Chapter 45: Yun Zhen Lies Through Her Teeth

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Yun Zhen Lies Through Her Teeth

The communicator let out a BEEP, and Yun Zhen could no longer hear Brother Zhao’s voice. She had understood what he meant; in every word, he was terrified that she had been scammed. His voice had been more tense than ever before.

She knew Brother Zhao cared about her. She thought, "There really are more good people in this world!"

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

A few minutes later, someone knocked on her door. Outside, Zhao Peng called out softly, "Yun Zhen, open the door. It’s me, Zhao Peng."

Hearing his voice, Yun Zhen opened the door and greeted him, "Brother Zhao."

Zhao Peng sported neatly slicked-back hair and wore a well-fitted black uniform with a blue checkered tie. He had a briefcase tucked under his arm and shiny leather shoes on his feet. It was roughly the same outfit he had worn the last time Yun Zhen saw him.

"Yun Zhen." Zhao Peng panted a couple of times and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead before asking, "You said on the phone that you won two hundred catties of pork in a lottery at the newly opened supermarket and sold it to someone. Can I ask who you sold it to? How much did you sell it for?"

To avoid her misunderstanding that he was coveting the money, Zhao Peng hurriedly explained, "I don’t mean anything else. I’m just afraid you got swindled by someone with bad intentions. Scammers these days are incredibly rampant, and they specifically target innocent young girls like you.

"If you were scammed, I can help you call the police and have them recover your money!"

In just a few words, Zhao Peng made his intentions crystal clear.

Yun Zhen expressed her understanding, but there was no way she could tell the truth. No one could know that she had taken the pork back to her village.

So, she came up with an excuse. "I really did win two hundred catties of pork. Last night, I asked the people I was sorting vegetables with to help me deliver it here. I originally planned to trouble you or Sister Lin to help me sell it. But along the way, I ran into a man. He saw the bags of meat next to me, found out I wanted to sell them, and offered to buy them all."

Lying through her teeth, Yun Zhen continued, "He offered eighteen yuan a catty. I sold one hundred and seventy-six catties and made three thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight yuan."

She said a silent prayer in her heart, begging the heavens to forgive her for lying. Her lie held absolutely no malice!

Zhao Peng tapped on his phone for a moment, then let out a long breath. "Phew!"

He genuinely believed her. After all, Yun Zhen was just an uneducated seventeen-year-old girl. How could she possibly be scheming enough to lie?

His mind at ease, he said in a brisk tone, "Given the current market, eighteen yuan a catty is a normal price. He bought it at the market rate and didn’t scam you. That’s exactly what it’s worth."

He then urged, "I’m relieved knowing you weren’t cheated. In the future, remember to always keep your guard up. If you ever have a hard time making a decision, you can contact me anytime, or go to the office building and look for Sister Lin."

Yun Zhen nodded. "I understand, Brother Zhao."

Zhao Peng smiled. He knew the young girl in front of him was more mature than other children her age and had her own judgment.

Yun Zhen handed him a bag of pork. "Brother Zhao, if there’s nothing else, I won’t keep you. I still have to go to work. Take this bag of pork. You’ve helped me find jobs, found me a teacher to learn how to read, and helped me so much from start to finish. I don’t know how to repay you. This meat is just a small token of my appreciation. You must accept it!"

Zhao Peng knew very well that most of the children in the agency were sensitive. If he refused, she would definitely feel hurt. So, he accepted the meat graciously with a bright smile. "Thank you. This is perfect for making some pork stir-fry with garlic scapes tonight."

A faint smile appeared on Yun Zhen’s face. She thought, "If only all kind-hearted people were as straightforward as Brother Zhao."

"I have to go to the hospital today to pick up your medical exam reports," Zhao Peng said. "Once I have them, I need to help you register for household residency and go to various offices to get the paperwork stamped. I’m actually quite busy, so I’ll be heading off now.

"You should head to work soon, too. If everything goes smoothly, you’ll be able to get your temporary residence permit tomorrow, as well as the three-hundred-yuan relief fund from the agency."

Nominally speaking, he was considered Yun Zhen’s guardian. Although he was paid a salary by the agency, he still had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. Satisfied that Yun Zhen hadn’t been scammed, he left with peace of mind.

Right before leaving, he couldn’t help but add one last word of caution. "Make sure you hide the money well. Other than the people who already know you won the lottery, don’t tell anyone else you have money. If someone plays the sympathy card to borrow money from you, you must never lend it to them. Contact me immediately if there’s a problem."

Yun Zhen agreed repeatedly, and Zhao Peng finally departed.

Yun Zhen grabbed an oversized plastic bag and packed the pork meant for Sister Lin, Sister Huang, Brother Yang, and Sister-in-law Liu. As for the pork for Granny Qin and the two security guards, she planned to bring it with her tomorrow when she went to the Red Sun District to collect recyclables.

She decided to look for Sister Lin first to give her the meat and ask for her help in contacting Sister Huang. If she remembered correctly, before she moved into Sister Zhang’s Charity Organization, Sister Huang had left her address with Sister Lin.

Lin was in the middle of handling some work when the automatic sensor doors suddenly slid open. She instinctively looked up and saw Yun Zhen. Pausing her work, she spoke gently, "Yun Zhen, you’re here. Have a seat. Is there something you need?"

Yun Zhen was carrying a massive bag. It looked incredibly heavy, its bottom sagging all the way to the floor. She had bought a lot of rice for her village recently. Every time she bought fifty or a hundred catties, the shop owner would give her an extra-large plastic bag to put over the rice sacks. This was one of the bags the owner had given her.

She pulled two catties of pork out of the giant bag. "Sister Lin, I won two hundred catties of pork at the supermarket. I’ve sold the rest, but I saved this specifically for you. It’s just a small token of my gratitude. You must accept it."

Just like Brother Zhao, Sister Lin anxiously peppered her with a barrage of questions.

"Did you say you won two hundred catties of pork in a supermarket lottery?

"Who did you sell it to? You weren’t scammed, were you?

"Have you told Zhao Peng about this?"

Yun Zhen answered them one by one.

"I really did win two hundred catties of pork. I sold one hundred and seventy-six catties to a passerby and got three thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight yuan.

"Brother Zhao knows about this, and he said I wasn’t scammed."

Lin felt relieved and proceeded to advise her, "Keep the money hidden in your dorm. There are plenty of security cameras on the street outside and in the hallways inside the building, so no one will try to steal it. Don’t let anyone know you have money, and don’t agree if someone asks to borrow some. If you encounter any tricky problems, remember to contact Zhao Peng."

Yun Zhen nodded in agreement. She knew that both Sister Lin and Brother Zhao were genuinely worried about her safety. In reality, she only had a little over a hundred yuan, which was sitting in a plastic bag inside her pocket.

Lin took the bag of meat and set it aside. "I’ll accept the meat, then. Thank you, Yun Zhen."

She was just as open-minded and straightforward as Brother Zhao.

"Sister Lin," Yun Zhen continued, "could you help me contact Sister Huang? I brought some meat for her as well. She gave me clothes and blankets before, and even found me this great place to stay. I want to hand the meat to her personally."

Lin nodded in agreement. "Of course. Ms. Huang Li left her contact information earlier. Wait a moment, I’ll give her a call."

RING, RING, RING...

Lin pulled up Huang Li’s contact details and dialed the number.

"Hello?" A response came quickly from the other end.

Lin’s gentle voice sounded incredibly sweet. "Hello, this is Sister Zhang’s Charity Organization. I’m Lin, a staff member here. May I ask if this is Ms. Huang Li?"

Huang Li had woken up early to go downstairs and do some square dancing for exercise. She had just gotten home and taken a shower when her phone rang. Upon answering, she realized it was a call from the charity organization.

She thought, "Sister Zhang’s Charity Organization? Yun Zhen!"