Wife, please behave yourself.

Chapter 91 The First Rebellion

It rained for several days in a row a while ago.

After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, the rising temperature made it difficult to even step out of an air-conditioned room without mental preparation.

As August approached, Liu Changcun finally made up his mind to close the bookstore completely.

With the popularity of the TV series "The Temptation to Go Home", the first dividend has been successfully received.

Liu Changcun initially thought the amount would be at most tens of thousands, but when he received the text message from the bank, he was still shocked by the number.

Nearly 200,000 yuan was received.

With the current average salary level of only a thousand yuan or so, such an income is enough to make an ordinary family cheer and celebrate for a long time.

Based on the current trend, once the drama "Temptation to Go Home" finishes airing, the amount received should increase several times over. Not to mention that in the next two or three years, as long as no new drama of this type is released, it will most likely be re-broadcast several times.

On his way to the bookstore, Liu Changcun no longer needs to rush to the film set every day.

Although the original script of more than 30 episodes was required by the station to be expanded to 50 episodes due to ratings, Liu Changcun only needed to provide the extended script to the production team and did not need to be present in person.

During the time I was on set, the bookstores near No. 16 Middle School were not open.

Now that it's summer vacation and students are no longer the main customers, bookstores won't be able to earn a decent income even if they reopen.

I simply chose to close the door.

Liu Changcun slowed down and stopped the car, turned off the engine, and got out of the car with the keys in hand.

The heat wave that hit him as soon as he got out of the car was unbearable, as he had been enjoying the air conditioning inside the car the whole way.

Ignoring the sweltering heat that my body was experiencing, I quickly walked to the bookstore, took out my key, opened the shutter door, and returned to the bookstore I hadn't visited in almost half a month.

Time flies so fast; it seems like just yesterday that more than two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

I stepped over to the cashier and looked at the old, yellowed, sturdy computer.

I lightly rubbed it with my hand, and perhaps because it hadn't been cleaned properly in a long time, quite a bit of dust had accumulated on the top of the monitor.

With a hint of disgust, Liu Changcun rubbed his hands together and patted them to remove all the dust before turning around to tidy up the books piled on the bookshelf.

Ever since my daughter brought home some comics from the bookstore last time, it's as if she's opened the door to a whole new world.

On the way here, Liu Changcun had already called the scrap collector.

Liu Wanqiu, who was still in elementary school, wasn't very interested in some of the magazines and novels in the store, but she loved the comic books with their interesting illustrations and stories.

Since he had to get rid of everything in the store, and with the idea of ​​making the most of everything, he simply packed up most of the comics and took them home.

I also took the old computer back with me.

After Liu Changcun had almost finished loading the items onto the truck, the scrap collector finally arrived late in his small truck.

I asked them to estimate the price of everything in the house.

After agreeing on a price that both parties felt was reasonable, they immediately had the scrap collector pack all the scrap into a truck.

Standing outside the store, Liu Changcun looked at the bookstore sign that had been taken down.

It wasn't until I stepped outside the shop again that I caught a glimpse of the tightly closed door of the flower shop next door.

Liu Changcun turned his gaze away from the signboard and walked to the closed flower shop.

Looking at the paper pasted on it, I saw that it read "[Prime Shop for Urgent Sale]".

It went bankrupt?
The idea flashed through his mind. Looking at the phone number under the "Urgent Sale of Shop" ad, Liu Changcun first took out his phone and saved the number.

Although the flower shop is not located next to the school, it is not far from the school either, only about 700 or 800 meters away.

If the price is right, he is willing to pay to buy the original flower shop.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Liu Changcun stepped back and looked at the shop next to his bookstore.

If the two shops were combined, whether it were rented out to open a breakfast shop or a small store, people would likely inquire about it.

As long as the florist doesn't ask for too much, Liu Changcun would be happy to own another storefront.

Suddenly, Liu Changcun thought of someone.

Looking at the flower shop in front of him, he remembered Ning Mengyao, whom he hadn't seen for half a month.

As the former bookstore owner shifted his focus to acting, the two, who were once in the same social circle, completely lost the opportunity to meet.

Liu Changcun remembered that Ning Mengyao used to work alternately between the supermarket and the flower shop, but he didn't know if she had found a new job after the flower shop closed down.

The feeling of concern didn't linger in his mind for long; it was quickly forgotten by Liu Changcun in the moment.

Now that they're in different circles, the two may never have the chance to meet again.

Even if the two had some interaction in the past, Liu Changcun now sees it all as a thing of the past.

After receiving the money from the scrap collector, Liu Changcun closed the roller shutter again.

He then drove home with the comic books bundled in the back seat and the old computer from the bookstore.

On his way home, Liu Changcun, sitting in his car, spotted the figure walking on the sidewalk from a distance.

At first, he wasn't quite sure, but as the car slowed down and drove past the man, he rolled down the window, turned around, and saw Liu Changcun's face before he stepped on the brakes.

The sudden stop of the vehicle did not attract the attention of the other party.

Ning Mengyao kept her eyes downcast, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly as if she were muttering something to herself.

My eyes followed her as she carried her things past the parked car.

"Miss Ning."

"..."

The figure, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly stopped and slowly raised his lowered eyelids.

Ning Mengyao turned around and looked behind her. When she saw the person leaning out of the car window, her previously confused expression suddenly turned into a smile.

"Boss Liu."

Carrying her things, she quickly turned around and almost ran towards the parked car.

I walked around the front of the car and came to the driver's seat.

Looking up at Liu Changcun inside the car, her already smiling face blossomed into an even brighter smile.

Liu Changcun glanced at it briefly, then spoke.

"You look much better now that I haven't seen you for a while."

"Because I've had a longer break recently."

"Take a break? Didn't you find another job?"

"..."

Ning Mengyao was momentarily stunned upon hearing the man's question.

She quickly realized what was happening, maintaining her gentle smile as she addressed the man inside the car.

"You knew everything? Did you just come back from the bookstore?"

"Yes, I just happened to see a sign outside the flower shop saying 'urgent sale'."

Following the other person's face downwards, Liu Changcun glanced at what the other person was carrying.

This caught Ning Mengyao's attention, who was staring at the man, and she picked up the thing in her hand as if to explain.

"These are some ingredients I just bought. I've made the milk tea you mentioned."

"what?"

Upon hearing what the woman said, Liu Changcun couldn't immediately recall which type of milk tea she was referring to.

Seeing that Liu Changcun seemed to not remember, Ning Mengyao continued to explain. "Last time at your house, you didn't like the new tea I made, and you even said you wanted to add some milk or something..."

"I remember now, that's right."

"I've made the milk tea you were talking about."

Ning Mengyao had a bright smile on her face, as if she had accomplished a remarkable feat.

Liu Changcun, inside the car, fell silent, blinked a few times, and after a moment belatedly asked a question.

"You really made it?"

"Yes, I tried several brands of milk before I found the right one. And you can't pour too much milk; you have to keep the ratio of milk to tea to three to one."

Ning Mengyao began to recount her nearly two weeks of experimentation, even sharing the mixing ratio she had finally found after many attempts.

She trusted Liu Changcun unconditionally, without even the slightest thought of hiding anything.

Liu Changcun listened to the other person talking nonstop while watching Ning Mengyao, who was standing outside the car with an overwhelming desire to share.

Until she finished speaking her last sentence.

"Would you like to come to my house and try some? I'll make you a cup."

Looking at Ning Mengyao, he didn't answer immediately, but thought for a moment before speaking.

"boarding."

Her steps became more cheerful, and Ning Mengyao, carrying the small items in the bag, jogged around the front of the car again.

He opened the passenger door and sat down.

The vehicle started moving again, heading towards her newly rented house under Ning Mengyao's guidance.

Once inside the narrow alley, barely wide enough for two cars to pass, Liu Changcun first got Ning Mengyao out of the car. Then, he adjusted the car, trying to keep the passenger side as close to the wall as possible.

Park the car and get out.

Following behind Ning Mengyao who was waiting, they passed through the iron gate and headed upstairs.

It's still a walk-up building, but this time it's on the fifth floor.

Stairwells are already poorly ventilated, and with the current sweltering weather, just climbing a flight of stairs is enough to make you sweat profusely.

After finally arriving at the other party's door, he followed Ning Mengyao inside after she opened the door.

There are several more doors after you go inside.

They waited for Ning Mengyao to open it before finally arriving at her new residence.

After closing the door behind her, Ning Mengyao quietly carried the small ingredients and turned to look at Liu Changcun.

"Please sit down and wait a moment while I make you a cup."

He spoke very softly, as if afraid of disturbing others' rest.

He took a plastic stool from the small table next to him and placed it in front of Liu Changcun after he entered the room.

Liu Changcun reached out and pulled it over, intending to put it behind his back.

However, the plastic stool legs made a rustling sound as they rubbed against the floor, and before Liu Changcun could even sit down, he heard a series of banging sounds coming from the wall.

"Shh..."

Ning Mengyao dared not make too much noise, even her shushing was done in a low voice.

Seeing this, Liu Changcun was speechless. He simply nodded silently and sat on the stool waiting.

He looked up and around at the cramped living space in front of him.

Although the items in the room were not placed randomly, even the floor was swept very clean.

However, the peeling paint on the walls really made the whole room look dilapidated.

Not to mention the floor tiles that already have many cracks.

Liu Changcun withdrew his observation gaze and looked at Ning Mengyao, who was taking something out of the refrigerator in front of him.

I don't know where the refrigerator came from, but the power cord clearly showed signs of being repaired.

It's an old, worn-out refrigerator that doesn't make any buzzing noises and you can't tell it's still cooling properly.

Holding a cup of pure tea taken from the refrigerator in my left hand, I tried to gently close the refrigerator door with my right hand. Perhaps due to the aging of the sealing ring, I couldn't close it properly even after several attempts.

With a little force, the refrigerator door closed with a dull thud.

The commotion seemed to have exceeded Ning Mengyao's expectations, and the already cautious girl suddenly became a little flustered.

I could hear footsteps coming from behind a wall.

Not long after, a heavy knocking sound came from the closed door.

Hearing the noise, Ning Mengyao quickly put down what she was holding and hurried to the door.

She opened the door, and before she could even speak, a chorus of curses entered the room.

"Can't you understand human language? I told you to keep your voice down!"

"Sorry……"

"How many times has this happened? How can anyone sleep peacefully if this is done all the time?"

"..."

The shrewish, cursing words drifted into the room, causing Liu Changcun, who was sitting on a stool, to furrow his brow.

Ning Mengyao glanced sideways at the doorway, looking like a turtle hiding its head in the sand, and silently endured the scolding after saying "I'm sorry".

It was thought that Ning Mengyao, having gone through all this, would be able to make up her mind to end her failed marriage and grow in some way.

But judging from her current situation where she doesn't dare to talk back even when she's being scolded, she seems to be the same as before, without much change.

With her face lowered, Ning Mengyao dared not think of resisting, but could only endure the woman outside the door's furious tirade of curses.

Thinking that after the other person calmed down, I would apologize properly and promise that I would never make too much noise at home again.

Endless tolerance will only lead to more excessive bullying from others.

The woman standing outside the door seemed to have finally found an outlet for her anger, and the curses coming from her mouth became increasingly offensive.

Ning Mengyao lowered her head even further.

He seemed to accept the punishment willingly, but his peripheral vision drifted to the seated figure behind him.

When she saw Liu Changcun's speechless expression, her heart skipped a beat.

"It's disgusting. I don't know how your mother, that bitch, raised you to be such a disgusting child!"

"..."

Liu Changcun, who originally didn't want to get involved, finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He initially thought the woman outside the door would just give him a few words of warning, but now that it had escalated into a personal attack, even including curses directed at his family, it was going too far.

He was sitting on the plastic stool and was about to get up, but before he could stand up, he heard Ning Mengyao's voice, which was no longer being lowered.

As if finally provoked, he retorted loudly without holding back.

"What right do you have to talk about my mother like that!"

At some point, she lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and she sobbed softly.

The woman who was cursing at the door was no longer the one who would allow herself to be insulted as before.

Instead, it was the first time she had fought back against the person who had bullied her.

(End of this chapter)