Neighbor 010

Fang Zaozao's gaze was icy. "Speak properly. Wasn't that a loan you wanted yourself?"

"It was you who got me the loan!"

Fang Zaozao immediately turned to leave.

"Stupid woman! What nonsense are you spouting! Don't offend people!" Zhang Xi grew anxious.

Sure enough, his words worked better than anything else. Li Juan immediately changed her tone. "Please, just help us. Lend us some money. Aren't you Xiao Li's godmother after all?"

Fang Zaozao turned her head to stare at her, then glanced at the debt collectors, feeling somewhat shocked and suspicious. She had just received her father's call and hadn't expected it to be true. "It's not impossible for me to help... Write an agreement."

"What agreement?"

"That Zhang Xiaoli will live with me from now on."

Li Juan was stunned, then instantly became unwilling. "On what grounds! He's my son!"

Fang Zaozao looked at her. "On the grounds that you pretended not to see when he was being beaten. On the grounds that you're willing to be a slave to your husband's mistress and drag your son along. On the grounds that a mother like you doesn't even consider her son's welfare. On the grounds that you're just using him to cover up your own wretchedness!"

Looking at Li Juan's pale face, Fang Zaozao felt a sense of vindication. "Are these reasons enough? You don't deserve to be his mother."

"In your dreams!" Li Juan flailed her arms wildly, but Fang Zaozao dodged.

"I'll pay off your debt for you, and throw in an extra ten thousand. That means I'll cover this child's tuition, living expenses, everything. Or would you rather watch him rot in the mud just like the two of you?"

Li Juan faltered, but after only a moment she shook her head. No, she couldn't lose her son! The son was hers! Even if he rotted alongside her, he was still her son! Her son should rot right there with her!

"Mr. Zhang, your wife disagrees. What about you?" Fang Zaozao looked at Zhang Xi.

Zhang Xi only thought for a brief moment before nodding. His reasoning was practical: that brat was just a freeloader anyway. Wasn't it great that some sucker was willing to raise his son for him? If his son made something of himself in the future, surely he wouldn't dare deny his own biological father?

"Stupid woman! Sorry, I didn't mean you. If you keep acting crazy, believe me, I'll beat you to death!"

Li Juan paused, but at this moment she clearly knew what she wanted.

"No, impossible. You wanted to steal my son from the very beginning! I won't agree!" Li Juan pointed at Fang Zaozao. "I'm telling you, don't even think about it. He's my son."

She turned to look at the debt collectors, her mind overheating, and suddenly blurted out: "So what if we owe you money? Take my son as collateral! I'd rather give him to you than to this wicked woman!"

Zhang Xiaoli looked at his mother in shock, his young heart suffering a severe blow.

Unexpectedly, the debt collectors exchanged glances. "Are you insane? We're here to collect a debt, legally. Although we beat your husband, that's just a common dispute because he ran off owing money. At worst, he'd get a talking-to. Do you know how heavy the sentence is for trafficking children?"

Zhang Xi also roared in anger: "Madwoman! Are you itching for a beating?!" He grew anxious, especially after hearing Fang Zaozao mention she could give extra money. He actually rushed over and grabbed Li Juan by the hair.

Feeling the pain, Li Juan's rationality gradually returned.

In the end, an agreement was reached. Fang Zaozao took Zhang Xiaoli back next door. The debt collectors left satisfied with their money. Zhang Xi went out elated, cash in hand. Only Li Juan sat in the empty house, her face full of panic.

"Gone, it's all gone."

"Sis, where did you get so much money?" Fang Wanwan had been listening nervously at the door. She was puzzled; she knew what her sister was like. How could she be willing to spend so much money on a child?

Fang Zaozao looked at the sleeping Zhang Xiaoli and curled her lip. "What money do I have? That was from our dad."

"Him?" An image of their father appeared in Fang Wanwan's mind. Impossible, right?

"By the way, why didn't he come?"

"Don't know. He always says he's busy. Whatever." Although Fang Zaozao was also somewhat puzzled, looking at her sister, she didn't say anything more.

A gambler can never turn his life around—this saying fit Zhang Xi perfectly. For him, there were ways to gamble with one yuan and ways to gamble with ten thousand. He lost everything overnight.

He returned home full of frustration and saw his listless wife, immediately flying into a rage.

"It's all your fault, you jinx!"

Fang Wanwan was already up; she had to work today. The sounds from next door made her pause, her expression turning complex. She glanced back at her sister's room and Zhang Xiaoli's, and made up her mind.

Even though Li Juan might get her killed in the future, she couldn't just stand by and watch someone die, could she?

Li Juan sobbed quietly. Looking at Zhang Xi sleeping on the bed, her heart was a turmoil of mixed feelings.

Their door was knocked on. Li Juan was startled—were debt collectors here again? But when she tremblingly opened the door, it was Fang Wanwan standing there.

Fang Wanwan looked at Li Juan's bruised and swollen face, feeling a wave of emotion. "Sister Li, I brought you some breakfast." She peeked into the room, then said, "Sister Li, you should get a divorce if it's time. It's not like you can't support yourself."

But she never expected that her kindness would seem like hypocrisy to Li Juan. "I don't want your false sympathy! Give me back my son!"

Fang Wanwan took a step back. "Xiaoli will always be your son. We're just helping you take care of him for now, given your family's situation..."

"I don't need your help! Give my son back!" Li Juan looked at the young woman before her, the resentment in her eyes almost uncontrollable. "How can you be so vicious! You steal my son, and now you want to ruin my marriage! You want my family destroyed!"

Fang Wanwan was stunned. "Sister Li, you know how things were for Xiaoli at home..."

"So what? He's my son! He should die in our home if he has to!" Li Juan made a move to rush forward but felt a sharp pull on her hair.

Li Juan turned her head and saw a face that made her shudder.

"You really embody the phrase 'bully the weak, fear the strong.'" Fang Zaozao showed no mercy, slapping her across the face. This was the first time she had laid a hand on this pitiful woman.

Li Juan let out a howl.

Fang Zaozao pointed at her. "If you ever dare bare your teeth at my sister again, I'll burn your whole house down!" But then she paused. "Oh, I forgot. Your 'whole family' is just you now. Your husband doesn't want you. Your son doesn't like you either."

No physical pain could match the damaging power of those words.

Li Juan immediately broke down completely.

Fang Zaozao didn't waste more words on her, grabbing her sister and leaving.

"I knew you'd be like this. Have you forgotten how she treated you? No memory at all?" She was angry.

But Fang Wanwan said earnestly, "But... she really is pitiful. Even though she might harm me in the future, I still can't just stand by and watch..."