Beaten

Having bought a pile of clothes, Jiang Han Yan returned with a bountiful harvest. The new clothes were all hung on Lu Chen, even around his neck, large and small bags, from a distance, only bags could be seen, not his head.

"Do you want to buy anything else?" Lu Chen twisted his neck, feeling a little sore.

One bag didn't weigh much, but a dozen bags hanging on him had a considerable weight.

"Can't carry it anymore?" Jiang Han Yan deliberately asked.

Lu Chen immediately straightened his back, standing ramrod straight, and said expressionlessly, "This is all? Keep buying!"

A man absolutely cannot admit he can't do it!

"Let's go home. If you buy more, your neck will break!"

Jiang Han Yan gave him a playful, annoyed glance. Before, he wouldn't spend a single cent, complaining even about the price of an egg. Now, he was incredibly generous. Could it be that his debts were paid off, and he was starting to get carried away?

However, she didn't care. One had to know how to earn money to know how to spend it. Lu Chen was spending money he earned himself; she didn't need to manage too much.

"Not buying anymore?" Lu Chen asked.

"We'll buy more when we get to Hu Cheng; the styles here aren't pretty." Jiang Han Yan shook her head.

Small counties were ultimately more backward; there were no fashionable styles. She would buy a few more beautiful outfits when they got to Hu Cheng. For now, a few temporary ones would do.

Lu Chen felt relieved, finally done with shopping.

Dou Dou also breathed a sigh of relief; Aunt Jiang had finally finished shopping.

Women shopping was truly terrifying!

The two men, one big and one small, shared the same sentiment at this moment.

Lu Chen's car was parked by the roadside. He stacked the large and small bags onto the car, tying them securely with rope. Jiang Han Yan first placed Dou Dou in the middle, then she climbed on, and the car sped away.

Bai Hai Tang walked out of a store, watching the motorcycle gradually disappear into the distance, her eyes growing dimmer. Buying so many things must have cost a lot of money, right?

She had originally wanted to say hello, but thinking of Jiang Han Yan's sharp tongue and Lu Chen's coldness, she lost her courage. She even hid inside the store, only daring to come out after they had left.

"Are you buying this dress?" The shop owner came over, holding a light blue dress, her attitude a little impatient.

Bai Hai Tang had tried on several outfits, all looking quite good, but after asking the price, she didn't buy any. If it weren't for Bai Hai Tang being well-dressed, not looking like a poor person, the owner would have long since darkened her face.

"One hundred twenty yuan is too expensive; can you lower the price a bit?" Bai Hai Tang asked timidly.

She really liked this dress; it looked beautiful on her. Moreover, she hadn't bought any new clothes this summer, only wearing old ones from before. Today, she went to see the new house and decided to browse the clothing store as well.

"One hundred twenty yuan is already a friendly price. If you didn't look so good in it, I wouldn't even sell it. You won't find a second dress like this in all of Fu Cheng; this is imported from Hangzhou. I don't even make much profit. Feel the fabric, look at the style—it's the latest this year, and it's an international brand, not some cheap stuff."

The shop owner talked glibly, and Bai Hai Tang was increasingly tempted. She really liked this dress; buying one wouldn't hurt, would it?

"One hundred yuan, I'll buy it!"

Bai Hai Tang gritted her teeth, cutting off the odd amount.

The shop owner talked on and on, but Bai Hai Tang refused to raise the price. Finally, the deal was done for one hundred yuan. After she left with the new dress, the shop owner snorted triumphantly, "Fool!"

The dress cost fifteen yuan to import, five yuan for shipping, making a whopping eighty yuan profit. If only there were a few more customers like this.

Back home, Bai Hai Tang changed into the new dress and admired herself in the mirror, finding it more beautiful the more she looked. Although a bit expensive, the effect of wearing it was truly good.

Tang Zhi Hua returned home, his face tired and ashen, lacking his usual demeanor. This period had been very difficult for him at school. During meetings, the principal had called him out and criticized him many times.

Those things aside, but today at the meeting, the principal announced the list of teachers to be sent to support rural education, and his name was on the list. The destination was an extremely poor mountainous region. He had been there before; power outages every few days, mosquitoes bigger than spiders, poisonous insects and wild beasts visible at any time—it was simply not a place for humans to live.

And they wanted him to go teach in that godforsaken place for a year? Tang Zhi Hua was completely stunned. He couldn't even stand a month, let alone a year.

After the meeting, he went to beg the principal, but the principal only said something cryptic: "Just do well. Only by enduring hardship within hardship can one rise above others. Teacher Tang, I have high hopes for you!"

Hopes my ass. Going to that godforsaken place for a year, whether he could even survive and return was a question.

But if he didn't go to support rural education, it would be a violation of superior directives, and he would lose his job. Tang Zhi Hua returned home in a depressed mood. In just half a year, he had transformed from an enthusiastic education director into an unlucky person forced to teach in the mountains.

It was all Lu Chen's fault!

Tang Zhi Hua gritted his teeth. Besides Lu Chen, he couldn't think of anyone else. This brat hated him, and now that he was successful, he started seeking revenge.

Damn it!

"Old Tang, you're back!"

Bai Hai Tang glided out like a butterfly, solicitously taking his briefcase. Her beautiful face and graceful figure made Tang Zhi Hua's eyes brighten slightly. He forced a smile and said, "That dress looks quite nice today."

"Nice, right? I just bought it." Bai Hai Tang smiled even more beautifully. She dressed up precisely to please Tang Zhi Hua.

"How much?"

Tang Zhi Hua unconsciously asked.

"One hundred yuan. They said it's the latest style, and the fabric is very good." Bai Hai Tang hesitated a moment before stating the price.

Tang Zhi Hua's face immediately darkened, and the beautiful dress also became hateful. His monthly salary was only eight hundred yuan; spending one-eighth of his salary on a dress, did she think this house was a bank?

Sensing his displeasure, Bai Hai Tang timidly explained, "I haven't bought any new clothes this year; this is the only one."

"You have enough clothes already; your closet can't even fit any more. Why buy so many clothes? The house is currently under construction, Xue Hai still needs to go to college; money is needed everywhere. Can you be a little more understanding?"

The more Tang Zhi Hua spoke, the more annoyed he became. If Bai Hai Tang hadn't been so tactless, why would he have fallen out with Lu Chen?

If Bai Hai Tang had been a little smarter, a little more understanding, and built a good relationship with Lu Chen, why would he be sent to the mountains to suffer?

This woman, besides a pretty face, was truly useless.

Tang Zhi Hua's heart suddenly tightened. This thought, once it appeared, swelled like a sponge soaked in water, gradually occupying his mind. His mind was filled with Bai Hai Tang's uselessness; even Bai Hai Tang's beautiful face became hateful, that smile was truly detestable!

"Stop smiling!"

Tang Zhi Hua roared, delivering a slap. Her smile annoyed him immensely. Spending so much money and still having the nerve to smile, truly too tactless!

Bai Hai Tang incredulously covered her face, tears streaming down. She asked tremblingly, "You... you hit me? I just bought a dress, and you hit me?"

"I... I didn't mean to. I've been very troubled lately."

Tang Zhi Hua calmed down, feeling a little guilty. Bai Hai Tang was someone he genuinely liked, and he had actively pursued her. He really shouldn't have laid a hand on her.

"How am I tactless? I just bought a dress, only one hundred yuan. You used to say you'd treat me well. Today, I saw Jiang Han Yan and Xiao Chen shopping; they bought so many clothes, and I didn't even dare to talk to them. I'm living a life worse than death now; even my own son doesn't care about me. Isn't it all because of you?"

Bai Hai Tang felt extremely wronged. If she had stayed in the old house, perhaps today she could have bought many clothes too, her closet filled with the latest styles.