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nWhen Li Gui was doing her sales, she saw a shadow flash past in the crowd, but she did not pay much attention to it and continued to sell the remaining vegetables and grapes. After she sold all her things, she even helped Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to sell theirs. Zhang Cong saw many people buying from them and counted more than 10 baskets of items which he thought all belonged to Li Gui. He estimated her earnings to be more than 50 dollars and quickly engaged in some wishful thinking and came up with a plan.

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nAfter everything was sold, Li Gui packed up her things and prepared to go to the county city with Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to buy some household items. After all, they could find more things in the county city than in their small village. Auntie Wang did not need to buy anything, so she stayed behind to keep an eye on all their things. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient for them to go shopping while carrying their big baskets. Auntie Dong went to buy needles and thread as she wanted to mend the torn clothing in her house so that her family could continue to wear them.

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nLi Gui first went to buy shoe soles and crochet needles, then some fabric, needles and thread. She looked joyful as she thought about the two pairs of shoes that she was going to make for Qiao Mei’s baby. After hiding the rest of her money, she went back to look for Auntie Wang. She did not expect Zhang Cong to see all of this.

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nZhang Cong followed behind silently, feeling very unhappy. Li Gui had always said that she had no money and no food to eat. Yet, she went to the black market every day to sell vegetables and even had the spare money to buy fabric to make new clothes. This was really outrageous. Zhang Cong followed her all the way to the village and only revealed himself after Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang had left.

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n“How great, so you’ve made a lot of money here.” Zhang Cong stood outside the door and looked at Li Gui, who was putting the baskets back in their places. Li Gui was shocked when she heard Zhang Cong’s voice and thought that she had heard wrongly. She turned around and saw him standing at the entrance of the courtyard.

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nZhang Cong pushed open the door and looked around the house. He had no intention of entering the house as it was obvious that it was a newly built mud house. There was probably not even a warm mat in the house, let alone anything valuable.

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n“I… I’m not earning any money. I’m usually busy with work, how can I have the time to earn money…” Li Gui looked at Zhang Cong guiltily and grabbed the corner of her clothes, not daring to speak loudly.

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n“Don’t deny it! I saw everything. You had watermelons and grapes. Look at all the mushrooms in this courtyard. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How can you say that you don’t have money?” Zhang Cong casually grabbed a handful of mushrooms and looked at them before throwing them aside with a look of disdain. The things in the countryside were so uncouth that even the mushrooms smelled low-class.

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nLi Gui was so frightened that she did not dare to move and quickly denied, “No, no, no, these are not mine. I sell them for others. I usually have to go out and work.”

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nWhen Li Gui got married to Zhang Cong’s father, Zhang Cong was about 15 or 16 years old. He often watched his father beat up his mother, so he also felt that women were meant to be beaten up. and he often hit Li Gui as well. After four or five years, when Zhang Cong was already in his twenties, the neighbors all gossiped about Zhang Cong beating up his stepmother. Therefore, Zhang Cong no longer hit her, but he still beat up her children often. She could not stop him from doing that and she remained very afraid of Zhang Cong.

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n“Oh, then where did you get this house, don’t tell me you stole our family’s money.” Zhang Cong looked carefully at the newly built house.

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nLi Gui hurriedly explained, “I borrowed it from the brigade! I borrowed money to build this house…”

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nBefore she could finish her sentence, Zhang Cong already stepped forward quickly and gave her a slap on the face. Li Gui fell to the ground from the force and covered her face, not daring to look at Zhang Cong directly. There was no one in this place who knew him, so he could hit her however he wanted.

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n“You money-losing good-for-nothing! My father is right! You’re not thinking about how to earn money for your family! You actually spent money to build a house! How much money does this house cost!” After saying that, Zhang Cong was still all worked up and he slapped Li Gui again.

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nLi Gui lay on the ground and cried silently. She did not dare to resist because she knew that as long as she resisted, she would be beaten up even more. No matter what, she would still be beaten up anyway. As long as she gave Zhang Cong the money, he would calm down and not beat her anymore.

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nHowever, she felt really indignant! The money was from the mushrooms that her three daughters had painstakingly gathered on the mountain, and the vegetables that Qiao Mei had to water and irrigate every day. She was unwilling to let Zhang Cong snatch everything away just like that. Even if she had to be beaten up, she refused to say where she kept the money she had earned today.

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nAt this moment, she only hoped that her three daughters would return later so that Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao would not get beaten up. Also, she worried about what could happen to Qiao Mei if she came back.

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n“Mom!” A shout at the door made Li Gui widen her eyes.

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