Zuo Xiaonian burst out giggling, shaking like a flowering branch in the breeze.
Wu Yuting smiled faintly and said, "Your mother wouldn't boast about her other abilities, but I'm quite confident when it comes to finding secret stashes." With that, she shot Zuo Changlu a sidelong glance, seemingly hinting at something, beating the mountain to frighten the tiger.
Zuo Changlu immediately sat bolt upright, the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitching slightly, and demanded sternly, "Zuo Xiaoduo, come clean. Where did that ten thousand and more come from?"
This shouted demand dealt a heavy blow to his refined, scholarly air. His intent to lure the tiger away from the mountain, put one man's hat on another's head, and divert attention could not have been clearer.
"I... I, um..." Zuo Xiaoduo's eyes darted about as he stammered, "I... earned it today... ahem... earned..."
"Earned it... very good, very good." Zuo Changlu asked, "How did you earn it? What did you do?"
Zuo Xiaoduo looked in every direction for an escape route and stuttered, "Well... I told people's fortunes... that's how..."
Zuo Changlu said, "Heh, heh, heh, heh. Telling fortunes..."
Then he reached down to undo his belt.
Chapter 25: Zuo Xiaoduo's Celebration Banquet!
"I really can tell fortunes!"
Zuo Xiaoduo's will to survive was fierce. "Dad! My own dear dad! You have no idea! Your son received an unparalleled inheritance, a heaven-sent opportunity! I can see through a person's destiny! I really can..."
Zuo Changlu said calmly, "Tell me. How much did you earn?"
Zuo Xiaoduo trembled all over. "One... one thousand..."
"One thousand. Your little stash only had five thousand in total, and you earned one thousand today, so why did you just say you had over ten thousand? Do you think your father has no brains? That you can fool him so easily?"
Zuo Changlu roared like a fierce tiger shaking the mountain forests, his might startling the heavens.
His eyes widened in a glare, as though he would devour the little brat before him.
Under the weight of years of accumulated authority, Zuo Xiaoduo's mind instantly went blank. Facing his old man's glaring eyes, he instinctively turned utterly spineless and confessed truthfully, like a little quail in a freezing wind, "Ten... ten thousand..."
"Ten thousand!"
Zuo Changlu sneered. "I've believed in everything in my life except swindlers! I've trusted every line of work except fortune-telling... I could trust everyone in the whole world, but there's no way I'd trust you, Zuo Xiaoduo! Prepare to die, you spineless idiot!"
With a swish, he pulled his belt all the way out!
Zuo Xiaoduo shrieked and clutched his head with both hands, his body curling habitually into a ball while leaving his backside exposed. Reflexively assuming the position for a beating, he cried miserably, "Go easyyyy..."
"Ahem!"
Wu Yuting coughed, then said mildly, "Eat first. This is a celebration banquet. What are you doing? Whatever it is, talk about it after dinner!"
Zuo Changlu thought for a moment, slowly put his belt away, and nodded. "Right. Let's eat first and discuss things afterward."
The banquet resumed.
Zuo Xiaoduo and Zuo Xiaonian sat side by side, but neither could savor the food. Every so often, they glanced at each other, each seeing the regret in the other's eyes...
Sigh...
We never should have felt sorry for Dad working so hard to support this family and tried to help. We ended up selling ourselves out...
For a time, both siblings were vexed, bitterly regretting what they had done.
Zuo Xiaoduo, in particular, inwardly cursed himself for being a pig-brain. He had known perfectly well that the money he had "earned" could not stand the light of day, that exposing it would spell disaster, so why hadn't he kept a guard on his mouth? The meal had now changed in nature. It was no longer a celebration banquet but a last meal before the execution. He just didn't know whether what followed would be men's singles or mixed doubles. Mixed doubles was probably more likely...
He dared not think any further. It was too terrifying!
As she poured Zuo Changlu some wine, Wu Yuting said, "Xiao Nian, you have over two hundred thousand now? Things really have been rather tight at home lately. It would be good for you to contribute some toward household expenses, but don't take it all out. A girl should keep some money on hand for emergencies and such."
Overwhelmed by this unexpected favor, Zuo Xiaonian immediately straightened up and said ingratiatingly, "Mom, I have three hundred and sixty thousand altogether. I'll leave three hundred and fifty thousand for Dad and keep ten thousand for myself."
"Oh, so it wasn't two hundred thousand and some. It was three hundred and sixty thousand..."
Wu Yuting nodded and said, "Then just take out three hundred thousand. You're an adult now. A girl out in the world must treat herself a little better. How can you go around without money?"
As though granted a pardon, Zuo Xiaonian nodded like a pestle pounding garlic. "Yes, Mom. Okay, Mom. I'll get it out right now, Mom."
Then she took out her bank card, tapped on her phone, and transferred the money to her father. Only then did she finally feel a little safer.
Seeing Zuo Xiaoduo's pitiful, pleading gaze, Zuo Xiaonian sent him a look that said, "You're on your own," then turned her attention to the food. Her heart gradually settled, and her expression cleared like sunshine after rain.
Even if Mom and Dad are still angry, Doggy's up front taking the brunt. They can beat him first.
Xiaoduo's mistake seems more serious, heeheehee... I spent three hundred thousand. Surely that bought me out of this beating?
"And Xiaoduo..."
Wu Yuting picked up the wine pot and actually poured her son a cup herself, smiling as she said, "Xiaoduo is a Martial Warrior now. That's worth celebrating. Today, Mom won't restrict your drinking. Have a couple more cups with your dad."
Even the hand Zuo Xiaoduo held his cup in was trembling. His face alternated between green and white as he stammered, "Mom, I really earned it by reading faces. I didn't steal or rob anyone..."
"Mm, Mom believes you. Why wouldn't I believe my own son?"
Wu Yuting then added, "That money you earned-take it out and let me see. I just find it a little hard to believe you could earn over ten thousand. That's over ten thousand!"
Zuo Xiaoduo hastily got up and scurried into his room with his tail between his legs. He opened the hollowed-out Major Events Record and brought the money out as though presenting treasure. "Mom, look. Here's five thousand, and here's another twelve thousand..."
Wu Yuting said, "Wasn't it ten thousand and some? This is nearly twenty thousand!"