Chapter 354: Stingy and Opportunistic

Chapter 354: Cheapskate Who Loves Cutting Corners

Ye Yijia's full-moon celebration had four tables in total.

The guest list wasn't long—just family and close friends.

These days, giving money at a full-moon celebration isn’t customary; bringing one or two small gifts is considered proper.

The celebration was mainly for good fortune, and Shen Qiuyu didn’t want to overwhelm the baby. Fewer people made things easier.

During dinner, Ye Xiaoxiao couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhang Yuexia was glaring at her.

She barely knew the woman, so this unwarranted hostility could only come from one thing.

When she noticed Zhang Yuexia looking her way again, Ye Xiaoxiao finally asked when their eyes met: "Yuexia Jie, do I have something on my face? Why keep staring at me?"

Everyone turned to look at Zhang Yuexia.

"No... Xiaoxiao, did you find the inn I took you to unsatisfactory?" Zhang Yuexia blurted out the question directly.

"Sister-in-law, we’re in the middle of dinner. Can we talk about this later?" Shen Qiuyu tried to steer the conversation away, but Zhang Yuexia ignored her.

Before dinner started, Zhang Yuexia had already returned every last penny she’d borrowed from Shen Qiuyu.

Except for the cost of booking the inn, she gave back all the remaining money.

Maybe she was bitter over going through all that trouble without gaining anything.

And since Ye Xiaoxiao seemed easygoing, she wanted to confront her directly and make her squirm.

"Since we’re family, I’m just asking casually. If you weren’t unhappy with it, why did you find another hotel without even staying one night?

Was it the room you didn’t like—or me?

I remember when I dropped you off, you didn’t say anything then."

Zhang Yuexia’s tone was turning sharp.

Others at the table weren’t blind either. Except for the younger cousin Zhang Qiang, everyone else could tell Zhang Yuexia was picking a fight.

Even Ye Changan looked over. Though they were all relatives, his sister came first.

He could tolerate Zhang Yuexia’s nickel-and-diming, but if she dared bully Xiaoxiao, he wouldn’t let it slide.

But Ye Xiaoxiao had nothing to feel guilty about and didn’t react the way others might expect.

She simply kept eating calmly. "The inn wasn’t the worst—I’ve just never stayed in a place like that before. Maybe the cleaning wasn’t done properly when we arrived."

Her words spared Zhang Yuexia’s feelings.

In reality, the room was a dump.

Duan Hong, Ye Xiaoxiao’s friend, was also seated at the same table.

"Yuexia Jie, don’t misunderstand. We weren’t targeting you—it was truly a complete mess. Even during missions in remote border areas, I’ve never had it that bad."

"Before we left, Regiment Commander Lu kept reminding me to take good care of Xiao Xiao. I couldn’t possibly have her stay somewhere unsafe—switching hotels was my idea."

After Duan Hong said that, Zhang Yuexia fell silent.

Shen Zhibang also stepped on her foot under the table, warning her not to speak out of turn.

"Well, maybe the hotel owner didn’t clean properly since we’d already booked the room. Too bad about the non-refund, though."

Zhang Yuexia was still hung up on those thirty bucks.

The others ignored her, except for Shen’s mother, who said, "If it wasn’t refunded, so be it. As long as you stayed comfortably, that’s what matters."

She had just found out Xiao Xiao hadn’t stayed in the room Zhang Yuexia booked.

It was obvious—her daughter-in-law’s old issue must’ve flared up again. Not Xiao Xiao’s fault.

With that from the elder, the topic was dropped.

After that, the meal went on without a hitch.

Later, Duan Hong whispered to Ye Xiaoxiao:

"If I didn’t want to ruin your niece’s full-month celebration, I probably would’ve punched Zhang Yuexia just now—"

Just to show her how pissed I really was.

Ye Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. "We’re outta here tomorrow—why make waves?"

Shen Qiuyu was really sorry for her sister-in-law’s behavior and apologized to Ye Xiaoxiao afterward.

Since it wasn’t her fault in the first place, Ye Xiaoxiao told her not to sweat it.

She added casually, "Shen Qiang might be ADHD. If you can, get him checked out at the hospital."

Originally, she could’ve helped correct it, but given Zhang Yuexia’s attitude, she dropped it.

Zhang Yuexia probably wouldn’t believe her son had any issues and would just call her a rumor-monger.

If Shen Qiuyu found it convenient, she could mention it tactfully.

After all, as her own brother’s son, Shen Qiuyu cared deeply.

"ADHD? How bad is it?"

Ye Xiaoxiao explained, "ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, commonly seen in adolescents. It mainly shows up as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive emotions. Without treatment, it can last into adulthood."

"Plus, Shen Qiang is still young—a make-or-break time for his schooling. Without early intervention, it could really set him back."

Shen Qiuyu asked carefully, "Then how do they treat it?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "First, get him checked at the hospital. If it really is ADHD, he’ll need both therapy and medication."

Shen Qiuyu made a mental note. Even though she’d just argued with Zhang Yuexia the other day, when it came to the child, she wouldn’t hold a grudge.

"Thank you, Xiao Xiao. Even after how my sister-in-law treated you, you still thought to warn me."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "That’s just doing my job as a doctor."

—

After the full-month banquet, Ye Xiaoxiao was about to leave Shen City.

Miao Cuifang was reluctant to let her daughter go. She didn’t know whether Xiao Xiao could make it home for the New Year this year.

This being her first year as part of the Lu family, she should stay with them through the Spring Festival.

"Mom, if Hanchuan’s schedule allows, we’ll definitely come back," Ye Xiaoxiao said, hugging Miao Cuifang to reassure her.

"Er-ge, I’m leaving now," Ye Xiaoxiao waved at Ye Changan.

Ye Changan reminded her, "Travel safely, and call when you get home."

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded and turned to board the train.

"Let's head back, Ma," Ye Changan said.

Miao Cuifang would be staying on in Shen City for a while longer.

Ye Changan and Shen Qiuyu both had jobs and were too busy to look after the kid. Miao Cuifang had even considered taking Yijia back to their hometown to raise her.

But after some thought, she decided against it—Shen City was much bigger than Baishi Village, and a girl shouldn’t grow up in a remote mountain area.

Once the child turned three, she could be sent to the army daycare, which would solve the childcare problem.

Miao Cuifang figured she’d help as much as she could.

Little did she know, she was about to start an unexpected new chapter in Shen City.

...

After Ye Xiaoxiao left, Shen Qiuyu started having doubts.

Once she suspected Shen Qiang could have ADHD, she started noticing all sorts of quirks about him.

Just as Xiao Xiao had said, he was hyperactive, couldn’t concentrate, and his temper was getting worse.

But if she outright said there was something wrong with Shen Qiang, her sister-in-law would get upset.

If she took him to the hospital herself, the result would be the same—Zhang Yuexia would blow up at her.

Unable to figure out a solution on her own, Shen Qiuyu turned to Ye Changan for help.

Ye Changan thought for a moment. "I know someone at the hospital. We can come up with a cover story. Just say your company arranged free physicals, and if they don’t use the offer this month, it expires. Convince your sister-in-law to take your parents and Shen Qiang along for the checkup."

Shen Qiuyu exclaimed, "Right! My sister-in-law is such a penny-pincher who never passes up free stuff—she’ll bite for sure!"