Chapter 205: Gone – Daily Melon Eating at the Sickly Aunt’s Courtyard

Chapter 205: Gone - The Daily Life of the Frail Aunt in the Compound

"Lin Qing, Lin Qing, come out here!" Zhang Mei shouted loudly.

Lin Qing looked up from the stove, wondering what the commotion was about.

She shared a look with Cen Xi. What’s going on now?

"Let’s check it out!"

"Let’s go!" Cen Xi added water to the pot and covered it with a lid.

"Sis, what’s this about?" Lin Qing stood at the door, looking at them.

"You’re asking me? Don’t you know?"

"Know what?" Lin Qing found this person completely confused.

"Didn’t you cut Lin Shu’s pay?" Zhang Mei angrily accused.

Lin Qing let out a cold laugh and rolled her eyes. "Haha!"

"Sis, are you serious?"

Mother Jiang, standing behind them, was stunned to hear Zhang Mei's accusation against Lin Qing.

Although she didn’t work in the factory, she had heard some things about it from her husband and son.

The finance department handles salaries, but the amount depends on the workshop supervisor’s records of each worker’s performance. Similarly, other departments determine salaries based on the head’s evaluation of each worker’s performance. Moreover, there are strict rules about pay changes, making it impossible to falsify.

Was Zhang Mei just messing around?

Even Mother Su and Mother Gu, listening from the sidelines, thought Zhang Mei was being ridiculous.

"If it wasn’t you, why is Lin Shu’s salary just ten yuan?"

"Sis, what are you even saying? If I had that kind of power, would I still be a small clerk in the finance office?" Lin Qing was completely fed up.

"Why’s she getting paid so little? Lin Shu is a full-time worker! How can her salary be just ten yuan?" Zhang Mei was sure Lin Qing was behind it.

As the person responsible for verifying salaries, Lin Qing, of course, knew why Lin Shu’s salary was so low, but she didn’t want to spell it out.

"The factory has regulations on how salaries are determined and how much is paid. Why don’t you ask your daughter what she did to earn such a low salary?" Lin Qing turned the focus to Lin Shu.

Zhang Mei was defending Lin Shu, so how could the person involved not say a word?

"Lin Shu, speak up. Explain to your mother why your salary is so little," Lin Qing said, her eyes sharp, waiting for a response.

Zhang Mei also turned to Lin Shu, "Lin Shu?"

Mother Jiang was also waiting for an explanation! She had just found out that Lin Shu’s salary this month was just ten yuan!

"I..." Lin Shu’s face turned red. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she felt embarrassed and didn’t want to answer.

"Speak up!" Zhang Mei pressed impatiently.

Lin Qing crossed her arms, calmly observing her.

Lin Shu avoided Lin Qing’s gaze.

"What? You’re too scared to say it?" Lin Qing said coolly.

"I... I was late for work this month." Lin Shu dodged the question, saying something that didn’t really answer it.

Zhang Mei stared at her, "Are you for real?"

"Yeah." Lin Shu nodded.

Mother Jiang, however, did some quick math in her head. "That doesn’t add up! Didn’t you start working soon after you received your salary last month?"

After hearing this, Zhang Mei turned to Lin Shu again, "???"

Lin Shu, caught red-handed, had no choice but to come clean. "The payroll person said I didn’t work a full month and took time off, so I only got paid for one month."

"Time off? When did you take time off?" Zhang Mei didn’t understand. Even if she took leave for a day or two, it shouldn’t matter, how could it be like this?

Lin Shu shut her eyes, bracing herself for the fallout. "She said I took too much time off."

Lin Qing watched them with a smirk. "Spell it out, so your mom doesn’t blame me for no reason again."

"..." Zhang Mei was left speechless and embarrassed.

"I..."

Mother Jiang did the math again in her head. If Lin Shu hadn’t said it, she wouldn’t have realized Lin Shu had taken so much time off. Calculating it, it really was quite long—just the days she didn’t go to work added up to more than a week.

Mother Jiang, after doing the math, was furious. Ugh, if she’d known, she wouldn’t have let her take time off, wasting all that money—what a waste!

Half a month’s pay, that’s over ten bucks!

Mother Jiang was devastated.

Even though it was agreed before that this money wouldn’t be handed to her, she was still devastated.

Zhang Mei’s face went pale, then red—half from anger, half from embarrassment.

"Why didn’t you speak up sooner?" Zhang Mei said in shame and annoyance.

Without apologizing, she dragged Lin Shu back to her room.

"Sis, you’re just gonna leave like that?" Lin Qing didn’t expect them to bolt so fast and raised her voice, "After wronging me, don’t I deserve an apology?"

They took off so fast, who knows if they even heard her? They should have, right? The distance was so close, and her voice was pretty loud.

After shouting, Lin Qing looked at Mother Jiang, who hadn’t reacted yet. "Mother Jiang, why are you still here? Planning to apologize for your runaway daughter-in-law?"

"...Hmph!" Mother Jiang turned and left.

"Hmph! Still trying to pick a fight with me?"

Lin Qing turned to Cen Xi, tilting her head proudly. "See? I’m awesome, right?"

Cen Xi squeezed Lin Qing’s hand. "Amazing!" He gave her a thumbs-up.

The two returned to the kitchen.

Lin Qing complained to Cen Xi helplessly. "Isn’t my sister-in-law a riot? She actually thought I could decide the workers’ pay—she’s clueless!"

Cen Xi was also speechless. How out of touch must someone be to say something like that?

"She might be a bit off in the head."

"Hahaha!"

Lin Qing nodded with a smile, agreeing wholeheartedly, "Maybe! It's crazy how everything always circles back to me. Before, she used my name to ask Lin Shu for money, and now she thinks her daughter's low salary is because of me. It's just ridiculous."

"Alright, let's not waste time on someone so unreasonable. The braised pork is almost ready, let's enjoy our meal!" Let's not bother with such trivial people.

"Okay! Mmm~, it smells so good!" The delicious smell made Lin Qing forget all about Zhang Mei and the others.

Cen Xi smiled, watching Lin Qing get instantly distracted by the food.

...

"Why didn’t you speak up earlier? You embarrassed me in front of your aunt!" Zhang Mei grabbed Lin Shu’s arm tightly.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Lin Shu tried to pull away.

Zhang Mei realized she’d been too rough and let go.

Lin Shu winced and rubbed her arm.

"Why didn’t you speak up earlier?"

"I..." Lin Shu lowered her head, her eyes flickering, "I was going to, but you jumped in before I could."

"You..." Zhang Mei was fuming, breathing heavily.

After a while, Zhang Mei calmed down, "Fine, I’m done arguing. Just hand over ten yuan."

"I told you I don’t have it," Lin Shu snapped.

"Then where’s the money?" Zhang Mei demanded, glaring at her.