Xia Xue reached out a delicate hand and patted Lin Fan's head, asking with exasperation, "You just finished eating, and your mouth isn't even wiped clean, and you're already complaining?"
Song Yue, standing nearby, covered her mouth and giggled.
Lin Fan only dared to act up with her. The moment he saw Xia Xue, he became meek.
Seeing Lin Fan cornered, she felt a surge of satisfaction.
Lin Fan spread his hands. "Sister-in-law, I didn't mean it like that."
He knew in his heart that his sister-in-law was a good woman. She wouldn't be like some women who, after getting married, would desperately try to pilfer valuable items to their maiden families.
"Sister-in-law, I'll go back with you. We'll be magnificent, and no one will look down on us."
"Why would anyone look down on me?"
Xia Xue playfully punched Lin Fan's chest. "I don't steal, I don't rob, and I haven't done anything with a guilty conscience. Why would anyone look down on me?"
"I..."
Every time Lin Fan tried to reason with his sister-in-law, she would retort and leave him speechless.
Song Yue chimed in then, "Sister Xue, Little Fan is just trying to be helpful. The New Year is coming, and whose family doesn't get judged when visiting relatives?"
"I say, after suffering for so many years, it's time to put on a good show."
Lin Fan nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes!"
Xia Xue hesitated.
She was worried about going back with Lin Fan, feeling it wasn't proper and that people would gossip behind their backs.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. I'll handle this properly."
Lin Fan knew better than anyone how much his brother had suffered at his mother-in-law's and father-in-law's hands back then.
Now that the tables had turned, he intended to seize this opportunity to restore some dignity to the Lin family.
Seeing that he seemed determined, Xia Xue nodded. "Alright then. Anyway, people have been muttering about what they should and shouldn't say for years."
"Little Fan, you mustn't act rashly when the time comes. You have to listen to me about everything."
Lin Fan nodded. "I'm not that unreliable. Sister-in-law, you can rest assured."
Xia Xue smiled radiantly. "Good. Have another sesame ball."
"Alright."
Lin Fan responded and then walked into the kitchen.
As soon as he entered, he froze.
The bank card was with Tian Mengyao.
The money had all been used for the cooperative.
Other than a pile of gold jewelry, what else could he use to accompany his sister-in-law back to her maiden home?
No!
He had to find another way to handle this...
"Sister Yueyue, not many people at the clinic today?"
"Yes, that's why I came back. There were no patients."
Lin Fan picked up a sesame ball and said as he walked out, "Then I won't go this afternoon either. I'll go check on the village committee. It's the end of the year, and there's a lot to do. Perhaps I can be of use."
Song Yue made a "tsk tsk" sound and teased, "Look at you, you've gotten addicted to being an official."
Xia Xue, overhearing their conversation, said, "Let him go. Getting some experience at the village committee is a good thing."
...
In the village secretary's office.
Tian Mengyao placed her slender legs on the desk, distractedly listening to the arguments next door.
It was the end of the year, and the creditors the village committee owed money to had shown up, unyieldingly demanding repayment.
Tian Mengyao certainly didn't want to take on this mess.
She claimed she was only down for an internship and tossed the hot potato to Wu Lei.
Wu Lei had no choice but to accept the predicament.
Frankly speaking, he and Cao Dewang were the ones who had incurred the debt in the first place. Tian Mengyao definitely wouldn't take the blame.
Listening to the sharp shouts and table-slapping from next door, Tian Mengyao gazed at the ceiling, a sense of helplessness washing over her.
Luofeng Village had poor transportation, and most of the villagers were elderly, weak, or sick, with very few able-bodied young laborers.
As the village secretary, she was an outsider with little influence.
On top of that, there was the previous pile of bad debts.
She had none of the advantages: favorable timing, geographical location, or human support.
If it weren't for Lin Fan, she would have despaired long ago.
Knock, knock, knock!
Lin Fan knocked three times and then walked straight in. "What's going on? I heard a lot of commotion, sounded like it was about to turn into a fight. Are you just going to sit here and not check?"
"Little Fan, you..."
Before Tian Mengyao could finish speaking, she heard Wu Lei from next door shouting hoarsely, "I told you, we don't have money!"
"If you don't believe me, take a look at what's valuable in the yard, and take it away!"
Lin Fan frowned upon hearing this. "Are they here for money again?"
"Yes."
Tian Mengyao put her legs down and pouted. "Don't worry about it. I absolutely will not fill this hole."
She gestured for Lin Fan to sit down and then asked, "What are you here for today?"
"I have something important to discuss with you."
Lin Fan sat down, hesitated for a moment, and then said sheepishly, "You definitely haven't spent all the money in my card. Can you..."
"No!"
Tian Mengyao interrupted Lin Fan, shaking her head and exclaiming.
Lin Fan was stunned. "That's my money, why not?"
"It's all spent. I've already finalized the budget, paid the deposits, and there's not a single penny left."
"Lend me some for now, and I'll return it to you as soon as spring arrives after the New Year."
Tian Mengyao put on a pained expression and spread her hands. "There really isn't any. I truly can't get any."
Lin Fan clenched his fist, angered. "You can't do this..."
"Don't try to scare me. Even if you killed me, I wouldn't have money for you."
Tian Mengyao adopted the attitude of a dead pig not fearing boiling water.
The village committee had gone from barely making ends meet to finally having some money. She was determined to be its miser!
"I don't need much, just twenty to thirty thousand."
"If you're not giving it, you're not giving it. Don't say twenty to thirty thousand, not even two to three thousand!"
Hearing this, Lin Fan immediately went around the desk. "You really are something."
"What do you think you're doing?"
Tian Mengyao hurriedly stood up and stepped back, but Lin Fan still grabbed her arm.
"Give me back my bank card."
"I don't have it."
"Then I'll have to search myself?"
Lin Fan looked Tian Mengyao up and down.
Tian Mengyao's tension spiked, and she shouted, "How dare you!"
After all, there were people next door.
She didn't believe Lin Fan would be that bold.
"Heh, I don't believe I can't handle you."
Although Lin Fan wouldn't dare to act recklessly, he had a better method.
He casually picked up a neutral pen from the desk and gestured in front of Tian Mengyao's eyes.
"Are you going to return it or not?"
"You... I won't return it!"
Bang!
A loud noise.
The office door was suddenly kicked open by a round-faced man.
"I see you, village secretary..."
The round-faced man was shouting when he suddenly froze.
Lin Fan turned to look and was equally stunned.
His and Tian Mengyao's current posture was like a couple playfully bickering.
Neither of them had expected this scene to be witnessed.
Tian Mengyao looked embarrassed, mentally cursing Lin Fan a million times.
Her authority as village secretary seemed to be ruined like this!