amount is nothing to you."
"Besides, aren't there Guoli and Guohua? They both have formal jobs. The money shouldn't be hard to scrape together."
Guoli and Guohua were Hao Chunlai's two sons from his previous marriage.
As if remembering something, Meng Yuan added, "I recall Guoli got his job by taking over my assigned position. So, you need to compensate me for that money as well."
Seeing Meng Yuan talk about nothing but money since she walked in,
and now dragging his two sons into it, Hao Chunlai's face darkened instantly. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
Meng Yuan said, "I told you, I'm just taking back what's rightfully mine!"
Hearing her tone, Hao Chunlai knew there was no room for negotiation.
"I can try to scrape together that three hundred and twenty yuan for you, but don't even think about money for the job!"
"Back then, you were just a temporary worker. Guoli became a permanent employee through his own efforts; it has nothing to do with you."
"Through his own efforts?" Meng Yuan laughed outright. "If it was through his own efforts, how come he couldn't even pass the exam for the temporary position?"
"If you hadn't pulled strings and bribed Section Chief Zhang from the Labor and Wages Department, he wouldn't even have gotten his foot in the factory door. Where would he have gotten the chance for a permanent position?"
Hao Chunlai's face changed dramatically upon hearing this.
He hadn't even told Qi Fang about going through Section Chief Zhang for backdoor favors.
How did this girl know...
Meng Yuan clearly had no intention of explaining. "You signed me up for the Xinjiang support, took my settlement allowance, then turned around and took my temporary job slot. Your one-stone-two-birds scheme was really slick!"
She was tired of wasting words on them. "The settlement allowance and the money for buying the job, principal plus interest, must be given to me today!"
Hao Chunlai stared at her with a dark gaze. "And what if I just refuse?"
"I'm informing you, not negotiating."
Meng Yuan had come fully prepared.
She said calmly, "I heard that because the motor factory's performance is poor, after the Lunar New Year, they'll be transferring a group of people to support third-line construction."
"If I go to the factory now to report you for maliciously embezzling a support-Xinjiang settlement allowance, and for deliberately bribing a state cadre to buy a job slot for your son,"
"do you think your name, Hao Chunlai, might appear on the next list for third-line construction support?"
"You!" Hao Chunlai's chest heaved violently with rage.
A threat. This was nothing short of a blatant threat!
"And," Meng Yuan continued, utterly disregarding his state, "I've also heard that the staff housing compound at Guohua's workplace is almost finished. He's been waiting for this housing allocation for so many years."
"If these old, dusty matters end up affecting his eligibility for an apartment, do you think he and his wife would come to resent their father for it?"
"How dare you!" His two sons were Hao Chunlai's lifeline. He had gone to great lengths to pave their way, securing them stable government jobs.
At this critical juncture, not even the slightest mishap could be allowed.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yuan merely let out a cold laugh.
Seven years ago, aside from having no power to resist, she had been more overwhelmed by a despair deeper than heartbreak.
When even her own mother wouldn't stand up for her, what was the point of stubbornly staying?
But now, she had a husband who loved and protected her, and a mother-in-law who doted on her as her own daughter.
In fact, she had two such mothers-in-law!
On top of that, she had sisters-in-law who genuinely cared for her and helped her strategize.
"What wouldn't I dare to do?"
After saying this, Meng Yuan glanced at the time. "You have only three minutes to think it over. When the time is up, I will do exactly as I said!"
Three minutes was very short.
So short that before the two of them could even ease the tense, confrontational atmosphere, the time was up.
Without another word, Meng Yuan turned and walked away.
