Chapter 103 - 35: "Compensation

Chapter 103: Chapter 35: "Compensation

Huang Xiulan watched the two boys bickering but didn’t intervene. It was up to the brothers to resolve their own conflict.

The meat buns had nearly driven a wedge between the brothers, but Lin Zhao didn’t know about this just yet.

She summoned the prize wheel and saw that multiple tasks in the quest log on the right had been completed.

[Congratulations on clocking in at work. You’ve gained a valuable life experience. 100 points awarded.]

[You sent your husband a letter and a package, proactively deepening your marital bond. How thoughtful! 200 points awarded.]

[Wow! You brought your children a gift on your first day of work—and it was their favorite meat buns! What a super sweet gesture. 3 points awarded.]

...

There were also a few other minor tasks not worth mentioning.

Current total points: 393.

Suddenly flush with so many points, Lin Zhao waved her hand and immediately did five draws—

[Dried noodles ×5 bags]

[Cotton ×22 lbs]

[Two-handled iron wok ×1]

[Small green satchel with a five-pointed star (child’s size) ×5]

[Denim work pants (men’s) ×2 pairs]

[Malt-milk essence ×1 tin]

[Authentic free-range chicken eggs ×50]

[Soap ×2 bars]

[Mercurochrome ×1 bottle]

[Cotton ×33 lbs]

[Army-green cotton cloth ×10 bolts]

[Soft and fluffy gloves ×1 pair]

[Pagoda candy ×10 pieces]

[Farm-raised pork ×22 lbs]

[Apples ×5.5 lbs]

[Spicy cured sausage ×2 links]

[Canned yellow peaches ×2 jars]

[Honey ×1 jar]

[Braised beef noodles ×2 bags]

Those were all the prizes she received after spending 50 points.

Some of the prizes were duplicates, like the cotton, but that didn’t matter.

’Looked at another way, it’s all free stuff, an absolute bargain.’

’Now I’ll have something to bring to Uncle’s house tomorrow!’

Lin Zhao put most of the items into her Storage Ring, locked the less conspicuous things in a cabinet, and went to make dinner while humming a tune.

It had been hot this morning, and while the temperature was better now, it was still stuffy. Cold noodles would be very refreshing.

She had just finished preparing the noodles and was about to put them in the pot when Da Zai ran home.

"Mom, the brigade leader is calling for you! The thief who stole our bricks and tiles has been caught! You have to come see!"

Hearing this, Lin Zhao hurried out of the kitchen. "Who was it?"

"Changsheng’s mother!" Da Zai said indignantly, repeating himself. "It was Changsheng’s mother! Changsheng’s mother is a thief, Changsheng is a bad guy, and their whole family is no good!"

"Da Zai." For the first time, a hint of sternness colored Lin Zhao’s gentle voice. Her brow furrowed as she said disapprovingly, "You can’t just insult people. What Changsheng’s mother did was definitely wrong, but children shouldn’t curse. Other people will think you have no manners, and they’ll think your father and I don’t know how to raise a child."

Da Zai immediately admitted his mistake, saying nervously, "I won’t curse anymore. Please don’t be angry, Mom."

"I’m not angry. It’s good that you’ve corrected yourself." Lin Zhao took Da Zai’s hand and started walking outside, asking, "Where is all the commotion you mentioned?"

"By the big banyan tree," Da Zai replied.

The mother and son hurried toward their destination.

At that moment, the brigade leader was scolding Changsheng’s mother in an exasperated tone. His voice was so loud it startled the sparrows in the tree, which went FLUTTERING away.

"What were you going to do with a few stolen bricks? Huh? What?! You can’t even use them for anything! And now you’ve made it so Changsheng can’t hold his head high in the village. You’re really... You really must have too much time on your hands."

Changsheng’s mother hadn’t expected to be found out, and her face was filled with regret.

"I didn’t do it on purpose! I was just angry. Because of Lin Zhao and her brats, not only did I have to shovel manure, but I also had to copy books until my hand swelled up! I just wanted to teach her a lesson, to show her I’m not someone to be messed with. I didn’t mean to steal."

Changsheng, who was being ostracized by the other children, couldn’t lift his head. He was furious with his mother, wouldn’t let her touch him, and just hung his head, sulking.

Changsheng’s mother was heartbroken and deeply regretted her actions.

Lin Zhao walked over, and the crowd of onlookers voluntarily parted to make way for her.

"So you’re the one who stole my family’s bricks and tiles?" she asked, stopping in front of Changsheng’s mother, her red lips slightly parted.

Her arch-nemesis’s face was expressionless, but it was still enough to make Changsheng’s mother unable to meet her gaze. With an ugly expression, she turned her head away, refusing to look at her.

"Quite defiant, aren’t you," Lin Zhao said lightly.

Flames of anger flared in Changsheng’s mother’s eyes. She shouted, "...What exactly do you want?"

’Heh, for a thief, she’s pretty arrogant!’

"What are you shouting for?" Lin Zhao frowned, taking half a step back with Da Zai to avoid being hit by her spit. "What else? You’re going to compensate me. You stole something and you’re still acting this belligerent? Believe it or not, I can report you to the Public Security Bureau."

The brigade leader, afraid she would actually go to the Public Security Bureau, quickly said, "Da Zai’s mom, please don’t report this. If this blows up, it will affect our brigade’s chances of being named an advanced collective. We can’t have that."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Lin Zhao was unmoved, putting on an arrogant air of someone who was in the right and wouldn’t back down. "To put it bluntly, whether the brigade gets named ’advanced’ or not has nothing to do with me. But making me take a loss... that’s not going to happen."