Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 48 The Shameless Uncle
Looking back, Wang Chengpeng indeed saw Wang Meiyan hurriedly riding her bicycle towards him.

From a distance, as soon as Wang Meiyan caught sight of Wang Chengpeng, she exclaimed in surprise:
"Brother, come back with me quickly, something terrible has happened at home."

"I'm all alone at home, I really can't handle it."

I don’t know when it started, but when Wang Meiyan encountered a problem, the first person she thought of was Wang Chengpeng instead of Wang Tieshan.

So when she encountered a problem this time, she actually rode her bike over to find Wang Chengpeng immediately.

She believed that only Wang Chengpeng could solve this problem!
"Xia, I have a family emergency. Could you please ask the team leader for leave for me? I'll be right back."

After leaving those words behind, Wang Chengpeng disregarded his work, put down his hoe, hopped on his bicycle, and hurried home.

Taking advantage of the break while going home, Wang Meiyan hurriedly explained, and finally managed to give Wang Chengpeng a clear account of the general situation.

While the three of them were working outside, Wang Meiyan was doing what she could at home.

Watering the vegetables, feeding the chickens, and other chores are all done by this seemingly insignificant little sister in the family.

Children from poor families learn to be independent early, especially in this era.

However, just as Wang Meiyan was doing her work as usual, a pleasant voice came from outside the door, saying:

"Meiyan, are you home? Your uncle is here to see you. Open the door for him."

Wang Meiyan was still young and didn't understand Wang Jinshan's tricks. She was easily fooled by his small favors during meals and opened the courtyard gate almost without hesitation.

Unexpectedly, Wang Jinshan had barely entered the courtyard when he began searching for something, looking around haphazardly. This puzzled Wang Meiyan, who asked:

"Uncle, what brings you here today?"

"Your parents and brother aren't here. If you have something to say, it's best to wait until they get back."

That's exactly what I wanted—they're all gone!
A sly glint flashed in Wang Jinshan's eyes, and he asked in feigned friendliness:
"So it turns out only my niece was home alone. Meiyan is such a good girl, helping with chores at such a young age."

"Your uncle came here today specifically to see you."

"Here's a freshly boiled egg. Meiyan probably rarely gets to eat this at home. Come on, don't be shy, come and have a bite."

Faced with Wang Jinshan's tempting offer of food, Wang Meiyan remained unimpressed, saying:
"It's just an egg. I eat it every night. How could it be so hard to get one?"

"My parents said we shouldn't eat things given to us by strangers. Uncle, you should keep this egg for yourself, okay?"

Since the family split up, Wang Chengpeng's family has been living a much better life, and even their meals have improved significantly.

They paid special attention to Wang Meiyan, who suffered from severe malnutrition in her previous life, and made sure she ate an egg every night.

It was precisely because of this that, although Wang Meiyan was still somewhat pale and thin, she was no longer the disheveled girl she once was.

Faced with Wang Meiyan's frank honesty, Wang Jinshan simply thought she was bragging.

With Wang Tieshan's family being such a money-loser, it would be a stroke of luck if they didn't go hungry after the family split up; how could they possibly eat eggs every day?

He immediately shoved the eggs into Wang Meiyan's arms and continued with a fake smile, "Meiyan, don't joke around. How could your uncle be anyone else?"

"By the way, there's something I want to ask Meiyan."

"Didn't your family recently buy a bicycle? Do you know where it is?"

Speaking of that Forever 28-inch bicycle, it was the pride of Wang Chengpeng's family. Wang Meiyan proudly stated:

"I know, of course I know, it's locked in the main room."

Since this bicycle was Wang Meiyan's daily mode of transportation for delivering meals, she knew its exact location. It was precisely because of the theft last night that the bicycle had been moved from under the eaves to inside the house.

Upon hearing Wang Meiyan's reply, Wang Jinshan's eyes lit up; he had finally found his main target for this trip.

Ignoring the fact that he hadn't been invited at all, Wang Jinshan walked straight into the hall and quickly spotted the locked bicycle.

After touching it with great affection, Wang Jinshan was about to ride it out to try it out when he found an annoying bike lock on the bicycle.

He immediately changed his tune and turned to Wang Meiyan, asking, "Meiyan, do you know where the car keys are?"

Wang Jinshan's words immediately put Wang Meiyan on guard. She was young, but not stupid.

This bicycle is a family treasure; the whole family cherishes it.

Although Wang Jinshan was his uncle, he shouldn't have given him the bicycle key when the other party asked for it.

This bicycle belongs to her brother, Wang Chengpeng, and she must not take out the keys without his permission.

Now that she's the only one at home, she should protect the family's property!
Thinking of this, Wang Meiyan innocently said, "Uncle, I don't know where the key is."

"If you have any problems, you should talk to your parents or brother. I'm just a child and I don't understand anything."

Wang Meiyan wasn't a habitual liar; in fact, one could say she had never lied. Her evasive gaze instantly made Wang Jinshan realize she was lying, and he continued to coax her gently:

"Meiyan, lying is not the mark of a good child."

"Everyone knows you ride this bicycle to deliver meals to your family every day, so how could you not have the key?"

"Sweetie, take out the key. Your uncle will just take a look; he won't do anything."

At this moment, Wang Jinshan looked like a strange uncle trying to coax a little girl; he was as emaciated as could be.

But he was completely oblivious to his own ignorance, shamelessly continuing to approach Wang Meiyan.

It's only because Wang Meiyan has a strong mental fortitude that she was able to stop crying; otherwise, she would have been terrified by Wang Jinshan's lewd behavior.

Faced with a dilemma: her uncle on one side and the family's bicycle on the other, Wang Meiyan was immediately caught in a predicament.

Difficulties won't disappear, but they can be shifted!
Wang Meiyan had a sudden inspiration and immediately came up with a feasible solution, saying:

"Uncle, the key is on top of the kitchen cabinet. Go get it yourself."

While Wang Jinshan was looking for the nonexistent key, Wang Meiyan quickly ran to the bicycle, took out the key, and began to unlock it.

Once Wang Meiyan got on the bicycle, she immediately disregarded everything else and began pedaling vigorously.

Finally, Wang Meiyan shouted loudly into the house, "Uncle, I made a mistake, the key isn't there."

"But I need to ask my family if I can give you the key. Wait for me a moment, I'll ride my bike to find them right away."

When Wang Jinshan came to his senses, he found that Wang Meiyan was no longer in the yard. Although he was furious, he could only wait there.

Although there was a minor hiccup in the attempt to seize the bicycle, Wang Jinshan remained completely calm.

Based on his relationship with Wang Chengpeng's family, he didn't believe he couldn't even borrow a bicycle.

Instead of leaving immediately, he waited in the yard.

(End of this chapter)