Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Tang Zhenzhen had been eagerly awaiting the postal worker's arrival with the remittance slip, but when she saw the amount, she almost fainted on the spot, her hand trembling as she held the slip.

She wanted to tear the remittance slip into pieces right there and then—just one hundred yuan! It was like giving alms to a beggar!

Tang Zhenzhen's face twisted in anger, her eyes wide as she kept looking at the amount, hoping it was just a mistake.

Unfortunately, no miracle occurred—the number on the remittance slip remained one hundred yuan.

For people nowadays, one hundred yuan was actually not a small sum; it was several months' wages for many ordinary workers and a substantial amount for many farmers.

But for Tang Zhenzhen, this one hundred yuan felt like a mockery.

She never imagined that Tang Jixue could be so stingy. After being siblings for so many years, their bond seemed to be worth only this much!

Tang Jixue was portrayed as a very generous person in the original text, always spending lavishly on his family and friends.

He was depicted as a man of honor and integrity, even more generous after becoming wealthy, always ready to help those in need.

Moreover, he preferred to teach people how to fish, investing in them so they could start their own businesses.

In the original text, he doted on his sister, the protagonist, showering her with all kinds of good things.

Despite the previous unpleasantness between them, it hadn't reached the point of a complete falling out.

After so much time, given Tang Jixue's temperament, he should have forgiven her if she said a few soft words.

Even if he still felt uncomfortable, knowing his sister was in dire straits, he shouldn't be so cold.

Why was everything completely different now?!

It wasn't as if she was asking for money for free; she would definitely pay it back once her business took off.

One hundred yuan—what could she do with that?!

Tang Zhenzhen wanted to tear the remittance slip to shreds but couldn't bring herself to do it. She felt so agitated that she wanted to smash something.

When she turned to look around the house, she realized it was empty.

"Cao Chunhua!"

Tang Zhenzhen shouted, but there was no response.

Cao Chunhua was a nanny hired by Mu Weidong from his hometown. Tang Zhenzhen couldn't handle the twins on her own, and when Zhao Dahua came to help, she ended up making things worse.

Tang Zhenzhen followed Zhao Dahua's advice and invested all her savings in a pyramid scheme, which collapsed within days.

She managed to recover only a small portion of her investment, but had to compensate others because she had involved other military wives, which led to trouble for Mu Weidong as well.

Thinking about it made Tang Zhenzhen furious. Those people had willingly invested with her, yet blamed her entirely for their losses.

Investments carry risks; there is no such thing as a guaranteed profit.

Tang Zhenzhen forgot that she had promised others quick returns to raise funds quickly.

Initially, she did make a profit and planned to withdraw, knowing such investments were unreliable. Such scams were common in later times.

However, the high interest rates blinded her, making her believe she was experienced enough to avoid getting caught in such a scam. She thought it wouldn't collapse so soon and waited another two days.

This delay led to her downfall.

Mu Weidong looked at her with disdain, and their relationship hit rock bottom.

Zhao Dahua was also dismissed by Mu Weidong, replaced by a distant relative from his hometown to take care of the children.

This person was not the current Cao Chunhua but the sister-in-law who helped the protagonist in the original story.

She was known for her fiery personality and exceptional skills, both a great helper in daily life and a capable bodyguard due to her strength.

Tang Zhenzhen had been waiting for her to come and help, initially bringing in Zhao Dahua as a temporary solution.

Learning that the helper would arrive sooner, Tang Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she would finally be free.

Zhao Dahua was lazy and greedy, always trying to siphon off resources for her own benefit, inflating expenses threefold.

Her hygiene habits were poor; she would rub dough without washing her hands after wiping her nose, and despite being corrected, she continued to repeat her mistakes.

If not for the lack of help, Tang Zhenzhen would have kicked Zhao Dahua out long ago.

Unexpectedly, the helper from the book was nothing like described—she was skilled but had a terrible temper, often arguing with Tang Zhenzhen.

Even fetching a glass of water turned into a tirade, and she never brought the water.

While patient with the children, she seemed to clash with Tang Zhenzhen, eventually leaving in frustration.

Before leaving, she complained to Mu Weidong, saying he married a troublesome wife who was lazy, greedy, and demanding, treating her like a slave.

This led to another argument between Mu Weidong and Tang Zhenzhen, who felt extremely wronged, wondering why her supposedly devoted husband would side with an outsider.

Now, Tang Zhenzhen was also dissatisfied with Cao Chunhua, who fell far short of the helper in the original text.

Cao Chunhua only helped with the twins, leaving many other tasks to Tang Zhenzhen.

This was Mu Weidong's requirement, as Tang Zhenzhen had previously neglected the children, unaware of their illnesses until a neighbor's child found them burning up with fever.

Similar incidents happened repeatedly: the twins falling into ditches or struggling to get water, nearly scalding themselves with hot water, causing Mu Weidong to lose trust in Tang Zhenzhen.

The twins also despised this stepmother, and Tang Zhenzhen would cause a commotion whenever she approached them.

Although Mu Weidong was frustrated, feeling that a woman who couldn't even take care of children was inadequate, he still sympathized with Tang Zhenzhen's youth and inexperience, as it was her first time being a mother.

Thus, he agreed to have Zhao Dahua come over, but unexpectedly, this led to another issue, affecting his career prospects.

A cousin from his hometown offered to help, and Mu Weidong was very grateful. He never expected that she would clash completely with Tang Zhenzhen, harboring significant resentment. She felt treated like a slave, with Tang Zhenzhen throwing her undergarments to wash and changing clothes several times a day, clearly doing so out of spite. Eventually, she left in frustration.

So they invited Cao Chunhua, making it clear from the start that she was only responsible for taking care of the children and nothing else.

Unlike the previous helper, Cao Chunhua was more tactful and had been warned by her predecessor.

Therefore, whenever she saw Tang Zhenzhen's expression turn sour, she would immediately take the children and slip away, refusing to be a punching bag.

Tang Zhenzhen, unable to find anyone, grew even angrier, feeling her authority was being challenged.

The twins now adored Cao Chunhua but treated Tang Zhenzhen as an enemy. She couldn't understand why, despite frequently buying them candy.

Could giving candy to such young children really pacify them? Other children on the island liked her because of the candy and smiled sweetly at her.

But the twins were particularly difficult. At first, Tang Zhenzhen could remind herself to be patient, knowing that the twins would be successful in the future and that she needed to build a good relationship with them.

Moreover, according to the original story, if one gained the twins' approval, they would become angelic, even making Mu Weidong jealous.

However, the children were truly unbearable. The book depicted their cute moments, but their mischievous behavior was far from charming in reality. They were even more frustrating than the unruly kids seen in videos.

Eventually, Tang Zhenzhen lost control and lashed out at the twins, leading to a relationship that became irreparable.

Furthermore, Cao Chunhua, though seemingly honest, was actually sly, causing the children to distance themselves even further.

Now, Tang Zhenzhen dared not do anything to Cao Chunhua, as Mu Weidong had already warned her that if Cao Chunhua left, he would hold her accountable.

Due to the incident with the fundraising event, Mu Weidong no longer fully trusted her. He gave the money for groceries to Cao Chunhua, and Tang Zhenzhen had to ask Mu Weidong for any additional expenses.

Mu Weidong, who previously never cared about small amounts, now questioned her every request and scolded her for constantly buying things.

This situation deeply displeased Tang Zhenzhen, who was used to having a generous allowance. However, without a job—she had given up her assigned work due to disliking the fixed schedule and low pay—she had no choice but to rely on Mu Weidong.

As a result, Tang Zhenzhen had no income and had to depend on him entirely.

Sometimes, during arguments, she lacked the courage to leave home.

Her adoptive parents had completely stopped caring about her, while her biological parents came to rely on her, living in a small county outside the military zone, always trying to benefit from her.

If she ran to her biological parents, they would eagerly send her back and force her to apologize to Mu Weidong.

Tang Zhenzhen considered running elsewhere, but the current situation was chaotic, and travel wasn't as convenient as it would be later. Thus, she had to endure temporarily.

This was also why she started reconnecting with her adoptive parents, although they were clearly distant and indifferent, with Tang Jianguo ignoring her outright.

Tang Zhenzhen didn't mind; what mattered most to her was Tang Jixue.

Tang Jiquan, though an excellent worker, had limited earnings.

He was married, and since Su Rong was unsatisfied with his wife, the family provided little support, leaving him with little money.

Tang Jidong was even more unpredictable, pursuing further studies in history after his master's degree, leaving him a poor student.

Tang Jixue, however, was thriving in business. Although he went south to study, his business continued to flourish, leveraging the advantages there.

Tang Zhenzhen put considerable effort into mending their relationship, adopting a humble tone in her letters and describing her current predicament, which did elicit sympathy from Tang Jixue.

Just when she thought the timing was right, she expressed her desire to go into business, hinting at her lack of capital. Though not explicitly asking for money, it was enough to prompt Tang Jixue to offer some assistance.

However, when he did give her money, it was only one hundred yuan!